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Quest. 83. How this couenant was ratified and confirmed.
Some doe expound these words, multis, with many, of the diuerse wayes and meanes whereby this couenant was ratified, Perer. but the word larabbini, to many, is beter vnder∣stood of the persons, with whom or for whom this couenant shall be ratified, as the pr••po∣sition lamed sheweth: yet true it is, that this couenant was ratified and confirmed many wayes. 1. First, it was ratified by many glorious testimonies of our Blessed Sauiour. 1. of the Angels,* 1.1 Luk. 2. 2. of the wisemen that came from the East and worshipped, Matth. 2. 3. of the holy men and women, then liuing at the time of Christs birth, as of Zacharie, E∣lizabeth, Sim••on, Anna, Luk. 1. 2. 4. of Iohn Baptist, who gaue witnesse to Christ. 5. of God the father from heauen, Math. 3. 6. of Moses and Elias, which appeared in the mount where Christ was transfigured, Matth. 17. 7. of the Pharisies themselues, as Nicodemus said, we knowe thou art a teacher come from God, Iohn. 3. 8. yea of the deuils themselues, who beeing cast out of men, cried out and confessed that he was Christ the Sonne of God. 2. The second kind of confirmation was by the prophecies of the old Testament concer∣ning the Messiah, which were all fulfilled in Christ, as the historie of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Gospell sheweth. 3. The third ratification was by Christs wonderfull and most glorious miracles. 4. by his holy life and conuersation. 5. by the predictions of our Lord himselfe, which are noted to be seuen. 1. of the ruine and destruction of the citie, Luk. 19. 43. 2. of the miracles which should be wrought by his disciples, Mark. 14. 17. 3. of the great persecutions which his disciples should suffer for his name, Iohn. 16. 2. 4. of the preaching of the Gospell tho∣rough the world, Act. 1. 8. 5. of the propagating of his Church ouer the world: Ioh. 10. 16. 6. of the continuance of the same Church, as hauing a most sure foundation beeing builded vpon the rocke, Matth. 16. 18. 7. of his owne death, his resurrection, Mat. 16. 21. and the sending of the Holy Ghost, Act. 1. Perer.
6. But Lyranus also mentioneth sixe wayes, whereby Christ confirmed this couenant, praedicando, miracula faciendo, &c. by preaching, doing of miracles, in dying, rising againe, ascending, and sending the Holy Ghost.
7. But by two wayes chiefely was this couenant ratified and confirmed, by the declarati∣on, and publishing thereof by his preaching, and by the sealing thereof by his most pre∣cious blood: like as a Testament, is first declared and written, and then confirmed by the death of the Testator; So in the death of our Blessed Sauiour, was the couenant before set forth by his preaching, fully established, as Oecolampad. Scimus, &c. in morte ipsa proprie foe∣dus confirmari, &c. we know, according to the author of the epistle to the Hebrewes, that the couenant was properly confirmed in his death, &c. And this further may be made plaine thus. 1. by the type and figure: as Moses tooke the booke of the lawe, and reade in it, and then sprinkled the blood vpon the people, saying, this is the blood of the couenant, Exod. 24. 8. so the booke of this couenant declared by Christs preaching was made sure in his blood. 2. This also appeareth by the institution of the Lords supper, where Christ saith of the cuppe representing his blood, this is the newe Testament in my blood, &c. Luk. 22. 20. that is, a signe, seale, and representation thereof. 3. the Apostle sheweth this also by the na∣ture and condition of a Testament, which is confirmed when men are dead, Heb. 9. 17. and so in this place the Septuagint translate the Hebrewe word berith, by the Greeke word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, testament, for the word signifieth both a couenant and a testament, as Budeus shew∣eth in his commentaries: for the ratifying then and confirming of this will and Testament of our Sauiour, his death and passion was necessarie, with the shedding of his most pretious blood for the remission of our sinnes.