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in which the burnt-offering was received, was a full proof of the divine acceptance of it, yet unbelief works in the man, who was struck with awe when he understood he had seen God in human form: "We have seen God." They had seen the Son of God in a body like their own, which he assumed for the occasion, to give them a pledge how much his delights were with the sons of men, and that he would most assuredly become incarnate at the fixed season for it, in the divine purpose of the eternal Three.

Having aimed to shew that Samson was a type of Christ, in his nazariteship, work, and office, I proceed,

Lastly, to shew how Christ and Samson may be considered, and will be found to be, one the shadow, the other the substance; the one the type, the other the most glorious and Almighty Deliverer and Saviour of his church and people, who hath saved them with an everlasting salvation.

As every prediction, type, and memorial, made use of by the Lord, given out and instituted by him, to proclaim and make known the incarnation, work and offices of his Son, had the greatest propriety in them, and the peculiarity of Samson, as a personal type of the Messiah, lay in the peculiarity of that sanctification and holiness, pointed out in his being a nazarite to God from the womb; so the incarnation of the Son of God, and his being born of a woman, made

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under the law, and his dedication to God from the conception of his human nature to the last moment of his incarnate life, was more fully expressed by this type of his person as the light and sun of righteousness, than by any other symbol and shadow of him under the old testament dispensation. Indeed all this is more than probable; it is even sealed and confirmed by the prophet Jeremiah in these words, "The Lord hath created a new thing on the earth, a woman shall compass a man.” Jer. xxxi. 22. Dr. Goodwin says, the words are, the strong man,' even him prefigured by Samson, the strongest of men. Now Samson's strength was supernatural; it was bestowed by the Lord on him, and continued to him, so long as he had his seven locks, which were expressive of his being a nazarite unto God, or separated and devoted unto him; and by his strength thus given and continued by the Lord, he performed prodigies of valour; he conquered the lion; slew the Philistines, and took away their garments; he sent three hundred foxes, with firebrands, or torches, tied to their tails, amongst the standing corn of the Philistines, and ruined it; he slew a thousand men with the jaw bone of an ass; took the gates, posts, bars, and doors of the city of Gaza, and carried them up upon the top of the hill before Hebron, and all this by main strength.

Mr. Romaine's note on Samson is well suited to my subject. He says, on the 15th chapter of Judges, We here see what great things were done by a single man; but he was made strong in the Lord, and went out in the power of his might; and he did these great things not out of private revenge, but to the glory of God, for he fought the Lord's battles.' He further says, 'Samson's great strength was from the Lord, who continued it while he abode in his calling; but when he broke his nazarite's vow, then the Lord left him, and he became like other men. So it is still. Through Christ we can do all things, without him we can do nothing.'

Now as we set Samson and Christ one against the other, by way of considering them, as one bearing the shadow and resemblance of the other, we shall find the actions and circumstances of the one very expressive of the other.

Samson was separated and sanctified by the Lord for his work and office. So was Christ. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, and stirred him up, and moved him to perform his work and office, as a deliverer of his people from the oppression of their public enemies. The Holy Spirit, with his sevenfold unction, power, and grace, descended and remained on Christ, to qualify him to work deliverance for his people, against their public and sworn enemies,

sin, satan, the world, death, and hell. On Samson's first going forth, after the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, a lion came forth and roared against him; immediately on our Lord's public entrance on his work, the devil began to attack him. Samson overcame the lion with the greatest ease. Our Lord vanquished the devil, so that he departed from him for a season.' Samson delivered out a parable to the Philistines. Our Lord spake in parables to the multitudes. What Samson did, was by his own strength; not at the head of an army, but in his own person, singly he performed his heroic acts. So Christ's own arm brought salvation.

Now it is easy to see, and for ourselves to perceive, that Samson was a shadow of Christ, the person represented by him.

Again, in those great acts of Samson's, such as his slaying the Philistines, spoiling their corn fields and vineyards, taking their garments from them, we may see, as in a figure, the power and wrath of Christ, as it was expressed against his enemies, the heathen nations, who opposed the glorious spread of his everlasting gospel, and will be further expressed until all shall be brought to submit to him, the everlasting Conqueror.

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Samson, when he had slain a thousand men with the jaw-bone of an ass, was athirst, and cried unto the Lord. Our Lord, when in pur suit of all the enemies of his people, when completing his final victory over all the powers of hell, cried out, "I thirst."

Samson's taking the gates of Gaza off their hinges, may remind us of Christ's having cast hell gates off their's, and that by his own almighty and invincible strength.

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And in the work and office of Samson we may perceive him to be a type of our Almighty and most glorious Saviour and Deliverer, the Lord Jesus Christ..

Samson conquered the Philistines by his death; he died with his arms stretched out; he slew more at his death than in his life; by main force he pulled down the walls of the idolatrous temple about the ears of its cursed worshippers, who were crushed to death hereby. Thus he finished his work, and conquered by his death. So our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, with his arms stretched out, and his hands and feet nailed to it: he, by his death, shook the very foundations of hell, was a conqueror in it, and overcame his enemies more completely then, than he had before done in his life. The walls of hell fell flat to the ground; satan and his principalities and powers felt the death of Jesus

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