Three: Noah, a Type of Christ

Noah a type of Christ, 7 ways.

The second instance is Noah, the manifest type of the true Noah, and that in seven respects.

          I. Both were fore-prophesied of to be Saviors, Gen. 5:29. Lamech begat a son and called his name Noah, saying: This shall comfort us concerning our works, and sorrow, and curse of the earth; therefore he called him by his name signifying ceasing, or rest: So of Christ, Mat. 1:21, you shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people: He shall be the true Noah that shall cause God’s wrath to cease, and bring the afflicted soul to true rest and tranquility.

          II. Both are said to be just and perfect; both said to walk with God; and both to find grace and favor with God. 1. Noah was just in his generation: So was Christ; have nothing to do with that just man, said Pilate’s wife, Matt. 27:19. But with difference; Noah’s righteousness was imparted, being righteousness of faith, Heb. 11:7. Christ’s was inherent, a righteousness of nature, person and heart. 2. Noah was a perfect and upright man, Gen. 6:9, that is not defiled with Idolatry, false religion, opinion, or external crimes: but Christ was perfect simply and absolutely, Noah was comparatively. Noah was perfect but in part: Christ perfectly perfect: Christ Legally: Noah Evangelically. Noah perfect by the perfection of another: Christ by his own. Noah perfect because without open crime: Christ being without sin. 3. Both walking with God, found grace with God, Noah, Gen. 6:8. Christ, Luke 2:40-52. But Noah found grace by acceptance and imputation: Christ by complete merit and satisfaction. Christ found grace by his own perfection and justice; but Noah clothed with Christ’s.

            III. Both of them were preachers of righteousness. But Christ preached his own doctrine, Noah Christ’s. Both invited unto repentance, both called men to avoid the judgement to come. Both lived and preached in a most corrupt age, when there was a general defection both in doctrine and manners. Both their ministries were despised, and that despite of both they were fearfully revenged; the one by water, the other by fire and sword: both by utter desolation, as the like never heard of before.

          IV. Both of them makers of an Ark, and masters of it. But Noah of a material; Christ of a spiritual, the Church. Noah to save sinners from the deluge of waters temporal; Christ to save sinners from the deluge of Gods wrath eternal. In the making of their arks they are very alike. 1. Both do all about their Arks at God’s commandment. For as the Lord did not hide from Noah his decree, Gen. 6:13: So he communicated his whole will and counsel to his Son concerning the salvation of the Church, Jn. 8:26. 2. As Noah takes many trees at God’s commandment, and strongly closes them together, and seals with pitched within and without against the waters: So doth Christ make choice of trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, and compacts them together by the bond of the Spirit, glues and fastens them together by the glue of Christian love, and seals them with pitch within and without, fortifies and strengthens them against the waters of affliction, temptation, persecution, that none shall drown or overwhelm them. 3. As Noah prepared many rooms in the ark for many creatures: so Christ in his ark appoints many places and functions for believers here, and prepares in his Father’s house many mansions for them hereafter, Jn. 14:2. And as Noah receives into the ark clean and unclean creatures and persons, a Shem, and a Ham: So the Lord Christ into his militant Church, receives all sorts of nations, sexes, persons, conditions; Jews, Gentiles; men, women, noble, ignoble; believers, unbelievers’ hypocrites, and found Christians. On this floor is wheat and chaff. 4. As Noah made a window into his Ark to give light to the creatures within; so Christ, by the Gospel preached in the Church, enlightened the mind of those that are within; without this light let in, they should sit in everlasting darkness. 5. As Noah by the same direction makes a door to enter into the Ark, and but one door for so very great a building: so there is but one door to the great building of the Church dispersed far and wide, and this is Christ himself, Jn. 10-:7,9.. 6.As Noah the master of the ark enters into it, and receives and saves all that enter in with him; for which purpose he is contented to be tossed up and down by those most raging waters, and had no more freedom from fear and danger than others in the ark: so Christ the master of his Church, to save his Church, himself enters into it, and is admitted into it by the waters of Baptism; and was contented for the saving of others to be tossed with waves and billows of affliction, ignominy, shame, sin, curse, even the torments of hell. That his Church might be in safety with him, he will be in danger with her, and every way to help her, will be every way like her in all things, sin excepted.

          V. Both of them were repairers of the world. From Noah descended all the inhabitants of the earth: from Christ all the inhabitants of heaven. The world again was re-peopled and replenished by Noah’s posterity: the Church and every member is Christ’s posterity. Both of them were preserves and providers for all sorts of creatures: but Noah was a steward; Christ as Lord and owner of them: Noah for a few, Christ for all: Noah for a year and a little more, Christ perpetually. To both of them the creatures came in, and were obedient to them though ever so fierce and savage out of the Ark, but in the Ark they were mild and tame: so to Christ the winds, seas, devils obey; and if Lions and Cockatrices come into the Ark and Church they become as lambs and little children putting off all fierceness. Isa. 11:6.

         VI. Both of them offered a sacrifice of rest, and sweet favor to the Lord, Noah, Gen. 8:21. As men are delighted with sweet savors, so was Noah’s sacrifice pleasing to God. But his was a sacrifice but of testification, witnessing his faith and thankfulness. The sacrifice of Christ was perfect satisfaction, in which he offered not the bodies of clean beasts as Noah, but his own body as a Lamb without spot, not upon an alter built by Noah’s hand, but upon the alter of his deity, not ascending to heaven by ordinary fire, but offered through his eternal spirit, compared to fire, Heb. 9:14. And therefore must fully satisfy his Father’s justice, appease his wrath, and be most acceptable in itself, and must bring Noah’s and all other sacrifices into acceptance. And from hence it was with both of them God did make a covenant of grace for their posterities that he would never break out in such wrath against them, confirming the same unto the posterity of Adam by the sign of the rainbow, and to the posterity of Christ by the sacrament of baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.

            VII. Both of them sent a dove out of the ark. Noah when the waters lowered, and much of his fear and danger was past, sends out the dove who brought an olive branch, a sign of joy, comfort, and abating of the waters: so Christ Jesus his sufferings and labors being ended, sent his Spirit forth (which had lighted as a dove on him) and brings joy, and peace, and comfort into the hearts of all believers, bringing in a testimony that God’s wrath is appeased, the waters are diminished, his love and favor returned which is better than life.

Now to Application

          I. In the type and truth learn: If all the world about us is given to wickedness, and we are cast into ever so wicked an age, then to labor to shine in the midst of a naughty generation, Phil. 2:15. It is a singular praise to be Lot in Sodom, and in a corrupt age to be unlike sinners. For light to shine and show itself in darkness, is beautiful and glorious. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. To show our selves sons of God and, children of light among enemies of God and light, is a singular honor. Noah fashioned not himself to those corrupt times; nor Christ to the evil behavior of that age. Never had Christians more need among so many wicked fashions, to be exhorted not to fashion themselves to the world. If a preacher hold on a preacher of righteousness in singleness and sincerity of heart, not fashioning himself to the present temporizers and men-pleasers, let all the world scorn, appose, and seduce him. If a private man held forth the word of life, and in blameless and pure conversation walk in a way which leads against the stream and common current of the corrupt age: both one and the other have here a type and the truth, Noah and Christ precedents for the like actions, precedents in the same way.

          II. In them both learn that there are days in which we must expect our Lord to judge. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall the coming of the Son of man be. As those sins in Noah’s time brought the deluge of water (Matt. 24:38): the same sins now reigning, shall bring and hasten the destruction by fire, prophesied, 2Pet. 3. The sins are there. 1. The sons of God marry with the daughters of men: that is, the godly with the ungodly, religious with the superstitious, and believers with infidels. 2. Horrible contempt of the word. As Noah preached by the power of the Spirit, and Christ himself by the Spirit so as ever man spoken; yet both were despised, and the Spirit resisted whereby they spoke. So now godly ministers must not think much to be despised in their ministry. For as it was in the days of Noah, and of Christ: so Christ has told us it must be. 3. Profaneness of the ministry and general malice against sincerity. As in the days of Noah, many workmen were busy to prepare an ark for others; but themselves neither entered in the same, nor saved by the same. And as in the days of Christ, the Scribes and Pharisees professed themselves chief builders, but refused the cornerstone, and neither entered themselves nor suffered others, but envy Christ they could. So shall it be in the days of the Son of man. 4. In the common state, and men, apostasy, security, sensuality; men eat, drink, and marry, but know nothing of judgement, this is, will not know. So shall the coming of the Son of man be, Mat. 24:39.

            III. In that Christ is the true Noah, all the true members of Christ (who are careful to prepare them an ark, and to get within the ark of the Church) have solid and strong comfort. For, 1. He is ready to receive all that come unto him, who calls all the weary, as Noah readily received all that offered themselves unto him. Don’t let your sin discourage you, never be unclean, get at once into the ark and you are safe. 2. As Noah himself entered the ark, and abode there all the time of danger, and roiling by the waters: so our Lord still abides in the same ship of the Church with us; he is so much the more compassionate to us as he is acquainted with our sorrows; and although the danger and fear be ever so much, we shall fare no worse than he will, who in all our troubles is troubled with us and for us. 3. As Noah sealed with pitch the ark within and without, and so fenced it against the waves and raging billows and surges of a world of seas; so does our true Noah strengthen his ark and Church partly with his promise , partly with his prayers that their faith does not fail, as sealed with pitch within and without, so firm and sure, as let this little ark of the Church be tossed upon the waters of affliction, and tried by ever so many temptations, and persecutions in this sea of the world, it is so fenced and sealed with pitch that it shall never miscarry. Noah’s ark indeed by tossing and berating of the waters may be weakened and made worse; but Christ’s ark, the Church, is made better and stronger by trials and afflictions, Psa.119:71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn your statutes. Noah’s ark at last shall putrefy and perish, but Christ’s ark shall never perish, but at last be more perfect and glorious. 4. As God’s covenant with Noah was his safety in the ark: (for look upon the ark floating above the waters with a little seal of pitch, perhaps not very skillfully done, and being the first vessel that ever was made for the water) without anchor, mast, stern, pilot, or master to govern it (for Noah was shut in by God) How was it not carried by winds and waves upon rocks or hills, or sands, or trees, or buildings, and so in an instant split all to pieces, but that the Lord was captain in all that voyage? So the safety of the Church is, that it hath so faithful a pilot, whose covenant made in his Church is the wall and defense of his people, more stable than the foundation of the earth. Which made David to glory: Though the earth be moved, and mountains tumble into the sea (Ps. 46:2), yet the Church may glory in salvation of her God. In our lesser trials, storms, and oppositions look to God, our safety; be within the ark, God will provide for your safety. 5. The ark had a time to be freed from the deluge of waters: so the Church has a time for her deliverance, Rev. 7:14, Psa. 55:22. 6. When the flood of waters abated, the ark rested on a mountain of Ararat, Gen. 8:4. So when the waters of affliction are dried up, the Church has her rest in the holy mountain of God, Psa.15