Book 11. CHRIST AN ALTAR. I N F E R E N C E ~ I. THESE Things !hew the great Value God puts upon the" Souls of Men, that rather than they fhould mifs the Knowledge of his Will, and perilh for want of Tefiimony to confirm the Trmh, he lent J efus Chrifi his own Son to wimefs and tef– tify Divine Things to them : God who at Jtmdry 'Times, and in divers Manners, fpake in 'l'ime pafl unto our Fathers by the Prophets, bath in theft /aft Days fpoken unto tts by his Son, Heb. i. r. I!. That the Gofpel is to be highly valued as the perfect Will of God witneffed to, not only by him that was true and faithful, but perfect and free from the leafi Stain or Spot of Sin. III. They deferve to be damned that live under the repeated T efiimony of Chrifr the true Witnefs, and yet will not believe it, fo as to be reformed by it. How jha/1 we efeape, if we neglect fo great·Salvation ? Heb. ii. 2, 3. IV. What Confirmation, Efrablifhmenr, and Confolation alfo, is here to all that be– lieve and embrace the Gofpel in Sincerity ? J. This is the Truth, as it is in J efus, 'I'he true Grace of God wherein ye fland, I Pet. v. 12. 2. There is a high Degree of Bkf– fednefs to them that have not feen and yet believed, John xx. 29. 3· The abiding by this Tefiimony and Wimefs of J efus Chrifl gives an lnterefi in, and Right unto eter– nal Life. 4· It advanceth to great Honor, makes Men no lefs than the Children of God, and Joint-heirs with Chrij!, Rom. viii. I 6, 17. V. An Exhortation to all them that have received the ~Titnefs and TeflimonyofJe– fus Chri!l:, to hold it fall: againfl all Oppofition whatfoever. There is great Danger in being alhamedof, and therelinquilhing the Word, and Teflimony of the Son of God : He will be ajhamed of them before God, and the Holy Angels, Luke ix. 26. VI. To them that have not received his T eflimony, to receive it with all Speed, be– caufe it is the ~Tord of Life, the very Dofl:rine of Salvation. It is a fearful Thing to refufe him that fpeaketh from Heaven, and trample under Foot the Blood of the Son of God, Heb. xii. 25. CHRIST AN ALTAR. We have an Altar, whereof they have no Right to eat which ferve the 'l'abenzacle, Heb: xiii. 10. THEGreek Word e"~'"''"P'"' properly fignifies an Altar, where the flain Sacrifices were offered; and fometimes, as Brightman fays on R ev. xvi. 7· The Altar of Incenfe or Perfumes.-It is derived of .:7u~'"'' which fignifies aSacrifice or Offering. In this Text it metaphorically denotes the whole Myfiery of Chrij! the Mediator, and is put by a Synecdoche for the Oblation or Sacrifice, (viz. Chrifl.) See 1 Cor. ix. ' 3· and «· I 8. The meaning is, that fuch as frill ftick to the Ceremonies of the Law by ferv– ing the legal Tabernacle, and thereby feek their Jullification, cannot eat of this fpiri– tual Altar ; that is, they cannot be Partakers of the Benefits of this Sacrifice purchaf– ed by the Death of Chrifl. MET A PH 0 R. I. THE Altar of Perfume was appointed by the Lord, to be made of Shittim Wood, over– laid with Gold, having a Crown of Gold about it. II. The Altar of Burnt-Offer– ings was ordained for Sacrifices, to atone for Sin; the Fle!h of Beafis was offered thereon. Ill. All Sacrifices were to be of– fered upon the Altar of Burnt-Of– ferings; and all Incenfe to be burnt upon the Altar of lncenie. PARALLEL. I. CHRIST's human Nature was covered and over-laid, as it were, with the Divinity, and crowned with Majefty, as the Gold adorned the Wood, and circled the Altar. !I. Chri!l: was appointed for Sacrifice, his hu– man Nature was offered up as a propitiatory Sa– crifice for the Sins of the whole World, Heb. ix. 14. 1 John ii. 2, 3· Ill. All our Duties are to be performed and done through Chrift's Name, and all our Prayers, which are our fpiritual Incenfe are to be made through his Mediation; all mull: be done which God hath appointed, upon his own Altar, or it will be abhorred, Col. iii. I 7· R ev. viii. 4· 5 Q_ lV. The
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