God the things that are Gods He confuteth the Sadduces The Pharisees being departed from him the Sadduces another sect among the Iewes who denyed the resurrection to overthrow the doctrine of it as they thought propose an absurd question concerning a woman married unto seven brethren S. Mat. 22.32 S. Mar. 12.26 27. S. Luc. 20.37 38. and which of them should have her to wife at the resurrection He confuteth the errour stateth the question and proveth the resurrection by such a necessary consequence of Scripture as was undeniable And when the multitude heard this they were astonished at his doctrine And certain of the scribes answering said Master S. Mat. 22.33 S. Luc. 22.39 thou hast well said But the Pharisees would not so be satisfied and one of them to tempt him demanded to know of him the first or great commandement of the law To which question when he had made a short analysis of the first and second tables of the morall law that same pharisee who was a scribe and a lawyer He analyseth the law S. Mat. 22.36 37 38 39 40. S. Mar. 12. v. 8. to 34. S. Luc. 20.40 approved his answer and Christ also told him that he was not far from the kingdome of God And no man after that durst aske him any question This gave him opportunity to question them wherefore while the pharisees were gathered together he putteth forth a question concerning Christ whose son he must be whereunto when they had readily answered The son of David He questioneth them concerning Christ he objecteth out of the hundred and tenth psalme David called him Lord how is he then his son Unto which objection being not able to reply S. Mat. 22.46 S. Mar. 12.37 S. Luc. 20.44 S. Mar. 12.38 39 40. S. Luc. 20.46 47. he taketh occasion of that bitter invective against the scribes and pharisees which being but a little touched by the other Evangelists Saint Mark and Saint Luke is set down at large by Saint Matthew cap. 23. representing to the multitude and to his disciples that the scribes and pharisees after all that he had said and done continuing still incorrigible although he will have the doctrine of their chair eatenus quatenus sitting in the chair of Moses they taught Moses doctrine to be obeyed yet against their works and namely their ambition he openly inveigheth crying to them eight woes for their eightfold hypocrisie and blindenesse and so concluding with the most worthy reprobation of that persecuting generation and their mother city Hierusalem he prophesieth the destruction of it At that time he sate over against the treasury teaching in the temple where he saw how the people cast in their mony they that were rich cast in much to pious uses and for the reparation of the temple and a poor widow cast in two mites which gift of hers S. Mar. 12.41 42 43 44. S. Luc. 21.3 4 in that it was all that she had he preferrs before the great gifts of all those who cast in of their abundance largely So departed he out of the temple And as he went out some of his disciples among themselves He foretelleth the destruction of the Temple S. Mat. 24.1 2. S. Mar. 13.1 2. S. Luc. 2.5 6. and to him spake of the temple the stones the buildings and gifts vvherevvith it was adorned But he replyed that the dayes vvould come that there should not be one stone left upon another that should not be throwne downe So they vvent forvvards speaking it should seem of these things till he ascended the mount of Olives vvhere in a convenient place over against the Temple and having the vvhole sight and prospect of it he sat dovvn There his Apostles Saint Peter Saint James Saint Iohn and Saint Andrew came unto him privately desiring him to tell them vvhen that desolation of the temple should be and by vvhat signe it should be knovvne and vvhat should be the signe of his second comming and of the end of the world He foretelleth persecutions to the Gospell calamities to the Jewes and sheweth the signes of his second comming In all which he satisfied their desires as well for their instruction as also for the information of all the rest of his Apostles bidding them to beware of deceivers to come also to expect persecutions and that great calamities the forerunners of that desolation should be to the people and nation of the Jewes sheweth them the signes of his comming to judgment and the manner of it And because that day and houre is unknown that therefore they must watch like good servants expecting every moment the comming of their Lord. So continuing his sermon he enforceth that duty of watching by two parables of the Virgins and of the Talents thereby to shew how it shall be at the day of judgment with the faithfull who shall be found prepared and with the unfaithfull who shall not be fitted for his comming Also that then he will call all men to account and reward or punish according to divine justice Finally without a parable he describeth the last judgment shewing that such faithfull as do the works of mercy shall have life everlasting but the unfaithfull who do them not shall be sent away into everlasting fire All which things Saint Matthew sets down largely and plainly Cap. 25. That night therefore he abode in the mount of Olives as Saint Luke saith S. Luc. 21.37 38. and went not to Bethany but returned early in the morning into the temple whither the people resorted to hear him and this was the third day before the passeover Concerning the transactions of which day we finde that as they passed by S. Mar. 11.20 they saw the fig tree which he had cursed to be dried up from the roots And Saint Peter shewing it unto him he exhorted them to stedfastnesse of faith shewing the power of it and to forgive one another and their enemies when they pray That day also it seemes as he returned from the Temple to Bethany he foretold unto his disciples that after two daies at the passeover he should be betrayed and crucified S. Mat. 26.2 of which his death he had often times premonished them And so he came to Bethany where he was invited to supper in the house of Simon the leper the chiefe priests the scribes and the elders of the people in the mean time consulting his death in the house of Caiphas the high priest yet not to put him to death for that was agreed upon before S. Mat. 26.4 S. Mar. 14.1 S. Luc. 22.2 He suppeth in the house of Simon the leper and is annointed the second time to his buriall but how to single him out from the people and by some stratagem or subtle device to get him into their power that they might kill him Now as he sate at meat in the house of that Simon who formerly had been a leper and had received cure from
circumcise the hearts of men according to that of Moses Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy Seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul that thou maist live 6ly The drops of blood that were shed in circumcision did give them to understand the blood of the Messiah who was to be of the circumcised Seed and that his blood it was which should be shed for the remission of sins 7ly The great paines and forenesse of circumcision did represent as well the sufferings of Christ for us as also that they who will be his servants must be nothing curious to suffer all paines and persecutions and if need be to shed their blood for the name of Christ 8ly The day of circumcision which was the eighth day did set forth in a mystery the Resurrection of Christ for like as Christ rose again from the dead upon the eighth day according to the Jewes account who begin to reckon their week upon the Sunday even so that they who were circumcised had an eight day to look for the day of his Resurrection by vertue whereof they should rise again from the dead being first risen with him unto newnesse of life that is to say from a death of sin to a new and spirituall life Lastly that same opprobrium circumcisionis that shame and disgrace which the Jew had by reason of his circumcision among the Gentiles for which he was mocked despised reproached and scornfully termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apella Verpus c. did set forth the shame and scandall of the Crosse giving the People of God to understand thereby that the way to Heaven is not a way of popularity and honour but rather of ignominy reproach and worldly contempt Moses had learned that lesson by his circumcision Esteeming saith the Scripture the reproach of Christ greater riches Heb. 11.26 then the treasures in Egypt So great and excellent was the Mystery Most important was the use of this great Sacrament For The use of Circumcision first it was sigillum foederis the seal of the Covenant which God had renewed unto Abraham and to his Seed and did therefore serve greatly to confirm their faith for in that God had set to such a seal they needed not to doubt the performance thereof on his part Once God did make his covenant with Mankinde and with all his creatures that he would no more destroy them from off the face of the Earth by the Waters of a flood for confirmation whereof he placed his Rain-bow in the cloud as the seal of that covenant concerning which seal he speaketh and promiseth saying It shall come to passe when I bring a cloud over the earth that the Bow shall be seen in the cloud Gen. 9.14.15 and I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh that the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh Such was the use of Circumcision when God should see the circumcision in the flesh of the fore-skin then would he remember the covenant that he had made with Abraham and with Abraham's seed to be the God of Abraham and of his seed after him And so was circumcision signum confirmationis Circumcision signum confirmationis a signe or seal of confirmation as well of the covenant it selfe on God's part as also of their faith in that covenant on their part 2ly It served to admonish them of their duties all their lives to the end that as often as they should look down upon them selves and see the signe or mark of circumcision in the flesh of their foreskin they might remember their covenant with God to be an holy and a peculiar people unto him and to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of their life They did wear Gods badge or mark in their flesh whereby he had set his stamp or mark upon them for his own people to give them to understand that they must not defile themselves or suffer themselves to be defiled according to all the abominations of the wicked Heathen nor lead an unclean life according to the fleshly lusts of their owne heart And for this cause God was pleased that they should receive names in circumcision so when Abraham was circumcised Gen. 17.5 his name was changed from Abram into Ahraham And Saint John the Baptist S. Luc. 1.63 S. Luc. 2.21 though sanctified from his Mothers wombe and our blessed Lord himselfe because he would fulfill all righteousnesse had their names in their circumcision It was a note of that subjection and perfect obedience which they did owe unto the whole Law and so it was signum admonitionis Circumcision Signum admonitionis Jer. 4.4 a sign of admonition giving them alwaies to understand their duty and that they must on their part performe the conditions of the Covenant to God-ward Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skins of your heart 3ly It was a meanes ordained by God wherein and whereby to conferre his grace upon them and to conveigh his grace unto them For God doth not jest or toy with men in the outward signes but like as he doth make a sure performance of all that which he promiseth in his vocall word the Scriptures even so doth he make a sure performance of all that which he promiseth and setteth before the eyes of men in his visible word the sacred Rom. 4.11 and mysterious Sacraments And therefore St. Paul saith That Abraham received the signe of circumcision a seale of the righteousness of faith which he had yet being uncircumcised to what purpose that he might be the Father of all them that believe though they be not circumcised Circumcision Signum praebitionis that righteousness might be imputed to them also And thus it was signum praebitionis a signe of praebition wherein he performed that which he had promised Lastly Circumcision was an externall signe of the visible Church and made that outward distinction whereby the servants of God were to be known and distinguished from the idolatrous Heathen so that they who were not circumcised had not the visible character nor were to be reputed as visible members of the visible Church And unto this alludeth St. Paul when he saith Phil. 3.2 Beware of Dogs beware of evill workers beware of the concision The Dogs were the unbelieving Heathen the evill workers were the miss-living Christians the concision were those Iewes who after the abolition of circumcision by some instrument which they had did draw up the prepuce as men ashamed of their circumcision But the true circumcision is of the Christian For saith the Apostle We are the circumcision which worship God in spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh And thus was it signum distinctionis 3. Circumcision Signum distinctionis a
Time that it belongs to God Their feasts or holy daies major holy daies they called Sabbaths that is to say daies of rest and every sabbath they kept by the space of a whole day to wit from sun-set to sun-set again the full space of twenty foure houres for so measured they their day and that is Gods measure of a day Gen. 1.5 Of these sabbaths some were of divine institution and some by positive human law those of divine institution were 1. the Sabbath of the seventh day 2. the feast of Easter 3. the feast of Penticost 4. the feast of Trumpets 5. the day of Attonement 6. the feast of Tabernacles 7. the sabbatary seventh year 8. the Jubile of the fiftieth year Observation Concerning all which sabbaths our Sacred History must observe that although the observation of them were morall yet the daies themselves were not morall by nature for had they so been the observation of them could never have ceased in the Church no more then of those spirituall and evangelicall duties which were prefigured in them and commended and commanded by them but they were made morall by divine positive law Those that were by positive human law were 1st The sabbaths of dedication for there were foure dedications which were kept at foure severall times of the year The first was the dedication of Solomon's temple in the month of September The second was the dedication of the temple of Zorobabel in the month of February The third was the dedication of the Altar by Judas Machabaeus in the month of November The fourth was the dedication of the temple re-edified by King Herod not without great solemnity as Josephus saith 2ly They had the feast of the lamentation of the daughter of Jeptha mentioned Judg. cap. 11. 3ly They had the feast called Naphthar or cleansing Josephus calleth it the feast of lights instituted by Nehemiah in memoriall of the holy fire found in the pit with which he purified the sacrifices and was celebrated upon the twentieth day of November 2 Mac. 1. 4ly They had the feast purim or lots instituted by Mordochaeus in memory of their deliverance from the bloody intentions of Haman which was kept yearly with great solemnity upon the fourteenth and fifteenth daies of the month of February Hest cap. 9. which fourteenth day of February is remembred to have been a double holy-day for then also they did commemorate a great victory obtained against Nicanor one of the Captains of Demetrius King of Syria But our sacred history must supersede all these festivalls as being of human institution Yet from the history it selfe Observation the reader hath to observe that the clause of the commandment Six daies shalt thou labour c. was no warrant to the Jewes to rest from labour onely upon the Sabbath of the seventh day for besides that day our history hath observed how many sabbaths God himselfe ordained and how many were ordained by their governours upon many of which they were not onely commanded to rest from labour but if any man had presumed to work it was ordained that he should be put to death How then shall that clause now warrant the observation of the Sunday or Lords day onely if other daies and times be set apart by lawfull authority Truly it will be somewhat too peremptory to tie up the Almighty God to the bare allowance of a seventh day for his publick external worship seeing that the morall equity of the commandement is that not a seventh day onely but that a sufficient quantity of time should be set apart and dedicated to his service The Sabbath of the seventh day The sabbath of the seventh day was commanded to the people and nation of the Jews to be kept holy in memory of the creation that day did forbid all manner of labour so that it was not lawfull so much as to kindle a fire upon that day Notwithstanding as was said before it had not its morality by nature Gen. 2.3 Exod. 35.3 for then it had been for ever indispensable but it was made morall by a divine positive law and was temporary and was commended only to the circumcision the Jewes and Proselytes untill the time of reformation And therefore upon urgent necessity might be omitted and the Jewes themselves might labour and war and fight in battle and carry burthens and perform laborious works upon the sabbath day Josh 6. Joshua besieged Hiericho and compassed it seven times upon the sabbath day They took the city on that day and slew all that were therein man woman young old oxe sheep and asse with the edge of the sword and burnt the city with fire on the sabbath day The Israelites fought with the Syrians on that day 1 King 20. and slew of them an hundred thousand footmen S. Joh. 5.10 And Christ himselfe commanded a certain man whom he had cured to carry his bed on the sabbath day which else by the law ought not to be don neither might he have commanded him so to do if the Sabbath had been morall by nature and indispensable The feast of Easter The feast of Easter called also the feast of unleavened bread was kept every year from the fourteenth day of the month of March at even till the one and twentieth day of the same moneth at even During all which time they were to eat no leavened bread neither were they to have any leaven found in their houses and if any man were found to eat leaven within that space he was to be put to death This feast was kept in memory of the deliverance of the people of Israel out of Egypt And at this feast Exod. 12.15 all the tribes were to appear in the place which the Lord should choose to put his name there that was first in Shiloh where the Tabernacle of Moses was afterwards in Jerusalem where Solomon built his most sumptuous and most magnificent Temple The feast of Pentecost The feast of Pentecost otherwise called the feast of Weeks or of the first fruits was celebrated on the sixth day of May in memory of the law given upon mount Sinai Upon the second day after the eating of the passeover which was the second day of sweet bread which was before harvest began and upon the sixteenth day of March the Law commanded that they should offer a Sheaf of new corne before the Lord Levit. 23.10 it was to crave his blessing upon their harvest But fifty dayes after which was seaven whole weeks and upon the fiftieth day at what time they had gathered in their harvest they were all to appear before the Lord againe and to offer new bread before him in thankfull acknowledgement of the harvest which they had received by his gift The feast of Trumpets The feast of Trumpets was solemnized upon the first day of the seaventh moneth that is to say upon the first day of September upon which day they were to
Cor. 1.30 1 Cor. 2.7 and righteousness and sanctification and redemption Wisedome to know God in Christ which is that hidden wisdome which God ordained before the world unto our glory Righteousness the righteousness which is of God by faith Phil. 3.9 the imputed righteousness of Iesus Christ apprehended and applyed by faith to justification with God or in the sight of God Gal. 3.11 Sanctification whereby we are renewed in the spirit of our minde and do put on that new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Eph. 4.23 24. Redemption whereby we are delivered from all evills and are saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us from the devill and from death and are finally and eternally glorified There is therefore a wonderfull difference and a wonderfull convenience to be observed as touching the matter of the sacrament Difference in nature the signe is visible the thing of the signe is invisible Difference in the object the one is the object of the body the other is the object of the soul Difference in manner of communication the one is communicated corporally the other is communicated spiritually Yet is there a wonderfull convenience for though nothing can be more different then the signe and the thing of the signe yet are they joyned together in a sacramentall bond Such is the wonderfull wisdome of Almighty God who by such weak elements doth vouchsafe to give unto every faithfull receiver his son Christ with all his merits and with all his benefits The words of the commandement concerning the administration of it to those who are to administer it Commanâ—ement for the aâ—ministration and to his Apostles first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this do are to be understood thus That like as he their Lord had blessed and given thanks and by prayers and thanksgivings had prepared designed and consecrated the bread and the wine to become a sacrament the sacrament of his blessed body and blood not of their owne nature but by divine institution Even so must they Like as he did break the bread and take the cup not so much to divide and distribute it among them as that thereby he might signifie set forth and represent his death even so must they Like as he had given unto them the bread which he had broken and the cup which he had taken to the end that they should eat the bread and drinke the wine Even so must they also give to those to whom they should administer the sacrament the bread which they should break and the cup which they should take to be eaten and drank Like as he gave unto them not the bread and the cup onely but in by and with the bread and the cup himselfe with his most pretious body and blood even so in like manner that they should give unto those to whom they should administer it the same and no other thing but what he had given unto them that is to say not the bread and the cup only but by in with the bread and the cup himself Two loves in Christ tâ—wards his Church with his most precious body and blood There were in Christ two speciall loves towards his Church and chosen people The one urged him to be gone and to lay down his life for an effectuall redemption the other urged him to stay still and to be with them unto the end of the world He must go from them by laying down his life for them or else it was not possible for him to redeem them expedit vobis ut ego vadam S. Joh. 16.7 it is expedient for you said he that I go away He was willing to have stayed if it had been possible and therefore he prayed saying O my Father S. Mat. 26.42 if this cup may not pass away from me except I drink it thy will be done He found an expedient for both he would go away and yet he would stay he would go away by his bodily presence but he vvould stay still by his sacramentall presence It is not enough for the spouse if the bridegroom bestovv on her many rare and rich jevvells as pledges of his love it is his presence which to her is more expetible then gold or fine gold Christ the bridegroome when he ascended into heaven gave unto his spouse the Church many rare and rich jewells vvherein his Church also rejoyceth highly esteeming them for the bridegrooms sake Eph. 4.11 12. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some pastours and teachers for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ But all this is not enough his Church doth desire his presence Cant. 3.11 it is that vvherein she gloryeth Go forth O ye daughters of Zion and behold king Solomon with the crowne wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousalls and in the day of the gladness of his heart She cannot have his bodily naturall or locall presence and yet such a presence she hath His presence in the Eucharist as vvhereby she doth behold him in the most sacred and mysterious Eucharist It is a presence vvhereby he is believed and acknovvledged by his Church to be truly and really present in respect of the signes and in respect of the worthy receivers In respect of the signes for the body and blood of Christ are present vvith the bread and vvine vvhich are the sacramentall signes although not by coexistency and place yet by a sacramentall and relative presence In respect of the worthy receivers for Christ is indeed present in their hearts by the same presence altogether as the communion of his body and blood is exhibited unto them in that sacrament This is a true reall though not a corporall presence Touch me not S. Joh. 20.17 said he unto Saint Mary Magdalen for I am not yet ascended to my Father Touch me not saith he to his Church for I am ascended to my Father S. Mat. 28.9 And yet we do touch him daily though not as the woman did who held him by the feet yet in that vve touch the visible signes vve touch all that vvhich is signified assured and delivered by them Affectu non manu voto non oculo fide non sensibus But this touching is by affection not by the hands by desire not by the eye by faith not by the senses But the commandement is not only concerning the administration of it to those that are to administer it Commandement for the participation but also concerning the participation of it to those that are to receive it And the duty enjoyned is two-fold the first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a sacramentall ceremony for he that commeth to the Lords table must take and receive the Elements of bread and wine at the hand of the minister by which taking a spirituall reception