The sacrifice of Jesus, and of a goat,
an evident type of Christ crucified.
UNDERSTAND then my beloved
children, that the good God 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 God
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 God 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 prick 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 God.
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.