A Golden Chain

And thus much for the seven signs of the power of Christs godhead. ⟨p. 365⟩Now follows the second part of the triumph of Christ, which containeth signs of his victory upon the cross, notably expressed by Paul when he saith,¹ And putting out the hand writing of ordinances which was against us, which was contrary to us, he even took it out of the way and fastened it upon the cross, and hath spoiled the principalities and powers, and hath made a show of them openly, and hath triumphed openly in the same. In which words he alludeth to the manner of heathen triumphs: for it was the custom of the heathen princes when they had gotten the victory over their enemies, first to cause a pillar of stone, or some great oak to be cut down, and set up in the place of victory, upon which either the names of the chief enemies were set, or their heads were hanged, or words were written in the pillar to testify the victory. This being done, there followed an open show, in which first the conqueror prepares for himself a chariot of victory wherein he was himself to ride, and then the chief of his enemies bound and pinioned, were led openly after him. Now on the same manner upon the cross there was a pitched field; the Emperor on the one side was Christ; his enemies on the other side were the world, the flesh, hell, death, damnation, the devil, and all his angels: all which, banding themselves against him were all subdued by him upon the same cross: and he himself gave two signs of his triumph, one was a monument of the victory, the other an open show of his conquest. Now the monument of Christs victory was the cross it self, whereon he nailed the obligation or bill which was against us: whereby satan might have accused and condemned us before God. For we must consider that God the father is as a creditor, and we all debtors unto him: he hath a bill of our hands which is the law, in that it giveth testimony against us; first by the legal washings, which did show and signify that we were altogether defiled and unclean; secondly by the sacrifices that were daily offered for the propitiation for our sins. Now Christ was our surety, and paid every jot of the debt which we should have paid, and requiring the acquittance, taketh the ceremonial law, and the curse of the moral law, and nails them to the cross.

And thus much for the seuen signes of the power of Christs godhead.