all men are concluded was prefigurate by the darknesse of the second Tabernacle which was called the Holiest place wherein there was no light at all neither any light to be carried in therein In this Tabernacle the ark of the Covenant was placed and in the ark the word of the two tables of the Law Heb. 9 3 4. the pot of Manna and Aarons rod. Upon the ark was the golden crown the two cherubims with their wings covering the Mercy-seat representing the over-shadowing power of the three distinct persons of the indivisible Trinity in the generation of the word the blessed seed conceived in the womb of the blessed Virgin afterwards more plainly to be declared For this covenant was the covenant of the blessed seed first made with Adam and with all men redeemed in Adam the head shut up in temporall darknesse which covenant was afwards renued to Abraham though after a more peculiar manner For God did promise by his covenant to Abraham that the blessed seed should descend of Abrahams seed and that in Abrahams seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed For this cause the Lord did set down to Moses descended of Abrahams seed the patern of the Tabernacle commanding Moses to erect a Tabernâ—cle according to that patern which was erected to the end that the Jews the posterity of Abraham might understand that the promise made to Abraham was really one with the promise made to Adam for as the second tabernacle called the Holiest place did signifie the first promise made to Adam So the first tabernacle called the Holy place did prefigurate the fulfilling of the promise made to Abraham which was to be fulfilled before the second tabernacle could be opened signifying the promise made to Adam which promise first made to Adam was fulfilled by the rending of the partition-wall by our Savious death more fully to be declared in the third Book In this second Tabernacle Aaron the High Priest as he was the figure of the High Priest after the order of Melchisedeck the blessed seed did enter once ever yeer arrayed in a white vesture besprinckled with the blood of the sacrifice of the brazen Altar with a censure of coales taken from the brazen altar kindled with the fire which came down from heaven and with powdered sweet incense in his hand to be burned upon the coals when he came into the Holiest place that a cloudy sweet fume might ascend between the Mercy-seat and Aaron The end of Aarons entring into the Holiest place once every yâ—er was to obtain pardon for his own actuall sins and for the actuall sins of the congregation to whom as he was High Priest and the figure of the High Priest after the order of Melchisedeck the pardon of actuall sins was given first to himself and in him as he was the High Priest to those whose actuall sins God decreed from all eternity to pardon and forgive Now though the free grace and mercy of Gods holy Spirit cannot be tied neither to time place or person by pardoning of actuall sin for that spirituall wind Joh. 3.8 bloweth when and where it listeth yet God according to his decree from all eternity did decree to grant this grace of pardon of actuall sin at this time to the High Priest in the behalf of the congregation as he was the figure of the High Priest after the order of Melchisedeck for these three weighty Reasons to be precisely understood by all men The first was that all men might know that the power to pardon actuall sin is only and immediately in the High Priest after the order of Melchisedeck the blessed seed as he is God and man to whom all power in heaven and earth is given by the Trinity And this was the reason that the Scribes and Pharisees did accuse our Saviour for saying Luke 7.48 49. Thy sins be forgiven thee as if our Saviour had spoken blasphemy The second Reason is that the Jews might understand that all their externall sacrifice for sin all their sin-offerings and all their legall rites and ceremonies of the ceremoniall Law could not take away their actuall sins and that the pardon of actuall sin is in the only free absolute power of the High Priest after the order of Melchisedeck as he God and man by faith in his only merit The third reason is that all men might understand that the pardon of actuall sin is by the spirituall inlightening of the spirituall darknesse of man by spirituall faith which was signified by the pardon of actuall sin which past through the cloud of the sweet incense from the Mercy-seat to Aaron as he was High Priest and the figure of the High Priest after the order of Melchisedeck by the spirituall light of whose holy Spirit the spirituall darknesse of man is spiritually inlightened by spirituall faith in his merit whereby all the actuall sins of the regenerate man are covered and freely pardoned The second fundamentall point to be observed in this concluding of aâ— men in spirituall unbelief proceeding from this spirituall darknesse is thâ— reason that this spirituall unbelief is called sin by the Apostle The immediate cause of this spirituall unbelief and sin proceeding from this spirituaâ— darknesse is the eternall decree of God And this is the sin which is calleâ— by the Theologs originall sin For a formall difference between actuall siâ— and this originall sin which by the eternall decree of God doth descenâ— from Adam the redeemed head of man upon all men naturally descended anâ— to descend of Adam to the end of the world to the end that by this sin and naturall death which followed this sin all men may know that they are redeemed from the curse of eternall death and darknesse to which all men were eternally condemned for Adams first sin in whom all men transgressed the Law by the cursed death of Christ Jesus the eternall Son of God as he is man and therefore it is said Rom. 5.12 As by one man sin entred in â—he world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men in whom all have sinned where this one man is Adam in his redeemed estate for his sin which entred in the world is necessary to be understood of originall sin which did enter by Adam the redeemed head of man and did descend by degrees upon his posterity And therefore this sin which entred in the world must not be taken for Adams first sin For first Adams first sin cannot be said to have entred in the world by degrees for it did cease upon Adam and all men at one instant For it was as really the sin of all men transgressors of the Law in Adam the head as it was the sin of Adam Secondly temporall naturall death followed this sin that entred in the world by this one man but eternall death followed Adams first sin from which all men are reâ—eemed The sense therefore of the words is this As by Adam the redeemed head of
of the sacrament of the Lords Supper before his death that our Saviour did neither offer nor intended to offer his reall body and blood in the institution of the sacrament of his last Supper in a propitiatory sacrifice under the externall forms of bread and wine for the quick and fâ—r the dead as is falsly pretended contrary to all truth of the Evangelicall History For as our Saviour while he was personally upon earth having execute his propheticall office by delivering to his Disciples his last Will and Testament by his sacred Word sealed by the sacramentall seal of baptizing which was to succeed in the Church in place of the sacrament of circumcision So our Saviour at the feast of the last Passeover being the next day to discharge his Priestly office as he is High Priest after the order of Melchisedeck by his sacrifice of the crosse whereby his promise of the blessed seed was to be fulfilled our Saviour before his death did likewise seal his last Will and Testament with the institution of the sacrament of his last Supper to succeed in place of the sacrament of the Passeover though not to be in force Heb. 9 17. till after the Testators death and resurrection according to the Scripture which Sacrament was not institute till the night before his death of the crosse in the end of the feast of the last Passeover and that for these two main fundamentall reasons The first is that by the institution of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper implying his whole last Will and new Testament the Disciples might understand Heb. 10 9. that the sacrament of the Passeover which is the sacrament of the old Testament implying the whole propheticall ceremoniall Law was actually determined The second reason that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was not institute till the night before his suffering was that the Disciples faith might be strengthened against the sore temptation wherby they were to be assaulted the next day by our Saviours martyrdome in sustaining the fearfull curse of the Law by the cursed sacrifice of the crosse For though the Sacrament was instituted before our Saviours death yet it is expressed in words of the preterit time This my body which is given for you this my blood which is shed for you as if all had then been done and past and as if our Saviour had been then dead and risen from the dead which was a main reason to strengthen the Disciples faith in the Lords resurrection though they did see him dead and buried And therefore our Saviour that night Mat. 26.31 did put the Disciples upon their guard telling them that the Shepheard must be smitten that night and the sheep scattered yet comforting them withall that he should rise again Mat. 26.32 and go before them into Galilee By the truth of this relation of the sacred History the judicious Reader may manifestly perceive that there was not the least intent in our Saviour by the institution of the Sacrament of his last Supper before his death to shed so much as a drop of his precious blood much lesse to offer his reall body and blood in a propitiatory sacrifice for the dead and for the quick by his death which he was to do the next day after by his cursed sacrifice of the crosse as he is high Priest after the order of Melchisedeck Next to make the falshood of this assertion appear as plainly to the Reader by the very words of the institution of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Our Saviour in the end of the last Passeover by prescribing the manner of the celebration of the Sacrament of his last Supper to the Disciples which is by blessing and thanks-giving Mat. 26.26 27. having blessed took the bread and brake it to wit the bread and gave it to wit the bread to the Disciples saying Take eat this is my body that is this bread is my body of the new Testament which is given for you to wit as the flesh of the Pascall Lamb was my promised body of the old Testament which was promised to be given and broken for you Also having given thanks he took the cup to wit with the wine and gave it to wit the wine to them saying This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for you that is this wine is my blood of the new Testament as the reall blood of the Pascall Lamb was my promised blood of the old Testament which was promised to be shed but not to be drunk by any Drink ye all of it that is of this wine And lest there should be any mistake in the word Wine which our Saviour calls his blood of the new Testament Mat. 26.28 he doth after in plain terms call it the fruit of the Vine saying Mat. 26 29. I will not drink henceforth of the fruit of the vine untill that day when I shall drink it with you in my Fathers Kingdome which is meaned of the Evangelicall day of the Kingdome of Grace to wit the Lords Day whereby the Lord by his resurrection and rest from the fulfilling of his promise of the blessed seed did open the kingdome of Heaven to all Believers leading all men by the light of his Day to lay the hands of faith upon his merit whereby all Believers are made heirs of the Kingdome of Grace in this life and of the kingdome of Heaven in the life to come whose gracious merit is that bread of eternall life signified by the bread of the Sacrament as by the breaking of the bread the breaking of our Saviours body by the curse of the crosse and by the wine the shedding of his precious blood is signified whereby he did merit the bread of eternall life Our Saviour therefore by the institution of the Sacrament of his last Supper did deliver to his Apostles and in the Apostles to the Apostolicall successors the formall Sacrament of his last Will and new Testament and consequently not the reall sâ—crifice of his reall body and blood for there being both a reall and a formall difference between the formall Sacrament of the Lords Supper and his sacrifice of the crosse As the Sacrament of the Lords Supper cannot be his formall sacrifice of the crosse so can neither his formall sensiâ—ive sacrifice of the crosse be the formall Sacrament of his last Supper For in the Sacrament of his last Supper by the sensitive sacramentall elements the immediate object of faith is presented to the understanding by the mediâ—te senses which is the Lords merit by his cursed death of the crosse by his bloody rest in the grave and by his resurrection from the grave to be apprehended by the hands of faith while by our Saviours sacrifice of the crosse not the immediate but the mediate object of faith is by the mediate senses presented to the understanding which mediate sensitive object by interveening between the faith of man and the Lords merit faith and the immediate object are separate
Satan by the sensitive Serpent did first deceive the woman so the old Serpent Satans head shall be broke by man the seed of the woman This gracious promise was to be fulfilled First by the resurrection of the blessed seed the Word made flesh of the seed of the woman from the grave his last enemy to the face of the earth whereby he did manifest himself God and man by his rest from the fulfilling of the promise of the blessed seed Secondly by his resurrection from the face of the earth to the heavens from whence he came whereby he did manifest himself again by his infinite power God and man from whence he shall return again the second time in all glory and majesty united to his mysticall members who is the mysticall man that must break the head of the Serpent Satan and the seed of his cursed seed to their eternall confusion This last promised rest of the blessed seed the Word to be made flesh of the seed of the woman doth necessarily presuppose and imply his bloody rest in the grave from his cursed death of the crosse whose merit by his bloody rest as he is the eternall Son of God begot of the seed of the woman in time was twofold First by his rest from the cursed death of the crosse our Saviour was to merit the redemption of all men condemned to the curse of the Law of righteousnesse for the sin of Adam whereby all men in Adam their redeemed head were saved from the first death Secondly by his bloody rest in the grave upon the seventh day of the Law from end to end by his fulfilling of the Law in the seventh day as he obliged himself to man the eternall life and rest of the first seventh day lost by Adam was due by the Law to his merit that by faith in his merit all redeemed men might rest by faith till the promise was fulfilled whereby as all faithfull redeemed men were saved from the second death which is the curse of the Law of righteousnesse of faith for actuall sin So by the fulfilling of the promise of the blessed seed by his resurrection from the grave all faithfull believers are now saved from the second death which is the curse of the Evangelicall Law of righteousnesse of faith for actuall sin And this is the mysticall sense of this gracious promise which was made to Adam the redeemed head of man and to all men naturally to descend of Adam and was really fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ The benefit of which gracious promise was then actually to Adam and to all men to descend of Adam though the promise was to be fulfilled in time For by vertue of this promise the word of the Law and life of Righteousnesse first written in the heart of man was then the redeemed word of the Law of righteousnesse of faith whereby Adam was morally enabled to believe the promise and by believing in the promised rest of the blessed seed to have eternall life But before the second covenant can be declared whereby God doth oblige himself and Adam in this gracious promise first the word of the seventh dayes rest must be set down upon the immediate command whereof the second covenant was established between God and man For without the light of the word of this seventh dayes promised rest the second covenant can no wayes be known for the knowledge whereof we must necessarily understand that the day wherein this gracious promise was made to Adam was the seventh day of the Law from the creation by morall account as man naturally descended of Adam the head is obliged to the Law of God And this doth plainly appear by the words of the fourth Precept of the Decalogue set down to Moses where it is said Remember the Sabbath day be kept holy six dayes shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day to wit whereby Adam was obliged to the Law of righteousnesse by the first covenant in his state of perfection is now the promised rest or Sabbath of the Lord thy God to wit the promised blessed seed who hath promised to rest upon the Sabbath day in his sacred grave for the redemption of man from the curse of the Law for the sin of Adam and to rise from the grave to break the Serpents head for the betraying of man to fall under the eternall curse of the Law The reason is given For in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that therein is Wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it that is to say as the Lord by his rest from the works of the creation did blesse the first seventh day of his Law for man and did sanctifie the first seventh day for his worship by man So from his promised rest from the works of the redemption of man the Lord hath blessed the Sabbath day for man and hath sanctified the Sabbath day for his worship by man This day therefore wherein this gracious promise was made was the seventh day by morall account from the creation sanctified by the word of promise then by the name of the Sabbath of the Lord to Adam This gracious promise made to Adam being to be performed in time was formally propheticall and consequently the Sabbath day wherein this promise was made was likewise formally propheticall For by the literall light of the propheticall Sabbath day Adams faith was led to rest upon the promised rest of the blessed seed And this is the reason that our Saviour said Mat. 11.13 The Law and Prophets did prophesie to John For the Law did then prophesie by the Sabbath which did necessarily imply the whole Law of righteousnesse of faith in the promise of the blessed seed where it is to be marked that the Lord saith that the Law did prophesie to John lest the Jewes might conceive that the first seventh day of the Law obliging Adam did prophesie which did no wayes prophesie Now because this promised rest of the blessed seed upon the Sabbath was propheticall and mysticall therefore for the strenghthening of Adams faith and the faith of the Fathers in the promise the formall worship in the propheticall Sabbath was commanded to be celebrate by the ceremoniall Altar prefigurating the cursed Altar of the crosse and by the ceremoniall sacrifice of the altar prefiguraring the cursed death of the blessed seed that as Adam faith by the ceremoniall light of the Altar and sacrifice might be led to the cursed death of the blessed seed So by the literall light of the Sabaticall seventh day of the Law of righteousnesse of faith Adams faith might be morally led to the grave of the blessed seed and from the grave to his resurrection from the grave for the breaking of the head of the Serpent In which commanded formall worship by the ceremoniall altar and sacrifice all the rites and ceremonies of the ceremoniall Law are implied and immediately referred to the Altar and
was formerly prefigurate to Adam and the Fathers by the shedding of the blood of sensitive beasts and fowles And therefore the figure of the promised blessed seeed by the sacrament of circumcision was more significant then all the former bloody figures by the sacrifice of the Altar By the sacrament of circumcision therefore Abrahams family was distinguished and divided from all the families of the earth till they were reunited by the fulfilling of the promise by the new covenant For by the new covenant all the families of the earth were called and united in one Church and family For the strengthening of Abrahams faith in this gracious promise the inheritance of the Land of Canaan was promised to Abraham and to his seed whereby it was prefigurate that Abraham and his seed by faith in the promise made to Abraham should be inheritors of the heavenly Canaan the Kingdome of heaven The Church of God therefore being established in the family of Abraham and of his posterity the protection of the Church and the preservation of the line of the promised blessed seed was committed to Abraham to this end God did enable Abraham with the power of wisdome valour and with such an admirable gift of spirituall faith as Abraham is styled in the Scripture the Father of the faithfull And though I must passe over the History of Abrahams continuall victories over the enemies of the Church and leave the Reader to inform himself by the sacred History yet I cannot omit four memorable points of Abrahams faith whereby he is most justly called the Father of the faithfull The first was though Abraham was above an hundred yeers old when this promise was made and Sara was old and barren and both as it were dead by the course of nature and past all such hope yet faithfull Abraham considered not the deadnesse of his own body or the deadnesse of Sara's womb but stedfastly believed the promise against all naturall hope in hope that God according to his gracious wood would perform his promise Secondly Abrahams faith did wonderfully appear to his obedience to the command of God by his Word Gen. 12.1 commanding Abraham to depart from his native soil and to leave his kindred friends and possessions where he was seated in such plenty and to go into a strange countrey inhabited with the power of such mighty men who were every way unknown to Abraham and where he had no earthly help to trust unto but did as it were expose himself and his family to be made a prey unto strangers yet faithfull Abraham setting all doubts fears kindred friends pleasures and possessions aside did give obedience to the command of God and marched boldly to the Land of Canaan Thirdly how admirably doth our Saviour commend Abrahams faith while as our Saviour told the Jews saying John 8.56 Abraham did see my day and was glad and rejoyced therein For Abraham with the eyes of his spirituall faith did see the Lords day in the eighth day of the Sacrament of circumcision for the child was circumcised upon the eighth day though the eighth day of the circumcision fell out upon the seventh day of the great propheticall Sabbath which was commanded long before the Sacrament of circumcision and so precisely commanded as no mannâ—r of work was to be done upon the seventh day of the propheticall Sabbath much lesse the shedding of the blood of man for the only commanded works of the propheticall ceremoniall worship of God were to be done upon the Sabbath Abraham therefore observing with the spirituall eyes of faith that the seventh day of the propheticall Sabbath did give place to the administration of the Sacrament of circumcision Abraham did apprehend that the eighth day should be worshipped in place of the seventh day of the propheticall Sabbath The reason was because the Sacrament of circumcision did prefigurate both Christs death and the day of his resurrection from the dead for as by the shedding of the childs blood the shedding of the blessed childs blood by the cursed death of the crosse was prefigurate So by the stenching of the childs blood upon the eighth day whereby the life of the child was preserved the day of our Saviours resurrection from the dead was prefigurate to wit the Lords day which was the eighth day from the last Jews propheticall Sabbath for the last Sabbath whereon our Saviour did rest in the grave was no wayes the Jews propheticall Sabbath neither was there any Jew or Gentile bound or obliged to fulfill the command of the seventh day of the last Sabbath For all men naturally descended of Adam the redeemed head of man were only obliged to the command of the seventh day of the propheticall Sabbath which did prophesie our Saviours rest in the grave by whose rest in the grave all the prophesies prophesied by the propheticall Sabbath were fulfilled The last Sabbath therefore whereon our Saviour did rest in his sacred grave was no wayes propheticall neither was there any man naturally descended of Adam obliged to fulfill the command of the last Sabbath Let us therefore leave the last Sabbath to the Lord of the Sabbath and adde seven dayes more to the last Jews formall propheticall Sabbath and we have the Lords day the day of his resurrection from the grave to be the just eighth day as the Lords day was prefigurate to Abraham by the eighth day of the circumcision But let us account the number of dayes from the last formall Jews propheticall Sabbath and begin the accompt at the first day of the week according to the Jews computation of the dayes of their Sabbaticall week as both Jews and Gentiles were obliged to the Law of God and the Lords day is the just seventh day from the last formall Jews propheticall Sabbath and the true seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of faith more satisfactory to be declared hereafter What an admirable faith was this in Abraham to see the Lords day so far off as it was prefigurate by the Sacrament of circumcision though the Lords day be the true seventh day of the Evangelicall Law of faith as all men naturally descended of Adam are obliged to the command of the seventh day of the Law for without the command of the seventh day of the Law there is no Law to command man The fourth memorable point wherein the excellency of Abrahams faith did appear was in Abrahams readinesse at the command of God to offer up in sacrifice his son Isaac his only hope and heir of the promise and his only comfort next to God For it may justly amaze the heart of a naturall man that Abraham against nature by forgetting of all naturall affection should be so forward to attempt such cruelty with his own bloody hands to cut the throat of his so dearly beloved childe the only hope and heir of the promise Though this command was out of the infinite love of God to Abraham for God did never intend that Abraham should commit
the mysticall members of his body spiritually and indivisibly united to their mysticall head by his indivisible love As for the Analogie between the sacrifice offered up by the Leviticall high Priest and the sacrifice prefigurate thereby it did likewise consist in three speciall points First as the blood of the Leviticall sacrifice of the brazen altar was first shed and then laid upon the brazen altar So the sacred blood of the Son of God was shed first by his crowning with a crown of sharp prickly thornes causing streams of blood to besmeare his glorious face and body Secondly by his cruell scourging which was a most c uell kinde of bloody punishment according to the manner of the Jews Thirdly by the flood of blood by reason of the great boysterous nails to hold his body fast to the cursed altar of the crosse prefigurate by the brazen altar The Analogie of the second point between the two sacrifices was that both was an Holocaust sacrifice For as the Leviticall sacrifice of of the brazen altar was wholy burnt up and consumed by the fire which came down from heaven so the sacrifice of the Lord of life as he is man was burnt up and consumed by the fire of Gods wrath which came down frâ—m â—eaven for the actuall curse of the Law for the sin of Adam to which Câ—â—st did oblige himself to sustaine for wretched unthankfull man by whose to fed death all men are redeemed from that curse The third point of the Aâ—alogie of the two sacrifices was Levit. 4.12 that as the ashes of the whole burnt sacrifice of the brazen altar was taken from the brazen altar and carryed in ash-pans and laid apart from the altar in a clean place So the blessed body of our Saviour Joh. 19.38 39 40 41. was taken down from the cursed altar of the crosse by Joseph of Arimathea Nicodemus and others of that religious company prefigurate by the ash-pans and carried and laid in a new sepulchre wherein no man was formerly laid Because the point of this declaration is in the sacrifice of our blessed Saviour the declaration thereof shall be discharged in these two heads First our Saviours cruell cursed death by the cursed altar of the crosse shall be declared And secondly the place where the Lord was laid prefigurate by the ashes of the sacrifice of the brazen altar which were carried apart from the altar and laid in a clean place Because the sacrifice of our Saviour is plainly set down in the Scripture we will first only make a brief and summary relation of the severall pasges thereof and next certain mysticall concerning points shall be observed of the death and suffering of our Saviour Of all the stratagems of Satan by his false deceiving bewitching light his incensing of miserable men with such bloody cruell hands to crucifie the Lord of life was most admirable and strange For first the power of actuall freedome of naturall and morall gâ—ace which they then enjoyed by the redemption of man from the curse of the Law by the eternall Decree of God though to be performed in time was such as Satan and all the created powers of God could not necessitate the will of man to any morall evill but that man must be willingly and freely led and induced to commit that evill Secondly the propheticall Sabbath was the glory of the Jews nation whereby the Jews were so eminent and had such great preferment above all the nations of the earth which glory and great preferment the Jews did then enjoy by faith in the blessing of the promised rest of the blessed seed prophesied by the propheticall Sabbath as it was the seventh day of the propheticall ceremoniall Law which was then the immediate object of the Jews faith And though our Saviour did manifest himself to the Jews that he was that blessed seed which was prophesied by the propheticall Sabbath shining then so gloriously amongst the Jews by his gracious light leading them to his love which was freely extended towards all rich and poor in his curing of all manner of sensitive incurable diseases of the body and the diseased souls of many engaging thereby so the generall love of all that happy was he who could but touch the Lord of life to none was his love and help denyed who were led to him by this gracious light of the sound of his Word who by the power of his wonders and miracles did manifest himself to be the Son of God ingaging the reverend fear of all by the convincing power of whose wonders and miracles the wretched Jews were constrained to acknowledge so much yet that Satan by his false deceiving light should notwithstanding so induce the unthankfull Jews not to suppresse but with such bloody hands to extinguish the light of their own eternall life and rest it cannot but amaze the heart of man though all was by the hand of Gods permissive power For though the power of Satans false deceiving light be wonderfull yet Satan with all his power must work all his mischief only by the betraying of the willing consent of man to have man to effect what he would of whose help Satan himself did then stand in great need for this miserable act of Satan was not so much out of his malice to man as out of Satans own fear For by the greatnesse of this glorious light of the promised blessed seed Satan began to be afraid that the head of his power must be broke by the seed of the woman and therefore it did stand Satan in hand in time to prevent this so great and eminent danger which that false Serpent did by suggesting such a light of apparent fear to the Priests Scribes and Pharisees of the utter losse of their glorious Sabbath and of the Leviticall dignity means and preferment if they should give way to this glorious light to shine amongst them whereby the world was so led and carried by which false suggested fear of Satans false deceiving light the Scribes and Pharisees and the rest of that rablement were furiously incensed with all greedy desire not to suppresse but extinguish the light it self whereby both might rest secure from any such fear which this barbarous crue did with most cruell bloody hands effect though while their cruell hands were in externall action their hearts were internally pricked with the power of this light as may appear by the sacred History from the first point to the last For first while the Scribes and Parisees did hire their Helhounds to apprehend the Lord of life the Lord told the Helhounds John 18.5 6.12.13 that he was the man whom they did seek And though by the power of his Word they fell back to the ground yet up again and to the Lord they went And though Malcomes eare Luke 22 50 51. being struck off was miraculously cured by our Saviour a glim of the light of the rest of their glorious Sabbath yet such was the power of the
Devils darknesse obscuring that glorious light as our blessed Saviour like a malefactor was haled to the judgement hall And though Pilat convinced by the power of this glorious light did thrice pronounce the Lord innocent yet Pilat led by Satans light his tongue condemned the Lord of life But Pilate by hearing one of the murthering crue say Joh. 19.7 that Christ affirmed himself to be the Son of God Pilats heart being prickt again by that word sought to set our Saviour at liberty till another told Pilate Joh. 19.12 13. that if he should do so Pilat should shew himself an enemy to Cesar at which words Pilate fearing by his letting of Christ go free the losse of his place if not his life Pilate delivered the King of glory to the murtherers For the Scribes and Pharisees cryed out that they had a Law and that by that Law Christ ought to die and there was a reason of right for all Our Saviour therefore being delivered to the mercilesse band first Mar. 15.15 he was cruelly scourged a fearfull bloody punishment and of no lesse cruelty according to the judiciall Law used amongest the Jews Secondly his glorious head in derision Mar. 15.17 was crowned with a prickly crown of thornes by the sharp pricks whereof streams of his precious blood did besmear his gracious face and blessed body Thirdly being so bloodily crowned Mat. 27.29 a reedy Scepter was put in his hand by their Apish gestures saluting the King of glory for the king of the Jews though by right descent Christ Jesus was their King indeed Fourthly our Saviour was commanded by the cruell torturors John 19.17 to bear his crosse the curse whereof he was to bear both in soul and body Fifthly our Saviour was with mercilesse cruelty nailed to the crosse and most ignominiously hanged between two notorious thieves Sixtly our Saviour thirsting in the agony of his passion Mat. 27.34.38 was offered the bitter potion of vineger and gall to drink so that all the sensitive powers of the Lord of life the Son of God as he is man from his head to his body hands and feet were most cruelly and mercilesly martyred by the bloody murtherers for the space from the sixth hour to the ninth though nothing to the martyrdome of his burned soul burnt up by the fiery wrath of God from heaven proceeding from the actuall inflicting of the curse of the Law to the sustaining whereof the Son of God as he is man out of his love to man did freely oblige himself by covenant The sustaining of which torture upon the cursed altar of the crosse made our Saviour cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me All which miseries proceeding from the curse of the law the Lord of life the eternall Son of God God equall with the Father out of his infinite love to man did predestinate himself by his Decree from all eternity to suffer as he is man And last of all these bloody Helhounds that they might be sure that his glorious light might never shine again John 19.34 did with a spear pierce the Lord of life to the heart of which wound issued blood and water And so much for the brief summary relation of the sacrifice of our Saviour offered for man condemned to the eternall curse of the Law whereby the Son of God Christ Jesus out of his love to man made himself a curse for man to redeem man from the curse of the Law for the sin of Adam Next some mysticall concerning points are to be observed of the cruell martyrdome of our blessed Saviour CHAP. III. The mysticall sense of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus the Son of God out of his infinite love to man FIrst by our Saviours coaction to bear his crosse to which he was predestinate by the Decree of God from all eternity The crosse of afflictions of his mysticall members predestinate to be made like to the Image of his afflictions in this life is mystically signified For his mysticall members as they are the Image of his afflictions must participate with their mysticall head and taste of the cup which their mysticall head hath drunk charged up to the brim that as they have suffered with their mysticall head in this life so they may raign in their head crowned with an incorruptible Crown of glory eternally in all heavenly happinesse in the life to come For afflictions is the strait gate in this life whereby his mysticall members must enter into the kingdome of heaven Secondly by our Saviours thirsting upon the cursed altar of the crosse while he was offered the bitter potion of vineger and gall by the torturing helhounds to quench his thirst is mystically signified the eternall torments of the Reprobate in hell burnt up with the actuall inflicting of the curse of the Law in the full extent by the consuming fire of Gods eternall wrath who while as they thirst no other liquor shall they have to quench their unquenchable thirst but the gally dregs of the Devils darknesse with the voluptuous sensitive pleasures whereof they did so surfet in this life Thirdly by the words of our Saviour while he did endure and sustain the curse of the Law upon the cursed altar of the crosse saying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me The extremity of his sustaining of the wrath of God in the full extent in the torturing of his soul is mystically signified as the tortures of his sensitive body by his sensitive martyrdome was patient to all whereby our Saviour did manifest himself true man to the world Fouthly by our Saviours words at the giving up of his Spirit saying John 19 30. It is finished was mystically signified that by his death all the materiall altars and sacrifices all the figures types rites and ceremonies prefigurating the coming and death of the blessed seed were all finished and determined by his death never to be reiterate in the Church of God Fifthly by the darknesse from the sixth hour to the ninth which was the hour of his death at which hour the darknesse vanished was mystically signified that all the cloudy darknesse of the propheticall ceremoniall Law were quite vanished away never to be reiterate in the Church of God Sixthly by the rending of the vail of the Temple at Christs giving up of his Spirit which hath been formerly mentioned the calling of the Gentiles with the Jews in one Church was mystically signified who upon the next day following to wit upon the day of the Lords resurrection from the grave were all actually called in one Church by the new covenant to the great joy and comfort of all the nations of the world Seventhly by the piercing of our Saviours heart with the spear where the intellectuall and sensitive spirits of man as he is man are essentially united It was mystically signified again that all the types figures and rites of the ceremoniall Law prefigurating our Saviours cursed death of the crosse from the foundation of
the world were all pierced as it were to the heart never to be reiterate in the Evangelicall Church of God Eighthly by the blood and water issuing from the wound of our Saviours heart the sacramentall seals of the new Testament were mystically signified For as in the sacrament of Baptisme by the sacramentall water the water of eternall life is signified representing the water issuing from our Saviours wounded heart accompanied with his heart blood whereby the baptized's actuall sins are signified to be washed away and whereby the baptized is raised from his death in actuall sin to the new life of saith to let the baptized and all men understand that actuall sin is washed away by our Saviours heart blood which was accompanied with the water issuing from his wounded heart and therefore it is said by the Apostle 1 John 5.6 This is he that came by water not by water only but by water and blood So in the sacrament of the Lords Supper by the sacramentall bread the bread of eternall life is signified as by the sacramentall wine our Saviours heart blood is signified whereby the bread of life is purchased to let all men understand that the new life of faith is fed and nourished by the bread of life purchased by his sacred blood which bread of life is the Word blessed and sanctified by the Lords infinite merit in the spirituall understanding whereof is eternall life according to our Saviours own word John 17.3 This is life eternall to know thee who is only known by his Word Ninthly by our Saviours last words upon the crosse Luke 23.46 Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit which was our Saviours humane Spirit it was signified that as our Saviour was man the Son of God from all eternity so is man begot by his Father of the seed of the woman in time and every way true man the Son of God Tenthly and lastly by our Saviours outstretched armes nailed to the crosse the new covenant to be made with all the nations of the world was mystically signified again And so much for the mysticall points of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus the eternall Son of God as he is man prefigurate by the sacrifice of the brazen altar offered by the Leviticall high Priest Now since our Saviour was not a Priest after the order of Aaron or Levi the question may be moved What manner of Priesthood was this whereby Christ is said to be a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck CHAP. IV. The reason that Christ is called a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck and the execution of Christs Kingly office while he was upon earth THe Question moved in the former Chapter is commonly answered that the Reason that Christ is said to be a Priest after the order of Melchisedeck is that as Melchisedeck was without father or mother So Christ as he is man is without a naturall father naturally descended of Adam and as he is God Christ is without a mother But this point is warily to be conceived For though it be said that Melchisedeck was without father or mother we must understand the words in this sense that Melchisedeck was without any known father and mother for his parents are concealed by the Scripture not that we should conceive that Melchiseck was not man naturally descended of Adam but for another reason which shall be shewed neither must we conceive that there was any such sacrifice offered by Melchisedeck as was offered by our Saviour For Melchisedeck could offer no other manner of sensitive sacrifice then the sacrifice of the Altar which was commanded by the propheticall Sabbath But Christ Jesus is said to be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck in respect of the eternity of the Priest for Melchisedeck having neither known father or mother or kindred Melchisedeck is said to be without beginning or ending and consequently his Priestly office For there was no lineall succession of the Priestly office till it was established in the Tribe of Levi which did only continue during the formall propheticall ceremoniall obligement of the Law Before which time the Priesthood was in private Families Of this lately declared I infer these three necessary demonstrative conclusions First the Apostles and Apostolicall successors are not Priests or to be called Priests either after the order of Melchisedeck or after the order of Levi For first they can be no Priests or called Priests after the order of Melchisedeck for so their Priesthood must be for ever Secondly they can be no Priests or called Priests after the order or by the name of Levi for so they must be ceremoniall sensitive Priests by offering of ceremoniall sensitive sacrifices and gifts still prefigurating the cursed death of our Saviour whereby the truth of his fulfilled promise of the blessed seed is belied and denied Against this it is objected Our Saviour in the institution of the sacrament of his last Supper before his death as he is high Priest after the order of Melchisedeck did by this blessing of the bread and wine change and transubstanciate the substance of the bread and wine in the reall substance of his body and blood and did offer up his reall body and blood under the externall forms of bread and wine in a propitiatory sensitive sacrifice to his Father for the dead and for the quick which sacrifice is really one with his sacrifice of the crosse after the offering up whereof he did give his sacrificed reall body and blood under the externall forms of bread and wine to his Apostles for the sacrament of his last Supper commanding the Apostles and in the Apostles the Apostolicall successors to offer up his reall body and blood in a propitiatory sensitive sacrifice for the dead and for the quick And after the offering up thereof to give his sacrificed reall body and blood for the sacrament of his last Supper to the communicants The Apostles therefore and the Apostolicall successors by the power and authority of his command are still ceremoniall Priests and must offer this propitiatory sensitive sacrifice at the materiall Altar for the quick and for the dead under the externall forms of bread and wine The question therefore here is not of any metaphoricall sacrifice or of the spirituall sacrifice of the Lords mysticall members commanded to be offered at the spirituall Altar of righteousnesse but of a proper reall sensitive propitiatory sacrifice First I answer to the affirmed propitiatory sacrifice of our Saviours reall body and blood which is pretended to be offered up by our Saviour under the externall forms of bread and wine in the institution of the sacrament of his last Supper before his death which is the main ground of the objection Secondly I answer to the affirmed reall unity of this pretended sacrifice with our Saviours sacrifice of the crosse As for the first it is manifest both by the truth of the sacred History and by the very words of the institution
whereby the faith of man is overthrown And this is the reason that all Imagery painted or carved of our Saviour as he is man implying his death and humility are condemned for Idolatry as hath been formerly declared No such surmised sacrifice therefore being offered by our Saviour in his institution of the Sacrament of his last Supper no command was given to the Apostles to offer any such fictious sacrifice and consequently the Apostles and the Apostolicall successors the Ministers of the Word and Sacraments no commanded Priests to offer any such fictious sensitive sacrifice at the materiall altar as is falsly pretended by the objection Next I answer to the affirmed reall unity of this pretended imaginary sacrifice with our Saviours sacrifice of the crosse Leaving the Philosophicall distinction of unity as genericall sperificall udomericall reall formall and such like In this encounter I take the two last distinctions of unity Theologically to wit one really and one formally This affirmed unity therefore of the two sacrifices cannot be formall and therefore it must be reall This affirmed reall unity therefore of the two sacrifice is all one to say as that our Saviour in the institution of the Sacrament of his last Supper by offering of his reall body and blood under the externall forms of bread and wine in a propitiatory sacrifice for the dead and for the quick did as really and in effect sustain the curse of the Law in the full extent by the cursed death of soul and body as he did by his cursed sacrifice of the crosse which fearfull assertion is repugnant to the truth of all Christian faith For by this affirmed reall unity of the two sacrifices these subsequent inevitable conclusions must necessarily follow First by this affirmed reall unity of the two sacrifices the first surmised propitiatory sacrifice pretended to be offered by our Saviour must be a cursed sacrifice For such was our Saviours sacrifice of the crosse Gal. 3.13 And consequently our Saviours sacrificed reall body and blood which is pretended to be given to the Apostles cursed which is highest blasphemy to affirm Secondly by the affirmed reall unity of these two sacrifices the pretended propitiatory sacrifice affirmed to be offered by our Saviour in the instituting of the Sacrament of his last Supper must be a sensitive reall bloody sacrifice for there is no propitiatory sacrifice for sin Heb. 9.22 without the sensitive blood of the sacrificed for such was our Saviours propitiatory sacrifice of the crosse But the propugnators of this surmised propitiatory sacrifice will acknowledge no sensitive reall blood in their sacrifice and therefore they must acknowledge this pretended propitiatory sacrifice to be no propitiatory sacrifice Thirdly by the affirmed reall unity of these two sacrifices this surmised pretended sacrifice affirmed to be offered by our Saviour must be a deadly sacrifice by the sensitive death of the sacrificed for such was our Saviours sacrifice of the crosse But the propagnators of this surmised sacrifice must acknowledge no such sensitive death of our Saviour by the institution of the Sacrament of his last Supper and therefore they must acknowledge their pretended sacrifice to be no sacrifice Fourthly by the reall affirmed unity of these two sacrifices the only one sacrifice of our Saviour by the death of the crosse as be is high Priest after the order of Melchisedeck once offered for all is plainly denied For by this affirmed reall unity of the two sacrifices our Saviour died twice Fifthly by the affirmed reall unity of the two sacrifices the first surmised pretended sacrifice is a false sacrifice For by the adoration of this imaginary sacrifice the truth of the Lords commanded worship by the Lords Day is contradicted which is commanded to be celebrate in spirit and truth and not in the adoration of such a false sacrifice Sixthly by the affirmed reall uniâ—y of these two sacrifices the first pretended sacrifice is a faithlesse sacrifice For by this pretended sacrifice the faith of man and the immediate object of faith which is the Lords merit are actually separate Seventhly by the reall affirmed unity of these two sacrifices the pretended sacrifice affirmed to be offered by our Saviour in the institution of the Sacrament of his last Supper is an Idolatrous sacrifice For by the adoring of this sacrifice the sensitive object doth interveen between the Lord and his immediate commanded worship Eighthly by the reall affirmed unity of these two sacrifices Christ was really dead before his last Will and Testament was sealed by the sacrament of his last Supper implying the whole Evangel and new Testament and consequently his last Will and Testament no Will. Ninthly by the affirmed reall unity of these two sacrifices man was actually redeemed from the curse of the Law for the sin of Adam and the Law was fulfilled for man by our Saviour before his death of the crosse before his bloody rest in the grave and before his resurrection from the dead Tenthly by this affirmed reall unity of the two sacrifices all the prophesies prophcying of the blessed seed from the foundation of the world were fulfilled before our Saviours death by the cursed altar of the crosse and resurrection from the dead Eleventhly by this affirmed reall unity of the two sacrifices all the types rites figures and ceremonies prefigurating the death of the blessed seed from the foundation of the world were actually determined by the first pretended sacrifice which all the sacrifices of all the creatures of God could never determine till they were all actually determined by our Saviours last breath upon the cursed altar of the crosse while as he said It is finished The twelfth conclusion doth necessarily follow from the former three For by the affirmed reall unity of the two sacrifices our Saviours death by the cursed altar of the crosse was superfluous Thirteenthly by the affirmed reall unity of these two sacrifices this first surmised sacrifice pretended to be offered by our Saviour in the institution of the sacrament of his last Supper must be a reall Holocaust sacrifice cursed and burnt up by the fiery consuming wrath of God for sin no part or portion whereof must remain to be given to the Apostles for such was our Saviours sacrifice of the crosse prefigurate by the Holocaust sacrifice of the brazen altar Hence I necessarily inferre that by this affirmed reall unity the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is falsly denied to be given to the Apostles for by this pretended surmised sacrifice our Saviours reall sacrificed body and blood which in this case profiteth nothing Joh. 6.63 is affirmed to be given to the Apostles as a sacrament while as in the sacrament of the Lords Supper by the sacramentall bread and wine given by our Saviour to the Apostles the bread of eternall life purchased by his sacrificed reall body and blood is signified to be given By the faithfull receiving whereof God in his Son Christ Jesus dwelleth in the heart of man by his
love and man by faith in the love of God which is the only means whereby a man knoweth himself to stand in the state of Grace whereof no man can be ever assured till he find his love such to the truth of the Lords love by his merit implying the truth of the whole Evangell and Law of God as neither all the hopefull preferments of this life nor all the threatned dangers of naturall death it self can move him to deny the truth of that merit and this is that faith which our Saviour saith is able to remove the greatest mountain of temptation By the reall affirmed unity therefore of these two sacrifices all Christian faith is rased from the foundation And so much for answer to the objection And for the declaration of our Saviours sacrifice by his death of the crosse we are next to return to the place where the Lord was laid But because the main point doth consist in the Declaration of the new covenant immediatly depending upon the Lords resurrection from the grave which we must no wayes interrupt We will therefore first briefly in a word set down the discharge of our Saviours kingly office upon earth prefigurate by Melchisedeck and then come to the declaration of the place where the Lord was laid Melchisedeck was the figure of Christ as he was Priest Prophet and King And though we reade not of any Prophesie of Melchisedeck yet Melchisedeck as he was Priest in discharging of the Priestly office did necessarily prophesie For by the Priests ceremoniall execution of the sacrifice of the altar and of the rites of the propheticall Sabbath the Priest did necessarily prophesie And this is the reason that Christ saith Luke 11.50 51. that the Law and the Prophets did prophesie from Abel which is chiefly meant by the Priestly office And therefore it is said that Caiphas did prophesie the death of our blessed Saviour as high Priest that yeer saying Joh. 11.49 50 51 52. Ye perceive nothing neither do ye consider that it is expedient that one man die then the whole nation should perish Though Caiphas did prophesie out of his fear of the overthrow of the Priestly preferment yet his prophesie was no other indeed then the prophesie of the propheticall Sabbath As Melchisedeck therefore did prefigurate our Saviour as he was Priest and Prophet so Melchisedeck did prefigurate Christ Jesus as he was King For Melchisedeck was king of peace and righteousnesse and so he was the true type and figure of our Saviour Exod. 25.11 whose regall authority was signified by the golden crown placed above the ark of the Covenant compassing the cherubims overshadowing with their wings the Mercy-seat The discharge of our Saviours Kingly authority upon earth was chiefly in these three respects First Christ Jesus by the infinite act of his own immediate power by his resurrection from the grave in his resting from the work of the redemption did as a royall King redeem his subjects to wit Adam and all men naturally descended and to descend of Adam from the captivity of sin Satan eternall death and darknesse from the curse of the Law to which all men were condemned for the sin of Adam Secondly our Saviour as he is King of Peace did reconcile all men to the love and favour of God by removing of the wrath of God from all men for the sin of Adam Thirdly Christ Jesus as he is King of Righteousnesse out of his Kingly authority did command all his subjects of the world thus redeemed to the obedience of his Law of righteousnesse of faith upon the twofold reward of his Law by his new covenant And so much briefly for the discharge of our Saviours Kingly office upon earth We do therefore now return to the Declaration of the second part of the sacrifice of our blessed Saviour the high Priest after the order of Melchisedeck and to the Declaration of the place where the Lord was laid after his cruell bloody death prefigurate by the ashes of the sacrifice and the clean place where the ashes were laid apart from the Altar CHAP. V. The mystery of the last Sabbath which was no wayes propheticall VVE are come to the Declaration of the most sorrowfull mournfull and most lamentable estate of the Church of God from the foundation of the world And likewise to the declaration of the most joyfull comfortable and Evangelicall estate that ever came to all the nations of the world arising from that sorrow For there could never come a sorer cut and temptation to the Church and children of God then to see the rock of their hopes thus troden under foot massacred despised and cast down to the ground Though for fear of the Priests Scribes and Pharisees they durst not shew their sorrow and passion And though by this tragicall bloody persecution of the Shepherd the sheep were scattered yet Joseph of Arimathea one of Christs Disciples and a man of note and worth with honest Nicodemus and others of that religious company out of the loyalty of their love to our Saviour did gracefully intomb his gracious body in a new tomb hewn out of a rock wherein no man was formerly laid And though for their great care and gracefull neatnesse in intombing of the body of our blessed Saviour they be only named yet out of all doubt there must be more at the carryiâ—g of the blessed body of our Saviour from the crosse to the place where the Lord was laid though the place was not far distant from the crosse But to the point of our purpose in hand In our Saviours rest in the grave and in his resurrection from the grave doth consist the very period of the mystery of all mysteries hid from the beginning of the world to wit the mystery of the Lords Day Aâ—d though the mysterie be plainly revealed yet because some men will have it a mysterie still we must use the help of our Theologicall Key to open this mysterie by the concealing of the truth whereof the glory of the Lords Day implying the command of the whole Evangelicall Law hath received for too long a time such great prejudice The declaration of the truth of this fundamentall point of faith doth consist in the twofold rest of the eternall Word The first was his bloody rest as he is man made flesh oâ— the seed of the woman by his resting in his sacred grave after his bloody cruâ—ll dâ—â—â—h for the full space and time of the last Sabbath from end to end Thâ— sâ—cond was his Evangelicall joyfull rest as he is the infinite eternall Word by the day of his resurrection from the grave whereby he did rest from the fulfilling of the promise of the blessed seed both which rests were mysticall The mysterie of his bloody rest is twofold The first mysterie is in the propheticall covenant and in the last Sabbath obliged by the covenant For as the eternall Word did oblige Adam and all men naturally to descend of Adam to
sin as that God in his justice should consume all men off the earth again and Satan put fairly for it For after by his sting of enmity baited by his false deceiving light he had incensed Cain to murder his Innocent brother Abel Satan never left stirring up of Cains ungracious generation from time to time till be set the whole world in such a fire of sin cruelty and uncleannesse as neither the mercies of God by sparing them so long or the judgements of God threatned by his Prophets could reclaim from their sin and cruelty God therefore in end stirred up Noah the tenth from Seth a Preacher of Righteousnesse who was a Preacher of the Law of righteousnesse of faith in the promise of the blessed seed that by his preaching of the Word the miserable people might be reclaimed from their cruelty and uncleannesse to the works of faith by repentance that they might obtain mercy in the promise of the blessed seed and that by denouncing the mercilesse curse of the Law of faith Noah might terrifie the people from their wickenesse But though Noah did continue in the faithfull discharge of his Calling many yeeres yet all was to no purpose Satan had so incensed the miserable people to such obstinacy God therefore in end commanded Noah to build an Ark that by the ark Noah might denounce the utter subversion of the obstinate rebellious people by the flood of his incensed wrath against their sin and cruelty if they did not speedily turn to the Lord and leave their provoking of his long patience For which cause the Ark was so long a building that the wretched people notwithstanding of their continued contempt might have yet time to repent though all was to no purpose for such was the incensed obstinacy of the miserable people as they continued in their rebellious contempt both of the word of the Preacher and of the Ark till the very day that Noah and his family was commanded to enter in the Ark whereby the wrath of God was so incensed as by that fearfull inundation the whole earth was overflowne and eight persons only saved of whom the promised blessed seed was to descend As for the Covenant which is said to be made with Noah after his coming out of the Ark in the continuation of times and seasons and of the creatures created and redeemed for man it was the same reall covenant which was formerly made with Adam in the promise of the blessed seed which after this fearfull judgement was renewed to Noah for the strengthening and confirming of Noahs faith in the continuation of the promise first made to Adam For first after Noahs coming out of the Ark Noah did offer the like reall burnt sacrifices and offerings upon the Atar of such reall clean beasts and fowles as were first commanded to be offred by Adam and the Fathers before Noah which beasts and fowles were preserved in the Ark with Noah by which sacrifices offered by Noah the cruell death of the blessed seed was prefigurate Secondly the Ark it self did prefigurate both the promise and the fulfilling of the promise For first by the Ark the woman of whose seed the Word was to be made flesh was prefigurate Secondly by Noah and his sons daughters who was the eight from Seth the line wherof the promised blessed seed was to descend was prefigurate Thirdly by their receiving in the Ark the conception of the Word to be made flesh of the seed of the woman was cleerly prefigurate Fourthly by the safe delivery of Noah and his sons and daughters out of the Ark the safe delivery of the blessed seed by the woman to wit the blessed Virgine was prefigurate whereby it doth manifestly appear that the covenant and the formall propheticall ceremoniall obligement of the Law of Righteousnesse of faith in the promise of the blessed seed prophesied by the propheticall Sabbath and prefigurate by the ceremoniall worship of the Sabbath was really one and the same from Adam to Noah As by the preservation of Noah and his family of whom the blessed seed was to descend according to the flesh the great power of God by his preservation of his Church against the great power of Satan and his instruments doth manifestly appear to his great glory to the utter shame of Satan and to the confusion of his wicked instruments And so much briefly for the first age of the Church CHAP. XXX The continuation of the formall propheticall ceremoniall obligement of man in the promise of the blessed seed in the second age of the Church AS in the time of Noah the eighth from Seth God stirred up Noah to manifest his power in the preservation of his Church which did then consist in the preservation of the line of the blessed seed So in the second age of the Church God raised up Abraham the tenth from Noah that his glory might appear by his continuall care of the truth of his promise to his Church For God renewed his promise in a more cleer and particular manner to Abraham then he did first to Adam which was that in Abrahams seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed that is that the woman of whose seed the Word should be made man should descend of Abrahams seed by whose promised cursed death As all men were then actually redeemed from the curse of the Law for the sin of Adam though the promise was afterward to be fulfilled so all men by faith in this promise might be saved from the curse of the Law of faith for actuall sin In this promise therefore Gen. 22.18 that in Abrahams seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed God doth oblige himself to Abraham and to his seed by covenant and doth mutually oblige Abraham to believe his promise This covenant therefore made to Abraham was the same reall covenant and promise made to Adam though the blessed seed promised to Adam was by this promise to descend of Abrahams seed the only difference is that the woman of whom the Word was promised to be made man was to descend immediately of Abrahams seed though immediatly from Adams seed For Abraham did descend of the seed of Adam and consequently the promise made to Abraham must be performed before the promise made to Adam could be fulfilled For the promise made to Adam could not be fulfiled but by our Saviours birth death and resurrection from the dead By this promise made in this particular manner to Abraham the Church of God was now in the family of Abraham and his seed and posterity To the end therefore that Abrahams family might be distinguished from all the families of the earth God commanded Abraham and his family to be marked with the sacramentall seal of circumcision by shedding of the blood of man whereby it was prefigurate that the blood of the promised blessed seed to descend of Abraham according to the flesh should be shed by the cursed death of the crosse which