Passion Sunday The Gospel John. 6.v.1 Tuesday Meditation: A Plaine Path-way To Heaven Thomas Hill 1634


GOSPEL (John 8:46-59) 
At that time, Jesus said to the crowds of the Jews, "Which of you shall convince me of sin? If I say the truth to you, why do you not believe me: He that is of God heareth the words of God. Therefore you hear them not, because you are not of God." The Jews therefore answered and said to him: "Do not we say well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a devil?" Jesus answered: "I have not a devil: but I honour my Father. And you have dishonoured me. But I seek not my own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Amen, amen, I say to you: If any man keep my word, he shall not see death for ever." The Jews therefore said: "Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets: and thou sayest: If any man keep my word, he shall not taste death for ever. Art thou greater than our father Abraham who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Whom dost thou make thyself?" Jesus answered: "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father that glorifieth me, of whom you say that he is your God. And you have not known him: but I know him. And if I shall say that I know him not, I shall be like to you, a liar. But I do know him and do keep his word. Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day: he saw it and was glad." The Jews therefore said to him: "Thou art not yet fifty years old. And hast thou seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them:"Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham was made, I AM." They took up stones therefore to cast at him. But Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
Tuesday

It is a world to see what washings and purification the priests of the old law were to use, before they might presume to offer their sacrifices to God, and to his honor and glory. What admirable sumptuous and vast vessels Solomon made forth,it wash not only the sacrifices, but themselves? and what washings purification and expiation the people were to use, if they had incurred the least uncleanness, or mendacity in the world, before they could be admitted to the Sacrifice or Temple? yea if they had but touched any thing that was made unclean, or propane by the law. as a dead carcass or the like.

As their sacrifices were figures & representations of our, to wit of the sacrifice of Christ, by which he as a priest offered his holy body and blood to his eternal father upon the cross once for all, wherein all the sacrifices of the old law were consummated and ended; and which he, being a priest forever, according to the order of Melchidesech, doth in his priests continually to the worlds end, offer in the forms of bread and wine, he having done it so himself at his last Supper, and commanding his Apostles, and in them all other lawful priests of the new law to do the like, saying, do this, that is to say, consecrate bread and wine into my body and blood as I do, and by these words as I do, in remembrance of me, that is to say, in remembrance of what I have done for you upon the cross, in a bloody, and what I do here in a unbloodied manner, being all one in substance, though different in manner, and fashion and therefore if one be a sacrifice, so is the other.

As I say the sacrifices of the old law were figures of the new law of grace So was the external purity and cleanness commanded to the priests and people towards their sacrifices, a figure of the internal purity and cleanness of us, towards ours of the blessed Sacrifice and Sacrament of the Altar.

And therefore before we presume to celebrate or receive the blessed Sacrament of the Altar, we must, as saint Paul admonisheth us, prove ourselves, we must summon all our thoughts words and deeds before our consideration, and ask of them that question which Christ did here of the Jews a little before he offered himself upon the cross, which of you can accuse me of sin? and so clean, approve (as saint Paul termeth it) ourselves, by sacramental Confession, before we presume to come unto it, if we find we have need thereof, and may conveniently have it: for otherwise, as saint Paul saith, if we eat the body of Christ and drink his chalice unworthily, we eat and drink judgment to ourselves, not judging aright of the body of Christ: for, as saint Paul reasoneth in another place, if whosoever violated the law of Moses, died for it, without any favor: how much more are we to think, he deserveth worser punishment, that treadeth the son of God, to wit in the blessed Sacrament, under the blood of the Testament, wherewith he is sanctified, and offereth contumely to the spirit of grace? .

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