3. The high Priest's Office reached to all thinges pertayning to GOD to communicate GOD'S will vnto the people and to lay before GOD the peoples Necessities So doeth CHRIST'S Office to all the businesse betwixt GOD and vs for working in vs Repentance and Amendement and making our persons and service acceptable to GOD and therefore in nothing may wee passe by Him 4. In speciall the Priest behooved to offer Giftes and Sacrifices for Sinne for remooving of Wrath and obtayning of Favour So hath CHRIST done and fullfilled the type in this poynct also therefore by Him must wee obtayne the good which we craue and haue the evill remooved which wee feare Vers. 2. Who can haue compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that Hee Himselfe also is compassed with infirmitie 1. HEE goeth on in the Comparison The typicall high Priest behooved to bee compassionate on the Sinner So in trueth is Christ even as the miserie requyreth proportionallie as the worde importeth 2. Hee maketh two sortes of Sinners Ignorantes and Transgressoures THEN Though there bee difference of sinners yet no sinner that seeketh to Christ is secluded from His Compassion 3. Followeth a difference serving to advaunce Christ aboue the typicall Priest The high Priest typicall was compassed with infirmities not onelie sinnelesse infirmities but sinnefull also and so behooved to pittie others CHRIST though not compassed with sinnefull infirmities but sinnelesse onelie yet doeth pittie Sinners of all sortes THEN Looke what compassion one sinner might expect of another as much may wee expect of our sinnelesse Saviour Vers. 3. And by reason heereof hee ought as for the people so also for himselfe to offer for sinnes ANother difference The typicall Priest had neede of Remission of his owne sinnes and the benefite of the true Sacrifice But CHRIST because without sinne offered Sacrifice onelie for our sinnes and not for His owne THEN All the Benefite of Christ's Sacrifice commeth vnto vs. Vers. 4. And no man taketh this honour vnto himselfe but Hee that is called of GOD as was Aaron HEE proceedeth in the Comparison The typicall Priest entered by authoritie to his Calling and was honoured by his Calling So entered Christ. No man sayeth hee taketh this honour vnto himselfe but Hee that is called as was Aaron THEN 1. It is an honour to bee called to an Office in the House of GOD. 2. The Calling is null if it haue not GOD for the Author and Caller 3. If a man take an Office not appoyncted of GOD or intrude himselfe into an Office without a lawfull Calling it is no kynde of honour vnto him Vers. 5. So also CHRIST glorified not Himselfe to bee made an High Priest But Hee that sayde vnto Him Thou art My Sonne to day haue I begotten Thee 1. OVR LORD is commended for not glorifying himselfe by intrusion in his Office THEN 1. Such as pretende to bee Christ's servauntes must beware to intrude themselues into anie Office and must attende as Christ did God's Calling to God's Employment 2. Heâ— that â—suâ—peth a Calling doeth glorifie himselfe and taketh the honour that is not given him for which hee must giue a Reckoning 2. Thou art My Sonne this day haue I begotten Thee doeth imâ—oâ—â—e by the Apostle's alleadging not onelie CHRIST'S Godhead and Declaration to bee GOD'S Sonne but also the Declaration of him To â—ee high â—riest in his Manhead taken out from amongst mâ—n So deepe are the Consequences of Scripture when the Spirit bringeth foorth his owne Mynde from it Vers. 6. As Hee sayeth also in another place Thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedek HEE alleadgeth another place more cleare THEN Howbeeit Trueth may bee proven from one place yet it is needfull also for the hearers cause to alleadge moe places till the hearer bee convinced Vers. 7. Who in the dayes of His flesh when Hee had offered vp Prayers and Supplications with strong Crying and Teares vnto Him that was able to saue Him from Death and was heard in that Hee feared HAving proven CHRIST'S Office hee showeth his Exercyse of it in offering for our sinnes a more precious Oblaâ—ion than the typicall Even himselfe with Teares to Death In these wordes THEN CHHIST is poyncted out vnto vs 1. An High Priest taken from amongst men a verie true Man of our substance Flesh of our flesh 2. A Man subject to the sinnelesse infirmities of our nature as Griefe Feare Mourning Death 3. Having a set-tyme during which hee was to beare these our infirmities in the dayes of his flesh 4. Exercysing his Priestlie Office in these his dayes and offering his precious Teares and Cryes yea his lyfe for vs. 5. One who how-so-ever Feare was vpon his holie Nature yet knew hee should bee delivered from Death 6. Who as a Man in confidence of delyverie made Prayers to the Father 7. Whose Prayers are not refused but accepted and heard in our behalfe 8. And That these his Sufferinges were ended with the dayes of his Humiliation 1. These Actes of Feare and Teares c. are the proper Actes of his humane nature THEN 1. As the Divine Nature had its owne Actes proper to it selfe so had the humane Nature Actes proper to it selfe also and some Actes were common to both the Natures So of Christ's Actes some are divine some humane some are both divine and humane 2. As Man hee was vnable to beare our Burthen or to helpe himselfe and therefore behooved to haue the helpe of the Godhead 3. Albeeit hee was God in his owne person yet as Man hee behooved to take our rowme and place and pray for Assistance both as Cautioner for vs and Teacher of vs to giue vs Example how to behaue our selues in Straytes 2. HEE feared Death and offered Prayers and Teares and strong Cryes Because not onelie death temporall presented it selfe before him but which was more the Curse of the Lawe the Father's Wrath for Sinne duelie deserved by vs was sette in a Cuppe to his head which should haue swallowed him vp for ever if hee had not by the worthinesse of his person overcome it and turned the eternall Wrath and Curse due vnto vs into a temporall Equivalent to himselfe THEN 1. The sense of GOD'S Wrath whom will it not terrifye since it wrought so on Christ. And Nature can not choose but feare when Sense feeleth Wrath. 2. Felt Wrath seemeth to threaten yet more and worse and therefore beside Feeling doeth breede yet farther Feare 3. The Curse of God due to our sinnes virtuallie implying the deserved paynes of Hell is more terrible than can bee tolde and such as the creature can not choose but feare and abhorre 4. Christ's sufferinges were no phantasie but verie earnest vehement and terrible 5. No Weapon nor Buckler agaynst Wrath but fleeing to God by Supplication and Crying and Teares 3. Hee prayed to Him that was able to saue him and was heard THEN 1. Albeit sense of Wrath seeth no out-gate but
rightlie esteemed of except hee bee preferred as farre aboue all his servantes as the Father hath counted him worthie of more Glorie than his servants 2. Hee preferreth Christ aboue Moses as the Builder is aboue the house THEN As no stone in the house nor all the house togther is comparable in honour with the Builder of the house So the honour and authoritie of no particular member of the Church nor of the whole Catholicke Church together is comparable to the honour and authoritie of Christ. Yea as farre as the Builder is aboue the house in honour as farre is Christ's authoritie aboue the Churches authoritie which is his house Vers. 4. For everie house is builded by some man but Hee that built all things is GOD. HEe prooveth Christ to bee the Builder of the Church because some builder it must haue as everie house hath But onlie GOD that buildeth all thinges is able for this worke Therefore Christ who buildeth all thinges is the Builder of it THEN 1. Whatsoever employment a man get of GOD in edifying of the Church yet in proper speach hee is a parte of the Building builded by another 2. The honour of building the Church belongeth to GOD alone properlie 3. The building of the Church is a worke requyring Omnipotencie in the Builder For to make a Saynct of a Sinner is as hard as to make a Man of the dust of the earth or of nothing Vers. 5. And Moses verilie was faythfull in all His House as a Servant for a testimonie of those thinges which were to bee spoken after MOses was faythfull as a Servant Now a Servant's parte is to doe and say by direction and not of his owne authoritie THEN Hee is the faythfullest Servant that doeth least in his owne authoritie and most attendeth vnto the direction of GOD beareth testimonie to what GOD hath commanded and teacheth not for Doctrine the preceptes of men Vers. 6. But CHRIST as a Sonne over His owne House whose House are wee if wee holde fast the Confidence and the rejoycing of the Hope firme vnto the ende MOses was faythfull as a Servant but Christ as a Sonne over his owne house THEN 1. As much difference betwixt Christ's authoritie in the Church and mens how excellent soever as betwixt the authoritie of the Master and the Servantes 2. CHRIST'S authoritie is natiue over His Church by vertue of His Sonneship by His Eternall Generation of the Father Hee hath this Prerogatiue 3. The Church is CHRIST'S owne House and Hee may dispose of it and of the Service thereof as pleaseth Him Men who are but servantes must change none of the Ordinances of GOD'S Worship in it But CHRIST may change the Ordinances of His owne Worship and therefore alter the ordinances of Levi and appoynct a more simple forme of externall worship in place thereof 2. Hee expoundeth this House to bee the Companie of true Believers THEN 1. The Church of GOD vnder the Law and vnder the Gospell are one Church one House of GOD in substance and all the Faythfull then and now lyuelie Stones of this House 2. The Church haue GOD dwelling and conversing and familiarlie manifesting Himselfe amongst them 3. Hee addeth to a Condition If wee holde fast the Confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firme vnto the ende That is If wee continue steadfast in the Fayth inwardlie gryping the promised Glorie by hope and outwardlie avowing by confession Christ's Trueth whereby hee neyther importeth the possibilitie of finall Apostacie of the Saynctes nor yet myndeth hee to weaken the Confidence of Believers more nor hee doubteth of his owne perseverance or myndeth to weaken his owne fayth for hee joyneth himselfe with them saying If wee holde fast But wryting to the number of the Visible Church of whom some not beeing sound might fall away and by their example make some weake ones though sound stumble for a tyme to the dishonour of the Gospell hee putteth a difference betwixt true Believers who doe indeede persever and tyme-servers who doe not persever to whom bee doeth not grant for the present the Priviledge of beeing GOD'S House This conditionall speach then IMPORTETH 1. That some Professoures in the Visible Church may make Defection and not persever to the ende 2. That such as shall make finall Defection heereafter are not a parte of GOD'S House for the present howsoever they bee esteemed 3. That true Believers must take warning from the possibilitie of some Professoures Apostacie to looke the better to themselues and to take a better grip of CHRIST who is able to keepe them 4. That true Believers both may and should holde fast their Confidence vnto the ende yea and must ayme to doe so if they would persever 5. That true Believers haue ground and Warrand in the Promises of the Gospell both to hope for Salvation and to rejoyce and glorie in that Hope as if it were present Possession 6. That the more a man aymeth at this solide Confidence and gloriation of Hope the more evidence hee giveth that hee is of the true House of GOD. Vers. 7. Wherefore as the holie Ghost sayeth To day if yee will heare His Voyce 1. IN the wordes of the Psal. xcv vers 9. he exhorteth them to beware of hardening their heart in vnbeliefe The wordes of the PSALME are called heere The Saying of the holie Ghost and of the GOD of Israell 2. SAM 23.2.3 THEN 1. The authoritie of the Scripture is not of man but of the holie Ghost 2. The Scriptures are no dumbe letter but the voyce of the holie Ghost who by them speaketh 3. The holie Ghost is God the Inspirer of the Prophets that wrote the Scripture 4. The holie Ghost is a distinct person of the Godhead from the Father and the Sonne exercing the proper actions of a person inspiring the Prophets dyting the Scriptures and speaking to the Church 2. In the wordes of the Exhortation To day if yee will heare His Voyce harden not your heartes OBSERVE 1. That whyle men haue the offer of Salvation and the Word preached vnto them it is their day 2. That by the outward hearing GOD requyreth the heart to be brought downe and mollified 3. That Hee requyreth present yeelding To day whyle Hee calleth without delay because wee can not bee sure howe long GOD will spare or continue His offer beyond this present 4. Hee that studieth not to yeeld his heart to belieue and obey GOD'S Word sounding in his eares hardeneth his heart For what is it else not to harden their heart but heartilie to belieue and giue obedience Vers. 8. Harden not your heartes as in the Provocation in the day of temptation in the Wildernesse Vers. 9. When your fathers tempted me prooved mee and saw my Workes fourtie yeares HEe prooveth the danger of this sinne in the example of their fathers As in the day of provocation when your fathers tempted mee EXOD. xvij 7 Whence WE LEARNE 1. That the ill of Sinne is not seene
to the greatest THEN 1. The Newe Covenant admitteth all Rankes and Degrees of Persons and excludeth none high nor lowe that loue to embrace it 2. It may bee in sundrie poynctes of Trueth some of them bee ignorant and misstaken more nor other some But of the saving Knowledge of GOD in CHRIST they shall all haue light in a saving measure 3. The greatest as well as the meanest in what-so-ever respect of Place or Giftes must bee GOD'S Disciples in the studie of Saving Knowledge and heartie obedience Vers. 12. For I will be mercifull to their vnrighteousnesse and their sinnes and their iniquities will I remember no more 1. TO make vs belieue the former Promises hee addeth to a Newe Article of Remission of Sinnes because from the Conscience of those ordinarilie doe aryse our Doubts and difficultie of drawing neare to GOD. THEN 1. The Conscience of Sinne must not dryue vs away from GOD but rather force vs to run vnto GOD more humblie because onelie to such as come vnto Him in His CHRIST is Remission of Sinne promised 2. What-so-ever sorte of sinnes they bee Vnrighteousnesse or Sinne or Iniquitie they shall not hinder GOD to bee gracious to the Penitent fleeing to this Covenant for Refuge 2. In saying For I will bee mercifull 1. Hee maketh His Mercie pardoning Sinne the REASON of His bestowing the former good things His giving of one Grace the Reason of giving another even Grace for Grace 2. Hee maketh His Mercie the Ground of all this Favour and nothing in the man's person or workes or worthinesse of his fayth 3. The word MERCIFVLL is in the Originall PACIFIED and doeth importe both GOD'S respect to the Propitiatorie Sacrifice of CHRIST which pacifieth Him towardes vs and also our duetie in looking towardes it as the Pryce of our Reconciliation 3. In that the LORD joyneth the Promise of putting His Lawe in the mynde and wryting it in our heart with the Promise of Remission of Sinnes HEE TEACHETH VS That Hee will haue everie Confederate Soule that seeketh the Benefite of this Covenant to joyne all these Benefites together in their Claime vvith Remission of Sinne seeking to joyne the illumination of their mynde renovation of their heart and lyfe at least in their desires and endevours and not to fever one of them from another but studie in vprightnesse to haue them all 4. Whyle Hee sayeth Hee will remember their sinnes no more HEE TEACHETH 1. That Hee will never forgiue sinne nor forget it but set it ever in His sight till a man enter into this Covenant with Him through CHRIST 2. That when Hee hath forgiven sinne Hee forgetteth sinne also what-so-ever Hee remitteth Hee remooveth from His rememberance Vers. 13. In that Hee sayeth A Newe Covenant Hee hath made the first olde Nowe that which decayeth and waxeth olde is readie to vanish away FROM the name that the LORD giveth this Covenant in calling it New hee draweth two Consequences The first That the former Covenant by this word was declared olde Next That as it was declared olde so was it declared shortlie after to bee abolished THEN 1. The least word that proceedeth out of GOD'S Mouth is weyghtie and worthie of consideration 2. What-so-ever GOD'S Word doeth importe by due consequence must bee taken for GOD'S Trueth and GOD'S Mynde as if it were expressed 3. Seeing CHRIST is come and the tyme is nowe of this Newe Covenant wee knowe that by GOD'S authoritie the Leviticall Ordinances and whole forme of the Legall Covenant and Ceremoniall formes of worship are abrogated The summe of Chap. IX THEN That you may see this more clearlie Let vs take a view of the typicall Ordinances in the olde Covenant and of their accomplishment in CHRIST Vnder the olde Covenant and typicall Tabernacle there were sundrie shadowes Vers. 1.2 The Tabernacle divided in two rowmes and their furniture within them both Vers. 3.4.5 In the vtter rowme the Priestes resorted daylie Vers. 6. In the inner rowme onelie the high Priest once a-yeare Vers. 7. The close-keeping of which rowme signified That the Way to Heaven was not to bee fullie cleare during the tyme of those shadowes Vers. 8. Nothing done then externallie could quyet the Conscience Vers. 9. All beeing but temporaâ—ie shadowes imposed till CHRIST came to reforme all Vers. 10. But when CHRIST came Hee gaue to those shadowes accomplishment For Hee was Priest of the true Tabernacle of His owne Bodie signified by the typicall Tabernacle Vers. 11. And by His owne Bloode entered into Heaven for our aeternall Redemption Vers. 12. For if the Types procured a Ceremoniall cleansing Vers. 13. Howe much more shall His Bloode truelie and in effect procure our Iustification and Sanctification Vers. 14. And therefore that Remission of Sinnes and aeternall Lyfe might bee given to the Faythfull both then of olde and nowe Hee behooved by His Office to make His Testament and die Vers. 15. For so requyreth the nature of a Testament Vers. 16.17 Wherefore the typicall Testament of olde also behooved to haue a typicall death as LEVIT xvj maketh playne Vers. 18.19.20.21 Yea everie Cleansing of the Types and everie Remission behooved to bee with Bloode Vers. 22. Therefore the thinges represented by the Types behooved to bee cleansed by better Bloode even the BLOOD of the MESSIAS Vers. 23. For CHRIST entered not into the typicall Sanctuarie but into Heaven it selfe Vers. 24. And offered not Himselfe often as the imperfect Leviticall Sacrifice was offered Vers. 25. For then should Hee haue often died But His once Offering was sufficient for ever Vers. 26. And as GOD appoynted men but once to die Vers. 27. So CHRIST was but once offered till the Tyme Hee come to Iudgement for the Salvation of the Faythfull Vers. 28. The doctrines of Chap. IX VERS 1. THEN verilie the first Covenant had also Ordinances of Divine Service and a worldlie Sanctuarie THE word Ordinances in the Originall is also Iustifications in the plurall number so called because they represented our Iustification WHEREOF WEE LEARNE 1. That as other thinges were typed vnder the Lawe so also was our Iustification and the manner of obtayning the same shadowed foorth 2. That those things which then were called IVSTIFICATIONS were so called onelie because they were the Representations of the way of obtayning IVSTIFICATION for they did not justifie 3. That albeit IVSTIFICATION bee onelie one yet the types thereof were manie no one of them beeing able to expresse the Trueth but in parte 2. By calling them Ordinances of Divine Service hee teacheth vs That sometyme those Ceremonies which are nowe abolished were during their owne tyme partes of GOD'S externall Worship in regarde of the Commaundement of GOD injoyning them 3. By calling the Sanctuarie Worldlie hee teacheth vs To thinke of all the externall Glorie of Leviticall Service onlie as the earthlie representation of Heavenlie things and vnder all these earthlie shadowes to seeke in to an Heavenlie signification Vers. 2. For there was a Tabernacle made
the first wherein was the Candle-sticke and the Table and the Shew-bread which is called the Sanctuarie Vers. 3. And after the second Vayle the Tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all Vers. 4. Which had the Golden Censer and the Arke of the Covenant overlayd round about with Golde wherein was the Golden Pot that had Manna and Aaron's Rod that budded and the Tables of the Covenant Vers. 5. And over it the Cherubims of Glorie shadowing the Mercie-Seate of which wee can not nowe speake particularlie Vers. 6. Nowe when these thinges were thus ordayned the Priestes went alwayes into the first Tabernacle accomplishing the Service of GOD. Vers. 7. But into the second went the high Priest alone once everie yeare not without Blood which hee offered for himselfe and for the errours of the people HEE setteth before our Eyes the pleasant Face of GOD'S outward Worship that in the wyse appoynting of everie thing for place for division of rowmes for Furniture for Ornamentes for Materialls for Persons for Actions for order of doing wee may beholde the Glorie not onelie of the Appoynter of them but also the Glorie of the Church and of Heaven and of CHRIST and of His Saynctes represented there-by as farre aboue the Glorie of those outward thinges as Heavenlie and Spirituall thinges are aboue earthlie as the particular Exposition of the meaning of the Types in their owne proper place will make playne which wee can not meddle with heere seeing the Apostle judgeth it not pertinent Vers. 8. The holie Ghost this signifying that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest whyle as the first Tabernacle was yet standing HEE expoundeth what the high Priest's going through the Vayle but once a-yeare did meane saying The holie Ghost signified some-thing there-by THEN 1. The holie Ghost is the Author of these Ordinances of LEVI and of Matters appoyncted about that Olde Tabernacle as of the Expressions of His owne Mynd to the Church and so Hee is verie GOD. 2. The holie Ghost is a distinct person of the Godhead exercising the proper actions of a person subsisting by Himselfe directing the Ordinances of the Church teaching the Church and interpreting the meaning of the Types vnto the Church 3. The Church vnder the Lawe was not altogether ignorant of the Spirituall Signification of the Leviticall Ordinances because the holie Ghost was then teaching them the meaning 4. Those Rites and Ceremonies were not so darke in themselues as they could not bee in anie sorte vnderstoode but were Expressions of the Mynde of GOD to the Church of that tyme. 2. That which the holie Ghost did signifie was this That the way vnto the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest whyle as the first Tabernacle was yet standing THEN That the Holiest of all represented Heaven the Olde Church did knowe 3. Hee sayeth not that the way to Heaven was closed but not clearlie manifested THEN They knewe the way to Heaven darklie through the Vayle of Types 2. They knewe there was a tyme of clearer Light comming 4. The tyme of the endurance of this not cleare manifestation of the way to Heaven is set downe to bee Whyle the first Tabernacle was standing THEN The Olde Church was taught 1. That the cleare light of the way to Heaven was not to bee revealed whyle those shadowes and that Tabernacle endured 2. That when the cleare Manifestation of that way should come by the MESSIAS that Tabernacle was not to stand 3. That when GOD should cause that first Tabernacle to bee remooved the true Light was at hand 4. That none should receaue the cleare light of the way to Heaven but such as should renounce the Ordinances of the first Tabernacle And so the Apostle by the authoritie of the holie Ghost enforceth these Hebrewes eyther to renounce the Leviticall Ordinances or to bee depryved of the true light of the way to Heaven now revealed 5. Whyle he calleth this Typicall Tabernacle The first Tabernacle bee importeth 1. That Christ's Bodie was the next Tabernacle 2. That the Temple is comprehended vnder the name of the Tabernacle in this Dispute Vers. 9. Which was a Figure for the time then present in which were offered both giftes and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertayning to the conscience HEE showeth the vse of the Tabernacle and the imperfection of the service thereof saying The Tabernacle was a Figure for the tyme then present Whereby hee giveth vs to vnderstand 1. That the Tabernacle was a Type and Figure of CHRIST 2. That it was not appoynted for all tyme to come but for that present tyme of the Churches Non-age 3. That how-so-ever it was an obscure Figure yet having some resemblance of the thing signified it was fitte for those of that tyme. 2. Next hee showeth the weaknesse of the Offeringes offered in the Tabernacle that they could not make the man that did the service perfect as concerning the Conscience That is They could not perfectlie satisfie the Conscience that Sinne was forgiven and Lyfe granted for anie worthinesse of those Offeringes they could not furnish the Conscience with a good Aunswere towardes GOD for saving of them who did that Service 1. Pet. iij. 21 Because the Conscience could not haue sound ground of satisfaction how GOD'S Iustice would bee made quyet by those Offeringes And that which doeth not satisfie GOD'S Iustice can noâ— satisfie the Conscience because the Conscience is GOD'S Deputie and will not be quyet if it bee well informed till it see GOD pacified THEN It followeth from this Ground seeing those Offeringes could not perfect a man in his Conscience 1. That CHRIST'S Sacrifice signified by them must perfectlie satisfie GOD'S Iustice and the Conscience also and purge the filthinesse of it and heale its woundes 2. That as manie as were justified before GOD and in their Conscience truelie quyeted vnder the Lawe behooved of necessitie to see through these Offerings and flee in to the Offering of the Sacrifice represented by them as PSAL. Lj. 7 For otherwayes the Apostle testifieth heere the outward Offeringes could not perfect them in the Conscience 3. That when Remission of Sinne and Attonement is promised in the Lawe vpon the Offering of these Giftes as LEVIT XIV 9 and XVII 11 the forme of speach is Sacramentall joyning the Vertue of the Sacrifice of Christ signified with the Offering of the figuratiue Sacrifices vnto the Believer 4. That true Believers notwithstanding of manie inperfections of their lyfe may bee perfected as concerning their Conscience by fleeing to the Mediation and Sacrifice of Christ which washeth the Conscience throughlie Vers. 10. Which stoode onelie in meates and drinkes and diverse washinges and carnall ordinances imposed on them vntill the tyme of Reformation HEE giveth a Reason why those Ceremonies could not perfect the Conscience Because they stoode in Meates and Drinkes and diverse Washinges and carnall Ordinances To wit If they bee considered by themselues