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Chapter 109

That the sacred humanity of Christ our Lord, was figured in the garment of the high Priest; and in the veil which God commanded Moses to make. And what that was, which David begged, when he desired to be sprinkled with Hyssop, that he might so be cleansed.

THE garment, which the high Priest, of the old Law did wear, was to be double died in crimson; because1 the holy Humanity of Christ, which is the garment of his soul, was to be died in blood, being shed, both for the love of God, and man. And this flesh, being nailed upon the Cross; is that veil which God commanded Moses to make, of the2 colour of Hyacinth, Crimson, and Purple, double died; and of white, and well and strongly woven linen, made with the needle; and curiously diversified by several works. For, this holy Humanity, is died with blood, like crimson; it is of a fiery colour, which is signified by the purple, as hath been said; and it is white like fine linen, through Chastity and Innocency; and it is well and strongly woven, for it is not lose or weak, but firmly, and fast put together, under all kind of virtuous discipline, and much affliction. And3 this is well signified by the Hyacinth, which is of a celestial colour; because his body, was framed by the supernatural work of the holy Ghost. For this reason, is it called celestial; and for many other virtues, & perfections thereof, which were contrived by the admirable knowledge, of the wisdom of God The commandment was, that this veil should be hung, upon four pillars, which were to uphold it; which signifieth, that Christ was to be placed, upon the4 four arms of the Cross; and four gospels they also be, which do publish and preach it, throughout the world.

Now, for as much as David (being a Prophet so illuminated by God, in the knowledge of those mysteries which concerned Christ, who was to come) seeing, how deformed himself was grown, by the foul sin, of5 stealing the sheep, and murdering the shepherd; & fearing the wrath of the Omnipotent God, wherewith he was threatened, by the mouth of the Prophet Nathan; he beseecheth God, to take away his6 deformity; and to give him beauty; not with material Hyssop, since the same David said to God, That he took no7 delight in the sacrifice of beasts; but he beggeth to be sprinkled by the flesh & blood of Jesus Christ, being tied with the strings and cords of love, upon the Cross. Believing that though his deformity were great; and that otherwise it was impossible to remove it; yet he should grow white, beyond the whiteness of snow, by the blood, which was to fall from the cross.

O Beautiful blood of Christ our Lord who art so Beautiful. For although thou be as red as Rubies, thou hast power to make a thing more white than snow. O8 if a man had seen, with what violence it was drawn down by those wretches, & with what love it was shed by thee, O Lord, when thou didst stretch forth thine arms, and feet, to be let blood therein, for the remedy of that so lewd disorder, and distemper, which we made by our ill desires, and deeds? With great force, did thine enemies come upon thee, but with much more violence, did thy love assault thee; for it was that, and not they, which overcame thee. David, did style Christ9 beautiful above all the sons of men. But this beautiful creature, who surpassed not only men but Angels, would needs as it were dissemble that beauty of his; and he apparelled the exterior of his body, with the resemblance of that deformity, which possessed our souls. That so, the same deformity might be swallowed up, in the Abyss of his beauty; as some little straw would be consumed, in a huge fire; and that he might give us his own beautiful Image, and make us so resemble him.

Footnotes

  1. How the figurs of the old Testament, were perfected, & fulfiled in the person of our Lord jesus. ↩

  2. Exod. 18. ↩

  3. The colour of the flower hiacinthus is blue, though the colour of that stone, which we know by that name is of a deep yellow. ↩

  4. The cross was made of four parts. One was the length, two the breath, & the other, whereupon the little was written. ↩

  5. The murder which he committed, upon the person of Urias, that so he might continued to enjoy Bersabee his wife. ↩

  6. The deformity of sin & the beauty of grace. ↩

  7. Not in any thing that was only external, but the external sacrifices were to be accompanied by internal sorrow for sin. ↩

  8. At the least, we must now consider it and lament the cause thereof, which is our sin. ↩

  9. Psalm. 44. ↩

Chapter 111 of 115