Light for them that sit in darkness, or, A discourse of Jesus Christ, and…

From these Texts it is evident that in every Generation or Age of the World, God did give his People a Promise, and so ground for a believing-remembrance that he would one day send them a Saviour: for indeed the Promise is not only a ground for a remembrance, but for a believing-remembrance: what God saith is sufficient ground for Faith, because he is Truth and cannot lye or repent. But that is not all, his ⟨p. 8⟩Heart was engaged, yea all his Heart, in the Promise which he spoke, of sending us a Saviour.

From this Observation I shall make inquiry into these three things.

1. What it is to be a Saviour. 2. How it appears that God in all Ages gave his People a Promise that he would one day send them a Saviour. 3. That this was ground for a believing remembrance that a Saviour should one day come.

This word Saviour is easy to be understood, it being all one with Deliverer, Redeemer, &c. A Saviour, Jesus; both words are of the same signification, and are doubled, perhaps to teach us, that the Person mentioned in the Text, is not called Jesus only to distinguish him from other Men (for names are given to distinguish) but also, and especially to specify his Office: his Name is Saviour, because it was to be his Work, his Office, his Business in the World. His Name shall be called Jesus, for he shall save his People from their sins, Matt. 1. 21.

This word Saviour is easie to be understood, it being all one with Deliverer, Redeemer, &c. A Saviour, Jesus; both words are of the same signification, and are doubled, perhaps to teach us, that the Person mentioned in the Text, is not called Jesus only to distinguish him from other Men (for names are given to distinguish) but also, and especially to specifie his Office: his Name is Saviour, because it was to be his Work, his Office, his Business in the World. His Name shall be called Jesus, for he shall save his People from their sins, Matt. 1. 21.

Secondly, This word Saviour is a word so large, that it hath place in all the undertakings of Christ; for whatever he doth in his Mediation, he doth as a Saviour. He interposeth between God and Man as a Saviour. He engageth against Sin, the Devil, Death, and Hell, as a Saviour, and triumphed over them by himself as a Saviour.

Thirdly, The word Saviour, as I said, is all one with Redeemer, Deliverer, Reconciler, Peacemaker, or the like; for though there be variation in the terms, yet Saviour is the intendment of them all. By Redeeming he becomes a Saviour, by Delivering he becomes a Saviour, by Reconciling he becomes a Saviour, and by making Peace he becometh a Saviour: But I pass this now, intending to speak more to the same question afterwards.

Thirdly, The word Saviour, as I said, is all one with Redeemer, Deliverer, Reconciler, Peacemaker, or the like; for though there be variation in the terms, yet Saviour is the intendment of them all. By Redeeming he becoms a Saviour, by Delivering he becomes a Saviour, by Reconciling he becomes a Saviour, and by making Peace he becometh a Saviour: But I pass this now, intending to speak more to the same question afterwards.

Secondly, How it appears that God in all Ages gave his People a Promise that he would one day send them a Saviour.

It appears evidently, for so soon as man had sinned, God came to him with an heart full of Promise, and continued to renew, and renew, till the time of the promised Messiah to be revealed was come.

It appears evidently, for so soon as man had sinned, God came to him with an heart full of Promise, and continued to renew, and renew, till the time of the promised Messias to be revealed was come.

He promised him under the name of the Seed of the Woman, after our first Father had sinned: I will put enmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy Seed and her Seed, it shall break thy Head, and thou shalt bruise his Heel (Gen. 3. 15.) This the Apostle hath his eye upon when he saith, When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a Woman, made under the Law, to Redeem them that were under the Law, Gal. 4. 4.

He promised him under the name of the Seed of the Woman, after our first Father had sinned: I will put enmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy Seed and her Seed, it shall break thy Head, and thou shalt bruise his Heel (Gen. 3. 15.) This the Apostle hath his eye upon when he saith, When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a Woman, made under the Law, to Redeem them that were under the Law, Gal. 4. 4.

2. God renewed this Promise to Abraham, and there tells him Christ should be his Seed; saying, ⟨p. 10⟩In thy Seed shall all Families of the Earth be blessed, (Gen. 12. 3.) Now saith Paul; To Abraham and his Seed was the Promise made; He saith not unto Seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy Seed, which is Christ, (Gal. 3. 16.)

3. He was promised in the time of Moses under the name of a Prophet; I will raise them up (saith God to him) a Prophet of their Brethren like unto thee: This Peter expounds of Christ, for Moses truly said unto the Fathers: A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your Brethren like unto me, him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you, Deut. 18. 18. Acts. 3. 22.

4. He promised him to David under the Title of a Son; saying, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son: For this the Apostle expounded of the Saviour; saying, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee: and again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son, 2 Sam. 7. 14. Heb. 1. 5.

5. He was promised in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, Kings of Judah.

1. By the name of a Branch. In that day shall the Branch of the Lord be Beautiful and Glorious, Isa. 4. 2.

2. Under the name of the Son of a Virgin. Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a Sign; Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, & thou shalt call his Name Emmanuel. This Matthew expounds ⟨p. 11⟩of Christ, Isa. 7. 14. Matt. 1. 22.