¶ A Lecture or Exposition vpon a part of the. v. chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrues As it was read in Paules the. 6. day of December 1572. By Edward Deryng ¶ Prepared and geuen for a New yeres gift to the godly in London and els where for this yeare 1573. ¶ Imprynted at London by Iohn Awdely ¶ To his very louing friend Mayster M. F. THe outwarde afflictions and manyfolde troubles of a great number of Gods Chyldren whose trauaile and labour from day to day I had styll in experience and the inward feeling of many wounded spirites whose wofull sighes and bitter mourninges I beheld in other and had tryed in my selfe it made me verye desirous to seeke for remedies to stop the complaints of so grecuous cryings and to prepare our hartes in a strong defence that the firye dartes of the Deuyl might not wound vs Upon this occasion when I had to expounde that place of the Apostle full of notable comfort That Christ in the dayes of his fleshe offered vp prayers and supplications to hym that was able to saue him from death with strong cryinges and wyth teares and was delyuered from the thynges he feared I taryed the longer in that matter and declared more at large what great boldnes and assurance of hope was offered here vnto al that should obey the word Which when I had done as God gaue me vtterance the poore in spirite to whom I applyed my selfe one or two required me to set it downe in wryting that it might be profitable to many which was comfortable to them I durst not reiect such a good request but though some tyme I differred it yet I neuer forgot it tyll I had written all as I was required Which when I had done I purposed then with my selfe to make it yet more common and set it abroade in print Knowing assuredly wher God would geue it encrease it shoulde bring foorth the fruite of consolation that we myght stand vpryght in the day of euyll Thus hauing perfourmed both the request of other and myne own desire and the tyme fallyng out with the begynning of a newe yeare I thought it not amysse to offer my labour vnto you who I know well would accept it as a New yeres gyft though of no great price yet of great good wyll and though easely obtayned yet not litle to be esteemed And therefore my deare brother whom I loue in Christ and reuerence in the world as many wayes I haue cause so I offer it vnto you The Lorde for his mercies sake worke his own good pleasure that I may haue of you the fruite that I desire and you the grace that you stand in neede of that as God hath greatly blessed you and made you abound in many graces to the glory of his name the comfort of your friendes and the benefite of his people so your ioye that it myght be made perfect you might also abound in this to haue a strong fayth against the day of tryall Which God of hys mercye wyll surely graunt vnto you and finishe the good woorke that he hath begone Though I loue not to speake faire for feare of slatterie â–ª and deceitfull prayses I see what mischiefe they breede yet I feare not to beare you wytnes of your well doing the spirite of God hath planted humilitie more deepe in your brest then that pride and arrogancie can pul it out And in deede the better you are the more effectually you do see your own vnworthynes that all your righteousnes is as a defiled cloth and the more you approch vnto God the more you abhorre your selfe and know that in your flesh ther dwelleth no goodnes Abraham our father Iob Esay and many other â–ª men of excellent vertue in the syght of God they haue bene all astonished to see how their righteousnes hath bene scattered awaye as the cloudes of the heauens Paule cryeth out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me froÌ„ this body of death But because we haue an enemie that spareth not to display all our corruptions before our eyes to the ende hee myght make vs dispaire therefore we may be bold to the strengthening of our hope to set before vs againe the spirituall graces that woorke within vs to assure our selues that we be borne of god So our Sauiour Christ praysed many that beleued on hym so dyd hys Apostels so maye we And our heauenly father wyll ratefie and confirme our wordes when we speake the truth according to the measure of faith that euerye one hath receaued So S. Iohn byddeth vs all be bold and not be deceaued He that doth the thinges that are righteous him selfe is righteous and lyke vnto Christ in whom he is sanctified So may I say vnto you the grace of God hath wrought happely in you in these yeares and condition of lyfe that so vnfaynedly you haue sought the lord It can not be of your selfe who are not able so much as to think a good thought but it is of him whose seede abideth in you And although because you haue that treasure in a brittell vessell you see sometime the fruite of olde â—dam and the prickes of his transgression within your bowels yet feare not hys malice that hath wrought this wo. You are bought with dearer price then that syn may raygne againe within you and he that hath purchased you hee wyll not so suffer hys enheritaunce to bee spoyled It is necessary you should know your synne or you could not vnderstande how great were your redemption But your synnes cannot seperate you away from hym who hath buried them in the earth and wyll not see them anye more When you shall ascend to come into hys sight the earth wyll holde her own and keepe your synnes behynde you The pearcing Serpent shall not clyme to accuse you nor the crooked Serpent shall hyde your redemption from you Your care is cast vppon hym that careth for you you know hym who hath spoken All power is geuen vnto me in heauen and in earth You know hym who hath a name aboue all names that in the name of Iesus all knees shall bowe Euen hee hath bought you wyth a price and you are not your own If it be possible for you to perish then is it possible agayne that Christ shoulde suffer iniurie This boldnes you haue through hym who hath made manifest his grace vnto you that you denying impietie and worldly concupiscence should lyue soberlye purelye and godlye in this present lyfe and looke for the blessed hope that shal be reuealed when all secretes shall bee opened To whych issue and happye ende of lyfe the Lorde bryng both you and yours in the felowship of hys Sayntes to prayse hys holy name when he shal make vnto you hys glory vnspeakeable and crowne it wyth immortalitie AMEN Fare well in Christ Iesu and pray for me The. 26. of DeceÌ„ber 1572. Yours in the Lord to commaunde Ed. De. ⧠An exposition of a part
endured and the causes of his mighty cryinges But thys also dearelye beloued though it were exceding yet it was not all no it was but a taste of griefe in comparison of the rest Behold if you can his person here and see the residue and so you shal know the loue of god His griefe was exceding to see all vertue godlynes so troden vnderfeete and it was yet more infinite to beholde Satan to preuayle against man to his euerlasting condemnation No creature could euer beare such a perct image of a man of sorow But the height and depth of all miseries it was yet behinde the synne that he hated hee must take it vpon his owne body and beare the wrath of his Father that was poured out agaynst it This is the fulnes of all payne that compassed him round about whych no touÌ„g is able to vtter and no hart can conceaue This anger of hys father it burned in him euen vnto the botome of hel of the which anger the Prophet speaketh Who can stande before hys wrath or who can abide the fearcenes of his wrath His wrath is poured out lyke fyre and the rockes are broken before him When the Prophet was not able to conceaue the waight of his anger and his voyce cleaued vnto hys mouth when hee went about to vtter it the hardest of all creatures hee tooke for example that the hard rocke did cleaue asunder at the sound of his words And as is sayd in an other place suche a voyce as maketh the forlorne wildernes to tremble A voyce so ful of terrour in the eares and hartes of the wicked that the sunne shal be darkned at the sound of it the Moone shall not geue her lyght the Stars of the heauen shal fal away and the powers of heauen shall bee shaken No creature at all shal yeld his seruice vnto them the elementes of the world shall seeme to melt away This state of misery Christ entred into and soonke down deepe in this confusion and who can expresse his sorow Beyng full of goodnes he had the reward of euyl Full of obedience he was punished as wycked Ful of faith yet had the reward of a synner Inheritour of al thinges Lord of all yet nothing at all to do him duty The King of Kings and Lord of Lordes yet made an outcast and abiect of the people The ruler of all and God of glory yet compassed wyth shame and great confusion The author of lyfe yet wrapped in the chaines of eternall death The onelâ—â— begotten of his Father hys best beloued yet cast off as a straunger and chasticed as an enemy The brightnes of glorye the beutye of the hâ—ghest heauens yet crucified in dishonour and throwne downe into hel O picture of perfect wretchednes and image of miserie how iust cause found he to cry out alowde My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Hys whole body and nature like vnto vs altogether broken with the reward of syn his soule poured out into all calamitie the wrath of his father and condemnation resting vpon him How truly may we here say and confesse the article of our faith He descended into hell How liuely do we see it performed that the Prophet speaketh of The snares of death compassed me and the paynes of hel tooke hold vpon me I found trouble and sorow This was the compassion that hee had toward vs by which he suffred with our infirmities more then Aaron or all the Priestes of the lawe could possibly haue done for vs If we could possibly coÌ„sider dearly beloued as we shuld we wold gladly embrace him as the hie Priest for euer of the new testament when we shal be made of one fashion with hym thorow some measure of his afflictions to feele the waight of our own syns then we shall confesse what cause he had of complayning how dearely he hath bought the honour of the hye Priest Mediatour The Lord lighten the eyes of our mynde that with open countenance we may behold hym who for our sakes endured suche a death of the crosse We should not then neede many exhortations the remembraunce of the latter end would keepe vs safe from syn But let vs now see what the Apostle further teacheth vs whyle our sauiour Christ is in these great extremities what fruit of well doing he hath learned by it It followeth And although he were the Sonne yet learned he obedience by the thinges he suffered Loe dearely beloued this was no litle profit of al his troubles He learned therby how what it was to obey his father that when these thinges rested all vpon hym and yet he could say in meekenes of spirit Not my wyl my father but thy wyl be done â–ª he might haue great boldnes that his obedience was perfect The shame of the worlde the aâ—flictions of the flesh the vexations of the mynde the paynes of hell when these could make him vtter no other wordes but Father as thou wylt so leâ— it bee done what hope what faith did he surely build on that his obedience was precious in the sight of his father This example is our instruction We know then best howe we loue the Lorde when wee feele by experience what we wyl suffer for his sake It is an easy thing to be valiant before the combate or to dreame of a good courage before the hart be tried but indeede to bee vnshaken in the mydst of the tempest and to stand vpryght when the ground vnder thee doth tremble this is to know assuredlye thou art strong in deede and to say with boldnes thou shalt neuer bee moued This our Sauiour Christ might throughly glory of The heauen earth and elementes they were all his enemies his Father in whoÌ„ hee trusted shewed hym an angrye countenaunce He that fainteth not but crieth styl Thy wyll be done O Father he may be bold of his obedience there is no creature can make him falsifie his faith If this be the fruite of our afflictions the Apostle speaketh not without great occasioÌ„ Accompt it for an exceding ioy wheÌ„ ye fall into sundrye troubles For what can bee more ioyfull vnto the soule that is oppressed then to haue this in experience the neither heigth nor deapth shall remoue hym from the Lord. The glory of Abraham was exceding great wheÌ„ he had sealed it with practise that hee would forsake hys country and his kinred and his fathers house at the commauÌ„dement of God to go whether he wold shew him Then he knew by good proofe he was made worthy of Christ wheÌ„ hee could forsake Father Mother house land and all thinges to come vnto him The patience of Iob was not throughlye knowen tyll all hys goodes were spoyled and he left exceeding â—are in that case when hee spake so boldly Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shal I return againe the Lord hath geuen the Lord hath taken away as the
Lord wyll so is it done the name of the Lord bee praysed for euer Now might Iob be sure of the strong patience which should bryng forth hope that neuer should be confounded Our brethren before vs which so constantly haue holden the professioÌ„ of their faith that the flames of fire could not make it wauer they had a good witnes that their election was sure when they might speake by experience that neither life nor death could remoue them from the loue of god Thus the good grounde is knowen what it is when the heate cannot scortch it nor brears and thornes turne the good corne into weedes but through all stormes it wyl geue nourishment to the seede tyl it geue greater encrease to Gods honour and glory The best of vs all let vs thank God for this profitable experience for before it come vnto vs we know not how great the rebellion of the flesh wyl be The Apostels of Christ they bragged not a little that they would neuer forsake their Maister Christ he alone had the words of eternal life and they would not chauÌ„ge hym for an other They beleued hym they knewe hym to bee Christ the sonne of the lyuing God and ther was no other Sauiour But when they saw the swordes and staues the rulers offeÌ„ded the people in an vprore the crosse at hand their courage fell downe they forsooke hym all fled away Peter was not a litle stoute as hym selfe was perswaded hee would neuer forsake Christ though he should dye for hys name and for proofe of his courage he drewe hys sword and stroke so veÌ„terously that he had almost slayne one He seemed to be at a point fully resolued that he would not leaue his Maister tyl the sword should deuide them but alas thys boldnes was but a blast of wordes When there was no remedy but Christ must be had to Caiphas Peter began to faynt and to draw behinde When the peril was more encreased and they began to cry Crucifige Peter was more afraid and began to sweare he knewe hym not So great infirmitie is in mortall flesh experience is the greatest warrant to know what it can beare It is our bounden dutye and the Lord requireth it that we shoulde determine wyth our selues in all thinges to approue our selues the witnesses of his Gospel in pacience in afflictioÌ„s in necessities in stripes in tumultes in labours in watchinges in fastings in honour in dishonour in good report in shame in lyfe in death and our comfort is great when we bee perswaded of these thynges that we would contemne them But how violently the flesh wyll fight agaynst vs we can not well declare tyll we haue made the triall We therefore dearelye beloued whom it hath pleased God so keepe in heauines through many temptations we haue here a salue agaynst the woundes of sorow Our afflictions do teach vs how farre we can obey the lord If in al griefe of body I can say with patieÌ„ce I haue held my peace O Lord because thou hast done it then I know that in all sorowes of flesh I haue glorified God and my hart rejoyceth If my mynd be full of anguish and sorow so that al hope be faint within me if I can say yet vnto my soule I wyll wayte patientlye for the Lordes leasure then I knowe assuredlye God hath made me obedient and he wil heare my praier So that this experience hath bred in me the hope that shall neuer be confounded I may speake the wordes which the heauens shal seale vnto wyth everlastyng truth Neither fire nor swoord nor principalities nor powers shal remoue me from the loue where with God hath loued me A sure token of this saluation I haue found in myne afflictions When I traueiled in sorrowe both of bodye and mynde I founde the grace to say O Lord do thy wil. This is no smal cause why we shuld reioyce when God doth make vs worthy to feele the trial of our faith So dearelye beloued faynt not in your mourninges but endure paciently you know not the happynes of that which seemeth your miserye Let thys be the first cause why wee should be glad of temptations And to th end we may help our coÌ„mon infirmities let vs learne yet more why it is good for vs to be brought low A most notable commoditie the Apostle rehearseth where he writeth to the Romanes Those whoÌ„ God hath foré knowen hee hath also predestinate to be made lyke vnto the image of his sonne Loe my deare brethren theese are the healthfull couÌ„sels of the Lord toward vs that we should bee made lyke vnto hys sonne Christ in manye afflictions that at the last we might be also like him in eternal glory These are the ritches of Gods vnsearchable wisedome Death once raigned through sâ—n and he hath found a way to rise from it againe into greater glory This victorye because it was to great for Saint or Angel to obtain he hath apointed it to be the worke of his onely begotten Sonne who hath made it perfect in a most excellent conquest He hath taken vpon hym our nature to make it strong in his owne person hee hath filled it with the fulnes of miseries wyth al sorowes of flesh with all anguish of minde with persecutioÌ„ with death with synne with hel with condemnation from al these by the mightye power of his Godhead he is rysen againe in our fleshe ascended vp into glory and sytteth on the ryght hand of Maiestie and of power being a mighty Sauiour vnto euerye one that shal follow hym So that this is our glory in al afflictioÌ„s we are fashioned by them into the similitude of Christ we are made lyke vnto him So it pleased God when he would bring many children into glorye to consecrate the Prince of their saluation through afflictions and to make both him that sanctifieth and those that are sanctified all of one that they that suffer wyth hym should also raygne with him they that dye with hym should also lyue with him So we wheÌ„ we feele many troubles to rest vpon vs we may say now we are lyke vnto Christ especially wheÌ„ we feele that greatest trouble fullest of bitter sorow that is the mynde oppressed it maketh vs especiallye lyke vnto hym that wee may say with Paule Now we supply in our flesh the remnant of the afflictions of Christ. Let me looke into the whole course of my life and what soeuer pleaseth me best health honour ritches fauour authority frendship wife children in all these thynges I cannot yet behold the liuely image of christ Affliction and trouble a minde broken with remembraunce of synne a troubled spirite these are the beginninges of great reioycinges wyth the horrours of death and a constience burdened wyth the wrath of god Here light shineth out of darknes and hope out of dispaire As I thincke my selfe furthest of from the Lord so in deede I am nearest vnto him And when I thinke