Miscellanies Christian and Judaical, Chapter 27
CAP. XXVII. Of the Passeouer.
THe Passeouer was a full representation of Christs passion: though to the Iewes the Passeouer was more then a meere shadow. To run through the parts of it might bee more then copious: A word and away.
| At the Passeouer the begining of the yeare is changed. | So | At Christs Passouer the beginning of the week is changed. |
The Passeouer was either of a lamb, to signifie Christs innocencie, or of a Kid, to signifie his likenesse to sinfull flesh: as Lyranus.
The Lambe, or Kid was taken vp and kept foure dayes, to see whether he were spotlesse: and (it may be) to scoure and cleanse himselfe from his grasse.
| The Passeouer slaine at euen. | So | Christ slaine at euen. |
| His bloud to be sprinkled with a bunch of hysope. | CHRISTS bloud sprinkled: And of this I thinke Dauid may bee vnderstood: Psal. 51. Cleanse me with Hysope. That is, besprinkle mee with the bloud of the true Paschall Lambe Iesus Christ. | |
| He was to bee rosted with fire. | So Christ tried with fire of affliction. |
These parts were to be roasted.
| His Head | So was CHRIST tortured. | His head with thornes. |
| His legs | His hands & feet with nails. | |
| His inward parts. | His inwards, with a speare. |
Their eating of him, as it concerned the Israelites in their estate, so may it instruct Christians for the eating of the true Passeouer, the Lords Supper.
| The Passeouer eaten | ||
| Without leauen | So the Sacrament of the supper to bee eaten | Without leauen of malice. |
| With bitter herbs. | With bitter repentance. | |
| With loins girt. | With resolution of amendment. | |
| With feet shod. | With preparation to walke better. | |
| With staf in hand. | Lea…ing on the staff of true faith | |
| In hast. | Hasting to leaue this worldly Aegipt. |
Thus was the Passeouer first eaten in Aegypt: after which all Aegypt is strucke, with death of the first borne, and the Aegyptians are now punished with death of their Children for murthering Israels children. This night was ill to them, but the night in the Red Sea was worse.
| At the death of a lambe | Aegypt is destroyed Israel deliuered. | So by the death of a lamb | Hell is destroyed.Mankinde deliuered |
When Israel comes out of Egypt, they bring vp with them Iosephs bones, and so as hee brought them downe thither, so they bring him vp thence.
So when Christ comes vp out of his graue, hee brings dead bones with him, by raising some out of their graues: I cannot thinke it idle, that the Passeouer was at night, and that S. Paul saith, the Israelites were baptized in the sea, which was also by night, and in the cloud: but to shew that these sacraments of Israel looked for a dawning when the true light, which they foresignified should appeare.
The Iewes do find thirteene precepts negatiue and affirmatiue about the keeping of the Passeouer.
1. The slaying of it.
Exod. 12.6.
2. The eating of it.
8.
3. Not to eate it raw or boiled.
9.
4. Not to leaue ought of it.
10.
5. The putting away of leauen.
15.
6. The eating of vnleauened bread.
18.
7. That leauen be not found with them.
19.
8. Not to eate ought mixt with leauen.
20.
9. An Apostata Iew not to eate it.
43.
10. A stranger not to eat it.
45.
11. Not to bring forth the flesh of it.
46.
12. Not to breake a bone of it
46.
13. No vncircumcised to eate of it.
48.
How variously they comment vponupon these as they doe vponupon all things, and how ouercurious they be in obseruing these as they doe all things, their writings do witnesse. Their folding of their bitter hearbes, their three vnleauened cakes, their water, and salt, their searching for leauen, their casting forth of leauen, and their cursing of leauen, their graces ouer their tables, their prayers ouer their hands as they wash them, their words ouer their vnleauened bread, their remembring how they liued in Aegypt, and came out, their words ouer their bitter hearbes, their Passeouer Psalmes the 113. and 114. all these and their other Ceremonies are set downe accurately in their Common prayer booke, which I would not hauehave denied to the reader in English, both for his recreation, satisfaction, and some instruction, but that I know not whether I should actum agere: doe that which some one hath done before. And besides I write these things not as foreign but foreign, not set studies, but stolne houres, employing my idle houres to the writing of these studies, that I may witnesse to some, that my whole time is not idle. But it may be I may seeme more idle in thus writing, then if I had beene idle indeed: to them that thinke thus, I can onelyonly answer: It is youth: Age may doe better.