Archive for September 10th, 2007
John Howe (1630-1705)
[All citations from the Hunt edition, 1822.]
Shed his blood to redeem the world:
1) By deputation from Christ, as if they were his deputies, in doing such monstrous work as this! as if Christ had deputed them to destroy Christianity, to render it a ridiculous thing, by their inserted fooleries; and odious, by their barbarous cruelties! That He, who was the light of the world, should appoint them to over spread it with darkness! That he, who so freely shed his blood to redeem it, had commissioned them so copiously to shed human, and Christian blood. To make even his church, the temple of the living God a shambles and slaughter-house, and aftright the rest of mankind from coming near it who yet could be as little safe in declining it, if they were within the reach of their arm! What fearful havock did they make, un provoked in America, as soon as they could get any footing there; destroying multitudes of (towards them) harmless, innocent creatures, and who (as strangers) received them with all possible kindness, even to the number of no less than forty millions; as hath been acknowledged by some of their own historians. Their kings and princes were put to death, with most exquisite torture, upon the unjustifiable pretence of their teing infidels; but with design to make them confess their gold and treasure, which they did but suspect they concealed. John Howe, “Deliverance from the Power of Darkness” in Works, (Hunt edition, 1822), 4:174.
Redeemer of man:
1) Inference. That it is a great thing to die. The Son of God, the Redeemer of man, hath an immediate presidency over this affair. He signalizes himself by it, who could not sup pose that he should be magnified by a trifle! John Howe, “Redeemer’s Dominion Over the Invisible World,” in Works, (Hunt edition, 1822) 1: 21.
2) To instance somewhat concerning the redemption of man by Christ; as that man, being in so lost and forlorn a condition, God did send his own Son down into this world to be a Redeemer and Saviour to him. This is a thing, not evident at first sight; it was not upon the first proposal discovered; it is not as soon as we hear it evident to any of us; but it may admit to be clothed with that evidence wherewith it must recommend itself to the consciences of such as shall consider. There is enough to make it plain, both who he was that came under the notion of a Redeemer into this world, and what he came for; that doing the part of a Redeemer, was really the design and end of his coming. John Howe, “The Gospel Commends Itself,” in Works, (Hunt edition, 1822), 8:52.
Redeemer of a lost world:
1) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. By him were all things made : and without him was not any thing made that was made.” And I will not undertake to exclude that from the signification and meaning of the text. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, the essential Word, the divine Logos. Though, I would not lay a stress upon a thing that is not plainly and manifestly intended yet, to take it in, is very suitable to the current of other texts of Scripture. The eternal Word had its hand and part in the creation; and it was by IT, that these worlds were made. And thereupon, by a right of creation as natural, as well as by the acquired right of a Redeemer of a lost world, by the effusion of his blood, and the sacrifice of himself, he comes to have a governing power over all this world: being ascended and gone up far above all heavens, he hath all power given into his hands, both in heaven and in earth. John Howe, “The Principles of the Oracle of God,” in Works, (Hunt edition, 1822), 7:283.
2) And further, too, because the lapsed world of mankind is, as such, thereupon, manifestly put into the hands, and under the government of the Redeemer, who died, and revived, and rose again, that he might be Lord of the living and dead: yea, and not only the lapsed world of mankind, but even the whole creation, as a surplusage of remunerative dignity arid glory, for that free and voluntary susception and undertaking of his, it will be, thereupon, most suitable to my design, to bring in the consideration of providence, under the mediatory kingdom of our Lord, and as it belongs to that vicegerency of his which he holds now, not only over this lapsed world, but over the whole creation, as by whom all things consist and are held together. And so, the discourse of the fall, in reference to this design of mine, very fitly intervening, I have chosen to pitch it on this place, from this text of Scripture now read. John Howe, “The Principles of the Oracle of God,” in Works, (Hunt edition, 1822), 7:340.