§. 123. Of having no right to eat of the Christians Altar.
THere is a fearfull doom denounced against all such as adhere to the Ceremonial Law in the time of the Gospel. The doom is this, They have no right to eat of the foresaid Altar. Hereby is implied, that they deprive themselves of the greatest benefit that God ever afforded to children of men: even of Iesus Christ himself, and of the benefit of his Passion and Intercession typified by the Jewish Altars.
This Metaphor * 1.1 to eat, hath reference both to the Legal Rites, and also to the Evangelical truth.
Under the Law the Priests did eat of the Sacrifices offered upon the Altar, Deut. 18. 1.
Under the Gospel all that are spiritual Priests, eat of Christ the true Sacrifice, Ioh. 6. 53, 54.
The eating here meant intendeth a participation of Christ. It is a Metaphor ta∣ken from our usual nourishment of our bodies. By eating meat we partake of the benefit thereof: our life is preserved thereby. Thus by eating Christ we live a spiritual life here, and are preserved to eternal life hereafter. Now we eat Christ by faith, Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith, Eph. 3. 17. Where Christ saith, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life, he addeth by way of illustration, Who so •…•…ateth my flesh, and drinketh my bloud hath eternal life, Joh. 6. 47, 54. This is the be∣nefit of eating of the fore-said Altar, eternal life. Thus to have no right to eat of the Altar here mentioned, is an exceeding great damage; they lose Christ, they lose eternal life.
The b 1.2 Noun translated right is derived from c 1.3 a Verb Impersonal, that signifieth, It is lawfull.
This Noun is variously used. For it signifieth,
- 1. Authority to command, Mar. 1. 27.
- 2. Authority that carries grace and majesty with it, Mat. 7. 28, 29.
- 3. Authority that compriseth government under it. Mat. 8. 9. Rom. 13. 1.
- 4. Power or ability to do what one undertakes, Ioh. 17. 2.
- 5. Power or liberty to do as one will, Rom. 9. 21.
- 6. Power as it intendeth a priviledge or prerogative, Ioh. 1. 12.
- 7. Jurisdiction, Luk. 23. 7.
- 8. A right or property to a thing. Thus it is here fitly translated. The nega∣tive, no right, implieth, that though they profosse themselves to be Christians, and in their own conceit may lay claim to Christ, yet in truth they have no right at all to him: nor to the things which he had done and endured for mans Redemption and Salvation.
This phrase, They have no right to eat, giveth proof, that men may deprive them∣selves of Christ and all his benefits. For they that eat not of him, reap no benefit by him; and they that have no right to eat of him, shall not partake of him. Such were they of whom the Apostle saith, They deny the Lord that bought them, 2 Pet. 2. 1. And they to whom it is said, Christ shall profit you nothing, Gal. 5. 2.