be offered by the priest vnto god for the sines of the people Mat. 27.35 Hereby was signified n Ioh. 19.34 the suffering of Christ o 33 the sheddyng of his bloud p 30. his death vppon the Crosse whereby hee might become q, 30. a propitiatorie sacrifice for the takyng away of the sinnes of the world The Patriarches the Prophetes and all the children of God from Adam to Christ as they set the eyes of their bodies in the exercise of religion vppon these sacrifices and oblations so dyd they set the eyes of their mindes vpon Christ then to come Thus did Esay interprete these ceremonies when he foreshewed that t Esa 53 3 Christ shoulde be such a man as shoulde haue a good experience of sorrowes and infirmities 4 that Christ onely should take on him our infirmitie and beare our payns 5 that Christ should be wounded for our offences and smitten for our wickednesse that the payne of our punishment might be layd vpon him and that with his stripes we might be healed That the Lorde would throw vppon Christ all our sinnes 6 7 That Christ should suffer violence and be euill intreated and should not open hys mouth That christ should be led as a sheepe to be slayne and yet should be as still as a lambe before the shearer and not open his mouth That christ should be â—aken from the prison and iudgement 8 â—hat he should be cut off from the ground â—f the liuing which punishement should â—oe vpoÌ„ him for the transgressioÌ„ of gods â—eople That christ should haue his graue â—iuen him with the condempned 9 with â—he riche man at his death whereas hee â—â—ould neuer doe violence nor vnright â—either should there be anie deceiptfulnes 〈◊〉 his mouth Neuerthelesse 10 that it should please the Lord to smite Christ with inâ—â—â—mitie that when he had made his soule an offering for sinne hee might see long lasting seede 11 That Christ should see the fruite and labour of his soule and be satisfied who being the righteous seruaunt of the Lorde with his knowledge shoulde iustifie the multitude for he should bear their sinnes 12 And that therefore the Lord would giue him his part among the great ones and that he should deuide the spoyle with the mightie because he hadde giuen ouer his soule to death and was reckoned among the transgressours which neuerthelesse should take away the sinnes of the multitude and make intercession for the misdoers And that I hold you not longer dearely beloued either in the figures or prophecies of the old Testament whiche concerne christes suffering whereby he became * Eph 5 2 a slayne sacrifice for sine let vs call to minde what thereof is reported in the New a Ioh 4.6 Then shall wee finde that christes whole life was a perpetuall suffering where in he was a wearied b mat 21.18 hungred and c Io 19.28 thirsted wherein hee was d 2.13 bannished e Mat 11 18. slandered and f 22 46 Luc. 3 29 persecuted wherein hee was g 4 1 tempted h Mat. 5 2 fasted and i 26 40. watched wherein hee laboured a Luc. 4.31 preached and b 22.44 prayed wherein hee c Mat. 26 38 sorowed d Mar. 14 33 greeued and e Luc. 22 44 swette water and bloud wherein he was f Mat. 29.49 betraied by Iudas g Mar. 14.50 sorsaken by his Apostles and h Mat 26.57 apprehended by the souldiours wherein he was without cause i 27 40. exclamed against wrongfully k Mat. 26.60 accused and vniustly l 27 24 condemned wherein hee was m 27.28 stripped n Mat. 27.30 buffeted and o 27.30 spitte vpon wherein he was p Luc. 23.64 blinde-folded q Luc. 23 29 mocked and disdainefully r 23 29 crowned with thorns wherin he was Å¿ Mat. 27.35 crucified t Mat 27.29 tormented and u Io 18 25 wounded wherein he became x Gal. 3 13 accurssed of God y Mat. 27.46 susteined his wrath and a Phil. 2.8 died a most shamfull death But what was the cause that Christ the b 1. Pet. 1 19 innocent lambe of god should thus suffer for our redemption verily to pacifie Gods wrath and to satisfie his iustice who would not suffer the sinne of man-kind vnpunished in mankind Therfore it was expedient that c 1. Pet 3 18. the iust should suffer for the d Ioh. 10.11 vniust that the shepherd should giue his life for his sheep that the Lord should redeem his people * In the sacrifice christ shineth as in a merror Gods wisdome extendyng his mercy maintainyng his iustice O the vnsearchable wisdome of God our gracious Lorde whiche by the holines and suffering of Christ his Sonne hath both extended his mercy and maintained his iustice Extended his mercy * 1. Gods mercy extended in forgiuing his elect their sinnes and that through Christs Holines * 2. Gods iustice mâ—intained Mainteined his iustice in punishing the nature of man for the sinnes of men that through christs suffryng And thus much concerning the Second qualitie of the Sacrificer which is the suffering of Christe our Lorde * 4 The sacrifice was offered for vs. The fourth circumstane in our redemption to bee obserued is Who they are for whom this Sacrifice was offered Paule layeth that downe when hee vseth these wordes a Eph 5.2 For vs. In the wordes before the Apostle exhorting the Ephesians to leade a godlie life speaketh vnto them in this manner b Eph. 5 1 Bee yee folowers of God as Children and walke yee in loue but describing the manner of loue wherein we should walke by the example of Christ he altereth the person ioyning himselfe which wrote with the Ephesians to whome hee wrote and addeth c. 5.2 Euen as christ hath loued vs and giuen himselfe for vs. Hereby we learne that the beleeuing Iwes as was the writer and the beleuing Gentiles as were they to whome the Epistle was written are they for whom Christ offered himself * Christ offered for the beleeuyng 1 Iewes 2. Gentiles But here more deepely must bee considered the state and condition of both And that shall we finde when by Gods word we learne what wee are by nature * we are by nature the children of wrath a Luc. 6.44 the lances must bee such as is the tree b Iam. 3.11.6 the surges must be such as is the fountaine But Adam c Gen. 3.6 fallen from god by transgression is the tree from whence wee spring Adam d 3 7. stayned with sinne is the fountayne from whence wee slowe So are wee by our parentage alienated from God and stayned with sinne e Gen. 5.3 being descended from Adam after his fall Suche were wee for whome Christ gaue himselfe So many Sacrifices
the booke it is written of me that I shoulde doe thy will O God And thy will is that hee should voluntarily die for vs. In th 10 of Iohn where Christ teacheth vs that b Io 10 11 he is the good shepheard and that we are his sheepe to testifie hys prompt minde to die for vs hee pronounceth that whereas c Io. 10 18 no man could take his life from him hee layde it dovvne of himselfe for his sheepe If any obiect and say Yea but when Christ saw that his bitter death approched comparing it to d Mat 26 39 mar 14 36 Luc 22 42 a cuppe he prayed his Father that if it vvere possible it might passe from him Howe then was his death voluntary since gladly hee would eschewe it I aunswere this speache of Christ sheweth not any vnwillingnesse to dye for vs but the truth of both his natures humane and diuine and his willingnesse to offer himselfe in sacrifice for our redemption For in that Christ was subiect to humane affections and passions a Mat. 26 38 as heauinesse b Mar. 14 33. trouble of minde c Luc. 22.44 and agonie into the which he fel not so much through the terrour of death approching as the sensible feeling of Gods wrath then begon to be layd vppon him for our sinnes it sheweth that he was a true and a natural man ⸪ But in that hee subdueth the infirmitie of the fleshe * Mar. 26 39 42. mar 14.36 Lu 22 42 and submitteth his will to the will of his Father hee sheweth himselfe to be god who being conceiued as touching his manhood without sinne moderateth hys humayne affections in such a temperature by the power of his god-head that although hee were subiect vnto them yet they brake not out to rebellion against god but were preserued without blemishe of sinne And lastly he willingly yeeldeth to gods determination and voluntarily submitteth himselfe to the death of the crosse concluding his prayer a Mat 16.39 Neuerthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt b Mar. 14 3 Not that I will but that thou wilt c Luc. 22.42 Not my will but thine be done Ye see then that the manner of his sacrificing was by a vvilling and a voluntary death Oh the exceeding loue of Christ to vs-ward d Rom. 5 8 vvho vvhen vve vvere yet sinners died for vs. e Io. 15.13 Greater loue than this hath no manne vvhen any man bestoweth his life for hys friendes But vvee are the friendes of Christ 14 if we doe vvhatsoeuer he commaundeth vs. And this is his commaundement that f Io. 15 12 vve loue one an other as he hath loued vs. But he loued vs with an vnfayned loue whiche of his owne accorde gaue himselfe for vs. Let vs therefore loue one an other vnfaynedly as beseemeth the disciples of Iesus Christ And this may suffice to be spoken of the maner of the sacrificing of Christ * 3. The sacrifice was the innocent soule the vndefiled body the precious blood of Christ Now in the third place the sacrifice it selfe commeth to be considered * 3. The sacrifice was the innocent soule the vndefiled body the precious blood of Christ Heerein must bee noted two things Two things noted First the substance then the qualities of this sacrifice that thereby we may learne both vvhat it is and of what kinde it is * 1 The substance of the Sacrifice is the man-head of Christ Of the Substance of this sacrifice Paule speaketh in this texte when as he telleth vs that a Eph. 5.2 Christ gaue hymselfe for vs. So then looke what christ is as touching his Man-head and that is the sacrifice offered for vs. But Christ according to his humanitie standeth of a reasonable soule and an humane body Therefore it followeth that he gaue his soule * Christs soule giuen to redeme our soules his body for our bodyes to redeeme our soules and his body to redeeme our bodies Body for body and soule for soule yea he gaue for vs b Mat. 27.35 his body to be crucified c Ion. 19 34 his bloud to be shed d Ion. 19 03 his soule to bee seperated e Ion. 19 33 hys life to be yealded So then so tenderly did Christ loue vs that f Petâ—â— 18.19 he redeemed vs not with corruptible thinges siluer and golde 20 but with his owne pretious bloud as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot Which was ordeined before the foundation of the worlde but was declared in the last times for our sakes Neyther was there anie thing fitte to become the sacrifice for sinne but the Sonne of God being free from sinne For although the sacrifices of the law were ordayned by God yet a Heb. 10 4 was it vnpossible that by the bloud of bulles and goates our sinnes should be taken away And although Angels be most excellent creatures of God yet was the nature of none of them fit for this sacrifice And therfore the Sonne of god tooke not vpon him b Heb. 2 16 the nature of an Angell but of c Luc. 1 35 Man that in hys Manhead hee might reconcile Man vnto god d Gen. 2.6 as in Man-head Man fell from god This was the onely way to satisfie gods iustice and to pacifie his wrath that e Rom. 5.19 as by the disobedience of one Man Adam many wer made sinners So by the obedience of one Man christ 12 many might also bee made righteous * And that as by one Man Adam sinne entered into the worlde and death by sinne * So by one man Christ we might receiue the attonement thorough the remission of sinnes to euerlasting life Of this point intreateth Paule more at large in the fifth to the Romanes a scripture for this purpose diligently to bee wayed And thus ye fee that onely christ a Reuel 5.5 the Lion which is of the tribe of Iudah and the roote of Dauid is worthy to open the booke of life and to lose the seuen seales of the Mysteries of the kingdome of heauen b Io. 1 29. euen the lambe of god whiche taketh away but sinnes c Reuel 5.6 the lambe of god which was killed for vs d. 1. Pet. 1.20 the lambe of God which is aâ— ordayned for vs before the foundation of the world And for conclusion of this point marke I beseech you this mysterie in our reconciliation that he onely is the sacrifice who onely is the sacrificer Christ the one Christ the other e Rom. 5.1 Heb. 10 14. who by himselfe hath reconciled vs to god his father Therfore blame vs not although we dare not teach as doe the Papists most blasphemously that Christ is offered in the Lordes supper by the minister to god for our sinnes f Heb. 9.26 who in the ende of the vvorld vvas made manifest once to put avvay sinne by
Sonnes This was a fit mediatour an apt reconcyler a conuenient daies-man betweene god and Man Christ being God hable to saue vs. For beeing a Mat. 1.23 god euen the b psal 2.7 Ioan. 3.16 Sonne of god hee durst presente him selfe before god his Father to intreat for Man c Phil. 2.6 as one vvhich thought it no robberie to bee equall vvith god * Christ beyng Man willyng to saue vs. And beeing d Matt. 1.18 Luc. 2.7 Man euen the Son of Marie the virgin was willing to reconcile Man vnto god e Heb. 4.15 as one which was touched with the feeling of our infirmities And so in the person of the atonement-maker was fulfilled the deuine prophecy of Esay saying f Esa 7.14 Mat. 1.23 Beholde a virgin shall bee with childe shall Beare a Son and they shall call his name Emanuell which is by interpretation god with vs. And this is hee which is the Sacrificer g Psal 2 7 Heb. 5.5 god with god and h Phil 2.7 Man with Man i Ion. 6.51 one Christ k Psal 2 7 the Sonne of god l Mat. 3 17. Mar. 1 11. the second person in the blessed Trinitie Nowe this much being spoken of the person and substaunce of the Sacrificer let vs nowe more neerely way who and how great hee is by the consideration of his Function and office * The Sacrificer by his function or Office is Christ so called for that he is 1 our Prophete 2 our Christ 3. our King None was found fit as yee haue heard to bee the Sacrificer to God for Man but the onely Sone of God who in respect of his function or office is called the Meshiah Christ the Annoynted This name the word of God attributeth a 1. Kin. 19.16 to Prophets b Leu 16 32 Num 3 3 Priests and c Iud. 9.8 1 Sam. 9 16 01 1 Kinges as well because they were annointed with materiall oyle in token of spirituall graces wherewith god had indued them for the executing of their offices as also for that they were figures of Christ then to come But this name agreeth properly to our redeemer whome god annointed not with materiall oyle but d Psal 45 8 89 21 with the oile of gladnesse aboue his fellows that is with the full measure of his spiritual graces that he being our great Prophet our high Priest and our mightie King might bee a fit Sacrificer to reconcile vs vnto god * 1 Christ our Prophet Necessarie it was that the Sacrificer should bee the Prophet of gods people that e Esa 1 16 1 Luc 4.18 the Spirite of the Lorde being vppon him hee might therefore annoynt him that hee should preache the Gospell to the poore hee might send him that he shold heal the broken harted that he shold Preach deliuerance to the Captiues and recouering of sight to the blinde that he should set at libertie them that are brused 19. And that hee shoulde preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord that hee knowing the will of his Father in our recōciliation a Heb 10 9 should do the same * 2 Christ our Priest Necessary it was that the Sacrificer should bee the Priest of gods people that since b Psal 40.7 Heb 10 6 god had no pleasure in burnt offrings 10 sin offrings he might offer his body in sacrifice to god the fathe◠so do his vvill 9 by the which we are sātified 10 4. And for that it was impossible that the blood of bulles and goates should take away sinnes c 1 Pet. 1 18 he might redeem vs with his precious blood 19 being a lambe vndefiled and vvithout spotte And finally d Heb 10 12 that after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes he might sit for euer at the right hand of God 13 and from thence-foorth tarrie till his enimies should be made hys foot-stoole * 3 Christ our King Necessarie it was that the sacrificer should be the king of gods people e Io 16 33 to ouer-come the world f Luc 22 42 to subdue the flesh a Mat 4 1 c. Mar 1 12 c Luc 4 1 c to conquer Satan b Io 8 46 to vanquish sinne c Rom 5 2 to pacifie gods wrath d Ose 13 14 1 Co. 15 54 to plucke out the sting of deeth 55 to spoyle hell of her victorie e Psa 68 19 Eph 4 8 to leade captiuitie captiue to giue giftes vnto men f Psa 110 1 mat 22 44 and to triumph ouer all hys enimies g Io 10 4. yea to direct vs his people with his vvord h 10 22 to guide vs by his spirite i Psal 2 9 to defend vs by his povver k Luc 1 32 vnto vvhome god gaue the throne of his Father Dauid 33 that hee might raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer that of his kingdome shoulde be none ende And thus ye haue heard my beloued the ordinance of God that whom the sacrificer should reconcile vnto God them should he instruct as their Prophet sanctifie as their Priest and guide as their King Iudge ye then whether the Papistes be not of the number of those false teachers whome Peter prophecied should come l 2 Pet. 2.1 vvhiche should denie the Lord that bought them which vndoubtedly they doe when by bringing in the traditions of men they denie the fulnesse of Christes prophecie by setting vp their sacrifice of the Masse they deny the fulnesse of Christes Priest-hood by mayntayning that the Bishop of Rome is Christes vicar generall vpon earth they deny the fulnesse of Christes kingdome But let them take heede and repent in time otherwise according to Peters commination a 2. Pet 2 1. they vvill hring vppon themselues svvift damnation And this much concerning the sacrificer * 2 Christ sacrificed voluntarily wilyngly of his owne ac Nowe commeth to bee considered the second circumstance of our redemption hovv and vvith vvhat mind this sacrificer sacrificed And that is hee sacrificed voluntarily vvillingly and of his ovvn accorde That this perswasion might bee setled in oure heartes Paule sayth not as truely hee might Christ redeemed vs or reconciled vs to God but when he hadde said b Eph 5 2 Christ loued vs to shew the wonderfull excellencie and incomprehensible measure of his loue towardes vs hee addeth c Eph 5.2 And gaue himselfe for vs. So was the prophecie of Dauid concerning Christes voluntary death fulfilled reported by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues in this maner a Ps 4 7.8.9 Heb 10 15 Wherefore when Christ commeth into the world he sayth Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou ordayned me In burnt offringes 6 and sinne offrings thou hast had no pleasure 7 Then I sayd Loe I come in the beginning of
being all figures of the sacrifice of Christ ordeined of god to bee f Leu. 4.2 offered for the sinnes of the people do euidenly prooue that Gods people for whome Christ was offered are all polluted with sinne It is true that the auncient Israelites were greuously a Exo. 1.11 c oppressed in Aegipt by the tiranny of Pharao from thence b Exod. 14.1 deliuered by the commaundement of God through the conduction of Moses but with all therby is prefigured that we bee all through sinne became slaues to Satan in this world and through the wil of God by the power of Christ deliuered from that spirituall captiuitie The Prophets Christ and the Apostles teache that they for whome Christ died are c Rom. 5.8 steined with sinne d 1. Tim. 1 15 transgressours of Gods lawe e Gal. 3 13. and subiect to his curse Esaye propheciyng of our redemption calleth vs f Esa 53 4. weake g 53.5 wounded and sinfull h 53.6 Christ speaking of the same matter pronounceth i Mat 9 12 That the whole need not a phisition but they that are sicke k Mat. 9.13 And that hee came not to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance And Paule speaking of the accomplishment of oure saluation leaueth it thus recorded l 1. Tim 1 15 This is a true saying and by all means worthy to be receaued that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners * That christ saueth sinners teacheh vs two things our owne misery 2 gods mercye It may be the some wil demaund why I vrge so greatly thys point I answere Chiefly for two causes * 1. our own misery First to teach vs by acknowledging of our sinnes a Mat 23 12 to humble oure selues vnder the mightie hand of god that hee may aduaunce vs b Ioh. 3.16 and to seeke vnto christ by fayth that hee may deliuer vs knowing that c 11 32 God hath shut vppe all in vnbeliefe that hee might haue mercy on all And to this ende doth Paule dispute mightily in the Epistle to the Romaines prouing that d Rom 3 20 by the vvorkes of the law no flesh can be iustified in the sight of God But that e 24 wee are iustified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Christ concluding that f 28. a man is iustified by fayth without the workes of the law * 2 Gods mercy Then to sette before the eyes of our mindes the exceeding measure of the loue of God towardes vs g Io. 3 16 which so loued the world that he hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him shuld not perish but haue eternall life But seeing h Rom 5 10 God hath thus loued vs when we were hys enimies that he reconciled vs vnto himself by the death of his Sonne ought not we then a Eph 5 1 to be followers of god as deare children 2. and to walk in loue as Christ hath loued vs and giuen himselfe for vs to be an offering and a sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauour to god Hetherto concerning the persons for whome christ died euen for vs miserable sinners * 5 This sacrifice was offered to God The fifth circumstance in our redemption diligently to bee considered is vnto whome this holy sacrifice was offered by Christ for our reconciliation This doth Paule in this text euidently shewe when as hee teacheth that it was offered b Eph 5 2 to god When parties at vnitie growe to discorde then is there occasion offered of reconciliation whiche cannot be accomplished but by the good discretion of a dayes-man by whose meanes the partie offending is reconciled to the party offended So stoode the case betweene god and man continued in that perfection c Gen 1 26. wherein God had created him 5.27 But when Man had transgressed the lawes of his God d Gen 3 6.7 by eating of the forbidden fruite then grew there discorde betweene God and Man Man the creature Man the party offending God offended became the partie offending and God the creator the partie offended But such was the peril of this falling out a Gen 2 17 that Man became subiect to gods wrath and iudgment Hence grewe the occasion of an holy reconciliation wherein the fauour of God onely which was offended was to be obtayned for Man onely whiche had offended Christ the Dayesman But what fit days-man could than be found to reconcile man vnto God Onely Christ both God mā as more at large before I shewed And how then God woulde not that this reconciliation should be wrought by diminishing the least iote of his iustice * The iustice of God considered in two pointes 1 obedience punishment Heerein standeth the iustice of God vrged by him in this reconciliation 1. That mankinde keepe the lawe giuen 2. That man-kinde be punished for the law broken And thus was hee affected vnto whome the sacrifice of pacification was to be offered Marke now the discretion of christ our dayes-man In his Manhead hee b 2 Cor. 5 21 obeyeth Gods lawes In his man-head hee is c Pet 2 22 punished for the breache of Gods lawes hee obeyeth Gods law by his innocent life * Obedience yelded by Christs innocent life He is punished for the breache of Gods lawe by his dolorous death By his obedience he satisfieth Gods iustice By his suffering * punishmēt sustained by Christs dolourous death he pacifieth Gods wrath Thus did Christ our dayes-man offer himself obedient and patient to God the partie offended so to winne his fauour to Man the partie offending By thys meanes Christ a 2 Cor 5 21 which neuer committed sinne made himselfe to be reputed a sinner for vs that we which are ful of sin should be reputed in him righteous before God That b Gal 3.13 he becomming accursed for vs 14 we might become blessed thorough him So was it necessary that vnto God this sacrifice shoulde be offered that we therby vnto god might be recōciled Of this point this much may suffice * 6 This sacrifice wrought our full redemption The sixt and last circumstance of our redemption proposed by Paule in this text to oure consideration sheweth vvhat effect this sacrifice wrought and vvhat successe Christ had in this his attempt thus to recōcile mankinde vnto god This point is therfore the more deepely to bee considered because therein eyther is the rising againe into consolation or the downfall into desperation For if Christ preuailed in this his mediation then are wee saued but if hee fayled then are wee damned Paule therefore to heale the wounde of the conscience pearced with sin concludeth that this Sacrifice thus offered by Christ yeelded a Eph. 5 2 as a sweete smelling sauoure in the nose-therles of God By this metaphoricall speach borrowed from the manner of offering