A commentary vpon the Epistles of Saint Paul to Philemon, and to the Hebrewes together with a compendious explication of the second and third Epistles of Saint Iohn. By VVilliam Iones of East Bergholt in Suffolke, Dr. in Divinity, and sometimes one of the fellowes of the foundation of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge.

VERSE 27.

THe second thing in his Ministerie is his sacrifice, which sur∣passeth the sacrifices of the Priests in the time of the Law: in regard of the time when, of the persons for whom, and the kinde of sacrifice offered by him.

1. For the time: he had no necessity to offer daily, as they did, Num. 28.3, 4.

It was necessary for them to offer daily.

1. Because both they and the people sinned daily.

2. Because their sacrifices were imperfect, and were dayly to be iterated. There was no such necessity for Christ to offer dayly: because he had no sin, and by one sacrifice perfected us for ever.

2. They did offer for their owne sinnes and the peoples too; and that every day: and so did not Christ. He had no sinne of his owne to offer for: and as for the sins of the people, he tooke them all away by one sacrifice.

First: for he must be holy himselfe before hee could make the people holy. Aaron sinned grievously in the calfe.

3. For the kind of sacrifice: they offered things without them∣selves, as Sheepe, Goates, Oxen, &c. Christ offered himselfe: he was Sacerdos & victima, Hebr. 9.14.

We are all sinners, Ministers and people: we must all say, yea even arietes gregis, the Lords prayer: forgive us our trespasses. There∣fore let us not swell in pride one against another: but flie all to the mercy of God in Christ.

Therefore let the best Preacher in the world knocke on his breast with the poore Publican and say; Oh God be mercifull to me a sinner.

The order is here worthy to be observed: he offered first for his owne sins. A Minister in killing of sinne must begin with himselfe. Si vis alios flere, flendum tibi prius: first weepe bitterly for thine own sins, as Saint Peter did, and then make the people to weepe for their sins. I beat downe mine owne body, sayes Saint Paul, least while I preach to others, my selfe should be a reprobate. The like method must be pra∣ctised by all Christians.

First cast the beame out of thine owne eye: let us first represse sinne in our selves. Then in others. As the Priest in the time of the Law first offered for his owne sins: so let us all being Priests by Iesus Christ, first offer up our selves to God. Wee count him a foole that will have more care of his neighbours Sheepe, then of his owne: and shall wee have more care of our neighbours soule, then of our own? Let us first begin with our selves.

There is but one sacrifice of the New Testament, whereby the daily sacrifice of the masse is quite overthrowne. This is a knife to cut the throat of the masse among the Papists: the Priests offer up

Christ dayly, they doe more than needs: there is no necessity of that: for Christ offered up Himselfe once for all. There bee many pregnant places for it in this epistle, as Hebr. 10.11, 12.

I, say the Papists, there is but one bloudy sacrifice, which was once offered on the Crosse, 1 Pet. 3.18. yet there is an unbloudy sacrifice which Christ instituted at his last Supper, where the body and bloud of Christ are offered under the similitudes of bread and wine: which is a commemoration and an application of his sacri∣fice on the crosse to us: for Christ said to his Disciples hoc facite, that is Sacrificate, as the Poet sayes: cum faciam vitula pro frugibus ipse venito: and the Hebrew word (Gnasah) doth often signifie sa∣crificare. After the words of consecration bee said; this is my body, that is given for you, i. that is offered to God the Father for you: this is the bloud of the New Testament, that is shed for many: it was then shed and powred out for a sacrifice to God.

I, but where do they read in any Author, that hoc facite with an accusative case doth signifie to sacrifice? The Poet doth not say, facere vitulam.

2. The Evangelists wrote in Greeke, not in Hebrew or Latine.

Hee then ordained no propitiatory (that's my meaning) sacri∣fice, which was to be offered every day; he instituted a Sacrament, not such a sacrifice.

1. In every sacrifice there is sensible quiddam, as Bellar. con∣fesseth, and they also say, it is an externall thing, and they call it visible sacrificium.

In this imaginarie sacrifice there is no sensible outward thing, that may be discerned by the sences. They say, that the body and bloud of Christ are there invisible under the shape of bread and wine: therefore by their owne position it is no sacrifice.

2. They confesse it to bee an unbloudy sacrifice: and then not propitiatory, for the quicke and the dead, as they will have it: for Hebr. 9.22. Without shedding of bloud there is no remission of sinnes. There is no bloud shed: therefore no remission of sins: and then a masse not worth a figge: thou canst not have the remission of sins by it: but it is a phantasticall dreame of their owne. Let us magni∣fie the Lord Iesus for his owne sacrifice which he offered for us, and lay hold on it by a true and a lively faith.

What did Christ offer for us? not silver and gold, not a Bull, a Sheepe, or a Goate: not the haire of his head, the paring of his nailes, or his little toe, not one of his Disciples, but himselfe. Oh blessed SAVIOUR that spared not himselfe for our sakes! So let us give our selves to him: he, that will be my Disciple, let him de∣ny himselfe and follow mee. We must not only sacrifice our sins for Christ his sake, which wee will hardly doe: but, if occasion re∣quire, offer up our selves for him: we must say with Paul, my life is not deere to me, &c. I am ready not only to be bound, but to dye at Hie∣rusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus.

But alas wee are wanting in love and thankefulnesse to Christ:

hee offered himselfe for us. We will not offer up our pleasures for him. Hee laid downe his owne life for us: we will not lay downe our sinnes for him. Wee will not forgoe our lusts, our covetous∣nesse, pride, drunkennesse for Christs sake: how then shall we offer up our selves for him, as he did for us?