The Forbidden Gospels and Epistles Part 53

3 What then? Is our hope built upon a stone? G.o.d forbid. But because the Lord hath hardened his flesh against sufferings, he saith, I have put me as a firm rock.

4 And again the prophet adds; The stone which the builders refused has become the head of the corner. And again he saith This is the great and wonderful day which the Lord hath made.

a I write these things the more plainly to you that ye may understand: I For indeed I could be content even to die for your sakes.

5 But what saith the prophet again; The counsel of the wicked encompa.s.sed me about. They came about me, as bees about the honey-comb: and, Upon my vesture they cast lots.

6 Forasmuch then as our Saviour was to appear in the flesh and suffer, his pa.s.sion was hereby foretold.

7 For thus saith the prophet against Israel: "Woe be to their soul because they have taken wicked counsel against themselves, saying; let us lay snares for the righteous, because he is unprofitable to us."

8 Moses also in like manner speaketh to them; Behold thus saith the Lord G.o.d; Enter ye into the good land of which the Lord hath sworn to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, that he would give it you, and possess it; a land flowing with milk and honey.

9 Now what the spiritual meaning of this is, learn; It is as if it had been said, Put your trust in Jesus, who shall be manifested to you in the flesh. For man is the earth which suffers: forasmuch as out of the substance of the earth Adam was formed.

10 What therefore does he mean when he says, Into a good land flowing with milk and honey?

Blessed be our Lord, who has given us wisdom, and a heart to understand his secrets. For so says the prophet, "Who shall understand the hard sayings of the Lord? But he that is wise, and intelligent, and that loves his Lord."

11 Seeing therefore he has renewed us by the remission of our sins, he has put us into another frame, that we should have souls like those of children, forming us again himself by the spirit.

12 For thus the Scripture saith concerning us, where it introduceth the Father speaking to the Son; Let us make man after our likeness and similitude; and let them have dominion over the beasts of the earth, and over the fowls of the air, and the fish of the sea.

13 And when the Lord saw the man which he had formed, that behold he was very good; he said, Increase and multiply, and replenish the earth. And this he spake to his son.

14 I will now show you, how he made us a new creature, in the latter days.

15 The Lord saith; Behold I will make the last as the first.

Wherefore the prophet thus spake, Enter into the land flowing with milk and honey, and have dominion over it.

16 Wherefore ye see how we are again formed anew; as also he speaks by another prophet; Behold saith the Lord, I will take from them; that is, from those whom the spirit I of the Lord foresaw, their hearts of stone, and I will put into them hearts of flesh.

17 Because he was about to be made manifest in the flesh and to dwell in us.

18 For, my brethren, the habitation of our heart is a 'holy temple unto the Lord. For the prophet saith again, In what place shall I appear before the Lord my G.o.d, and be glorified?

19 He answers I will confess unto thee in the congregation in the midst of my brethren; and will sing unto thee in the church of the saints:

20 Wherefore we are they whom he has brought into that good land.

21 But what signifies the milk and honey? Because as the child is nourished first with milk, and then with honey; so we being kept alive by the belief of his promises and his word, shall live and have dominion over the land.

22 For he foretold before, saying, increase and multiply, and have dominion over the beasts, fishes, and birds.

23 But who is there that is now able to have this dominion over the wild beasts, or fishes, or fowls of the air? For you know that to rule, is to have power; that a man should be set over what he rules.

24 But forasmuch as this we have not now, he tells us when we shall have it; namely, when we shall become perfect, that we may be made the inheritors of the covenant of the Lord.

CHAPTER VI.

The sacrifice of Jesus, and of a goat, an evident type of Christ crucified.

UNDERSTAND then my beloved children, that the good G.o.d hath before manifested all things unto us, that we might know to whom we ought always to give thanks and praise.

2 If therefore the Son of G.o.d who is the Lord of all, and shall come to judge both the quick and dead, hath suffered, that by his stripes we might live; let us believe that the Son of G.o.d could not have suffered but for us. But being crucified, they gave him vinegar and gall to drink.

3 Hear therefore how the priests of the temple did foreshow this also: the Lord by his command which was written, declared that whosoever did not fast the appointed fast he should die the death: because he also was himself one day to offer up his body for our sins; that so the type of what was done in Isaac might be fulfilled, who was offered upon the altar.

4 What therefore is it that he says by the prophet? And let them eat of the goat which is offered in the day of the fast for all their sins. Hearken diligently, (my brethren,) and all the priests, and they only shall eat the inwards not washed with vinegar.

5 Why so? because I know that when I shall hereafter offer my flesh for the sins of a new people, ye will give me vinegar to drink mixed with gall; therefore do ye only eat, the people fasting the while, and lamenting in sackcloth and ashes.

6 And that he might foreshow that he was to suffer for them, hear then how he appointed it.

7 Take, says he, two goats, fair and alike, and offer them; and let the high priest take one of them for a burnt offering. And what shalt be done with the other? Let it, says he, be accursed.

8 Consider how exactly this appears to have been a type of Jesus. And let all the congregation spit upon it, and p.r.i.c.k it; and put the scarlet wool about its head; and thus let it be carried forth into the wilderness.

9 And this being done, he that was appointed to convey the goat, led it into the wilderness, and took away the scarlet wool, and put it upon a thorn bush, whose young sprouts, when we find them in the field, we are wont to eat: so the fruit of that thorn only is sweet.

10 And to what end was this ceremony? Consider; one was offered upon the altar, the other was accursed.

11 And why was that which was accursed crowned? Because they shall see Christ on that day having a scarlet garment about his body; and shall say: Is not this he whom we crucified; having despised him, pierced him, mocked him? Certainly, this is he, who then said, that he was the Son of G.o.d.

12 As therefore he shall be then like to what he was on earth, so were the Jews heretofore commanded, to take two goats fair and equal; that when they shall see (our Saviour) hereafter coming (in the clouds of heaven), they may be amazed at the likeness of the goats.

13 Wherefore ye here again see a type of Jesus who was to suffer for us.

14 But what then signifies this, That the wool was to be put into the midst of the thorns?

15 This also is a figure of Jesus, set out to the church. For as he who would take away the scarlet wool must undergo many difficulties, because that thorn was very sharp, and with difficulty get it: So, says Christ, they that will see me, and come to my kingdom, must through many afflictions and troubles attain unto me.

CHAPTER VII.

The red heifer, another type of Christ.

BUT what type do ye suppose it to have been, where it is commanded to the people of Israel, that grown persons in whom sins are come to perfection, should offer an heifer, and after they had killed it should burn the same;

2 But then young men should take up the ashes and put them in vessels; and tie a piece of scarlet wool and hyssop upon a stick, and so the young men should sprinkle every one of the people, and they should be clear from their sins?

3 Consider how all these are delivered in a figure to us.

4 This heifer is Jesus Christ; the wicked men that were to offer it are those sinners who brought him to death; who afterwards have no more to do with it: for the sinners have no more the honour of handling it:

5 But the young men that performed the sprinkling, signified those who preach to us the forgiveness of sins, and the purification of the heart, to whom the Lord gave authority to preach his Gospel: being at the beginning twelve, to signify the tribes, because there were twelve tribes of Israel.

6 But why were there three young men appointed to sprinkle?