sinners Hear Junius Mediatio Mosis fuit umbra quaedam mediationis Christi corpus suum in Christo obtinet Parallel l. 1. parall 89. The mediation of Moses was a certain shadow of the mediation of Christ and in Christ it hath its body or truth CHAP. IX Christs Priesthood and Aarons THe Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews compares these together but so that he acknowleges and proves the Preisthood of Christ to be farre more excellent then the Priesthood of Aaron and that in many particulars 1. They that are the Sons of Levi Heb. 7.5 who recieve the Office of the Priesthood have a commandement to take Tythes of the people according to the Law that is of their brethren Vers 6. but He whose descent is not reckoned from them received Tythes Vers 9. of Abraham and so Levi who received Tythes payd Tythes in Abraham for He was in the loines of Abraham Vers 10. when Melchisedech met him 2. Aaron came of Levi but He of whom these things are spoken sayes the Apostle pertains to another Tribe Vers 13. of which no man gave attendance at the Altar for its manifest that our Lord sprang out of Judah Vers 14. of which Tribe Moses spake nothing concerning the Priesthood 3. Vers 16. Those Priests were made after the Law of a carnal commandment but Christ after the power of anendlesse life Ver. 21 Psal 110.4 4. Those Priests were made without an oath but Christ with an oath by him that said unto him The Lord hath sworn c. Vers 23. 5. They were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death but this man because He continues for ever Vers 24. hath an unchangeable Priesthood 6. they were all sinners even Aaron himself had his sins Vers 26. as the History makes it manifest But such an high Priest have we who is holy harmlesse and undefiled separate from sinners 7. Those high Priests needed to offer sacrifice first for themselves Vers 27. and then for the people it s not so with this high Priest for He was void of sin Vers 28. 8. The Law made men high Priests which have infirmity but the word of the oath which is since the Law makes the Son scil high Priest so that the other Priests were meer men infirm men but this high Priest our Lord Jesus Christ is Immanuel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and man in one person 9. Other Priests sacrificed bruit creatures Oxen Sheep Vers 27. Goates but our high Priest offered up himself Oh excellent sacrifice Heb 9.6 Vers 7. 10. The priests namely the inferior Priests went alway into the first Tabernacle accomplishing the service of God but into the second went the high priest alone once every year not without blood which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people Vers 11. but Christ being made an high Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is not of this building neither by the blood of Goates and Calves but by his own blood Vers 12. he entred in once into the holy place not into the holy places made with hands which are figures of the true but into heaven it self Vers 24. now to appear in the presence of God for us 11. Vers 25. The high priest enters into the holy Place every year with the blood of others but Christ needs not to offer himself often for then as the Apostle argues Vers 26. must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world but now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself And then he amplifies it by a comparison As sayes he Vers 27.28 it s appointed unto men once to dye and then comes the judgment so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall He appear the second time unto salvation 12. The sacrifices Heb. 10.1 which they offred year by year continually could not make the people perfect the Apostle proves it two wayes 1. for then sayes the Apostle Vers 2. would they not have ceased to be offered As if he had sayd they would and he proves the consequence because the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sin but now in those sacrifices there is a remembrance of sins every year 2. Ab impossibili for sayes he Vers 3. its impossible Vers 4. that the blood of Buls and of Goates should take away sin So inefficacious were all the Legal Sacrifices But then he addes concerning the efficacy of Christs Sacrifice by way of opposition But this man Vers 12. after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God And then he adds this as the reason Vers 14. for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Thus farre I have traced the Apostle in his Parallel now hear others St. Chrysostome takes notice of this difference between them that the Priest under the Law was Priest not King but Christ is both King and Priest as also Melchisedech was King of Salem and Priest of the most high God Among you sayes he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Apud vos regnum sacerdotium distincta sunt in Christo autem utrumque conjunctum est copulatum To. 6. serm de uno legislat speaking to the Jewes the Kingdom and the Pristhood were divided each from other but in Christ both of them are joyned together Sibrandus Lubhertus takes notice of some of these differences In sacerdotio Veteris Testamenti fiebant quotidie cruenta sacrificia in sacerdotio autem N. Testamenti non est nisi unum cruentum sacrificium idque non nisi semel oblatum est nec soepius offerri debuit In sacerdotio Vet. Test summus sacerdos quotannis semel ingrediebatur in Sanctum Sanctorum quod manufactum erat Sed summus sacerdos N. Test non in S. Sanctorum quod manufactum est sed in ipsum coelum ingressus ibi semper pro nobis apparet In sacerdotio Vet. Test summus sacerdos hostia toto genere diversa erant At in N. Test sacerdos hostia reipsa unum idem sunt Jesus Christus enim est summus sacerdos idem est ipsa hostia Ille enim seipsum obtulit Patri in remissionem omnium peccatorum Sed quid opus est verbis Ipsa scriptura dicit inter summum sacerdotem Vet. Novi Test hanc esse differentiam quod illi succeditur huic non succedatur De Papa Rom. l. 5. c. 2. p. 319. Under the Priesthood of the old Testament bloody sacrifices were every day offered but in the Priesthood of the new Testament there is but one bloody sacrifice
That none shall share in the sweetness of the Pardon of sins by Christ except he first feels with compunction of heart the bitterness of them 13. The Lamb was to be eaten in haste and they that did eat it were to be habited as Travellers 13. Festinanter peregrinantium habitu ut sciamus eos qui accedunt ad Christum paratos esse debere ad incedendum in viae salutis cum studio in dies proficiendi desiderio expectatione vitae coelestis that we may know that they which come to Christ must be ready to walk in the way of Salvation with a study to make a dayly progress out of a desire and expectation of the heavenly life 14. Praecinctis lumbis sic qui Christum manducant debent stare lumbis circumcinctis veritate induti thorace justitiae Eph. 6.14 Vnde Christus Luc. 12.35 Sint lumbi vestri praecincti Pedibus calceati quibus significatur carnis affectus spiritualiter esse regendos ne mundi hujus salebris offendantur Ephes 6.15 Cum spirituali baculo quo gressus suos in itinere regant seipsos in via sustineant hic autem baculus est vera fides 14. With their loyns girded so they that eat Christ ought to stand with their loyns girt about with Truth and having on the brest-plate of Righteousness Eph. 6.14 To which purpose Christ also says Luke 12.35 Let your loyns be girded about With shooes on their feet by which is signified That our affections are to be spiritually ruled lest they be offended with the rugged ways of this World Eph. 6.15 With a spiritual Staff by which they may guide their steps in their journey and uphold themselves in the way but this Staff is true Faith Ainsworth observes the Parallel between Christ and the Paschal Lamb in sundry Particulars 1. The Lamb must be perfect 1 Pet. 1.19 so Christ was a Lamb without blemish 2. The Lamb was to be slain in the Evening and at that season Christ dyed Matt. 27.46 50. and in the Evening of Times in the last days 3. The sprinkling of the Blood notes the applying of Christ's Blood sprinkled upon all Believers Heb. 9.13 14. 4. It was to be eaten with unleavened Bread the Apostle declares the meaning of it 1 Cor. 5.8 Not with the Leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth 5. The bitter Herbs were to type out the bitter Sorrows of Christ and our Mortification and Afflictions with him 6. It must be roasted with Fire a figure both of the Spirit of God compared to Fire Matth. 3.11 through which Christ offered himself to God Hebr. 9.14 and of the Fire of Gods Wrath which Christ was to suffer while he was made a Curse for us by his Death 7. It must be roasted with the Head the Legs and the Purtenance thereof viz. That it must be roasted all and whole not cut in pieces to signifie our full Communion with Christ whole and undivided 8. None of the Lamb must be left till the morning they were to eat up all if they could at that Meal to teach care for the present enjoying of Christ by Faith and of his whole Covenant without delay Hereby also God would teach Israel That when the Morning the time of Grace in Christ is come there should be no longer reservation of those legal shadows which were to have their accomplishment and end at our Lord's Death Col. 2.16 17 and be condemned as unlawful as if they were burned by the Fire of Gods Word and Spirit 9. They must have their loyns girded and this signifies the girding of the loyns of the Minde with justice strength verity c. Isai 11.5 Eph. 6.13 10. They must have their shooes on this was a figure of the Gospel of Peace Eph. 6.15 wherewith our feet should be ready and firm 11. They must eat it in haste so must we in haste and as with violence Matth. 11.12 apprehend and apply Christ to our selves by Faith The Original word signifies an hastening away as with fear and amazement and so may signifie the sudden fears wrought in the Conscience by the Gospel of Christ at the first Preaching of it Acts 2.37 though afterwards it gives comfort and peace 12. No bone of the Lamb was to be broken to foreshew Joh. 19.35 36 That no bone of Christ our Passover should be broken as it was fulfilled CHAP. XVII Christ and the Manna SImlerus makes the Comparison in many Particulars In Exod. 16. 1. Manna was called as it were Mah hu 1. Dicitur quasi Mah hu quod ignorarent quid esset Christus autem in sua venit sui eum non agnoverunt because they knew not what it was and Christ came to his own and his own knew him not 2. Or it 's so called as it were 2. Vel dicitur Donum praeparatum sic Deus dilexit mundum ut daret nobis filium unigenitum Ante secula praedestinatus est ut carnem assumeret a Gift or prepared God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son And he was predestinated before the World to be incarnate 3. Manna descended from Heaven and what is more known 3. Manna de coelo descendit Quid notius quam Messiam de coelo venisse quod non tantum de divina sed etiam humana Natura adeoque integro Messia dicitur Substantia carnis Christi eadem est cum nostra ex Virgine matre sumpta sed tamen coelestis dicitur non substantiae natura sed conceptionis ex S. Spiritus ratione then that the Messiah came from Heaven which is said not onely of the Divine but also of the Humane Nature and so of the whole Messiah The substance of his flesh is the same with ours and taken from the Virgin his Mother yet it 's called heavenly not in regard of the nature of the substance of it but in regard of the Conception of the Holy Ghost 4. The Manna was equally distributed to all the Israelites 4. Manna aequaliter omnibus distribuitur Christo integro fruuntur fideles sive sint mares foeminae Servi Domini Graeci Barbari And all the faithful enjoy whole Christ whether they be Males Females Servants Masters Greeks or Barbarians 5. Omnes Israelitae in deserte victitarunt Manna ita non hahemus alium cibum vitae coelestis sed hoc solo vivimus in hoc mundo 5. All the Israelites in the Desart lived upon the Manna so we have no other food of Eternal Life but of this alone we live in this World 6. The Manna was white and Christ is a Lamb unspotted 6. Candidum est Manna Christus est agnus sine macula dolus non est inventus in ore ejus There was no guile found in his mouth 7. Suavis est mellis sapore Christus pronunciat jugum ejus suave
of it he wants neither power nor will to communicate this light unto us It was the comfortable assurance wherewith the Church supports her self in her sorrow when I sit in darknesse Mic. 7.8 the Lord will be a light unto me 7. As Christ being the light of the world communicates his light unto us instructing and comforting us so let us having recieved light in any kinde from Christ impart our light unto others for their benefit having been taught by Christ and instructed in any truth let us readily teach and instruct others be not we niggards of our knowledge but readily communicate it to others Thus Andrew having found Christ saies to his brother Peter Joh. 1 41. We have found the Messias and Philip to Nathaneel Vers 45. we have found him of whom Moses did write c. And the woman of Samaria to her neighbours Come see a man Joh. 4.29 that hath told me all things that ever I did is not this the Messias Thus let us do we shall loose nothing by it nay we shall gain by it That of Solomon is verified here There is that scattereth and is more increased and there is Prov. 11.24 25. that withholdeth more then is meet but it tends to poverty the liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself It s a true saying of Clemens Alexandrinus to this purpose A man teaching learnes more and he that speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stromat l. 1. doth often hear with them that hear him And having received from Christ the light of comfort in any distresse let us be ready to comfort others lying under any pressure this saies the Apostle is expected at our hands that we should comfort others with the same comforts wherewith we our selves are comforted of God CHAP. XI Christ and a Lilly Cant. 2.1 CHrist himself in his own words resembles himself to a Lilly I am saies he a Lilly of the Valleyes for so Tremellius makes the two first Verses of this Chapter to be the words of Christ concerning himself And St. Bernard notes the resemblance to stand in sundry particulars 1. Agnosce Lilium Christum ex candore qui mox in ipso exortu floris pastoribus de nocte emicuit 1. Acknowledge Christ to be a Lilly by his Whitenesse who presently in the very springing of this flower shined unto the shepherds by night 2. Acknowledge him also to be a Lilly by his sweet smell 2. Agnosce Lilium ex odore quo longe positis inotuit Magis Et quidem stella apparuit sed eum minime viri graves secuti fuissent nisi intima quadam suaveolentia orti floris traherentur by which he was made known to the wise men who were farre distant from him It s true a star appeared to them but those grave men had never followed it had they not been drawn by the inward sweet smell of that flower now sprung up 3. Et vere Lilium veritas cujus odor animat fidem splendor intellectum illuminat Leva etiam oculos in personam Domini qui de se dicit Ego sum veritas vide quam competenter veritas Lilio comparetur 3. And truth is truly a Lilly the sweet smell of which animates faith and the brightness of which enlightens the understanding And now lift up your eyes to the person of the Lord who saies of himself I am the Truth and see how fitly truth is compared to a Lilly 4 Si non advertisti adverte de medio floris hujus quasi virgulas aureas prodeuntes cinctas candidissimo flore pulchre decenter disposito in coronam agnosce in Christo divinitatem humanae coronatam puritate naturae 4. If thou hast not observed it mark as it were little golden rods issuing out of the midst of the flower and compassed about with a most white flower excellently and fitly disposed as a crown and acknowledge in Christ a Divine Nature crowned with the purity of the Humane Nature 5. And haply 5. Et fortasse propterea ipse se Lilium appellavit quia omnia quae ipsius sunt Lilia sunt conceptio ortus conversatio eloquia miracula passio mors Resurrectio Ascentio horum non candidum quid non suavissime redolens in conceptione refulsit magna superni luminis claritas de supervenientis abundantia Spiritus Ortum candidavit incorrupta Matris Virginitas conversationem innocentia vitae eloqula veritas miracula puritas cordis Passionem patiendi voluntas mortem libertas non moriendi Resurrectionem Martyrum fortitudo Ascensionem exhibitio Quam bonus odor fidei in his singulis nostra quidem qui candorem non vidimus tempora viscera replens In Cant. Serm. 70. for this cause He called himself a Lilly because all things about him were Lillies his Conception his Birth his Conversation his Words his Miracles his Passion his Death his Resurrection his Ascension What of these was not white what of these sent not out a fragrant smell In his Conception did shine forth the great brightnesse of the Heavenly light by the abundance of the Holy Ghost coming on him his Birth was made white by the untainted Virginity of his mother his Conversation by the Innocency of his Life his Speeches by the truth of them his Miracles by the purity of his heart his Passion by his will to suffer his Death by his power not to dye his Resurrection by the courage of the Martyrs his Ascension by the exhibition of the promises He adds by way of close How good and pleasant is the scent and odour of Faith in all these filling indeed our times and hearts who yet never saw his whitenesse But because these words are by many Interpreters of note denied to be the words of Christ concerning himself and affirmed to be the words of the Church concerning her self I shall forbear to follow this resemblance any further Onely in a word we may see how amiable in all respects Christ is and what cause we have to be enamoured of him Christ and a Lion Our dear Saviour is oft in Scripture set out by this resemblance as in Jacobs Prophetical blessing of Judah Gen. 49.9 Judah saies he is a Lions whelp from the prey my Son thou art gone up he couched down as a Lion and as an old Lion who shall rouse him up And in that Prophesy of Balaam Numb 24 9. Rev. 5.5 He couched and lay down as a Lion and as a great Lion who shall stir him up and he is called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Saint Austin taking knowledge of it that Christ is called a Lion and the devil is called a Lion makes the proportion in both to hold thus Christ is called a Lion Christus leo diabolus leo ille propter fortitudinem ille propter feritatem ille ad vincendum ille ad nocendum To. 10.
appeares not to our eyes and yet its certain that the Church hath alway a being and is alway enlightened by Christ her Sun So saies Whitaker against Campian Thinkest thou that thou canst perswade us An tu te posse putes nobis persuadere eum esse Ecclesiae statum ut obscurari nequeat ut nil perfidia nil hostes nil Antichristus valeat Delere hi quidem Ecclesiam nunquam possunt in angustias compingere compellere in latebras possunt Ecclesiam Augustinus lunae similem esse dixit quae nunc tota lucet solis incensa radiis nunc luminis magna parte privatur nunc lumen omnino nullum ostendit Ita Ecclesia interdum lumine clarissimo illustratur interdum obscurior apparet interdum vix apparet quidem Ad Campian ra◠3. that the state of the Church is such that it cannot be obscured so that the perfidiousness of enemies and Antichrist can do nothing against it They cannot indeed destroy the Church but they can bring it into a narrow compass and drive it into holes Augustine saies the Church is like the Moon which sometimes shines wholely being enlightened with the Sun-beams sometimes is deprived of a great part of her light and sometimes shewes no light at all So the Church shines sometimes more gloriously sometimes it s more obscured and sometime it hardly appears at all He proceeds to make it manifest by example The face of the Jewish Church saies he was glorious under David and Solomon Si Ecclesiae illius tanta vastitas esse potuit ut ex omni illo piorum numero nullus omnino reliquus esse videretur etsi reliqui erant re permulti mirum esse non potest in regno Antichristi qui omnes Achabos Jezabelas immanitate superat ita fuisse direptam Ecclesiam ut mira esset fidelium solitudo Nec tamen in ista Ecclesiae vastatione efficere potuit Antichristus quin multae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sanctorum remanserint qui genua nunquam bestiae flexerint nec signum ejus inuri permiserint Ibid. but under Ahab it was so obscured that Eliah complained that besides himself there was none left And thence he infers ' If that Church could be so wasted that of all that number of godly men none seemed to be left though indeed many were left seven thousand saies God it is no wonder if in the Kingdome of Antichrist who exceeds all Ahabs and Jezabels in cruelty the Church was so laid waste that there was so great a solitude of the faithful Yet neither was Antichrist able in that devastation of the Church to prevail but that there remained thousands of Saints which bowed not the knee to the Beast nor received his mark Hence we may frame an answer to the Romanists frequently assailing us with that question Where was your Church before Luther for this is the confident assertion of Campian the Jesuit of us That for fifteen Ages we cannot finde any one Town or Village or House Quindecim seculis non oppidum non villam non domum reperire possumus imbutum doctrina nostra rat 3. holding our Religion namely till the time of Luther Zuinglius and Calvin But learned Whitaker doth justly deny it Id falsissimum est Campiane Temporibus enim Apostolicis omnes Ecclesiae omnes urbes omnia oppida familiae omnes eandem fidem religionem coluerunt quam nos profitemur Ibid. This is most false saies he for in the times of the Apostles all Churches all Cities all Towns all Families held the same faith which we professe he means all Cities Townes and Families in which the Church was planted by the Apostles And the truth of this may with ease be manifested by comparing the particulars of our Religion professed by the Reformed Churches with the Religion of those Apostolical Churches but that would take up too much time It s true that sometimes the Church hath been much obscured and kept under the hatches yet still there hath been a Church that hath maintained the faith of Christ against heresies springing up When Arianisme prevailed most under the Emperors Constantius and Valens there wanted not those that maintained the faith of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father And when Heathenisme had the upper hand under the Emperors that were before Constantine the great and under Julian that infamous Apostate who succeeded Constantius still there were such as professed the Christian faith and defended it against the heathen resisting for it even unto blood And so in the times when as the Church lay under the greatest darkness by reason of the Apostasy and Tyranny of the Romane Synagogue even in all Ages there have been such as have professed and defended even unto death the faith of Christ received from the Apostles against the Heresies and abominable Superstitions of Rome witness the glorious Martyrs that have suffered death for the cause of Religion in all those times both at home and abroad So that to this question of the Romanists we may justly answer that our Church was before Luther though not alway equally appearing but sometimes as some grains of corn covered over with chaff in the floor and as fire on the hearth in the night-time covered over with ashes CHAP. XI The Church and a Mother SAint Paul makes use of this resemblance while he saies That Jerusalem Gal. 4.16 which is above is the mother of us all on which place hear Luther This Jerusalem saies he which is above is the Church Est illa Hierusalem coelestis quae sursum est Ecclesia id est credentes per totum orbem qui idem evangelium eandem fidem in Christum eundem Spiritum Sanctum eadem Sacramenta habent Ideo sursum non intellige de Ecclesia triumphante in coelis sed de militante in terris In loc that is believers dispersed through the whole World which have the same Gospel the same faith in Christ the same holy Ghost and the same Sacraments Understand this therefore that it s here said above not of the Church-triumphant in Heaven but of the Church Militant on Earth And this Church is the mother of us all that is of all believers both Jewes and Gentiles both high and low both rich and poor for towards us all she doth perform all the offices of a mother as Saint Austin speakes excellently The mother Mater Ecclesia mater est Patris tui matrisque tuae haec nos ex Christo concepit haec martyrum sanguine parturivit haec in sempiternam lucem peperit haec fidei lacte nutrivit nutrit Ep. 38. ad Laetum the Church saies he is the mother of thy Father and of thy Mother she hath conceived thee of Christ she hath travelled of thee by the blood of the Martyrs she hath brought thee forth to the everlasting light she hath nourished and doth nourish thee with the milk