A Golden Chain

Having thus entreated of Christs execution, let us now come to the last point, namely the excellency of Christs passion, consisting in these two points: I. a Sacrifice: II. a triumph. For the first, when Christ died he offered a propitiatory and real sacrifice to his father: and herein his death and passion differeth from the sufferings and deaths of all men whatsoever. In this sacrifice, we must consider four things: I. who was the priest. II. what was the sacrifice. III. what was the altar. IV. the time wherein this sacrifice was offered. The priest was Christ himself, as the author of the epistles to the Hebrews proves at large from the third chap. to the 9. and of him we are to consider these four points. The first, what is the office of Christs priesthood. Ans. The office of Christs priesthood stands in three things: I. to teach doctrine, and therefore he is called the high priest of our profession, ¹that is, of the Gospel which we profess, because he is the author and Doctor of the same. II. to offer up himself unto his father in the behalf of man, for the appeasing of his wrath for sin. III. to make request or intercession to God the father, that he would accept the sacrifice which he offered on the cross for us. The second point is, According to which nature he was a priest: whether in his manhood, or in his godhead, or both together? Ans. The office of his priesthood is performed by him according to both his natures: and therefore he is a priest not as the Papists would have him, according to his manhood only, but as he is both God and man: for as he is a Mediator, so is he a priest: but Christ is a Mediator according to both natures: each nature doing that which is peculiar to it, & conferring something to the work of redemption: and therefore he is a priest as he is both God and man. The third point, After what order he is a priest? Ans. The Scripture mentioneth two orders of priests: the order of Levi, and the order of Melchizedek. Christ was not a priest after the order of Aaron: and yet notwithstanding in that priesthood were many notable rites whereby the priesthood of our Saviour Christ was resembled, and we may note five especially.

Hauing thus intreated of Christs execution, let vs now come to the last point, namely the excellencie of Christs passion, cōsisting in these two points: I. a Sacrifice: II. a triumph. For the first, when Christ died he offered a propitiatorie and reall sacrifice to his father: and herein his death and passion differeth from the sufferings and deaths of all men whatsoeuer. In this sacrifice, we must consider foure things: I. who was the priest. II. what was the sacrifice. III. what was the altar. IV. the time wherein this sacrifice was offered. The priest was Christ himselfe, as the author of the epistles to the Hebrewes prooues at large from the third chap. to the 9. and of him we are to consider these foure points. The first, what is the office of Christs priesthood. Ans. The office of Christs priesthood stands in three things: I. to teach doctrine, and therefore he is called the high priest of our profession,