* Original Title page —
A DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST. His neerenesse to God, His calling.
^ His qualification.
His execution of his calling. In three Sermons. Being the leading Sermons to that Trea- tise called the Bruised Reed, preached
upon the precedent words. By the late Reverend and learned Di- vine, Richard Sibs, Doctor in Divinitie, Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and sometimes Preacher at Grayes Inne. Isa. 61. 1. The Spirit of tho Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath annoynted mo to preach good tidings unto the meeke. London. Printed by G. M. for N. Bourne and R. Harford, and are to be sold at the south entrance of the Royall Exchange, and at the guilt Bible in Queenes-head- Alley in Pater-noster-row. MDCXXXIX.
t Throughout the present edition of Sibbes, those foot-notes without any signature or initial belong to tho author or his original editors. For all others prefixed or subjoined to the several treatises, &c.. having G. attached, tho Editor is responsible.
A DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST.
Behold my seirant, wJiom I have chosen ; my beloved, in whom my sold is icell pleased: I ivill put my Sjnrit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets, &c. — Matt. XII. 18.
The words are the accomplishment of a prophecy, taken out of Isaiah xUi. 1, 2, as we may see by the former verse, ' that it might be fulfilled.' Now the occasion of bringing them in here in this verse, it is a charge that Christ gives, verse 16, that they should not discover and make him known for the miracles he did. He withdraws himself; he was desu-ous to be concealed, he would not live to the view over much, for he knew the re- bellious disposition of the Jews, that were willing to change their govern- ment, and to make him king ; therefore, he laboured to conceal himself all kind of ways. Now, upon this charge, that they should tell nobody, he brings m the prophet Isaiah prophesying of him, * Behold my servant, &c. ; he shaU not strive nor cry, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.' Other kings labour that their pomp and magnificence may be seen ; but he shall not mind ostentation, he shall not be contentious nor clamorous. For these three things are meant when he saith, ' he shall not strive, nor cry, neither shall his voice be heard in the streets ;' he shall not yield to any ostentation, for he came in an abased state to work our salvation ; he shall not be contentious, nor yet clamorous in matter of wrong ; there shall be no boasting any kind of way, as we shaU see whe^' we come to the words. You see, then, the inference here.
The inference in the prophet Isaiah is to comfort the people, and to direct them how to come to worship the true God, after he had declaimed against their idolatry, as we see in the former chapter, ' Behold my ser- vant,' &c. Great princes have their ambassadors, and the great God of heaven hath his Son, his servant in whom he dehghts, through whom, and by whom, all intercourse between God and man is.
It is usual in the prophecies, especially of Isaiah, that evangelical pro- phet, when he foretells anything comfortable to the people, in the promise of temporal things, he riseth to stabhsh their faith in better tilings, by adding thereto a prophecy, and promise of Christ the Messiah, to insinuate thus much, I will send you the Messiah, that is a greater gift than this that I have promised you ; therefore you may be sure of the less, as the apostle
4 A DESCEIPTION OF CHKIST.
reasons excellently, ' If he spared not his own son, but delivered him to death for us all, how shall he not with him give us all things ?' Rom. viii. 32. "So here, I have promised you deliverance out of Babylon, and this and that ; do you doubt of the performance ? Alas ! what is that in com- parison of a greater favour I intend you in Christ, that shall deliver you out of another manner of Babylon ? ' Behold my servant whom I have chosen ;' and in Isaiah vii. 14, ' Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,' &c. I will send you the Messiah ; God shaU become man ; there- fore, I will not stand for any outward favour or deliverance whatsoever. So he goes to the grand promise, that they might reason from the greater to the less.
There is another end, why in other promises there is mention of the pro- mise of the Messiah, to uphold their faith. Alas ! we are unworthy of these promises, we are laden with sin and iniquity. It is no matter, I will send you the Messiah. ' Behold my servant in whom my soul delighteth,' and for his sake I will delight in you. I am well pleased with you, because I am well pleased in him ; therefore, be not discouraged. 'AH the pro- mises are yea and amen in Jesus Christ,' 2 Cor. i. 19 ; for all the promises that be, though they be for the things of this life, they are made for Christ, they are yea in him, and they are perfoiTQed for his sake, they are amen in him. So much for the occasion of the inference in the evangelist St Matthew, and likewise in the prophet Isaiah.