368 The Gofeel of the Brazen Altar. There bath been a very unhappy miftake as to this in force of the Ancients, commonly called Fatbers; whole Darknefs in this, and other points, did make way for Popery in after Times. They have applied the Altar to the wooden Crofs on which Chrift was crucified ; they fay, Chrift fuffered in ara cru&, upon the Altar of his Crofs ; but this is-n weak and low Interpretation, yea indeed a dangerous mifiater- pretation of this great Type. a. For firft, the Crofs of Wood was nothing elfe but the inftrument of Manscruelty againft the Lord Jefus Chrift : It bath no fpiritual life nor Vertue in it, it is no Gofpel-myftery ; therefore no need it fhould be typified by fo great a Type. If there be any thingof Old that may any way relate to it, it muft be force fmall Circumftance of force Type, but not fo great and principal a Typeas the Altar. 2. The Altar is greater than the Gift, Matti). 23. 19 but the wood- en Crofs is not greater or more excellent than the Body of our Lord Jefus Chrift, which he gave for us ; nor doth it fanaifie or make Jefus Chrift accepted. Therefore the wooden Crofs is not the Altar. There hath been alfo another weak and impertinent Application of it, which is to be found in force Books of Devotion, viz. The Altar of our Hearts. But wherein the Heart is like an Altar I cannot tell. The fame Argument confutes this alfo ; It is not thy Heart that fanai- fies thee, or thy Services. But then, what is the Altar ? The Anfwer is, That the Altar is Cbriff hinsfelf : So the Holy Ghoft himfelf expounds it, Heb. 13. io. Quefl. But bow doth the Attar reprefent Chrifi ? Anfw. In two ref-pear ; in regard of his Deity, and Prieftly Office. i. It is Chrift in regard of .bis Divine Nature. Real. r. Becaufe his Humane Nature was the Sacrifice, therefore his Deity is the Altar : For in offering Sacrifice there muft be both a Sa- crifice and anAltar. And fo in Chrift there are two Natures, his Deity and Humanity, whereof the Humane Nature being the Sacrifice that wasMain and offered for us, it remains that his other Nature was the Altar. Reafon 2. Becaufe it is the Altar that fanáifies the Gift, Mattb. 23. 19. Exod. 29. 37. But it was the Deity of Chrift that gave that infi- nite vertue and value to his Sufferings. It was his Deity that fan&ified bis Humane Nature, tobe fuch an acceptable Sacrifice to the Lord. Real. 3. Becaufe the Altar did fupport and bear up the Sacrifice. But it was his Divine Nature that did fupport his Humane Natur, in thofe unutterable Sufferings, Bch. 9, 14. Tbrougb the eternal Spirit offered up
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