such like names by which wee call you either we haue this earnest affection to winne you vnto Christ or else in the pulpit also we haue learned to dissemble I note this now bothe to stiâ—…re vp my selfe and to admonish other for I heare daily such louing names of the people in the preachers mouthes and I pray God as much louing affection may be in their heartes vnto them An other thing in these woordes of the Apostle taught vs is this what the cause is why all the day long the Lord speaketh vnto vs and few regard it and the cause is an vnbeleeuing heart therefore the Apostle saith Take hede there be not in anie of you an euil and vnbeleeuing heart to fall away from the liuing God which wordes he addeth as a declaration of the former wordes of the prophet where he saith It is a people that doe erre in their heartes for they haue not knowen my wayes heere we must first see where is the roote and founteine of our sinne whiche is not farre off from euery one of vs in the East or West or ends of the world but it springeth vp and is nourished in our owne hearts and what soeuer is euill in vs here it hath his founteine in which wee knowe first our sinne is our owne and of our selues it riseth accuse not neither this nor that but humble thy selfe and confesse thy sinne which is bredd within thee It is true we haue many tentations but we could not be ouercome of them if the corruption of sinne were not within vs for our Sauiour Christ was also tempted yet he sinned not the cause was wheÌ„ the prince of this world came vnto him he founde nothing in him if it were so in vs all temptations should be in vaine but we because we are borne in sinne and no goodnesse dwelleth in our flesh therefore we are streight carried as we moste desire and our owne concupiscence giueth strength to our tentations And againe here we see as our hart is a root of sinne so there is no sinne but commeth from the heart if thy heart accuse thee not be of good comfort thy sinnes are abolished if thy heart condemne thee mock not thy selfe for thy sinne abideth Our Sauiour Christ sayth The things come not from without which do defile a man but they do proceede froÌ„ the heart that is within for out of the heart come euill thoughtes murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse slaunders all such things as defile a man. A notable sentence and ful of godlie comforte in all our life for when I see so many men vexed in minde this way or that way some vowe pilgrimages some obseruation of dayes some absteine from meates some one thing some an other in this wauering of many my hope is stedfast I fear not meat drink day time place person for all this serueth mee and I serue the Lord before whom wheÌ„ my heart is fetled in loue and obedience al the world beside cannot defile me Let vs therfore take good heede of this and we take good heede to the safest tower of defence that wee haue in all our life take heede of thy heart for if it accuse thee it will kill thee if it be on thy side let the heauens fall yet the ruines of it shall not make thee affraide let thy aduersaries be who they will let their counsell be neuer so subtile and thy destruction that is conspired neuer so cruell yet if thy heart shal be faithful thine enimies shall feare more then thou they shal be ashamed more then thou for innocencie assisteth thee which is strengthened with the arme of God and is not vanquished of a vaine man Let vs followe then the calling of the Apostle and let vs regarde well our heartes Now as this is the safetie of thy life to haue thy heart cleane so marke these wordes of the Apostle and he wil teach thee how to haue thy hart cleane Let there not be in any saith he an euil hart of infidelitie Infidelitie is it whiche maketh thy heart abound in euill and if by any meanes it can get roome to lodge within thee thy heart is taken and imagineth from henceforth al mischiefe When our Sauiour Christ so manie times reproueth sundrie sorts of men he maketh this as a generall fault of all that They are vnfaithfull and slowe to beleeue When Saint Paul condemneth them as reprobate men which do neuer see the light of the Gospell he maketh this the cause of their sin that The God of this world hath blinded the eyes of their vnbeleeuing heart And if we will be free from so great a plague let vs follow this counsell of the Apostle that there be not in vs vnbeleeuing hearts Let vs be as our Sauiour Christ teacheth Thomas to be not vnfaithfull but faithful Whatsoeuer is spoken in the worde of trueth let it haue within vs a sure persuasion If God say hee wil be our defence and our exceeding great rewarde let vs beleeue the assuraunce of his promise and knowe he will not leaue his Sainctes neither yet forsake them If God haue promised eternall life to those that walke faithfully before him let vs beleeue his word that a thousande thousande and ten thousand thousand yeres before him haue none account neither yet any time which can be expired at the last but aboue all time in immortalitie he hath established a dwelling for his Sainctes If God haue threatened eternall fire to consume and deuour his enimies let neuer our heartes doubt or wauer through the temptations of the diuell but let vs acknowledge it in a certeine trueth and beleeue it as if wee hearde euen nowe the fearefull voice to sound Go yâ—… cursed into eternall fire With such a beleeuing hearte let mee foresee the latter ende and I shall not sinne for euer But take nowe this feare awaye of those last iudgementes and bring a wauering heart to Gods promises and the sentence is pronounced ouer thee because thou hast not beleeued trueth thou shalt erre in thine hearte and beleeue lyes till vanitie waste away thy yeres and thou fall into the destruction whiche thou shalt feele before thou canst beleeue that it is prepared And let vs not onely beleeue these last thinges of which last of all men must haue experience but in all thinges nowe incident into our life Let vs not be hard hearted but beleeue the trueth what it speaketh vnto vs. If Paule say The glorie of the wicked is to their shame let vs yet while we haue time beleeue it and cast out suche ambitious desires as moste assuredly shall bring confusion If Paule say They that wish to be rich they fall into teâ—…tations and into snares and into many foolish and hurtfull desires which drowne 〈◊〉 perdition and distruction why do we not beleeue it and why make wee not our affections as straunge from couetousnesse as we wishe to be farre off
priest of the olde lawe must necessarily be a naturall man then that he must do the worke of the people in thinges apperteining to God thirdly that he must doe it with some sacrifice fourthly with compassion for the peoples errours in all which Christ onely is excellent aboue all other Now the Apostle goeth forward and yet sheweth a fifte propertie of the high priest afore and that is that he was called of God and thrust not himselfe into that roome function To this purpose now it followeth And no man taketh vnto him selfe this honour but he that is called of God as was Aarō then in the two verses following sheweth howe in this also Christe excelled Aaron and had a more glorious calling then he first because an high decree of God was pronounced by the Prophete in which vnder the name of a soone God ordeyned him priest saying Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Againe he called him not vnto a priesthood of signes and shadowes which endured but for a while but he called him to the true priesthood it selfe which chaunged not but made him a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech So as the sonne is higher then a seruant the trueth better then the figure of it and that which abydeth euer better then that which in time is abolished so much this calling of Christ exceedeth Aarons calling and all the priestes of the lawe Heere let vs first learne sith the Apostle speaketh plainely No man taketh honour to him selfe but he that is called of God as Aaron was that bothe it is vnlawfull for any man without a calling to take vppon him the ministerie neither yet any calling ought to be which is not according to the will of God for seeing the ministerie is honourable and hee is iustly honoured that executeth it faithfully how can I exalt my selfe but of right I ought againe to be brought lowe and in steede of glorie haue shame for what doe I in this but rob Christe of his glorie who is head of his Churche and appointeth ministers whom hee will who ruleth in the house of Iacob and ordeyneth officers at his owne pleasure If in an earthlie kingdome subiectes would presume to take offices at their owne choice were it not extreme confusion vtter reproche and shame vnto the prince howe muche more to bring this confusion into the Churche of Christ Therfore both our Sauiour Christ himselfe did openly ordeine his own apostles neuer any of them executed that office but with protestation that they had this calling of God therfore their Epistles beginne as you reade Paule an Apostle of Iesus Christ. Peter the seruant of Iesus Christ. And y same frō the beginning hath beene a perpetuall lawe in the church of god Moses Dauid Esay Ieremie and all the residue they tooke not this honour to them selues but were called of God in the name of God they declared vnto the people his visions and his wordes from which if they declyned to the righte hand or to the leste they made them selues sinners and not onely thus it is in the ministerie but for as much as the Apostle giueth it a generall terme No man taketh honour vnto him selfe euen in the common wealth in matters of this vaine life not onely the God of peace wil not haue his people to liue in confusion euery man to exalte himselfe but also limitteth to euery one the bounds of his calling in which God hath giuen him honour and without which bothe hee sinneth against God and offendeth his Prince that hath appointed him The Iustice muste deale with those thinges whiche apperteine vnto a Iustice a iudge with the things of a iudge and as it is rebellion for the priuate man to resist the magistrate so is it presumptiō in a magistrate to take vpō him aboue his calling We haue gotten amōg vs I know not what prouerb which cōmonly we call A cast off our office if this bee to cast off the lawe of our calling and take more honour then is giuen of the higher power we deserue it right wel if for such prety castes our selues should be cast quite out of our places for in matters aboue vs we be all priuate men and must goe vnto them to whom God hath giuen the iudgemente where we our selu◅s haue the place of honour there let vs be faithful as before the Lord. The second thing to be learned in these wordes is that we haue all such a calling as we may be sure it is of God for we must be called of God as Aaron was Heere dearely beloued I woulde wee had no cause to complaine or seeing thinges are so ill as they are I would we had the spirite of the prophete Ieremie to wishe that our handes were full of water or in our eyes were a founteine of teares that we might weepe day and night for the sinnes of our nation then the Lorde in due time would hearken vnto vs and the highest from his holy seate woulde regarde vs that our eyes might see all our ruines restored But nowe touching this calling in magistrates and officers of our common wealth I will say no more but in one worde as the scripture speaketh God calleth him vnto his dignitie who is orderly appointed and is a man of courage fearinge God dealing truely hauing no respecte of persons and hating couetousnesse otherwise if by bribing by ambition or by any vnlawfull meanes he come to his preferment the more he knoweth himselfe the more he wil feare least his calling be not of God but this they will regarde to whome it belongeth our speciall doctrine here is in the callinge of the ministers wherof by the grace of god I wil tel you the trueth but because this and other thinges are nowe in bitter controuersie betweene our selues so that the vncharitable wordes of our mouthes are witnesses against vs of the euill affections of our hearts and our hurtfull doings one toward another do shew abundantly that euil will hath taken deepe root within vs I protest y I haue neither part nor fe lowship in this diuisiō but in loue vnitie I beare him witnesse who speaketh trueth and beare with his errour who is deceiued acknowledging my self more vnworthie then either both And that you dearly beloued may hold fast the bonde of peace and not be broken off with euerie temptation I befeeche you consider but this with me hath not God giuen his gifts diuersly to one more to one lesse to one ten pounds as it is in the parable to another but one and can we thē all know a like must we not of necessity one know more another lesse one be more wise another lesse one vnderstand this truth another that euen as God reuealeth it and euerie one of vs haue our wantes in which wee may bee better taught and shall it not be euer so as long as our knowledge is in part we see not the
God nothing must make thee breake the righteousnes of it not thy profite not thy pleasure not thy kinsman not thy friend not thy Father not thy King for if thou do thou hast sinned and thy sinne will finde thee out in the day in which shal be saide Come giue account of thy stewardshippe The Prince may sette thee in the seate of iustice but the prince must not make thee pe◅uert iustice he may giue thee an office but he cannot giue thee thy Quietus est for the vnfaithfulnesse of thine office if magistrates officers knew this they would not so ambitiouslie sue as they doe when they had obteined they would bee more faithfull then they are but this is a desperate disease and for me let it grow til it be rottennesse in their bones I speake not in hope of any amendment but I beare witnes of their sinne against the day of vengeance Further I say nothing they haue made their gaine their God and with the idol to which they are ioyned let them alone In this matter of faithfulnesse which we haue in hande let vs learne this that as it is necessarie in all so it is especially necessarie in the minister And to the ende that we may all learne what is the faithfulnesse of a minister let vs see what was in Christ whose faith is the example for all to followe It followeth He was faithful as Moses in all his house What was the faithfulnes commended in Moses That he did in euerie point acording to that which God had commaunded and pretermitted nothing of all that the Lord had saide This was then the faithfulnesse of Christe to doe nothing but at the will of his Father and this Saint Iohn witnesseth expresly in many places that Christe did and saide all things according to the word and will of his Father And thus Sainct Paule when he would shewe the faithfulnesse of him selfe and his fellowes he saith He maketh no merchandize of the worde of God nor mingleth it as vinteners doe their wine but speaketh as from God himselfe And in another place he saith He doth not mingle deceipt with the word of god Now the worde it selfe is called by Sainct Peter the milke that is without all deceipt shewing whatsoeuer is else of man it is falshod and no sweete nourishment of life in it therefore he that is faithfull speaketh onely the wordes of Christ as S. Paule saith in cleare and manifest declaration of trueth And expressely in plaine woordes this is taught vs by Paule in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians saying Our exhortation was not by craftinesse nor by deceipt nor by vncleanesse but as God allowed of vs to commit his Gospel vnto vs so wee spake not as studying to please men but to please God who tryeth our heartes neither euer did wee either flatter you as you know nor sought subtile meanes to winne ought vnto our selues as God is our witnesse Here is the image of this faithfull minister like vnto Christe one that preacheth nothing but the worde of God nor for any cause but for Gods glorie How many ministers know this the Lorde alone can tell but howe fewe followe it all we this day are witnesses And I may almoste say heere as I saide afore of officers I speake not for any hope I see of amends for I assure you it is almost with vs in the ministerie as it was in Esaies time with y people of Israel The whole head is sick and the whole heart is heauie from the sole of the foote to the crown of the head there is nothing whole therein but woūds swellinges and sores full of corruption from the priests of the highest chaires to the beggerly curates of the countrie a generall neglecte is of this faithful teaching of Gods people The other greatest part of vnfaithfulnesse is when we corrupt and defile the word of God committed vnto vs to mingle it with our owne deuices bring it into small account that we might magnifie our owne traditiōs this vnfaithfulnes we pray day and night that the Lord would keepe it from vs and we exhort you in the name of the Lorde receiue the worde ingraffed in you whiche can saue your soules and receiue the immortall seale which is the word of the liuing God by which you may be regenerate where in you haue the power of God to saluation through a pure faith and haue no trust in man for euerie man is a liar This faithfulnes by the grace of God we bring vnto you and beseech you to abide vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets but of this faith what one ◅ot or title is left vnto our aduersaries Zimrie was as faithful vnto Elahor or Hazael to Benhadad as they haue ben faithfull to the Lord Iesu in this behalfe for what is it else but to be guiltie of y death of Christ to pollute as they haue done his Testament which was confirmed in his bloud What is it but to bring him downe againe from heauen or to raise him vp againe from the dead to take away from vs the word of faith printed in our hearts by the preaching of his Gospell and to sende vs to Rome to inquire of our religion Surely dearely beloued I tell you true and yet not I but Paule nor Paule but Christ y he that sendeth vs beyond the seas to learn our faith when we haue the word of God at home he is an vnfaithfull creature adulterating the word of God and as one that would pull Christe againe downe from heauen and all the Decrees and Decretalles and Constitutions of the church of Rome which they haue ioyned to Gods word and tel you you must needes beleeue them they are the verie fornications of the whore of Babylon and haue no thing but filthinesse in them and if any doubt of it let him consider what hath ben said This was the faithfulnes of our Sauiour Christe to speake onely the woordes whiche his Father had commaunded him to speak This was the faithfulnesse of Christs Apostles to preache only what our Sauiour Christ had taught them This is our faithfulnes to beleeue according to the preachinge of the Apostles and to be built vpon their foundation not the Pope who hath exalted him selfe and cōmeth with his dispensatious against God the Father againste his Sonne Christ against his Apostles and maketh Lawes of his owne what a periured and faithlesse creature is he And thus farre of the ministers faithfulnesse Now more touching this comparison here made betwene Christ and Moses there is no doubt but the Apostle vseth it the more to ioyne the Hebrues vnto Christe for howe they accompted of Moses he knewe well and what soeuer was spoken of him they did willingly applie them selues to marke it learne it his praise did winne their affections to be more equally bent to learne christ Taking this occasion
here plainely teacheth vs that we be the house of God if wee holde the reioycing of our hope stedfast and sure vnto the ende and if there bee an other people which haue cast their hope from them and taken in stead of it a new fancie worldly minded mē which bring our worldly speeche to measure the trueth of God because in worldly things we say we hope of that which we can not surely tell whether we shall haue or no therefore to make also the hope of saluation a desire in vs whereof we are vncerteine if I say there be any such people let them boast they are the church yet we know they are not the church but an absurde people for let them aunswere mee but this one question I aske of them whether they be sure they are the church of God or no if they be not sure they be blinde leaders of the blind shall we follow them who knowe not whether they go If they be sure doe they thinke the Church of God can perish if it cannot the hope of it is sure and no man can come into it but he must haue his portion in this assurance of hope And al this I speake not as though Gods children are euerie one and alwayes in this assurance for sometime their faith is weake and their hope is shadowed that they might humble them selues vnder the hand of God till they doe acknowledge their owne vnworthines and hunger and thirst after the righteousnes of Christ but in all their weakenesse they wil confesse their sinne and say they ought more assuredly to holde their hope onlie this I say and this the Apostle sayth this is the doctrine of the house of God that they ought to holde the reioycing of their hope stedfast and sure vnto the ende and this doctrine that our hope is doubtfull and can not haue anie assuraunce of the thing we hope for this I say is not the doctrine of Christ nor of the house that he hath built but of some other an Idols house house of idolaters y either knowe not whether their God be faithful iust or but a deceiuer or whether thēselues should beleeue his promises or rather mistrust them And thus farr of the church as here the Apostle hath described it Now the third thing which we must here marke for our instruction is perseuerance for so he sayth We m◅st holde our reioycing continuall vnto the ende A most necessarie thing and such as without which all our labour is lost but a thing hard to atteine vnto ful of difficultie know it by the experience of it for scarce one of a great many doth grow vp into seruēcie of zeale so cōtinueth vnto the end And therfore the more daunger is vnto vs in this behalfe the more watchful we must be to auoyd the perill Let vs first know it persuade our selues in it there is no pleasing of God but in this perseuerāce vnto the end for euen as the prophet sayth so we shal find it true If the righteous man of an hundred yere old shal forsake his righteousnes the Lord wil also forget al y righteousnes y he hath done and a most iust cause why our sinnes should be imputed if at any time we should faint fall away for he y can measure his obedience to God by dayes yeeres accompteth times how long he wil walke before the Lord he is not worthie to be reckoned amonge his seruantes nor to be one of Gods children for God is not as men are nor his rewardes are as the rewardes of princes hee measureth not his giftes by such skant accomptes of yeeres and moneths and times past as though at last he could be enuious at our prosperitie but he filleth his hande with blessing and his loue with immortalitie neither is there any ende of his mercie and if we shall come to such cold reckoning to score vp our yeares and number our doings like prentices or hired mē let vs go serue some God that againe scoreth vp his benefites and with an euil eye loketh vppon his louers let vs worshippe with the papists al their abhominations Saint Cornellis who can only keepe vs from the falling sicknes S. Apolline who wil helpe vs of the toothache or some other Gods of the mounteines or Gods of the vallies if thou haue suche a God that can do so litle good make thy bargeine therafter and serue him by times moments But if thou serue y Lord God of hostes whose mercie is ouer all his workes and whose infinite goodnesse doth endure for euer thou seruest a bountifull Lord who giueth thee all things vpbraideth none thou maiest not be a nigardly seruant to giue vnto him either thy hand or thy foot but all is of him withal y must serue him Thou seruest a louing lord who wil not cha◅g his fauour towards thee for euermore thou maist not serue him by account of days but to the last houre thou must euer be faithfull A perfect God a perfect seruant an euerlasting God a perpetuall seruant if thou fall at the last thou art fallen from him and not he from thee thy condēnation is of thy self Therfore our sauiour Christ hath giuen vs a cleare warning that He that setteth his hand◅ to the plowe and looketh backward he is not meete for the kingdome of heauē but thus his promise is vnto vs He that persenereth vnto the ende he shal be safe and in this assurance Sainct Paule helde the reioycing of his hope I haue strouen a good strise I haue finished my course I haue kept my faith Now the crowne of righteousnes onely is behinde which he will giue mee who is the righteous iudge Euen ◅o dearely beloued let vs be constant let vs cast away the burthen that presseth vs downe and this sinne which so easily compasseth vs about and let vs runne with patience all out the race which is set before vs so we shal be like vnto our sauiour Christ who for the ioye that was set before him did despise the crosse and is nowe the authour and finisher of our faith The greatest enimie we haue to make vs slumble and fall that we should not holde this constancie and perseuerance vnto the ende is our owne fleshe And if it may haue any rule in this worke or if we consult with it in these heauenlie thinges wee are vndone and all our labour is lost for our fleshe will like of nothing long All delightes must haue their change and the greater the pleasure is the neerer is safetie in any thing what so euer apperteineth vnto the bodie Wouldest thou neuer so faine sell thy selfe to serue any thing thou shalt finde nothing that will giue thee a perpetual pleasure to buy thy seruice hunger thirst are soone satisfied the heauie cyclid is easily filled with sleepe labour hath wearinesse and rest is soone tedious all play and pastim◅ whiche
resigne our selues ouer to the obedience of the will of God euen as wee looke to enter at the last into that rest and dwelling place which is in heauen not in earth which God had pitched and not man in these words for he that hath entred into his himselfe hath also rested frō his owne woorkes euen as God rested also from his Thus I haue plainely as I coulde shewed you the whole meaning of all these wordes whiche I haue read together vnto you and I haue the fewer thinges seuerally to note vnto you in them because as you haue heard the wordes were most of them mentioned before as occasion was then I spake of them more at large vnto you onely of the other thinges whiche before the Apostle spake not of I will note vnto you what I think necessarie In the thirde verse I tolde you howe the Apostle taught vs that this rest to whiche we bee called was the rest of God from the beginning because from the beginning it was saide God rested the seuenth day what we should learne in this we may plainely see the commaundement Kepe holie the Sabboth day For that day was instituted for this cause because then God rested from his woorkes and in that day a rest is commaunded vnto vs that in it we should do no manner of worke and why dearely beloued shall we rest God is not pleased with idlenesse he wil not haue vs like the idle men that at the ix houre of the day stande still idle in the market but God commaundeth vs to keepe that day holie vnto him which is to serue him in it and not our selues Nowe seeinge in this daye wee muste glorifie God and rest from our owne woorkes to consider his woorkes from which in this day he rested it is plaine and euident that it is a Sabbaoth dayes worke wisely to meditate in all the workes of God for as Paule saith They are the wisdome of God in which we should knowe God and in them the inuisible thinges of God that is his eternall power Godhead that we should knowe him and glorifie him and giue thankes vnto him So we read in the booke of Iob when Eliphas would persuade Iob to the feare and reuerence of Gods maiestie he biddeth him beholde the starres how high they are The prophet Esay when he will assure the church of the mercie of God that he will according to his mightie power fulfill all his promises hee sayth thus Who hath measured the waters in his fist and counted heauen with his spanne and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weyed the mounteines in a weight and the hilles in a balance In meditation of these greate workes of God the Prophet would teache them to feare no man but put their only trust and confidence in god So the Prophet Ieremie setteth out the constant course of the day and night for vs to consider and in it to know how vnchaungeable the loue of God is to all his Sainctes So our Sauiour Christ by the goodlie colours of the flowers of the field he would haue vs learne what a fatherly prouidence God hath ouer his childrē to couer their nakednesse who clotheth so gloriously the vading flower The prophet Dauid in many places and specially Psal. 104. doth make a goodlie rehersal of the prouidence of God in ruling the whole world thereby exhorting vs to obey God to hate iniquitie and concludeth with this excellent sentence Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth the wicked till there be no more O my soule praise thou the Lord praise ye the Lord If wee by these exhortations and instructions can teach all our senses our eyes to see and our eares to heare so that in the creatures of God we can see his glorie loue his goodnesse feare his maiestie expresse his image in all our conuersation then are we sure wee keepe holie his Sabbothes and we inioy the good beginnings of that blessed rest into which we shall enter for euer but if we bee vnprofitable creatures in the world if we haue eyes and see not and eares and heare not and the sight and vse of so excellent werkes can stirre vs vp neither to loue nor feare not once to knowe so excellent a workman we are holden in the bondage of a spirituall Aegypt and wander in straunge vnknowen wayes of a spirituall wildernesse where we haue neither any water of life nor any secret Manna to satiate and fill our faint and hungrie soules we walke in the world as subiects of the world and dwell on the earth as seruants of the earth the oxe the horse do as we do they eate and drinke and see the sunne and vse at their will the day and night and neuer consider him who made all these thinges Let vs not be like vnto them but as we haue hearts able to cōprehend better things so let vs vse them that we may fil our wayes with perfect peace If God haue giuen vs the meane estate of life in which neither wee want not yet abound but our meat our drink our cloathing is suficient vnto vs let vs acknowledge the greate goodnes of god who hath set in vs an example of y estate of life which him selfe hath testified to bee good for vs in y prayer which he hath taught vs all Giue vs this day our daily bread If God haue giuen vs pouertie colde nakednes much affliction let vs think with our selues How good is God vnto vs euen in these days of calamitie for hath he not made vs like his only begotten sonne a man despised in the world of smal account who had experience of all our sorrowe griefe that we againe carrying his image might die with him y we might also reigne with him in the due time which he hath appointed againe let me see this also in my pouertie affliction God hath by this meanes prepared me so that whatsoeuer is done vnto me God will impute it as done vnto himselfe whosoeuer shal mocke or dispise my life he reprocheth god y thus hath made me whosoeuer shal cloth feede harborough me Christ accepteth it as his owne as if he were hungrie receiued meate he were naked and receiued raiment what a marke print of y loue of god is this in me how blessed is this estate which of so manie is thought most miserable if God hath giuen vs high excellent honour if in y middes of my pleasure with a wise hart can thinke thus This is yet the place of my banishmēt my bodi is a prisohouse in which my soule is in bondage my life is a pilgrimage in which I wander as in a coūtrie y is not mine owne and yet if God haue here filled my senses with so many delights if such be the glorie of these kingdomes and this nobilitie If the honour riches of these dayes
Christ what is the office of the true priest and that is that hee be greate and stronge to beare all our infirmities then that hee make an entrance for vs vnto God induing vs now with saith boldenesse of his spirit and finally giuing vs his grace and saluation which things as they were neuer in Aaron nor in all the sonnes of Leuie so they haue clearely appeared in Christe and therfore with boldnesse let vs cleaue vnto him to this effecte is this exhortation Now where he saith Sith therfore we haue a great high priest who hath entred into the heauens Iesus the sonne of God let vs holde this profession I would we could heere learne of the Apostle to bee wise The excellencie of our sauiour Christ both of his person and of his doings was a strong persuasion vnto him to giue glorie vnto Christ alone Seing Christe was the sonne of God full of power to doe all he would who had entred into the presence of his liuing father what man is he shall ioyne him selfe vnto him to claime a parte and fellowshipp in that worke which Christe hath taken vppon him selfe or who that may haue his hope and reioycing in Christ wil cast it off to glorie in a mortall man◅ this madnesse was so greate in the Apostles eyes that as a thing which it grieued him to remember so he besecheth his brethren neuer to let it sink into them but rather seeing Christ was vnto them such a one let them abide in him hold fast his profession Thus we at this day let vs strengthē our faith and aunswer all our aduersaries if the question be whether iustification bee in our owne woorkes let vs say seing Christ the sonne of the liuing God hath beene conceiued of the holie Ghost and borne of a virgine and sanctified himselfe for vs fulfilling all righteousnesse in his flesh and offering vs freely of his fulnesse to be made holie before God we will holde this profession and wee that are but dust and full of euill wee will not ioyne our selues with so excellent a sauiour we renounce our righteousnesse and the righteousnesse of our fathers the righteousnesse of Abraham of Paule of Peter of the virgin Marie and the righteousnesse of Christe shal be our righteousnesse alone If wee be asked whether the Masse be a sacrifice for our sinne let vs aunswer seeing Christ the immaculate lambe of God by his eternall spirit hath offered vp once his owne bodie vppon the crosse and giuen eternall redemption to those that doe beleeue if an impure priest of polluted members will presume to bee one in this businesse let his sinnes be imputed vnto him who with vnchaste handes will needes crucifie againe the sonne of God we will none of his cursed workes but will holde our profession Christ is our sacrifice and sacrificer alone he is the pro pitiation for our sinnes So in all other poinctes if Christ who came downe from heauen and is in the bosome of his father hathe taken vpon him to be our prophet let vs holde this profession and not care what fleshe and bloud can say vnto vs If Christ to whom all power is giuen in Heauen and in Earth who is King of glorie and sitteth on the right hand of maiestie in the highest places if he haue taken vpon him to lose the workes of the diuel and set vs free from his bondage why holde we not this profession or why runne we to holie water belles candels crosses and such vanities as though they holped Christ in his worke Or if all our enimies thinke they can connute this that here we say let them aunswer vs howe is the reason of the Apostle good against the priesthod of Aaron that it is abolished no other sacrifices are but Christ because he is so excellent a priest the sonne of God the greate high priest and hath entred the heauens If this dignitie of his person proue the priesthod onely to bee his why doth not the same proue all these thinges we speake of to be done wrought by him alone or how is it possible that his priesthood for the excellencie of it cannot stand with the priesthood of Aaron which yet was glorious and that it shoulde stande with the filthy stinking priesthood of a greasie handed pope which is loathsome to see heare ▪ or how can his glorie beare no fellowe in his priesthod yet beare the fellowship or any partenership with other in the office of a Kinge and prophet Seeing then it is thus withvs that wee be glorified to haue such a priest so high so greate let vs holde as the Apostle saith his profession and acknowledge no helpers vnto him Thus the Apostle hauing shewed the dignitie and glorie of Christ our priest in the 15. verse following he sheweth also his mercie and compassion that we may knowe him a perfect priest and for this cause he addeth this least the weake Iewes should otherwise be offended and fall at the knowledge of his glorie for hearing our Sauiour Christe exalted as God they would easily thinke and shall the Lord againe speake vnto vs do we not remember the dayes of mount Sinai when he spake vnto them and they were all afraide yea Moses himselfe did he not tremble and the people pray that they might heare him no more shal it be so agiane with vs or hath the Lord spoken and we haue not seene his maiestie to stop this or like offence the Apostle addeth this of his compassion loue for we haue not a high priest which cānot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sorte ▪ yet without sinne the summe of which words are that as we acknowledge Christe to bee the sonne of God so we also beleeue that he was made man like vnto vs and in this participation of nature hath taken also vpon him al our infirmities accounting them as his owne so that we may be bolde to come vnto him who is no more fearfull in the glorie of his maiestie but louing in y similitude of our nature And that it is said here he suffereth with vs is tempted as we made like vs in all things we must vnderstand it by reason of that spirituall and vnspeakable coniunction which we haue with him in that he is our head and we are his members a vnitie not knowen of fleshe and bloud for it is not made of ioynts and sinewes but seene onely with the eyes of faith according as it standeth by participation of the same spirite and when we shal know what the spirite is we shall see the band in whiche we are knitt together and be able to speake it howe Christ now suffereth with vs and howe the afflictions of his sainctes are suche vnto him as if they were in his own bodie euen as he saith Saule Saule why persecutest thou me by which experience the apostle Paule also calleth his afflictions the afflictions of
holden by traditiōs but writtē by Moses not in doubtful testimonie but in manifest shew of the glorie of god And this their opinion they did not think was any coniectural exposition but the manifest word as it was oft repeated that this should be an ordinaunce to them for ouer For this cause the Apostle hauing compassion vpon his weake brethren who beleued in Christ but were also thus addicted to the law he writeth vnto them this Epistle by all meanes persuading them neuer to ioyne together our sauiour Christ with the Ceremonies of the lawe whose glorie is perfect in him self alone and all height must be abased before him He created alone and he will redeeme alone He made alone and he wil saue alone and to be set in cōparison with him all the gold siluer precious stones all the ornaments of the temple they are but Beggerlie Elements Nothing else in earth nothing vikler earth nothing in heauen nor in the heauen of heauēs no vertue no power no strength no name else that is named in which or by which we can be saued but only the name of Iesus christ And for this cause this epistle was written Wherin it shal be good for vs to marke how from the beginning sathan hath striuen to obscure and darken the glorie of Christe and howe hee hath holden stil the same purpose vnchaungeably euen to our dayes First he chaūged him selfe into an Angel of light with glorious names of Moses Moses vnder pretence of holinesse striuing against trueth a marueylous practise in those dayes inough to haue subuerted the faith of many For who would haue thought that such men so great louers of the lawe of the Temple of Moses should bee enimies of the true Mellias or be ignoraunt of the saluation and spirituall worship which he should teach them But here we learne not to ground our faith neither vpon the glorious wordes nor vppon the glorious hames of mortall men For this deceiued from the beginning but the worde it selfe must bee graffed in vs if we will not erre So now in these our last times in which the diuel striueth as at the firste wee see how many say vnto vs The church the church The pope the pope The fathers the fathers many thousandes are led with this sound of wordes yet in these wordes is no wisedome onely they renewe the olde deceipt in which the diuel first troubled the church of God For what is the Churche they speake of who is the pope who are their fathers are they greater then the Temple then the lawe then Moses if not then their names may be vsed for a cloke of falshood as y others were Then we must trie them and examine them whether it be a true churche or true fathers they speake of To follow a church you know not what is to trust to the Temple you knowe not how And knowe it well such wordes are but mockeries and such spirites are of error and darknesse The effect is proofe inough For the end of their religion is that ignorance is the mother of deuotion Now touching the author of this Epistle who it was it skilleth not For if the name had ben here what had it shewed but that God vsed the ministerie of such a man And now the time is not knowen it teacheth expressely the doctrine is of god And for this cause to the bookes of holie scripture names are sometime added sometime not that the doctrine of the Lorde might be vnto vs without respect of person And for my parte who wrote this Epistle I can not tell nor I see no cause why I should seeke it For when the spirite of God hath lest it out can I think it the better if I should adde it I remember Athanasius sayeth that since the Gospell was first preached this Epistle was euer thought to be Paules But Eusebius as boldly on the other side saith that he dareth constantly affirm as the sense is the Apostles so the phrase pēning is some other mans but whose God knoweth and thus much of the authour whome we will leaue as we finde him a faithfull wittnesse of Iesus Christ euen to the ends of the world but whose name we knowe not Now for the time in which it was written it is certein it was in y apostles dayes For if it had bene after the destruction of Ierusalem threatning so oft the anger of God to those who would despise his sonne no doubt he would haue mentioned so singular an example Besides this he maketh mention of Timothie as his companion and fellowe who was famous among the Apostles And it is like that this Epistle was written about the later end of the Apostles age because he saith that this doctrine first preached by the Lord hath now bene confirmed vnto vs by them that heard it And noting the time how long the Gospell had bene preached afore he sayth that time required that nowe they should be able to be teachers of it Againe in the x. chapter he putteth them in remembraunce that in times past they had suffered great and manifolde afflictions for the Gospels sake So that we easily see this Epistle as it is holie and Apostolicall in the trueth of doctrine so it hath also the honour of their time And thus farre of the occasion authour and time of this Epistle Now as briefly as I can I will shewe you the argument of the whole Epistle and that is this that onely in Iesus Christ is the forgiuenesse of our sinnes Which argument he handleth thus Firste setting out our sauiour Christ who he is in the ten firste chapiters Then howe saluation is thorough him in the residue of the Epistle In setting foorth our sauiour Christe who he is he sheweth first the nature of his person in the two first chapters then what is his office in the next eight Touching his person he teacheth first that he is perfect God in the first chapter then that he is perfect man in the second Chap. of which we wil speake more particularly in expoūding of the text Of his office whereof we said he intreateth in the viii next chapters he teacheth this firste that he is our Prophet from the beginning of the iii. chapter to the xiiii verse of the fourth then that he is our priest from thence to the xix verse of the x. chapter And though the Apostle of purpose and with great care do plainely teach that Christ is our king yet because this necessarily followeth of the other there was no doubt but that Messias their priest and prophet should be also their prince and king therefore he seemeth not to make any particular intreatie of this as of the other offices but as he was a kingly prophet a kingly priest and the sonne of God so in proofe of all these he maketh with them manifest proofes of his kingdome at in the text more plainely God willing I will
Our Sauiour Christ being y eternall sonne of God through the work of the holy ghost was made man of the virgin Marie and borne without originall sinne and by the same spirit filled still his manhood more and more with grace till the fulnesse of all righteousnesse was within him that so his manhood might inherit saluation according to the promisse Do this and thou shalt liue But hitherto as he is righteous so he is righteous for him selfe and only that man is yet blessed which was conceiued by the holie Ghost and borne of the virgin Marie Our sinnes doe yet remaine and we abide holden vnder the death of them and therefore as his first woorke sanctified him self so yet there remained more that he might sanctifie vs For when he commeth to vs he findeth vs in sinne through sinne in death and in the condemnation of the diuell who had the power of death So that he had nowe another worke then in his first righteousnesse to sanctifie his owne bodie He must also abolish sinne and death and hel in which we were holden if he wil be a sauiour vnto vs And heere he must multiplie all his former righteousnesse and make it infinite for a greater worke is behind and a new law is giuen vnto him a law neuer giuen to all flesh a singular law out of the depth of Gods wisdome and goodnesse which without the fall of Adam had neuer beene seene neither of man nor Angel a law of a redeemer that is a law by which he might bring man from death to life from hel to heauen from hatred to loue and from the diuell to God a work farre greater then to make the worlde of nothing This law was to loue God his brother not in vsual things of life whervnto al we were appointed but in taking vpon him sin and death and treading the winepresse of the anger of almightie God. And this thing he hath also done For being righteous pure holie and without spot the sinne that abounded he tooke it all vpon him and deathe that reigned he submitted him selfe vnto it and went as despised among men in shame in ignominie in affliction of the flesh for the sinne of our bodies and in anguishe of spirite in mourning and in sorrowe to beare the sinnes of our soules before GOD feeling the heauinesse of his wrathe whiche was the sting of death and condemnation and before man shewing the signes of it vpon a cursed crosse in agonies bloudie sweates and in wofull crying according to the sense and feeling of sorrowe that was vppon him And all this he endured not vnwillingly for then he had done nothing but with exceeding ioy of heart that he had found out the miserie in whiche he might seale it howe muche he loued his father and make it manifest howe he loued vs So went he willingly vnto death and that he might satisfie the iustice of his father and purge the sinnes of his people with all his heart he gaue his bodie vnto the crosse and his soule a sacrifice for our sinne which obedience was accepted of his father the iust punishment of all sinne and full redemption of all his elect And this the Apostle here meaneth when he sayth that by himselfe he purged our sinnes And because he saith by himselfe he purged our sinnes in this we see a cleare discharge giuen to the Tabernacle and all the sacrifices at the doore of it not one of them purged sinne And though some wee called sinne offeringes and the sinnes of the people in such sacrifices were saide to be forgiuen yet they had that name and calling not according to the merite of the woorke but according to the vertue of the thing they signified euen as the Lordes supper is called the communion of the bodie of Christe and baptisme is saide to bee the washing away of our sinnes not in trueth of the thing but in mysterie of the signe The phrase being so vsed for more assurance and warrant of the promise not to carrie the grace of God from our sauiour Christ and his spirit to the dumbe elements of bread or water And if the Iewes are here instructed to leaue their vaine trust and confidence in the lawe and to knowe that the forgiuenesse of their sinnes was not in meates drinkes and diuerse washings and carnall rites of the temple nor in the bloud of Goates and Calues or in the ashes of an heifer sprinckling thē which are vncleane but onely in the precious bloud shed and the bodie crucified of Iesus Christ notwithstanding all these ordinaunces were giuen them of God what could our fathers say who sawe the Lawe abrogate the temple pulled downe the lande prophaned the Iewes scattered the wordes of faith preached and that they should glorie in nothing but in the Crosse of Iesu Christ what could they say either Tertullian for fasting crossing oyling whiche he learned and had of Montanus the heretique Or Cyprian for satisfaction or Theodoretus for martyrs merits or Cyrill for iustification of woorkes or Augustine for prayer for the dead or Ierome for so many superstitions of lights garments vessels c. Nay what can we say who haue seene all that the olde fathers haue seene why at this day we should loue their errours nay why we should deuise new of our owne which the oldefathers knew not why haue we loued the popes woful Iubileis or his damned pardons why do we yet think that the masse is a sacrifice propitiatorie for the quick dead why was purgatorie first drempt on as much hotter thē our fire as ours is hotter then a painted fire or why was the building of chapels chauntries or religious houses thought to be a meanes to deliuer vs from such burning A thousand such things why we haue loued them what cause can wee alledge before the Lord The lawe of God giuen by Moses his faithfull seruant a lawe which had bene a scholemaister to leade many thousands vnto Christ could it not stand with Christ without darkening of his glorie and can the lawe of the pope giuen by Summists Canonists a people not knowē in y house of God which lawe onely leadeth to the obedience of the church of Rome can it be that it should bring any light to the gospel of Christ I nede not stand in ma ny words to confute so great folie I leaue it to the conscience of all that be wise hearted whether God abrogating his ownelaw ment that the pope shuld institute a new or whether he ment to take away all earnall ordinaunces that hee might make it plaine whiche the Apostle heere teacheth that by Christe alone all our sinnes are purged But heere some man by a subtile enimie may bee easily deceiued who will saye All this neede not they attribute not the forgiuenesse of sinnes to the popes pardons or to any masses but to Christ alone The Pope and masses are onely the applying of the fruit of Christes death vnto
vs If it were thus yet what is become of building religious houses of pilgrimage of numbering many prayers of their holie orders their garments their fasting c All these they let sink in their own shame with out defēce for these applied not the death of Christ vnto vs but in the merite of the worke they were commended But as these haue no colour of good defence so the excuse of the other is very vaine for how say they that the pope or priests applie the me rites of Christ seeing this application cannot stand by their owne confession without a real sacrificing of Christ For saith not y Apostle here that Christ did it by him selfe not onely making Christe the woorke but also the woorkman the price and the chapman the sacrifice sacrificer not al the world can giue any other recompence for sinne but him nor all the world can giue him but him self as both more plainly we shall heare afterwarde And here is expressely saide that he did it by him selfe with as great warrant giuing vnto him y doing as the thing done As wel and with as litle sinne we may choose another sacrifice as another sacrificer For by the same worde of God bothe are giuen to him a like And as there is not mentioned any other thing that euer could be offered so there is not named any other person that euer could offer this But as he is alone our king and alone spoiled principalities and powers vpon his crosse so he is alone our priest and alone he sacrificed vp his bodie once for all Now where it followeth in the Apostles words That he sitteth at the right hand of high maiestie we must first marke the change of wordes where it is vsually saide he sitteth on the right hand of god Here he saith on the right hand of the highest maiestie whiche is as it were an interpretation of the right hand of God signifying nothing else but the power and glorie of God giuen vnto the person of the mediatour according to that saying of Paule God hath highly exalted him and giuen him a name aboue all names Beside this seeing the right hand of God doth signifie his power wee must learne to be wise hearted not make vnto God a right hand or a left like vnto ours Wee know the commandement Thou shalt make vnto thy selfe no grauen image nor the likenes of any thing that is in heauen aboue or in earth beneath or in the water vnder the earth Let vs giue our obedience and confesse that God is incomprehensible not like to any thing which possibly our bodilie eyes can see And let vs not seeke vaine pretences that we might committe sinne and see it not to say I will make it for a remembraunce or the more to stirre vp our mindes make it howe thou wilt the precept is broken which saith thou shalt not make it And be thou well assured as long as S. Paules wordes shall betruer then thine so long it shall stand that if thou do make any similitude in the worlde to represent God Thou hast now turned the trueth of God into a lie changed the glorie of the incorruptible God to the likenes of the image of a corruptible creature and if accordingly God giue thee vp to a reprobate sense for this pride in thine owne wisedome he doth with thee but as he did with thy forefathers therfore take heede The cause why the Scripture attributeth vnto God eares and eyes and hands and feete it is because we are not able yet to comprehende any thing of Gods maiestie therfore the holie Ghost applieth speach to our infirmitie that we might by these woordes the Lord seeth heareth kepeth and ruleth al things that in him we might boldly trust Let not vs carrie away this great goodnesse of God into rebellion to leaue his glorie whiche we see onely by faith and make him handes and feete and gray haire like vnto a wretched bodie that is consumed with yeares But the time is past Let vs pray that it would please God our heauenly father to humble our hearts vnder the mightie power of his sonne Christ that wee may feare loue and obey him reioycing in the excellencie of glory that he hath giuen vnto vs who is the sonne of God and the Lord increase in vs our faith and hope that in the assurance of Gods loue our consciences may be at peace and in the reuelation of Gods glorie our hearts may be filled with ioy in the Lord which we be seech God to graunt vnto vs euen for his sonnes sake our only mediatour and aduocate Amen ¶ The third Lecture vpon the 4. 5. 6. and 7. verses 4 And is made so much more excellent then the Angels in as much as he hath obteyned a more excellent name then they 5 For vnto which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my sonne this day begat I thee And againe I wil be his father and he shall be my sonne 6 And againe when he bringeth in his first begotten sonne into the worlde he saith And let all the Angels of GOD worship him 7 And of the Angels he saith He maketh his spirits his messingers and his ministers a flame of fire IN these wordes as I tolde you the Apostle beginneth to set out the person of our sauiour Christ by comparison with Angels and this comparison he maketh in many pointes as wee shall heare that the more cleare wee see it tho more effectually we might confesse his high Godhead and therefore aboue all thinges to set him alone called in the new testament the high Prieste and Prophet and King of his people And the first comparison here made is of the first title before giuen him that he is the naturall sonne of God begotten of the substance of his father whereby he must needs be one and equall with his father which name as no Angel hath it so no Angel is to be compared to him That thus the Apostle taketh the name of Sonne according to the dignitie of nature it is plaine in his owne wordes saying And is made so much more excellent c. verse 4. making his excellencie according to his name his name according to his excellēcie For otherwise the name of the sonne of God may be giuen to euery one of vs as God calleth Israel his first borne and all the elect the sonnes of God So the magistrates are sonnes of God and the Angels also the sonnes of God but we by adoption grace the magistrate because he executeth the iudgement of the Lord the Angels by creation none of vs according to the worthinesse of our owne nature But by nature substance eternitie as the Apostle here meaneth there is none the sonne of God but Christ alone And that thus Christ is the sonne of God he proueth it first out of the second psalme where it is said Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten
abound in worldly peace the crowne and beautie of mine honour is to serue the lord If God haue giuen me trouble in the dayes of my vanitie this is cōfort ynough that I am the seruaunt of the lord Be our life as it will either high or lowe the only fruit of it is the seruice of God the onely hurt that can approch vnto vs is to forget the Lord whose seruants we should haue bene and let vs so much more constantly dwell in this persuasion of heart because we haue heard that the Lord hath spoken it there is no greater glorie no not in his Angels then to serue before him Of the nature of angels as they are here described by the grace of God I shall say more in the latter end of this Chap. Now let vs pray that as we haue learned so we may follow acknowledging the glorie of our Sauiour Christ and what the honour of his kingdome is and desire grace that we may be founde woorthie to be labourers in that excellent worke in which God hath appointed to glorifie his sonne and that we may serue him in holinesse and righteousnes all the dayes of our life who is only al the hope we haue and shall in his good time fill our life with his owne presence and satisfie our eyes with the sight of his maiestie And the same onely and liuing God giue vs his holy spirite in which we may be comforted to liue in his loue to walke in his wayes and to account al the world but vanitie in respect of the inheritaunce purchased vnto vs in the Lorde Iesu the onely forgiuer of al our sinnes to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be honour and glorie worlde without ende Amen The fourth Lecture vpon the 8. and 9. verses 8 But vnto the sonne he saith O God thy throue is for euer and euer the scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousnesse 9 Thou hast loued righteousnes and hated iniquitie Wherfore God euen thy God hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes NOw the Apostle beginneth the third comparison according to the title before Bearing vp all things with his mightie power which setteth out the kingdome of Christ so that the comparison is Christe is an eternall king so is no Angel therefore he is to be honoured aboue them Thus hauing made mention of his kingdome then he describeth it more at large bothe to shewe what his kingdome is and to make it more plaine that though we could imagine easily that Angels in honour deserued the name of Kings yet such a kingdome no Angel could euer haue An euerlasting throne a righteous scepter exalting trueth beating downe iniquitie in worthinesse whereof GOD hath annoynted this King with gladnesse aboue all other and hath called him by the name of GOD himselfe Heere the Iewes whome God hath shut vp in a heauie iudgement and for the first centempt of his Gospell keepeth them stil in blindenesse vntill this day they as they seeke busily all wayes of errour to deceiue them selues so they haue blinded their eyes that they should not vnderstand this prophesie And first where it is said Thy throne O God They say the name GOD is likewise attributed to men as they occupie any rome appointed them of God as where this same prophet saith I haue said you be Gods whiche meaneth that they haue commaundement from God to execute his iudgement But the Iewe if he had not chaunged his heart and turned it away from wisedome to follie hee might haue knowen that though this name be also giuen to Angels or iudges yet it is giuen not to one but to manie so that in their number it is manifest that it is a figuratiue speeche Or if it be giuen to one it hath some addition as where it is saide to Moses I haue made thee Pharaoes God limiting the name to a certeine sense but thus attributed to one without any correction of speache it was neuer but to God alone Againe they say all this Psalme is of Solomon and therefore beeing true in him it cannot proue any diuinitie in Christ but this errour is euē as grosse as the other For how so euer this is true that the Psalme was written as a wedding song of ioy at the marriage of Solomon with Pharaoes daughter yet this is knowen and manifest that in the stories of those men whiche were figures of Christe something is euer spoken not agreeing to the figure but to Christe alone that we might bee bolde to applie it vnto him Neither yet can this Psalme possibly be written of that mariage of Solomon simply in it selfe For when the Prophet beginneth my hart breaketh out into a good matter howe can this praise or this earnest desire of the Prophet agree to it which was contrarie to the lawe of God and of it selfe could neuer be good What had the Kings of Israel to doe with Idolaters and blasphemers to marrie their daughters no doubt as Solomon was a most famous prince so the glorie of the world did here lead him For Aegypt was the greatest Monarchie in the world and Pharaoh the mightiest King so that his daughter giuen to king Solomon was the princeliest marriage that could be made but that it displesed God it is cleare for bothe his generall lawe is against it and this is particularly alledged in the causes of Solomons ruine And though this Psalme were now to wishe prosperitie and peace vnto it what then who will dispute with the Lorde for turning all thinges to the best to those that loue him so when Solomons hautinesse had done this what though God would except her after the renouncing of all her idolatries when as the lawe saith she had shauen her head and pared her nayles and forgot her fathers house what though he would haue her a figure of the honourable calling of the Gentiles and shewe then in her that though he gaue his lawes to Iacob yet he was a God in all the earth all that proueth nothing but Solomon might do yll still this wedding song was made not for him but for another whome hee figured But let these Iewish quarels againste the trueth alone and let vs examine the text heere as it is what honour it giueth to Christ and how by no meanes it can agree to Solomon In this scripture there are foure speciall things spoken First he is called God alone as I saide and without addition euen as the prophet Esai also calleth him the mightie god By whiche warrant of the Prophets beeing a moste sure word the Apostles are bolde to giue to our Sauiour Christe the name and power of the liuing God as Iohn saith the worde was God. And Thomas with these wordes confesseth his former vnbelief My Lord and my God. And S. Iohn in his Epistle saith Iesus Christe this is the true God. And Sainct Paule calleth him the God which is for euer
subiect to any creature and if it be Gods eternall counsell that it should neuer be submitted to any no not to Angels in whome else can wee trust or in what other thing can wee put confidence to haue any parte of this wrought for vs We are all as our fathers were men by nature of the olde world our bodies and mindes full of sinne holden vnder the condemnation of the diuell all creatures against vs and God him selfe hateing vs no way to renewe our age no man to chaunge our state no Angel but God hath giuen it to Christ alone Wil I say that I can alter mine owne wil to make it couet goodnes Or put power into the members of my bodie to serue righteousnesse Or doe the things in which is any merite to eternal life Or purchase againe Gods fauour which was remoued from me If I wil boast of any of these I speake too proud words for either man or Angel and say that this seconde worlde is made subiect vnto me all good will all righteousnesse al merite al pleasure in heauenly things al reconciliation all victorie ouer death all loue of God all hope to be short all that is good and all ioy of spirite is of this new world whereof Christ is king And whosoeuer shall thinke that any power of these things is in himselfe he is puffed vp into pride of heart suche as an Angel of Heauen should not beare vnpunished for not vnto Angels but vnto Christ these things are giuen What can we nowe thinke of these men that tell vs the sacraments giue vs grace the masse is propitiatorie for our sinnes our submitting our selues to the Churche of Rome shall saue vs the Pope if we follow him he can not erre Crosses Bells Candels Holie water Vestments Pilgrimage Pardons Reliques euerie one hath his vertue the number of prayers hathe his measure of reward flesh or fishe it hath his holines according to his time These men and all the louers of their Gospell which take away from Christ the only rule of the world wherof we speake and put it in subiection to fleshe and bloud and the elementes of the world what shall we say of them Shall we beleeue them Or shal they prospet Nay they haue plowed wickednesse and they shall reape iniquitie they haue wandered in errour and they shal eate the fruite of lyes Now if this be so that all flesh hathe no goodnesse in it that all his wisedome and trauell can renue no whit of the lost worlde or bring any light into horror and darknesse but all is of Christ what shall we yet do with wordes of louder blasphemie which they call workes of supererogation What shall we doe with the Pope himselfe who by generall voyce of all his Church is saide that he can dispense the abundance of merites whiche were in the virgin Marie and in all Saints by his bulls to applie them Confessis contritis that they shal haue days of pardon as manie as he will number Are they ashamed of these thinges Nay they are not ashamed but euen now they lende vs ouer whole volumes to shewe the fruite of pardons how good they are and of late haue sent vs a bull that we should haue experience howe they holde this doctrine And what shall we say of suche a one Surely dearely beloued euen as the Prophet sayth of the people of Israel His formeations are in his sight and his adulteries are betweene his breastes So his vncleanesse is manifest to all the worlde and his marke is in his forehead that hee might bee knowen to bee Antichriste And you dearely beloued when you talke with your friends who are not yet persuaded in the religion of Christ when they thinke that wee haue free wil or we may deserue by our works or Lent and fasting dayes are holie or flesh or fish doe please God or the signe of the crosse is good or censing and Musicke stirre vpp deuotion or any suche thing Doe but aske of them whether they thinke obedience loue deuotion forgiuenesse of sinnes puritie life grace and such other fruites of Gods spirite and his mercie aske I say whether they thinke them workes of the olde worlde corrupt by Adam or of the new restored by Christe If they be of the new God hath not giuen them neither to our prayers nor fasting not working nor day nor time nor meat nor crosse nor musick nor belles to be short no not to Angels but to Christ alone to be dispensed according to his will If thou were as good as an Angel or thy meate as good as Manna that fell from Heauen or â—…hy garments as precious as Aarons Ephod or thy censinges as sweete as the perfume of all the Tabernacle or the dayes that thou keptst were as honourable as the day in whiche Christ arose againe from the dead yet neither thou nor thy garmentes nor thy meate nor thy dayes can set one of thy feete in this world we speake of it is the kingdome of Christe and be hath done it alone according heere as this prophesie is plaine and manifest Now followeth this prophesie what it man that thou art mindful of him c. by these words the apostle pro ueth this kingdome of Christ both properly and of right to be his and also by faith through Gods spirite giuen vnto vs in our Sauiour Christ they haue this sense Was not thy glorie great inough O Lord in the worke of thy hands but y thou shouldest giue thy sonne to be made man in whom our nature should be so exalted that al power should be giuen to him in Heauen and in earth who by his death should abolish all enimitie against man that he might be crowned with glorie and maiestie and haue eternall life in his owne hand And all this according to the verie sense of the prophet and therfore here alledged as in deed it was to be a prophesie of our sauiour christ Of vs also it is ment thus The prophet considering both the great maiestie of God appearing in his works and the base and lowe estate of a frail man that such a God of so great maiestie should haue any respect of a fraile and wretched man he could not but thus humble him selfe What is man O Lord that thou shouldest regarde him Such thoughts dearely beloued let vs haue and with such secret counsels let vs nourish our fayth This is the meditation to which we are called in all the workes of God and for this cause God hath giuen vnto vs hearts of men full of reason iudgment that we should rightly consider of all his creatures When we see the heauens we cannot chose but confesse before them it was not the hande of man that set them vpp so high We knowe the shining light of the sunne it is not giuen vnto it from earth or earthly thing we are sure y earth is found our owne trauel hath found it so our eyes do see the
receiue from Christ all that is healthfull vnto vs And as by ioyntes and sinewes our members are really knit and made a bodie vnto the head so really truely and in deed by one spirite wee be knit vnto Christe as perfectly and substantially made one with him as our members are one with our head If thou vnderstand not this or sayst with Nicodemus How can this be done I say vnto thee againe Pray that thou mayst be taught of God and that his spirit may reueale it vnto thee for if the tounge of Paule were dumb not able to speake what he sawe in vision how much lesse is man able to speake the trueth of greater mysteries And if our harts cannot comprehend all the wisdome of God in the winde that bloweth how he rayseth it vpp or maketh it fall againe how canne wee vnderstand this wisedome of our vniting vnto Iesus Christ Onely this I can say God hath giuen vs fayth in whiche wee may beleue it and out of which such ioy shineth in our mindes as crucifieth the worlde vnto vs how farre our reason is from seeing it it skilleth not it is sufficient if we can beleeue it We beleeue in the Lord our God yet we know not what is his countenaunce We beleeue apprehend by hope his glorie yet neither eye can see it nor eare can heare it We beleeue and see immortalitie yet our heart can not comprehend the height the breadth the length the deapth We beleeue the resurrection of the dead yet wee can not vnderstand such excellent wisedome how life is renewed in the dispersed scattered bones ashes We beleue our sauiour Christ is man we haue seene him and felt him yet how he was man borne of a virgin all men in the world haue no wisdome to declare Euen so dearely beloued wee beleeue that our Sauiour Christ and we be one hee of vs and we of him he the head we the bodie really substātially truly ioyned together not by ioynts and sinewes for that vniting I knowe wel enough but by his spirit of which we haue all receiued and this vnitie I cannot conceiue nor vtter till I knowe God euen as he is and his holie spirite which hath wrought this blessing Thus we learne what here the Apostle teacheth vs and thus wee vnderstand what is heere said He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one And where it is said heere He that doth sanctifie shewing the present time the worke still a doing it teacheth vs that our sanctification hath a daylie increase when it is fully accomplished then God calleth and our dayes are at an end And let vs note this well for it behoueth vs much If we be Christians we are still sanctified by the spirit of Christ for so it was in him He grewe still in grace before God men If thou begraffed into his bodie thou hast his spirite and it will haue his worke in thee Thou shalt not be wearie of well doeing nor ceasse to reioyce in God thy Sauiour but still increase in spirituall grace til thou come to the age of the fulnesse of Christe There can be no affection in thee according to the fleash but if it be greate it will appeare in his work much more this which is of the spirit of god If thou be sorrowful it wil make thy face sad If ioy be within it maketh thy countenance merrie If thou haue a flattering heart all the members of the bodie will streight serue so vile a thinge If hatred bee within thee thy bodie will shewe it forth in all manner of cursed doing and there is nothing that can possesse the minde but it leadeth the members in obedience of it Howe much more if the spirite of God hath replenished thy minde will all the bodie shewe foorth godlie desires This the Apostle noteth when he sayth He that sanctifieth It followeth For this cause he is not ashamed to call vs brethren Vpon good cause the Apostle sayth He is not ashamed for if hee humbled not him selfe in great loue of vs how iustly might hee accompt it shame to be as we are He that made Heauen and earth he that is the immortall and glorious God one with his father before whome all Angels do obey and all Princes are earth and ashes ought wee not to say seeing it pleaseth him to acknowledge vs that are but poore creatures that hee is not ashamed of vs It was great praise in Moses beeing so highly esteemed of Pharaoh that yet hee would vouchsafe to visite his poore brethren It was singular loue in Ioseph when he was nexte vnto the King in honour and dignitie yet not to be ashamed of his fathers house who were heardmen and shepeheardes But all is nothing in comparison of this that Iesus Christ is not ashamed of vs for what the glorie of the vaine worlde made not a mortall man ashamed of his duetie to acknowledge his poore father and brethren in whose persons hee might suffer a little reproch but how much greater was this doing whereof we speake The shining brightnesse of the glorie of God made not the onlie begotten sonne ashamed of his free grace to acknowledge vs that were his enimies in whose persons he should suffer a moste shamefull and slaunderous death This is the case betweene Christe and vs and this the Apostle meaneth when he sayth He is not ashamed to call vs brethren And if his highnesse abased it selfe to our lowe estate and was not ashamed let vs dearely beloued learne to be wise and knowe what the lord requireth of vs for all the good which he hath don vnto vs He sayth in the gospel He that is ashamed of me and my word before men I will bee ashamed of him before my Father which is in heauen And is not trowe you this a iust condēnation if we wretched men wil be ashamed of him who beeing the God of glorie was not ashamed of vs How much is he greater then we Abraham when he approched nere vnto him he felt him self how he was but dust When Iob came nere to see the tokens of him he abhorred him selfe and confessed how vncleane he was When Dauid saw the glorie of his dwelling he said he had leuer abide but one day as a dore keeper in the house of him then tenne thousand dayes to beare rule in Kinges palaces When Paule sawe the glorie prepared for vs in his resurrectiō he said he accompted all the worlde to be but doung to the ende he might winne him If then such a Christ be not ashamed to call vs brethren a marueilous vnspeakable foolishnes is bound vp in our heartes if we be ashamed to call him brother againe He were a folishe poore man that were ashamed of the kinred whiche the King did chalenge of him he is more foolishe thoughe he were a King him selfe that is ashamed of the Sonne of God when he offereth himselfe vnto
the holinesse that is in Christ for he hath sāctified him selfe for vs and is made vnto vs our sanctification of God without whome we are fleshe bloud the cogitations of our heart bent to euil all our righteousnes as a defiled cloath For if the Angels that are greater then wee in all power excellencie can not iustifie themselues in his sight what can we do as Eliphas saith that dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust who shal be destroyed before the moth The Lord hath no neede of our workes nor they shall euer come in account before him for if one man could do all that all fleshe hathe euer done yet stil he might say he were vnprofitable The great iustice fortitude temperance liberalitie and all other vertues whiche so abounded in some of the Gentiles what haue they to glorie in them Nothing at all before God except they say as Paule witnesseth of them When we thought our selues wise we were verie fooles And why was all their doing nothing worth Because they sought their righteousnes in them selues and were not of y brotherhood of Christ to seeke all their holinesse in his person Euen thus dearely beloued and none otherwise it is with all Iusticiaries in the worlde whether they be Gentiles or whether they be Papists in their righteousnesse they are defiled and in their wisdome they are made foolishe if they seeke their holinesse in them selues or iustifie the worke which their hands haue brought foorth And let no mā be he neuer so holie if he were as good as Paul exempt him self for Paule him selfe confesseth this with vs that what soeuer he could do he would accompt it but as doung that he might haue the righteousnes not which was of him selfe but that which was by faith in Iesus Christ that he might be of this brotherhood as he sayth that he might be found in him This is the true rule of holinesse otherwise to talke of our grandfathers and fathers what good works they haue done it is to shew forth our owne ignorance in the faith of christ For what haue our fathers done but Socrates Aristides Scipio Fabricius and a thousande among the Gentiles did as much Or if they had done neuer so much if they had giuen all their goods to the poore and their bodie to the fire what then Except they had bene brethren with Iesu Christ one with him sought for their righteousnesse by fayth in him they had no holinesse in them And I merueile how this beeing so plaine so many yet can bee deceiued to loue still that idolatrous nation whiche teacheth them to glorie in their owne workes and let no man thinke we slander them or that they giue not this glorie to their owne workes for their owne wordes testifie against them they haue named it distinctly Opus operatum A worke wrought of it selfe without grace without Christ without fayth Opus operatum The thing done it is meritorious Did euer Pagane attribute more to them selues Then we may boldly conclude against them and our Sauiour Christ shall be our warrant They are not of God because they seke their owne glorie and let vs giue glorie vnto God to acknowledge all our holinesse to be in this brotherhood as we be one with Christ and Christ with vs whome God hath giuen a sanctification vnto vs. In that we are saide to be Partakers of the heauenly calling we must consider what is the honour offered vnto vs and that we be not dull of hearing when such a blessed sound is brought vnto our eares If we were called to vile things wee might stop our eares but hauing a heauenly calling they be and let them be excuselesse that despise it It was a vsuall persuasion with Saint Paule to put the Churches in minde of their calling they had of God to stir them vp the more willingly to follow it I beseech you brethren saith he to the Ephesians walke worthy of your calling in which you are called And of him self he testifieth to the Philippians that his continuall traue◅le was to be carried to the price of his high calling of God which was in Christ Iesu so let vs also be inflamed with the loue of our calling to followe it lest it come vpon vs also which was spoken in the Prophets See you despisers maruell and vanishe away for I will woorke a woorke in your dayes a worke which you will not beleeue though a man should tell it you We haue not to deale as our fathers had with men that preache lies and are learned to tell tales and happie had they beene if they had reiected them but the sonne of God is come vnto vs and hath called vs with a heauenly calling and yet againe his voice hath shaken not the earth only but also Heauen And how muche thinke you were it better for vs that we were againe in the darke dayes and blacknesse of our olde superstition then thus openly to heare the Gospell and litle or nothing to giue heede vnto it But this is a case almoste desperate and when we speake we are almost without hope We haue so many yeres despised this heauenly calling and lewde men lewde I may wel call them though some be riche and some be high who take suche libertie by reason of their riches titles that they dare openly blaspheme the Gospell and contemne our churche and congregations and no man is to controll them for this cause for my part I am nighe persuaded that God will cut off this generation whome he hath loued and raise vp another which yet he will blesse more and they shall bring a discipline into his Church which shall stoppe the mouthes of these mightie grants whiche thinke by their strength to do what they will. But I leaue this to the Lord who doth regarde it Where Christ is said here to be The Apostle and highe priest of our profession we must learne this that we that be Christians professe no other teacher nor no other Sauiour but this is all we beleeue and all we speake that Christ is bothe our wisedome our iustification his worde is ours his doctrine is ours his wisedome is ours we professe not one iot or one title wherof he hath not bene an Apostle vnto vs and whoso euer he be that teacheth vs other things then what Christ hath taught vs al he is not of our profession nor of our brotherhood and more then this we are sure he teacheth nothing but vaine illusions and imaginations of men for all treasures of wisdome and true knowledge are hid in Christ. And seeing it hath pleased him to be our Apostle who is the sonne of God the brightnes of his glorie y ingrauen forme of his substance the heire of al things the maker of heauen earth farre greater then Angels how vnthankfull be we if his doctrine be not our profession Nay how madd be we if
vaine deuices because they would not enter into the rest promised them but had more desire to returne to the heauie laboure and bondage of Aegypt This madnes of the people the Lorde is angrie with as a louing Father that had care ouer them So if we wil haue holie anger let it be free from all hatred and reuenge and arise onlie for the profite and well doing of our brethren Thus we read our sauiour Christ was angrie when he sawe the frowardnesse of the Iewes who by no admonitions would be made wiser Thus Paul prouoketh Timothie to anger when he saith Reproue and sharplie rebuke men that they do not turne away from the trueth So S. Iude biddeth vs all if we fall into companie with froward men To saue them with feare as if we would soudenly pluck them out of fier Thus if wee can haue our affections moued we are holily angrie for the end of our doing is the profite of our brother Thus you that be maisters may be angrie with your seruants God requireth of them faithful labour no eye seruice as seeking to please men but in singlenes of heart to doe their dutie to him vnder whome God hath placed them and in this account euery seruant must appere before god If thou seeing thy seruant disobedient or slouthfull hast this respect to be grieued with him because hee offended God thine anger is a blessed anger and if thou chyde sharply with thy seruaunt thy loue is more acceptable before God but if all thy anger bee for thine owne cause for thy meate thy drink thine apparell thy hawke thy â—…ound if thou haue none other respect thy seruant hath done very â—…l in being carelesse for his maisters busines and thou hast done much woorsâ—…e who for a trifle canst be angrie with thy brother but if the other be thy greatest care that thy seruant should knowe God and doe the duetie which he requireth at his hand then art thou blessed in thine anger and thy â—…luding woordes are as a sweete oyntment as Dauid saith that shall not breake his head In the wordes following Was it not with those that sinned whose bodies fel in the wildernesse The Apostle here sheweth first why God was angrie with them then what punishment he laid vpon them the cause of his anger was their sinne wherin we see there is no calamitie commeth to the wicked but for their sinne and all the chasticements of God which come vpon them are to admonish them of their euill that they might turne vnto the Lord so when the sinnes of Israel were high desperate and past hope of amendment the Lord sayth He wil melt them trie them for what should he do else for the daughter of my people noting this to be the extreme remedie by which if wee be not healed wee must dye in our euill diseases So long before when their fathers were as â—…uil had all fallen away from God were not amended by punishment the Lord sayth by his prophet Wherfore should you be smitten any more seeing you fall away more and more shewing expresly this cause of their plagues that they should haue turned from their sinnes Let this be a greate comforte vnto euerie one whose sinnes accuse him that he is not smitten of the Lorde but for his amendement let him not faint because the hand of God is heauie vp on him but let him reioyce because the mercie of God is offered largely vnto him for therefore he is punished that he should repent A singular example we haue of this in Man uses y king of Iudah who had set vp al abhominations and multiplied offences without number but when he was bowed downe with many yron bands and the king of Ashur â—…aid him in painefull imprisonment where he could not lift vp his head then he remembred the Lorde God of his fathers who saued not onely Abraham and Isaake and Iacob and their righteous seede but in his greate mercies receiued sinners into fauour againe and therefore in his tribulation he humbled him selfe exceedingly and came before God to aske forgiuenesse for all his sinnes whiche were more in number then the sandes of the sea and the Lord was intreated of him and forgaue all his offences So Saint Paule in al his hatred and enuious persecutions when he was strucken downe he despaired not but with a good heart which God gaue vnto him he cryed with trembling and with feare Lord what wilt thou that I should die These examples are set out vnto vs which be so great sinners that we should not despaire in our afflictions but turne vnto the lord who offereth mercie vnto vs for our sinnes be they neuer so great yet the righteousnes of our sauiour Christ is greater let vs onely beleeue and they are abolished Nowe as we knowe the afflictions of the wicked are for their sinnes and that when they be chasticed they be called to repentance so also we must remember that many occasions are why God somtime chasticeth his sainctes though their sinnes are all forgiuen and forgotten for besides this that we should turne vnto the Lorde many other benefites are also in our troubles for in them our faith is tried that it is accepted of God and therefore Peter calleth affliction y triall of our faith for though we ought all to haue a ful purpose in wealth wo to cleaue vnto the Lorde yet experience bringeth boldnesse that our faith in deede is strong and fayleth not We trust that we would not forgett God in the day of prosperitie but the prince and noble man who are full of peace they knowe whether their heartes be knitt vnto God in loue and obedience which all honour and glorie cannot shake We trust we would not murmur in aduersitie but Iob and Lazarus and men so farre oppressed with miserie they know how strong their hope is to endure the crosse We may reioyce in the persuasion of our minde and our faith that feareth not at the remembrance of the euill day is wel pleasing before God but they may glorie more in the triall of their worke who haue had experience of euil and fainted not and they may more boldely sing the song of victorie that they glorie in affliction knowing that affliction hath wrought patience patience experience experience hope and their hope shal neuer be confounded This I adde that we might knowe though afflictions be to the amendement of our sinnes yet alwayes the Lord respecteth not this but by afflictions doth giue vs greater glorie and therefore let vs not faint in them nor be discouraged The second thing I saide we shoulde marke in this verse is what punishment God brought vpon them that is that their bodies fel in the wildernesse this punishment Sainct Paule also expressly noteth in the tenth of the first to the Corinthians therefore is well to be wayed of vs â–ª whiche so oft is set ouâ—… vnto
againe another time for thou knowest not whether he will returne or not Seeke him therfore where he may be found and call vnto him while he is neere at hand The seconde pointe the Apostle stoode vp on was that If we heare his voice we should not harden our hearts teaching vs that onely by faith wee shoulde bee fruitefull hearers And if infidelitie beare rule in our heartes all preaching and teaching is in vaine and the voyce of Christe can bee vnto vs but a sauour of death vnto deathe therefore when wee heare him speake let vs faithfully receiue the Gospell of saluation at his mouth or at the mouth of his minister knowing he is our onely prophet giuen of God vnto vs of this the apostle now concludeth in the first of this chapter Let vs feare therefore least at any time this promise of entring into his rest being forsaken any of you may seeme to be depriued by this conclusion yet once againe exhorting them that they would not neglect their onely prophet calling them so at last be frustrate of their vaine hope Let vs heere lay together these sayings of the Apostle in the beginning of the second chapter when he had proued our sauiour Christe to bee God he saith Wherefore my brethren we must carefully hearken to the things we heare least we fall away as water In the beginning of the thirde chapter when hee proued him to be mā also like vnto vs except sinne he addeth Therfore my brethren partakers of the heauēly calling consider the Apostle and highe Priest of our profession Iesus Christ After againe when hee had proued our sauiour Christ to be our only and faithful Prophet he confirmeth his doctrine by the woorde of the prophet alledging this exhortation out of him To day if you wil heare his voice harden not your harts c. Againe applying these woordes of the Prophet he saith See my brethren that there be not in any of you an euill heart of vnbeliefe Now heere againe as a conclusion Let vs feare lest this promise of entring into his rest beeing forsaken we should seeme to be depriued And as though all this were not inough in the eleuenth verse after he sayth Let vs therfore be diligent to enter into that rest that no man fall into the euil example of disobedience And yet againe in the end of this chapter Seeing wee haue a greate highe Priest that hath pearced the heauens euen Iesus Christ the sonne of God let vs hold fast our profession c. What shall wee thinke of all this what meane these often exhortations surely dearelie beloued nothing else but that wee bee dull of hearing and exceeding harde to learne for tell mee notwithstanding this exhortation so often made are there not ◅rowe you many among vs which yet regarde it not yea and yet if againe and againe hee should crie vnto vs would wee all obey his voice wee would if wee were wise but foolishnesse is so wrapped vp in our heartes that I am affraide all the exhortations not onelie here made by the Apostle but all other that haue bene made vnto vs thirtie fourtie fiftie threescore yeeres haue not yet taught vs all that be heere this day with singlenesse of heart and with synceritie to loue the Lord and is it then any maruell though the Apostle hauing compassion on his brethrens ignoraunce doe this often exhorte them in one thing and if wee be weake subiect to the same infirmities y they were let vs think it is necessarie for vs Only I beseeche you take heede that seeing God hath this mercie vppon vs which he had vppon our fathers that his word is thus vnto vs Precept vpon precept precept vpon precept let not vs be againe as they were that notwithstanding all these often and earnest exhortations so plaine to vnderstand yet that the Lord speake vnto vs as with a stammering and a straunge language that we vnderstand nothing for alas dearely beloued how vnprofitable were that for vs and how much better were it wee had neuer heard at all then so often to refuse the Lordes calling let this therfore be our wise vnderstanding in this case and that whiche so often is tolde vs let vs at the last truelie learne it Now touching these wordes of the Apostle that he saith let vs feare that wee lose not this rest promised vs we must not take it as though the Apostle taught that the elect should feare as though they might fall from their hope or that their election were not sure for you haue heard before howe hee saide We must hold the reioycing of our hope with all assurance and constancie vnto the end but heere wee muste consider to whome the Apostle speaketh that is to such as are farre off from a true fayth which haue shewed no great regarde to the voice of the Lorde Iesu whiche are yet in many tentations of sinne doubtful to be carried away with the deceites of it As if at this day the apostle should preach when we see so many worldly minded men so few hungering and thrusting for heauenlie things in this case and to suche people considering their outwarde woorkes the Apostle sayth let vs feare as in deede there is iust cause of feare for when there is scarce in vs anie zeale of God scarce any loue of righteousnes but all our thoughts doe wander in worldlie vanitie if in this case we should boast of our faith were it not good to byd vs feare to take heede that we be not deceiued and what is this against the assuraunce of the faythful that the Apostle biddeth them which are not yet called in holinesse to feare lest they be deceiued in their vaine hope If it be heere sayd the Apostle includeth also him selfe and therefore this feare is also in the most godlie I deny not but in other places of scripture feare is commended vnto the most godlie but the cause of this is because we be all weake full of infirmitie readie to sinne as we see in Dauid in Ezechias in Peter in all the Sainctes of God and therefore this feare is commended in them which is a good care and regarde of their weakenes that they fall not a care that may driue ou◅ securitie not a feare to take away the boldenes of faith So when we are bid to feare it is as when wee are byd to watch to be sober to stand with our loynes gyrded to haue before vs the wayes of God with reuerence and obedience it forbiddeth presumptuous and vaine boasting of saluation when the glorious and fearefull name The Lord thy God is not regarded of thee So when Saint Paule commendeth our faith he addeth Be not yet high minded but feare and Iob sayth If I haue done righteously I will not lift vp my head This feare is a feare of falling into sinne least wee should offend so mercifull a Father it is not a feare of falling from his grace least hee should
is plaine plainely taught that if we wil be saued by Iesu Christe his worde must be mingled to vs with fayth if wee be of the newe testament belong vnto this couenāt which is made in Christ to the forgiuenesse of our sinnes then we beleeue the word that is preached and the lawes of God are written in our heartes And this S. Paule setteth out so cleare vnto vs that it is impossible impossible I say for any to knowe the Gospel and to be ignorant of it for this is the gospel as Paul saith The power of God to saue all that do beleue do you heare this and do you vnderstand it tell me then what think you of that religion where this preaching of the gospel is holden back nay where they haue bene so enuious vnto it that they haue not suffered the woorde to be in such a language as the people might once reade and vnderstand it The Priestes them selues vpon whome they laied the worke to sacrifice for their sinnes and to whome they confessed their sinnes to haue forgiuenesse of them And what I say will you think of suche a people or what religion haue they doeth not the Apostle say true there is no saluation but by beleuing the worde as it is preached vnto vs and doe they say true that the Masse purgeth our sinnes ▪ the prieste forgiueth them the masse is in latine the priestes ignorāt the people are led with vaine imaginations no faith no worde is in all their doeing but it is no maruel though some men be robbed of their harts and beleeue all the illusions of Sathan for how can a man beleeue the trueth except the spirit of God be in him Pharaoh was not taught by all the woonders y Moses wrought in Aegypt The Iewes were not the wiser for all the miracles whiche Christe wrought before them If such thinges haue happened in the daies before vs though now the Apostles and prophets do all cry Without faith in the Gospel preached you can neuer be saued Ignoraunce is abhomination before God and yet the Pope who taketh the word from vs teacheth vs no faithe couereth vs with blindnes prayseth ignorance in our hearing if we embrace him follow him loue him honour him as Pharaoh did Iannes and Iambres or as the Iewes did Annas and Caiphas let vs not maruel no new thing hath happened in our dayes The Lord hath not lightened their mindes what wisdome can be in them but we will leaue them to him who is iust and mercifull and let vs pray that his woorde may be alwayes mingled vnto vs with fayth that in this greate darknesse of the worlde we may see light One thing else wee may heere marke that it is said the word did not proofit thē because it was not ◅ngled with faith wherby we know it is only faith that com mendeth vs vnto God without which the woorde is in vaine the presence of Christ is in vaine to be his brother sister mother al is in vaine nothing but faith carrieth vs with boldnes into his presence Manie singular proofes of this our Sauiour Christ sheweth in many places when a woman crieth vnto him Blessed is the wombe that bare thee the pappes that gaue thee suck Our sauiour Christ answereth nay rather blessed are they that heare the word of God kepe it When some saide vnto him Beholde thy mother and thy brethren would speake vnto thee he answered again He that doth the wil of my heauēly father he is my brother my mother In another place when cōtrouersie was how we should haue life saluation through him he saith to his disciples The fleshe profiteth nothing it is the spirit that quickeneth noting in al this that not his bodily presence not his kinred not y trauell of his mother nor any thing is imputed vnto vs for right ousnesse but only faith in which we beleeue according to his gospel preached vnto vs y in his death al our sinnes are purged in his resurrection wee are iustified This maketh vs acceptable without this it is vnpossible to please him this the Apostle teacheth vs here when he saith For this cause the word profited them not because it was not mingled vnto them with faith for only faith doth all apprehendeth all ouercommeth all and the gates of hell shall not in the ende preuaile against it and the Lorde increase this faith in vs And let vs pray c. The nineteenth Lecture vppon the 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. verses 3 For we whiche haue beleeued do enter into rest as he said to the other As I haue sworne in my wrath if they shall enter into my rest although the works were finished from the foundation of the world 4 For he spake in a certein place of the seuenth day on this wise And God did rest the seuenth day frō all his works 5 And in this place againe ▪ if they shall enter into my rest 6 Seeing therfore it remaineth that some must enter therinto and they to whom it was first preached entered not therein for vnbeleefes sake 7 Againe he appointed in Dauid a certein day by To day after so long a time ▪ saying as it is said this day if ye heare his voice harden not your heartes 8 For if Iesus had giuen them rest then woulde he not after this haue spoken of another day 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entred into his rest hath also c◅assed from his owne workes as God did from his THIS Scripture whiche nowe I haue read vnto you I must needes confesse to mee it seemeth yet somewhat obscure neither hathe God so reuealed it vnto mee that I dare boldly pronounce this it is but submitting my selfe to any better interpretation which shal be shewed of other according to that whiche God hath giuen me so I will shewe you what I think moste likely and so muche the more boldely I will shew you mine opinion because by the grace of God I wil speake nothing but agreeable to all which the Apostle before hath most plainly taught vs You knowe howe earnestly hee hath exhorted vs to harken vnto Christ what fault especially shal make vs neglect it and that is infidelstie what great peril we haue in this sinne that it We shall not enter into his rest Nowe he teacheth and addeth sure arguments to his doctrine howe wee shall auoide so great punishment and so great sinne and how we shal be obedient vnto Christ and that is by faith an humble acknowledgement of him to be our Prophet and a constant beleeuing of all his trueth This doctrine firste hee setteth downe in these woordes For we enter into his rest that doe beleeue This he proueth first by the manifest text afore alledged for it was said To whom I sware in mine anger that they should not enter into my rest meaning the
God is and what power it hath both to quicken the faithfull and wounde the disobedient vnto death wherevnto so euer the Lorde doeth sende it it shall do his will no time no place no person can possiblie chaunge it no creature can breake the force of it the worke that is appointed for it to do it wil assuredly bring to passe Let soule spirit ioynts marow heart and thoughtes striue still against it it will wound all and pearce through as a sharpe sworde euen as al things are naked and bare before the eyes of the lord who speaketh neither let any man euer thinke whosoeuer he be that heareth or readeth this worde of God but that it worketh in him the will of god Euen all we here present this day when after this sermō ended we shal returne to our calings know it assuredly think on it as you are in your way y the word spokē is entred into you if it haue quickned your faith it is the word of life if it haue kil led your old affectiōs it is the seed of your new birth if it haue don you no good it hath detected your cor ruption accuseth you in your own cōscience for change it you shal not make it fruitlesse you cannot there is no defence against the strokes of it but it pearceth through to the place to which it is sent if it light in faithful places it bringeth the power of God vnto saluation if it fall where infidelitie is or disobedience it maketh the hart as flint or as an Adamant stone This is the effecte of the Apostles meaning in these wordes whiche you haue hearde The prophet Esaie to the same purpose vseth an apt similitude who speaketh thus in the name of the lord Surely as the rayne commeth downe and the snowe from Heauen and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it to bring forth and budde that it may giue seede to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shall my worde be that goeth out of my mouth it shal not returne vnto me in vaine but it shall accomplish that which I wil it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it This Iohn Baptist taught vs going before Christ to prepare his way when hee cryed to the people Euery vallie shal be filled and euery Mounteine and hill shall bee brought lowe crooked things shal be made streight the rough wayes shal be made smoothe and all flesh shall see the saluation of God meaning hereby that all offences and stumbling blockes should bee taken away no power in the worlde should be so greate which should not giue place to this word whiche is the power of God to saue all that doe beleeue The scriptures are ful of suche testimonies of the nature and strength of Gods worde to teache vs bothe to feare before it and to humble our selues for it wil preuaile and also to try our heartes that it may haue in vs a good and profitable work rather to renue vs in the spirit then to harden vs in the deceits of sinne but let vs now come to the words of the Apostle examine thē in all their proper meaning It is said first The word of God is liuing which propertie may be atttributed to the worde of God in diuerse respects first in respect of vs because it quikneth vs into a spirituall life and without it we are in darknesse in the shadow of death therfore it is a liuing word and the seede of our new birth So Sainct Paul saith to the Corinthians In Christ Iesu I haue begotten you through the gospel And S. Iohn sayth Of his owne wil hath he begotten vs with the word of life expreslie calling it the liuing worde or the worde of life because it quickneth vs as I saide into a spirituall life wherin without all doubting we are taught assuredlie to know that if euer we will become the children of GOD that we shall no more liue our selues but what Christ may liue in vs thus we must be borne and thus we must be made a new in takeing into vs the seede of the worde of God and then as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of it that we may grow thereby in the fulnesse of our agee in Christe If the Papistes did well vnderstande this they should also vnderstand with it that them selues were bastards no children as being borne of mortall seede of fathers of counsels of decrees of Popes not of the immortall seede whiche is the woorde of god Another cause why the word is called liuing is in respect of it selfe because it is eternall and abideth euer according to the nature of the liuing God whose word it is so Sainct Peter expresly calleth it where he saith we be borne of a newe immortall seede by the word of the liuing God and abiding for euer therefore attributing life and immortalitie vnto the worde because it is of the liuing and immortal God of which we ought to learn that there is no wisedome no instruction no discipline by whiche we can apprehend eternall life but only the wisdome and instruction of the worde of God for what an absurd thing is it that the wisdom of man which is vaine as man is vaine which is transitorie earthly is abolished should leade mee into that life which fadeth not but is eternall in heauen yea what an absurd thing I say is it seing we ourselues and all that is in vs before the presence of the Lord must needes be changed so that no man possible cā see him and liue yet to think that our wisdome can leade vs vnto him or our reason can approche vnto the places where his glorie dwelleth Surely dearly beloued this is much more folie then to seeke to gather grapes of thornes or figges of brambles for it is to seeke for light in darkenesse and for life in death for out of a corrupt minde a froward heart we seeke for holie obedience and immortalitie as many as say that without the word of God they can please him the papists do not yet vnderstād this and therefore they wearie them selues with their owne inuentions and multiplie ceremonies in their churches which God will cast out as he hath begon til their madnesse be made manifest to all nations An other cause yet there is why the worde of God is called Liuing and this cause moste agreeable to this place That is because it enteret◅ with power into euerie part of vs so that as our life is dispersed into euerie parte and we feele it both in griefe and pleasure euen so the vertue of the woord of God pearceth into euerie member to bruise as the prophet saith the verie bones or to fill them with marrow and fatnesse this sense is plaine and agreeable to al the words following and in this same meaning Solomon calleth it also A liuing worde as his words are plaine The
hande and foote back and side shall haue experience of his anger all the thoughts of their harts shal be wounded with death and so much the more vnspeakable because their bodyes shall feele and their minde knowe the immortalitie of death and euerlasting destruction that is vppon them whiche extreeme wretchednesse no horrour of darcknesse no weeping and gnashinge of teeth no gnawinge of conscience no eternall fire doth fully and inough set out vnto vs. But this we leaue to the reprobate men who euen to this day haue sould their heartes to conceiue mischiefe and it repenteth them not Let vs feare now in the day of health and better thinges are appointed for vs We shall heare an other voice Come ye blessed into eternall life possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning which voice shal enter depe and into all our members bring a sensible feeling of the loue of God and his greate glorie when with heart and minde wee shall see and knowe our inheritaunce with God in eternall glorie wherevnto if nowe we be raysed vp and the promises of God beginne with vs this vnspeakable and glorious hope so that our heartes be fast holden in the loue of it neuer to chaunge for worldly vanitie or rather shame woorse then vanitie for with what name shall we name it that is exalted against the Lorde if I say thus the woorde of God bee vnto vs wee haue sealed it that his word is liuing and entreth into the diuision of the soule and the spirite and we haue beene fruitfull hearers of all this longe exhortation which the Apostle hath made and ended to stirre vp his brethren faithfully to heare this prophet of God his sonne Iesus Christe and our sauiour who hath reuealed all his wil vnto vs And thus farre of this former parte of the Epistle in which we are taught that Christe is our only prophet but the time is paste Now let vs pray c. The xxj Lecture vpon the residue of the chapter the 14. 15. 16. verses 14 Seeing then that we haue a geat high priest which is entred into Heauen euen Iesus the sonne of God let vs holdefast our profession 15 For we haue not an hye Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all thinges temped in like sorte yet without sinne 16 Let vs therfore go boldely vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercie and finde grace to help in time of neede WE haue heard dearely beloued howe the Apostle hath taught that Christe is nowe our onely Prophet what care we should haue diligently and faithfully to harken vnto him if we will not be guiltie before God of great condemnation and iudgement The reasons are of the Apostle to proue him our onely Prophet first because God sending his onely begotten sonne into the worlde made man like vnto vs and reuealing the will of his father vnto vs the excellencie of his person inforceth vs to confesse that God ordeyneth him alone to be our Prophet Againe he was faithful in the house of God and then what nedeth any other prophet vnto vs thirdly he was more honourable then Moses in this office many wayes to be preferred afore him therfore no other Prophet is to bee ioyned with him Fourthly the Prophet Dauid said To day if you hear his voice c. which we must needes vnderstand to be a perpetuall prophesie and therefore accomplished in Christ whome we must heare if we wil beleeue and be saued Last of all the force strength of the word of God is such as it must needes warrant the maiestie of God in Christ the author of it and as n one other hath that glory so none to be our prophet but he alone vnto all those reasons he hath added as you haue heard ernest exhortatiōs to giue more weight vnto them for the better persuasion of his brethren to whome he writeth Nowe he beginneth the other principall point of this first part of the Epistle that is to proue that Christ is our only priest which disputation he continueth to the eleuenth chapter as we shal god willing heare He beginneth it firste with an exhortation as he vsed the like often before and as I saide to make vs more carefully regarde his woordes Sith thē we haue a great high priest who hath entred into heauen Iesus the sonne of God let vs hold this professiō the force of this exhortation is in the excellencie of the priesthood of Christe secretely compared with the priesthood of Aaron who was in nature their brother in person weake as other men in office earthly entring into a tabernacle made with hangs in vertue a figure of a better sacrificer himselfe not profiting at all but Christ is another highe priest in nature the sonne of GOD in qualitie great and full of glorie in office heauenly entering before God to be our mediatour in vertue holie and perfect himselfe to purge our sinnes This the Apostle noteth calling him high priest greate entring into heauen and the sonne of God and so much the more we are guiltie before him if we shal not holde fast and professe all his instruction and doctrine Now least we should thinke the Apostles exhortation is weake and that he taketh it for graūted which is in controuersie for he calleth our sauiour Christ high priest which yet it seemeth he hath not proued we must consider what hath beene spoken before and so we shall see good argumentes in this exhortation for the proof of his cause He hath taught him to be the sonne of God made man reuealinge vnto vs the counsell of his father purchasing a most glorious inheritance for vs and setting vs free from the bondage of the diuel in which wee were holden vnder the feare of death which things before witnessed of our Sauiour Christ and necessarily prouing him for the same cause to be our priest according to that trueth in the beginning of this disputation he calleth him our great highe priest So he beganne before the thirde chapter Consider holie brethren the Apostle and high priest of our profession not yet hauing particularly spoken of those offices but calling him by those names because according to the description of his person before made it must needes followe that he was both our priest and Prophet Another argument of his priesthood is that hee was here in earth afflicted as we be submitting him selfe to death from which he is risen and nowe ascended into heauen therefore he is our priest crucified for our sinnes risen for our iustification and making now Intercession for vs before God his father Thus we see vpon howe good warrant the Apostle in the beginning exhorteth them to acknowledge Christ their priest and thus muche touching this entraunce of the Apostle into this disputation and why he vseth such wordes Now touching the matter To teach that our sauiour Christ is our onely priest he first sheweth by the workes of
No creature at all shal yelde his seruice vnto them the elememtes of the worlde shall seeme to melt away This state of miserie Christe entred into and sunke downe deepe in this confusion and who can expresse his sorrow Beeing full of goodnesse he had the reward of euil full of obedience he was punished as wicked full of faith yet had the reward of a sinner inheritour of all things and Lord of all yet nothing at al to doe him duetie the King of Kings and Lord of lordes yet made an outcast and abiect of the people the ruler of all and God of glorie yet compassed with shame and great confusion the authour of life yet wrapped in the chaynes of eternall death the onely begotten of his father and his best beloued yet cast off as a straunger and chasticed as an enimie the brightnesse of glorie and the beautie of the highest heauens yet crucified in dishonour and throwne downe into hell O picture of perfect wretchednesse and image of miserie howe iust cause founde he to crie out alowde My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee his whole bodie and nature like vnto vs altogether broken with the rewarde of sinne his soule powred out into all calamitie the wrath of his father and condemnation resting vpon him How truely may we here say and confesse the article of our faith He descended into hell How liuely do we see it perfourmed that the Prophet speaketh of The snares of death compassed me and the paines of hell tooke holde vpon me I found trouble and sorrow This was the cōpassion that he had towardes vs by whiche he suffered with our infirmities more then Aaron or all the priestes of the lawe coulde possibly haue done for vs If we could possiblie consider dearely beloued as we should we would gladly imbrace him as the high priest for euer of the new testament when we shal be made of one fashion with him throughe some measure of his afflictiō to feele the weight of our sinnes then we shall confesse what cause he had of complayning and how dearely hee hath bought the honour of the high Priest and Mediatour The Lord lighten the eyes of our minde that with open countenāce we may behold him who for our sakes endured such a death of the crosse wee shoulde not then need many exhortations the remembrance of the latter end would keepe vs safe from sinne But let vs now see what the Apostle further teacheth vs and while our sauiour Christe is in these greate extremities what fruite of well doing he hath learned by it It followeth And although he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the things he suffored Lo dearly be loued this was no little profit of all his troubles he learned thereby how and what it was to obey his father that when these things rested all vpon him yet he could say in meekenesse of spirit Not my will my father but thy wil be done he might haue great boldnesse that his obedience was perfect The shame of the worlde the afflictions of the flesh the vexations of the minde the paines of Hell when these coulde make him vtter no other wordes but Father as 〈◊〉 wilt so let it be done what hope what faith did he surely build on that his obedience was precious in the sight of his father this example is our instruction We knowe then best how we loue the Lord when wee feele by experience what we wil suffer for his sake It is an easie thing to be valiant before the combate or to dreame of a good courage before the hart be tryed but in dede to be vnshaken in the midst of the tempest and to stand vpright when the ground vnder thee doth trēble this is to knowe assuredly thou art strong in deede and to say with boldenesse thou shalt neuer be moued this our Sauiour Christe might throughly glorie of The heauen earth and elementes they were all his enimies his Father in whome he trusted shewed him an angrie countenaunce he that fainted not but cryed stil Thy wil be done O Father he may be bold of his obedience there is no creature can make him falsifie his faith If this be the fruite of our afflictions the Apostle speaketh not without great occasion Account it for an exceding ioy when ye fall into sundrie troubles For what can bee more ioyful vnto the soule that is oppressed then to giue this in experience that neither hight nor deapth shall remoue him from the lord The glory of Abraham was exceeding great when he had sealed it with practise that he would forsake his countrie his kinred and his fathers house at the commaundemēt of God to go whether he would shew him then he knew by good proofe hee was made worthy of Christe when he could forsake Father mother house lande and all thinges to come vnto him The patience of Iob was not thoroughly knowen till all his goods were spoyled and he left exceedinge bare in that case when he spake so boldely Naked came I out of my moothers womb and naked shal I returne again the Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken away as the Lord wil so is it done the name of the Lord be praysed for euer Nowe might Iob be sure of the strong patience which should bring foorth hope that neuer should be confounded Our brethren before vs whiche so constantly haue holden the professiō of their faith that y flames of fire could not make it wauer they had a good witnesse that their election was sure when they might speake by experience that neither life nor death coulde remoue them from the loue of God. Thus the good grounde is knowen what it is when the heate can not scorche it nor bryers and thornes turne the good corne into weedes but thoroughe all stormes it will giue nourishment to the seede til it giue greater increase to Gods honour and glorie The best of vs all let vs thanke God for this profitable experience for before it come vnto vs we knowe not howe great the rebellion of the fleshe will be The Apostles of Christ they bragged not a little that they woulde neuer forsake their maister Christ he alone had the wordes of eternal life and they would not chaunge him for another they beleeued him they knewe him to be Christ the fonne of the liuing God and there was no other sauiour But when they sawe the swordes and staues the rulers offended the people in an vprore the crosse at hande their courage fell downe they forsooke him all and fled away Peter was not a litle stoute as himselfe was persuaded he would neuer forsake Christe though he should die for his name and for proofe of his courage he drewe his sword stroke so venterously that he had almoste slaine one he seemed to be at a point and fully resolued that he would not leaue his maister till the sworde shoulde diuide them but alas this boldnesse was
if it should happen you to fall downe into hell Christe hath descended also you should then be moste like him in his agonies and bloudie sweates The third cause at this time which I will touch is this God sendeth vs sundry chasticementes and especiallie that which is moste grieuous of al other the anguish of spirite and affliction of the soule for this purpose that we should be warned in time how to turne vnto him be free from the plague when it commeth for the iudgements of God that are dayly preached vnto vs they pearce deepe into the heartes of the true beleeuers and the worde that they heare it woorketh mightilie in them more sharp in their eares then a two edged swoord it entreth thorough them euen to the diuiding a sunder of the soule and of the spirite and of the ioyntes and of the marrowe and examine all the thoughts and the intentes of the heart so that it is vnpossible that any part of them should be hidde but they are all open vnto iudgement and heare the voice of the Lorde Then their sinne is reuiued in the midst of their bowels their coÌ„science hath no rest they feele death working in their hearts and hel is before theÌ„ they see sinne on their right hande and Satan on their left shame vnder their feete and an angrie Iudge aboue them y world ful of destructioÌ„ without and a worme gnawing the heart within the poore sinner knoweth not what to do to hide him selfe it is impossible and to appeare it is intollerable then hee breaketh out into lowde cryinges O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death he giueth no rest vnto his eyes nor sleepe vnto his eyelids vntill hee finde him that is able to saue him from this wrath in his bedde by night he seeketh him whome his soule loueth in the streetes and open places he inquireth after him and after many dayes in whiche he cannot finde him Christ sheweth him selfe at the last a perpetual deliuerer a victorious Lion of the tribe of Iuda in whome he hath strong saluation when hee hath mourned because of y plague that was before him Christ will approch neere and wipe away the teares from his eyes This y Prophet Abacuch setteth forth in his own person WheÌ„ I heard saith he the word of God my bellie trembled my lips shooke at the voice roâ—…nnesse entred into my bones I trembled in my selfe that I might haue rest in the day of trouble Euen so dearely beloued it is with vs all The plagues of God because they are pronounced against iniquitie it maketh the childe of God to feare and tremble that so foreseeing the harme he might prepare him helpe and because of the destroyer seeke without wearines vnto the sauiour though he hide him selfe at the first the wounded spirite and troubled hart must nedes finde him-out A great cause of vnspeakeable gladnesse though wee seeme swalowed vp of pensiue sorrowe We are full of griefe but we are chastised of the Lord because we should not be coÌ„demned with the world we die with Christ but because we should liue with him wee lament and weepe but because that Christe might wipe away all teares from our eyes we are deliuered vnto death for Iesus sake but because the life of Iesus should be made manifest in our flesh we beare about in our bodies the mortification of the Lord Iesus but because the life of Iesus might be manifest also in our bodies we haue anguishe of spirite and vexation of minde such as hath not bene from the beginning but for this cause that when souden destruction shall come vpon the carelesse world we might lift vp our heades and beholde our redemption at hande Let vs then be bolde and in patience possesse our soules for these causes we are nowe afflicted that wee might receiue mercie and finde grace to helpe in the time of neede for this cause we tremble and are affraide that after many praiers and supplications we might be deliuered from the things which we haue feared It followeth in the Apostle And beeing consecrate he was made the authour of saluation to all them that obey him In these wordes wee ate taught what 〈◊〉 and coÌ„moditie we haue through these bitter sufferinges of our Sauiour Christ and also by what meanes we are made partakers of it the fruite is eternall saluation the meanes to go vnto it is obedience in the first we learne that all promise and hope of life is in Christe alone hee hath alone the wordes of liâ—…e he is alone the breade of life the water of life the authour of life the word of life the tree of life the onlie life hee that beleeueth in him hee hath euerlasting life and he that dwelleth not in him shall see no life but the wrath of God abideth on him Take holde of Christ and take holde of life reach foorth thine hand to any other thinge and thou reachest vnto vanitie which cannot helpe Looke not for life but where it dwelleth in the flesh of Christe alone there it resteth Death hath reigned in all the world beside and led euery creature into bondage If thou looke vnto the heauens there is but vexation and anguishe if thou looke vnto the earth there is but darknesse and sorrow if thou call vnto Abraham he knoweth thee not if thou cry vpon Angels they can not helpe thee if thou looke vnto thy workes they are all vncleane if thou truste in thy prayers the Lorde hath no pleasure in them call for the helpe of al creatures they are subiect to vanitie there is no life but in Christ alone The elders the Angels the baestes and all creatures they giue this honour vnto Christe Saluation is of him that sitteth vppon the throne and of the Lambe and altogether they cry Amen And if all the creatures which yet are excellent good are not of power to giue anie peece of this life then what shall we think of those people enimies to God and murderers of his Saincts which so long haue made vs beleeue that they haue life in them selues that they can forgiue vs our sinnes for yeares euen as they will manie or fewe that they can make sacrifices propitiatorie for vs y they can purge vs by purgatorie fiers that their Pilgrimages their pardons their vowes their holie orders and such other spiritual drunkennesse of their sicke braines that these be auailable to purchase life If they will not be reclaimed let vs rest in the counsels of our God and say with Iohn He that hurteth let him hurt still and hee that is filthy let him be filthy still It is inough for vs that Christ is our life that our life is hid with Christe in God when Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glorie Now while we are in the dayes of our pilgrimage the way that wee must walke vnto this
life in Christe is to bee obedient vnto his will. What so euer be the way that hee will shewe vs and bid vs walke in it let vs neither decline to the right hande nor to the lefte but goe forwarde in the same We are not to loke into the worlde how our fathers before vs haue walked Our iniquities the iniquities of our fathers shall be bound together If wee be partakers of their euil doings If we go after Baalims which our fathers haue taught vs we shal be fed with the wormwood which our fathers haue eaten The gouernement of the church is vpon the shoulders of Christ he giueth vs the lawes by which we liue he ruleth alone in the house of Iacob his voice must be followed We may not now euery one say wee haue a vision we haue a dreame God hath spoken by his sonne and charged all to heare him We may not boast our selues of Sainct or Angel to hearken to new doctrines which we haue not learned for God hath not put in subiection vnto Angels these dayes of the Gospell in which we are but vnto Christe who is made the head of his people and all thinges are in subiection vnder his feete so that this is the way we haue to walke Christe is our Lord let vs receiue his lawes he is our mayster let vs followe his rules he is our Apostle let vs heare his Gospell Let vs obey in all things and we shal be established This is the glorie that GOD hath giuen vnto his sonne he is our lawgiuer we haue no other If we will leaue the stubbernnesse of our owne heartes and obey him as life is in him so wee shall surely liue for the Lorde hath not as greate pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when the voice of the Lorde is obeyed It is an euerlastinge truethe That to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken is better then the fat of Rams for to disobey is as the sinne of witchcrase and to chaunge the law that is set before vs this is wickednesse and idolatrie Let vs not be wise in our owne conceites to frame God a religion such as we will. This is to drawe iniquitie with cordes of vanitie and to pull sinne after vs as with car tropes A iust recompence of such wearye labours when God shall say vnto vs who hath required these things at your hands Let vs then followe so as wee be called and bringe into captinitie euerie thought of man to the obedience of Christe And the Lord our God for his Christes sake giue vnto vs heartes ful of humilitie that we may think him wisest and rest in his decrees that we be neuer spoiled through vaine Philosophie and the traditions of men but harken vnto him who is onely wise that at the last we may liue with him who hath alone immortalitie and shall fil vs with his glorie for euermore Whiche times the Lorde God bring speedily vpon vs and finishe the dayes of sinne for his mercies sake that we may enter into the heauens whether Christe is gone before vs and reigne with him for euer who is our onely Sauiour to whome with the Father and the holie Ghost three persons and one God be all honour and glorie worlde without ende Amen ¶ The xxv Lecture vpon the 10. verse and so forth the residue of the Chapter 10 And is called of God an highe priest after the order of Melchisedech 11 Of whom we haue many thinges to say which are hard to be vttered because ye are dull of hearing 12 For when as concerning the time ye ought to be teachers yet haue ye nede again that we teach you what are the first principles of the word of God are become such as haue neede of milke and not of strong meate 13 For euerie one that vseth milke is inexpert in the word of righteousnesse for he iâ—… a childe 14 But strong meate belongeth to them that are of age which through long custome haue their wittes exercised to discerne both good and euill WE haue heard before what comparison the Apostle hath made betweene Christ and Aaron and how the excellencie of Christ is incomparable aboue him in all workes of the priesthood our benefite by him vnspeakablie greater as of whome alone is all saluation The conclusion of the same disputation is added now in the tenth verse And he is called of God an highe priest after the order of Melchisedech which words do conclude in shorte summe all y hath been spoken â–ª first that Christ is our priest hath therfore the name of the high priest giuen him Secondly what kinde of priesthod he hath not Aarons for for it Aaron himselfe was sufficient appointed of God but another spiritual priesthod after the order of Melchisedech Thirdly that vnto this priesthod he was called of God to this sense and meaning the wordes are plainly set downe in this tenth verse as you haue heard of all which we haue spoken alreadie Nowe because this priesthod of Christ after the order of Melchisedech was not well vnderstood what kinde of priesthod it should be of what vertue and grace therefore the Apostle meaneth more at large to speake of this that they might vnderstand it as his maner is often to make exhortation to stirre vp their dull spirits least they should heare in vaine so here in the eleuenth verse and after following he maketh a long digression vnto the beginning of the vii chapter both to persuade them to holde a good vnderstanding of all that hath been spoken and to prepare them more diligently to other things that should be taught that so they might all glorifie God in good wisedomâ—… and knowledge of the mysterie of his wil. And this exhortation he beginneth thus Of whome we haue many things to say which are hard to be declared because you be dull of hearing Here first the Apostle the more to stirre them vp diligently to learn this mysterie of Melchisedech how he was a figure of our Sauiour Christ and the priesthood of Christe was represented in him he saith first that the matter is harde and difficult to be declared and therefore requireth great heede and dâ—…ligence This place dearely beloued let vs learne well for it hath many good instructions in it it is harde saith the Apostle and therfore you must adde more diligence to it Heere firste wee learne a good cause why it pleased God to leaue places in Scripture harde to vnderstand like as other places are easie for as the easinesse is because none should bee discouraged but all learne so the hardnesse is because none should be negligent and carelesse and heerein the Lord hath delt also mercifully with vs for seeing all carelesnesse in reading his worde in whiche his wisdome is reuealed is the taking of his name in vaine our ownâ—… profite doeth now make vs take more heede of this finne for we cannot vnderstand or be edified by it but with