1. One is more excellent than the other, that is, by speech, which is an excellent manifestation.
2. And then by vision.
3. And then by dreams, as in old time.
4. And then by miracles, of which he wrought many.
5. And by sacrifices, as the passover.
6. And last of all, by types.
All these ways God manifested himself before Christ. But, as Heb. i. 2, now God speaks to us in his own Son, that is, more familiarly, even by God in our nature ; and therefore the manifestation by Christ is more excellent than all former manifestations.
Then his three offices were shadowed out by king, priest, and prophet. All the kings, priests, and prophets were shadows of this great prophet, priest, and king. And all the benefits of salvation were shadowed darkly : his election, by singling Abraham out of his father's house. Gen. xii. 1 ; the Israelites out of the world ; his vocation, by calling of Abraham and his people. Gen. xvii. 5 ; his justification, by divers sacrifices, which were types of Christ ; by the paschal lamb, Ex. xii. 3, seq. ; by the brazen serpent, Num. xxi. 9, the propitiatory and the mercy seat, Ex. xxv. 17. The great work of redemption shadowed out, by their redeeming out of Babylon and Eg3'pt, Ex. xii. 81, scq. ; the great works of sanctification, by their washing and cleansings. Lev. xiv. 8, which were the shadow of the inward purity of the soul ; and glorification, the consummation of all blessings, by the land of Canaan, Josh. i. 2, seq., and ' the holy of holies,' which was the type of heaven, Ex. xxvi. 33. So that all the benefits we have of salvation were shadowed out then, but they be clear in the gospel ; we see the face of Christ. In the gospel we hear Christ speaking himself. God in oui- nature discovers all these things to us.
Ohj. But you will say, We cannot see the face of Christ, for it is gone, we cannot see him now.
Sol. No. Bat when we preach the gospel, receive the sacraments, hear the word, we see Christ. We see Christ in the gospel, the word is the glass of Christ ; and so are the sacraments, wherein you may see the face of Christ. Fides est spiritualis ociilus ; faith is a spiritual eye, and seeth Christ.
But Abraham saw Christ and was glad. True. But now faith sees Christ more clearly than ever before. Nay, it is in some sort better for us to see Christ with the eye of faith in heaven than to see him on the earth walking up and down. Many reprobates saw him on earth, but now none can see him but with eyes of faith ; none can speak to Christ but those that have learned his language.
And it is for our advantage that we see not Christ now. He doth more good in heaven than he could do on the earth. He is now at the right hand of God, and hath all power in heaven and earth. The sun, if it were lower, would consume the world, but it is high, that it may shine over more than half the world at once. So Christ, for the good of the church, is gone to heaven, and we have more good from him by the Spirit than if he were on earth.
324 COMMENTARY ON
Obj. But 3'ou will say, Wc shall not see liis face till we see him in heaven.
Ans. True. Therefore, mark, 1, the diversity of the jjh rase in comparing it to former times.
Wo see his face in the gospel. But if wc compare these times to the glorious times when ho will come gloriously to judgment, wo saw him but in the glass, then we shall see him face to face. So you see in what sense wo see the face of Christ. What they expected and looked for, that we see. Beloved, it is happiness for us to live in these times of the church. Wo see Christ clearly. All the happiness of the church depcndeth on the Scripture and knowledge of Christ ; for he is the glory of the church, and the happiness of the church. And those times that have most of Christ are the most happy times. Now, considering we in the latter age of the world know Christ most, wo arc most happy. Wherein was the first temple glorious above the second ? The second temple had not many things the other had. Ay, but Christ came into the second temple, and that made it glorious : ' Blessed is the eye that sceth the things that you see, and the ears that hear what you hear,' Mat. xiii. IG.
So it is our happiness that we live in a second spring of the gospel, and not when it was covered not only with Jewish ceremonies, but with fond* superstitions of their own. But now we see Christ face to face. His excel- lency is unveiled. It is our happiness if we be better for it, or else it will increase our damnation.
2. But it is not sufficient, railess we see God in Christ, and the (jlory of God 'in the face of Jesus Christ.' For the soul will not rest but in God. God is the last rest and stay of the soul. As 1 Peter i. 21, Christ was raised again from the dead, ' that your faith and hope might be in God.' God is the stay, and rest, and subsistence of the soul ; it cannot rest but in God. So that we must see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, else the soul will not be sufficiently stayed. Therefore consider in what sense ' the glory of God shineth in the face of Jesus Christ.' You must know first that Christ is the perfect image of his Father ; his Father shin- eth in him.