Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	aaron_n	apostle_n	excellent_a	16	3	7.8319	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17650	A commentarie on the vvhole Epistle to the Hebrevves. By M. Iohn Caluin. Translated out of French; Commentarii in epistolam ad Hebraeos. English	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Cotton, Clement.	1605 (1605)	STC 4405; ESTC S107380	203,524	268

chiefe paterne which was shewed vnto Moses in the mountaine But if so be the forme of the Tabernacle had a further end than that which was seene with the eye as much then is to be said of the ceremonies and of all the Priesthood From whence it followes that there was no stabilitie in any of all these things but that we must still come vnto that which was shadowed out by them Behold an excellent place because it containes in it three sentences worthie to be noted For first wee learne by this that the ceremonies of old were not forged by mans braine neither did God meane to exercise his people therein as in sports fit for little children the Tabernacle also was not built in vaine as if it serued to no other purpose but only to draw the eyes of the beholders to gaze vpon the outward magnificence of it as if they were to stay in that For the signification of all these things were true and spiritual because Moses was commanded to frame them all according to the first paterne which was heauenly Therefore their opinion is too prophane which say that the ceremonies were onely commanded to serue as a bridle for staying the inconstancie of the people least they should haue gone to seeke out strange ceremonies among the Gentiles This indeede is something which they say but not all For they leaue out that which is of much more importance to wit that they were exercises to hold the people in the faith of the Mediatour Yet notwithstanding it is not needfull that we should be ouer curious so as to seeke out some high or profound mysterie in euery pinne and in euery small piece of the Tabernacle as Hesichius and the greater part of the ancient authors who haue trauailed too curiously in this behalfe for whilest they goe about subtilly to diuine in things to them vnknowne they haue failed very blockishly and shewed themselues ridiculous bablers So then we must keepe a meane herein which wee shall doe when wee desire to know no more than that which is reuealed to vs in Christ Secondly we are here taught that all seruices which men haue forged after their owne minde and without the commandement of God are false and corrupt For seeing God commands that all things should be framed according to the rule and paterne it is not lawfull to make any thing els or contrarie vnto it For these two manners of speech See that thou make all things according to the paterne and Take heede thou make nothing more than the paterne are in weight one VVe must not goe an haires bredth from Gods commandement in things pertaining to his worship as much as the other Wherefore in requiring streightly that we keepe the rule which he hath giuen vs he therewithall forbids vs to turne aside an haires bredth from it By this meanes all seruices deuised by men fall flat to the ground and those which some call Sacraments which notwithstanding were neuer ordained of God Thirdly we may learne from hence that there are no true signes and Sacraments in religion but those which are referred to Christ But we are withall to take great heede that whilest we endeuour to appropriate and to make our inuentions to agree to Christ that we doe not transfigure him as the Papists doe that hee should bee no more like himselfe For we haue no authoritie to inuent what wee thinke to be good but it only belongs to God to shew what we ought to doe For it is said according to the paterne which he shewed thee But now our high Priest Ver. 6 c. Euen as heretofore he gathered the excellencie of the couenant by the dignitie of the Priesthood so now also he maintaines that the Priesthood of Christ is more excellent because he is the Mediatour and Ambassadour of a better couenant Both the one and the other were necessarie because it was needfull that the Iewes should be turned from the superstitious obseruation of ceremonies which were so many impediments to hinder them from going directly to the pure and simple truth of the Gospell Now the Apostle saith that it was reason that both Moses and Aaron should giue place to Christ as to the more excellent because the Gospel is a more excellent couenant than the law and the death of Christ much more noble than the sacrifices of the law But that which he addes is not without some difficultie to wit Obiection that the couenant of the Gospel was established vpon better promises For it is certaine that euen the very same hope of eternall life which we now haue was set before the auncient Fathers which liued vnder the law The grace of adoption beeing as common to them as to vs. Their faith then must needs be built vpon the same promises Answere But this comparison of the Apostle must be rather referred to the forme than to the matter For although God did promise them the same saluation which he promiseth vs now at this day yet notwithstanding the measure or manner of reuelation was neither equall nor alike But if any wil see more of this let him haue recourse to our Institution and to that which is written vpon the fourth and fith chapter of the Epistle to the Galathians 7 For if that first Testament had been vnblameable no place should haue beene sought for the second 8 For in rebuking them he saith Behold the daies will come Ier. 32.31 32 33 34. Rom. 11.27 Chap. 10.16 saith the Lord when I shall make with the house of Israel and with the house of Iudah a new Testament 9 Not like the Testament that I made with their fathers in the day that I tooke them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt for they continued not in my Testament and I regarded them not saith the Lord. 10 For this is the Testament that I will make with the house of Israel After those daies saith the Lord I will put my lawes in their minde and in their heart I will write them and I will bee their God and they shall be my people 11 And they shall not teach euery man his neighbour and euery man his brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them 12 And I will be mercifull vnto their vnrighteousnesse and I will remember their sinnes and their iniquities no more The 12. verse is expounded after verse 10. 13 In that he saith a new Testament he hath abrogated the old now that which is disanulled and waxed old is readie to vanish away FOr if the first Testament Vers 7 c. He confirmes that which he said touching the excellencie of the couenant which god hath made with vs by the hand of Christ Now his confirmation stands vpon this that the couenant or testament of the law was not stable For if it had beene perfect what neede had there beene that another should be put

truth and vertue thereof farre aboue the life of his sonne because hee limited not the power of God within so narrow a compasse as to thinke that Isaak being dead How Abraham may be said to hope aboue hope that also should therefore be bound or quenched By this meanes he kept the promise still because hee tied not the power of God to the life of Isaak but had this certaine perswasion that it would shew it selfe no lesse powerful euen in his dead ashes than in quickning and restoring his life againe From whence he recouered him after a sort As if he should say this hope did not deceiue Abraham For it was as a kind of resurrection when Isaak was thus deliuered out of the middest of the shadow of death The Greeke word Parabole which wee translate figure or similitude is interpreted diuers waies by the expositors For mine owne part I take it simply for a word of similitude as either after a sort or such a like speech For howsoeuer Isaak was not raised vp in very deede yet notwithstanding he seemed after a sort to be raised vp when hee was suddenly and miraculously deliuered by such an vnexpected fauour of God Yet I reiect not that which others thinke to wit that our flesh which is subiect to death is shadowed out in the ramme which was put in the place of Isaak I confesse that to bee true also which others teach that the image of Iesus Christ was painted foorth in this offring But I speake now of that which the Apostle meant to say and not of all things that might rightly be gathered Now in my iudgement the true sense is that Abraham recouered his sonne euen as if he had been giuen him from death into a new life By faith Isaak blessed c. This also was a worke of faith Vers 20 to giue a blessing concerning things to come Isaak For whereas the thing is not yet effected but the naked word onely appeares there faith must needes be said to reigne But in the first place wee are to obserue what good vse this blessing had of which he speakes For to blesse is generally taken to pray that good may come to those for whom we pray But there was another thing rather in the blessing of Isaak for it was as if he had put the person of his sonne Iacob into the possession of that land which God had promised to him and to his heires But what of all this Surely he had nothing in this land but the right of buriall These high words then Let peoples obey thee and let the nations doe thee seruice seeme to be ridiculous Gen. 27.29 For what authoritie was he able to giue another who was scarcely free there himselfe We see then that this blessing is grounded vpon faith because Isaak had nothing to giue his sonnes but the word of God Obiection Yet notwithstanding some may doubt whether there were any faith in the blessing of Esaw seeing he was a reprobate and reiected of God Answere The solution is easie because faith did chiefly shew it self in this when he discerned between the two twins begotten of him that in such sort that he gaue the first place to the lesser For in gouerning himselfe according to the oracle of God he took away from the eldest the ordinarie right of nature Now the condition of the whole nation depended vpon this that Iacob was the elect of God and this election was ratified and confirmed by the blessing of the father By faith Iacob when he was a dying Vers 21 c. The purpose of the Apostle is Iacob to attribute whatsoeuer came to passe amōgst this people and was worthie of memorie vnto faith notwithstanding because it had been a thing too long to recite euery particular example hee chuseth out some amongst many as this which hee now reciteth For the tribe of Ephraim did so surmount the others that they were in a manner hidden vnder his shadow For the Scripture often comprehends the tenne tribes vnder this name of Ephraim and yet notwithstanding Ephraim was the yonger of the two sons of Ioseph When as Iacob blessed him and his brother they were both of them then children What did Iacob see in the yonger that he should preferre him before the elder nay at that time when he did it his eyes were euen dimmed by reason of age and whereas hee put his right hand vpon the head of Ephraim surely it was not by chance or at aduenture for he crossed his armes so as he put his right hand vpon the left side Moreouer he assignes two portions vnto him as if he had bin Lord already of that land from whence famine had driuen Iacob There was nothing here therefore which was agreeable to reason but faith The Iewes despise faith and yet it was the chiefest vertue their ancestors had who onely was the gouernesse in this action If the Iewes therefore would bee any thing indeede let them boast of nothing but of faith And worshipped towards the end of his staffe This is one of the places by which we may coniecture that the Hebrues in old time had not the vse of prickes or points For the Greekes could not so farre deceiue themselues that they should turne Rodd for Bedd if there had been at that time such a manner of writing as there is now at this day There is no doubt but Moses speaks of the bolster of the bed when he saith Al Rosch Hamitthah But the Greeke translators haue turned it The end of his staffe as if it had been there Matthaeh The Apostle is not nice to applie that vnto his purpose which was commonly receiued True it is that hee wrote to the Iewes but it was to them which were dispersed in diuers regions and had changed their mother tongue into the Greeke Now we know that the Apostles were not so precise in this respect but did willingly apply themselues to the weake who had yet neede of milke Neither is there any danger in it prouided that the readers be alwaies brought backe to the pure and natiue reading which the Scripture vseth Now for the thing it selfe there is no great difference For Iacobs worshipping was a signe of giuing of thankes wherefore he was led by faith to submit himselfe vnto his sonne Ioseph By faith Ioseph when he died c. Vers 22 This which the Apostle now recites is the last of all the acts of the Patriarkes which in very truth is well worthie to be put in writing For doubtlesse it was a token of an excellent faith that all these riches pleasures and honours could not cause this holy personage to forget the promise of God For from whence is it that he had such a constancie of minde as to despise all that which was in high account here in this world and that he esteemed nothing of all that which was precious in it but because he ascended into heauen by faith