CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

¹But to answer this: 1. No doubt but the common and ordinary sort of them was greatly ignorant of Christ, and therefore rested in their Sacrifices, and the knowledge of the Law, as the only thing that made them acceptable; This is plain by the Apostles Arguments in his Epistle to the Galatians, and we see by the Prophets they so relied upon these external services, that they thought themselves beloved of God, though abounding in all wickedness: And no wonder they did so, for under the Gospel how many rest on their duties, and have no faith in Christ.

¹But to answer this: 1. No doubt but the common and ordinary sort of them was greatly ignorant of Christ, and therefore rested in their Sacrifices, and the knowledge of the Law, as the only thing that made them acceptable; This is plain by the Apostles Arguments in his Epistle to the Galatians, and we see by the Prophets they so relied upon these externall services, that they thought themselves beloved of God, though abounding in all wickednesse: And no wonder they did so, for under the Gospel how many rest on their duties, and have no faith in Christ.

1. 1Answ.

But 2. Those that were holy and godly, they looked upon all their bodily Sacrifices as Types of Christ; It was Christs blood they put confidence in; The Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews shows, that God intended Christ by those Sacrifices, and that the blood of Rams and Goats could never cleanse away sin, as this was Gods meaning, so the Priests and Prophets they explained the meaning thereof to the people, and sometimes they have clear promises of a Saviour, a Messiah to come to them, who shall be a Prince of Peace, and shall bear their sins for them, as Isaiah speaks like an Evangelist to this purpose, which made the Apostle say that the Prophets did bear witness of Christ; Abraham he saw Christs day and rejoiced,