Christ once for all Hebr. 10. 10. Every Priest standeth dayly ministring and offering oftimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sinnes but this man or rather this Priest after he had once offered one sacrifice for sinnes for ever sate downe on the right hand of God and henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool For by one offering he hath consecrated for ever them that are sanctified ver 11. 12. 13. 5 As many as have reaped or hereafter shall reape any benefit either from Gods's Oath to Abraham concerning his seede in whom all the Nations of the earth were to be blessed or from the Renewing of this Oath to David concerning his son which was to be the Dispenser of this blessing and to be made a Priest after the order of Melchisedech who blessed Abraham all and every one of them are consecrated to the patticipation of this blessing by the Consecration of this our high Priest the Sonne of God The Law saith the Apostle makes men high Priests which have infirmity but the word of the Oath which was since the Law maketh the Sonne high Priest who is consecrated for evermore and by this his Consecration wee even all the Israel of God are consecrated by an everlasting Consecration So saith the Apostle Revel 1. 5. Iesus Christ the first begotten of the dead and Prince of the Kings of the earth hath washed us from our sins in his owne Blood and hath made us Kings and Priests that is Priests after the order of Melchisedech unto God and his Father By this his Consecration likewise to his everlasting Priesthood we are hallowed and consecrated as Temples to our God so saith S. Peter 1. Pet. 2. v. 4. 5. To whom comming as to a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious yee also as lively stones are built up a spirituall house an holy Priesthood to offer up a spirituall sacrifice acceptable to God by Iesus Christ 5 But to take the severall bloody sacrifices which were offered at the Consecration of Aaron and his sonnes into more particular consideration Albeit these sacrifices were all imperfect not only absolutely or in respect of our high Priest's everlasting sacrifice but even in respect of these spirituall sacrifices mentioned by S. Peter which wee are to offer unto God yet were they all in their kind most perfect The best and chiefest in the whole ranke of legall or Aaronicall sacrifices they are as so many lineaments pourtraying in part or fore-shadowing that body or accomplishment not of them only but of all other sacrifices All meet in it as so many lines in their Center The first bloody sacrifice that was offered at the Consecration of Aaron was a Bullock The Priests might offer no other sacrifice then this for their owne sinne-offering because this was of all other the best and yet in comparison of this saith the Psalmist in the Person of this our high Priest in his affliction I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnifie him with thanksgiving this alâ—o shall please the Lord better then a bullock which hath hornes and hoofes that is beginning to spread the horne and hoofe for at that time they were most fit for sacrifice Psal 69. ver 30. 31. His meaning was that this sacrifice of thanksgiving should be more acceptable unto God then the very best sacrifice of the Law and so it was especially whilst offered by our high Priest even when he offered his bloody sacrifice upon the Crosse and after his enemies had given him vineger in his thirst to drink For after he had uttered that pittifull Song of the Psalmist Psal 22. whether only out of his griefe or anguish or upon other respects and intentions My God my God why hast Thou for saken Me he finally commends his soule his spirit unto his Father in the words of the Psalmists Song Ps 35. Father into thy hands I coÌ„mend my spirit The uttering of both these Songs in this anguish of soule argues hee lov'd his God and our God his Father and our Father with all his soule with all his heart with all his strength and his performance of this great Commandement as the Scribe which approved his answer to the Pharisees to the Herodians and the Sadduces had a litle before confest upon his answer to his Question was more then all whole burnt offrings and sacrifices Mat. 12. from v. 12. to 34. CHAP. 26. In what respects the Bullock offered at the Consecration of Aaron c. and the rites of offering â—â— did prefigure the bloody sacrifice of the Sonne of God especially the circumstances of the place wherein it was offered BVt you will aske wherein did the Sacrifice of the Bullock which was offered for a sinne-offering or Attonement at Aaron's Consecration or the circumstances in offering it punctually fore-shadow the bloody Sacrifice which our high Priest offered at his Consecration or the manner or circumstance of his offering it It did in circumstance at least prefigure the Sacrifice of our high Priest after the same manner or in respect of the same circumstance that the annuall sacrifices of Attonement did prefiure it of which hereafter Inasmuch as the head and flesh c. of the Bullock for sinne-offering or Attonement for Aaron at his Consecation was to be offered or burnt without the campe not to be burnt upon the Altar It fell under the same Law and undergoes the same considerations which the annuall-Sacrifices in the feast of Attonement did For so it is expressely commanded Exod. 29. 14. That the flesh of the Bullock and his skinne should be burnt without the Camp because it was a sin-offering Now it was an universall and peremptory Law that no flesh of any Sacrifice whose Blood was brought into the Sanctuary to make Attonement should be eaten by the Priests in the Sanctuary 2 It was againe a Law as peremptory that the Priests especially the high Priests might that is had power to eat the flesh of any Sacrifice whose Blood was not brought into the Sanctuary For to this purpose Moses Levit. 10. 17. expostulateth with Aaron's sonnes which were left after the death of Nadab and Abihu Wherefore have yee not eaten the sinne-offering in the holy place for it is the holy of holies and it vz. the flesh of the sin-offring he hath given to you to beare the iniquity of the Congregation to make Attonement for them before the Lord Behold the Blood of it was not brought in behold indeed you should have eaten it in the holy place as I commanded you Aaron in his Apologie for his sonnes against this accusation of Moses in no case questions the truth or extent of this commandement but rather excuseth himselfe and his sonnes for not observing the purport of the Law as the case stood with them his two sonnes Nadab and Abihu being lately consumed with fire issuing out from before the Lord for offering strange fire which
upon the tip of the right eare of Aaron and upon the tip of the right eares of his sonnes and upon the thumbe of their right hand and upon the great toe of their right foot and sprinkle the blood c. This ceremony or service was literally and punctually fulfilled in the Consecration of our high Priest The high Priest of the Law was consecrated with forreigne blood with the blood of Rammes The high Priest of the New Testament was consecrated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his owne blood and in this blood not only his hands his feet or eares were sprinkled or annointed but his whole body was annointed or bathed For though he was alwaies internally sanctified and though this his internall sanctification was most absolute and perfect from the wombe yet would the Lord have him thus visibly and externally consecrated with his owne blood that we by the same blood might be sanctified and consecrated after a better manner then Aaron was by the blood of the Ramme of Consecration The morall implyed in sprinkling of Aaron's right eare the thumbe of his right hand and the great toe of his right foot is this Our eares which are the sense of discipline and the gate by which faith entreth into our hearts must be consecrated and hallowed by the blood of our high Priest that wee may know God's will our hands and feet likewise which are the instruments of service are hallowed and sanctified by his blood that we may walke in his wayes and doe his will Finally as both our bodyes and soules have beene redeemed by his blood so both must be consecrated in it and enabled by it unto his service 7 Another ceremony or service at Aaron's Consecration was the offering up of one loaf of bread one cake of oyled bread and one wafer wherewith Aaron's and his sonnes hands were first to be filled and afterwards to be burnt upon the Altar for a burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the Lord. Exod. 29. ver 23. 25. The mystery signified by this and the other bloody sacrifice may best be gathered from that which hath afore been said concerning the circumcision of Isaack and of Abraham's seed or concerning God's demanding Isaac for a burnt offering which was then observed out of Rupertus an ancient Writer God did demand at Abraham's hands that he might thereby tye himselfe to give his own sonne unto Abraham and his seed To which may now be added the testimony of S. Chrysostome in his comments upon our Saviours words to the Woman of Samarin Da mihi bibore give mee to drink The Fountaine of life sitting besides the Fountaine calls for drink not that he was desirous to take but rather to give drink Give me to drink saith he that I may make thee drink the water of immortality I thirst after the salvation of mens soules not that I might drink but that I may give them salvation to drink I imitate my Father who said to Abraham offer me up thy Sonne thy only Sonne Isaac whom thou lovest for a burnt offering this he said not as if he had desired to accept Abraham's sonne but that he determined to give his owne Sonne for the sinnes of the world as S. Iohn saith Chap. 3. ver 16. In like manner God required the flesh and blood of Bullocks and of Rammes with unleavened bread to be offered up in sacrifice unto him at the Consecration of Aaron not that he stood in need to eate the flesh of Bulls or bread of wheat or drink the blood of Rammes but that he then purposed to consecrate for us and to give unto us his only Sonne whose flesh is meat indeed whose blood is drink indeed whose body is the bread of life which commeth downe from heaven which who so eateth shall live for ever for he that truly eateth is consecrated by it to be a King and Priest for ever unto God the Father CHAP. 28. A briefe Recapitulation of what hath been said in this parallel between the Consecration of Aaron and the Consecration of the Sonne of God the conclusion of the whole Treatise concerning it TO recapitulate what hath been said before The beginning of the everlasting Priesthood according to the order of Melchisedch is the determining of the Aaronicall Priesthood unlesse we shall say as perhaps we ought that this Priesthood with the legall rites and sacrifices did expire with the last mortall breath of him who is now immortall 2 The everlasting sacrifice whereby he is consecrated an everlasting Priest was then accomplished and the cessation of the Aaronicall Priesthood proclaimed when hee said consummatum est and commended his spirit unto God Yet is it not probable that his Consecration or the Consecration of the everlasting Sanctuary were at the same instant accomplished His sacred soule perfumed with the fresh odour and fragrancy of his sweet smelling sacrifice annointed with his most precious blood into whatsoever other place it afterwards went instantly repaired into the Holiest of Holies into Paradise it selfe This is the accomplishment of our Attonement prefigured by the high Priest's entring into the holy place with blood and the period of all sacrifices for his owne or our Consecration 3 That the vale through which the high Priest after the order of Aaron did enter into the most holy place should rend asunder at the very instant wherein the soule and spirit of this our high Priest did passe through the vale of his flesh rent and torne into his coelestiall Sanctuary was a lively embleme to all observant spectators that hee was no intruder but called by God And reason they had to observe this signe or accident in that hee had promised to one of them that were crucified with him Hedie mecum erit in Paradiso 4 The publike solemnitie of Consecration hath ever been a speciall testimony or adjunct of lawfull calling and Christ's Consecration was more solemne and publique then Aaron's was Such it was as flesh and blood could not affect such as nothing but filiall obedience to his heavenly Father could have moved this our high Priest to admit because it was to be accomplished by a lingring and a bloody death Moses at the Consecration of Aaron is commanded to gather all the congregation together unto the doore of the tabernacle Levit. 8. Ad tria voluit Dominus populum congregart Primum ut pro eo sacerdos offerret eumque expearet Secundum ad instituendum sacerdotem ut sciret populus Aaron filios ejus praefici sibi in sacerdotes mediatores de caeterâ— commendavit se illi Tertione esset inter eos aliquis qui postea sacerdotium ambiret postquam omnes sciebant Aarâ—nem à Deo sacerdotem institutum Oleaster 5 For the like reasons God would have the Consecration of his Son accomplished at the Passeover that is as a Father speakes at the Metropolis of Iewish feasts the most solemne publique and universall meeâ—ing that any one People or Nation in
esse or accomplishment of it It was not terminated till the day of his Resurrection from the dead But of this argument more at large Sect. 5. in the Article of the Resurrection of the Son of God That this eternall Son of God was not actually consecrated or made an high Priest untill his Resurrection from the dead our Apostle in the fift verse of this Chapter before cited to another purpose fully instructs us Christ tooke not to himselfe this honour to be made the high Priest but hee that said unto him Thou art my Sonne this day have I begotten thee put it upon him And this day or this Ego hodiè genuite as this our Apostle elswhere instructs us referres unto the day of his Resurrection or begetting from the dead After which day death hath no more dominion over him but Hee such an absolute power over death and the powers of darknesse that neither can annoy or assault him And from this day and not before doth his endlesse everlasting Priesthood commence And being thus actually consecrated by his Resurrection from the dead that is made both Lord and Christ hee is become the Author of everlasting salvation which was the second Point CHAP. 5. That the Sonne of God by his Consecration being once accomplished became the Author and Fountaine of everlasting salvation to all such and only such as obey him In what sence he is said to have dyed for all men or to be the redeemer of all mankind Hee became Author of Salvation to all that obey him THe signification of the single termes in this proposition is so plaine that it needs no paraphrase or explication and the connexion of them so firme as requires no distinction All the difficultie is about the limitation of the entire proposition it selfe as whether he be the Author or cause of everlasting salvation only to them which obey him or unto all to the end that they may obey him or whether this proposition be equivalent and but equivalent unto this proposition whosoever beleeveth in him shall be saved or a restraint of it Surely if in all these places of the old and new Testament wherein salvation is ascribed to faith or unto faith alone the Apostles or Prophets had substituted obedience instead of faith there could have beene no dangerous misnomure for as the faith is such is the obedience and è contra Both terms equally imply two the same things necessary to salvation First a submission of our wills to Gods will or a readinesse to doe his will revealed Secondly when wee have done as well as wee can to deny our selves and renounce all confidence in our best workes whether of faith or obedience But however the termes be fully equivalent yet the word obedience better befits this place then if he had said He became the Author of everlasting salvation to all that beleeve in him because obedience is the very formall effect of true faith or beliefe as they are set upō this particular truth or mystery here taught by our Apostle the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or impression or the ingrossment of the patterne here commended to our imitation For if we syncerely and stedfastly believe that the Son of God became obedient to his Father even unto the death of the Crosse that for our sakes he was consecrated through grievous afflictions through unknowne paines and terrors to the end he might be our faithful and compassionate high Priest This Doctrine it selfe being laid to our hearts will bring forth the like affection or obedience towards him specially if our faith be seconded by hope of being consecrated through obedience to be Kings and Priests with him unto our God which is the full paraphrase of our everlasting salvation here meant the true expression of that perfection mentioned by our Apostle Heb. 11. v. the last But if the Apostles punctuall meaning be that the Sonne of God is the Author of everlasting salvation only to such as obey him shall we not hence be concluded to grant that hee died only for such as finally shall be saved or that he redeemed none but the Elect because the Author of salvation to none but these Thus many in our dayes and which is more to be lamented some of this Church of England have from the former premisses collected and peremptorily taught that Christ dyed for none but the Elect without vouchsafing any mannerly answer to the Church their Mother who expressely maintaines the contradictony as that he dyed for all men that he redeemed not only every one of us in particular but all mankind Others have been so courteous as to vouchsafe their Mother and Bretheren some distinctions or limitations of that universall assertion as thus That he died for all sufficientèr not efficientèr sufficiently not efficiently for all that he redeemed all mankind with this limitation that is singula generum some o◠all mankind some rich some poore some Iewes some Gentiles The later distinction is very dangerous the former impertinently unnecessary for if by all mankind we once come to understand some of all sorts of men we shall commit no new error but only extend the same if by the whole world which God the Father is said to have created wee understand only some portion of every principall part of this universe as some portion of the heavens some of the starres some part of the earth some of the water some part of theayre some of every sort of vegetable or living things but not absolutely all The other distiction of sufficientèr and efficientèr falls under the common error of most moderne Catechists or Divines which is to take upon them to divide things which in their nature are indivisible as the Will of God the Death of Christ or the Value of his sufferings to leave other termes which import matter divisible undistinguished Such is the terme or word Redemption passively taken not as it is an act of God or as it in his prescience For however the will of God or the value of Christs sufferings be altogether indivisible because absolutely infinite yet of Redemption purchased for us by Christs bloody death and passion there are as you please to call them severall parts or degrees Now that may be absolutely true of some one or more parts of degrees which is not true of all The first degree of our Redemption purchased by Christ was the payment of the ransome for our sinnes unto his Father and our freedome from slavery by his conquest over Satan This part or these degrees of Redemption are alike common to all mankind Christ whether in his death upon the Crosse or in his conflict with the powers of darknesse in the Garden did suffer asmuch for any one as for all God was in him reconciling all men unto himselfe All were set free de iure from Satans servitude The second part or degree of Redemption is our actuall admission into the Catholique Church or which is all one our
Philip's race then the Kingdome of Israel in the house of Saul Every man saith Pausanias will easily grant that this Philip for his atchievements was the greatest King which Macedon had either before or after him Of Princely vertues he had so many and so well mixed as few Princes in any ages have enjoyed the like What then did hee want why he might not be reputed in wise-mens censure a good Governour or Commander Only this that hee had his owne oath at too great command His perjury did spoile his politick projects whilst they seemed most to prosper and ruinated the foundations of his intended Monarchy as fast as he laid them and which is worst of all his soule being infected with this foule sinne did propagate the rot unto the fruit of his bodie As he had often deluded his Gods so the Oracle to revenge this quarrell deluded him The sentence of death which hee expected the Oracle should at his instance award upon the King of Persia did seize upon himselfe in his best yeares and amidst his triumphant jollities Immediately upon his death his infant Sonne by Cleopatra was with his mother scorched to death in a vessell of brasse by the appointment of Olympias unto whose crueltie another of his sonnes by a former wife within few yeares after was sacrificed And as if their complaints and outcries against this unjust execution of a womanish wrath had been appointed or authorized to bring downe God's more immediate judgments upon the remnant of Philip's seed or his grand-children which had more potent guardians in humane possibilitie to shield them from humane violence these were cut downe by fates or as my Author's words will beare it by the destroying power 5 And as for Alexander's untimely death it is remarkable amongst children It is an excellent Epiphonema wherewith Pausanias concludes his discourse concerning Philip's perjury If Philip saith he when he laid his plots for erecting the Macedonian Empire had said the Delphick Oracle given to Glaucus the Spartan to his heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the posteritie of men which make conscience of oath shall fare the better wee should have no reason to suspect that any of the Gods would have extinguished Alexander and the Macedonian glory as it had beene with one and the same breath of their displeasure Now the Oracle pronounced the sentence of untimely death upon the posteritie of Glaucus the Spartan because hee consulted it whether he might with safety for swear the pawne or deposition which the Milesians had committed to his fidelitie And when knowing his doome he sought the revocation of the sencence upon promise of full restitution he only obtained this answer for his owne and others instruction to sollicite or tempt God to abett or countenance perjury and to be actually perjured come both to one reckoning If the Reader suspect the authoritie of the Oracle upon presumption that all oraculous answers were inspired by Divels or discredit the story it selfe because related by Herodotus as I may not joyne with him in raising needlesse suspicions or too large imputations against one or other so I will not request him to admit the relation upon any other termes then as an Embleme of divine truth 6 That which this Embleme represents as vero simile was remarkablely fulfilled in Iehoiakim and Zedechias Both of them had deserved death and deposition for their other sinnes but that which moved the Lord to write these two principall stemmes of David childlesse among the families of Iudah was falsification of their oaths to Nehuchadnezar Zedekiah had God's speciall promise that he and his house should live upon condition he would submit himselfe as by oath he was bound unto the King of Babel but sleighting his oath till time was past and not submitting himselfe to Nebuchadnezar till he was caught his sonnes were slaine before his eyes And no sooner had this tragicall spectacle found entrance into his troubled soule but the windowes by which it entred were shut up that so having no possibilitie of vent for griefe it might reflect more vehemently upon his pensive heart and be such a perpetuall torment to his restlesse fancie as an eare-wig is to the braine into which shee hath crept I will conclude these instances concerning oaths promissory with his verdict who was able to make the induction good Si quis omnem antiquitatem bellorum memoriam ab ultimo principio repetat profecto reperiet eorum qui pactas violarunt inducias miserrimos exitus civitatibus ac populis calamitosissimos extitisse Bodinus lib. 5. pag. 964. He that would take paines to search records of Antiquitie or memorialls of warre from the first beginning of histories extant shall clearely find that the violation of leagues or solemn truces hath brought a miserable end upon truce-breakers whether private persons or publeque States 7. One part of his instance or induction hee tooke from the league betwixt Henry the second French King the Lantgrave of Hassia Maurice of Saxony and Albert of Brandeburg violated first by Maurice and afterward more shamefully by Albert of Brandeburg The noble historian and great Antiquary of France who had the Articles of the league betwixt Philip of Spaine and I take it this Henry the second King of France derives all the miseries and calamities which befel France in their intestine broiles and civill warres from the violation of this league on the French King's part whereunto hee was tempted by the pretented infallible Roman Oracle upon a dispensation with his oath proffered unto him not sought by him So much worse was the spirit of this Roman Oracle then the spirit which guided the Delphick Oracle in the answer to Glaucus the Spartane before mentioned The like dispensation of the Pope with an oath of Contract did set the rebellion in the North on foot and was the cause of the calamity or misery which befell him and his family who sought for it and others of his Associates 8 And no marveile if God in this case be severe to visit the sinnes of fathers upon the children aswel as in the case of idolatry For of these two sinnes periury or wilfull breach of solemne oath is the more abominable though I know not whether I should account them two sinnes or several branches of one sinne or whether were worse utterly to deny the truth of God's being or his omnipotency or to produce him as a witnesse or Countenancer of that which is untrue The truth of God's Being and his Iustice being presupposed or beleeved it stands with reason what Bodin hath observed That periury should bring forth destruction and calamitie whether to publique states or private families in greater plenty then any sinne whatsoever Other enormities alwayes deserve God's wrath and in the issue bring it upon offenders but perjury only is conceived and brought forth by solliciting or imploring God's wrath or vengeance upon such as commit it But some will here demand What
the world ever had besides the concurse and confluence of strangers at the time of our Saviour's Passion The manner of whose death and the signes and wonders then exhibited made the heathen Centurion a man altogether ignorant of these sacred mysteries to confesse that this Iesus whom he had seene crucified was the Sonne of God But the time the manner and consequence of his Resurrection most directly proves as well his Priesthood as his calling to it to have been from God both more excellent then Aaron's was 6 Wee see it experienced Numb 16. 17. that notwithstanding the publique solemnitie of Aaron's Consecration by Moses there wanted not such rebellious spirits then as the world is full of now which thought themselves altogether as holy and as â—it to be high Priests as he After the earth had swallowed up the principals in this conspiracy the â—eaâ—â—â—eâ—â—e multitude though â—eâ—â—â—â—ed for a while with the fearefull disaster of their ring-leaders conspire aâ—â—esh against Moses and Aaron and had utterly perished in this rebellion had not Aaron runne into the midst of the congregation which sought his life and stood with his center as with a shield of defence betwixt them and death But seeing neither the fearefull examples shewed upon Coreh Dathan and Abiram nor Aaron's late compassion towards them when wrath was gone out from the Lord against them and the plague was kindled amongst them were able to quell their jealousies or appease their murmurings the Lord lastly made the Rodde of Levy alone inscribed with Aarons name amongst all the roddes of the Tribes of Israel to bring forth branch leafe blossome and fruit in one night and thus beautified with flowre and fruit which were not to fade in so many yeares as they had been houres inspringing to be laid up in the Arke of the testimony to stay the murmurings of the children of Israel and to be as a witnesse against them whensoever they should question Aaron's calling 7 The Tribes of Israel were never so maliciously and stubbornly bent against Moses and Aaron as the Tribe of Levi and Aaron's successors with their complices were against the sonne of David to whom the Lord destinated the Priesthood after the order of Melchisedech by solemn oath Though the earth did quake and the rocks rent in sunder though the graves did open and give up their dead more desirous to swallow up these rebellious miscreants quick then to swallow up Coreh Dathan and Abiram as doubtlesse they had done unlesse this Priest of the most high God had made an Attonement for them saying Father forgive them for they know not what they doe yet their murmurings cease not with his life their malice pursues him into his grave 8 The last and peremptory signe reserved by the wisdome of God either to stay their murmurings or to condemne them with Coreh with Dathan and Abiram unto the everlasting pit was the causing of this Rodde of â—esse this branch of David whom these cruell and mercilesse men had quite stript of flower of leafe of branch bereft of sappe and as it were scorcht and beaked in the fire of affliction to recover sappe and leafe and flower againe to bring forth the fruit which never shall â—â—de now consecrated to be the tree of life to all the Nations enthronized in the heavenly tabernacle and planted at the right hand of God untill his enemies by the rodde of his power be made his footstoole We have seene in part how fitly that testimony of the Psalmist Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee beeing understood of Christ raised from the dead is avouched by our Apostle to prove Christs calling his Consecration and advancement to the Priesthood here mentioned to have been from God and from the event answering to the Psalmist's prophecy and from that other testimony of Psalme 110. often mentioned doth S. Peter cause the murmuring of the people of Israel to cease For from the two premises Act. 2. ver 36. he thus concludes Therefore let all the house of Israell know assuredly that God hath made the same Iesus whom yee have crucified both Lord and Christ that is as much as if he had said both King and Priest by these declarations he gained three thousand soules which otherwise had perished in their murmurings 9 So then the day of his Resurrection is the day wherein the dignity of everlasting Priesthood is actually collated upon him and as he himselfe testifieth All power is given unto mee both in heaven and earth And if all power then as well the power of Priesthood as the power royall And as high Priest he gives Commission to his Disciples to teach and baptize The day of his Ascension or placing at the right hand of God is the day of his solemne enthronization and immediately upon this hee sent forth the Rodde of his strength out of Sion For by this rodde fore-told by the Psalmist Psal 110. we are to understand that power wherewith his Disciples were to be endued from above which they were to expect in Ierusalem at the feast of Pentecost The effusion of the holy spirit and emplanting the Law of the Gospell in their hearts upon that day or the day following wherein the Law of Moses was proclaimed was as a proclamation to all the world that the Priesthood was translated or changed by this manifest translation or change of the Law SICT. 5. Of the Resurraction of the Sonne of God By what Prophets it was fore-told By what Persons or legall Rites it was fore-pictured or fore-shadowed CHAP. 29 In what high esteeme S. Paul did hold the Article of our Saviour's Resurrection and Ascension c. That the want of explicite beliefe to this grand Article of the Resurrection did argue rather a dulnesse or slownesse to believe the Scriptures then any infidelity or incredulity even in such as had seene his miracles and had heard him fore-tell his death and rising againe untill the event did manifest unto them the truth of his former Doctrine and predictions WHen the Doctor of the Gentiles saith He esteemed to know nothing amongst the great Masters of knowledge save Iesus Christ and him crucified this exception no way excludes the knowledge of his Resurrection from the dead or implies that he had not the knowledge of the Article in equall esteeme with the knowledge of his Crosse How highly soever he did esteeme both mysteries it doth not argue that hee did rate the knowledge of his Ascention into heaven his session at the right hand of God or his comming thence to judge the quick and the dead one mite lower The greatest blessing which hee could either praise God for or pray unto him for whether for himselfe or for his beloved Ephesians was the knowledge as he termes it of these grand mysteries Wherefore I also after I had heard of your faith in the Lord Iesus and love unto all the Saints cease not to give thankes for you making mention of you
knowledge of it was improv'd or enlarg'd is most punctually and cleerely related by S. Iohn Chap. 20. This blessed Apostle and S. Peter did at the first believe Mary Magdalen's report more distinctly and expressely then they did the propheticall predictions The first day of the weeke commeth Mary Magdalen early when it was yet dark unto the Sepulchre and seeth the stone taken away from the Sepulchre Then shee runneth and commeth to Simon Peter and to the other Disciple whom Iesus loved and saith unto them they have taken away the Lord out of the Sepulcher and we know not where they have laid him Peter therefore went forth and that other Disciple and came to the Sepulcher So they runne both together and the other Disciple did out-runne Peter and came first to the Sepulcher And he stooping downe and looking in saw the linnen cloathes lying yet went he not in Then commeth Simon Peter following him and went into the Sepulcher and seeth the linnen cloathes lie And the Napkin that was about his head not lying with the linnen cloathes but wrapped together in a place by it selfe Then went in also that other Disciple which came first to the Sepulcher and he saw and believed for as yet they knew not the Scripture that he must rise againe from the dead Such knowledge or beliefe of the Scripture as for this time S. Iohn had was farther improved by Christ's apparition unto them upon the same day in the evening Then the same day at evening being the first day of the weeke when the doores were shut where the Disciples were assembled for feare of the Iewes came Iesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them Peace be unto you And when he had said so hee shewed unto them his hands and his side Then were the Disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Then said Iesus unto them againe Peace be unto you As my Father hath sent me even so send I you And when hee had said this he breathed on them and saith unto them receive yee the holy Ghost Whosoever sinnes yee remit they are remitted and whosoever sinnes ye retaine they are retained But Thomas one of the twelve which was called Didymus was not with them when Iesus came The other Disciples therefore said unto him we have seene the Lord But he said unto them except I shall see in his hands the print of the nailes and put my finger into the print of the nailes and thrust my hand into his side I will not beleeve and after eight daies his Disciples were within and Thomas with them Then came Iesus the doores being shut and stood in the midst and said Peace be unto you Then saith he to Thomas Reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithlesse but believing And Thomas answered and said unto him My Lord and my God Iesus saith unto him Thomas because thou hast seene me thou hast believed blessed are they that have not seene and yet have believed Vnto some it may seeme questionable in what sense or how farre that of S. Paul is true faith commeth by hearing seeing S. Thomas professeth that he would not and S. Iohn in this place of himselfe confesseth that hee did not believe one of the fundamentall Articles of Christian faith to wit Christ's Resurrection from the dead untill they had seene what they had to believe Yet if we could accurately sist the internall sense or kernell from the huske or shell of words wherein it is contained it will inferre no more then this that the sight of the eye or miracles seene may be an inducement or introduction unto true beliefe they cannot be the true ground or anchor-hold of Christian faith Such faith must be grounded and hope truly Christian must be pitched upon the testimony of Moses or the Prophets or other sacred and Canonicall writings The reason why S. Iohn did not believe our Saviour's Resurrection before he saw his empty tombe and the linnen cloathes wherein he had been wrapped was because before this sight he knew not the Scripture which hee had often heard read or avouched The sight then of this or of other miracles did but open an entrie or passage unto the true knowledge of that which hee had formerly heard But more strange it may seeme to all of us that two so great Apostles as S. Peter and S. Iohn which had been for three yeares and a halfe together perpetuall auditors of such a Master as spake as never man spake and often eye-witnesses of such workes done by him as no man besides him could doe should now be ignorant of that fundamentall Article of faith whereof at this day to doubt were heresie which now to deny were infidelity For if Christ be not risen from the dead then the dead shall not arise and if the dead doe not arise then were both preaching and hearing vaine our faith were vaine both Priest and people were in a worse case then infidels and we Christians should be of all men most miserable 6 Yet farre be it from us to say or think that either of these two Apostles were at this time in the state of Heretiques or that either of their cases were no better then the cases of Infidels rather it would be a branch of infidelity in us to think that at this time they had no faith The roote of their beliefe in Christ as in their Messias and Redeemer was intire and incorrupt the stemme of it was â—ound although untill this time it had not shut out into this particular branch of faith This was the time wherein the actuall and expresse beliefe of Christ's Resurrection from the dead was to blossome and beare fruit even in these two Apostles That it did now breake forth in them and bear fruit was the work of God that before this time it should keepe in and be in some sort snipt was the ordinance and dispensation of the same God for if the knowledge of our Saviour's Resurrection had beene as expresse as explicite and distinct before his death as it was after his rising from the dead neither had their love either been so hearty in it selfe or so manifest to themselves nor their faith so lively and cheerfull as in the issue both did prove The heartinesse of their love unto him whilst hee lived was manifested even unto themselves by their sorrow for his death which doubtlesse had beene much lesse if in the interim they had actually and expressely believed to have seene him againe within three dayes The strength the livelyhood or cheerfulnesse of their faith was truly manifested and experienced in their joyfull entertainment of the glad tidings which were brought unto them by Mary Magdalen and whereof their outward senses were in part witnesses Their joy could not have been so great nor their embracement of his Resurrection so cheerfull and hearty if it had been expressely and confidently expected by
by the Church for the feast of the Resurrection The institution or occasion of it you have set downe from ver 2. unto the 12. The meaning of the word or quid nominis we have in the 12. v. It is the Lord 's Passeover for I will passe through the land of Egypt this night and will smite all the first borne in the land of Egypt both man and beast And against all the Princes of Egypt I will execute judgment I am the Lord. And the blood to wit of the paschal Lamb shall be to you for a token upon the houses where yee are and when I see the blood I will passe over you and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt So then it is called the Passeover because the Lord when he passed through Egypt and visited every house with a fearfull visitation he passed over all the houses of the Israelites which lived amongst them upon whose door-poast the blood of the paschal Lambe was shed Whether this visitation of the Egyptians were held by some good Angell or by that spirit or Angell whom S. Iohn calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as Moses Exod. 12. 23. entitles this visitor the destroyer I will not dispute seeing it is certaine the visitation or judgment it selfe was the Lords And by his appointment the visitor or executioner whosoever hee were good Angell or bad one or more was to passe over the houses of the Israelites as being exempted from his commission whil'st he smote the first borne of man and beast that pertained to any house of the Egyptians But at this present Passeover wherein the Saviour of the world became a sacrifice hell as we say was broken up and let loose the powers of darknesse were become as a raging Sea or swelling tyde overflowing her bankes and had wrought a more ruefull desolation upon all mankind upon the face of the whole earth then the flood of Noah had done unlesse by God's providence they had been restrained The flood in the time of Noah was a flood of waters only this was a streame of fire and brimstone which the breath of the Lord had kindled unlesse his wrath had been appeased and the flame quenched by the blood of the paschall Lambe The commission of the destroying Angell throughout Egypt did extend no further then to the first borne of man and beast and was to endure but for one night the powers of darknesse did aime at all and lye in waite till the worlds end to devour all whose hearts are not sprinkled with the blood of this paschall Lamb which was shed not for a few houses but for all Every house in Israel was to have their severall Lambe or two houses at the most could be priviledged by the blood of one Lambe but our paschall Lambe as he was slaine by the whole congregation of Israel cryed down to death by the Priests the Scribes and Pharisees and the whole multitude so his blood was sufficient to redeeme all the Israel of God from the Destroyer even as many throughout all ages and Kingdomes as will submit themselves unto his Lawes and acknowledge him for their Redeemer And for this reason he was slaine without the City as a publique sactifice in the open aire The Crosse whereto he was nailed was as the doore-posts of that house of which hee is the Builder and Maker that is of the whole world it selfe Now it is to be presumed that the blood of that sacrifice which was to redeeme and sanctifie all unto the worlds end which seek Redemption and Sanctification by him should not be as blood spilt upon the earth which cannot be gathered up As hee was to give life to others by his blood so he was to give life to himselfe againe 3 But is it imported in the institution of the Passeover or in any solemnitie belonging unto it that the Lambe of God which was to take away the sinnes of the world by his Death should himselfe be restored unto life againe Yes This word Passeover besides the former signification of passing over the houses of the Israelites hath another fignification or importance to wit That all those families which were priviledged from the power of the destroying Angel which smote the Egyptians should passe out of the land of Egypt or house of bondage through the red sea into the land of their rest and liberty under the conduct of Moses who had the great Angell of the Covenant for his guide in this passage For the Reader 's better apprehension how the mysteries of the Gospell concerning our Saviour's Passion and Resurrection were fore-shadowed in the solemnitie of the Passeover we are to consider that there is a two-fold sense of Scripture the one literall the other mysticall The literall sense consists in the immediate or grammaticall sense or signification of the words The mysticall sense is that which the Facts or Persons immediately signified by the literall or grammaticall sense of the words doe fore-shadow Thus by Israel in the sacred story sometimes Iacob the Father of the twelve Tribes sometimes the twelve Tribes themselves are literally meant And Israel taken in this sense is literally called the Son of God but by this name Israel Christ Iesus is mystically meant He it is alone qui tanti mensuram nominis implet Hee it is which prevailed with God and is more properly called the Son of God then either Iacob or his posterity were And that which according to the literall sense was meant of Iacob's posteritie When Israel was a child then I loved him and called my Son out of Egypt Hos 11. 1. was literally fulfilled of Christin a more full and exquisite sense as the Evangelist instructs us Math. 2. 15. For God called this his only Son out of Egypt literally taken that is out of the same land or Kingdome wherein Iacob's seed had been sojourners into the selfe-same land of Canaan into which he had brought them so that every word in this prophecy is in the literall sense truly verified as well of Christ as of Iacob's seed But Egypt and Canaan besides this literall sense and signification have a further mysticall sense or importance The state of Israel or the Sons of Iacob in Egypt was a map or shadow of our slavery and bondage unto the powers of darknesse Their passage out of Egypt into the land of Canaan through the red sea was a type of our passage from the bondage of sinne into the Kingdome of light through the region of death it selfe Thus the paschall Lambe literally taken was a picture of Christ's sacrifice upon the Crosse and so was Moses which instituted the sacrifice and conducted God's people out of Egypt but a shadow of Christ Ioshuah or Iesus the Son of Nun which brought them into the land of Canaan was no more The great Angell of the Covenant which was with Moses and with Ioshuah as their guide and protector
darknesse made the morning of the first natural day God faith Moses divided the light from the darknesse and called the light day and the darknesse he called night and the evening and the morning were the first day As was the condition of this visible world or form lesse earth before the Creation of light or the division betwixt it and darknesse such altogether was the condition or state of the intellectuall world before it was new made or redeemed by the Son of God The corrupted masse of mankind was overspread with darknesse and covered with the mantle of Death but this long darknesse became more palpable then that of Egypt during the time of the Son of God's surprizall and his inclosure in the region of Death These were the houres wherein it was permitted the powers of darknesse to domineere but these powers were conquered and the darknesse dispelled by his Resurrection from Death which was on the same day and at the same houre wherein God the Father by him did first divide darknesse from light From this houre of his Resurrection the night is gone and the day is come as many as believe in him raised from death and adore the Son of righteousnesse who as the Apostle saith having abolished death brought life and immortalitie to light they are the Sons of God Heires of Glory but such as love darknesse more then the light of his gospel they must remaine the sons of darknesse and of death All this and more is implied in the circumstance of the time and place which the day and houre of his Resurection had in that holy weeke being the first houre of the first day The other mystery is implied in the circumstance of the time and place which the day of his Resurrection held in that solemne feast of unleavened bread 3 So it fell out by the sweet disposition of God's speciall providence that the day of our Saviour's Resurrection should for that yeare fall upon the second day of the Feast of unleavened bread or the morrow after the Sabbath of that great solemnity Now on that precise day the Israelites were peremptorily bound by a strict Law to offer up the first fruits as eares and blades of corne unto the Lord Lev. 23. 10. 11. When yee become into the land which I give unto you and shall reap the harvest thereof then ye shall bring a sheafe of the first fruits of your harvest unto the Priest and he shall wave the sheafe before the Lord to be accepted for you on the morrow after the Sabbath the Priest shall wave it From this peculiar reference or parallel of the circumstance of time between the day of our Saviour's Resurrection and the day appointed for this legall feast of offering the eares of corne The analogy or parallel between the Type and the substance is thus As the use of the corne was not allowable to the people untill some eares or blades of the same kind were offered up in sacrifice by the Priest unto the Lord So neither could the seed of Adam or of Abraham or of any man else seeing all had been sowen in corruption be either holy or acceptable to the Lord or partakers of his Table or prefence or put on incorruption untill the high Priest of our soules the Son of God had offered a sacrifice of the same kind to wit a body subject to like mortality as ours are untill it was consecrated to glory and immortality by the sufferings of Death 4 All were sanctified all were reconciled to God by this one oblation of himselfe as the first fruits of them that sleepe Yet even such as were upon the day of his Resurrection really sanctified and actually reconciled unto God the very Apostles themselves were not made up or wrought into one body or loafetill fifty daies after not until that very day wherein the new reaped corne made into bread was solemnly offered and presented to the Lord. Lev. 23. 15. 16. 17. And yee shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath from the day that yee brought the sheafe of the wave offering seven daies shall be compleat even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall yee number fifty daies and yee shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord yee shall bring out of your habitations two wave-loaves of two tenth deales they shall be of fine flowre they shall be baken with leaven they are the first fruits unto the Lord. The one holy Catholique Church and Communion of Saints which we professe in our Creed did not begin to be in esse as by God's helpe it shall appeare hereafter or heare true life untill the effusion of the holy Ghost which is the soule of the one holy Catholique Church or of the mystioall Body of Christ And that was upon the fiftieth day inclusively from the day whereon the eares of corne or sheafe of blades was offered unto the Lord. On that fiftieth day the holy Curch received the first fruits of the spirit it being likewise another solemne day appointed for the legall offering up of the first fruits 4 Thus much of the accomplishment of the Type of Ionas his imprisonment in the belly of the Whale and of the mysteries contained in those three speciall daies and nights or evenings and mornings wherein our Saviour was in the wombe of the earth and the time of his rising againe But the two former queries First what our Saviour's abode forty daies on the earth from his Resurrection to his Ascension or which is all one what the signe of Ionas did portend to this evill and adulterous generation of the Iewes Secondly how the space of his forty daies abode upon the earth after his Resurrection was prefigured are points worth the discussion and for ought I know will make the fittest Period of this long work concerning the knowledge of Christ and him crucified CHAP. 42. That the sentence proclaimed against Nineveh by the Prophet Ionas was in a full measure executed upon the adulterous Generation of the Iewes not believing or repenting at our Saviour's preaching THat a state so strong and mighty as Niniveh was then when Ionas was sent unto it should upon these or the like briefe Summons of a forrainer Yet fory daies and Niniveh shall be destroied be so deeply stricken on a suddaine with extreme feare of death and ruine Or that a Court so dissolute luxurious and proud as that Court was should so readily change their soft rayment into sackcloth and laying aside their perfumes and sweet odours as the Text saith the King himselfe did may well seeme a greater wonder to a Reader qui ad pauca respicit then God almost at any time had wrought in Israel But the strangenesse of the suddaine change perswades or rather assures me or any diligent Reader that the constant fame of Ionas his miraculous deliverance or escape out of the Whales belly had come before him into Niniveh and made way for the efficacy of