with his owne bloud And that he should goe but once with his owne bloud he proveth ab impossibili If he should often have offered himselfe he should often have suffered but he cannot dye or suffer often therefore hee cannot often offer up himselfe 3. There the High-Priest by his sacrifice did signifie the expiation of sins that was to be accomplished our High-Priest hath appeared to put away sin which is amplified by the time when and the instrument whereby The 4th is the application of the use The use of the Leviticall Priest-Hood was to shadow out our redemption to be wrought by Christ the use of Christ's Priest-Hood is to procure to us eternall happinesse Which is set forth by an antithesis betweene the common estate and condition of men and the grace we have by Christ. The common estate of men consisteth in two things 1. In death then in judgement These happen to all and cannot be avoyded Both members are applyed to Christ. 1. Death 2. The judgement where Christ's second comming is described To mans once dying is opposed Christ's once dying amplified by the finall cause To the fearefull judgement to come is opposed the second comming or appearing of our Saviour Christ amplified 1. By the persons to whom hee shall appeare with comfort 2. By the manner how hee shall appeare without sin not only in himselfe but in his members in his body the Church neither head nor body shall then have any sin in them 3. By the end VERSE 21. THe consecration of the Tabernacle was with bloud Where 1. The sprinckler 2. The things sprinckled 3. Wherewith The sprinckler was Moses which was Gods deputie the things sprinckled were the Tabernacle and the vessells of ministration that is wherewith they did publikely serve and minister that wherewith they were sprinkled was bloud At the first dedication of the Tabernacle it was annointed with oyle but afterwards Levit. 8. it was sprinckled with bloud The Altar and all other ministring vessells Aaron and his sons themselves were sprinckled with bloud All Christians are Gods Tabernacle hee dwells in us as in a Tabernacle and Temple we are likewise Gods ministring vessells to serve him Therefore wee must be sprinckled with the bloud of Christ Iesus or else we cannot be consecrated as an holy people to the Lord. Likewise as well as he did the people and the booke VERSE 22. THe second rite no purgation could be made without bloud Almost 1. A qualification 2. An asseveration Saint Chrysostome and Theophylact referre it to the verb all things are by the Law almost purged with bloud Not wholly but in part almost because the bloud of the beasts did but purge the flesh not the heart and conscience As Agrippa said to Paul almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian. But by the grammaticall construction it is rather to be referred to the noune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almost all things for there were some things purged by water some by fire Num. 31.23 But howsoever some things might be purified without bloud yet there is no remission namely of sins without bloud Where then is the unbloudy sacrifice of the Masse If there be no shedding of bloud in it as they affirme the bloudy sacrifice was on the Crosse this of the Masse is unbloudy then it cannot be propitiatory for sins as they contend Bellar. lib. 1. de Missa c. 27. hath three answers or rather three cavills against this place 1. The Apostle here speakes de sacrificijs veteris legis But 1. Then hee would have used a verbe of the time past rather than of the time present hee would have said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. He cannot speake of the sacrifices of the Old Law but he must needs have reference to CHRIST 's sacrifice prefigured by them Secondly sayes Bellarmine this is not to bee understood as if without actuall shedding of bloud there could bee no remission but absque virtute without the power of shedding of bloud there can be no remission Now the power of Christ's sacrifice on the Crosse is applyed to us in the Masse and so by it we have remission of sins I but First the sacrifice of the Masse doth rather abolish the power of Christ's Sacrifice on the Crosse then apply it to us for if that were a full and perfect sacrifice for sinne then there needs no other the sacrifice of the Masse is a blasphemous sacrifice robbing Christ of his honour 2. Here it is said without bloud shedding no remission not without the power of bloud shedding Bellar. saw hee should bee driven to this therefore hee hath a third refuge In the Masse there is shedding bloud 1. Mystically by a mysticall signification 2. Really for as the body of Christ is broken subspecie panis so under the forme of Wine is his bloud shed But if CHRIST 's bloud bee really shed so often as a Masse is said or sung then CHRIST suffers often Certainely a man suffers when his bloud is shed but Verse 26. therefore in the Masse no shedding of bloud and for that cause no remission of sins for the same 2. Vnder the Vizzard sub specie they may cover any thing In the Masse there is no propitiatory sacrifice offered up that 's most certaine That doth plainely signifie to us that if CHRIST 's bloud had not been shed for us we could never have had remission of sins Then how are we beholden to the Lord Iesus There is a base fellow in the land that hath committed high treason he must needs dye unlesse the Kings Son shed his bloud for him We were vile wretches dust and ashes Traitors and rebels against God If the Son of God had not powred forth his bloud for us we should have beene tormented in hell for ever CHRIST hath bought us with his owne bloud O the wonderfull love of CHRIST remember sayes Saint Peter yee are redeemed from your old conversation not with silver and gold but with the precious bloud of Christ. O that the consideration of this deere price were deepely imprinted in our hearts Being washed from sinne in the bloud of CHRIST shall wee tumble in the mire of sinne Thou art washed from thy covetousnesse pride uncleannesse drunkennesse with the bloud of CHRIST and yet wilt thou wallow still in them We are bought with a price we are not our owne wee are CHRIST 's hee hath deerely payd for us therefore let us glorifie him in our spirits and bodies which be his VERSE 23. IT was therefore necessarie 1. because God commanded it to be so 2. Because it was meete they should by these ceremonies be consecrated to God 3. That they might the better signifie the things that were to come Patternes such as did lively set before their eyes as by certaine examples the things to come Of things in the heavens that is of the Church in the time of the Gospell that is called heaven because the
profits of the world seldome or never thinking of the joyes of the world to come Who will serve a Master that is ready to dye Such a one as cannot preferre thee the world hath one foote already in the grave therefore let us serve him no longer CHRIST hath not redeemed us by the bloud of a Calfe Ram Sheepe c. not with the sacrifice of an Angell of his mother or any Saint but by the sacrifice of Himselfe no other sacrifice could save us Now as Christ in wonderfull love hath sacrificed Himselfe for us so let us offer up our selves as an holy sacrifice to him VERSE 27. THe application of the use is set forth by an elegant antithesis betweene the cursed condition of men by nature and the blessed condition of men by grace through CHRIST IESUS The lamentable condition of men by nature is double 1. They must all dye then there remaines a Iudgement for them Vnto the common death of men is opposed the death of our Saviour Christ that taketh away the sins of the world In regard whereof death cannot hurt the faithfull Vnto the fearefull judgment to come is opposed Christ's second comming amplified by the persons to whom he shall come by the manner how and the end of his comming Layd up in Gods secret Counsell Why for sin at what time so ever thou eatest thou shalt dye the death To all men It an indefinite proposition is equivalent to an universall Man that is borne of a woman is but of a short time c. that is every man Object 1 Cor. 15.51 Sol. That change shall be instar mortis Object 2. Lazarus dyed twise That was extraordinary ordinarily men dye but once But after this the judgement immediately without delay 1. The particular then the generall Then there is no Purgatory We have two purgatories in this life the fire of affliction and the bloud of Christ then wee neede feare no purgatory after this life Here we see an appointment a decree a sentence wherein foure circumstances are to be observed 1. By whom this appointment is made namely by God Almighty in whom there is not a shadow of turning and which is able to bring that to passe which he hath appointed What I have written I have written said Pilat and would not alter his writing so what God hath appointed hee hath appointed and hee will accomplish it Men are mutable they appoint and disappoint it is not so with God hath he said it and shall he not doe it Therefore as sure as God is in heaven this appointment shall stand Who at any time hath resisted his will who can breake his appointment 2. What it is that is appointed once to dye What is death properly to speake it is a separation of the soule from the body Man was made with two parts the body of the dust of the ground the soule breathed into him by God Life is a conjunction of these two death is a separation of them There is an improper death which is a change of these two conjoyned still together which shall happen to them that be alive at the day of judgment but the Apostle here speaketh of the proper death 2. There is an extraordinary dying and an ordinary Some have dyed twise as Lazarus and those that rose with Christ at his resurrection but ordinarily it is appointed to all men once to dye It is not appointed to all to be rich wise learned but to dye 3. Why was this appointment made because of sin Rom. 5.12 at what time thou eatest thou shalt dye the death Sinne is the cause of death Then why should wee bee in love with sin Wee shunne poyson because it will kill us drunkennesse adultery swearing and other sins brought death into the world therefore let them be hated by us Why are wee afraid of the plague because it will kill us Sinne will kill both soule and body therefore let us all bee afraid to sinne 4. The persons to whom this appointment is made to men to all men There is no man living but shall see death it is appointed to Kings to dye to Dukes Earles Lords Knights Gentlemen Merchants Clothiers Husbandmen to high and low rich and poore learned and unlearned It is appointed to the Ministers to dye and to the people to the Master and servant to the Husband and to the Wife We read of a Woman that had seven Husbands they all dyed and in the end the Woman dyed also None can avoid the stroake of death the Physitions that cure others at the length dye contra vim mortis non est medicamen in hortis the godly dye good Women bring forth with sorrow as well as bad so good men and women dye as well as bad as the faithfull are sicke as well as the unfaithfull so also they dye as well as others Oh that this were carefully remembred by us and that wee would lay it close to our hearts We see our neighbours Townsmen one or other almost everyday carryed to the earth yet wee lay it not to heart it workes not in us a death to sin we follow the world with such earnestnesse as if we should never leave the world Let us so live that wee may dye in the LORD IESUS rise againe and live with him for ever When or where we shall dye wee cannot tell that is in Gods hands but this is most certaine wee shall dye quocunque te verteris incerta omnia sola mors certa In all other things we may use a fortè fortè eris Dives fortè habebis liberos but when wee speake of death we may put fortè under our girdles and say certè morieris If any should aske a reason why the godly should dye seeing CHRIST hath dyed for them the answer is easie because CHRIST dyed to free them from death eternall not from the corporall death which is imposed upon all because all have sinned Christ hath taken away the curse of the corporall death but not death it selfe cogitur non obesse sed non abesse wee are all sinners therefore we must all dye Let us bee carefull to feare God while wee bee alive that wee may not greatly feare death whensoever he shall come Death is a bitter cup all of us in some sort feare to drink of it CHRIST feared it non est fortior miles quà m Imperator wee feare it as it is a dissolution of nature but let us not feare it after a slavish manner Take this sugar to sweeten this bitter Cup withall 1. CHRIST hath taken away the sting of it 1 Cor. 18.57 thankes bee to God which giveth us the victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. Death is a great Goliah yet stripped of his armour as a roaring Lion yet without jawes or pawes as an hissing Serpent yet without a sting the sting of death is sinne Christ hath taken away the sins of the world In his owne body upon the tree he
kill our bodies the filthy stincke that issues out of these dead carkasses of sin will kill both body and soule therefore let them be detested by us These dead workes of sinne will poyson us all therefore have nothing to doe with them as wee love our life which is most deere to us all skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life so let us avoide these dead workes that deprive us of eternall life in the world to come 5. Dead things are heavy a dead man So these lye heavy on our consciences Caine Iudas they were not able to beare that intollerable burden Sins may very well be termed dead workes 1. Laedunt vitam naturae they make our naturall life more unpleasant to us in the end they cut the threed of it for the wages of sinne is death if we had never sinned against God we should never have dyed 2. Carent vita gratiae So long as we are dead in our sins we are out of the favour of God 3. Auferunt vitam gloriae they deprive us of the kingdome of heaven in the life to come therefore they are worthily termed dead workes Thirdly the end of our redemption is to serve God we are redeemed from our old conversation not to our old conversation we are bought with the bloud of Christ not to serve the Devill our selves the flesh the world we have served them too much already but from henceforth we must serve God And how must we serve him 1. Integraliter in soule and body not in body alone as hypocrites doe that draw neere to GOD with their lippes but their hearts are farre from him nor in soule alone as some fearefull Christians doe which say they have a good heart to God-ward and yet give their bodyes to the service of the Devill As God by Iesus Christ hath redeemed both soule and body so we must glorifie him with them both 2. Wee must serve God peculiariter him and him alone I am a jealous God Thou shalt have no other Gods besides me We must not make our belly our God as Epicures doe our money our God as covetous misers doe but wee must serve God alone hee must have all our service Matth. 4.10 3. Perseveranter not a while but continually to our lives end bee faithfull to the end and I will give thee the Crowne of life If wee persevere not in his service to our dying day wee shall loose our reward 4. Totaliter all the time of our whole life Wee must serve him not only when wee bee old drie and withered but in our fresh and flourishing yeeres wee must beare the yoke of the LORD when wee are young hee must have the first fruits of our service But alas though wee professe that wee are redeemed by CHRIST yet wee serve our owne lusts and affections wee serve not the living GOD as wee ought to doe Let us have a care to serve the living GOD in this short and transitory world that we may live eternally with this everliving GOD in the world to come There is no fishing to the Sea no service to the Kings nor no service to the King of Kings 1. Some Masters are poore and cannot reward their servants our master is rich heaven and earth are his Hester though a poore mayde yet because she served him he made her a Queene 2. Some masters are churlish and will not reward their servants as Nabal was wee have a kinde and loving master not the least service we doe if we give but a cup of cold water in his name but he will reward it 3. Earthly Masters give but earthly rewards they may give good wages while yee be with them and peradventure bestow a farme on you but our master will give us a kingdome 4. Earthly masters dye Gentlemen Knights Noblemen dye yea Kings themselves dye and then their servants seeke abroad but our master lives for ever Therefore let us serve him with all cheerefulnesse let us serve him in this life and we shall enter into the joy of our Master Will the Son of Iesse give you all Vineyards Our Master will give us all a kingdome We are servants here we shall bee Kings there have palmes in our hands and Crownes on our heads and raigne with him for ever VERSE 15. SEcondly the truth and substance of the Tabernacle is applyed to Christ as to a testatour Where 1. The constitution of the Testament Verse 15. 2. A confirmation of it In the constitution of it there be foure circumstances 1. The legatour 2. The death of the testatour that strengthens the Testament 3. The legatarie every believer 4. The legacie an eternall inheritance The instrumentall cause whereby wee attaine to our legacie was the death of Christ which hath a double use 1. To purchase redemption for us as a Priest we are redeemed by the bloud of Christ from the bonds of sins wherewith we were tyed by vertue of the former Testament 2. To ratifie the covenant and Testament to us as a Testatour he is a Priest in regard of God making an attonement for us with his bloud hee is a Testatour in respect of us bequeathing that to us which hee hath bought with his bloud It is ratified by the death of the Testatour Which is confirmed by two arguments 1. Iure humano Verses 16.17 2. Iure legali Where 1. A generall assertion Ver. 18. 2. A particular explication of it Verse 19.20 Here may seeme to be some contradictions 1. There it is said when Moses had read the booke here it is said when hee had spoken every precept that is appertaining to the booke of the covenant So that there is no jarre but a sweete harmony 2. There is mention only of the bloud of Beeves here of Calves and Goates they are by a Synecdoche comprehended in the other 3. There is nothing said of water wooll and hysop but there he speakes of sprinkling and these were used in all sprincklings 4. It is not said that the booke was sprinckled but that may well bee collected Verse 6. for having made an Altar and set the booke of the covenant on it with halfe of the bloud he sprinckled the Altar and the booke afterwards hee sprinckled the people too 5. There it is said this is the bloud of the Testament which God hath made with you Here which GOD commanded to bee brought to you This in sense is all one it was made according to the booke and being made was brought to them comprised in the booke Exod. 24.9 The force of the argument is this the former Testament was confirmed with bloud by the death of Calves Goats c. therefore it was requisite that the latter Testament should be ratified with bloud namely by the death of Christ the Testatour Because by his owne bloud hee hath purged our consciences which the bloud of beasts could not doe in the Law He by whose meanes and mediation the New
the Papists have two pillars for their hope Protestants but one and that is the stronger 410 Hospitality It is commended 40 41.597 598. the conditions of hospitality 598.690 many reasons for it 599. fond excuses for not keeping hospitality answered by S. Basil. 691 House or Houshold vid. family how called a Church 7 8.119 all Christians are the House of God 121. the difference betweene a House and a Tabernacle 349. what a priviledge it is to be of Gods Houshould 452 Hypostasis what it properly signifieth 139 I IAcob his faith and facts 484 485. c. Iephte his faith facts and fame 524 525. Iesting we must beware of jesting at the Word 182 Ierecho of its fall and meanes how it was effected 512 Iesus why Iesus and Iosua have one and the same name 152. the sweete name of Iesus admired and adored 586. whose office and fruite of it is enlarged ibid. c. Ignorance twofold 131. it is a capitall sin 338. yet the Papists make it the Mother of Devotion 339. It s horrid punishment ibid. It is a great sinne in all but specially in them that have the meanes 340 Impatience A notable remedy against it 433 Imposition Imposition of hands why used 209 210 Incarnation Christs Incarnation described and applyed 106 107. the difference betweene his and ours in foure things 107. How the flesh of Beasts and Birds excells ours ibid. the Ends of his Incarnation 108. the cause ibid Infidelity It is a great sinne 129.135.143 what 134. Infirmities As Christ so Chrstians especially Ministers must beare their brethrens infirmities 169. no Saint but hath his sinne 306 307 Intercession how Christ doth now make intercession for us 298 Iohn his name and office 662. An Elder ibid Ioseph of his faith and facts 487 488 c. Why bound by an oath for his fathers buriall 488. Iosua why Iosua and Iesus have one and the same name 152. of Iosuahs faith and facts 512 Ioy Christians may be Ioyfull 662 Iudgement day which is called Eternall 211. we should oft thinke of that day ibid. the fruit of such a thought 212. Iudgement followes on the necke of death 375. to whom it shall be comfortable 376. the day of Iudgement draweth nigh 415. the certainty of its being to come though none know when 419 420 Iudgement Gods Iudgements on others should teach us 142. wee must reverence Gods Iudgements 450. examples hereof ibid K KIsse it is a token of Love 665 Knowledge the knowledge of God is unspeakeable 184 L. ΛατÏευουσι unde 313 Law the Reason of disanulling the Law 289. the excellencie of the Gospell above the Law 289 290 294 295. All that was in the Ceremoniall Law were Shaddowes 313 Lex-Talionis examples of it 510 511 Limbus Patrum see it falsly Forged 340 341 Love its preheminence above Faith and Hope 13. A Christian cannot be without it 15 16. Love must not be verball but Real 16. It must be to the Saints specially but not wholy ibid. Love hath a greater Attractive force then Feare 22. Our Love how set or setled on one more than another 34. the mutuall love that should be among us 136. Love is Laborious 228. Gods incomprehensible Love is set forth by many similitudes 319. Love is alwayes working 412. Love though an excellent grace yet rare to bee seene 595. It hath many enemies 596. Its fruites 597. divers men Love diversely 665 666. Loves commendadations 670 671. the manifold allurements to be in Love with this grace of Love 671 M MAgistrate he must rule according to Gods word 312 Man what he is 89 90 91. hee is sometimes called an Angel 91. the difference in respect of excellency betweene man and Angells 91. his dignitie as a Christian 92 93. altogether uncleane without Christ 100. all men are one and equall but that sin and sanctification puts a difference 101. man compared to earth 220 Manna a type of Christ 332 333 Marriage a strange conclusion of Pope Siricius against marriage 443. a sweete estate yet not without some soure 552. It is commended 601. Three Etymons of the Latin words for marriage 601. its definition ibid. it is honourable 602. no Sacrament ibid. how disgraced ibid. why to be had in honour 602 603 604 605. the things and wayes that make marriage honorable 605. Ministers may marry 607. its confessed by some Papists 608 Masse a Iesuits wit in reaching above the moone for that monster the Masse 287. a cut for Masse-mongers 297. arguments against it 30â— what the Papists hold the Masse to bee 351. other arguments against the Masse answered 367 371 376 401 Maundy-Thursday whence it comes 287 Meanes how meane soever the meanes be we must by Faith depend on God 514 Mediatour Christ is the sole Mediatour 361 587 Melchizedek of his name offiice kingdome c. 247 c. much more â—54 255 c. Christ prefigured by Melchizedek 275 Mercy we ought to be merciful one towards another by Christs exa 113. Gods former mercies a paune of future 130. mer. is a divine vertue yet it must go with justice 421 Merits the Popish doctrine of merits doth derogate from Christ â—0 God gives not heaven for our merits 227. opus operatuÌ„ is not enough to merit 44O Milke it is for Babes 204 Minister all Christians especially Ministers are Souldiers 1 6 7. They should be fellowes 7. their boldnesse 20 21. they may not onely entreate but enjoyne 21â— they should rather draw by love than force by feare 22. they are spirituall Fathers and how much men are beholding unto them 24. their love to their people ibid. what debt we owe to our Ministers 38 39. the people should so carry themselves to their Minister that they may be his joy 39. the name of a Minister is an honorable name 76 310. not to be contemned 193. by them God saveth men 194. what a Ministers lists are and what a Magistrates 194. the sacrifices that Ministers must now offer are either comon or proper 195. a Minister must not have a heart of flint but of oyle 196. they have their infirmities 197. they must have a calling to it 197. examples of a number of intruders into this calling ibid. c. A Ministers president 203. their light must shine 231. they are great men 257 258. yet they must acknowledg their brethren 259. greater in time of the Gospel than in time of the Law 313. the Minister is Gods mouth to speake to his people 323. to rebuke a Minister is a sinne of sinnes 333. Ministers duties learned of the Priests of old 337. no Minister can bee exempted from service 395 396. foure speciall duties that wee owe to Ministers 629. they are watchmen 630. they must give account for mens soules 631. we must not grieve them ibid. c. how we should love them 632 633. the great force of their preaching 634 635. they ought to have a good conscience 635 c. and how to keepe it 637. how he should be furnished 638.
Masters have power and authority over their servants as if Parents had not as great over their children and as if Parents might be lesse regarded then Masters this is well that servants may not enter into a Monastery without their Masters consent but if they be in who shall bring them out againe Their Masters may send an hundred times for them and go without them Yet Basil sets it down as a constitution that after they have beene admonished and made better remittendi sunt ad dominos they are to be sent backe to their masters againe In hoc Paulus imitandus qui Onesimum Philemoni remisit In this Paul must be followed who sent backe Onesimus to Philemon againe We may not keepe an horse or a Cow without the will of the owner and shall we keepe backe servants without the good will of their Masters Why would he not doe it without his mind That thy good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for good doing Therefore it is well translated benefite as Rom. 5.7 for a just man some will dare to dye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 .i. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a beneficiall man Not simplie of necessitie but with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a tanquam as it were of necessity if he had detayned him to wayte upon him without his knowledge therefore he thought good to acquaint him with it It is a received axiom quod ex necessitate bonumest non est bonum that which is good of necessitie is not good yet it is to be understood de necessitate coacta of a coacted necessity not of a voluntary God is necessarily good yet willingly good Death comes necessarily upon all yet some dye willingly I desire to be dissolved and to be with CHRIST but the good which is done upon a constrained necessity looseth the name of good patience perforce is no patience A willing mind in a good action is all in all If Salomon had not willingly built the Temple it had not beene pleasing to God if the Centurion had not willingly set up the Synagogue God would not have respected it if the Woman of Shunen had not willingly entertained the Prophet it had beene no good worke in the sight of God if Dorcas had not made the Coats willingly they had not beene acceptable unto God We must distinguish inter fructum datum betweene the fruit and the gift Datum is that which is given mony meat rayment fructus is bona recta voluntas datoris the fruit is the good and upright meaning of the giver Si panem dederis tristis panem meritum perdidisti if thou givest thy bread with an heavy heart thou hast lost thy bread and thy reward too Affectus tuus imponit nomen operi tuo thy affection gives a denomination to thy worke quomodo à te proficiscitur sic aestimatur Looke with what affection it proceeds from thee such estimation hath it with God GOD loves a willing and cheerefull giver Whosoever is of a willing heart let him bring his offering to the Lord gold silver brasse c. If there be first a willing mind it is accepted be it great or small Whatsoever yee doe doe it heartily come to Church hartily heare Sermons hartily receive the Sacraments hartily pay the Minister his due hartily give to the poore heartily In the building of the Temple it is said the heart of the people was with the worke Let our hearts be with all that we doe We cannot abide a servant that do's our worke grudgingly and doe ye thinke God will accept of grudged service VERSE 15. THe third plea is ex parte Dei on Gods part The wise God in his unsearchable providence hath turned his running away to good Therefore forgive and forget it Here is 1. A narration of Gods providence in disposing of his flight 2. An application of it to Philemon 3. A conclusion inferred upon it to receive him Verse 17. GODS providence in this action is set downe 1. Quasi dubitativè something doubtfully perhaps 2. Charitativè charitably he calls it not a running away but a departing 3. Temporariè temporally for a time for a season He useth this particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for two causes 1. because Gods judgments in themselves are hid in secret and it is temerity pro certo pronunciare quod dubium est to pronounce that for a certainty which to us is uncertaine 2. He would not peremptorily avouch i◠for animating servants to doe the like While it lay hid in Gods secret counsell it was doubtfull being revealed the event sheweth evidently that God hath ordeined it for singular good for Onesimus Paul and PHILEMON too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this cause therefore he went away that he might be brought into the right way God is not autor but ordinator peccati the author but orderer of sinne He brings light out of darknesse and good out of evill Ioseph's brethren intended his utter extirpation when they sold him into Egypt yet God made that the corroboration of his Church God sent me before for your preservation Onesimus meant nothing lesse by running away from his master then to become a Christian and a Preacher yet so it fell out by the admirable dispose of God Almighty This is Saint Hieromes Logicke If Onesimus had not fled from his master he had not gone to Saint Paul being in prison at Rome If he had not gone to Saint Paul he had not received faith in CHRIST If he had not had faith in CHRIST he had not beene Saint Pauls sonne nor sent into the worke of the Gospell or Ministery Therefore wee may conclude by degrees that he was made a Minister of the Gospell because hee fled from his Master It is received by antiquity that he was advanced to the function of the Ministery yet this must be no encouragement unto sinne A wise Physician so tempers poyson that hee makes a sovereigne medicine of it wilt thou therefore drinke poyson God can make the sicknesse of the body the health of the soule wilt thou therefore bee sicke God can turne our sinnes to good shall we therefore sinne God forbid these things write I unto you that yee sinne not The crucifying of CHRIST was the salvation of the world Shall wee therefore crucifie CHRIST All worke for the best to them that love God sicknesse poverty death This is the goodnesse of God not the proper effect of them Ioseph's imprisonment proved Ioseph's advancement Wilt thou therefore desire to be in prison The banishment of Hester was her preferment wilt thou therefore desire to be banished Saint Augustines going out of his way was the saving of his life for if hee had kept his way he had fallen into the hands of the Circumcelliones his deadly enemies Wilt thou therefore wish to goe out of thy way as thou art travelling God turnes sinne to good which is a
crowned with glory and honour in that he raised up himselfe from the dead ascended into heaven in a cloud in the sight of his Disciples the Angels attending on him in that Stephen saw him sitting at the right-hand of God in that he sent downe the Holy Ghost from heaven and by a few simple men to look to through the preaching of the Gospell conquered all the world We may all see him crowned with glory and honour Thus he is higher than the Angels though through the suffering of death he was for a time lower than they Christ truly suffered death not phantastically in a phantasticall body as the Manichees and Apollinarists dreamed he felt and indured the bitter pangs of death Which is illustrated by two causes the efficient and finall the efficient is the grace love and mercy of God Iohn 3.16 the finall that as much as lay in Christ all men might be saved CHRIST's death was sufficient for all 1 Tim. 2.4 effectuall only to them that beleeve Isay 9.6 Mat. 26.28 Physick is offered to many sicke Patients that may doe them good if they will receive it but many are so froward that they will none of it the fault why they doe not recover is not in the physicke nor in the Physitian but in themselves so CHRIST offers the soveraigne medicine of salvation purchased by his death to all but some reject it and will not beleeve it can save them It is effectuall for all those that be sanctified that be his brethren as it is expounded afterwards Whereas it is said that Christ tasted death therein he dealt as the Physitian doth he needs not the physike prepared for his patients yet the better to induce them to take it he tastes of it himselfe before their eyes So death belonged not to Christ because he had no sinne yet he would taste of it that we might be more willing to taste and drink of that cup. The Metaphor must not be pressed too farre as if Christ did but sip and taste of the cup of death as a man tastes vinegar but drinkes not of it for he swallowed it up quite 1 Cor. 15.54 It is a borrowed speech Death is resembled to a cup whereof CHRIST did taste let this cup passe from me This hath reference to the time that hee continued in death not to the sharpenesse of his death They that taste of a thing tarry not long at it their lips are quickly removed from it so CHRIST did not continue long in death not past three dayes and three nights hee did but tast as it were of it and so away yet he truly dyed and it was a most bitter taste to him Thus the tasting of death was no dishonour but an honour to Christ. By it hee brought many to eternall life for all that hee is above the Angels and all other creatures whatsoever CHRIST hath tasted of death before us therefore let not us that be Christians be too much afraid of death There is a potion brought to a sicke Patient which the eye loathes and the mouth distasts The poore sick man is loath to drinke of it the Physitian takes it into his hand tasts of it before his eyes by that he is encouraged to receive it so is it with us death is a sowre cup which nature abhorreth we are all unwilling naturally to drink of it but for so much as Christ our loving and heavenly Physitian hath tasted of it before hand let us not be afraid of it The godliest men in the world cannot but in some measure feare death Christ feared it Et non est fortior miles quà m Imperator yet let this be as Sugar to sweeten this bitter Cup to us CHRIST tasted of it and overcame it so shall wee doe by his vertue and power As after the receit of a purgation the body is the better more sound than before so after we have drunk this bitter Cup of Death both in soule and body we shall be the better farre more glorious than before therefore let us be willing whensoever it shall seeme good to the Lord for us to taste it All of us should have died eternally At what time thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye both thou and all thy posterity Wee should have trodden the Winepresse of GOD's wrath and beene tormented with the Devill and his angels in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for ever but CHRIST hath tasted death for us all O the wonderfull and unspeakable love of Christ as if a company of Traytors were going to the Scaffold to be executed the Kings Sonne should step forth to dye for them what an admirable thing were that We by nature are enemies to God traytors to his Majestie the Son of the King of Kings comes from heaven and dies for us Is not this to be admired of us all scarce will any dye for a righteous man we were unholy unrighteous defiled with the scab of sin in soule and body yet the Lord Iesus died for us Life is sweet who will dye for his friend but will any dye for his enemy The consideration of the death of Christ should occupie our mindes continually we should ever be thinking of it it should cause us to be alwayes singing of that song Worthy is the Lambe that was killed for us to receive all honour c. But why did Christ tast death for us what moved God to send his Son to dye for us Surely his owne grace mercy and favour eternall life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So God loved the world that he gave c. There was no goodnes in us that might procure Christ to die for us no praevisa opera nor praevisa fides it is the grace of God that we are preserved from eternall death by grace ye are saved not by workes Let us not part stakes with the Lord give halfe to our selves and halfe to him but let us ascribe the whole praise of our salvation to the grace of God alone not to us O Lord not to us but to thy owne name and mercy in thy Sonne Christ Iesus be given all praise for ever and ever VERSE 10. NOw he descendeth to Christs humanity by preventing an objection of the adversaries Well you have affirmed Christ to be God above the Angels and all other creatures and that his suffering of death was no derogation from the glory of his Deity but a declaration of Gods grace and mercy to mankinde by his death to preserve men from death eternall but seeing hee was GOD what need was there that hee should become man suffer afflictions and dye Hee might have saved men by the power of his Deity yea even by his bare and naked word whereby he made all things at the first Answer indeed GOD being omnipotent might have saved mankinde if it had seemed good to him by some other meanes than by the incarnation and death of his Son yet this seemed to be the most fit and convenient
meanes that as man by sin had deserved death so by the death of a man he should be redeemed from sin and death The necessity of Christs incarnation he proves first from the end of it He that by suffering for men was to bring men to salvation must be man Christ by suffering for men was to bring men to salvation ergo Christ was to bring many to glory This he could not do but by afflictions and namely by death it selfe for the Crosse must goe before the Crowne therefore it was requisite that in our humane nature he should first suffer It became this was most comely fit and convenient for him namely that God ver 9. which so graciously gave his Son for us that is God the Father by whose grace and mercy Christ died for us It became him for the better illustration of his owneglory for a more lively demonstration of his mercy and justice to the world of his mercy in not sparing his owne Son but giving him up to the death for us of his justice in punishing the sins of the world so severely in his owne Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. These words are to be referred to Christ not to God the Father 1. They are affirmed of him in Scripture 1 Cor. 8.6 Col. 1.16 2. Before hee spake of his humiliation it was meet to premise something concerning his glory power and dignity 3. For so much as it is said he was to be perfected through afflictions by afflictions to mount up to glory that concerning his Deity was well premised that we might know it was no new glory which he took but that which hee had from all eternity as hee was GOD Ioh. 17.5 It became God the Father to perfect the Prince of our salvation through afflictions for whom are all things and by whom are all things after he had brought many children to glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having made them willing by his holy spirit Wee are said also to be drawne Sed trahit sua quemque voluptas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Syntaxis might better be referred to CHRIST than to the Father otherwise the participle should have beene in the dative case to agree with the pronoune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then in the accusative case It ought to bee translated thus for it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things to consecrate the Prince of their salvation through afflictions bringing many Children to glory Children not friends but Children begotten by the word made the Sonnes of God by faith Iohn 1.12 knowne by the spirit Rom. 8.14 Not a few but many for he is a powerfull SAVIOUR many shall come from the East c. Not all men because all imbrace him not being offered to them Sundry were called to the feast that came not To glory in the kingdome of heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some translate it Sanctifie because of the next Verse but the words are diverse To perfect CHRIST is said to bee perfected because after his suffering hee was glorified in his Humanity as well as in his Deitie CHRIST his afflictions are so farre from being a shame or ignominie to him that they bee solemne rites or sacred ceremonies whereby he was consecrated Bishop of the universall Church Through afflictions in the whole course of his life especially at his death and passion The Arch-duke the Captaine the leader in whose steps wee are to tread the Author of their salvation Acts 3.15 If CHRIST had not become man afflicted and put to death he could not have carryed men into the kingdome of heaven for a purgation must be made for the sinne of man by the fiery furnace of affliction and especially by death therefore it became Christ to be made man too though he were God GOD is the efficient and finall cause of all 1. There is nothing but it is by GOD the Host of heaven the Sunne Moone and Starres are by him the birds of the ayre the fishies of the Sea the beasts of the field the greene and flourishing coat that the earth hath is by him All men yea Angels even the Devils themselves are by him not as Devils .i. malicious accusers of the Saints but as they be invisible and immortall spirits all are by him nay to proceede a little further and yet to keepe our selves within compasse of sound Divinity sin it selfe is not without the providence of God it is not à Deo creante sed disponente he disposeth of all the grosse sins that be in the world to his owne glory as a wise Physition makes a good use even of poyson in his confections Furthermore as all things are by GOD so all for him all serve his holy will and blessed pleasure some unwillingly some willingly GOD makes Satan and his instruments to be for him whether they will or no but the faithfull are willingly for him and serve him with all cheerefulnesse Let us remember that wee our selves and all that we have is for God he made us he redeemed us with the bloud of his Sonne therefore we are his not our owne our wit wealth honour worship learning our soules our bodies our eyes tongues hands feete all are for him with all that wee have we must glorifie him Our tongues are our owne sayd the wicked that is false all that we have is Gods therefore all must be at his commandement The pot is for him that made it and the servant must be imployed about his Masters businesse he must be his masters man not his owne therefore as we were created by God so let us be wholly for him Now it became this high and mighty God for whom are all things and by whom are all things which worketh all as seemeth best to him to consecrate the Prince of their salvation through afflictions bringing many children to glory CHRIST brought them to glory which he could not doe but by enduring many afflictions 1 Here we see that CHRIST could not bring us to heaven without innumerable afflictions which our sinnes had deserved he himselfe knew no sin but he was afflicted for our sins And indeed he was wonderfully afflicted for them from his cradle to his grave A man of sorrowes as the Prophet termeth him he was borne not of a wealthy Lady but of a poore woman base and contemptible to the eyes of the world at his first comming he was not laid in a costly Cradle but in a Cratch not in a Chamber well furnished but in a Stable borne in Winter and in the night when he was an Infant banished into Egypt hee wrought as is thought in the trade of his Father and was a Carpenter he had not a hole to hide his head in women were faine to minister to him of their owne substance as he went up and downe preaching the Gospell he had not bags of silver and gold about him but was faine to send to the Sea for a peece of 20d.
hungry and thirsty he was many times He was called all to naught a bibber of wine a Samaritane and one that had a devill a little before his Passion they blindfolded him spit on his face buffeted him whipped him extreamely platted a crowne of Thornes on his Head that made the bloud run about his Eares they stripped off all his clothes nailed him hand and foot to the Crosse where he continued in bitter paines of soule and body a long while together Thus was this innocent Lambe killed and pittifully handled for our sakes Our sins were the causes of all He bore our infirmities and hee was wounded for our transgressions These were the knives that cut the throat of this Lambe and yet shall we take delight in sin CHRIST went through all these afflictions for our drunkennesse uncleannesse covetousnes pride c. yet shall we lye wallowing in these sins the consideration of the manifold afflictions that Christ suffered for sin should cause sin to be odious and loathsome to us all 2 If the Prince could nor get to Heaven without afflictions should the subjects imagine to go thither without crosses the Master was afflicted and shall the servants thinke to live without affliction it cannot be avoided we must all drinke of Christs cup and be baptised with his baptisme Many in their hearts complaine of God that he is too hard to them they are never without some crosse or other one while in their soules another while in their bodies sometimes in goods in good-name one while they have the tooth-ach another while the head-ach one while vexed with children another while with servants one while losses in goods another while by lying and malevolent tongues they are robbed of their good names sometimes God stirreth up adversaries against them in Towne or Countrey as he did against Salomon Marvell not at that neither repine nor grudge at it God grievously afflicted his naturall Son and shall we thinke much if he afflict his adopted sons GOD imposed many afflictions upon him that knew no sin and shall we sinners stomack it if we be afflicted CHRIST hath gone before as a Captaine in the foule way of afflictions we must follow him All that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God Acts 14.22 no remedy They that Will goe to London in the dead of Winter must goe through many showres and if we will passe to that high Citie the heavenly Ierusalem it must be through afflictions they that are without correction are bastards not children It is an argument of a wicked man of whom God makes no reckoning to bee without affliction they are not in trouble as other men If we Will be glorified with Christ let us suffer with Christ as he went to heaven through afflictions so must we else we shall never get thither we must not think to goe to heaven out of all prosperity but out of adversitie These be they that came out of many tribulations Therefore let not afflictions be altogether unwelcome to us nay let us boast of them after an heavenly manner I carry about with me the markes of CHRIST sayes Saint Paul afflictions are CHRIST his markes by them wee are knowne to belong to him afflictions consecrate us There is no Bishop elected but will joyfully goe to his consecration afflictions consecrate us as Kings and Priests to GOD Almighty therefore though irkesome to the flesh yet in some sort let us willingly embrace them as some Martyrs did the flame of fire CHRIST went to Heaven by afflictions and let us be content to be afflicted here for a short season that wee may live with CHRIST for ever let us suffer with Christ that we may be glorified with Him VERSE 11. ANother reason why it became Christ to be man it is taken from the impurity of our nature Men had sinned and were destitute of the grace of God they were by nature impure and unholy conceived borne brought up in sin now it was necessary they should be sanctified made cleane and holy This could not be done by the bloud of Goates and other sacrifices in the Law neither could they sanctifie themselves by their owne good workes and merits therefore it was requisite that God should take this sanctification on him Now mans nature being corrupt was to be sanctified by a man that knew no sin or corruption for he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are of one therefore Christ became man The High Priest that sanctified the people in the time of the Law and the people sanctified by him were both of one Father namely Abraham the Father of the Israelites so Christ that sanctifieth us and we that be sanctified by him are of one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the neuter gender of one thing of one nature Of one that is of one Parent of whom came all mankinde Acts 17.26 Christ and we came of one Adam whereupon S. Luke deduceth his Genealogie from Adam Luke 3.38 We are all of one high and low rich and poore and Christ is man like to us sin onely excepted All the persons in the Trinity sanctifie us God the Father by the Son God the Son by the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost immediately by himselfe but Christ as the Mediator of the Church sanctifieth it As the ointment came from Aarons head downe to the skirts of his garment so the spirituall oile of holinesse comes from Christ the Head to us that be his members Christ is our onely sanctifier 1 Cor. 1.30 No Saint as the Virgin Mary no Angell can sanctifie us How he sanctifies us is apparent Ephes. 5.26 27. 1 Cor. 6.11 by purging us from our sins clothing us with his righteousnesse renewing us by his Spirit making us New Creatures and fit for the holy Ierusalem This doth give us to understand that by nature we are unholy and un-sanctified conceived borne and brought forth in sinne the children of Gods wrath In us that is in our flesh dwels no good thing Being considered in our selves we are Idolaters Whoremongers Wantons Raylers Drunkards ready to be carried into all impiety Such were some of you sayes S. Paul but ye are washed As the Leper in the time of the law cryed out I am uncleane I am uncleane So must every mothers Sonne of us say we are as uncleane swine by nature except the Lord Iesus sanctifie us When Christ washing his Disciples feet came to Saint Peter he repelled him saying thou shalt not wash my feete No sayes Christ then thou hast no portion in me Saint Peter hearing that answered Lord not my feete alone but my head and hands Wee are corrupt in soule and body therefore let us entreat Christ to wash and sanctifie us in them both No uncleane thing shall enter into the heavenly Hierusalem Dogs Enchanters Whoremongers are without Therefore let us beseech CHRIST to make us cleane by his Word
sin as we have but the greatest of all is his owne goodnesse and mercy Isai. 9.6 Iohn 3.16 Both had sinned Angels and men Why was Christ made a man to dye for men and not an Angell to redeeme Angels from everlasting death because it was his owne good will and pleasure his singular love to mankinde Let us therefore magnifie him for it from generation to generation Some as Augustine observeth tooke occasion from hence to be proud and insolent See Christ tooke on him our nature not the Angels therefore we are exalted above Angels we have just cause to thinke highly of our selves As if a sick man should boast the Physitian came to my house not to my neighbours therefore I am a better man than my neighbour the reason why Christ tooke on him thy nature not the Angels was because thou wert sick of sin so were not the good Angels Neverthelesse it is a preferment to us that Christ should assume our nature to his our corruptible nature to his incorruptible as if a King should take the patcht cloake of a beggar and annex it to his royall cloake decked with Pearles and precious Stones Now as Christ hath honoured our nature in becomming man so let not us men dishonour our owne nature by drunkennesse uncleannesse covetousnesse nor by wrangling and contending one with another Christ hath graced our nature let not us disgrace it VERSE 17. WHereupon he returnes to his conclusion which he would have to be infixed in our memories I will declare thy name to my brethren which he could not doe unlesse hee were a man as his brethren are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debuit he ought because it was his fathers will and his owne will too necessitate non coactione In all things appertaining to the substance not to the corruption of our nature He was like unto us in all things sin only excepted He was like to us in all the faculties and members of soule and body He had the same affections that we have yet unstained with sin We are sorrowfull so was He My soule is heavie to the death We are joyfull so was He Luke 10.21 In that houre Iesus rejoyced in spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are zealous so was He the zeale of thy house hath eaten me up We are hungry so was hee Marke 3.5 Wee wonder at all things so did He. We are afraid of death so was He My soule is heavie to the death Come to the Body We are little ones grow in stature so Christ Luke 2. ult We are hungry thirsty sleepy so was He He slept in a Ship Mat. 8.24 not in a Church We are weary so was he He rested himselfe on Iacobs-Well Iohn 4 6. We dye so He died also As He is like to us so let us be like him in meekenesse patience charity in praying for our enemies Brethren All are his brethren quoad naturam the faithfull quoad gratiam Iohn 20.17 He will not be ashamed to call us Brethren at the day of judgement Mat. 25.40 and shall not we call one another brother The King and Subjects are brethren the Ministers and their People rich and poore are brethren and let us not be snapping and snarling one at another but live lovingly together as brethren Both members are unfolded in the words following that is he was a faithfull High Priest Appertaining to God In divine not in humane matters The High Priest made an attonement for the people Levit. 16. So did Christ for his people GOD and man were fallen out Christ made us friends God was displeased with us he pacified his wrath towards us which the Father by an audible voice witnessed from heaven Matth. 3.17 This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased How by the bloud of his Crosse which was Gods bloud Acts 20.28 We were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.18 19. In many things we offend all who then can be saved our sins for number exceed the sands of the Sea the least sin is sufficient to throw us into hell without Christ. But by Christ we are reconciled to his Father and have peace with him Col. 1.20 Luke 2.14 Rom. 5.1 Oh I have sinned but 1 Iohn 2.2 Christ is the propitiation for our sins Worthy then is the Lamb the Lord Iesus to receive all glory Men at Christ-masse use to take a greater liberty to sin to quaffe swill and carowse to open the floud-gates of all impiety but the consideration of Christs comming into the world should be a bridle to restraine us from sin Christ came now to make a reconciliation for our sins and shall we plunge our selves deeper into the Sea of sin God forbid The love of Christ should constraine us to forsake sin it should not make us wallow in the filthy puddle and sinke of sin Wilt thou make much of the knife that cut thy Fathers throat David though he longed for the water of the Well of Bethlehem yet when it was brought to him by three of his Worthies he refused to drinke of it saying Is not this the bloud of the men that went in jeopardie of their lives 2 Sam. 23.17 Sin cost the bloud of Christ let us not then drinke iniquity like water VERSE 18. HEE prosecuteth the former branch touching mercy As CHRIST was like to us in nature so hee was tempted as we are Saepius ipse miser miseris succurrere disce Art thou tempted whether thou art the child of GOD or not A shrowd temptation wherewith the best men and women are shaken So was CHRIST If thou beest the Sonne of God the Devill calls it into question and would have had CHRIST to doubt of it Art thou tempted with povertie with want of things necessarie for this life So Was Christ from his Cradle to his grave he was borne in a stable laid in a cratch had not an hole to hide his head in he had no money in his purse but was faine to send to the Sea for some he kept his Passeover in an other mans chamber was buryed in an other mans grave Art thou tempted with malevolent tongues with some that are ever rayling on thee So was Christ hee was termed a Wine bibber a glutton c. Art thou tempted with sicknesse the toothach the headach the cholike the gout c. We never read that Christ was sicke because he had no sinne in him yet being clothed with our nature hee knowes what belongs to paine and will succour us in all our distresses Art thou persecuted Herod sought his life as soone as he was borne A rich man that hath a good fire continually in his house a table furnished with all delicates that lyes soft on a bed of dowlne he cannot so well pitty a poore man as one poore man may doe another CHRIST being rich would become poore he would bee a man
but as faithfull souldiers let us continue with Him to the end If we goe from Him we depart from our owne life and throw our selves into death and destruction Therefore let us tarry with Him Let us believe this our Prophet and never depart from Him VERSE 13. NOw as a Sovereigne remedy against infidelity and hardnesse of heart he prescribeth a mutuall exhortation unto them that will be as a trumpet singing in our eares to keepe us out of the sleepe of sin Call one to another as Souldiers doe in the battell Still hee persisteth in the same metaphor As souldiers when they be in the fight and conflict call one to another saying ô be of good cheere play the men start not aside cleave to your company be not afrayd of enemy the victory shall be ours So we that be CHRIST's Souldiers must stirre up and provoke one another Cast not off your confidence that ye have in CHRIST let neither Satan nor any of his instruments pull you from Christ the author and finisher of your salvation be not faint hearted but hold out to the end This mutuall exhortation one of another is amplified three kind of wayes 1. By the time when it is to be performed 2. By the occasion which is not to be neglected 3. By the end for the which it is worthy to be practised The time when is not once or twise but daily 1. We are forgetfull of heavenly matters therefore we have need to be put in mind of them every day 2. We are dull and slow in practise of them lazie horses that will scarcely go therfore we must be put forward with the spurre of dayly exhortation As Christ sayd concerning the forgiving of our brother that wee must forgive him 77. times so it may be affirmed of the exhorting of our brethren we must exhort them 77. times we must be continually exhorting them Many thinke if they have called on their brethren once or twice to pray to goe to Church c. they have done their duty I have told him of it often I will speake no more to him of it I but thou must exhort him every day That which is not effected to day may be effected to morrow gutta cavat lapidem non vi sed sape cadendo Therefore exhort him every day if thou doest no good on him yet he is left without excuse and thy reward is with God 2 To this duty of exhortation he stirreth us up by the opportunity of the time which he wishes us to lay hold of What is this day Some interpret it of the time of the Gospell which hath the name of day in regard of the great light that is in it whereas the time of the Law may be compared to the night in comparison of it But I take that to be curious Others expound this day to be the whole course of our life which in respect of the brevity of it is termed by one Diecula While our life lasteth which is but short let us exhort one another That is good counsell yet I take it not to be the direct meaning of the place By day he meaneth that gracious time wherein God stretcheth forth his armes to us in the ministery of his Word to call us unto his Kingdome We are to take the opportunity offered to us and not let it slip walke while yee have the light while our peace lasteth that we may conveniently goe one to another while we have the Scripture amongst us whereby we may learne how to exhort one another while GOD speaketh unto us by His ambassadours from whose mouth we may have instructions for a wise execution of this duty while the candle of truth shineth among us let us be carefull to exhort one another in these peaceable dayes in this flourishing time of the Gospell let this Christian duty be performed by us all 3 The third is the danger that will ensue if exhortation be omitted hardnesse of heart will grow and so our brethren shall bee incureable The which hardnesse of heart is amplified by the efficient cause of it the deceitfulnesse of sinne carrying us like a thiefe out of the way and leading us to destruction that is the nature of the word There be many to deceive us 1. We deceive our selves Iames 1. 1 Iohn 1.8 2. The Divell that sly serpent deceiveth us 3. Sin deceiveth us and that she doth three kind of wayes 1. by putting on the visard of vertue Adultery is but a tricke of youth a sweet sin that may easily bee borne withall covetousnesse is but thrift and good husbandry every man must have a care of his owne estate swearing is the part of a Gentleman of a generous and heroicall spirit they be nice fellowes base minded men that will not sweare there is no life in them drunkennesse is good fellowship they be misers that wil not spend a penny in an Ale-house we mault-men are the only companions in the world Thus we are coosened by sin 2 Sinne deceiveth us by shrouding it selfe under the coate of Gods mercy But let us not be so afrayd of sin God is mercifull he will wincke at such light sinnes as these be we shall never be called into GODS counting house for them whereas he is a severe punisher of sin even in his owne children 3 Sinne deceiveth us by custome in sinning Many sins at the first we were afrayd to commit our consciences checked us for them but in processe of time being inured to them we commit them without feare or shame A custome in sinning makes sin at the length seeme to be no sin The children of the Lacedemonians being used to stripes had no feeling of stripes and after we have beene used to sin we have no sence or feeling of sin Thus especially we come to be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin our owne consciences feared up with an hot iron Therefore for the avoyding of this let us exhort one an other dayly that the fire and heat of exhortation may cause our hearts to melt and so keepe us from being hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin Exhortation if it be used in time will be as a trumpet to waken our selves and others out of sin Saint Paul and Barnabas went from towne to towne exhorting the brethren Acts 14.22 Exhort one an other and edifie one another 1 Thes. 5.11 have compassion on some putting difference and others save with feare pulling them out of the fire Iude verse 22.23 But alas this duty is neglected every one for himselfe and God for us all Am I my brothers Keeper I will looke to my owne soule as well as I can what have I to doe with my brothers soule Let not us that be Christians have such a thought in us Let us as the Scripture willeth us exhort one an other dayly labour to preserve one an other from being hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin and let us be as Bells to toll one another to the
people the way to heaven to pray for the people in the congregation to carry their prayers to God to celebrate the Sacraments these be the lysts of the Minister The Magistrate hath his bounds and the Minister his Vzziah though a King must not meddle with the Priests office and Azariah the High Priest must not intrude himselfe into the Kings office yet that High Priest of Rome will have both swords hee will bee a Priest and a King too he will be for matters of the world as well as for GODS matters Boniface the eight shewed himselfe one day in the attyre of a Priest another day in the attyre of a Prince affirming that hee was both Bellarmine of late hath somewhat minced the matter that the Pope hath no power in temporall matters directè yet indirectè quoad bonum spirituale he may play Rex In respect of the spirituall good of the Church he may depose Princes at his pleasure and dispose of their kingdomes as pleaseth him So as a man get into an house it makes no great matter whether directly or indirectly and the Papists so as they may thrust the Pope into the possession of temporalities they care not whether directly or indirectly If one kill a man whether directly or indirectly all is one So as the Pope may play the butcher with Kings and Princes at his pleasure what availeth it whether directly or indirectly this is indirect dealing by an indirect distinction to breake downe the wall of partition that God Himselfe hath set up betweene the Priest and the Magistrate Every one shall finde enough to doe in his office and to guide his owne boate though he intermedle not in the office of the other and put his rudder into another mans boate Let the Magistrate look well to his temporall things and let the Minister keepe himselfe to his spirituall things they be both Gods deputies the one in things that belong to God the other in things that perâ—â—ine to men Let them discharge their offices to Gods glory and the good of them that be committed to their charge He insisteth in one particular pertaining to GOD that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sinnes that is for the expiation of sinnes The Iesuits will have a perpetuall Priest-hood to be heere described and ordained in this place There must be Priests to the end of the world to offer sacrifice for sinne whereas it is as cleare as the noone day that this description is borrowed out of the law to set forth the spirituall Priest-hood of Christ withall The Apostle here teacheth us not what must be in the time of the Gospell but what was in the time of the law applying it to Christ. An externall sacrifice propitiatory for sin as they will have it is injurious to the blessed and perfect sacrifice which Christ offred on the Crosse for the sins of the world All outward sacrifices for sinne must now cease the bloud of Christ shed on the crosse having purged us from all sinne Yet the Ministers of the Gospell have now some sacrifices to offer up they bee either common with all Christians or proper to their ministerie 1. They must offer up themselves soules and bodies as an holy sacrifice to God as all Christians are bound to doe 2. They must bee plentifull in the workes of mercie to their power as other Christians are for with such sacrifices GOD is well pleased But there be other spirituall sacrifices that are also proper to them 1. To present the prayers of the people to God Ezra praised the great God of heaven and all the people said Amen So the Minister as the mouth of the congregation as a Spirituall Priest must offer up the prayers of the people to God and they in an holy zeale subscribe to him saying Amen Amen 2. We by the preaching of the Word doe sacrifice the people to God The Priests in the time of the law took a knife and cut the throat of a Calfe a Sheepe a Goat and so sacrificed them to the Lord. We by the sword of the Spirit cut the throat of sin of covetousnes pride malice uncleannes and so offer up the people as a glorious sacrifice to the Lord an odour that smelleth sweete Happy are they that bee sacrificed by the Ministers of the holy Word these sacrifices wee must offer to the end of the world and pray for us that we may offer them to Gods glory the comfort and salvation of you all VERSE 2. HE must not only execute his office but in such a manner as God requireth not in rigour and severity but in love kindnesse and compassion Which is illustrated by the persons on whom he must have compassion and the cause why If any sinne on ignorance or weakenesse hee must have compassion on them Such as are seduced by others and carryed out of the way what and if they sinne on knowledge Must they not be pittied Yes God forbid else but if they sin on malice against the knowne truth we must not so much as pray for them nor bee touched with any compassion towards them Pray not for this people neither lift up a cry for them There is a sinne unto death I doe not say that yee shall pray for it Saint Paul had no pitty on Alexander the Copper-Smith but prayed against him Otherwise if any of the people through infirmitie fall into a sinne if upon weakenesse of braine he be overcome with drinke if by the flattering entisements of the flesh he happen to be carryed into Adultery if hee bee somewhat too much in love with the world if he be a little tinckled with pride if he happen to be seduced by any Heretickes that come with a shew of Religion with faire and sugred words and so beguile him ere hee bee aware wee that be the Preachers of the Word must have compassion on such A Minister must not have an heart of flint but of oyle ready to melt at the consideration of the infirmities of the people and there is good cause why Because he himselfe is compassed with infirmities as they are as with a gowne that covers him from top to toe VERSE 3. ANd that he proveth by an evident signe A Minister is compassed with the same infirmities that the people are The Lycaonians would have sacrificed to St. Paul and Barnabas but they refused it O doe not so we are men of the like passions with you Cornelius fell downe at Saint Peters feet but hee tooke him up saying I my selfe also am a man Elias was a rare and admirable Prophet yet a man subject to like passions as we are Though we be never so wise learned or holy yet let the best Preachers in the world remember that they be men cloathed with the ragged Coate of infirmities as others bee Hence it is that Ministers yea famous Ministers doe often fall As Noah did into drunkennesse David into Adultery and murder Peter
sinnes of all the faithfull on him he feared the wrath of his Father yet without any diffidence or distrust He was in a wonderfull perplexity and perturbation as ever any was the power of the deity for a time suppressed thinking himselfe as it were forsaken of his Father God plucked him out of this feare sending an Angell to comfort him and strengthning him himselfe This is no disparagement to CHRIST because hee was a true man It is not in vaine to pray for God will heare us If not ad voluntatem yet ad utilitatem He doth not hearken so much to the externall cry of the throate for Esau cryed but obteined not the blessing Baals Priests cryed from morning to noone but were not heard he hearkens to the internall cryes of his Spirit in his Children 1 Ioh. 5.14 So he heard Anna Hezekiah David the Nine vites when they cryed unto him He heard Daniel Dan 9.23 and Cornelius prayers were in remembrance with God VERSE 8. THe second fruit is his learning by it 1. The Scholler 2. The Lesson 3. The Schoole-master Though he were a Son equall with his Father Phil. 2.6 by those his sufferings hee learned what obedience meant experimento didicit Cajetan hee felt by experience what it was to obey Christ learned as he was man as Luk. 2. ult Afflictions are very profitable for us It is good for me sayes the Psalm that I have beene afflicted that I might learne thy statutes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qua nocent docent In prosperity we are as Calves Oxen and fat Horses kicking against our master pursuing eagerly after the sinfull pleasures and profits of this world but aduersity makes us to retyre home to God and submit ourselves to him by unfained repentance in their affliction they will seeke me early When a Scholler in the Schoole is under the rod he will cease then to play rex he wil cry peccavi keep in his seat afterwards and apply himselfe to his booke So afflictions will make us to consider our wayes and apply our selves wholly to the obedience of Gods word and will VERSE 9. COnsecrate to God and approved of God Hebr. 2.10 Authour Good workes are the fruits of faith seales of our election and pledges of our salvation but Christ is the Authour Eternall Not as some that are saved from the Gallowes and after dye Vnto all To Lazarus and Abraham Iewes and Gentiles rich and poore c. Obey Not to those that talke of him nor heare him in the preaching of the Gospell as 2 Thes. 1.8 but to those that obey him Why doth hee not say to them that believe because obedience is the touchstone of faith As the tree is knowne by the fruits So faith by obedience As Christ obeyed Verse 8. So must we Our Saviour Christ is the Author of salvation not to all that talke of him c. It is a good thing to come to Church heare the Word receive the Sacraments c. Yet we must not set down our staffe here for if we will obtaine eternall salvation wee must obey him Every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven but hee that doth the will of my Father Not the hearers of the law but the doers of it shall be justified Obedience is better than sacrifice As a Physition is the cause of health to those patients that will follow his directions and obey him So CHRIST is the Authour of salvation unto all those that obey him Let us examine our obedience Christ wils us to avoid sins that cause his Gospell to be ill spoken of by good workes to adorne it to stop the mouthes of the adversaries c. Doe we so doth not drunkennesse covetousnesse pride malice and uncleannes abound As they said and promised to Iosua So let us to Christ. Whatsoever thou commandest us we will doe and whither soever thou sendest us we will goe Doth Christ command us to abandon covetousnesse which is Idolatry and the roote of all evill then let us not be glewed to the world Doth he forbid us drunkennesse malice pride c. Let us have no fellowship with these unfruitfull workes of darkenesse but rather reproove them let us forsake father and mother c. and follow him for without obedience there is no salvation How must we obey him 1. Fully The young man in the Gospell most proudly vaunted that he had kept all the Commandements from his youth let us endeavour that wee may say so in truth and sincere heart and as Zachary and Elizabeth let us walke in all the Commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse 2. Cheerefully GOD loves a cheerefull giver I was glad sayes the Psalm When they sayd let us goe up into the house of the Lord Psal. 122.1 3. Constantly A runner hath not the prize till hee come to the Gole A Taylour hath not his wages till the garment bee finished A Traveller hath not his money till he come to his journeys end Here we are as Children 1 Cor. 13. growing higher and higher in knowledge faith love obedience c. Let us hold out to the end running constantly in the way of obedience that we may have eternall salvation VERSE 10. COgnominatus That his sacrifice being finished he hath this glorious title given him of God Perfectly So we are called Priests now but then more justly offring the sacrifice of praise for ever Hitherto of the lawfulnesse of his Priest-hood Now he is to proceede to the excellency of his Priest-hood whereunto that he might the better stirre them up to attention he useth a new preface to prepare their hearts and mindes to it There be two lets that hinder him from an immediate proceeding to it The one in the matter to bee delivered the other in the persons to whom it is to bee delivered In the matter there bee too branches the multiplicity and the difficultie of it In the hearers there is dulnesse which is to bee removed proved by the effects They that have gone long to the Schoole and have profited but little are dull Schollers but yee have gone a long time to Schoole and profited but little which hee proveth first simply then comparatively They that must yet bee taught the principles of Religion have profited but little but you must yet bee taught the principles of Religion 2. They that stand in need of milke and are not capable of strong meat have made small growth in Christianity you neede milke Both the members are severally ratified in the next words by shewing to whom milke appertaineth and to whom strong meat appertaineth VERSE 11. OR in the Neuter Gender of the which thing of Christ being a Priest after the order of Melchizedec Much speech a long speech that can hardly bee shut up in a narrow roome it must have a large field to walke in Concerning the person of Melchizedec and of Christ too what manner of man Melchizedec was and why Christ
of faith faith of Christ and Christ of the kingdome of heaven therefore let us shew all diligence in them to the full assurance of the hope of eternall life But how long must we be diligent Not for a time but to the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 referre it to the verb show that yee may shew the same diligence to the end holding out in the race of Christianity to the end of your life So run that ye may obtaine It is a folly to run at all unlesse we run to the end a folly to fight at all unlesse we fight to the end Remember Lots Wife she went out of Sodom but because she looked back she was turned into a pillar of Salt Let not us be diligent for a time but to the end we must be working to our lives end so long as any breath is in our body it is not enough to bee young Disciples but we must be old Disciples as Mnason was as we have beene diligent in prayer almes-deeds in hearing of Sermons in crucifying of sinne so we must be diligent to the end hold that which thou hast lest another take thy Crowne be faithfull to the end and I will give thee the Crowne of life VERSE 12. THat yee be not slothfull like the sluggard yet let mee lie a while in the bed of sinne Let us shake off all slothfulnesse and be not weary of well doing like lazie travellers that will goe no further If we served a bad master that either would not or could not reward us for our service then there were some cause why we should be slothfull we serve a most loving rich and bountifull master therefore let us not be slothfull Diligent servants may be a spurre to them that be negligent Marke such a one be thou like him So St. Paul to whet this diligence propounds worthy examples to them He doth not simply say be yee followers of the Saints but hee points out the vertues wherein we must follow them Examples prevaile much Though wee should rather live by lawes then by examples yet examples have a mervailous attractive power The Iewes especially were carryed away with examples therefore the Apostle propoundeth some to them We honour the Saints non adoratione sed imitatione we doe not make gods of them but we imitate the vertues that were in them there is exemplar primarium secundarium 1 Cor. 11.1 CHRIST is certum indubitatum exemplar he knew no sinne therefore we may be bold to follow him in all things the which hee did as man Wee must not follow him in his fasting forty dayes in walking on the Sea c. but follow him in his humility modesty patience c. In these things wee may follow Christ without exception but the holyest men of all have sometimes beene exorbitant therefore we must follow them with limitation They were laughed at that counterfeited a kinde of purblindnesse to follow Alexander that imitated Plato in his crooked shoulders when they goe straight let us follow them but when they goe crooked let them goe alone Wee must not follow Noah in his immoderate drinking David in adultery and murther Peter in denying CHRIST we must tread in their good steps not in their evill wee must imitate them in faith and patience c. Faith inlayed with charity is regina virtutum Temperance meekenesse patience c. are the maidens of honour that waite upon her By faith wee live the just man shall live by his faith that is his life By patience we possesse our soules after wee begin to live in CHRIST Patience is a pillar for the just to leane upon while he liveth By Faith we have an interest into the kingdome of heaven by patience we saile through the tempestuous Sea of this world till we come to the haven of rest By Faith we apprehend the promises which is a metonymie whereby is meant the joyes of heaven promised to us patience is an yron pillar to uphold us against all crosses and afflictions Patience is a most necessary vertue yee have need of patience Hebr. 10.36 A Souldier hath need of his armour So have we in this warfare of the armour of patience Here is the patience of the Saints Apoc. 14.12 if yee bee Saints yee must have patience many are the troubles of the righteous these are they that came out of great tribulation Apoc. 7.14 Wee cannot get to heaven without tribulations therefore wee must have patience by the way Innumerable are the crosses we meete withall crosses in our soules bodies many sicknesses and diseases in our goods they may be taken away by thieves fire and other casualities in our names wee must passe through good report and evill report What godly man lives without his crosse therefore we have need of patience to beare them all I but what is patience many talke of it that know it not In Christian patience there must be these foure things 1. Not a Stoicall apathie a sencelesnesse a blockishnes that it should be as pleasant a thing to us to be in equuleo as in lecto Christ Himselfe felt paine his soule was heavy to death and Christians feele paine in their afflictions but they patiently endure it they are not overcome with it 2. If we suffer any misery it must be in a good cause Thieves by land and Pyrats by Sea suffer much hard-ship Catiline did patiently abide cold and other extremities yet hee was not patient Baals Priests endured cutting and slashing and covetous misers and earth-wormes will endure much to get money yet that is no patience miranda est duritia sed neganda patientia Patience must be in a good cause in Christs quarrell and in the suffering afflictions imposed on us by God else it is no patience 3. In our sufferings there must be a good affection and a good end Saul was patient when men despised him he gave them not a word but that was in policie not in Christianity Some have patience perforce because they cannot be avenged they have no power to doe it that is dissimulation not patience and some suffer much for vaine glory as Heretickes have done but wee must suffer for Gods glory for the magnifying of him and his Gospell that is right patience to keepe faith and a good Conscience 4. Our patience must be continuall As our crosses are perpetuall while wee are in this world So our patience must bee perpetuall Wee must dye with patience in our mouthes patientia est honestatis ac utilitatis causâ voluntaria ac diuturna perpessio rerum arduarum Cicer. Take the Prophets sayes Saint Iames as an ensample of patience But I will commend one example to you instead of many Take our SAVIOUR CHRIST for an ensample of patience that endured such contradiction of sinners As his life was full of miseries from his cradle to his grave so was it full of patience He was reviled and reviled not againe he was called Beelzebub
and a friend of publicans and sinners yet he gave never an ill word againe Hee was buffeted spit on blindfolded whipped a crowne of thornes was set on his head and was pittifully nay led to the Crosse yet he tooke all patiently Father forgive them they know not what they doe Let us bee followers of him hee knew no sinne there was no cause in him why he should be so handled yet was patient We deserve many calamities by our sinnes and shall wee bee impatient Shall not wee take our afflictions patiently patientia est pars fortitudinis a Christian must be knowne by his sufferings ferendo magis quà m feriendo Wee must overcome all our enemies Sundry there be that professe they will put up no wrong they will suffer no injuries at no mans hands I but if we be Christians we must bee patients not agents in evill Ought not Christ to suffer and so to enter into his glory Wee must goe to glory by suffering as Christ did Let us therefore be followers of them that by faith and patience inherite the promises Remember the patience of Iob and what an end the Lord made the end of patience is comfortable therefore let us all bee patient that we may inherit the promises by faith and patience in this life and have the full fruition of them to our everlasting glory in the life to come The reverent opinion and charitable perswasion that the Apostle hath of the Hebrewes Verse 9. is grounded on two arguments 1. From the consideration of the graces wherewith they were adorned 2. From the contemplation of Gods promise wherein 1. A narration of the promise which is as the text 2. An exposition of it or a commentary on the text that consists of two parts 1. An explanation of the oath whereby the promise was confirmed 2. An application of it to us 1. In regard of the end which is the comfort of the faithfull 2. In regard of the effect that ariseth from it a certaine hope of eternall life Where 1. A description of hope 2. A confirmation of it by an argument from the relatives It is described by the similitude of an ancre where 1. The qualities of the ancre 2. The power of it In the end 1. What mooved GOD to it 2. The force and efficacie of it VERSE 13. HEE insists in one speciall example which of all other is most famous Both because Abraham was the father of the faithfull and the Iewes boasted exceedingly of him Here we have 1. A narration of Gods ancient promise made to Abraham 2. His patient expectation of it In the narration 1. A declaration of the promise 2. The confirmation of it namely by an oath 3. The matter of the promise that was so confirmed by an oath Verse 14.4 The performance of it which is 1. set downe then amplified by the time when Verse 15. Abraham by faith and patience inherited the promise bee yee followers of him in faith patience that yee may inherit the joyes of heaven promised unto you The promise was ratified by an oath where we have 1. The person by whom hee sware which was himselfe 2. The reason why hee sware by himselfe because hee could not sweare by a greater Wee must sweare by the greatest of all there is none greater than God therefore he sware by himselfe being God Object GOD the Sonne might have sworne by the Father my Father is greater than I. So in regard of Christs Humanity the Father is greater than he but in regard of the Deity they be equall none greater than another VERSE 14. HEre wee have the matter of the promise that was ratified by an oath Verily Sanè answering to ci Hebr. Some interpret it nisi except it is an aposiopesis Let me never bee believed any more In blessing I will blesse thee That gemination sometimes signifies the certainty of the thing morte morieris thou shalt surely dye Some interpret it with a double blessing temporall and spirituall here it signifies plenitudinem for the certainty was expressed before The performance of the promise is set downe in this Verse VERSE 15. THere were three things promised to Abraham the land of Canaan a great and populous posterity and Christ the Saviour the world For the first Hebr. 11.9 he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with Isaak and Iacob the heires with him of the same promise For the second while he was alive he had but a small seede and as for the third Christ came not many hundred yeares after yet all these he enjoyed by faith he saw the day of Christ and was glad Hee was an hundred yeere old before hee had a child When he had him he was commanded to sacrifice him yet by faith hee stood and by patience obtained the promise we must believe under hope above hope as he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being of a long suffering minde and looking to things that were long to come As patience in Abraham went before the enjoying of the promise So we must patiently endure before we obtaine the promised inheritance of glory and happinesse Patience is an excellent thing The Philosophers though in other things they jarred yet they agreed in the commendation of patience Tertul. God will take the part of a patient man If any offer thee injurie he is ultor if thou hast any losse he is restitutor if thou beest grieved he is medicus if thou beest put to death he is restitutor Tertul. The patient abiding of the poore shall not alwayes bee forgotten There is nothing lost by patience Yee remember the patience of Iob and what end the Lord made The end of patience is comfort It may begin with a Tragedie but ends alwayes with a Comedie The husbandman is faine to have much patience before he have his corne into the barne with great toile and wearying of his body hee plowes his ground harrowes it casts his seede into the earth hee knowes not whether he shall see it any more but rests patiently on Gods providence The Merchant is faine to have much patience before hee can mount up to any wealth many a storme and tempest he endures on the Sea often in danger of his life The Clothyer must have much patience in buying of his wooll in making of it out in selling of his cloth he is faine to stand to many casualities yet hope of a convenient gaine in end makes him with cheerefulnesse to passe through them all They doe it for earthly things that are here to day and gone to morrow and shall not we be patient for heavenly treasures for a kingdome that cannot be shaken but is eternall in the heavens Bee patient a while passe through poverty sicknesse malevolent tongues and all other calamities in this life that wee may at the length be taken up into that place where we shall have need of patience no more for all teares shall be wiped away
Salem 3. As Christ was in speciall manner King of Ierusalem the King of the Iewes which came riding in great solemnity to Ierusalem so it is like Melchizedec was King of Ierusalem being a figure of our Saviour Christ. His Priest-hood is illustrated by the relatives the nomination of the person whose Priest he was not of the Devill of any Idoll or false God but of the most high God that dwelleth in the highest heavens and is exalted above all Gods Some translate it Prince of the most high God because Gohen signifies a Prince as well as a Priest as 2 Sam. 8.18 But 1. The addition Dei altissimi sheweth that it must bee translated Priest for none is ever called the Prince of the most High GOD. 2. St. Paul here and the seventie there translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which alwayes signifies a Priest not a Prince and 2 Sam. 8.18 the seventie translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Courtiers 3. His receiving of tithes proves him to be a Priest and Iosephus calls him Sacerdotem so is he termed Psal. 110.4 These offices are confirmed by the effects 1. As a bountifull King hee met Abraham bringing out of his storehouse bread and wine for the refreshing of him and his men after the battell The Papists are most ridiculous to fetch the Masse from hence that the bread and wine brought by Melchizedec was a figure of the Masse and that he did offer them as a sacrifice to God But the Hebrew is hotsia prodire fecit hee made them to come out of his cellar and butterie he was no niggard of them protulit non obtulit so Cajetan himselfe observed 2. He brought them forth not for God but for Abraham to comfort him and his after the battell they had fought vide Deut. 23. ver 4. 3. How wide are the Papists to strive so much for this bread and wine when as they in the Masse offer up no bread and wine but the body and bloud of Christ As Melchizedec was a King he met Abraham and of his Prince like liberality gave him bread and wine in the name bread all victualls being included which is illustrated by the circumstance of time when he met him after the slaughter of the foure Kings Gen. 14.9 Vndoubtedly there was a marveilous slaughter the Kings in this battell on both sides were in number nine then the common Souldiers Captaines and leaders must needs be many Vnto them was annexed Abrahams family which consisted of three hundred and odd a number of these fell in the slime pits and no doubt but Abram and his men put diverse of them to the sword There must needs bee an exceeding great slaughter Abrams fingers were at this time embrewed with bloud yet Melchizedec and GOD in Melchizedec blessed him hee doth not curse him for it fie on thee thou bloudy man why hast thou defiled thy selfe with Warre but he blessed him at this instant Whereby it is apparant to all the world that Warre is lawfull 1. Iud. 3.1 2. 2. From examples In the Old Testament many In the new the Centurion Luk. 7.8 Christus fidem ejus laudavit non militiae desertionem imperavit Aug. Contr. Faust. Mar. l. 22. c. 74. Cornelius Acts 10. Peter having taught him Christ doth not bid him leave that calling In the Primitive Church Constantine Theodosius Valentinian were worthy Warriors 3. God blesseth Warre Abram was blessed of Melchizedec after the battell Ios. 10. God hath honoured it with miracles from heaven with the standing of the Sunne c. 4. The common-wealth defends her Citizens from internall enemies by putting them to the sword so shee may defend them from externall by Warres So that it bee a lawfull Warre these conditions are required 1. Authoritas legitima there is bellum defensivam which private men the country being invaded may take upon them but bellum oftensivum must not be undertaken without authority tale bellum indicere solius est supremi capitis Bell. de laicis c. 15. p. 471. 2. Causa 1. It must be justa which the Souldiers must not too curiously examine but submit themselves to their rulers unles they see manifestly that it is unjust even as the hangman doth not offend in executing a man though unjustly condemned but the Iudge in condemning him Reum regem facit iniquit as imperandi innocentem autem militem ordo serviendi Aug. 2. It must not be light but weighty 3. It must not bee doubtfull whether it be good or not but certaine 3. Condition that is required in War is intentio bona the publike good 4. Modus debitus Yet sundry have utterly condemned it As the Manichees which accused Moses Iosua and David for wicked men Erasm. annotat in Luke 3. Saint Iohn speakes this not to Christians but to heathens to the Roman Souldiers or prophane Iewes that fought under them hee doth not prescribe what Souldiers should bee but that they should be minùs mali qui erant pessimi He alledges that out of Ambr. de viduis Arma ecclesiae fides est oratio est quae adversarium vincit True they bee good weapons contra daemones but wee must have other weapons too contra homines Mose orante Iosua pugnante they prevailed against the Amalekites and obtained the victory Exod. 17. Neither will the Anabaptists allow of it But let them know milites non sunt homicidae sed ministri legis non ultores injuriarum sed salutis publicae defensores Bell. sayes Luther is of opinion that it is not lawfull to Warre against the Turke Not because all Warre is unlawfull or that wee have not a just cause to Warre against him that seekes to extinguish Christianity but 1. Because hee is GODS scourge to punish us for our hainous sins 2. Because persecution is more profitable for the Church then victory 3. Chiefely that the Pope might be extinguished But Luther spake this in an heat which after he recanted Nay Luthers assertion is this that we may not War against the Turke when he is quiet and doth not molest us Wee must have Ministers and other good Christians to pray and we must have Captaines and Souldiers to fight for that cause preparation to Warre is requisite They that have no care to furnish themselves with convenient armour against the time of need shew themselves to have small care of Gods glory of the preservation of religion of the safety of their native country that is as a mother and a nurse to us all Now if it be lawfull on some occasions for Christians to make Warre then it is lawfull to prouide for Warre and in the time of peace to have training for Warre that men bee not to seeke when the enemie commeth As Schollers are trained up in Schooles and Vniversities for the Ministery as students are trained up in the Innes of Court for the Law some to be Counsellors Sergeants Iudges throughout the Realme as some are trained up to bee Merchants Clothyers Physitians
ashes of that ashes a certaine water was to be made which being sprinckled on them that were uncleane by the touching of a dead body c. it did sanctifie them and made them capable of the Tabernacle being purified by that water they might goe with the rest of the people into the place of Gods worship This Cow was a type of Christ. 1. As shee was Red So was hee dyed red in his owne bloud 2. As she was without spot or scab or any disease So Christ was without the spot of sin 3. As shee was never used to the yoke no more was Christ to the yoke and servitude of sin 4. As she dyed so Christ. Therefore if the water made of her ashes was precious much more the bloud of Christ sprinckled on our consciences In the proofe of this hee doth not insist because it was confessed by the Iewes So I thinke holy water may sanctifie touching the purity of the flesh If a man have dirt on his face when he is about to enter into the Church their holy water may take it away but it cannot helpe for any spirituall thing to scare away Devills or to put away veniall sins VERSE 14. THerefore he proceeds to the Apodosis Where 1. The sacrifice of Christ. 2. The end of it Not equally but much more Then the bloud of a beast The which he illustrateth by diverse circumstances 1. By the Person that offered this bloud he was Sacerdos victima 2. By the Party or power by the which he offered it Some by the eternall Spirit understand the Holy Ghost as by him he was conceived in the Virgins wombe by him lead into the wildernesse to bee tempted Mat. 4.1 So through his assistance he offered up himselfe but by the eternall Spirit is rather meant the eternall deity of our Saviour Christ 1 Pet. 3.18 19. As hee was man consisting of flesh and bloud So he was also God an eternall and incomprehensible spirit From this his infinite and unspeakeable deity the bloud of CHRIST received a power to make satisfaction for our sinnes Whereupon it is called the bloud of God Acts 20.28 The bloud of none that was a meere man could doe it if CHRIST 's bloud had not beene offered up by his eternall spirit it could not have purchased our redemption The bloud of Martyrs was offered up by the assistance of the HOLY GHOST yet it was not meritorious it was not that but the power of the deity that made Christ's bloud meritorious 3. By the thing offered not any brute Creature not a man an Angell but Himselfe 4. By the quality of the thing offered even in respect of his humanity and for that cause his bloud was more forcible 5. To whom to God As a full satisfaction for the sins of the world Then he comes to the efficacy of the bloud of Christ deduced out of the former the bloud of Goats and Bulls did purge the flesh and outward man this the conscience and inward man In some Greeke copies it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our consciences All stand in need of purging We have a double benefit by the bloud of Christ justification and sanctification from dead workes that is sins Now from these dead workes that lay as an heavy loade on our consciences the bloud of Christ purgeth us Sinnes are called dead workes 1. Because they come from dead men 1 Tim. 5. Verse 6. Eph. 2. Verse 1. 2. Because they engender death Rom. 6. ult The bloud of CHRIST purgeth our consciences from all sinnes so as our consciences cannot accuse and condemne us for sinne because it is washed away in the bloud of CHRIST Hebr. 10.2 Rom. 8.1 The second fruit issuing from the former is our sanctification that being thus justified wee may be sanctified in soule and body to serve the living God Luk. 1.74 He is stiled the living God 1. Because he lives of himselfe and that for ever 2. Because hee makes us by his spirit to live a spirituall life in this world 3. Because hee will raise us up from a corporall death at the latter day and cause us to live with him for ever in the world to come 1. Grievous is the sting of Conscience This chest worme gnaweth sore this made Iudas to cry out I have sinned in betraying innocent bloud This made Iosephs brethren to condemne themselves when no man laid any thing to their charge verily wee have sinned in that wee saw the anguish of his soule when hee besought us and wee would not heare This made those Iohn 8. that seemed holy men to the eye of the world to depart out of the Temple one by one being convicted of their owne consciences This was truly said to be mille testes Now how shall wee stoppe the mouth of these thousand witnesses We are all miserable sinners our consciences accuse us of innumerable sinnes but here is our comfort the bloud of Christ sprinkled on our consciences purgeth us from all sinne being justified by faith wee have peace with God Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God 's Elect it is CHRIST that hath dyed yea rather that is risen againe that with his owne bloud hath entred into the holy place and hath made an eternall expiation of our sinnes Let us all entreat the Lord to apply the force of this bloud to our consciences dayly more and more 2. There bee living workes a reverent using of the name of GOD a cheerefull and reverent hearing of his word temperance chastitie sobriety liberality c. these come from us when wee live by faith in the Sonne of GOD there bee also dead workes blasphemie swearing lying covetousnesse pride oppression envie hatred malice and these are to bee abhorred of us all 1. Dead things stincke If wee meete with a dead carkasse by the way wee hold our noses even so sinnes blasphemie prophanations pride envie hatred malice covetousnesse these stincke in the nostrills of God Almighty therefore let them be detested by us 2. Dead men are forgotten I am as a dead man out of minde So let not our mindes run on these dead workes on the profits of the world the pleasures of the flesh let these dead things bee no more remembred 3. That which is dead must be buryed give me a place to bury my dead out of my sight as Abraham said to the sons of Heth Gen. 23.4 Idolatry blasphemy all sins are dead things therefore let them be buryed 4. Dead things are abhorred of us We shun dead things by the way we will not come neere them so let these dead workes be abhorred of us Wee decline those things that bee deadly wee will drinke no poyson because it will kill us we will not goe where the plague is least wee dye All sins are deadly they will bring us to everlasting death therefore beware of them If wee meet with a dead body by the way wee decline it yet the savour that comes from it can but
it is committed after the receipt of the knowledge of the truth Their punishment is described 1. By a substraction of the remedy against sin there remaines no more sacrifice for it analysis 27 2. By a position of the grievous punishment it selfe which is a fearefull expectation of two things of judgement as of the antecedent of fire as of the consequent described by the quality of it and by an effect of devouring whom the adversaries of Christ for they are the fewell of this fire analysis 28 The confirmation of it by two arguments 1. A Christ's Law but the one ergo the other Where 1. The protasis of the comparison shewing what befell to the former 2. The apodosis what shall befall the latter In the protasis 1. The fault 2. The punishment The fault is a despising not every transgressing of Moses Law The punishment is death amplified by the severity of it without mercy and the equity of it because the party is condemned by two or three witnesses In the apodosis there is an inversion of these two analysis 29 1. The grievousnesse of the punishment which in all equity must exceed the other in as much as Christ is greater than Moses the Lord and master of the house then a servant in the house 2. The haynousnes of the sin in respect of two most glorious and worthy persons contemned by them God the Son and God the Holy Ghost In the Sonne there be two speciall things the mysterie of his incarnation for that they tread under foote the Son of God which was God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 the Saviour and redeemer of the world The mystery of his passion for that they count the bloud of the Testament an unholy thing Which ingratitude is amplified by a benefit bestowed on them though they had beene sanctified by that bloud For the Holy Ghost is the instructor and comforter of the Church that reveales the will of God to men They despise the spirit of grace therefore they are worthy of sore punishment VERSE 1. THe ceremoniall Law not the morall that containeth substantiall dutyes that sheweth sin to us but is no shadow of any thing in Christ to come A dark an obscure delineation Of Iesus Christ and all his benefits of justification sanctification and redemption purchased by him bonagratiae gloriae A lively picture of them as we have in the time of the Gospell wherein Christ is painted out and crucified before our eyes A shadow is a resemblance of a body utrumque repraesentat umbra in communi imago in particulari When yee see a shadow yee may truly say there is a body yet it is but a generall resemblance of a body 1. A shadow cannot fight 2. Not eate 3. Not speake 4. Not walke but accidentally Yee cannot perceive in a shadow the distinct parts and members of a body the eyes the face hands armes feete c. only the shadow tells you there is a body but an image hath the whole lineaments and proportion of the body in it In it ye may behold the severall parts and dimensions of the body So in the Law they had a sight of Christ yet it was darkely in a shadow Wee have the very expresse forme and image of Christ with all his benefits they had Christ in an obscure picture drawne at the first in darke lines wee have him as in a lively picture graced with most lightsome and excellent colours Abraham saw the day of Christ and was glad yet hee saw him a farre off and at a little crevis we see the sunne of righteousnesse cleerely shining before our eyes they saw him as in a winter day we see him in a bright summers day Blessed are the eyes that see that which we see for Kings and Prophets have desired to see those things which wee see and have not seene them The Law did shadow out Christ by whom wee are justified and redeemed from our sins it did not justifie and redeeme us The same specie though not numero the same in substance as Goates Sheep Heifers c. and offered up alwayes with the same rites and ceremonies they offered them up regulariter the same according to the Law frequenter indesinenter yet inefficaciter Never though they bee iterated ten thousand times c. no hope of salvation by the sacrifices of the Law They the Priests immediately and all the people mediately by the hands of the Priest Yeerely hee seemes to allude especially to that sacrifice which the High-Priest offered yeerely for all Israel when he went into the Sanctum Sanctorum that of all others was most solemne for himselfe his household and the whole land Levit. 16. Sanctifie the heart or conscience Though they might give them an outward kinde of sanctification Or perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word Sacraments prayer cannot perfect no perfection till wee come to heaven That came to it As Schollers to the Master to be taught and directed by it Whereas all that come to CHRIST by faith obtaine true Sanctification Hebrewes 7.25 salvation is not by the Law but by Iesus Christ. But herein is condemnation sayes Christ light is come into the world but men love darkenesse more than light Wee live in wonderfull light yet the workes of darkenesse are too rise among us drunkennesse envy strife emulations c. A great number of us are in the Pharisees case are we also blind Christ said to them if ye were blind ye should have no sin but now ye say we see therefore your sinne remaineth We see much yet we practise little therefore our sins multiplyed by us in this great light shall testifie against us at the latter day I feare me this sentence may be inverted the godly in time of the Law had the substance and we have the shadow there is almost nothing but shadowes among us A shadow of knowledge of zeale love holinesse wee have a forme of godlinesse but deny the power thereof Therefore as we live in greater light so let our light shine before men that they seeing our good workes we and they may glorifie our Father in this life and bee glorified of him in the life to come Our Sacraments may sanctifie us instrumentally they may be as instruments whereby God conveyeth Sanctification to us In respect whereof Baptisme is called the washing of the new birth they may sanctifie us significantly as signes of our sanctification nay as seales of it but they cannot sanctifie us as principall efficient causes of our Sanctification Now it is CHRIST alone that thus sanctifieth us and clenseth us from all our sinnes for this cause sanctifie I my selfe Hee is the onely fountaine of our sanctification neither the sacrifices in the Law nor our Sacraments in the time of the Gospell can in this sense procure to us the sanctification of our soules that wee may be fit for the heavenly Hierusalem VERSE 2. SOme coppies have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make it
are sanctified by the Holy Ghost as the worker of sanctification but we are sanctified by the offring up of the body of Christ as the meritorious cause of our sanctification The bodies of the Saints are holy things being the members of the Holy Ghost The bodies of the Martyrs are precious things whereby the truth of the Gospell was sealed yet by these we cannot be sanctified in the sight of God because there was sinne in them Hearing of Sermons prayers and almes deeds are all of them testimonies of our sanctification and by them we make our calling and election sure We have an inherent sanctification in us after we bee regenerate but that is lame and imperfect there is nothing that can perfectly sanctifie us that we may appeare without blame before God save the offering up of the body of the Lord Iesus Hee is made to us wisedome righteousnesse sanctification Therefore let us entreat the Lord to give us a true and lively faith whereby we may apply Christ and his merits to our selves that being sanctified by him and made cleane through his bloud we may enter into the holy Hierusalem in the life to come VERSE 11. FOr there were many of them of what sort and condition so ever Standeth as a Servitour at the Altar For some thing or other was done every day there was the morning and evening sacrifice For the publike good of the people being the Minister of them all One time would not serve the turne as it doth with Christ. The sacrifices in speciall were Bulls Goates Sheepe c. yet often iterated Never no hope of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fully and utterly as they ought to be so as they never trouble the consciences of men againe they were a recordation of sin but no a motion of sin No Priest was exempted from service In the Church of Rome peradventure the inferiour Priests the Parish Priests take some paines among the people But the Pope the High-Priest the Cardinalls and those that are called Majores sacerdotes live at ease some of them they are minstred unto but wee must all minister in those places wherein God hath set us that we may enter into the joy of our Master in the life to come The Angels are ministring spirits and shall we thinke scorne to minister 2. We must no day bee idle but dayly serve God in our severall functions whether wee bee Ministers or people passe the dayes of your dwelling here in feare As wee aske our daily bread at Gods hands so wee must daily performe service to God Daniel prayed three times a day Anna served God in prayers day and night The Bereans turned over the Bible daily every day let us doe something whereby God may be glorified 3. As the Priests in the time of the Law offered up the same sacrifices So let us the same sacrifice of prayer of preaching of praise and thankesgiving of almes deeds and the workes of mercy So long as wee tarrie in the world let us alwayes be offering up these spirituall sacrifices though they bee the same yet they are acceptable to God No more can any thing that wee can doe now CHRIST IESUS alone is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world VERSE 12. BVt He that is Iesus Christ our Priest hee being but one is opposed to them that were many He could doe more than all they put together Not many as they did one specie and numero too For the expiation of sins which those sacrifices could not take away There be foure things that commend this sacrifice 1. Sufficientia quoad precium 2. Efficacia contra peccatum 3. Gloria quoad praemium 4. Victoria quoad adversarium Hee doth not stand as they did Stare est famulorum sedere dominorum Not at the Altar here on earth but at the right hand of God in heaven Not for a time as those Priests continued their time and then went away but for ever Some joyne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to that which goeth before after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes for ever the vertue whereof lasteth for ever God hath no right hand nor left but as Kings cause them that bee neerest and deerest unto them to sit at their right hand so Christ He is in equall Majesty with his father After the offering up of this one sacrifice he offers no more as a Priest but reignes as a King for ever There must be no iteration of this sacrifice The Papists alleadge that the sacrifice of the Masse is the same with that on the Crosse. Suppose it were yet it must bee but once offered Those in the Law were often offered but this must be but once offered otherwise the whole disputation of the HOLY GHOST in this Epistle is overthrowne What doth he now he doth not now play the Carpenter he takes no more paines in preaching in suffering as he did here but he sits quietly in all joy and happinesse at the right hand of God Acts 7.55 Christ appeared to Stephen standing but that was for the strengthning and encouraging of him against the rage of his enemies He stood up ready to take him out of their clawes into the kingdome of heaven otherwise for the most part the Scripture introduces Christ sitting as it were in his regall throne at the right hand of God next in glory power and Majesty to God the Father yea equall with him in all things 1. This may bee a comfort to us against all our adversaries The King and Protectour of the Church sitteth at the right hand of God in heaven The Vniversities chuse them to be their Chancellours which are in greatest favour with the King and most gracious in the Court so doe incorporations chuse the like to be their high stewards that may stand them instead in the time of need He that hath the protection of us is a great man in the Court of heaven He sits at the right hand of God hee hath all power in heaven and earth Therfore let not us feare that are under his wings he will not suffer us to want the thing that is good 2. As CHRIST now sitteth in heaven after all the miseries crosses and afflictions which hee sustained on the earth so when this wretched life is ended we shall be in heaven with Christ Ep. 2.6 Let this encourage us to a patient suffering of all calamities in this world Wee may have a tragedy here but a comedie hereafter worme-wood here and honey there Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord they rest from their labours and shall remaine in heaven with Christ for ever VERSE 13. IT might be interpreted and expecteth the remnant As he himselfe the head of the Church is in heaven so he expecteth the comming of his members to him Or from henceforth waiteth that is the accomplishment of the number of his elect which God the Father hath given to him He comes down no more into the earth to
remitted so Christ forgot the cruelty that his persecutors used towards him Mat. 18.3 All good turnes let us remember but as for all wrongs let them bee forgotten for ever Why will he not remember our sins any more Surely because his Son Christ Iesus hath dyed for our sins and offered himselfe for them him that knew no sin he made to be sin for us therefore he will remember our sins no more To that purpose is this testimony alleadged in this place VERSE 18. WHereupon he inferreth this conclusion Of these things that is of sins and iniquities is There may bee spirituall oblations and sacrifices of prayer thankesgiving and almes deeds Hebr. 13.17 but there remaines no more offering for the expiation of sinnes If all sinnes be forgiven for the one oblation that Christ hath offered there needs no more offering for sin but for the worthinesse of that one oblation all sins are forgiven us Ergo there needs no more offering for sin Object There is Christ's As for the Masse it is the same sacrifice that Christ offered on the Crosse therefore that may still remaine as propitiatory for sinne Sol. 1. It is not the same for Christ's body is in heaven there he tarryes still Verse 13. and Act. 3.21 therefore it is not in the sacrifice of the Masse here on earth for that cause it is not the same sacrifice that was on the crosse 2. Here it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That was bloudy this unbloudy Which differ as much as light and darkenesse death and life and if unbloudy then no remission of sins in it Hebr. 9.22 3. If Christ be offered in the Masse then he must suffer there Hebr. 9.26 but he doth not suffer there ergo 4. If CHRIST be there offered then hee is there consumed for sacrificabile must be destructibile as Bellarmine confesseth and in all sacrifices there is a consumption of the thing sacrificed the Goate the Sheepe the Heyfer was consumed and Christ was consumed or destroyed on the Crosse he is not destroyed in the Masse ergo he is not in the sacrifice of the Masse Yes sayes Bellarmine he is destroyed sacramentally because he is eaten by the Priest though not physically and really I but in a sacrifice there must be a physicall and reall destruction of the thing sacrificed otherwise no sacrifice Againe a repetition of the same sacrifice is here excluded If CHRIST must bee offered up often then that one offering on the Crosse was insufficient for the taking away of sinne but the Apostle proveth that CHRIST was to be offered but once If he be offered up often it is an indignity to him for so were the sacrifices in the Law The Masse I conclude still is no propitiatory sacrifice Here we have a most sweet and comfortable doctrine by the offering of our SAVIOUR CHRIST we obtaine remission of sins his bloud purgeth us from all sin In sin we are warmed in our Mothers belly in sin we were conceived and borne We sucke sinne as milke from our mothers breasts before wee bee regenerate wee doe nothing but sinne draw sin with Cartropes and iniquity with the cordes of vanity After we are regenerate In many things we sinne all The just man falleth seven times a day If God should enter into judgement with us for our sins we were not able to answer one for a thousand We sin in preaching praying hearing our best sort of actions are defiled with sin But here is our comfort by the oblation of Iesus Christ on the Crosse once made wee have remission of all our sins In so much as wee may say death where is thy sting Let us desire the Lord to apply this oblation of Christ to us by a true and lively faith And as by CHRIST alone we have the forgivenesse of our sins which all the sacrifices in the Law could not purchase nor any thing that we can doe under the Gospell so let the love of Christ in dying for our sins cause us to dye to sinne dayly more and more and as he in wonderfull love offered up himselfe as a sacrifice for the putting away of our sins so let us offer up our selves our soules and bodies as a holy living and acceptable sacrifice to him all the dayes of our lives that the power of Christ's passion appearing in us in this world we may reigne with him in the world to come Now hee makes an application of that discourse hee had of Christ. analysis 19 1. The foundation Then the building 22. The doctrine and the use The doctrine hath three branches 1. Our entrance into heaven 2. The way whereby we enter Verse 20. 3. Our guide and leader in the way Verse 21. In our entrance 1. The manner of it 2. The place whereinto we enter 3. The meanes whereby analysis 20 In the way 1. A commendation of it 2. The conservation of it 1. For his office he is a Priest analysis 21 2. For his dignity great 3. For his dominion over the house of God The use is threefold 1. An appropinquation to God Verse 22. 2. A profession of God 23. 3. A declaration of it by provoking one another 24. analysis 22 Our appropinquation 1. Ex parte subjecti 2. Ex parte formae 3. Ex parte medij Internall externall analysis 23 Our profession must be held fast Where 1. How 2. Why. In the provocation 1. How it must be done with consideration analysis 24 2. To what we must provoke VERSE 19. 1. WE must make a profitable use of all doctrines propounded to us The High-Priest in the time of the Law could not enter into the Sanctum Sanctorum without bloud Hebr. 9.7 no more can wee into heaven hee entered by the bloud of a Goate and an Heyfer we by the bloud of Iesus Act. 20.28 We have boldnesse of entrance into the holy places How Thieves enter into an house so doe sacrilegious persons into a Church but it is with quaking and trembling least they should be apprehended because they have no right of entring wee enter boldly into the sanctuary of heaven because we have a right to it by Iesus Christ. Not to see it afarre off on an hill as Moses did the land of Caâ—an but to enter into it Into what Into the holy places which is expounded to be heaven Hebr. 9.24 In the time of the Law none but the High-Priest went into the Holy of Holies and that but once a yeere here all both Ministers and people Magistrates and subjects high and low rich and poore all that believe in Christ have entrance into heaven We may be bold by prayer to enter into it in this life and in soule and body we shall have a comfortable entrance into it in the life to come None but Gentlemen of the Privie Chamber may enter into the King we may all goe to the King of Kings and that boldly because we are reconciled to him by
man at the latter day The very conscience of a man doth tell him at one time or other whether hee will or no that there is a day of judgement Why are men vexed in their soules when they have sinned when they have committed such sinnes as the Law cannot take hold off as oppression and wrongs offered to their brethren secret adulteries c. Why are they grieved for these and can find no rest in them if there were not a judgment to come VERSE 28. HEre is the equity of it He that abrogates it that pulls it out of place that violates it elata manu Num. 15.30 Not he that in a small offence transgresseth the Law but that breaketh it in some monstrous and notorious manner either by blasphemy by contemptuous prophaning by contumacy against father and mother and hee that doth transgresse these lawes in a despite and contempt of them hee must needs be put to death there is no remedy No mercy is to be shewed in it the Law must have his course without respect of persons whether hee bee high or low rich or poore hee must dye for it No bribe may save his life Deut. 19.21.13 8. Yet good advice must bee had in putting him to death there must be an orderly proceeding against him his fault must be convinced by sufficient witnesses All Moses lawes were not written with bloud as Draco's were but only great and capitall crimes Such were to dye without mercy Mercie is an excellent vertue a divine vertue draweth neere to the nature of God which is the Father of mercies be yee mercifull as your heavenly father is mercifull Yet for all that mercy in some actions is to be shut out of doores We must sing of judgement as well as of Mercy as David did Mercy is not so to be imbraced as that Iustice should bee forgotten they that have transgressed the Law especially in contempt of the Law are to dye without mercy the Lord often toucheth upon this string We must not be more mercifull then God will have us Saul spared Agag but it cost him his kingdome Some will say of a thiefe a murderer condemned to dye is it not pitty such a proper man as he should dye no verily foolish pitty marrs the Citty If such a one be permitted to live hee may doe much hurt in the common-wealth therefore no pitty is to bee shewed to him mercy must bee stretched no further than God hath appointed But how must he dye orderly being convicted by the due course and order of Law The fact must be sufficiently proved before sentence of death passe against him and how must it be proved either by his owne confession or by the testimony of others Now one man may be partiall or he may speake on spleene and malice therefore two witnesses at least must be produced Iesabel procured two witnesses against Nabal Two witnesses were brought in against our SAVIOUR CHRIST Timothy must not receive an accusation against an Elder but under two or three witnesses There was thought no probability that two would conspire in an untruth the one at the length would bewray the jugling of the other Therefore if there were two then he dyed but now the world is growne to such an height of impiety as that it is as easie a matter to suborne two false witnesses to get two knaves to sweare an untruth as to take the pot and drinke A most vile age wherein we live but from the beginning it was not so VERSE 29. THe interrogation is more forcible then if it had beene a plaine affirmation they dyed the death of the body but these are worthy of the death where soule and body shall dye for ever Be you Iudges in the matter I dare appeale to your own selves Then he sets forth the greatnesse of their sin which ariseth by three steps or degrees 1. They in the Law despised Moses which was but a man these Christ which is the Son of God therfore they are worthy of a sharper punishment they broke but one particular Law these renounce the whole Gospell of CHRIST the Son of God They have not Christ actually to tread upon he is in heaven at the right hand of God but metonymically in treading his truth under their feete which they make no reckoning of in conculcating the benefits of CHRIST offered to them they tread CHRIST Himselfe or they carry such a spitefull minde against him as if possible they would pull him out of heaven and tread him under their feete They did it not actu but affectu This is the vilest indignity that can be offered to any to make him as dirt to tread on The Souldiers crucified CHRIST but they did not treade him under their feete For Traytors to tread the King under their feete is a monstrous thing yet these as arrant Traytors did tread Christ the King of Kings under their feete Horrible wretches In this they opposed themselves to his kingdome In the next to his Priest-hood Christ by his last Will and Testament gave us a Legacie of the kingdome of heaven Luk. 22.29 the which Testament was confirmed by the bloud and death of the Testatour Matth. 26.28 Now this holy precious and pure bloud wherewith we are washed from our sinnes these impure wretches account an unholy a common a polluted thing Mark 7.2 Acts 10.15 They make no more account of the bloud of Christ then of the bloud of a thiefe nay of a dogge or swine yet they had some benefit by this bloud Last of all they opposed themselves to the prophesie of Christ. It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they abuse him with some notable reproach and contumelie Which is the fountaine and bestower of all graces He had given them many graces of knowledge of some faith hope love and zeale yet they contumeliously reproach this spirit revile him terming him a spirit of errour that had deluded them all this while For this cause they have sinned against the Holy Ghost In these respects they are worthy of most severe punishment no sacrifice for this sinne Is any pitty to bee shewed to them that In this world there is Mercy but none to bee expected in the world to come Then judgement mercilesse Now CHRIST standeth with open armes venite ad me omnes but then he shall say ite maledicti no mercy to be found for the wicked at the day of judgment God shew mercy to the house of Onesiphorus at that day there is mercy for the godly that be in Christ but none for the wicked that be out of Christ. And who be they that shall be so severely punished From hence may be collected a true definition of the sin against the Holy Ghost It is a malicious oppugning of the truth of the Gospell sealed up in their hearts by the HOLY GHOST they were enlightned in the mysterie of redemption purchased by Christ that he is the only Priest which
us shake them off as St. Paul did the Viper and say what have I to doe with you my God must be dearer to me then you all Because the kingdome of Aegypt and Gods glory could not stand together Moses refused a kingdome then let us be content to forsake a Lord-ship a small quantity of ground a simple house a little silver and gold for the Lord whatsoever we have be it more or lesse let us count all as dongue for Christs sake In the time of prosperity let us weane our selves from the pleasures and commodities of this life that in the time of tryall and persecution wee may not bee glewed to them as the young man to his riches but may be willing to forsake all for Christs sake and so much the rather because wee know not how nigh tryall is how soone the wind of affliction may rise and make a difference between them that love Christ and his Gospell sincerely and betweene them that love this present world as Demas did If wee have but a little house and land one hundred or two hundred and should bee loath to leave it for CHRISTS sake how would wee leave a kingdome for him as Moses did It must bee Gods worke not our owne Therefore it is said that Moses did it by faith he did it not by any naturall strength or power by vertue of education though he had famous Schoolemasters and was trained up in all the learning of the Aegyptians he did it not by the advice of any witty or politick Achitophel he did it by faith Faith in the promised Messiah mooved him to it As Abraham saw the day of Christ and was glad so Moses saw Christ and the kingdome of heaven by the eye of faith this made him not to set a rush by the kingdome of Aegypt I shall be heyre of a far more glorious kingdome then a straw for Aegypt The kingdome of Aegypt lasts but a while death one day will remove me from it but I shall have a kingdome that cannot be shaken that endures for ever and ever Therefore let Aegypt goe If wee have a true and lively faith in the promises of God a sight of the joyes reserved for the faithfull in the life to come it will withdraw our mindes off from these earthly things A worldly man can never doe it he will say it is good sleeping in an whole skinne a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush I know what I have here I cannot tell what I shall have afterwards but faith is an evidence of things that are not seene This caused the Martyrs in Queene Maries dayes some to leave their Bishopricks as Cranmer Latimer Ridley some their lands and great revenewes as the Dutches of Suffolke some their liberty some their Country for the Gospell and if we have a true and lively faith indeed it will make us to leave all for a good cause therefore let us make this prayer Lord encrease our faith let it bee so strong as that neither riches honour nor any thing else may separate us from thee When not when hee was a Child for then it might have beene deemed to be want of witt and discretion as Children refuse gold and take Apples but when he was great of a good and convenient stature about fourtie yeeres of age when he knew well enough what he did he did it not puerili temeritate sed judicio virili when he was in the prime and flower of his yeeres Young men about fortie are most fit for honour and promotion This may be an admonition to young men to consecrate their best yeeres to the Lord. Wherewithall shall a young man clense his wayes I write to you young men sayes St. Iohn Timothy was exercised in the Scriptures from his Child-hood We read of a young man in the Gospell that said he had kept all the Commandements from his youth he was no swearer blasphemer rayler fighter quarreller stealer cutter whoremonger but our young men cannot abide to heare of godlinesse tell them of forsaking of pleasures and honour as Moses did they cannot abide to heare on that eare As the Devill said to Christ why commest thou to torment me before the time So this is a torment to them When they be old they will thinke of Religion in the meane season they will bee swash-bucklers as Lamech haters as Esau Ruffians with Absalom they will follow their lusts with Amnon It seemes a paradoxe for a young man to be a Martyr to leave the Court the honours and pleasures of this world as Moses did VERSE 25. WHy did hee refuse to be called the Son of Pharaohs daughter did she refuse him or was he in hope of a better kingdome in the world no verily it was put to his owne choyse hee was not compelled to it neither the King nor his daughter gave him over but he gave them over How did he choose it not halfe against his will but rather he had rather a great deale have this than that Which is amplified by the thing elected and rejected What did hee chuse to suffer adversity rather than to reigne in glory Electio ex duobus ad minimum here two things were propounded to Moses choyce pleasure and paine the one is welcome to all by nature the other abhorred of all by nature yet Moses chuses paine and refuses pleasure To Hercules appeared virtuâ— and voluptas the one horrid promising labour and sorrow yet hee chose it A travellour sees two wayes the one fayre that leadeth him quite another way the other fowle that carries him to his journeys end hee chuses rather the fowle way because it is most commodious for him Pharaohs Court was a fine and delicate way the afflictions of the Israelites a foule way yet because that lead to hell this to heaven Moses rather chose it this was not the worke of nature but of faith He chose to be afflicted to be evilly intreated malis premi As if a man should refuse honey and take worme-wood before he lived in honour and dignity now hee chose to live in contempt and disgrace before hee was at a table every day furnished with all delicates now hee comes to his leekes and onyons with the Israelites before he was in all jollity now in all affliction The affliction is illustrated by the companions with whom hee was afflicted and they were the people of God Affliction simply is not to bee chosen but affliction with the people of GOD that is the sugar that sweetens afflictions To bee afflicted with thieves for theft with Traytors for treason with Idolaters for Idolatry hath no comfort in it but to bee afflicted with Gods people is full of comfort for Gods cause he had rather be afflicted with Gods people then to live with the Aegyptian Courtyers in Pharaohs Court which were none of the people of God Then to have the temporary fruition of sinne But the word importing such a fruition as is joyned
faith submitted themselves to his ordinance so must we with the hand of faith imbrace the Sacraments of the New Testament Some Atheist might object against them to what end is a little water laid on the forehead of the childe as Naaman said Are not Abana and Pharpar Rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel So say they is not the water in the pompe as good as the water in the Font Wherefore doe we receive a little Bread and Wine so solemnely in the Church at the celebration of the Lords Supper May we not have as good in every Taverne I but if we have faith wee receive them as pledges of the body and bloud of Christ with hearty thanksgiving to GOD yea as exhibiting the same The bloud of the Lambe on the doores of their houses did assure them of their deliverance from the plague and judgement of God that though never so many were slaine among the Egyptians yet none of their first-borne should lose their lives so the water in Baptisme must assure us of the washing away of our sins in the bloud of Christ. The Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper must assure us of the Body and Bloud of Christ that as we eate and drinke the one with our mouth so we eate and drinke the other with our hearts in so much as CHRIST is one with us and we with him Our reverent use of the Sacraments in the feare of God is a token of faith they that contemne the Sacraments that regard them not that care not though they come not at the Communion once in a yeere nay in five or ten yeeres they feele no want of it these declare to the world that they have no faith Moses keeping of the Passeover was a Touchstone of his faith and our usage of the Sacraments will bewray our faith The Paschall Lambe was a type of Christ whereupon he is called our Passeover 1 Cor. 5.7 He was the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Not a bone of the Paschall Lambe might be broken Exod. 12.46 So Not a bone of Christ could bee broken Iohn 19.36 This Passeover was an adumbration of Christ. And the Effusion of the bloud of the Lambe was a figure of the effusion of the bloud of Christ Heb. 12.24 As the bloud of the Lambe sprinkled on the doores of the Israelites kept away the Destroyer from them So the bloud of Christ sprinkled on our consciences 1 Pet. 1.2 keepes away the Devill from us Where this bloud is sprinkled by the sponge of faith there the Devill can have no entrance nor possession This no doubt they likewise saw by the eye of faith and let us desire to be sprinkled with this bloud more and more Whether it were a good or evill Angell is a question more curious than commodious for the most part Executioners among us are bad men the scum and off-scouring of the Countrey such as have no piety nor religion in them yet sometimes a good man may be a Kings executioner as Benaiah was to Salomon 1 Reg. 2. Punire malum non est malum sed facere malum malum est So it may please the High and Eternall GOD to use good Angels in the execution of his wrath They are as ready to be instruments of his justice as of his mercy It might be a good Angell that slew 70000. with the Pestilence in three dayes space that slew an hundred fourescore and five thousand in Senacheribs Campe in one night and it was a good Angel for ought we know that destroy'd the first-borne in Egypt it was an evill Angell that deceived Achab it was the Devill that afflicted Iob but it may be a good Angell that destroyed the first-borne of the Egyptians Whether it were or no it makes no great matter it doth not much concerne us If we feare God and serve him we need feare no Angels they be Traitors not loyall Subjects that feare the Kings Guard Feare not the rod but him that striketh with the rod. The rod cannot smart nay it cannot move without the striker Let us feare Almighty GOD that useth creatures as his rods at his will and pleasure and then we shall not need to feare any creature whatsoever Whom did the Angell destroy The first-borne which of all the children are deerest to the parents Men glory most of the first Apple the tree beareth loe this is the first Apple that my tree bore So the first fruit of our body is most joyfull and welcome to us Now the Lord being displeased with the Egyptians a stubborne and rebellious people he takes away their first-borne and this was the last arrow which he shot against them as the deadliest and heaviest of all If we love our children let us love GOD if we desire to keepe them let us keepe in with GOD he gave and hee can take away at his pleasure if we provoke him by our sins whom we ought to love most hee will bereave us of that which wee love most If wee have one childe deerer to us than another by one meanes or other he will deprive us of it the best way to keepe our children is to serve him who gave us our children The Lord will preserve his though the wicked bee destroyed 2 Pet. 2.9 Touch not mine anointed and doe my Prophets no harme A thousand shall fall on thy right hand c. but it shall not come neere thee No doubt thousands fell in Egypt being a populous Countrey yet the Israelites are not touched It cannot be denied but that sometimes the godly are involved in the same temporall plague with the ungodly Good Iosiah was slaine in the battell behold hee whom thou lovest is sick A good man may be sick yea sick of the plague yea dye of the plague too Iob was a singular good man yet his seven sonnes and three daughters were all touched the house fell on them altogether they were all slaine at one stroke Neverthelesse sometimes it pleaseth GOD to make a difference there was howling and crying among the Aegyptians my son is dead but not one dyed among the Israelites God sets a marke on his children that the Destroyer seeing it may not touch them If God for the sinnes of England should send a destroyer into England though there should be an intended massacre of Protestants by the Devillish and bloud-sucking Papists yet if God see it good he shall not touch any of his servants If he doe for in these outward things we must referre our selves to God yet the bloudy instruments of death shall prove golden keyes to open to us the doores of the kingdome of heaven VERSE 29. HEre 1. The miraculous preservation of Gods people 2. The fearefull destruction of their enemies Their preservation is illustrated by the instrumentall cause the place where and the manner how they were preserved They men women and children both Moses and all the Israelites It is
spoken of Love in generall he shewes the nature of Love and gives us some touchstones for the tryal of it Yes with all our hearts God forbid but that wee that bee Christians should love one an other I but if yee have love let it appeare by your fruits 1 Ioh. 3.18 As Saint Iames saith Shew mee thy faith by thy workes so shew mee thy love by thy workes 1. Hospitality Hee doth not say be hospitall but let the love of hospitality continue Wee are ready to forget that which as wee thinke is against our profit or is an empairing of our wealth Now many imagine hospitality to be so Therefore wee invent many shifts and excuses I am decayed in my estate I am not so rich as I have beene I have wife and children to provide for I cannot give that I have to strangers My house is but little my fare meane strangers will not like of it I but for all this be hospitall forget it not These Hebr. 10.34 were spoyled of their goods yet he would not have them to forget hospitalitie Why it is an honourable and commodious office thereby some by being hospitall Hee names them not because hee spake to them that were exercised in the Scripture The people should bee so acquainted with the Scripture as that the Preacher should not neede to name the good men when hee speakes of their vertues Abraham and Lot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latuerunt whereupon some Schoole-men have it placuerunt whereas the Greeke can import no such thing Others translate it latuerunt Some have lien lurking receiving strangers into their houses They restraine it to Lot the plurall put for the singular Hee lay lurking quietly in his house protected from the rage of the Sodomites because he entertained Angels but this is ridiculous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 latebat illos they knew them not to be Angels they tooke them to bee meere men as they themselves were yet they received them 1. How were they Angels when as one of them is called Iehovah and the Iudge of the world One of the three was GOD the other two were Angels 2. If they thought them to be men not Angels why then did they worship them It was but a civill adoration or reverence such as Iacob gave to Esau and Abraham to the Shechemits They did not dreame that they were Angels they were perswaded that they were but men yet they entertained them Which amplifies their fact If a great Lord come to thine house like a Lord and thou take him into thine house it is no mervaile but if hee come in a beggers weede and yet thou receive him that is laudable These were Angels Lords of Gods privy Councell yet they came like men for all that Abraham and Lot entertained them and were glad of them See how GOD honoured their hospitality Let us doe the like that God may blesse and honour us In hospitality these things are required 1. That wee doe it frequenter One swallow makes not a spring The receiving of a stranger once makes not an hospitall man Wee must make a dayly use and occupation of it It was the continuall practice of Lot and Abraham as may appeare by their behaviour 2. It must bee celeriter wee must not tarry till strangers offer themselves we must pull them in as Abraham and Lot did Wee must constraine them as Lydia did S. Paul and Silas 3. Hilariter without grudging 1 Pet. 4.9 we must not repine at it speake hardly of them when they be gone 4. Humiliter not receive them after a stately and Lordlike manner but after a meeke manner as if we weare rather beholden to them then they to us They be the brethren of Christ the sonnes of GOD we are not worthy of such guests 5. Abundanter according to that abilitie wherewith God hath blessed us If wee have but a little let them have a little as the widdow of Sarepta dealt with Elias If we have a great portion of Gods blessings let them tast of them 6. Wee must doe it perseveranter be not weary of well doing Hospitalitie is a good thing be not weary of it Let thy house be open to good men all the dayes of thy life But alas this is an hard doctrine who can abide it wee are too much wedded to the world yea they that make a great shew of Christianitie are ready to say with Nabal shall I take my bread and my water and my flesh and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be O forget not this duty Here hee meanes such strangers especially as are compelled to forsake their countrie for the Gospels sake but it is to be extended to all It is an excellent dutie and wee have many spurs to pricke us to it 1. God requires it Isai. 58.7 2. Wee have many examples for it 3. We our selves may be strangers therefore doe as ye would be done to 4. The want of it hath beene grievously punished it was the overthrow of an whole tribe Iud. 20. 5. In receiving men that be strangers we may receive Angels Preachers which be Gods Angels nay Christ himselfe Matt. 25.6 6. It is gainefull for this life and that which is to come Abraham had a Sonne streight after the entertainement of his strangers Lot was delivered from the destruction of Sodom God blessed the house of Obed Edom and hee will blesse those houses that receive strangers Therefore be not forgetfull to lodge strangers receive them into your houses in this life that CHRIST may receive you into the house made without hands in the life to come That may suffice for the entertainement of forrainers now followes our usage of them that be at home with us they are either in bondage or at libertie Out of sight out of minde These were enclosed in the prison wals therefore hee sayes remember Though they be a good way from you yet remember them There be 2. kindes of bondmen Vincti Iesu Christi diaboli Some are in bonds for righteousnesse sake some for unrighteousnesse some for the Gospell some for theft murther treason grosse and notorious vices For the hope of Israel sayes Saint Paul Am I bound with this chaine Some are in bonds for Popery Anabapt for sects and schismes All are to be remembred as occasion serveth though they be in bonds for evill causes yet let us in some sort remember them Let us goe to them if opportunitie serve and give them good counsaile Let us labour to bring them to a sight of their sinnes and so make them Christs free-men that is a worthie worke A theefe was converted at the gallowes therefore there is hope of doing them good in the prison A blessed thing to save such a soule But especially if any are in bonds for the Gospell let us bee mindefull of them Let us repaire to them personally if wee can and not be ashamed
GOD upon him by his disobedience we pulled the wrath of God on us when he gave place to the suggestions of the Devill we gave place to them when he rebelled against God wee rebelled against him because hee was not to bee considered as a private man but as the roote and fountaine of all mankinde When Adam was created in righteousnesse and true holinesse after the Image of God wee were then created as glorious Creatures as hee When Adams body was framed out of the dust of the earth our bodies were taken out of the earth when Adam received a dominion over the beasts of the field the birds of the ayre the fishes of the Sea we received a Lordship over all creatures when Abraham payd tithes the tribe of Levi payd tithes So we that be Christians may be affirmed to have done many things in Christ when hee did undergoe the burden of his fathers wrath wee sustained it when he fulfilled the law we fulfilled it when hee was crucified on the Crosse wee were crucified to sinne when he dyed we dyed his death was a token of our dying to sin When hee rose againe and ascended into heaven we his members rose againe and ascended into heaven When he payd the debt of sinne we payd it namely by him as by our surety Let us not then think much of the punishments inflicted on us for sinne that we have sicknesses and diseases yea that even poore tender infants of a weeke old are sicke Besides our owne sinnes wherein wee were conceived wherein wee grow up continually wee all sinned in Adam and when the sentence of death was pronounced against him it was pronounced against us all we were all guilty of damnation save that God in mercy hath saved many by his Sonne Christ Iesus CHRIST 's doings are our doings his obedience is our obedience his satisfaction is ours his merits are ours his righteousnesse is ours therefore though we bee poore in our selves yet wee are rich in him though we have nothing of our selves yet in him we possesse all things VERSE 10. HEere the Apostle shewes how Levi paid tithes to Melchizedec lest it might seeme a paradoxe he payd tithes to Melchizedec not in his owne person exclusivè but inclusively in Abraham he was in his loines potentialiter originariè as the Schoolemen speake as all creatures were in materia prima Levi was in the loines of Abraham secundum concupiscentiam carnalem Christus autem secundum solam substantiam corporalem Aug. lib. 10. de Genesi ad literam c. 20. Thom. part 3. q. 31. art 8. in semine est visibilis corpulentia invisibilis ratio in respect of the former Christ was in the loines of Abraham but not in respect of the latter But the soundest answer is Christ in this Antithesis is comprehended under Melchizedec which was a type of him not under Abraham therefore Christ is here considered as a taker of tithes in Melchizedec not as a payer of tithes in Abraham The scope of all is to prove the excellency of Christs Priesthood above the Leviticall Priest-hood wherof the Iewes so greatly gloried the Levits themselves payd tithes to Christ in Melchizedec therefore Christ's Priest-hood is by many degrees more excellent then theirs There was a worthy and glorious Priest-hood in time of the law there was an high-Priest in goodly apparell clothed with a white linnen Ephod that had a Miter on his head a faire breast-plate on his breast on which was written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel he went into the Sanctum Sanctorum once a yeare and offered up the prayers of the people Besides him there were a great number of Priests and Levites throughout all the townes and cities of Israel they offered the sacrifices of the people and made attonement for them before the Lord they taught the people and instructed them in the wayes of the Lord. Yet all these are nothing to our Saviour Christ hee excells them as much as the Sunne doth the Starres or the body the shadow They were all but shadowes of him hee is the true high-Priest which is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec They were but men hee is God and man they sinfull hee without sinne they mortall he immortall their sacrifices were but figures of his sacrifice the bloud of Goats Lambes offered by them took away no sinne his bloud purgeth us from all sinne they received tithes of their brethren but they themselves payd tithes to Christ they prayed for the people in the Temple Christ prayes for us in heaven A most glorious high-Priest worthy to be honoured of us all Let us subject our selves to this high-Priest which hath made us Kings and Priests to God his father that we may reigne with him our Priest and King in the life to come Now if Melchizedec were so great a man how great is our Saviour Christ doth it you good to looke on the Kings picture then what delight would you take in the view of the King himselfe Melchizedec is but the picture Christ is the King and Priest indeed therefore let us all lift up our mindes to him Not Abraham alone not the Priests and Levites alone but all Kings and Princes yea all the Angels in heaven must stoope to Christ. Therefore let us all meditate in his greatnesse which may be a singular comfort to us that we have such a great King and Priest as Christ is who is greater than all creatures in the world Now he comes to Christ prefigured by Melchizedec In whom there is to be considered 1. His calling to the office of the Priest-hood c. 7. and 8.2 His exequution of that office c. 9. and 10. In his calling 1. The person called c. 7.2 The function whereunto he was called cap. 8. In the person called 1. The occasion why hee was called to this excellent Priest-hood ab 11. to 26. 2. A magnificent description of him that was called to it à 26. ad finem The occasion of his calling was the imperfection of the Leviticall Priest-hood Above the which the Priest-hood of Christ is advanced by foure arguments 1. From the change of the one and the firmenesse of the other Verse 11.12 13 14. 2. From the power and utility of the one and the weakenesse and inutility of the other Verse 15.16 17 18 19. 3. From the manner of the institution of them both the one by an oath the other without an oath Verse 20.21 22. The 4th from a difference betweene the Priests of them both they were many he but one they dyed he lives for ever which is amplified by an effect Verse 23.24 25. Then followeth the description of this our high-Priest Where there is a commendation of his person Verse 26.27 and of his Ministery Verse 28. VERSE 11. THe first argument from the change is illustrated by the cause and the manner thereof The cause was because perfection could not be obtained by it If we had been
justified sanctified delivered from sin and damnation and brought to heaven by the Priest-hood of the Levites then why did it not remaine still why was another Priest-hood substituted in the roome of it For the manner of the change the Priest-hood went not away alone but the fall of it was the fall of the law too and when I speake of the Priest-hood I speake of the law too for under it the people received the law Some translate the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto for unto it namely to put us in minde of perfection that was to comeby the Priest-hood of CHRIST The law was established to the people but that is further fetched and the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie under as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The law that is the ceremoniall law touching sacrifices washing observations of times and meats c. the law was given together with the Priest-hood it was an appendix to the Priest-hood therefore as perfection comes not by the one no more doth it by the other The people were lawified tied and bound with the fetters of the ceremoniall law If perfection had beene by them what needed there a further supply but there came another Priest-hood and an other law too therefore the former were imperfect 1. For the Priest-hood there arose another Priest of another order then the Leviticall Priests were they were of the order of Aaron this of Melchizedec Rise not by haphazard but by Gods owne constitution Deus natura nihil faciunt frustrà the wise and omnipotent GOD doth nothing that is needlesse and unnecessary If it had not beene needefull that another Priest should arise after the order of Melchizedec the Priest-hood of Aaron might have remained still If preaching had not beene necessary GOD would never have instituted preaching If the Sacraments had not beene necessary helpes for the strengthning of our faith God would never have ordained the Sacraments if wee could have beene justified and made righteous by our owne fulfilling of the law God would never have sent his Sonne into the world made of a woman and under the law for our sakes but God sent Christ into the world to fulfill the law for us therefore all our righteousnes is not worth a straw This is the Logick of the Holy Ghost and all wrangling Sophisters in the Church of Rome must yeeld unto it If Aarons Priest-hood could have perfected us Christ's Priest-hood should never have risen up in the roome thereof Wherein wee may behold the supereminent dignity of Christ his Priest-hood above the Aaronicall and Leviticall Priest-hood It cannot be denyed but that Aarons Priest-hood was most glorious As the Psalmist speaketh of the Church so may wee of it many glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God many glorious things are recorded of the Leviticall Priest-hood There was a costly tabernacle a sumptuous Temple the wonder of the whole world there was an admirable Altar many oblations and sacrifices there were sundry Sabbaths and new Moones diverse festivall dayes the feast of unleavened bread of the blowing of Trumpets of Tabernacles of Dedication c. which were kept with wonderfull solemnity there were many washings and purgings for the clensing of the people Vid. Supra Therefore let us magnifie GOD for this our high Priest by whom wee have an enterance into the kingdome of heaven The high-Priest went into the Holy of Holies himselfe but hee carryed none of the people with him they stood without our high-Priest is not only gone into heaven himselfe but hee hath also brought us thither that high-Priest offered Bulls Calves Lambes for the sinnes of the people this high-Priest offered himselfe for us all Therefore let us honour and reverence this our high-Priest let us subject our selves to him in all things He that would not obey the high-Priest in the time of the Law was cut off And doe ye thinke we may lawfully contemne our high-Priest in the time of the Gospell Let us say to him as the people did to Iosua whatsoever thou commandest us that will wee doe Hee hath made us all Priests to GOD his Father that wee should offer up our selves our soules and bodies as an holy and acceptable sacrifice to him therefore let us shew our selves to bee Priests let us sacrifice the filthy Beast of uncleannesse the ugly and deformed beast of drunkennesse the insatiable Wolfe of covetousnesse the crooked Serpent of Craft and divellish policy the swelling Toade of pride and loftinesse the consuming beasts of envy hatred and malice let us offer up the sacrifice of praise to this our high-Priest all the dayes of our life in this present world that wee may sing praises to him with Saints and Angels for ever in the world to come As wee say Christ is our Priest so let us make use of it to our selves VERSE 12. VPon the change of the Priest-hood necessarily followeth the change of the law too The Iewes were stubborne defenders of the Ceremoniall law above all things they could not abide to heare of any change of it Some might reply and say though the Priest-hood bee gone yet the law may continue still Nay sayes the Apostle these stand and fall together they were instituted together chickens of one hatching therefore they live and dye together The Leviticall Priest-hood and the Ceremoniall law are relatives se mutuò ponunt auferunt He doth not openly say if the Priest hood be abolished then the law is abolished the Iewes being zealous of the law could not as yet indure that Therefore he mollifies his speech using a more soft and gentle terme if the Priest-hood be changed Yet in effect it is all one they changed as Festus and Felix did Felix went out of the countrey and Festus came in his roome So the Leviticall Priest-hood went away gave place to Christ's Priest-hood which is come in the roome thereof transposed put out of place altered Hee doth not say then by all probability there must bee a change of the law but of necessity it cannot be avoyded The morall law remaines still but the ceremoniall law vanisheth away with the Priest-hood As Christ is come into Aarons roome so likewise into Moses roome he is our Lawgiver as well as our Priest The Pope in his Decretalls applies this to himselfe but it is proper to our Saviour Christ. He may as well conclude from hence that hee is a Priest after the order of Melchizedec as that he hath power to make lawes as Moses had In this world there is nothing but changing The world is like the Moone that is ever changing like the Sea that is ebbing and flowing sometimes calme sometimes boisterous it never stands at one stay So the Priest-hood is changed instead of the Leviticall Priest-hood is established the Ministery of the Gospell Kingdomes and nations change The foure mighty Monarchies of the world are changed The famous Churches of Assia to the which Christ writeth that once embraced the