upon the tip of the right eare of Aaron and upon the tip of the right eares of his sonnes and upon the thumbe of their right hand and upon the great toe of their right foot and sprinkle the blood c. This ceremony or service was literally and punctually fulfilled in the Consecration of our high Priest The high Priest of the Law was consecrated with forreigne blood with the blood of Rammes The high Priest of the New Testament was consecrated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his owne blood and in this blood not only his hands his feet or eares were sprinkled or annointed but his whole body was annointed or bathed For though he was alwaies internally sanctified and though this his internall sanctification was most absolute and perfect from the wombe yet would the Lord have him thus visibly and externally consecrated with his owne blood that we by the same blood might be sanctified and consecrated after a better manner then Aaron was by the blood of the Ramme of Consecration The morall implyed in sprinkling of Aaron's right eare the thumbe of his right hand and the great toe of his right foot is this Our eares which are the sense of discipline and the gate by which faith entreth into our hearts must be consecrated and hallowed by the blood of our high Priest that wee may know God's will our hands and feet likewise which are the instruments of service are hallowed and sanctified by his blood that we may walke in his wayes and doe his will Finally as both our bodyes and soules have beene redeemed by his blood so both must be consecrated in it and enabled by it unto his service 7 Another ceremony or service at Aaron's Consecration was the offering up of one loaf of bread one cake of oyled bread and one wafer wherewith Aaron's and his sonnes hands were first to be filled and afterwards to be burnt upon the Altar for a burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the Lord. Exod. 29. ver 23. 25. The mystery signified by this and the other bloody sacrifice may best be gathered from that which hath afore been said concerning the circumcision of Isaack and of Abraham's seed or concerning God's demanding Isaac for a burnt offering which was then observed out of Rupertus an ancient Writer God did demand at Abraham's hands that he might thereby tye himselfe to give his own sonne unto Abraham and his seed To which may now be added the testimony of S. Chrysostome in his comments upon our Saviours words to the Woman of Samarin Da mihi bibore give mee to drink The Fountaine of life sitting besides the Fountaine calls for drink not that he was desirous to take but rather to give drink Give me to drink saith he that I may make thee drink the water of immortality I thirst after the salvation of mens soules not that I might drink but that I may give them salvation to drink I imitate my Father who said to Abraham offer me up thy Sonne thy only Sonne Isaac whom thou lovest for a burnt offering this he said not as if he had desired to accept Abraham's sonne but that he determined to give his owne Sonne for the sinnes of the world as S. Iohn saith Chap. 3. ver 16. In like manner God required the flesh and blood of Bullocks and of Rammes with unleavened bread to be offered up in sacrifice unto him at the Consecration of Aaron not that he stood in need to eate the flesh of Bulls or bread of wheat or drink the blood of Rammes but that he then purposed to consecrate for us and to give unto us his only Sonne whose flesh is meat indeed whose blood is drink indeed whose body is the bread of life which commeth downe from heaven which who so eateth shall live for ever for he that truly eateth is consecrated by it to be a King and Priest for ever unto God the Father CHAP. 28. A briefe Recapitulation of what hath been said in this parallel between the Consecration of Aaron and the Consecration of the Sonne of God the conclusion of the whole Treatise concerning it TO recapitulate what hath been said before The beginning of the everlasting Priesthood according to the order of Melchisedch is the determining of the Aaronicall Priesthood unlesse we shall say as perhaps we ought that this Priesthood with the legall rites and sacrifices did expire with the last mortall breath of him who is now immortall 2 The everlasting sacrifice whereby he is consecrated an everlasting Priest was then accomplished and the cessation of the Aaronicall Priesthood proclaimed when hee said consummatum est and commended his spirit unto God Yet is it not probable that his Consecration or the Consecration of the everlasting Sanctuary were at the same instant accomplished His sacred soule perfumed with the fresh odour and fragrancy of his sweet smelling sacrifice annointed with his most precious blood into whatsoever other place it afterwards went instantly repaired into the Holiest of Holies into Paradise it selfe This is the accomplishment of our Attonement prefigured by the high Priest's entring into the holy place with blood and the period of all sacrifices for his owne or our Consecration 3 That the vale through which the high Priest after the order of Aaron did enter into the most holy place should rend asunder at the very instant wherein the soule and spirit of this our high Priest did passe through the vale of his flesh rent and torne into his coelestiall Sanctuary was a lively embleme to all observant spectators that hee was no intruder but called by God And reason they had to observe this signe or accident in that hee had promised to one of them that were crucified with him Hedie mecum erit in Paradiso 4 The publike solemnitie of Consecration hath ever been a speciall testimony or adjunct of lawfull calling and Christ's Consecration was more solemne and publique then Aaron's was Such it was as flesh and blood could not affect such as nothing but filiall obedience to his heavenly Father could have moved this our high Priest to admit because it was to be accomplished by a lingring and a bloody death Moses at the Consecration of Aaron is commanded to gather all the congregation together unto the doore of the tabernacle Levit. 8. Ad tria voluit Dominus populum congregart Primum ut pro eo sacerdos offerret eumque expearet Secundum ad instituendum sacerdotem ut sciret populus Aaron filios ejus praefici sibi in sacerdotes mediatores de caeterâ— commendavit se illi Tertione esset inter eos aliquis qui postea sacerdotium ambiret postquam omnes sciebant Aarâ—nem à Deo sacerdotem institutum Oleaster 5 For the like reasons God would have the Consecration of his Son accomplished at the Passeover that is as a Father speakes at the Metropolis of Iewish feasts the most solemne publique and universall meeâ—ing that any one People or Nation in
the world ever had besides the concurse and confluence of strangers at the time of our Saviour's Passion The manner of whose death and the signes and wonders then exhibited made the heathen Centurion a man altogether ignorant of these sacred mysteries to confesse that this Iesus whom he had seene crucified was the Sonne of God But the time the manner and consequence of his Resurrection most directly proves as well his Priesthood as his calling to it to have been from God both more excellent then Aaron's was 6 Wee see it experienced Numb 16. 17. that notwithstanding the publique solemnitie of Aaron's Consecration by Moses there wanted not such rebellious spirits then as the world is full of now which thought themselves altogether as holy and as â—it to be high Priests as he After the earth had swallowed up the principals in this conspiracy the â—eaâ—â—â—eâ—â—e multitude though â—eâ—â—â—â—ed for a while with the fearefull disaster of their ring-leaders conspire aâ—â—esh against Moses and Aaron and had utterly perished in this rebellion had not Aaron runne into the midst of the congregation which sought his life and stood with his center as with a shield of defence betwixt them and death But seeing neither the fearefull examples shewed upon Coreh Dathan and Abiram nor Aaron's late compassion towards them when wrath was gone out from the Lord against them and the plague was kindled amongst them were able to quell their jealousies or appease their murmurings the Lord lastly made the Rodde of Levy alone inscribed with Aarons name amongst all the roddes of the Tribes of Israel to bring forth branch leafe blossome and fruit in one night and thus beautified with flowre and fruit which were not to fade in so many yeares as they had been houres inspringing to be laid up in the Arke of the testimony to stay the murmurings of the children of Israel and to be as a witnesse against them whensoever they should question Aaron's calling 7 The Tribes of Israel were never so maliciously and stubbornly bent against Moses and Aaron as the Tribe of Levi and Aaron's successors with their complices were against the sonne of David to whom the Lord destinated the Priesthood after the order of Melchisedech by solemn oath Though the earth did quake and the rocks rent in sunder though the graves did open and give up their dead more desirous to swallow up these rebellious miscreants quick then to swallow up Coreh Dathan and Abiram as doubtlesse they had done unlesse this Priest of the most high God had made an Attonement for them saying Father forgive them for they know not what they doe yet their murmurings cease not with his life their malice pursues him into his grave 8 The last and peremptory signe reserved by the wisdome of God either to stay their murmurings or to condemne them with Coreh with Dathan and Abiram unto the everlasting pit was the causing of this Rodde of â—esse this branch of David whom these cruell and mercilesse men had quite stript of flower of leafe of branch bereft of sappe and as it were scorcht and beaked in the fire of affliction to recover sappe and leafe and flower againe to bring forth the fruit which never shall â—â—de now consecrated to be the tree of life to all the Nations enthronized in the heavenly tabernacle and planted at the right hand of God untill his enemies by the rodde of his power be made his footstoole We have seene in part how fitly that testimony of the Psalmist Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee beeing understood of Christ raised from the dead is avouched by our Apostle to prove Christs calling his Consecration and advancement to the Priesthood here mentioned to have been from God and from the event answering to the Psalmist's prophecy and from that other testimony of Psalme 110. often mentioned doth S. Peter cause the murmuring of the people of Israel to cease For from the two premises Act. 2. ver 36. he thus concludes Therefore let all the house of Israell know assuredly that God hath made the same Iesus whom yee have crucified both Lord and Christ that is as much as if he had said both King and Priest by these declarations he gained three thousand soules which otherwise had perished in their murmurings 9 So then the day of his Resurrection is the day wherein the dignity of everlasting Priesthood is actually collated upon him and as he himselfe testifieth All power is given unto mee both in heaven and earth And if all power then as well the power of Priesthood as the power royall And as high Priest he gives Commission to his Disciples to teach and baptize The day of his Ascension or placing at the right hand of God is the day of his solemne enthronization and immediately upon this hee sent forth the Rodde of his strength out of Sion For by this rodde fore-told by the Psalmist Psal 110. we are to understand that power wherewith his Disciples were to be endued from above which they were to expect in Ierusalem at the feast of Pentecost The effusion of the holy spirit and emplanting the Law of the Gospell in their hearts upon that day or the day following wherein the Law of Moses was proclaimed was as a proclamation to all the world that the Priesthood was translated or changed by this manifest translation or change of the Law SICT. 5. Of the Resurraction of the Sonne of God By what Prophets it was fore-told By what Persons or legall Rites it was fore-pictured or fore-shadowed CHAP. 29 In what high esteeme S. Paul did hold the Article of our Saviour's Resurrection and Ascension c. That the want of explicite beliefe to this grand Article of the Resurrection did argue rather a dulnesse or slownesse to believe the Scriptures then any infidelity or incredulity even in such as had seene his miracles and had heard him fore-tell his death and rising againe untill the event did manifest unto them the truth of his former Doctrine and predictions WHen the Doctor of the Gentiles saith He esteemed to know nothing amongst the great Masters of knowledge save Iesus Christ and him crucified this exception no way excludes the knowledge of his Resurrection from the dead or implies that he had not the knowledge of the Article in equall esteeme with the knowledge of his Crosse How highly soever he did esteeme both mysteries it doth not argue that hee did rate the knowledge of his Ascention into heaven his session at the right hand of God or his comming thence to judge the quick and the dead one mite lower The greatest blessing which hee could either praise God for or pray unto him for whether for himselfe or for his beloved Ephesians was the knowledge as he termes it of these grand mysteries Wherefore I also after I had heard of your faith in the Lord Iesus and love unto all the Saints cease not to give thankes for you making mention of you
Apostle Hebr. 7. 26. 27. For such an high Priest became us who is holy harmelesse undefiled seperate from sinners and made higher then the heavens who needeth not dayly as those high Priests to offer up sacrifice first for his owne sinnes and then for the peoples For this hee did once when hee offered up himselfe 2 So farre was our high Priest from standing in need of any sinne-offring or sacrifice for himselfe that hee himselfe became the full and perfect attonement for the sinnes of the whole world even the sinne-offring for the high Priests themselves which yearly made attonement for the people Againe 't was a defect or imperfection in the sacrifices by which Aaron was consecrated in that they were more then one or of diverse kinds for of bloody sacrifices there were three a bullock for a sinne-offring and two Rammes the one for a fire-offring or sacrifice of rest the other the Ramme of Consecration or of filling the hand It argues againe a greater defect in all these sacrifices whether you take them coniunctim or divisim in that they were to be often offered And this defect or imperfection in the substance of these sacrifices or in the sacrificer or his service the Lord sought to recompence or supply by the perfection of the number of severall times or solemnities in which they were offered For these sacrifices were to be offered seven times Aaron and his sonnes were to fill their hands seven dayes together before their Consecration was accomplished Our high Priest as he had no sacrifice but one to wit the sacrifice of himselfe so was he to offer this sacrifice or this sacrifice was to be offered but once either for his owne or for our Consecration And by this once offring of this one sacrifice hee did fully and absolutely accomplish whatsoever was fore-shadowed by the full number of the legall sacrifices or solemnities which were used at the Consecration of Aaron For the number of seven is a full number yea a number full of mysteries and wherein the Spirit of God seemes to delight Herein then as hath been intimated before the high Priest of the New Testament and the high Priest of the Old exactly agree that as the Consecration of the one so the Consecration of the other was to last seven dayes Aaron and his sonnes as you may read Exod. 29. were commanded to attend at the doore of the tabernacle seven dayes together Our Saviour after his entrance into Ierusalem did attend the Temple five dayes together teaching and instructing the people and in curing the blind and lame which were brought unto him Hee was more frequent and diligent in performing those and the like acts of mercy then Aaron and his sonnes were in offering sacrifices or performing other legall services And having purged the materiall Temple from brothery and merchandizing restoring it to the use of prayer which the high Priests of the Law had turned or suffered to be turned into a denne of theeves having thus purged the Temple on the first or second day of his Consecration and afterwards hallowed it by his Doctrine by his presence and exercise of holinesse in it hee went the sixth day into his heavenly Sanctuary into Paradise it selfe to purifie and sanctifie it with his owne blood to consecrate it for us as Moses at Aaron's Consecration did purifie and consecrate the materiall Sanctuary and the Altar with the blood of Bullocks and of Rammes Yet was not this Consecration as yet fully accomplished the period or accomplishing of it is from the moment of his Resurrection or Reunition of his soule and body As Aaron first so every high Priest of the Law after him was to continue seven dayes in his Consecration that the seventh day or Sabbath might passe over him because no man as they conceive can be a compleat Priest untill a Sabbath have gone over his head But the Sabbath of the Lord did never so exactly passe over any high Priest in his Consecratton as it did over the high Priest of the New Testament However it were of Aaron's it was the last day of his Consecration it was to him indeed a Day of rest after six dayes of labour of watching praying fasting and after hee had accomplished the workes which his Father had sent him to doe◠by the torments of his bloody sactifice and whatsoever paines he suffered upon the Crosse But after he had said consūmatum est which was in the end of the sixth day in that day whereon God first had made man and the Son of God had now redeemed man his Consecration was not yet consummate his body was to rest the Seventh day in the grave And his soule in blisse all the Sabbath or Seventh day and after the heavenly Sanctuary had been thus hallowed by the rest and presence of his blessed soule in it on the Seventh day his soule and body were reunited upon the first day in the morning at that time when the light begū to be distinguished from darknesse And this was the time of the accomplishment of his Consecration or of his admission to the Priesthood after the order of Melchisedech 3 So then to be seven dayes in Consecration was no imperfection in Aaron and his Priesthood but rather a mystery to be accomplished in the Consecration of the Sonne of God That Aaron should have his hands filled seven dayes together by Moses with the sacrifices which were offered for him was an argument as well of his owne personall imperfections as of the imperfections of his sacrifices Howbe it the mystery or morall implyed by the filling of the hand was no point of imperfection and for this reason was as exactly fulfilled in the Consecration of ou◠high Priest as in the Consecration of Aaron The morall implied by the filling of the hand was to signifie that Aaron did not usurp the dignity of Priesthood or take it up as we say at his owne hand but was hereunto lawfully and solemnly called by God from whom hee had received whatsoever he had The inference hence made by our Apostle is this Heb. 5. 4. 5. No man taketh this honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron So also Christ glorified not himselfe to be made an high Priest but he that said unto him Thou art my Sonne to day have I begotten thee Hee that had thus said unto him did likewise prepare or fit a body to him for his sacrifice hee did not fill his hand with sacrifices or burnt offrings 4. It was an imperfection likewise in Aaron's person or his sacrifices or in both his Consecration it selfe was imperfect in that his Consecration did not serve for the Consecration of his sonnes or his Successors all of them were to have their severall sacrifices or other solemne rites of Consecration The perfection which this foil sets forth in our high Priest and his Consecration is this that we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Iesus