full issue or product of all three dimensions we shall be everlastingly blessed in him For the first we may not so much as beg any blessing or good thing at God's hand but for his sake Hence it is that all our prayers are conceived in this forme either expressely or implicitely propter merita Iesu Christi Secondly of those blessings which it pleaseth God to grant for his sake wee may not entreat no not expect their conveyance should be made unto us by any other person or meanes then by him and the vertue of his sufferings And for this reason it is that we usually conclude our prayers Per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum through Iesus Christ our Lord not propter Iesum Christum That is alway expressed or implyed in the body or beginning of the prayer It was the intention of the Ancients to instruct us by those two usuall clauses of our solemn prayers that whatsoever we aske for Christ's sake wee cannot otherwise obtaine then through him And though the Father be the first granter yet the Sonne immediately bestowes all blessings upon us as the places of Scripture late alleaged testify God's blessings descend to us only by him that they may draw us unto him in whom only we are blessed For that everlasting happinesse of the life to come formally consists in our union with him and cannot be manifested or imparted to us but by the participation of his blessed presence 6 Will yee have a more particular map in what manner the blessing of Abraham descends upon us by this our high Priest Then call to mind in what termes Melchisedech blessed Abraham They were these Blessed be Abraham of the most high God Possessor of heaven and earth Melchisedech if the same be Shem had by vertue of his Father Noah's blessings a manifest right unto the land of Canaan and had some part of it in possession and this right and title hee be queaths to Abraham The chiefe matter of his blessing is that Abrahams posteritie should be Kings and Priests in that land And albeit he were a Priest of the most high God yet his Kingdome was of this world and in this world though a type of the heavenly Kingdome But our Saviour's Kingdome was not of this world for since his Resurrection he hath taken possession of heaven as he is man but in the right and title of the eternall Sonne of God God the Father made all things by God the Sonne whom hee hath made Heire of all things as man which were made by him as God not as an heire in his nonage but as joynt Lord with his Father at whose right hand he is placed so that as man he hath more full and more immediate authoritie to dispose of heaven than Melchisedech had to dispose of Canaan for hee bestowed that upon Abraham by way of prayer as became a Priest of the most high God But this our high Priest who is also the most high God shall dispose of heaven to his servants by royall sentence and authoritie as King Then shall the King say unto them that sit on his right hand Venite benedicti patris mei possidete vobis paratum regnum à constitutione mundi Come ye blessed of my Father possesse yee the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world This is the accomplishment of that blessing which Melchisedech bestowed upon Abraham and the second part of his benediction must be the everlasting song of such as are blessed in Abraham's seed Blessed be the most high God who hath delivered our enemies into our hands who hath enabled us to overcome the world the Divell and the flesh And though Christ our high Priest were the Sonne of David and of Abraham as man according to the flesh yet as man hee is the first begotten from the dead and Father of the world to come Melchisedech himselfe in respect of the everlasting blessing is his Sonne and must have his portion in it at the last day For if all Nations if every one of any Nation that is truly blessed be blessed in Abraham's seed Melchisedech himselfe must be blessed in him not only by him And therefore hee is that most high God Possessor of heaven and earth in whose name Melchisedech blessed Abraham 7 But to return to our Apostles next passage He. 7. 11. c. If therefore perfection were by the Leviticall Priesthood for under it the people received the Law what further need was there that another Priest should arise after the order of Melchisedech and not be called after the order of Aaron For the Priesthood being changed there is made of necessitie a change also of the Law The full discussion of this twelfth verse because it containes matter of Controversie amongst us Christians and betweene severall profest members of reformed Churches as whether Christ were a Law giver or wherein the Law which hee gave did differ from or excell the Law of Moses whether Leviticall or Morall must be referred to another Treatise The Law saith our Apostle made no thing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope did So our later English reads the Text yet proffers to us another reading in the margine which in mine opinion is more consonant to our Apostle's meaning to wit That the Law was an introduction of a better hope by which we draw neare to God And this drawing neare to God is that perfection which the Law could not effect But the principall point whereon our Apostle pitcheth forevincing the priesthood of Christ to be farre more excellent then the Leviticall Priesthood was was reserved to the last place and pathetically though briefly avouched v. 20. And in asmuch as not without an oath for those Priests to wit after the order of Aaron were made without an oath but this to wit Christ with an oath by him that said unto him The Lord sware and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech By so much was Iesus made the surety of a better Covenant And they truly were many Priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death But this man because hee continueth for ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood Wherefore hee is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing hee ever liveth to make intercession for them And againe v. 28. For the Law maketh men high Priests which have infirmities but the word of the oath which was since the Law maketh the Sonne who is consecrated for evermore These two last passages require a fuller discussion of a Point often touched upon in some printed Treatises and diverse Sermons A point much neglected by many good Divines and carped at by others through their ignorance in true antiquitie videlicet What the interposition of God's speciall oath doth import more then his largest promises without an oath SECT 3. Of the calling or destination of the Seede of Abraham and Sonne of
sting or teeth upon the Godhead as he did But whilst he sought to swallow the bait of his flesh hee hath lost his sting hee hath broken his teeth and spoiled his jawes by medling with the Godhead 3 But more plainely by much was our Saviour's Resurrection and victory over death fore-pictured by Isaac's narrowescape from death Gen. 22. 9. The Altar was built on purpose for him the wood was couched and Isaac fast bound upon it the knife was in his Father's hand whose arm was stretched forth to strike him But God by his Angell and a voice from heaven delivers him from this imminent danger as it is v. 11. 12. This only Son of Abraham this child of promise the only hope or pledge of that promised seede which was expected from the beginning was to come thus neere unto death and yet to be delivered from it that the faith of Abraham concerning the Death and Resurrection of Christ the promised seed might be tried or rather that by his triall our Saviour's Death and Resurrection might be truly represented or fore-pictured by Isaac's danger and delivery So saith the Apostle Heb. 11. 17. 18. 19. By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten Sonne of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure to wit of the Reâ—urrection of Christ or the promised seed 4 The later part of this promise belongs meerly and properly unto Christ in whom alone it could be fulfilled For the more in number Abraham's children according to the flesh were before the promised seed did come and the greater their temporall prosperity or happinesse were the worse it must needs goe with other Nations or kindreds of the earth If the Messias or promised seed should have erected such a temporall Kingdome here on earth as the Iewes expected the Nations of the earth could not have beene blessed in him as God promised by Oath to Abraham for it is no part of happinesse but rather misery to have the Iewes or seed of Abraham according to the flesh for their Lords and Masters 5 Notwithstanding the former promise was in part fulfilled in the mighty increase of Abraham's posterity by Sarah this was a pledge of the later part which was to be fulfilled in Christ Through faith saith the Apostle Sarah received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of acâ—ild when shee was past age because shee judged him faithfull who had promised Therefore sprang there even of one and him as good as dead so many as the starres of the â—kie in multitude and as the sand which is by the Sea shore innumerable Heb. 11. v. 11. 12. 6 It was one of the great wonders of the world that from a woman that had been barrentill after fourscore yeares of age there should proceed above six hundred thousand men within lesse theÌ„ four hundred yeares Thâ—miracle notwithstanding had been lesse if her children had been more but she brought forth no more sonnes then Isaac and this mighty Nation did spring from Iacob who was but one branch of Isaac â— Sarah was as good as dead when she conceived Isaac and Isaac himself was at death's doore before he gave life to others So powerfull is God to raise strength out of weaknesse and to make the barren a fruitfull Mother of many children How beit this wonderfull increase of Sarah's or Isaac's posterity was but a shadow a draught or mappe of that great miracle which was to be exhibited in the promised seed More admirable it was that the blessed Virgin should beare a Sonne then that Sarah should conceive More strange and miraculous that Christ being put to death should become the Father of more people then Isaac had beene Yet this wee see hath God performed For since his Resurrection hee hath begotten more sonnes to God throughout the Nations then all the children of Abraham or Isaac according to the flesh 7 This miraculous birth of the Church and this mighty increase of her children the Lord did as it were point out to future ages in the fore-mentioned increase of Sarah's posterity that the world might know the body or substance when it should appeare by the picture which hee had made of it And that Abraham's posteritie according to the flesh might stedfastly believe the spirituall promise by the temporall pledge Of which pledge every one of them was a part 8 To this end and purpose saith God himselfe by his Prophet Esay Chap. 51. v. 12. He or ken to mee yee that follow after righteousnesse yee that seeke the Lord Looke unto the Rock whence yee are hewen and to the hole of the pit whence yee are digged Looke unto Abraham your Father and to Sarah that bare you for I called him alone and blessed him and in creased him 9 It was more remarkably true of us Chrstians whether the poore remnant of the sonnes of Abraham according to the flesh which were converted or of us Gentiles the seed of Iaphet then it was of the Israelites which were borne in Egypt Wee were not the greatest but the least of all people or Nations It was not our owne wit or strength made us so great a Nation as we are But the Lord our God which loved Abraham loved us in Christ and bestowed the blessing of Isaac in fuller measure upon us It was his power his love and wisdome that did thus multiply and increase us The Rock whence we were hewen and the hole of the pit whence we were digged was our Saviour's grave After his death saith the Evangelist S. Luke Chap. 23. v. 52. 53. Ioseph of Ariâ—â—t 〈…〉 t to Pilat and begged the body of Iesus and tooke it downe and wrapped it in linnen and laid it in a Sepulchre that was hewen in stone wherein man never before was laid 10 This Rock was the quarrie out of which the whole Church of God which is now spread farre and wide over the face of the whole earth was digged Our Saviour's Resurrection from the dead was the first opening of it And by vertue of his Resurrection such as were dead in sinnes and trespasses such as without it should have consumed to dust in the grave are become living stones even Pillars in the house of God Abraham's children according to proâ—â—se for out of stones hath God raised up children ante Abraham 11 This Application of the Type is warranted by the Prophet Esay Chap. 53. v. 8. Hee was taken from prison and from judgment and who shall declare his generation What generation did the Prophet meaneâ— The eternall generation of the son of God So indeed some of the ancients have interpreted this place and too many moderne interpreters have herein followed them But this were to runne-counter upon the Text. No print or footstep of the Prophet's progresse in this
the function and Priesthood of the most high God CHAP. 7. In what sense Melchisedech is said to be without Father Mother Heb. 7. 3. Whether he were a mortall man a◠Abraham was though more 〈…〉 where in the similitude betweene Melchisedech's Person and the Person of the Sonne of God doth specially consist THis later opinion is broched and 〈…〉 ptorily maintained by a late learned and smartly elegant writer who though hee he as I conceive as yet no Divine or Priest by profession yet hee takes upon him to censure the most Divines or Interpreters of sacred Writ whether ancient or moderne more sharply then I dare censure him From whom notwithstanding I dissent as freely and as I hope upon better grounds then he doth from them specially if the grounds of his exceptions against thē be not better then the grounds of the opinions which he takes upon him to refute The main ground of his exception against such Divines ancient or moderne as think that Melchisedech who blessed Abraham was either some petty King amongst the Cananites or other Inhabitants of the land promised to Abraham and actually possessed by his feede or Sem the Sonne of Noah is this no Inhabitant of Canaan not Sem himselfe the Sonne of Noah was without father or mother without genealogie without beginning or end of dayes These titles this good writer conceives are peculiar to the Sonne of God though more peculiar in the time of Abraham then at this day But was our high Priest or could he have been at that time the true Sonne of God and the God whose Sonne he was not as truly then his Father as now he is Againe if that Melchisedech who apreared to Abraham at least in the likenesse of man and in the realitie of an high Priest were no other person beside the Sonne of God it will concludently follow that the Sonne of God was then an high Priest after the order of Melchisedech or more then so that Melchisedech was the Sonne of God How then saith our Apostle that the Sonne of God was made an high Priest by the word of the oath which was since the Law and by vertue of this oath consecrated for evermore being as the Author of this opinion supposeth the Priest of the most high God long before the Law was given or if Melchisedech was then the true and only Son of God how is it said by our Apostle Ch. 7. v. 3. that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made like unto the Son of God Was the Sonne of God made like unto himselfe by taking the likenesse of man upon him Or rather was the manhood or likenesse in which he appeared to Abraham made like unto the Sonne of God The former part or division of this dilemma is improbable The later altogether impossible For that man or that likenesse of man who blessed Abraham Gen. 14. had a beginning and an end of dayes unlesse the Author of this opinion will maintaine that the manhood or likenesse of man wherein the Sonne of God appeared to Abraham was coeternall to his person was begotten of God not made before all Worlds and to continue united to him world without end Both parts of this assertion respectively contradict two fundamentall Articles of our Creede The one that all things numerable whether visible or invisible were created of God by his Sonne they had no being from eternity The other that the Sonne of God was made man of a woman in time having no permanent body or likenesse of man when he was so conceived whence it is cleare that the Meichisedech who blessed Abraham was not the eternall Sonne of God nor made like unto him for his eternitie by the body of man which he assumed or appeared in 5 But it is not all one to refell other mens opinions or interpretations of Divine oracles and to maintaine our owne assertions or as the present occasion requireth to clear the forecited place Heb. 7. He to wit Melchisedech was made like unto the Sonne of God being without father without mother without genealogie without beginning or end of dayes For there is an opinion or presumed Doctrine which hath gotten so long possession of many publique Chaires as will hardly brooke any opposition either from the Pulpit or from private writers The opinion is that Melchisedech being without father without mother c. was herein like unto the Sonne of God or the Sonne of God like to him in that he hath no Father in earth nor a mother in heaven But be the Authors of this opinion how great soever their followers how many soever both most acute all the strength which the wit of one can adde unto the authoritie of the other is but as if they should joyne hands or forces to take fast hold on the sheath or scabbard having given the hilts of the sword of the spirit into the hands of the Iew who may at his pleasure turne the points of our own weapons upon us unlesse we learne to keepe them more warily and handle them more skilfully then these men have done For he that hath a Father in Heaven may truly and absolutely be said to have a Father For God is more truly our Father then those whom we call Fathers on earth Hence saith our Saviour Call no man father opon earth for there is but one your Father which in Heaven Math. 23. 9. Yet is this God more truly Christ's Father then he is ours Againe he that hath a true Mother on earth may truly and absolutely be said to have a Mother otherwise all of us should be mother lesse children from our birth For none of us had an heavenly Mother none of our Mothers were brought to bed in Heaven 6 It being then granted that our Saviour had a true Father in Heaven and a true Mother on earth he must needs in both respects be more unlike unto Melchisedech who as our Apostle faith was without father or mother then like unto him in that he had no Mother in Heaven no father on earth Whence if wee should maintaine this similitude intended by our Apostle to consist either in whole or part in Christ's being in this sort without father or mother the Iew might thus retort argumento ad homines efficaci That we Christians were a brood of monsters and not the naturall offspring of men and women because none of us have a man for his mother none of us a woman for his father Besides one of the two Propositions whereon they labour to build our faith by this crosse device is no sound pillar but a broken or crased prop. For if Christ be truly stiled the Sonne of Abraham the Sonne of David he had fathers on earth according to the flesh though not begotten by a carnall generation nor was he the Sonne of Mary by carnall conception yet truly her Sonne and shee truly his Mother and by consequence Abraham as truly his Father Againe to be without father without
father when Melchisedech met him 3 About the manner how Levi was tithed in Abraham some Questions have been made by the Schoolmen or if haply made by others not so handsomely or happily resolved by them For they draw this point How Levi should be tithed in Abraham unto Physicall or Philosophicall disputes whereas our Apostle argues the case betweene the Priesthood of Aaron and of Melchisedech with such men as were too much addicted unto the Leviticall and Mosaicall law appealing not to the rules of that Law but to the rules of the Civill Morall Law or Law of Nations The extract of our Apostles meaning if I mistake not is this That if Levi Moses or Aaron had beene in full possession of their inheritance unto tithes from their Bretheren at that time when Melchisedech met Abraham Or if Melchisedech had lived in Canaan unto their dayes they ought to have done as their father Abraham did that is to have solemnely acknowledg'd this Melchisedeth to have beene their better by paying the tribute of tithes unto him Our Apostle takes it as unquestionable that Melchisedech was Abraham's better and being either better or a greater man then Abraham was then certainely a greater or better man then Moses or Aaron were then any Sonne of Abraham besides the promised Seed or Messias whom the Iewish Nation expected had beene And of this promised Seed alone Melchisedech for the greatnesse of his person was the only type 4 For albeit Abraham were a Prophet and did exercise the function of a Priest within his owne family or for some others upon speciall occasions albeit some of Abraham's seede were both Kings and Prophets others both Priests and Prophets yet none of them were both Kings and Priests none of them anointed to these two functions Melchisedech though perhaps never solemnely anointed to either function was the only man which was by divine providence or heavenly calling both a true King a Priest of the most high God By both these titles the tithes of all the spoils which Abraha had got by conquest were due nor are any other tithes prediall or personall due to any this day save only to the King or supreme Majestie or to Bishops and Priests within the regions wherein they accrue And for this reason as I coniecture the Danish Nation after they had embraced the Gospell and were become of a heathenish a Christian Commomweale or Kingdome did allot the tithes of their labors or increase of vegetables or profitable living creatures unto their King and to their Bishops excluding then the great Bishop of Rome For when he demanded his portion in them he was rejected by that sharpe and witty answer of Woldmarus Wee have our Kingdome from our subjects our life from our parents our religion from the Church of Rome which if your holinesse redemand we remit it by these presents Whether his meaning was that hee would abandon Christian Religion simply or the Religion of the then Romish Church only rather then forgoe his portion of rithes allotted to him as King I leave it with all Submission to the Searcher of all our hearts and Iudge of all our actions I have no warrant or just presumption out of any history to accuse this King either of Atheisme or irreligion 5 But Melchisedech was both King and Priest a more Soveraigne King then Woldmarus was and a greater high Priest then the Bishop of Rome or any other that have lived on earth besides the Son of God himselfe whose picture of shadoww he was That this Sonne of God or Seede of Abraham which hee assumed should be much greater then Melchisedech King of Salem is implyed in the manner of God's promised blessing unto Abraham being compared with the manner of Melchisedech's blessing Abraham For Abraham was blessed by Melchisedech not in Melchisedech's name but in the name of the most high God whose Priest hee was for he was blessed by him not in him whereas in Abraham's seede all the Nations of the earth Melchisedech as well as Abraham were to be blessed Howbeit this promised seede of Abraham was no greater then Melchisedech in externall beautie or prerogative royall till after his Resurrection or second birth During the time of his humiliation He was rather destinated then consecrated to be the Author or fountaine of blessednesse unto us For as the Apostle argues Heb. 5. 8. Though hee were the Sonne yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered And being consecrated to wit by his sufferings became the Author of eternall salvation unto all that obey him And is called of God from the time of his Resurrection or exalation an high Priest after the order of Melchisedech For from this time and not before his royall Priesthood did commence So he saith to his Disciples immediately after his Resurrection All power is given to mee in heaven and earth power to blesse with the blessings of this life and of the life to come And being now after his Consecration to be enthroniz'd in his Kingdome royall Priesthood he lift up his hands and blessed his Disciples And it came to passe that as he blessed them be departed from them and was carried up into heaven Lu. 24. 50. 51. Yet being there in body he continues with his Church here on earth by continuatiō of his blessings unto the worlds end That this part of his Priestly functiō to wit his Authoritative or Authentique blessing doth follow his Resurrection our Apostle intimates Acts 3. 26. Yee are the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God hath made unto our father saying to Abraham Even in thy seede shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed First unto you hath God raised up his Sonne Iesus and him he hath sent to blesse you in turning every one of you from your iniquities And againe Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles Galat. 3. 14. So that the Iewes were the first but not the only parties interessed in the blesing wherewith God by Melchisedech blessed Abraham For in asmuch as that blessing was the same blessing though further spread and better branched wherewith God by Noah blessed Sem we Gentiles the Sonnes of Iapheth were heires of it in reversion For though Shem be the first Iaphet was in the scond place blessed with his Brother Shem. Gen. 9. 27. God perswade Iaphet that hee may dwell in the tents of Shem and let Canaan be his servant So that Melchisedech doth prefigure Christs Priesthood by his Authority to blesse in Gods name Blessing as it was applyed unto Melchisedech is but a shadow or surface only Abraham indeed was blessed by him but in the name of the most high God But blessing as appliable to Christ is a solid and hath its trinall dimension Wee are blessed for him we are blessed through him wee are blessed by him And which is the
his merits they shall receive them by him through him as he is the seed of Abraham and sonne of man And in this seede of Abraham this Covenant here established with Isaac shall be performed according to the strict proprietie or utmost improvement of the words or clause of the confederacie or league offensive and and defensive betweene God and Abraham Whosoever shall blesse this seede shall be blessed of God Whosoever shall curse this seede shall be accursed by God and not so only but whomesoever this seede shall blesse them likewise God the Father shall blesse Whomsoever this seed shall pronounce accursed they shall stand accursed without revocation or appeale by God the Father For God the Father hath tyed himselfe to conformity of sentence with this seede of Abraham Vnto whom this seede now made King and Priest and placed at the right hand of God shall award this sentence which he will award as Iudge to all that shall be placed on hisright hand Come yee blessessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the Foundation of the World they shall be blessed by God the Father with everlasting and immortall blisse And unto whom he shall pronounce that other sentence Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divell and his Angels they shall stand accursed likewise by God the Father by an irrevocable and everlasting curse CHAP. 17. The League betweene God and Abraham did eminently containe the most accurate solemnities that were used betwixt Prince and Prince or Nation and Nation AS this League here mentioned betwixt God and Abraham â—â—s for its conditions of the highest ranke of League ut eosdem haberent hostes socios So it was as solemnely concluded and subscribed unto by both parties as any League betwixt man and man was ever concluded and solemnized Albeit the manner of concluding or making Leagues of amity betwixt man and man or people and people was in ancient times specially amongst the Easterne Nations most formall and remarkablely solemne and the manner or solemnitie did vary or differ according to the variety of customes usuall amongst diverse Nations The Macedonians for confirmations of Leagues with others did divide a quantitie of bread betweene the parties consociating giving the one halfe to the one party and the other to the other So Xenophon describes the solemne league of amitie betweene Alexander the great and Cohortanus And though Xenophon expresseth it not it is very probable that they used such solemne imprecations as were usually made in other Leagues concluded with the like solemnitie or sacrifice And that was that so God would divide or smite him or them that should breake the League or violate the conditions agreed upon as they did divide the bread or smite the sacrifice by which the League was concluded Other Leagues of amitie or association as the same Xenophon tels us were concluded betweene party and party which had formerly beene at variance and hostility by mutuall delivery of the same weapons as of lances pikes or other offensive weapons now consecrated by this solemne delivery to be instruments or pledges of peace or not to be used save in their mutuall defence or in offence to them who should prove enemies to their mutuall peace But those Leagues were more solemne which were concluded with Blood either of the parties which entred League or with the blood of beasts sacrificed for making peace between men So Tacitus tels it was the custome amongst some Eastern Kings when they entred a League to clutch their hands and fingers and to tye their thumbs so hard until the blood did rise in the pulp or fleshypart and afterwards to let them both so much blood by a gentle touch that each party might suck others blood Id foedus arcanum habetur quasi mutuo cruore sacratum This kind of League saith Tacitus was accounted sacred as being confirmed by mutuall blood But how sacred or secret soever this League was for the word Arcanum importeth both it was pro illa vice for that turne both openly and shamefully violated by Radamistus Xenophon likewise describes another League betweene the Grecians and the people of Asia concluded by the blood of sacrifices which they mutually killed The Grecians dipped their swords and the Asiatickes their lances in the blood of the Sacrifices which were a bull a beare a wolfe and a ramme being first mingled together in a shield or target as if they had sought to have made peace betweene these offensive weapons of warre by making them pledge each other in a common cup. For so the most solemne manner of plighting faith betwixt some Nations was for the one to take up the same cup from the others hand and to pledge him in it or in case no cup or wine could be presently had they were to lick the dust of the earth at each others hands 2 The manner of solemnizing this present League betwixt God and Abraham at the first draught of it was much what the same with that which Tacitus reports of the Easterne Kings It was solemnized on Abraham's part by the effusion of his owne and his sonne Isaac's blood and so continued throughout the generations of their posteritie by cutting off the fore-skin of their flesh And inasmuch as Circumcision was the signe or solemne ceremony of this mutuall League betweene God and Abraham and Abraham's seede it is necessarily implyed by the tenour of the same mutuall Covenant that God should subscribe or seale the League after the same manner and receive the same signe of Circumcision in his flesh which Abraham and his seede hath done 3 This Covenant which was first entred by Circumcision was afterwards renewed on God's part as on Abraham's part by mutuall and solemne sacrifice The manner of God's treatie or processe with Abraham in this Covenant is worthy of serious observation And Abraham's demeanour in all this businesse is the most lively patterne and most exquisite rule for all our imitation who desire the assurance of faith or hope concerning our present or future estate in this gracious League or Covenant Though it be most true which hath been often intimated before that no man can deserve any thing at God's hand because no man can give him any thing which hee hath not received from him seeing no man can bestow upon God or convey unto him any title or right of propriety which he hath received from him which God had not before man received it from him or enjoyed it by him Yet if we be content sincerely to renounce our owne title or interest in the Creatures which wee have received from him or in our selves who are likewise his whose very being is the free gift of his goodnesse he still rewards us for every such service or act of our bounden duty with a larger measure of his bountie then any deservings of man from man can pretend unto And thus he rewarded Abraham alwaies
in kind alwaies according to the qualitie or specificall nature of his worke or service but for quantity farre beyond all proportion of any gift or service which Abraham could present unto his God though it had beene the sacrifice of himselfe or of his sonne The first remarkable service which God exprest or required of Abraham was to forsake his kindred and his Fathers house Gen. 12. 1. And in lieu of that interest which Abraham renounced in these those being not the ten thousand part of the Country wherein he lived God gives him a just title or interest to the whole land of Canaan and promiseth to make a mighty Nation of his seede to erect more then one or two Kingdomes out of it And yet all this is but the pledge or earnest of a farre better patrimony prefigured by it and bequeathed with it as an inheritance conveyed by delivery of the terrar The spirituall blessing envailed under this great temporall blessing was that God would be a God unto Abraham and to his seede and that they should be unto him a people And to be God's peculiar people was so much greater then to be Lords and Kings over the whole earth as the temporall inheritance which God here promised Abraham that was the whole Kingdome of Canaan was greater then the private temporall patrimony which Abraham for God's service had left in Caldaea or Mesopotamia 4 The next service which God requires of Abraham and his seede that they might become more capable of his promise and that this promise might transire in pactum passe as wee say into a League or Covenant was that Abraham and his seed should circumcise the fore-skin of their flesh and by this ceremony or service they were consecrated to be God's people his peculiar people The reward which God astipulateth or promiseth to this service or ceremony by them performed was that hee would consecrate himselfe by the same ceremony of circumcision to be their God their gracious Protector and Redeemer But Abraham and his sonne Isaac being by this ceremony of Circumcision once consecrated to God's service they might not after they had once received this badge or cogniâ—ance withdraw themselves from any service unto which their Lord God should afterwards call them how harsh and unpleasant soever it might seeme to flesh and blood The next remarkable service whereunto God called Abraham was to offer up his only sonne Isaac whom he loved for a burnt offering And this service AbrahaÌ„ for his part is as willing to undertake to be an Actor in it Isaac as willing to undergoe or be a patient in it as they had been in the former service of Circumcision The reward which God appointed to this second service of Abraham and Isaac was the finall ratification of the former promise or Covenant by solemne oath By my selfe have I sworne that in thy seede shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed The contents of his oath is that God would make his only Sonne such a sacrifice as Abraham was willing to have made his only Sonne Isaac that in him and by him all the Nations of the earth that is all of every Nation that would so rely upon God's promises as Abraham and Isaac did should be made heires with them of the Kingdome which God had promised and that was the Kingdome of everlasting blisse But of this particular the Reader may see more in the eighth Book of these Comments 5 In this sacrifice of the Sonne of God and seede of Abraham the League first solemnized by Circumcision was for the externall rite or manner more exquisitely solemnized than any League ever had been The solemnitie of all other Leagues were eminently contained in it For besides the rites before mentioned in solemnizing Leagues concluded by sacrifice each party had a Priest or vates or else made choice of some indifferent Priest for both Each party likewise had their proper sacrifice or which would give better satisfaction to curiositie they had one common sacrifice in which both parties had equall interest as being provided at their joynt costs and charges or the one brought a Priest and the other a sacrifice Sometimes againe they had one common Temple either built of purpose at their joynt costs as some thinke Ianus Temple in Rome was built by Romulus and Titus Tatius for ratifying the peace betweene the Latines and the Sabines or else made choice of some Temple most indifferently seated for both to meete in All these circumstances were good emblemes of the wished-for peace good emblemes likewise of the equall conditions in such Leagues agreed upon and yet imperfect emblemes scarce good shadowes of the admirable manner how this League of peace betwixt God and man was concluded Wee cannot say that God had one Priest and man another but both had one Priest more indifferent then any two Nations ever could have though his Father had beene of the one Nation and his Mother of the other and himselfe born upon the Sea betwixt them or upon the bounds of their borders The Priest betweene God and man was but one and yet truly God and truly man so truly one that we cannot say the seed of Abraham or son of man did provide the sacrifice and the Sonne of God did offer it but which is more admirable and more indifferent the flesh of this sacrifice was humane or mans flesh as truly and properly as ours is and yet as truly and properly the flesh of God as ours is the flesh of man The blood of the sacrifice likewise was sanguis humanus mans blood as truly and properly as any blood in our veines is and yet as truly and properly the blood of God as our blood is the blood of man It was as hath beene heretofore observed humane blood or mans blood by nature that is of the same substance with our blood and yet the blood of God by personall Vnion or Property by a more peculiar title then the blood in our bodies can be said ours For the Godhead is more nearely united to the manhood of Christ then our soules are to our bodies And by this personall or bodily habitation of the Godhead in his bodie he who was our sacrifice and continues a Priest for confirming this League is also become the Temple His body is become that Tabernacle wherein God promised to meete the children of Israel And unto the glory of the Godhead which was before inaccessible but now dwelling in this Tabernacle wee have dayly accesse through the blood of Christ We may at all times in all places present him in this Tabernacle with the sacrifice of prayer of thankesgiving and of our selves and he from hence as our God and Father indues us with the Spirit of Christ whereby we are made his Sonnes For the blood of Christ as it is sanguis humanus humane blood of the same nature with ours doth symbolize with our nature and as it is the blood
Chapter no literall circumstance or meaning doth lead or direct us this way but the contrary to wit to his generation or off-spring to such a generation but farre more ample as the Israeliteâ— were of Abraham for so it followeth in the Prophet Hee was out off from the land of the living for the transgression of my people was hee striken And hee made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death because he had done â—â—â—â—â—lence neither was any deceit in his mouth and ver 10. When thou shalt make his soule an offering for sinne he shall see his seed hee shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand He shall see of the travell of his soâ—le and be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall be are their iniquities v. 10. 11. They whose iniquities he did beare and whom hee justified are his seed or that Generation whereof the Prophet doth speake Vnto this purpose our Saviour himselfe doth speak Ioh. 12. ver 23. 24. When Andrew and Philip came unto him a litle before his Passion and told him certaine Greekes desired to see him he answered them saying The houre is come that the Sonne of man should be glorified Verily verily I say unto you except a corne of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit 12 In respect of this his Resurrection out of the grave he is called the first begotten from the dead for the Father of whom hee was begotten before all worlds from all eternities did now beget him as man unto glory and immortality According to his first birth as man by the blessed Virgin he was truly called the seed of Abraham the sonne of David According to the second birth or begetting him from the grave he is called the Father of the world to come and as man the Father of Abraham the Father of David yea and of Melchisedech himselfe who blessed Abraham For the life of glory and immortality doth descend to all that ever shall be partakers of it from the man Christ Iesus now possest of glory and immortality as truly and really as his mortality or life in the flesh did descend from Abraham from David or from his Mother the blessed Virgin 13 Isaac as all have knowne it was the true picture and shadow of our Saviour's death and deliverance from it The mighty increase likewise of Isaac and Iacob's seed was the embleme or pledge of our Saviour's seed or generation which cannot be numbred or declared 14 But the circumstances of our Saviour's selling of his betraying of his cruell persecutions by Priests and people the ungracious offspring of Israel or Iacob the whole legend of his humiliation unto death and exaltation after his Resurrection are more exactly fore-shadowed by the cruell persecutions of Ioseph procured by his brethren by his calamitie and advancement in Egyyt Their persecutions by the sonnes of Iacob doe in a manner parallel themselves Both of them were sold by a Iudas more for hope of gaine then desire of blood on their parts that sold them 15 The pit whereinto Ioseph's brethren cast him as also the pit or dungeon wherein hee lay in fetters after his comming into Egypt were true pictures of our Saviour's grave or of the pit whereinto his soule descended So was Ioseph's deliverance out of them a true shadow or resemblance of Christ's Resurrection Ioseph's high advancement by Pharaoh an exquisite Type or mappe of our Saviour's glorious Kingdome after his Resurrection or birth from the dead so Ioseph complains unto Pharaoh's butler Gen. 40. v. 15. I was stollen away out of the land of the Hebrewes and here also have I done nothing that they should put mee into the dungeon 16 The whole story of Ioseph's depression and advancement is set downe Psal 105. v. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. He sent a man before theÌ„ even Ioseph who was sold for a servant whose feet they hurt with fetters He was laid in iron until the time that his WORD came the WORD of the Lord tried him The King sent and loosed him even the Ruler of the people and let him goe free Hee made him Lord of his house and Ruler of all his substance To bind his Princes at his pleasure and teach his Senators wisedome 17 A more expresse draught or mappe as well of our Saviour's humiliation as of his exaltation is Gen. 39. ver 20. 21. and Gen. 41. ver 39. Instead of the prison or dungeon wherein Ioseph lay he is raised to the highest place in the Kingdome under Pharaoh Thou shalt be over my house saith Pharaoh to Ioseph and according to thy word shall all my people be ruled only in the throne will I be greater then thou See I have set thee over all the land of Egypt and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt So was our Saviour after his Resurrection made chiefe Ruler over the house of God Every house is builded by some man But he that built all things is God And Moses verily was faithfull in all his house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after but Christ as a Sonne over his owne house whose house are wee The amplitude of Christ's Kingdome as man foreshadowed by Ioseph's advancement under Pharaoh over all the land of Egypt is described Psal 2. ver 10. specially Psal 8. ver 5. 6. Thou hast made him a litle while lower then the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour Thou mad'st him to have dominion over the workes of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feete Yet saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 15. 27. It is manifest that hee is excepted which put all things under him And when it is said that he sits at the right hand of God untill his enemies be made his footstoole it is included that hee at whose right hand hee sits is in throne or seate of dignity above him Againe Ioseph instead of the iron wherein he was bound hath the Kings ring put on his hand Instead of his ragged or squallid weeds hee is arayed in a vesture of fine linnen or silke Instead of his fetters and bonds hee hath a golden chaine put about his neck All these ornaments bestowed on Ioseph as the ancient and learned well observe were but resemblances of those glorious endowments wherewith our Saviour's Body or Humanitie hath since his Resurrection been invested 18 Ioseph was placed by Pharaoh in the second charriot and he made them cry before him Abrech that is as much as to say Lord or King to whom bowing of the knee was due All this and whatsoever more was done to Ioseph is but a model of that honour which as our Apostle tels us God hath commanded to be given to Christ Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given
Church or the ministers in it will suffer us to think this Melchisedech should be a Canaanite For although we ought perhaps to be as farre from denying as from affirming that God had many chosen vessels amongst the sonnes of Cham yet is it no way probable or to be affirmed that hee had any visible Church amongst them at that time whereof wee speake much lesse any such orthodoxall authentique high Priest as was ex officio to blesse him with whom the everlasting Covenant was to be established within whose family and posterity the true and visible Church was to be confined almost two thousand yeares after Nor doe we in saying thus tie the Almightie as some haply will accuse us to use no meanes but ordinary in bestowing his extraordinary blessings But this we say that where the manner of his calling is most extraordinary and miraculous it is his pleasure to use the ordinary meanes of lawfull ministers for the ratification or declaring of his calling at least for the admissiō of the parties called unto the emoluments or prerogatives of their calling Paul was plucked away from the Synagogue as a sappie branch from a dying tree by the immediate and strong hand of God but to be ingrafted or inoculated into the true Church which is the body of Christ by means ordinary and ministeriall by the hands of Ananias a civill and visible member of Christs mysticall body 4 In like manner we doe not deny that the manner of Gods calling Abraham out of Haran and the matter of the blessings then promised to him to have been both extraordinary in which blessing notwithstanding hee is to be installed by Melchisedech appointed as Gods Deputie or Vicegerent so the hebrew Cohen properly signifieth to ratifie or seale the former promises unto him The manner of the conveyance is formall and legall such as God ordinarily useth in like cases And by probable consequence this Melchisedech whosoever he were was a true principall member of the visible Church which at that time was no where on earth but in Sem his posteritie Of those Sonnes of Sem which are mentioned in Abraham's genealogy most were dead others for ought we read or by analogy can gather from what we have read no way so fitly qualified for this service as Sem himselfe who was then alive For Sem had beene solemnly blessed by his father And although hee be represented unto us in the fourth of Genesis under another name and shape then he receiv'd the blessing in yet the holy spirit seemes to point him speaking in his owne native language and solemnly bestowing that blessing upon Abraham his sonne which his father Noah had bestowed on him Blessed be the Lord God of Shem and let Canaan be his servant Gen. 4. The implication or importance is as if hee had said Shem shall have cause to blesse the Lord his God for making him Lord of Canaan This blessing or bequest wee know was to beare date aswell in Shem's posteritie as in himselfe but principally in his posteritie Now wee no where read of any conveyance or bequest of this blessing made by Shem unto his Successors besides that solemne blessing which Melchisedech whom for this reason we suppose to have been Shem bestowed on Abraham The tenor of his bequest or conveyance is more expresse Gen. 14. 19. Blessed be Abrahā of God most high possessor of Heaven and earth This propheticall benediction implyes that Abraham and his posterity should have cause to blesse the Lord their God for giving them possession of that earth or land which was the type or pledge of their heavenly inheritance and possessions This was the gaine of godlinesse that merces valde magna to have the promise of this life and of that which is to come And as the land of promise or Kingdome of Canaan once possessed was a true pledge or earnest of their title to the heavenly kingdome so Abraham at the very time when Melchisedech blessed him received the pledges of his posterities hopes unto that temporall kingdome 5 For albeit we utterly deny all sacrifice of bread and wine yet may wee not in opposition to the Papist affirme or maintaine that Melchisedech entertained Abraham and his followers only with a vulgar or common refection These elements of bread and wine being confidered with the solemnitie of the blessing have besides the literall sense a symbolicall or mysticall importance and are thus farre at least sacramentall that they served for earnests to secure Abraham that his posterity should quietly enjoy and eate the good things of that pleasant land wherein he was now a Sojourner Briefly Abraham in that sacred banquet which the King of Salem exhibited unto him did as we say take levery de seisin of the promised land as it is probable in that very place which God had destinated for the Metropolis of the kingdome or at least in that place where Iohn did baptize And albeit Melchisedech did no doubt derive the blessing bestowed on Shem or on himselfe by Noah in more expresse termes unto Abraham by inspiration extraordinary and divine yet Abraham at this time had afforded him a fit text or theame to make these extemporary expositions or declarations upon Of all that had proceeded out of the loines of Shem none as yet had ever given the like proofe of his likely hood to become Lord of Canaan as Abraham now had done whom God had enabled to right the King of Sodome and other Cananitish Kings not being able to right themselves against forreigne usurpers 6 For any man of ordinary understanding that had been an Actor in the late warre so happily managed by Abraham and a by-stander at Melchisedech's blessing of him to have conjectured to this purpose had been as easy and as warrantable as it was for the Israelites to divine that Moses should be their Deliverer by the manner of his killing the Aegyptian which had contended with an Israelite Now the holy Spirit seemes to taxe their dulnesse for not apprehending this mystery from the manner of Moses fact Thus we may derive Gods blessings upon mankind since the flood from Noah to Shem from Shem whom we take to be Melchisedech unto Abraham in whose seede all the Nations of the earth were to be blessed This argues Abraham's promised seede to be greater then Melchisedech for Abraham was blessed by Melchisedech not in Melchisedech's name but in the name of the most high God whose Priest hee was Howbeit this promised seed of Abraham was not greater then Melchisedech in externall beauty or prerogative royall till after his Resurrection or second birth During the time of his humiliation hee was rather destinated then consecrated to be the Author or fountaine of blessednesse unto us For as the Apostle argues Heb. 5. 8. Though hee were the Sonne yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered And being consecrated to wit by his sufferings became the Author of eternall salvation unto all them
that obey him And is called of God from the time of his Resurrestion or exaltation an high Priest after the order of Melchisedech CHAP. 10. Wherein the Priesthood of Melchisedech did differ from the Priesthood of Aaron That Melchisedech did not offer any sacrifice of bread and wine unto God when he blessed Abraham THe office of Aaron and of his Sonnes wee have described Deuteron 10. 8. At that time the Lord separated the Tribe of Levi to beare the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord to stand before the Lord to minister unto him and to blesse in his name unto this day And againe Deut. 18. 3. This shall be the Priests duty c. For the Lord thy God hath chosen him out of all thy Tribes to stand and minister in the name of the Lord him and his Sonnes for ever ver 5. Could Melchisedech's office be greater or his patent ampler especially for duration For sacrifice prayer and blessing are the trinall dimensions of the Priesthood howsoever taken This difficultie perhaps did occasion a foule error in the Romish Church or encourage her followers to maintaine this error brought forth it may be upon other occasions to wit that the office of Melchisedech should properly consist herein especially differ from the Priesthood of AaroÌ„ For that when he met Abraham he offered up bread wine by way of proper sacrifice unto God as a type or pledge of the unbloody sacrifice of the masse unto which the Romanists for the most part restraine the exercise of Christ's Priesthood after the order of Melchisedech 2 To omit their chymicall conceits who labour in vaine to extract some act of sacrificing out of the originall word hotsi Maldonate the most zealous and laborious pleader in this argument because Calvin had held the monkish allegorizars to the literall and gramaticall sense of Scriptures holds it no sin to put a trick of Grammar so they would admit it upon Calvin's followers upon the very text it self For whereas the Romish Interpreters who went before him admit the vulgar edition Et erat Sacerdos Dei altissimi This Critick to despite Calvin will correct Magnificat and renders it thus Et erat sacrificans Deo altissimo His reason for this innovation is because the hebrew Cohen is for it's form a participle of the present tense but surely he was better read in his Gramar then in his Lexicon although better read in that then in the Hebrew Text for although the Hebbrew Cohen be usually taken for a Priest yet to sacrifice is no part of the proper formal signification of the radicall verb Cahan That directly imports no more then ministravit or Sacerdotem egit Whence though it be most true that every Sacrificer is a CoheÌ„ is a Priest or Minister of God yet is not this truth simply convertible that is Every Cohen Priest or Minister of God is a Sacrificer specially if we speak of times before the Law was given or since it expired much lesse will it follow that every act or function which the Minister of God performs should be a sacrifice So that albeit we should give the Criticall Iesuit leave to degrade the Hebrew Cohen and turne it out of a noun in which form and habit it was taken by all his Predecessors into the nature and value of a Participle the Grammaticall sense will amount to no more then this Et erat Ministrans or Sacerdotio fungens Deo altissimo and all this Melchisedech might doe and this he verily did in blessing Abraham not in bringing forth or offering bread and wine The letter of the Text runnes thus And Melchisedech King of Salem brought forth bread and wine and hee was a Priest of the most high God Suppose a man should here interrupt the Reader or relater of this History thus What if hee were a Priest of the most high God To what purpose is this clause inserted The holy Ghost in the next words clears the doubt or rather prevents the Question And he blessed Abraham In what forme or sort Blessed be Abraham of the most high God! So then Melchisedech is instiled a Priest of the most high God to shew his warrant to blesse in the name of the most high God And for this interpretation I have the warrant or confirmation from Cyril of Alexandria 3 As for his bread and wine hee offered these to Abraham and not to God as Philo Iudaeus a competent witnesse in this Controversie hath informed us For this good Author opposeth Melchisedech's hospitalitie towards Abraham unto Amalech's niggardly and uncharitable disposition towards Israel comming out of the house of affliction Amalech saith hee was excluded from the congregation of the Lord because hee met not Israel with bread and water whereas Melchisedech had met our father Abraham laden with the spoâ—â—es of his enemies with bread and wine He hath not in my opinion erred much in taking the symboles or elements of bread and wine for emblemes of that true pabulum animae which consists in contemplation of heavenly things And yet I am perswaded hee had no expresse knowledge of the true object of such contemplation to wit the body and blood of Christ or of the benefit conveyed to us from them since they were offered in sacrifice unto God by the elements of bread and wine not as mere signes but as undoubted pledges of his body and blood to be communicated to us 4 And although Suidas in his second Paragraph on the word Melchisedech will have our Saviours Priesthood after the order of Melchisedech to take beginning from the night before his passion wherein he tooke bread and wine and blessed them yet in his third Paragraph upon the same word he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Melchisedech brought forth bread and wine unto Abraham But let us suppose what the Text will not support that Melchisedech did offer up a sacrifice of bread and wine to the most high God thus much being granted wee may draw that net which the Romanist sets for others upon himselfe for our next interrogatory should be this Of what sacrifice may we by any analogie of faith imagine this supposed sacrifice of Melchisedech to be the type of the dayly reiterated sacrifice of the masse or of the one only sacrifice of the Sonne of God Surely if Melchisedech be a true type of the everlasting Priest his sacrifice must be a type of this Priest's everlasting sacrifice Now as we read not though Maldonate's reading of the former pâ—â—â—e were true that Melchisedech did offer any sacrifice besides this supposed sacrifice of bread and wine so wee must undoubtedly beleeve that the Sonne of God did offer no more sacrifices then one and that one never to be reiterated because the value of it being truly infinite the efficacy of it must needs be absolutely everlasting If otherwise wee should with the Romanists admit of a sacrifice by succession or multiplication as everlasting as this transitory
is all this which hath beene said concerning the sacred use of oaths amongst men and the plagues executed upon such as violate those sacred oaths to the oath which God interposed to Abraham or to their assurance which rely upon him Much every way For the speciall if not the only reason why God's hand hath light so heavy upon all perjured persons is because God himselfe who vouchsafed to sweare to Abraham for our comfort is so true in all his promises and so unpartiall in awarding lustice that hee would not punish mens neglects or contempt of solemne oaths so severely as usually he doth were he not beyond comparison or comprehension more observant of his oath when he swears by himselfe then we are of our oaths which we take in his name Briefly albeit some in this age among the most zealous Professors of Christianity escape his visible punishments or sometimes prosper better in worldly estate for their perjury then many amongst the heathen did yet by this practice they forfeit their interest in the assurance which God made by oath unto the heires of promise Every one that hopes to be blessed with faithfull Abraham or to be partaker of the blessing promised by oath unto him must in this particular be perfect as his heavenly Father is perfect Every one that hath beene tainted with this foule finne how great a gainer soever hee be by it in worldly courses must purge himselfe from it by the solemn proper acts of faith that is by true Repentance Almes deeds and full Restitution of accursed gaines to the parties whom he hath wronged For as our Apostle tells us every one that hath this hope that is to be the Son of God with faithfull Abraham must purifie himselfe as he is pure 1. Ioh. 3. 3. CHAP. 15. In what cases solemne oaths were or are to be taken and administred AMongst others truly instiled golden verses of Pythagoras every verse containing some one or other morall rule of good life this was a principall one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 The Comment or Paraphrase of an heathenish Writer though a profest enemy to us Christians at least to such as lived in his age is very Christian as many other parts of his Commentations upon Pythagora's morall rules are to use the words of that learned French Civilian Tiraquel most Divine 2 Whilst I revise these and the former observations of the heathen concerning oaths and consider how exactly parallel they are to the sacred rules of God's written Lawes and Cases determined by divine Iustice I cannot but resume the Prophet Ieremiah's wish or prayer Oh that my head were turned into a well or fountaine that I might weepe day and night for the sinnes of this people And of this age wherein a man may more safely beleeve a Turke swearing by Mahomet or a canting Beggar by his Salomon or a rude pit-man or coale-worker by spitting upon a coale then many witnesses who beare the name of Gentlemen and good Christians whilst they sweare in Courts of Iustice by the Lord God of their salvation kissing the Booke wherein their interest in the promises made to Abraham and their hopes of the life to come are contained Nor is this the fault of false witnesses only but of Law-makers or Interpreters or of men in Authoritie that a man may be sworne out of his inheritance out of his lively hood and good name by one uncatechized Clowne or Atheist who neither knowes by whom nor unto what he sweares ready at all times to lend that which he heares called an oath unto his friend or brother in mischiefe An oath being a speciall part of Religion it were to be wished it were never to be administred or exacted by such as give more proofe to shew their authoritie and power in being enabled by humane Law to give it then either of their desire or abilitie to instruct the party swearing unto what he ought unto what he ought not to sweare or in any other principall point of Religion Many cases are often determined by one mans oath which are not possible to be proved by the oaths of any ten men living though men of life and manners unsuspected And yet in case the person swearing to his neighbour's utter undoing might be convicted of wilfull perjury the best remedy that the Law or Custome affords him will prove much worse then the disease it selfe that is beget a tedious suit in some costly Court But neither did the primevall Church of God nor the ancient Lawes of heathen Nations admit of any such Custome Exceptions against lewd persons or suspected witnesses were admitted before they were permitted to sweare Or in case any were detected to swear falsly the detection was without any great cost and the punishment severe and speedy In case a man had sworne falsly against his neighbour in matter of debt hee was besides other punishments to pay as much as his neighbour should have been damnified by his oath In case of infamy and slander hee was adjudged to undergoe the same punishment which his oath had it beene admitted would have brought upon the party accused If hee had sworne against another in a matter capitall his perjury was punished with death and so were false accusers albeit they did sweare or accuse on the behalfe of the Prince or Emperour One of the best Catechismes that I dare commend unto such as have power to minister solemne oaths or unto such as are bound to answer upon oath or ready when occasions require to interpose oaths voluntary is the Comment of the fore-cited Philosopher upon that golden verse of Pythagoras IUSIURANDVM COLE Fuerit autem cultus ejus servandi optima ratio cura si eo nec frequentèr utaris nec temerè nec quibuslibet in rebus nec ad sermonis amplificationem nec ad narrationis confirmationem atque fidem sed quantum fieri potest rebus tantum necessariis simul atque honoriâ—icis adhibeatur â—oque tempore cum nulla salus alia quà m ex sola iurisjurandi veritate expectatur Invenient verò fidem isthaec apud eos qui audiunt si congruum jurijurandâ— modum adhibuerimus sique suspicionem omnem non ijs solum qui juramento abstinent sed qui utuntur etiam sustulerimus quicquid in mortaliumrebus veritate maius nobis haberi Hierocles in 2 um aurèum carmen Pythagorae God's oath at all time when it pleased him to sweare was a voluntarie oath no Authoritie could exact it of him But how free or voluntarie soever his oath to Abraham was it was not gratis dictum but interposed to some good use or purpose The speciall uses or purposes of this first oath of God which is upon record comes in the next place to be discussed 3 It is on all Sides agreed that the Article or matter unto which God did sweare was of great consequence and weight For men ought not to make solemne oaths or protestations but in such
were two The first the solemne memorial the commeration or reiteration of God's Covenant made with Abraham and with his seede or the continuall acceptance of it by performing the obedience which God required at their hands in all their sacrifices The second was a perpetuall representation of the accomplishment of this Covenant on God's part in and by the promised Seede or Messias God had promised by oath to Abraham that in his seede not only Abraham's seede after the flesh but all the Nations of the earth that follow the steps of Abraham should be blessed And in this promise confirmed by oath it was implied as hath beene often mentioned before that the Sonne of God should become Abraham's seede and that the seede of Abraham thus made the Sonne of God should be offered up to God in such a manner as God required Abraham to offer up his sonne Isaac that is in a true and bloody sacrifice Isaac's approach to death was a type a figure or representation of our Saviour's bloody death Isaac's strange deliverance from this bloody death menaced by his Fathers outstretehed hand armed with a bloody knife was a type or shadow of our Saviour's Resurrection from death which God his Father had not only threatned but inflicted upon him Now as that which Abraham intended to have done to his sonne Isaac was accomplished by God upon his only sonne so Abraham's words to Isaack when hee intended to offer him up in bloody sacrifice became a true prophecy of our Saviour's bloody sacrifice Isaac bearing the wood of the burnt offering upon his back and observing his Father to cary fire in the one hand and a knife in the other no creature in the world besides themselves being present moved this question Behold the fire the wood but where is the Lamb for the burnt offring And Abraham answers God will provide himselfe a Lambe for a burnt offering my Sonne Gen. 22. 7. 8. Whatsoever the naturall construction of Abraham's answer in these words might import Abraham at this time had no other intention then to offer up his son Isaack for a burnt offering Howbeit his words without wrong to their grammaticall construction in the originall might imply as much and as the Hebrewes conceive they did to Isaac's apprehension imply as much as if hee had said God will provide himselfe a Lambe for a burnt offering even thee my Sonne or God will provide theâ— my Sonne for a burnt offering And from this apprehension or construction of Abraham's words Isaac as the Hebrewes have a tradition forthwith became willing to be offered up in sacrifice for a burnt offering suffering himselfe to be bound upon the Altar by his Father being able if he had been so disposed to make resistance as being now at least 25 years of age 2 However it were Isaac was as willing to be offered as Abraham was to offer him And yet Abraham's former words are more exactly fulfilled even for the present then if Isaac had been then offered upon the Altar For though God had commanded Abraham to offer his only begotten sonne Isaac for a burnt offering yet hee had been a burnt offering of Abraham's providing but the Ramme which was caught by the hornes in the thicket was a burnt offering of God's provision meerly It was no part of Abraham's store of Abraham's provision fore-cast or fore-sight The Ramme questionlesse came not thither from any neighbour place by chance God did provide it for a burnt offering by a manner extraordinary and miraculous For if David would not offer a sacrifice to God of that which cost him nothing or of that which was another mans by former possession untill he had made it his owne by a better title then by free donation or his owne by a just price or valuable consideration Abraham doubtlesse would not have offered a sacrifice unto the Lord of that which he might justly suspect to be the goods of another man untill he had bought it of the known owner But knowing this Ramme to have been of God's own or meere provision by meanes miraculous or extraordinary hee forthwith offered it for a burnt offring instead of his son So then the League or Covenant betwixt God and Abraham is concluded and subscribed unto on Abraham's part with the sacrifice of a Ramme and was to be continued or accepted of by Abraham's posterity with continuation of like sacrifices The high Priests themselves who were in their ranke and order mediators or intercessors for continuing and establishing this Covenant between God and Abraham's seede were to be solemnely consecrated by the sacrifice of Rammes And in memoriall or commemoration of Isaac's deliverance from death the Iewes did celebrate that day wherein God provided this sacrifice instead of Isaac that was according to their Kalendar the first of September or feast of Trumpets with the sacrifice of Rammes But they considered not that in the words of God's oath to Abraham it was implyed that God would give his Sonne his only Sonne for such a bloody sacrifice or burnt offering as Abraham intended to have made of his sonne Isaac They considered not that in Abraham's answer to Isaac The Lord would provide himselfe of a burnt offering and in the miraculous provision of the Ramme for a burnt offering instead of Isaac it was implyed or fore-signified as well by matter of fact as by expresse word of prophecy that God would provide matter of sacrifice when he should offer his only Sonne after a more excellent miraculous manner then he had now done the Ramme instead of Isaack For seeing the Sonne of God as God could not dye he therefore provides him a mortall body taken from the seede of Abraham the substance of the blessed Virgin and so unites it to his divine person that whilst this seede of Abraham was offered in sacrifice the Sonne of God was likewise offered that whilst Abraham's seede was thus consecrated by bloody sacrifice the Sonne of God was likewise consecrated to be the high Priest after the order of Melchisedech that is to be the Author Donour and Dispenser of that blessing which Melchisedech in the name of the most high God whose Priest he was bestowed on Abraham and which God upon Abraham's readinesse to offer Isaac did by solemn oath bind himselfe to perform and to performe it in Abraham's seede The necessary consequence or abstract of which oath as it is before manifested was this that Abraham's seede should be that most high God in whose name Melchisedech had blessed Abraham 3 The unusuall and unexpected fulfilling of Abraham's words to Isaac Gen. 22. 8. Iehovah lireh the Lord will see or the Lord will provide himselfe a Lambe for a burnt offering gave Abraham occasion to name that place Iehovah â—ireh as also to a common Proverbe taken up from the name of this place and from the event In the Mount of the Lord it shall be seene Gen. 22. 14. or as the originall without straining will more
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
poesie whereof this and the eighteenth Psalme with some others beare lively characters were partly the triumphant victories which he had already gotten over the enemies of Israel's peace and the confederators or conspirators against his Crowne and dignity partly the glorious promises which through patient expectation of deliverance hee had obtain'd for the further establishment and advancement of his throne and the enlargement of his hereditary Kingdome Before the composition of the second Psalme hee had the glorious and gracious promise of which Ethan the Esrait so curiously descants Psalm 89. I will make him my first borne higher then the Kings of the earth c. Now it can be no solecisme to say that hee who in sacred language is instil'd the first borne should have the title of the first begotten among the Princes of the earth Seeing the title of begetting is oftimes in sacred language to be measured not by the scale of Philophes'â— or naturalist's dialect â—ut of morall or civill language or interpretation For they that are sonnes by adoption only or next heires in reversion to a Crowne or dignity are said to be begotten of those which adopt thâ—â— or of whom they be the immediate heares or successors and in this sense in the sacred genealogy Ieconiah is said to have begotten Salathiel So that David upon his owne occasions whether upon his anointing to the Crowne of Iudah in Hâ—â—ron or of Israel in Sion might in the literall sense avouch these words Psalme 2. of himselfe I will preach the Law whereof the Lord said unto mee thâ—â— art my Sâ—â—t his day have I begotten thee 7 For David to call the day of his Coronation or of his designâ—ment unto the Crowne of Iudah or of all Israel his birth-day or begetting by God by whose speciall power and providence hee was crowned is not so harsh a phrase as some haply would deeme it that either know not or consider not that it was usuall in other states or Kingdomes beside Iudah to celebrate two nâ—tales dies two solemne 〈◊〉 or birth-dayes in honour of their Kings and Emperours the one they called diem natalem imperatoris the other diem natalem imperij The one the birth-day of the Emperour whereon he was borne of his naturall Mother the other the birth-day of him as he was Emperour which wee call the Coronation day The reason might hold more peculiar in David then many other Princes because he was the first of all the seed of Abraham that tooke possession of the hill of Sion and setled the Kingdome of Iudah fore-phophecied of by his Father Iacob upon himselfe and his posterity 8 But whatsoever may be thought of David or of his sonne the day of our Saviour's Resurrection may be as truly and properly called the day of his nativity as the day wherein he was borne of the blessed Virgin Mary This was his birth-day or nativity to his mortall life as he was the son of man that was the day of his nativity or begetting to immortality the birth-day of his Kingdome and royall Priesthood The most concludent testimony though least observed by most Interpreters is that of the Apostle before mentioned Heb. 5. v. 4. No man taketh this honour to wit of Priesthood but hee that is called of God as was Aaron So also Christ glorified not himselfe to be made an high Priest but hee that said unto him Thou art my Son to day have I begotten thee It was hee that did glorifie him with this title as he also saith in another place thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedech The Apostles drift and meaning is that our Saviour did not intrude himselfe into the Priesthood but had as solemne a calling and Consecration â—o it by God his Father as Aaron had to the legall Priesthood by Moses And he did deprecate his calling or Consecration to this Priesthood more earnestly and fervently then any high Priest or Bishop did their Consecration Although they say Episcopari nolâ— they have no desire to be consecrated But sure our Saviour spake as hee meant when hee prayed unto his Father Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me Now thus he prayed after God had begun to anoint and bath him in his owne blood unto the Priesthood after the order of Melchisedech as Moses had anointed Aaron with the blood of beasts unto his legall Priesthood And this place of our Apostle concludes the point before handled to wit that our Saviour did begin his Priesthood after the order of Melchisedech from the day of his Resurrection for upon that day was the Psalmist's prophecy fulfilled Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee 9 The fulfilling of this Oracle meant of David according to the literall according to the mysticall sense in Christ Iesu the Son of David is most divinely exprest by S. Luke Acts 3. 4. in which two Chapters many passages above all others in this sacred history are worthy of serious and frequent mediations specially in respect of the circumstances of time and some other occurrences The holy Ghost as it is at large related Chap. 2. had been first powred out upon Christ's Disciples a litle before the ordinary time of the morning's service or devotions at this solemne feast of Pentecost And upon the same day as 't is very probable from the first verse of the third Chapter Peter and Iohn went together unto the Temple at the houre of praiers being the ninth houre and bestowed a better almes upon a poore creeple then after many yeares profession of that poore trade he durst presume to begge at their hands or pray to God for 10 The ungainsayable truth of the miracle wrought upon this creeple by Peter and Iohn who had they been as ambitiously minded as their examiners might have challenged the glory of it to themselves did not so much grieve the Priests and captaines of the Temple with the Sadduces as that upon this occasion they taught the people and preached the Resurrection of the dead through Iesus Christ Chap. 4. ver 2. 3. Vpon this griefe conceived at first by some few there present the next morning the high Priest with the whole host of his assistants and kndred did injoyne these two Apostles not to teach at all or speake in the name of Iesus but upon that magnanimous reply whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more then unto God judge yee ver 19. made joyntly by Peter and Iohn to the high Priest's and Elders peremptory injunction being let goe they made report of the whole businesse with the successe unto their owne company who when they heard it lift up their voice to God with one accord and said Lord thou art God which hast made heaven and earth and the Sea and all that in them is who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said why did the heathen rage and the people imagine a vaine
and Embassadours not to the end of the earth but to the ends of the World 4 Some of the Ancients and among the rest S. Austin if my memory faile not thinke they have found out S. Paul charactered in the fore cited prophecy there was litle Beniamin their Ruler c. And assuredly 't was not a matter of meere chance or fancy that this great Apostle of the Gentiles should have his name changed from Saul unto Paul a name borrowed as some thinke from Sergius Paulus and Paulus in the Latine signifies a litle one And this was a name better be fitting this great Apostles disposition after his calling then the name of Saul which was the name of the first King of Israel and one of the greatest of his Tribe That Saul was litle in his owne eyes before hee was King but great after whereas this Apostle Paul was litle in his owne eyes but great in the eyes of the Lord after hee was made Ruler of the people but to wave this conjecture of the Ancients and not to dispute the reason why Beniamin should be called litle by David in that Catalogue wherein hee had the precedency in order of Iudah most other passages throughout this 68. Psal from the 19. ver are eminently propheticall Blessed be the Lord who dayly loadeth us with benefits even the God of our salvation Hee that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues of death ver 19. 20. These are characters of God incarnate or made man or of the man Christ Iesus made salvation it selfe and of this Iesus raised from death for from this title the issues of death or deliverance from it belong to him as his peculiar More apparently are those passages ver 31. c. literally meant at least exactly fulfilled of Iesus Christ after his Resurrection and Ascension to his holy hill or heavenly Sanctuary Princes shall come out of Egypt Ethiopia shall soone stretch out her hands unto God Sing unto God O yee Kingdomes of the earth O sing praises unto the Lord. To him that rideth upon the heaven of heavens which were of old Loe he doth send out his voice and that a mighty voice Ascribe yee strength unto God his excellency is over Israel and his strength is in the Clouds O God thou art terrible out of thy places the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people Bbessed be God ver 31. 32. c. 5 As for the prayer conceived first by Moses afterwards assumed by David after the removall of the Arke Let God arise let his enemies be scattered let them also that hate him flee before him and all those menaces of fearefull judgments upon God's enemies pronounced by David in this Psalme as appendices to it these were never so exactly fulfil'd either of the Cananites Moabites Philistims or other enemies of Israel whiles the materiall Arke did remove from place to place or setled in Ierusalem as they have been of the seed of Abraham and of Iacob since their God did arise from death in our nature which he consecrated to be the true and living Arke of God Nor can the truth of God's promises unto Abraham David or their seed no not according to the literall sense of the prophecies which concerne them be any way impeached by taking his punishing hand from their heads and laying it more heavily upon his sometimes-chosen people For seeing they became the sworne enemies of the God of their Fathers revealed in the Arke of his flesh the fore-mentioned prayer or imprecation of Moses and David was more literally and punctually directed against them then against Aâ—â—alek Moab Ammon c. For these whether we take them jointly or severally were no greater enemies of God then other heathen Nations were save only in this that they were greater enemies to his Chosen people the seed of Iacob by reason of their vicinity as bordering upon their costs which alwaies nurseth quarrels betweene Nations dis-united in soveraignty or forme of government whereas the Iewish seed of Abraham which had been sometimes God's Elect people without occasion given became the immediate enemies of their God and for his sake more bloody persecutors of the Gentiles yea of their owne brethren according to the flesh after they with the Gentiles had become his Chosen people Now Moses his prayer or David's imprecation did not aime at the persons of men of what Nation soever but at their malicious qualifications or enmities against God whether direct or indirect so that since the seed of Abraham became the enemies of God and his Christ they may be more truly said to have dashed against the Psalmists or Moses curse then it to have falled upon or overtaken them and yet for all this as wee learne from S. Paul Rom. 11. that other prayer of Moses when the Arke rested shall beare date againe shall be fulfilled for the good of these yet cast-awaies When the Ark rested Moses said returnè O God to the many thousands of Israel Numb 10. 36. This strange devolution of God's mercies and judgments from one people to another making the down-fall of one Nation to be the advancement of another to his free grace and mercy not the points of Election and reprobation as there hath been a mist cast upon them by unskilful Controversers whereas S. Paul had left them cleare enough was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whose deeper consideration did extort that patheticall ejaculation from him O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how unsearehable are his Iudgments and his waies past finding out c. CHAP. 38. That the manner of our Saviours Ascension was more clearly fore seen by Daniel then by David and most exactly fore-shadowed by matters of fact in Mosaicall and other sacred histories A parallel betweene SaloÌ„mon's Consecration of the Temple and our Saviour's Consecration or sanctisying of himselfe and his heavenly Sanctuary WHether David did distinctly apprehend the manner of our Saviour's Ascension and propagation of his dominion over all things in heaven and earth both which he did fore-tell and fore-shadow by matter of fact and service done to the Arke or whether he did at all fore-guesse or suspect the turning of God's heavy hand upon his seed and Iacob's seed according to the flesh is a point not altogether out of question were it fit to be inquired into But as hath been observed heretofore our beliefe or right apprehension of the truth of divine mysteries doth not depend upon their knowledge or appehension which did fore-tell or relate their prefigurations but on the contrivance of divine â—inerting all-seeing providence by whose inspiration and secret instinct both the Prophets and Evangelists did both speake and write But be the former doubt concerning David's apprehension of these mysteries waved or determined as it may be this wee know and may resolve whatsoever in the former Psalme was fore-told or
solemne calling to be the Sons of God And this part of redemption is common to all who are baptized according to Christs commission given to his Apostles and their Successors to this purpose Another part of our Redemption whether that be altogether distinct from the former or but a consequent to it is our actuall exemption from the rage or tyranny of sinne within our selves whilst we live here in the flesh And this degree of redemption is proper only to those who though they live in the flesh doe not live according to the flesh or the fashions of the world as having their hearts purified by a lively faith in Christs death The last part or finall accomplishment of our Redemption is the exemption of both body and soule from the powers of hell and death by Resurrection unto endlesse glory which is the everlasting salvation here meant And this is proper only unto such as finally shall be sayed by continuance in faith and obedience But let us not deceive our selves for God will not be mocked and wee shall but mock him if we presume to goe to heaven by curious Distinctions or nice Doctrines without a constant progresse in syncere unpartiall obedience Nor will externall conformitie to orthodox all rites or Religion or eye-service suffice to obtaine the salvation here promised to such as obey him or if we be addicted to eye-service or obedience let us performe our obedience not in our own eyes or as in the eyes of sinfull men but as in the eyes and view of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned by our Apostle Chap. 4. of this Epistle ver the 9. In whose sight every Creature is manifest all things are open and naked This is that eternall word who is now made our high Priest and shall hereafter come to be our Iudge Let us then account it a principall part of our present and future obedience to powre out our soules in prayers and supplications to this our high Priest for the remission of all our sinnes past and seeing hee was consecrated once for all through afflictions or sufferings for so the current of our Apostles discourse implyes to be a compassionate and mercifull high Priest to his Father for us let us all publiquely and privately dayly and houâ—ely beseech him by his agony and bloody sweat by his Orâ—sse and bitter passion not only to make intercession for us but to powre out the spirit of prayer upon us â—o strengthen us with supplies of grace for â—ubduing the body of sinne which is within us unto the spirit and to quicken our spiâ—ies unto newnesse of life that so we may be able to stand before him in that great day of Iudgment SECT 2. Of the calling or designement of the Sonne of God to be an high Priest after the order of Melchisedech Of the differences and agreements in some particulars betweene the Preisthood of Aaron and the Priesthood of Melchisedech CHAP. 6. Of the Signification or Importance of the word calling used by our Apostle Heb. 5. with the generall Heads or Points to be handled and discust in this 2. 3. 4. Sections THat the making of the Sonne of God perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 9. implyes a solemne Calling or Consecration to his high Priesthood is yet more apparant from the words following v. 10. Calledan high Priest after the order of Melchisedech This word Called imports somewhat more then a name imposed upon him though at his Circumcision or at his Baptisme more then a mere title of dignitie But what more then so A solemne Calling or Designement unto this high Office or Prelacy Such a calling but more solemne then Aaron had unto the legall high Priesthood Vnto this Priesthood Aaron is said Chap. 5. v. 4. that hee was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by speciall Designement or destination advanced to the office of the high Driest during the Law But when the same Apostle speakes of the calling of the Sonne of God unto the high Priesthood after the order of Melchisedech v. 10. The word in the original is more significant and more solemne then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it referres to Aaron for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solemnly declared or pronounced by God to be an high Priest after the order of Mechisedech 2 The method of our present inquiry or search into this grand mysterie must be this First who this Melchisedech was according to whose order the Sonne of God was called to be a Priest or how Melchisedech whosoever he were did represent or shadow out the person of the Sonne of God Secondly wherein the Priesthood of Melchisedech did consist or wherein it differred from the Priesthood of Aaron and what calling hee had to such a Priesthood Thirdly what divine Designement or calling the Sonne of God had to his everlasting Priesthood Fourthly a parallel betweene the Consecration of Aaron or other of his Successors to this legall Priesthood and the Consecration of the Sonne of God to his everlasting Priesthood prefigured or foreshadowed not by Aaron or his Successors but by Melchisedech before the Law was given Fiftly the peculiar acts or exercises of the Sonne of God's everlasting Priesthood This fift or last Point must be referred as an appendix unto the Articles of the Sonne of God's Ascension and his sitting at the right hand of God the Father All these are Points of good use and worthy of deeper and better consideration then they usually are taken into by most Interpreters of sacred Writ or Controversywriters The first Question only may seeme to be too curious And so perhaps it is indeed if wee should take upon us to determine the individualitie of Melchisedech's person after whose order the Sonne of God was consecrated or made a Priest But on the other side it would be presumptuous absolutly to deny this Melchisedech to have been the same individuall person whom the later Iewes generally and many late learned Christian writers take him for The greatest difficulty in this Point ariseth from the Apostles description of Melchisedech Chap. 7. v. 3. Without father without mother without descent having neither beginning of dayes nor end of life but made like unto the Sonne of God abideth a Priest continually 3 From this place some would peremptorily conclude that Melchisedech could be no mortal man no sonne of Adam but either the holy Ghost or the sonne of God then appearing to Abraham in the similitude or likenesse of man For of this Melchisedech save only in the history of Abraham Gen. 14. and 110. Psalme there is no mention at all in the old Testament To wave or rather dismisse their opinion who think Melchisedech was the holy Ghost the third person in Trinitie seeing it is but a conjecture of some few who rather wave then prosecute it Let us see what probabilitie there is that this Melchisedech should be the eternal Word or Son of God appearing to Abraham in the likenesse of man and exercising
world which shall not last for ever Besides the inconveniences which they multiply by this vaine apology for their wicked practices we must of necessity acknowledge Melchisedech to have beene a type of figure not of Christ or not of Christ only or not so properly of him as of the whole generation of Masse Priests and his sacrifice to have beene a truer type of the unbloody sacrifice which they dayly offer then of Christ's bloody everlasting sacrifice upon the Crosse Yea the meanest most illiterate and lewdest masse Priest should be as true a Successor of Melchisedech of Christ himselfe as Phineas or Eleazar were of Aaron 5 Mariana in his briefe comment or large notes upon the 14 th of Genesis boldly avoucheth the unbloody sacrifice of the Masse to have beene prefigured by Melchisedech's sacrifice of bread and wine But the point it selfe he toucheth so gently as if hee had desired to have balked it as indeed he doth but wave it and questionlesse hee would have omitted it as hee doth many other tenets maintained by the Church of Rome when he comes to interpret those Scriptures whereon ancient Schoolmen or vulgar Commentators have laboured to ground them But unto the fore-cited history of Melchisedech because it is held such a principall fort of the Romish ReligioÌ„ he durst not but doe his wonted homage intimating withall that hee had somewhat more to say to this point when hee should come to interpret the Epistle to the Hebrewes But albeit he lived to finish his intended worke or learned Scholia upon the Bible yet when hee came to the seaventh Chapter to the Hebrewes all he had to say was to referre us to what hee had said upon the fourteenth of Genesis And to this reference he addes such a caveat or an appendix as if he would give us to understand that hee had said more upon the fourteenth of Genesis then hee could tell how to make good out of S. Paul's parallel between Melchisedech our Saviour Christ Miror in hoc Capite inter tot similitudines quibus Melchisedech Christum representat nihil dixisse de sacrificio Panis Vini quod Melchisedech obtulit ut diximus Gen. 14. 18. Symbolum nostri sacrificii Eucharistiae de qua malo alios audire quam ipse pronuntiare indicasse sit satis Mariana in 20 septimi Cap. ad Hebraeos 6 The youngest this day living whether in the English or Romish Church though he dye for very age shall not live to read or heare any Iesuit or other Advocate of the Romish Church give any satisfactory answer to this briefe demand The answer on our part is very easy because the Question on their part is foolish Our answer is that the Apostle was not to medle with more comparisons betweene Christ and Melchisedech then were true in themselves and intended by the holy Ghost of which number this fiction of the Romish Church concerning Melchisedech's sacrifice of bread and wine is no part or appurtinance neither doth the letter of the Text or any circumstance of the history unpartiall Antiquitie or any orthodoxall rule of interpretation favour it CHAP. II. In respect of what points especially the Priesthood of Melchisedech did fore-picture the Priesthood of the Sonne of God BVt if the Priesthood of Melchisedech did not herein specially differ from the Priesthood of Aaron in that Melchisedech did offer an unbloody sacrifice whereas the offerings of Aaron were for the most part bloody sacrifices what other difference can we with probabilitie conceive betwixt them or wherein did Melchisedech's sacerdotall function more excellently fore-picture our Saviours Priesthood then the Priesthood of Aaron did For as Aaron and his Successors did offer bloody sacrifices aswell dayly as anniversary so the Sonne of God did offer up himselfe in bloody sacrifice upon the Crosse and by this offering up of himselfe once for all did accomplish whatsoever was fore-pictured by all manner of bloody sacrifices which Aaron and his posterity were authorized to of fer To this Quare the answer hath been premised and it was this That when the Sonne of God did offer up himselfe upon the Crosse he was neither a Priest after the order of Aaron nor of Melchisedech but a Priest in fieri or in his Consecration fore shadowed by Melchisedech And after the Consecration was accomplished hee was not to offer any sacrifice at all either bloody or unbloody Though we dare not say Melchisedech did never offer any bloody or other sacrifice yet wee doe not read of any which he offered This part of his function if at any time he ever exercised it is omitted of purpose by the holy Ghost as his genealogie is that by this representation of him hee might more exactly foreshadow the Priesthood of the Sonne of God who after his Consecration was not to offer any sacrifice at all All the similitudes intended by the Apostle betweene Melchisedech and our high Priest consist especially in these three First in the identitie of their titles In the greatnesse of their persons and in the authoritative manner of bestowing their blessings For the identitie or analogie of their titles is a point which hath beene discussed before Some scruple is cast by an Author before mentioned that this title of King of Salem should be as nominall a title as Melchisedech or King of righteousnesse was But if this conjecture were trne our Apostle had instiled him when he interprets the importance of his titles not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he did the former title Melchisedech King of righteousnesse or the righteous King Heb. 7. 1. Melchisedech was his praenomen or a name given unto him by such as had beene sensible of his righteous dealing with his subjects or neighbourhoods But when the Apostle saith he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this denotes the place or territory where of he was not by name only but by just inheritance King 2 For the greatnesse of his person or place in those times that we must learne from our Apostle Heb. 7. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Now consider how great this man or this Priest was unto whom even the Patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoiles And verily they that are of the sonnes of Levi who receive the office of the Priesthood have a commandement to take â—â—â—â—s of the people according to the Law that is of their Bretheren though they came out of the loines of Abraham But hee whose descent is not counted from them for he lived and died some centuries of yeares before them received tithes of Abraham and blessed him that had the promises and without contradiction the lesse is blessed of the better And here men that die receive tithes but there he receiveth them of whom it is witnessed That he liveth as I may so say Levi also who received tithes payed tithes in Abraham or was tithed in Abraham for he was yet in the loines of his
for seeing the first-lings of the heards though offered in sacrifice unto the Lord could not sanctify the use of their flocks unto them but the use of every dumbe creature was to be sanctified unto them by a sacrifice of one of the same kind As the use of their Lambes or Sheepe was to be hallowed by the sacrifice of a firstling-male Lambe and so the goates by the firstling-male kid and their oxen and cattell by the sacrifice of the firstling calves or bullocks who could in reason expect that the sacrifice of a Lambe of a Kid of a Bullock or any other dumbe creature should be a sufficient price for the Redemption of their first borne males or able to sanctifie or consecrate both male and female in their severall families unto the Lord Hee that sanctifies and they that are sanctified are all of one saith the Apostle Men were to be redeemed and sanctified by man and if the first borne male in every family had been sacrificed for the rest this would have made no satisfaction no sanctification seeing the first born was by nature as uncleane as the rest and every dumbe creature which was by Law uncleane and could not be sacrificed was to be redeemed by the sacrifice of a firstling-male which was by its kind cleane as the asse because it was by its kind unclean was to be redeemed that is the use of it was to be sanctified or made lawfull unto its owner by the sacrifice of a firstling Lambe 2 But who amongst all the first borne of women was in his kind or by nature cleane Not one besides the Sonne of the blessed Virgin who was likewise the only Son of God It is hee alone that was to redeeme and sanctifie the rest of mankind which were all by nature uncleane And with reference to the former Law our Apostle instiles him primogenitus omnis creatura the first borne of every creature Coloss 1. 15. Now though it be most true that Christ was before all things that all things were created by him whether visible or invisible that all things consist by him as hee is the only Son of God begotten of his Father before all Worlds yet this is not the true and full meaning of that most sacred maxime Est primogenitus omnis creature he is the first borne of every creature One part of the Apostle's meaning in that admirable passage 1. Coloss 13. to the 20. is that unlesse Christ had been the Son of God from eternity all fulnesse could not have dwelled in him nor could he have had preheminence in all things which the Apostle there mentions Another part of the Apostle's meaning there is that in the same Christ as man it pleased God that all fulnesse should dwell and that as man he should in all things have the preheminence and in as much as all fulnesse dwelleth in him as man and that in all respect he hath preheminence he is likewise as man the first-borne of every creature that is all the prerogatives which the first-borne males had before the after-borne or females are contained in his prerogative and fulnesse as man Now as the first-born males amongst the offsprings of dumbe creatures did sanctifie all the rest of the same kind So Christ as man doth sanctifie all things make all things acceptable unto God which are capable of sanctification or acceptance As man likewise hee had all the prerogatives of the first-borne in the families of the Patriarchs which were especially two The Priesthood and the principalitie or civill dominion over their brethren and posteritie For Christ as man is made both King and Priest and albeit Abraham Isaac and the Patriarchs and Melchisedech who blessed Abraham were both Kings and Priests over their families and children yet these prerogatives they had by a solemne right derived from him which was to come who was to be a Priest after the order of Melchisedech Againe in respect of the character of the first borne male or of that which gave it the prerogative of the after-borne he hath the preheminence for he opened the wombe or matrix in such a manner as no creature had done or shall doe after him for he was made true man and truly borne of a woman yet not begotten by any man And albeit Melchisedech Abraham and David were dead long before he was conceived by the holy Ghost long before he was born or made man of a woman though he be truly enstiled the seed of Abraham and the Sonne of David which for this reason were of necessity to be before him Yet this precedency was a precedency only of time a precedency in respect of this mortall and miserable life In respect of that better life he hath the precedency even of time for he is the Father of the World to come and as our Apostle hath it 1. Coloss 18. He is the first borne or first begotten from the dead that in all things hee might have the prehemi nence 3 Christ by his divine Power had raised the widowes sonne of Naim and his freind Lazarus the one some two yeares the other but a few dayes before from death to life but neither of them nor any before them which had been so raised could be truly said to be begotten from the dead but rather begotten to die againe for to be borne and begotten from the dead includes an everlasting freedome from the power or approach of death as it is in the hymne for the morning prayer upon Easter day Christrising againe from the dead now dyeth not death from henceforth hath no power upon him According to this notion or importance of primogenitus ex mortuis of being the first borne or first begotten from the dead Christ hath the prehe minence every way hee was the first in order of time and was raised from death to an endlesse life Hee was the only prime in respect of power or causalitie whosoever thus hath been or shall be raised or begotten from death to an immortall life is thus raised and begotten by vertue of Christ's Resurrection Albeit the soules of Abraham of Moses and David c. were before this time seated in blisse Yet were not their bodies so much as capable of dowry oâ— joynture with them in the state of blisse before such time as the Sonne of God was thus begotten from the dead yea might the soules of those and other righteous men have looked upon their bodies oâ— reliques in the dust they would have loathed their company and abhorred cohabiration with them as being things polluted and uncleane 4 How cleane or well winnowed soever the corne were before it was sowne yet the offspring of it after it dyed in the ground was uncleane The use of greene eares was not lawfull unto this people untill the first fruits were offered up unto the Lord. In like manner albeit Abraham Moses and David were justified whil'st they lived in the flesh even sanctified persons through beliefe in Christ which
was to come Yet their bodies were to inherite their Father Adam's curse Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt returne Subject they were to to corruption altogether incapable of incorruption or immortalitie untill their expected Messias became their first fruits for them Christ saith our Apostle 1. Cor. 15. 20. is risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that sleepe for since by man came death by man came also the Resurrection of the dead So generally true is that of the Apostle that which sanctifieth and that which is sanctified are both of one that is both of one kind Heb. 2. And in this sense that saying of S. Ambrose which some in later ages have much quarrelled is most true When thou hadst overcome the sharpnesse of death thou didst open the Kingdome of heaven to all believers The body of no Saint was capable of entrance into the Kingdome of heaven before this time None could be consecrated unto this service before the Consecration of the high Priest himselfe which was not accomplished till he was begotten from the dead and made the first fruits of them that sleepe 5 Briefly to mould up the scattered or dispersed notions in this and some other former treatises how the fulnesse of all things which were fore-shadowed in the feast of the Passeover with its rites did as our Apostle saith dwel in Christ or how in all things he the preheminence First he is in the literall and most exquisite sense the Israel of God the Son of God which was to passe out of this world unto his Father Secondly hee was the true Paschall Lambe which was slaine for our deliverance from the destroyer and for our safety in this our passage from this world into a better Thirdly he is the reall Moses that must conduct us for he was conductor unto Moses Fourthly he is the first borne of every creature which by his sacrifice did sanctifie all the rest and make them acceptable unto God Fiftly he is the first-borne or first begotten from the dead the first fruits of them that sleepe that is he by whom such as sleepe in death and inhabite darknesse shall be made meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light as well in their bodies as in their soules SECT 6. He Ascended into Heaven CHAP. 35. How the Ascension of the Son of God was presigured by the translation of Enoch and by the taking up of Elias And foretold by the Psalmist Psal 15. and Psal 24. THE Son of God in the day of his sufferings as he was man did ascend in soule into that Paradise into which the soules of Patriarchs of Prophets with the soules of holy and just men that dyed immediately after him or at the same time with him were admitted And on that day at least before the dawning of the next which was the Sabbath he consecrated the celestiall Sanctuary or Paradise with his owne blood But his Ascension into Paradise what part soever of Heaven that were on that day is not the Ascension mentioned in our Creed For when it is said HE ASCENDED into Heaven this must be understood of his Ascention thither in body which was forty dayes after his Resurrection from the dead And into Heaven or that part of Heaven mentioned in our Creede hee did not then ascend only as an high Priest but also as King of Heaven and earth The Day of his Ascension as was mentioned before was the day of his solemne enthronization 2 The manner of his Ascension is punctually related specially by the Evangelist S. Luke in the last Chapter of his Gospell and in the first of the sacred history of the Acts of the Apostles The speciall quaerees concerning his or other Evangelicall or Apostolicall avouchments of his Ascension are but two The first how that which they historically relate or avouch was fore-pictured The second how or by what Prophets fore-told in the sacred Writings of the Old Testament And these two quaeries must be discust not by dichotomy or by way of opposition but either severally or promiscuously as the Texts of the Old Testament shall minister occasion 3 The Ascension of this just and holy one of the great Prophet promised by Moses was first prefigured by the translation of Enoch which was long before the Law was given long before Moses was borne But of Enoch's translation litle can be said upon sure grounds or by just warrant of Scripture Only this we know from authentique testimonies that hee was an holy man and one that pleased God A man both in life and in his translation from this life unto a better who did truly fore-shadow him in whom alone God was and is and ever will be best pleased 4 The manner of Eliah's Ascension or rather of his being taken up from earth into heaven or to a farre better place then earth was more visible and more conspicuous and the time of his taking up more publiquely knowne then the time or manner of Enoch's translation was He was taken or caried up out of Elishah's sight who with many others did expect the time and day of his translation in a fiery Chariot a fit embleme of Eliah's propheticall spirit alwaies burning with zeale towards the service of God even to the destruction of the enemies of it or disturbers of the peace of Israel Our Saviour did rather ascend in a Cloud then was taken up by it albeit taken by it out of their sight which saw him ascend from earth to heaven The cloud it selfe in which he did ascend being an embleme of his sweet and milde spirit of those gracious lips which did alwaies distill words of mercy and love allaying the terrible heat and fervency of Eliah's and other Prophets spirits which had fore-told his first comming into and his going out of this world and his second comming to judge it 5 Two illustrious predictions of his Ascension we have Psal 15. Psal 24. but whether the one or both of these Psalmes which illustrate or confirme the truth of the Evangelicall story be meerly propheticall or typically propheticall or mixt id est thus literally verified in the Psalmists themselves or Pen-men of these hymnes and afterward mystically fulfilled in Christ is more then I dare peremptorily either affirme or deny Most probable it is that the Author of the 15 th Psal which doubtlesse was David himselfe did pen his owne part and exercise his hopes and interest in the future Ascension of his Son and Lord of which he had a present pledge or token by his late restitution into the tabernacle of the Lord from which he had sometimes been excluded not for any crime or demerite nor by any Ecclesiasticall censure of excommunication or suspension but by secular violence of hostile persecution During the time of his exile from the tabernacle hee or the sonnes of Chorah for him uttered those patheticall complaints How amiable are thy tabernacles thou Lord of hosts