CHAPTER I: How greatly it imports us to have a true knowledge of the person of Christ
And ONE LORD JESUS CHRIST, by whom are all things, and we by him.—1 COR. 8:6.
CHAPTER I
How greatly it imports us to have a true knowledge of the person of Christ What his person is.—That he existed from all eternity with God as a person; and was not merely a manifestation of the Deity in time, and then only existent when he first appeared in the world.
THERE are two things imported to us in those words of 1 Cor. 8:6, 'And one Lord Jesus Christ;'
I. His person, 'Jesus Christ.'
II. His office and relation to us, and unto all the creation, 'One Lord, by whom are all things.'
I. I begin first with the setting forth the substance of his person; what it is, and of what made up is he, this Christ, the Lord, of whom all things are. And this is the more necessary (though it be largely handled by others), in relation unto those strange and monstrous opinions, which, as touching the person of Christ, this age hath produced. Satan being let loose, hath preached over his old sermons and notions, read over anew, and refined his old lectures, which he had read to those great heresiarchs in the primitive times; who joining philosophical notions about λόγος, the Word (as philosophers had spoken of him), with what the Jewish Cabala had also said concerning him, made up another Christ than whom the apostles preached. And truly the bottom-cause of men's embracing errors about this, hath been the seducement of that specious and alluring principle unto man's nature, of being one with God himself, in the highest manner that man's vain heart could find ambition
within itself to aspire unto. Mistakes of union have caused men to shape out such a Christ, as might serve to their attaining that high and incommunicable union with God, which they have fancied to themselves the creature shall attain; and hence look, as we formerly observed, that to the end they might make way for this, the most hellish blasphemy that ever was uttered, that the creatures were and should become all one with God himself, partakers of the divine nature; they therefore throw down the three persons in the nature of God, as alone possessing that privilege, as those that stood in their way to this preferment. Which done, they think each of their persons may be God, as well as they have been voiced to be. So, out of the same principle, they in like manner serve or Lord Jesus Christ's person; for then must be no preferment in heaven left, which they must not be capable of, and raised up unto. They must be Christ too, and ascend to the height of his throne.
Yet there being three persons in that divine mature, the man Christ Jesus was capable of being one person with one of these; the personality, or to be one in person, might be communicated unto a creature, although to be one with God in nature could not, and that is the highest union with God the creature is capable of. And had there not been three persons in the nature of God, this high union with God had not been neither. And then this union with one of these persons is the foundation of all our unions, and by virtue of it it is that God descends to communicate himself to other creatures (the we in the text), even by uniting himself personally to one creature, the man Christ Jesus, and so setting him up the Lord and Christ, and choosing us in him; and he in that his person undertaking for, and bearing, and representing our persons, thereby we become one with him, and through him with God, in our measure, and in a subordination to him, according to that, John 14:20, 'At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.'
Now in order to clear this distinction of union with God on Christ's part, from that of ours through Christ. As I have shewed, God was an infinite, pure being, distinct from the creature, and standing out
from those dregs of the creatures into which the fancies of men would drench him, and mingle him with their mud; so we must now extricate the person of Christ also from the like entanglements, and vindicate the transcendency of his union with God, and distance of his person from ours. And then all unions left below him are left free for us to attain, and shall be obtained by us. And for the discovery hereof, I am first in pursuit of this, What the person of Christ is; what he consists of.
The great weight and moment of the true and right knowledge of the person of Christ, will be evident by a consideration of these two texts of Scripture compared together: Mat. 22:42, 'Jesus said unto them,
What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is he?' compared with Mat.
16:13–18, 'When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some,
Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'
It is acknowledged by all that profess Christian religion, that Christ is the foundation; yea, and that 'other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ,' 1 Cor. 3:11. But let all know that it is as much a foundation, and as absolutely necessary 'to know and believe him that is true' (as John's word is, 1 John 5:20), the true
Christ, that is, the true person, who and what he is, and not 'another Jesus;' that is, not to mistake his person. Which mistake, or error personæ, is either, 1, When men know not, or do not acknowledge, the individual person, who he is. Or 2, understand not, but mistake what that person is, and what his person consists of; both which are alike necessary to be understood aright by us. The necessity first you
may see by Christ's speech to the Pharisees, John 8:24, 'If you believe not that I am he,' that is, this my individual person to be the he, that is, the Messiah, 'ye shall die in your sins.'
And the necessity of the latter those two his questions, one put to the Pharisees, Mat. 22, and the other to his disciples, Mat. 16, do also argue.
1. To the Pharisees; 'What think you of Christ? whose son is he?' Mat.
22. Here he doth not ask them whether they would acknowledge himself to be the Christ, but what manner of person the true Christ should be? And the dint and aim of his question is concerning his person, 'Whose son is he?' which is the true substance of the person of the Messiah; thereby to discover to them, and convince them that they erred as well in this, what the Christ they looked for should be, as in their not taking himself that was afore them to be that person; and fatally in both.
2. He catechiseth his disciples, Mat. 16:13, 'Whom do men say I am?
Whom do ye say I am?' ver. 15. Which, ver. 16, Peter, in the name of the rest, gives answer to, and withal resolves that question which he put unto the Pharisees, 'Thou are Christ, the Son of the living God.'
In which he speaks home to both particulars.
(1.) That he, individually present with them, was the Christ, 'Thou art,' &c.
And (2.) What that Christ was, for the substance of his person, 'Son of the living God.'
And Christ, in his return to this, definitively pronounceth, that the faith of both these was the rock which he meant to build his church of the New Testament upon. So then, what the person of Christ is, is of the foundation (being the rock), as well as that, that Jesus was the Christ.
And let me add, that this being the rock the whole church of the New Testament hath been built upon, you therefore may safely job issues in your faith with what hath been the faith and doctrine of the whole church in all ages, as touching this particular, what his person for the substance of it is. In this, I say, of all points else, that promise issues which is made to the whole church, answering to this declaration of Christ, Eph. 4:13, that they should 'all come into the unity of the faith, and knowledge of the Son of God.' They should all, that were in all ages saved, agree in the knowledge of this, in whatever other things they might be found to differ. His is the 'Rock of ages.'
And therefore in this point be wary what you entertain anew, or how you vary from the catholic faith of former ages, or in what shall any way make his person differ from that person which all the saints have understood him to be.
I shall not go about setly to confute the errors that are abroad; only positively set forth that person which the glass of the gospel holds forth. And I hope, in the end and conclusion, to give forth that challenge which Paul in the like case doth, in that 2 Cor. 11:4, If he that cometh can shew you a better, or greater, or more spiritual
Christ (I do not say, shall set out our Christ better, but shew you a better Christ), then you shall do well to bear with that man, yea, and receive him and his Christ also.
Again, in the setting forth his person, my scope is not herein to set forth the excellency and glory of his person, but the substance of his person. And in doing this I shall proceed by degrees, as our apostle
John also did, when he did set himself to describe him. He doth it by piece-meal, John 1:1, 'In the beginning was the Word,' that is his first step; 'and that Word was with God,' that is a second; 'and the Word in the beginning was with God,' that is a third; 'and the Word was
God,' that is a fourth. He might have shut them all up in this sentence, 'The Word was God, with God, in the beginning.' Bat he puts it into so many several positive assertions; yea, and begins at the lowest, namely, his having existed, 'The Word was,' and that 'in the
beginning.' And then after that tells us what he is, a person distinct from God; he was 'with God,' and yet 'was God.'
I shall proceed in the like method, and set him forth in so many several assertions; whereof each, or most of them, are directed as opposite to some error or other about his person which are now abroad in the world. And I will begin, as John did, at his existence; that is, his having been, when and how long. And John's first affirmation about him is terminated merely upon his existence: 'He was,' says he; adding withal the circumstance of the time of his existence, 'In the beginning.'
1. Of his existence. When? And how long? Then of his person; who, &c. And of his existence first, because the true understanding thereof will conduce to the knowledge of his person, who he is.
(1.) He is a person who did actually exist before he came into the world and was made flesh; and that had continued to exist all along the time of this world, both in the beginning of it, and before the world was, yea, from eternity.
It is strange that the Socinians should so impudently, in the light of this gospel and the Scriptures, say that Christ began but then to exist actually, when he was first conceived by the Holy Ghost in the virgin's womb; and that before he had existed but in promise, as the day of judgment doth now. As also such who hold Christ to be but the manifestation of God in man's flesh. God indeed, say they, was afore; but Christ, as Christ, being but the manifestation of the Godhead in man's nature, existed not until that manifestation of God in man's flesh. For the existence of that which is only and barely a manifestation, lies only in being the manifestation of something that existed afore, but itself not till then. And this is even as if a man should say and affirm that what all other men call the sun is all one with what we term day, and nothing else; which you know begins but in the morning, and ceaseth at night, and is but the shine and manifestation of the sun, when it riseth and appears above our
hemisphere, or this part of the world. But look, as the sun is a body of light, that exists afore it is day with us; and the appearances of it is that which maketh day, yea, is day: so Christ the Sun of righteousness is not the bare manifestation of God, but a person that existed with God, yea, and was God, afore that manifestation of God made by him in this world. And he is not only the bringing in or manifestation of life and immortality which was in God; but himself was that eternal Life which was with the Father, as distinct from him, and was manifested to us, 1 John 1:2, so as life and immortality are made manifest by his appearing, as of a person that brings it, and manifests it with the manifestation of himself, 2 Tim. 1:10. And who also is said to 'manifest himself unto us,' as well as the Father, John
14:21.
To confirm this our main assertion, let us trace his existence punctually through all times. The Psalmist says of him, Ps. 102:24,
'Thy years are throughout all generations.' Which psalm the apostle quoteth of him. Heb. 1:10. Let us go from point to point, and see how in particulars the Scriptures accord with it. The first joint of time we will begin that chronology of his existence withal is that instant afore he was to come into the world.
First, We find him to have existed just afore he came into the world, the instance of his conception, Heb. 10:5, in these words, 'Wherefore when he comes into the world, says he, A body hast thou prepared me.' Ver. 7, 'Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.' Here is a person distinct from God the Father, a me, an I, distinct also from that human nature he was to assume, which he terms a 'body prepared.' A person he is that speaks to God, as one knowing and understanding what he was about to do; yea, and how it was written of him that he should do, 'In the volume of thy book it is written of me,' ver. 7.
Therefore besides and afore that human nature, there was a divine person that existed, that was not of this world, but that came into it,
'when he cometh into the world, he says,' &c., to become a part of it, and be manifested in it.
Secondly, We find him to have existed afore John the Baptist, though John was conceived and born some months afore him. I note these several joints of time because the Scripture notes them, and hath set a special mark upon them: John 1:15, 'John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me; for he was before me.' This priority of existence is that which John doth specially give witness unto. And it is priority in existence, for he allegeth it as a reason why he was preferred afore him; 'for he was before me.' And therefore these latter words do not note out a priority in dignity, for that were to prove idem per idem. And this reason holds strong; for he is such a person as existed afore he was made man or flesh, afore as man he was born; and so must be more than a man or creature. And then again, he doth not say, 'He is before me;' but speaks in the time past,
'He was before me.' And yet, ver. 30, he expresseth it thus, 'There cometh a man' (the same John speaking of Christ) 'which is preferred before me; for he was before me.' Still he runs upon this priority. And yet as a man he was not afore John; for John was the elder as man. Therefore as some other person, namely, 'the Son of God' (as he had entitled him, ver. 14), or as 'the Word' (as he had styled him, ver. 1 and so on).
Thirdly, We find him existing when all the prophets wrote and spake, 1 Pet. 1:11. The Spirit of Christ is said to have been in all the prophets, even as Paul, who came after Christ, also speaks, 'You seek a proof of Christ speaking in me,' 2 Cor. 13:3. And therefore he himself, whose
Spirit it was, or whom he sent, must needs exist as a person sending him. And particularly of the prophet Isaiah it is said, when he saw his glory, Isa. 6:1, which, John 12:41, is applied to Christ, and ver. 5, says
Isaiah, 'I am undone, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts,' which was Christ.
Fourthly, We find him existing in Moses's time, both because it was he that was tempted in the wilderness, 'Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents,' 1
Cor. 10:9; and it was Christ that was the person said to be tempted by
them, as well as now by us, as the word καὶ, 'as they also,' evidently shews. And it points to that angel that was sent with them, Exod.
23:20, 21, in whom the name of God was, and who as God had the power of pardoning sins: ver. 21, 'Beware of him, provoke him not, for he will not pardon your transgressions; for my name is in him.'
And him that Moses calls Jehovah or God, Stephen calls an angel.
And there is none to whom are given the name of an angel, and of God, but to Christ. And Stephen says, Acts 7:35, that 'Moses was a ruler and deliverer in the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.' And in Heb. 12:26 there is a comparison made between Moses and Christ; and Christ is there said to be he 'whose voice then shook the earth,' ver. 26; and, ver. 25, he is termed the 'speaker from heaven,' alluding to that place, Exod. 20:22, God said, 'You have seen
I have talked with you from heaven.' So then Christ then existed, and also is God. Yea, further, it is he of whom it is there also said, that 'his voice then shook the earth.' Even as he who now under the gospel speaks from heaven, and whose voice shakes both earth and heaven under the gospel. The same Jesus therefore then existed in his power that now.
Fifthly, We find him existing in and afore Abraham's time: 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am,' John 8:58. The Jews had undervalued him unto Abraham, 'Art thou greater than our father Abraham?' ver. 53. And whereas he had said thereupon that 'Abraham rejoiced to see his day,' ver. 56, which Abraham had done by faith; they will needs cavil, and put this upon him, that he had meant he had seen Abraham, and had lived in his time: 'Thou art not fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?' ver. 57. Christ doth not answer as he might, that this was a mere cavil as to what his former words did intend or hold forth; but instead thereof, with a deep asseveration, affirms what they thought he had absurdly said of himself, namely, that he had not only lived in Abraham's time, but long afore. And so their cavil and mistake drew forth from Christ this great truth, as errors use to bring forth truth; and he utters it with the greatest solemnity and asseveration, 'Verily, verily,' as being a wonder to utter; yea, and speaks not in ordinary language, as that
'afore Abraham was I was,' but 'I am,' in a correspondency to what God speaks of himself, 'Before the day was, I am,' Isa. 43:13. We translate it 'I am he,' but word for word it is 'I am,' signifying thereby that permanent, uninterrupted being of his, which is proper to God, as Ps. 90:2, 'Before the mountains were brought forth, thou art.' And Christ's answer in this place was opposite to their demand; they speak of real existence, and in the same sense and respect doth
Christ answer them.
Sixthly, We find him existing in the days of Noah, that preacher of righteousness, 1 Pet. 3:19. He says of Christ, that he was 'put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the Spirit.' He evidently distinguisheth of two natures, his divine and human, even as Rom. 1:3, 4 and elsewhere (as I shall shew); and then declares how by that divine nature, which he terms 'Spirit,' in which he was existent in Noah's times, he went and preached to those of the old world, whose souls are now in prison in hell. Those words, 'in Spirit,' are not put to signify the subject of vivification; for such neither his soul nor Godhead could be said to be, for that is not quickened which was not dead; but for the principal and cause of his vivification, which his soul was not, but his Godhead was. And besides, by his Spirit is not meant his soul, for that then must be supposed to have preached to souls in hell (where these are affirmed to be). Now, there is no preaching where there is no capacity of faith. But his meaning is, that those persons that lived in Noah's time, and were preached unto, their souls or spirits were now, when this was written, spirits in prison, that is, in hell. And therefore he also adds this word
'sometimes:' 'who were sometimes disobedient in Noah's days.'
These words give us to understand that this preaching was performed by Noah ministerially, yet by Christ in Noah; who according to his divine person was extant, and went with him, as with Moses, and the church in the wilderness, and preached unto them.
Seventhly, He was extant at the beginning of the world, 'In the beginning was the Word.' In which words, there being no predicate
or attribute affirmed of this Word, the sentence or affirmation is terminated or ended merely with his existence; 'he was,' and he was then, 'in the beginning.' He mentions not his parents, or time of his birth, but simply that he was. He mentions not any king's reign, or such note or worldly time, but simply 'in the beginning.' And he says not that he was made in the beginning, but that 'he was in the beginning.' And it is in the beginning absolutely, without any limitation. And therefore Moses's beginning, Gen. 1:1, is meant, as also the words after shew, 'All was made by him that was made;' and, ver. 10, the world he came into was made by him. And as from the beginning is usually taken from the first times or infancy of the world: 'And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning, made them male and female?'
Mat. 19:4. So Mark 13:19. Christ expounds it in the beginning of the creation which God created, 'For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation, which God created, unto this time, either shall be.' So then, when God began to create, then was our Christ. And this here is set in opposition (John
1:14) unto the time of his being made flesh, lest that should have been thought his beginning. And unto this accords that of Heb. 1:10, where, speaking of Christ, out of Ps. 102, 'Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the earth;' so as to be sure he existed then. But further, in Ps. 102:24, it runs thus, 'Thy years are throughout all generations.' We have run, you see, through all generations since the creation, and have found his years throughout them all. And yet lest that should be taken only of the generations of this world, he adds (as Rivet expounds it), 'Before thou laidst the foundation of the earth.'
Eighthly, So then we are come to this, that he hath been before the creation, yea, from everlasting. Which, First, Is made forth, in that it is said, He was in the beginning
(meaning of the creation), and therefore from everlasting. The consequence of which appears,
Both because there was but that one beginning of producing things by God, and so what was then must needs be before; yea, from everlasting, as having had no beginning. The angels were not afore that beginning mentioned by Moses. For it is said, Exod. 20:11, 'God made heaven and earth, and all that in them is,' whereof the angels are part. And, Mark 13:19, it is termed the 'beginning of the creation which God created;' and so of the creation of anything whatever that God made. So then Christ must needs have had no beginning afore, as well as that he existed then.
And, in Scripture phrase, 'in,' or 'from the beginning,' is used to express eternity: 'From the beginning, when the day was, I am,' Isa.
43:13. So they read it; that is, from eternity.
But if that will not carry it, you have it more express, 'The Lord possessed me afore his works of old,' Prov. 8:22; it is spoken of Christ. Now, to be sure, by that phrase of being afore his works, even
God's eternity is expressed thereby: 'Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God,' Ps. 90:2.
But, Ninthly, If you would have his eternity yet more express, see Heb. 7:3, where mentioning Melchisedec, Christ's type, he renders him to have been his type in this—'Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but, made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest continually.'
Where his meaning is to declare that, look what Melchisedec was typicè, or umbraliter, in a shadow, that our Christ was really and substantially. It is the manner and custom of all historians, yea, and of Moses in that sacred story of his, if they bring in any person more eminent, and as performing any more excellent exploit, to relate his parents, his descent, whom he came of, and what became of him.
And this Moses had been careful and diligent to relate of all the patriarchs, telling us whose sons they were, rehearsing their genealogy, how many years they lived, and how then they died.
Which is especially observable in that short catalogue, Gen. 5. In the
close it is added of every one, 'and he died,' when he relates little else.
But this Melchisedec was a man greater in dignity, in office, than any of the patriarchs (for whom would yourselves pitch on as the greatest of all that Moses wrote of, but Abraham, the father of all the faithful?). 'Now' (says the apostle, ver. 4), 'consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils,' yea (as ver. 5), greater than all the tribes; and so the whole nation of the Jews, and people of God that followed. For whereas all the other tribes paid tithes to Levi (says the apostle here),
Levi and all the tribes paid tithes to him in Abraham's loins. Yea, and ver. 6, 'This man blessed him,' namely Abraham, 'who had the promises for himself and all his seed. And without all contradiction, the lesser is blessed of the greater,' ver. 7. Now when Moses had in his story brought upon the stage a man thus heightened and sublimated, which would for ever set all curious thoughts on longing to know who and what this man was, what his original was, what his end, who his parents, &c., he causeth him, as it were, on a sudden to vanish, contrary to his wont concerning other persons, as if he had been a man dropped out of the clouds, telling (as we say) neither whence he came, nor whither he would go. Paul, that observed this, tells us plainly, that it was consultò, or on purpose done.
There was a mystery in it, which was to signify the eternity of Christ's priesthood and person; and whereas neither Melchisedec nor any creature was or could exist from everlasting, and so in the reality could not have wherewith to shadow out Christ's existence from everlasting, therefore it is signified by silence, or omission, there being nothing in the story that hints his original or beginning; and so it was, as if he had had no beginning: and it being setly and on purpose done, it had intentionally this secret mystery in it. There was nothing in Christ, but some type or other was ordained some way or other to shadow it. And when the matter was such as could not in the kind or reality be personated, it was done by that which might most nearly shadow it. As the sacrifice of his body was by the burntofferings of beasts, but for the sacrifice of his reasonable soul under the wrath of God, there was not any thing in the sacrificing of a beast,
of like kind, which could shadow it out, yet God appointed that which was as near in resemblance as might be; and that was the pouring forth of the blood, in which was the soul of life, signifying the pouring forth of his soul as an offering for sin, as Isaiah speaks, Isa.
53:10, 12. Now so here, there being nothing in respect of any real existence from eternity that any man was capable of, therefore an historical eternity is given him, by way of silence concerning his birth, &c. So as he was (as this text there hath it) 'made like to the Son of God;' that is, rendered, in respect of what useth to be the course and manner of story, like to him in this respect. As in law things that appear not are in value as if they were not,* so here. Now in that it is said, 'He was made like to the Son of God,' it imports him to have herein been the shadow, the picture of Christ, who is the body and substance. God having his Son, and all he was and should be, in his eye, did all along the Old Testament draw his picture in the examples of all eminences in any person that was extraordinary and transcendent; Christ being really the abstract of them all. Some pieces, or limbs, one patriarch affording, others another; and this of eternity was Melchisedec's lot to hold forth, and that in the manner specified. Now that he shadowed out the eternity of Christ's person and priesthood for time to come, all acknowledge, Socinus himself.
Therefore also in the eternity of his person for time past, for that is as well put in, 'without beginning of days,' as 'without end of life.' And so these other attributes, 'without father,' as a man, 'without mother,' as God. And 'who can tell his generation?' saith Isaiah, chap. 53:8.
All which not only import what he was in respect of his priesthood, but of his person; for the things he takes for him are such as are common to all men's persons, as they are men. As when he says he was without father or mother, insomuch that whereas Adam was without father or mother, yet we read of the beginning of his days, it is recorded, and his end of life, but not so of Melchisedec; and so represented in all things differing from all the men that ever were or shall be. And further, if that had been his only type, it had not been material to shew the eternity of his priesthood, to say he was without father. For if Moses had set down his father's name, and withal had shewn that his father was not a priest, it had been all one as to that
point. So as these are spoken chiefly in respect of his person, the subject of this priesthood; yea, and if his priesthood were from everlasting, his person must exist from everlasting; for these two are joined. Heb. 5:6, 'Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee;' and, 'Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec.' If therefore it signifies the everlastingness of the priesthood, à parte antè, or from time past, that that hath been for ever (and it must so signify, if that other opposite, without end of days, signifies the eternity of his priesthood for time to come), then withal it must import the eternity of his person, and himself to have been without beginning of days.
Lastly, Add to this that in Micah 5:2, 'But thou, Bethlehem-Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting;' where he evidently speaks of two births Christ had, under the metaphor of going forth: one as man at Bethlehem in the fulness of time, the other as Son of God from everlasting. Which latter is added on purpose, upon occasion of the prophecy of that other, to prevent that thought, that he had not existed afore he was born or conceived at Bethlehem; and his birth is expressed by that phrase of 'going' or 'coming forth,' in both respects. His birth as man, Mat. 2:6, is so expressed, 'Out of thee shall come forth,' which, ver. 4, is interpreted to be born.
And, 2. As Son of God, his goings forth (that is, his birth) are from everlasting. And it is termed 'goings forth,' in the plural; because it is actus continuus, and hath been every moment continued from everlasting. As the son begets light and beams every moment, so God doth his Son.
So then we have two everlastings attributed to Christ's person; one to come, Heb. 1:10, and another past, here in Micah 5:2. And so as of God himself it is said, Ps. 90:2, 'From everlasting to everlasting thon art God,' so also of Christ.
And to confirm this existence of his yet more; if you ask where he was all that while? John resolves you, together with this his assertion, that he was; and tells you with whom he was. At the creation, or in the beginning, he was 'with God,' when none but God and he were alone, and no creature with them; 'in the bosom of the Father,' John 1:18. And in Prov. 8:30, 'Then I was by him as one brought up with him.' And accordingly, John 17:8, Christ says, 'I came forth from thee,' speaking to his Father; and ver. 18, 'Thou didst send me into the world;' and John 16:28, 'I am come forth from the Father, and am come into the world.'
Now ask the manifestarians, that is, those that say, Christ, as Christ, is only a manifestation of God; How was it when it is said, that he was 'with God' in the beginning of the creation, when there was no creature? when, according to them, his sole being (as Christ) is barely a manifestation. I ask them to whom he was then a manifestation? Not to God, for, according to them, he is the manifestation of God in us; and to him he needed not be the manifestation of himself in their sense, but to us only. Now then we were not, nor any creature to whom he should be manifested.
Use 1. Let believers comfort themselves with this existence of their head and redeemer Christ; 1 John 2:14, he reckons it up a privilege to raise up their hearts withal, 'Ye have known him that is from the beginning,' namely, Christ, of whom, 1 John 1:1, 2, he says, 'That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us)'. This was the great privilege John and the apostles boasted of; as it follows, ver. 3,
'That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us.' When therefore he saith, 'We have known him that is from the beginning,' it carries a great privilege, and confirmation, and establishment of them in their faith, and also an exhortation with it.
(1.) A confirmation of them in their faith, and to see and rejoice in their privilege; and is as if he had said, there cannot be any Christ proposed to them that is more ancient, and therefore he is the best, the sole or only Christ. As the gospel coming after could not make void the law, so no manifestation can put down or excel that which is made of God himself in Christ, for it is he that was from the beginning.
And (2.) it hath an exhortation in it; that therefore they should always, and to the end, that is, for ever, cleave to him. It is he that was from the beginning. There can be no other Jesus; 'The same today, yesterday, and for ever,' as Heb. 13.
Use 2. Embrace him as thy chiefest treasure; for he is being and existence itself. 'The world passeth away, and the glory of it: but the word of God endures for ever.' If the truth of this written word, then much more this substantial Word, the person of Christ, in whom all other truths are 'Yea and amen.' He is, I say, existence itself, 'by whom all things consist,' Col. 1:17, and 'exist,' Heb. 1:13. And in the text, 'through whom are all things, and we by him.' And it is faith in us that gives a subsistence to him in our souls, we thereby close with him; Prov. 8:21, Wisdom, that is, Christ exhorting us to embrace him, holds forth this promise, 'I cause those that love me to inherit substance.' All other things are shadows. And how doth he confirm this to them, that he is able to give them substance? but by this, that he existed before the world was; which is the subject of his discourse for ten whole verses together next following, beginning thus: ver. 22,
'The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old: I was set up from everlasting, ere ever the earth was,' &c. Then only I was; but God himself accounted: me as a treasure to himself.
'The Lord possessed me,' ver. 22. And therefore I may well be yours.
If God esteemed me such to himself, you may well do so to yourselves. When the apostle says, 'He that was rich, for your sakes became poor,' 2 Cor. 8:9, it implies him to have been infinitely rich afore he came into the world, where it was he was made poor, and from his birth born to nothing. And to conclude, as he only is