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
299. our comfort thereby 299 Christs body a Tabernacle so is ours 310 311. Christ is the sole Mediatour 361. so long as Christ appeares in heaven for us our sinnes cannot appeare 369. Christs second comming notably described 376. Christs flesh called a vaile why 404. Christ more manifest to us than to those of old with the use of it 534 535 Christ his death a cruell death in three respects 541. hee suffered foure kinde of wayes ibid. None so spoken against as he 543 Christians All Christian souldiers especially Christian Ministers 6 7. Reasons why one Christian should be deare to another 28. how and wherein wee are Christs fellowes 67 wee are called Christians of Christ. 68. a Christians dignity 92 93. they should not feare death 95. they are the house of God 121 122. their dignitie 138 139. their dutie ibid. Christians must be simple not subtill 30â— cunning cruell Christians are like dogges that will bite before they barke 30â— they must be undefiled 302 303. as soone as we become Christians we must looke for afflictions 428. Christians must not be cowards 430 Church how a house or household may be called a Church 7.8.119 All true Churches agree in substance of Religion though not in ceremonie 328. the Arke a lively representation of the Church 334. the Churches protectors and protection how shaddowed out 335. the uses of it 335 336. the Church is Gods house 406. the Ministers are in some sort over it ibid. Vniversalitie no necessary note of the Church 451 452. the Church is compared to a mountaine 572. to a city 573. the Churches universality dignity and stabilily well handled 579 580 c. City the Church compared to a citie 573. Heaven is a city which how we have already see 574 Cloud Its properties applied to the faithfull 536 Comming Christs second comming notably described 376. the joy conceived by Christs comming 390 the differences of Christs commings ibid. the comming of Christs day is fearefull to the sinfull joyfull to the Saints 419 Compasse there are two compassers 539 Condemnation many things condemne a man 452 Conscience It is the soules register to keepe a note of all our sinnes 344. what can secure our consciences ibid. no outward thing can purge the conscience 345. the sting of conscience is grievous 356. there is a conscience in every man what it doth with its divers kindes 385 386. Ministers ought to have a good conscience 635 what a good consciencâ— is 635 636. divers definitions of the word 636. Wherein a Minister should examine his conscience 637. a good life is the meate of the conscience 644 Consideration the greatnesse of the word 116. it must goe before provocation 411 Constancie Christians must be constant 622 675. Foure impediments to constancie 677 678 Covetousnesse all a mans doings smell something of it 915 reasons against it 616 remedies against it ibid. a covetous man is never contented 7â—4 Countrey how sweete a mans owne country is to him 455 Abrahams forsaking it was a great triall ibid. we must not forsake it without a calling ibid 456. the world is not the Saints countrey 469 Creatures All Creatures are servants to Gods children 510 Cow a red cow in the sacrifice what it signifieth 354 a tipe of Christ. 355 D. DAy how the word to Day is taken 127. Festivall dayes warrantable 333 Dead Dead things and dead workes compared 357 Death good Christians should not feare death 95. there are three that have the power of death 1. God 2. Man 3. the Devill 108 Death is a Serpent without a sting 110. Death common to all men 372. 37â— the use of it ibi why the godly should die seeing Christ died for them 373. death is a bitter cuppe but sugared by Christ 374. two benefits come by death 374. after death comes judgement 375. an instance of sudden death 377. they are oft deepest in Gods bookes that are soonest taken away an instance of it 443. Death cannot hurt the godly it rather benefitteth them 4.65 yet the thought of it is bitter to some 469 happy they are that die in the faith 466 a patterne of our behaviour in death 486 487. Death a pretty story against the feare of death 574 Debts they are to be paid before we be too forward in the charges of sacrificing 37. there is little quiet in the honest debter ibid. wee must be marvellous carefull how wee come in debt for others ibid. what debt wee owe to our Ministers 38 Deceive Deceivers there are many 137. sinne deceiveth us many wayes ibid. Deliverance what it is and whom Christ delivereth 109. God doth deliver three wayes 434 Desperation we must beware of it 517 518 Despise Christ is despised two wayes 590 Devill why God suffers the devill to walke up and downe like a Lyon 109 Diligence wee cannot goe to heaven without diligence 231. to diligence we must adde perseverance 232 Diotrephes his name interpreted with the use of giving of names 997 998 Doctrine we must not looke for any mint of new doctrine 55 Doubt Christians must keepe a meane betweene doubting of their salvation and presuming 139 Draw Draw neere the vertues whereby we must draw neere to God 381. what this drawing neere is and how we must doe it 407. Christians must be no with-drawers except it be from the wicked 435 Drunkennesse it pulls on fornication 565 Dulnesse the causes of Dulnesse in hearing 203 E EArth man compared to earth 220 Education wherein childrens Education doth consist 668 Elect Election God hath his chosen among all 25 Enoch of his person and translation to heaven with many cirstances thereof 441 44â— c. Esau his Acts especially that of selling his 〈◊〉 right 564. his punishment 566 Erre Errours how Israel Erred 131 Evidence Faith is our Evidence and we must make much of it 431 Evill it is soone imitated 706 what we must doe that are compassed about with Evill men ibid. c. Examples they are more avayleable than precepts 17. we must make use of the Examples of old 134. if good then to be followed 179. Patternes how prevailent 233. wee must follow our Patterne in goodnesse 314. even in all good ibid. three Reasons of the prevailencie of Examples 536 537 Excommunication its definition 705. to be excommunicated is a fearefull condition ibid. Exhort we should mutually Exhort one another 136. Exhor if it be timely taken it will awaken us out of sinne 136 F FAlling whether every falling away be a sin against the Holy Ghost 215 216. the conditions of that falling away 216 Fame of both good and bad with their feete and wings 134. it is compared to a Shippe receiving all passengers 688 Father our Fathers must not bee a Rule for us alwayes to follow 127. foure speciall duties wee owe to our spirituall Fathers 629 630 Faith it is its property to apply God to our selves 11. A justifying Faith cannot be without love 15. unto Faith must bee annexed Hope 122. we must
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
deviation from the Lawe of God shall wee therefore sinne The proper fruit of sinne is death yea death everlasting It is by accident through Gods mercie if any good come of it therefore let it be carefully abandoned by us all He does not say perhaps he therefore ranne away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 usus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he uses a word of better report he departed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was separated from thee by the permissive hand of Gods providence After that men have repented of their sinnes we must not aggravaâ—e but in some measure extenuate them Not Noah's drunkennesse but Noah's unadvised drinking Not David's adultery with Vriah's wife but the matter of Vriah Not Peter's apostasie but Peter's deniall Not Onesimus running away but departing Before they be humbled we must be as Trumpeters to waken them out of their sinnes Lift up thy voice as a trumpet After that we must be as Nurses to cherish them before Corazives after lenitives before wee must come with the Law as a Schoolemaster to whip them after with the Gospell to comfort them before we must be Bonerges the sonnes of thunder after Barnabasses the sonnes of consolation But for how long did he depart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for an houre It is the last houre Our whole life is but an houre in respect of eternity The whole race of our life is but the running of an houre-glasse and a short houre-glasse too a spanne long There was a woman that had an issue of bloud twelve yeeres an other that was bowed by Satan eighteene yeeres a man diseased in his feete 38. yeares all in comparison of eternity was but an houre Endure with cheerfulnesse an houres paine here that thou mayest have eternall joy hereafter Having made a narration of Gods providence in his flight hee makes an application of it to Philemon 1. Shewing the end of it to be that he might receive him with advantage 2. Declaring the manner how hee should receive him Verse 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. à fugâ from his flight 2. à me from me 3. à Deo from GOD. In all these respects let him bee welcome unto thee But for how long not for a season as before but for ever Some interpret it for ever .i. to serve thee for ever so long as yee both shall live alluding to that place If the servant say thus I love my Master I will not goe out free then his Master shall bring him to the Iudges set him to the post bore his eare through with an awle and hee shall serve him for ever .i. to the yeere of Iubilee So that hee should serve Philemon for ever .i. during life that is not sutable to the place 1. The opposition requires it should be taken for eternity He departed for a while but thou shalt receive him for ever 2. In the Greeke it is an Adjective not an Adverbe that thou shouldest receive him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eternall not onely for a time in this world but also to reigne eternally with CHRIST together with thy selfe and the rest of his Saints being now engraffed into CHRIST by faith as thou art This implyes the resurrection of the body for if Onesimus should not rise againe he could not bee eternall Idoneus est reficere qui fecit hee that made the body of nothing can remake it when it is consumed to nothing The faithfull are omnipotentes in CHRISTO omnipotent in CHRIST I can doe all things by IESUS CHRIST that strengtheneth mee that is Luther's collection and they bee aeterni in CHRISTO eternall in CHRIST In CHRIST wee shall all be made alive againe meet him in the ayre be translated with him into the Kingdome of glory and abide with him for ever The wicked are eternall too they in endlesse torments the godly in endlesse joyes which neither eye hath seene nor eare heard nor can enter into the heart of man VERSE 16. BVt how is he to receive him not now because an alteration is made in him now as a Servant He doth not speak it in contempt of servants Dominus servus diversa nomina sed homines homines paria sunt nomina Master and servant are diverse names but men and men are equall names Thou art a man a weake man a sinfull man as well as thy servant therefore despise not thy servant One may goe to heaven as well out of the degree of a servant as of a master Let none of you suffer as a thiefe there the name of thiefe is a contemptible name so is not the name of a servant here when as he sayes not as a servant non ut servum tantùm not as a servant only Ioseph esteemed Mary not as a Wife but as a woman greatly honoured by God to bee the mother of him that was both GOD and man yet he esteemed her as his Wife So here What then but above a servant Why a brother and a brother is more than a servant We are all brethren maximè cùm fides accedit media qua omnem superbiam amputat especially when faith conjoynes us together which is as a knife to cut off all pride In CHRIST there is neither bond nor free but we are all one in CHRIST IESUS The Father and the Sonne are brethren the Minister and the people are brethren if they believe in Christ. So also the Master and the servant are brethren we have one Father which is God one mother the Catholike Church one elder brother which is IESUS CHRIST one inheritance the kingdom of heaven we are all brethren and godly servants are to be used by their masters as brethren Before Paul called Onesimus his Sonne Verse 10. Now his brother in the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the one is manifested his naturall affection in the other his benevolence and equality What brother a beloved brother beloved of all good Christians but especially of Saint Paul who was his Father as well as his brother upon that he inferres he should bee more beloved of PHILEMON because he is tyed to him with two bonds to St. Paul but with one The one in the flesh the other in the LORD Grace alone knit him to Saint Paul grace and nature too to Philemon By the flesh is meant Carnall affinitie by the LORD spirituall Onesimus was Saint Pauls only in the Spirit he is PHILEMONS in the spirit and in the flesh too they be neere to us in the flesh that be neere in carnall and outward considerations as man and wife brethren kins-folke countrey men Townsmen of one house or one familie Laban said to Iacob thou art my bone and my flesh the fire warmes them most that be neerest to it GOD is more beneficiall to the good Angels then to men because they be neerer to him then men in nature spirits as he is in quality
he painted out Christ in lively colours sundry kinde of wayes this we are sure of he was a Physitian and greatly beloved too Luke the beloved Physitian saluteth you a Physitian for the body and the soule too which is more than ordinary Eusebius makes mention of one Theodotus a Bishop that was both Medicus Theologus a Physitian and a Divine too Paul sayes of one of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is sufficient for Divinity alone he must needs be a rare man that is sufficient for both These be they that send commendations to him whom he dignifies with this Title my Fellow-labourers or Fellow-workemen Some in the calling of Christianity some in the calling of the Ministry too Both are workes both are labours Nomen Christiani est nomen operis sayes S. Augustine and S. Paul sayes he that desires the office of a Bishop desires a worthy worke Here a common place of salutations doth not only salute us but inviteth us unto it In Greeke saluting is a kinde of imbracing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because whom we salute we embrace with the armes of love or at the least pretend it In Latine Salutare est salutem optare to salute is to wish health and prosperity to the parties whom we salute The Anabaptists are not onely unchristian but uncivill also to condemne salutations Indeed Elisha willed his man that if he met with any he should not salute him and CHRIST charges his Disciples to salute none by the way Those were in matters of extraordinary importance which required great expedition otherwise we may and ought to salute Angels salute The Lord is with thee thou valiant man sayes hee to Gideon hayle Mary freely beloved sayes Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin CHRIST would not have his Apostles to be so unmannerly to goe into an house and not to salute it he himselfe salutes after his resurrection peace be unto you Saul went forth to meet Samuel and saluted him Though Nabal was a churle and a foole too yet David would not deale so foolishly with him as not to salute him Thus shall you say for salutation There is a sweet eccho of salutations betweene Boaz and his reapers the Lord be with you sayes he the Lord blesse thee say they David saluted his souldiers The greatest thinke no scorne to salute the meanest I but whom must we salute All. We must love all pray for all even for our very enemies Now saluting is nothing else save an intimation of love a kind of praying and well wishing therefore we must salute all I but Saint Iohn gives us other counsell If any come to you and bring not this doctrine receive him not to house neither bid him God speed We must not vouchsafe him a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must distinguish betweene gods enemies and our owne if they be notorious open professed adversaries to CHRIST as those were we ought not to afford them a kind salutation nay if an Angell from heaven should preach any other doctrine we should hold him accursed But if they be secret adversaries and unknowne it is not impiety to salute them Some are so rigid that they will not salute a stranger because they know not whereabout he goes 1. It is repugnant to charity Love thinketh not evill it believeth all things It is greater charity in things doubtfull to believe the best then the worst 2. As Aristotle being reproved for giving an almes to a wicked man answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I had compassion of the man not of his manners so wee salute the man not his life we bid the man God speed not his actions But how are we to salute 1. For the externall manner by word of mouth or by writing Saint Paul omits salutations in never a one of his Epistles but in Rom. 16. he is most plentifull in them So is Ignatius Commendations are requisite in our letters if they bee not made commendations matters of course not greatly regarded 2. For the internall manner we must salute sincerely not hypocritically it must bee Saint Paul's haile not Iudas his haile Greete one another with an holy kisse They must be holy not unholy greetings The end of salutations is the preservation of love which by all good meanes had need to bee maintained by Christians and a demonstration of the respect we have one of another VERSE 25. THe last branch of the conclusion is a Valediction or farewell hee takes his leave with a short yet a sweet prayer where 1. There is the substance of it then the sealing of it In the substance 1. Res optata the thing wished or prayed for which is grace love mercy favour Grace must be Alpha and Omega the beginning and ending of every worke Saint Paul began with it and he ends with it 2. Cujus sit gratia whose grace it is of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath brought us into grace and love with God who before were his enemies and out of grace which hath graciously redeemed us from sinne death hell and damnation and hath opened to us the doores of the kingdome of heaven 3. Cui optatur to whom it is wished not to Philemon alone but to all that were with him Be with your spirit Man consists of two parts a soule and a body here by a Synecdoche melior pars pro toto the better part is put for the whole be with your spirit .i. with you The grace of CHRIST is to be preferred before the grace of all earthly Kings and Princes 1. Their grace is mutable to day in grace to morrow out of grace As Haman was with Ahasucrus and Belisarius with Iustinian CHRIST is not mutable 2. They dye CHRIST lives for ever CHRIST lives for ever the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with us all Then he seales his prayer with Amen Nec Graecum est nec Latinum sayes Aug. it is neither a Greek word nor a Latine but an Hebrew word mansit non interpretatum and by the providence of God remaines in all tongues uninterpreted ne vilesceret nudatum least haply being unfolded it should bee lesse esteemed as Hallelujah Hosanna c. It is particula confirmantis a particle of confirmation as Saint Ambrose well observeth So be it So be it The Lord grant it may be so It must in a fervent zeale be the shutting up of all our prayers It is doubled by the people when Ezra praysed the Lord the great God all the people answered Amen Amen with lifting up their hands and no doubt their heart too As the Church sayes we will lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens If the hand be lifted up without the heart it is an hypocriticall Amen and unacceptable unto God The end of this Commentary A COMMENTARY VPON THE EPISTLE OF St PAUL to the Hebrews FIRST the inscription of the
though we be never so rich have never so many bags of gold and silver lye on beds of downe have never so many friends and Physitions about us yet if the worme of conscience lye gnawing on us for our sins our murders adulteries drunkennesse c. That we have no hope that Christ died for them in what miserable case are we The Hypocrite would give 1000. Rams 10000. Rivers of Oile the fruit of his body for his soule as a man that is dangerously sick would give any thing for health so a man that is oppressed with the burthen of his sins would give any thing that they were removed Now CHRIST IESUS alone hath purged us from our sins Apply this purgation to thy selfe by the hand of a true and a lively faith and then thou art a happy man if CHRIST had not purged us from sin we had fried in hell for ever Therefore let us magnifie the Lambe that was killed for us and give prayses to him for ever Worthy is the Lambe who hath purged us from our sinnes to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing Againe hath Christ purged us from our sinnes and shall we tumble in them Hath the Physitian purged thy body and made thee whole and wilt thou by ill diet make thy selfe sick Christ the heavenly Physitian hath purged us from sin that made us sick to death and shall we run into sin againe O that men would effectually consider of this great benefit the purging of our sins by Christ Who hath purged us not an Angell but the Son of God with what hath He purged us not with the bloud of Martyrs but with His owne bloud to what end hath He purged us not that like swine we should still wallow in the myre of our sinnes but that we should be an holy Nation a royall Priest-hood a peculiar people to Himselfe zealous of good workes Therefore as CHRIST hath purged us from our sins so let us hurle away our sins and have nothing to doe with them least we crucifie againe the Lord of life That proverb is knowne to us all the Hogge to the myre a Hogge is washed cleane and faire he runs into the myre againe what a filthy sight is that So it is for one whom Christ hath purged from sin to returne to them againe a Dogge to his vomit Who can abide to see a Dogge take up that which he hath cast out of his belly and a loathsome sight it is to see men daily yea hourely to take up the Vomit of their old sins againe How hath Christ purged us from sin when as sin still remaineth in us all If we say we have no sin we deceave our selvs c. The answer is easie there is in sin materia forma the matter still remaines to exercise us withall but the guilt that is the forme of sin which gave an esse to it that is taken away by Christ. In so much as we may say death where is thy sting hell where is thy victory the strength of death is sin but thankes be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. The sixth and last Argument to prove the deity of Christ is taken from His exaltation which is fitly inferred upon the former humiliation He that sitteth on the right hand of the Majesty on high is GOD but CHRIST sitteth on the right hand of the Majesty on high Ergo. He doth not say standeth that belongs to Servants and inferiors but he sitteth Kings Senatours Iudges sit when they heare causes He sits not at the commandement or appointment of another but of Himselfe He knowes His place and takes it not at the left hand but which is higher at the right hand His fathers equall Regia majestas the Kings Majesty is more magnificent then to say the King Prov. 25.27 Scrutator majestatis opprimetur à gloria Heb. 8.1 We have such an High Priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens Christ could not purge our sinnes but by dying He was faine to shed His bloud and to dye for us yet He rose againe ascended into Heaven and fitteth on the right hand of the Majesty on high Out of this we have two notable comforts 1 If Christ sitteth above in the highest places then he beholdeth all things here below A man that is upon the top of some high Tower may see farre and Christ being in the high Steeple and Tower of Heaven can see all things on the earth He that is upon the top of an high Tower may see men but he cannot discerne who they bee Christ sees them and discernes them too If the wicked bee laying of plots and snares against His Children Christ being in Heaven sees them and in due time will overthrow them and He that sitteth in Heaven laugheth them to scorne This is a singular comfort that our Head King and defender is in Heaven and hath equall Power Glory and Majesty with God If thou hast a friend in the Court that sits daily by the King and is in favour with him wilt thou care for any in England we have a friend that siteth on the right hand of God and hath all power in Heaven and earth therefore let us feare nothing he will keepe us none shall doe us any harme but it shall all turne to our good in the end 2 As Christ sitteth in the heavens so we shall one day sit there with Him Many shall come from the East and from the West and from the North and from the South and shall sit downe in the Kingdome of God Yee shall sit on the twelve Seates and Iudge the twelve Tribes of Israel Which is not spoken of all the Apostles for Iudas never sate there nor yet of the Apostles onely but of all Christians Know yee not that wee shall judge the World wee shall one day sit in Heavenly places with Christ wee sit there already in our head but we shall likewise sit there in our owne persons with our head Let this comfort us against all the calamities of this life here the children of God are oftentimes made the wickeds footstooles they sit on them and tread on them no reckoning is made of a godly man A rich man that is a common drunkard and whore-master shall be more esteemed of by many then a godly poore man Here they sit as forlorne persons none regards them Many times they sit weeping and wayling for their sinnes for their children for crosses in goods in bodies in good name the wicked deriding them jesting at them making songs of them in the Ale-houses but let this comfort us against them all how contemptible soever we sit here wee shall sit with CHRIST IESUS though not in that degree of glory yet in the same kingdome of glory with him for ever VERSE 4. THe Iewes in generall were bitter enemies to Christ
them they were not personally united to them as ours are Otherwise there is no great difference no not betweene the Angels and us How are wee to magnifie God that hath so highly exalted man The consideration hereof should cause us to lead a life in some acceptable measure worthy of that honour whereunto we be advanced We are not much inferiour to the Angels yet a number of our lives are as ill nay worse than bruit beasts The Oxe knowes his owner the Asse his masters crib but wee will not know love and feare that God which feedeth us A Dogge will love his Master that makes much of him wee will not love no not those that deserve well at our hands A Dove will keepe her selfe to her owne mate many of us will not keepe our selves to our owne Wives bring an horse to the water to the sweetest water in the world he will drinke no more than will doe him good we are excessive and more than brutish in drinking all places ring of this sinne this beastly sinne of drunkennesse what a vile thing is this How doe wee forget our selves Hath GOD made us but a little inferiour to the Angels and shall we live like bruit beasts and give over our selves to all uncleannesse How doe we disgrace that worthy estate whereunto God hath advanced us As we draw neere to the Angels any kinde of wayes so let us so farre as is possible lead an angelicall life with the Angels in this world that we may remaine with them in the world to come Thou crownedst him He shewes wherein our excellency doth consist he hath made him a King and set a Crowne on his head With many glorious gifts that are a wonderfull honour to man both externall and internall especially with the knowledge of CHRIST wherein consists eternall life One part of that glory is that he hath a Soveraigntie and dominion over all creatures which was given him at the creation Genesis 1. renewed and ratified by GODS seale after the floud Genesis 9. enlarged no doubt to the faithfull by CHRIST 1 Cor. 3.21 VERSE 8. VNder his feete This agreeth to all men in generall to the faithfull in speciall whom God hath made Kings and Lords over all his creatures by CHRIST But principally it is to be understood of our SAVIOUR CHRIST who is the chiefe Lord of the world the King and mediatour of the Church he hath all power in heaven and earth All things yea even the Devils themselves are put in subjection under his feete God hath given him a name above every name that at the name of IESUS every knee should bow Phil. 2.9 We also by him because wee are members of his body and his brethren we have an interest to all creatures all things throughout the wide world are ours The heaven the earth the birds the beasts the fishes the trees the flowers are ours Death is ours the very Devill himselfe is our slave and subject God hath put him under our feet 1. Here we may behold the dignity of Christians all things by IESUS CHRIST are under our dominion O what a bountifull GOD is this that hath given us so large a possession Let us sound forth his praises for it and use his liberalitie to his glory As God said to Peter arise kill and eate when the sheete full of all kinde of creatures was let downe to him from heaven so doth hee say to us all we may freely eate of all creatures whatsoever but let us not abuse GODS creatures to his dishonour and our destruction Let us use them soberly religiously to make us more cheerefull in the service of our God 2 Let us not stand in a slavish feare of any creature of the stars the windes no not of the Devils themselves for all are put in subjection under our feet by Iesus Christ that loved us and hath given us a superiority over all we shall be conquerers over them all a singular comfort to the faithfull Satan may tempt and assault us but God will tread him under our feet 3 For this dominion let us thanke the Lord Iesus Christ. Of our selves we are worth nothing starke beggars in CHRIST and by CHRIST we have all that we have Let us magnifie him for it Then he concludeth from the generall to the speciall If all things be subject to him then nothing is exempted from his Dominion no not the Angels themselves To the former the adversaries againe replied thou talkest of a glorious Empire Rule and Dominion whereunto Christ is advanced but it is an imaginary conquest for we see not all things subdued to him The Kings and Princes of the earth cast away his yoke and submit not themselves to the Scepter of his Word Satan and his instruments rebell against him sin and death still play the tyrants and are not subdued to him VERSE 9. TO that he answers 1. Though we see it not yet all things may be subject to him we see not God yet there is a God we see not our owne soule yet we have a soule Here it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is a difference betweene videre and cernere wee doe discerne so as it cannot be denied a man may see a thing and yet not discerne it 2 He answers it by a distinction of submission or subjection The one is externall conspicuous to the eye of the world the other internall seene by the eye of faith Christ's kingdome is not of this world it is not temporall but spirituall all things are subdued to him though he suffer his enemies for the triall and exercise of his children to tyrannize over them for a time A Beareheard may have a Beare under his rule and authority though he suffer him now and then to range abroad so hath Christ the Devill Yet we see Iesus that was made a little lower than the Angels through the suffering of death to be crowned with glory and honor These words Through the suffering of death may be referred to that which goes before or followes after after he had suffered death he was crowned with glory as Phil. 2.9 But rather refer them to the former he was made a little lower than the Angels through suffering of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little while refer it to the time that is during his death passion continuance in the grave 3. dayes and 3. nights all this while he was inferior to the Angels not at the time he lived upon the earth for Mat. 4.11 The Angels Ministred to him as servants to their Lord. But in his Passion and Death the Deity withdrew his power and the humanity was left alone then he was lower than the Angels the Angels are immortall and dye not Christ was mortall and died in that respect he was inferior to them But he was afterwards exalted to all glory and dignity placed at the right hand of God and so superior to the Angels We that are the faithfull see him
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.
take a blow in defence of his Childe and doe ye think that Christ Iesus our spirituall Father will not defend us A Hen hides her Chickens under her wings against the Kite and Christ will shrowd us under the wings of his power and providence against Satan and all enemies 3 What Father will see his childe want being a man of ability CHRIST that is the LORD of all the world The Earth is his and the fulnesse thereof will not suffer us that be his children to want the thing that is good Because Wine is hurtfull for young children it inflames their bloud which is hot of it selfe a wise Father will not give his childe Wine yet he loves him well enough so because GOD our heavenly Father oftentimes sees wealth honour ease to bee hurtfull for his children to drowne them in the pit of perdition he keepes them away from them but let us assure our selves of this he will deny us that be his children nothing that is good for the salvation of our soules As we are the children of CHRIST so let us walke worthy of such a Father You are of your Father the Divell sayes Christ to the Pharisees for the workes of your Father ye will doe A fearefull thing to call CHRIST Father and to doe as the Devill bids us A childe must doe the commandement of his Father and if we be CHRIST's children we must doe as he will have us CHRIST would not have us sweare therefore let us not rend Gods name in peeces by swearing Christ would have us to be sober and temperate in the use of his creatures therefore let gluttony and drunkennesse be avoided by us let us shew our selves to be the dutifull children of Christ in this life that we may have the inheritance prepared for children in the life to come VERSE 14. 1 A Description of CHRISTS incarnation 2. An application of it Verse 17. In the description 1. The equity of it 2. The ends of it 3. An exaggeration of it by a comparison Verse 16. The ends are two 1. The overthrow of the Devill 2. Our deliverance out of the hands of the Devill Verse 15. In the comparison 1. The nature refused 2. The nature assumed verse 16. In the application 1. A repetition of the incarnation 2. An illustration of it by the ends thereof 1. That he might be a faithfull high Priest in making our reconciliation 2. A mercifull high Priest in succouring us in our temptations He inferreth upon the two testimonies going before in the 12. and 13. Verses a plaine conclusion of Christs humanity and makes it open to all the world Hee concludeth it à pari They that were to bee redeemed by him were men therefore he also would be a man This is amplified by the end and by a comparison Our humane nature is here described by the matter and the substance whereof it consisteth By flesh and bloud sometimes is signified the corrupt nature of man 1 Cor. 15.50 Flesh and bloud defiled with sinne subject to mortality and corruption cannot inherit heaven Sometimes it is taken for the substance of mans nature as here and Matth. 16.17 Gal. 1.16 The children did all communicate of flesh and bloud it was the common condition of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even as they did as milke is like milke That hee might be their neighbour and kinsman our Immanuel he participated of flesh and bloud too He tooke part of it .i. The substance but not the vicious qualities hee knew no sinne A spirit hath not flesh and bone as yee see mee have He was the fruit of his mothers wombe made of a woman hee names that part of our nature which is visible the other also being included namely the soule which quickned this flesh and bloud But here is the difference 1. Wee take flesh of both our Parents hee but of one Filius hominis is here of the feminine gender 2. Our flesh is polluted with sinne so is not his 3. We are meere men he both God and man 4. Our mothers ceased to be Virgins when they brought forth us his was a maide and a mother too Here we have a lively description of man he is but flesh and bloud which is weake fraile and subject to many miseries A knife may easily cut it the heate scorch it the cold benumme it it is subject to thirst hunger faintnesse wearinesse c. All flesh is as grasse With them is an arme of flesh with us is God We are not steele yron brasse but flesh and bloud A wise Salomon a strong Samson a beautifull Absalom Bathshebah a learned Paul that spake tongues more than all a Lord a Lady are but flesh and bloud dust and must returne to dust the consideration whereof should humble us all The fowles of the ayre the beasts of the field are flesh and bloud too yea theirs excells ours 1. Their flesh and bloud is clothed at their first entrance ours naked 2. Their 's well fenced ours soone pierced 3. More profit may bee made of their flesh when they dye they will sell for something so not ours 4. As sound as a fish they are free from diseases Sicknesses grow in ours and GOD makes our's meate for Wormes Let this appellation then pull downe our Peacocks feathers and make us walke humbly before our God But as CHRIST did participate of our flesh and bloud So shall we of his he shall change our vile bodies that they may bee fashioned according to his glorious body Phil. 3.21 Now hee proceeds to the ends of Christs incarnation 1. The overthrow of the Devill 2. Our deliverance out of his clawes 1. He describes him 2. He names him The cause why CHRIST tooke our humane nature upon him was that being compassed with flesh and bloud he might â—ye and so conquer the Devill and deliver men out of his clawes If he had not beene man he could not have dyed and then we had not beene delivered The meanes for the vanquishing of the Devill sinne and death was his owne death As the brazen Serpent was lifted up and by looking on it the Israelites were delivered from the fierie Serpents So Christ was lifted on the crosse and we are saved by looking on him with the eye of faith The death of this immaculate Lambe was the overthrow of the Devill and of death too which Hosea in the spirit of prophesie foretold and was afterwards accordingly verefied Hos. 13.14 1 Cor. 15.54 As Sampson by his owne death vanquished the Philistims Iud. 16.30 So CHRIST by his death overcame death and destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devill and that with his owne sword He doth not say that he might weaken the Devill diminish his force or give him a wound but destroy him So that he hath nothing against us Ioh. 12.31 Not death alone but the Devill too the LORD of death The Devill by carrying men into sinne had power also to carry them into
death the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6.23 First hee entises men to sin and then he hath power and autoritie from God to give them the wages they have deserved that is death thus he has the power of death as a thiefe and murderer Not to hold us in suspence he names him the Devill who compasses the earth to and fro ranging up and downe like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devoure 1 Pet. 5.8 There be three that have the power of death God Man and the Devill 1. GOD He strikes men dead and that suddenly he rayses up from the dead as Hannah speakes in her song The Lord killeth and maketh alive he bringeth downe to the grave and raiseth up 1 Sam. 2.6 hee hath supremam potestatem Gods power is immediate absolute and unlimited 2. Man a King or a Iudge hath the power of death As Pilate said to our Saviour Iohn 19.10 Knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee and have power to release thee True man hath a delegatam potestatem 3. The Devill hath power that is rule and empyre sed consequutam potestatem tanquam carnifex he may not kill us at his owne will and pleasure no more than the hangman may execute a malefactor at his will but according to the appointment of the Iudge VERSE 15. NOw he comes to the second end of Christs incarnation and death that hee might deliver us from the divels hands non liberaretur humanum genus nisi sermo Dei factus esset humanus August Deliver them set them free quaking at the cogitation of death in regard of eternall damnation which it brought with it for their innumerable sinnes whereof their owne consciences accused them Deliverance is a comfortable thing most welcome unto all Galley-slaves and Prisoners are glad to heare of their deliverance Not some but all so many as imbrace his deliverance Not onely those which were bound but subject to bondage that had willingly subjected themselves to the Devill which had bound themselves apprentises to him Rom. 6.16 The Indentures were made betweene them and the devill we will serve thee thou shalt be our Master this was our estate Why were we subject to him what kept us in subjection the feare of death all our life time they were subject to bondage that is to the stroake of death which they expected every moment The devill threatned death to us all our life time every houre being sinners we might looke for death every moment not onely for a temporall death but for an eternall in hell-fire Death is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we quaked at the mention of death this kept us in bondage to the devill A miserable condition but Christ hath delivered us out of it he hath taken away the feare of death that made us to shake the fetter wherewith the Devill kept us bound Now death is but a sleepe a passage to a better life yea it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Basil speakes Thus he hath rescued us out of the divels clawes and made us free Iohn 8.36 The devill sin and death are left still ad agonem to exercise us withall as Antagonists to wrastle withall but the victory through Christ is ours We sin we dye and the devill like a roaring Lion walkes up and downe seeking how to devoure us but none of these shall be able to prevaile over us Sinne though it remaines yet it doth not reigne in us 2. The guilt and the punishment of it is taken away so that it shall not condemne us Rom. 8.1 The sting of death is gone O death where is thy sting Cogitur non abesse sed non obesse hence the servants of God have wished for it Phil. 1.23 I desire to be dissolved c. Neither can it separate us from the love of God in Christ Iesus The malice of Satan that shall turne to our good GOD may suffer him to tempt and assault us he walkes up and downe like a roaring Lion 1. That wee should not be secure 2. To stir us up to pray but 1. we are no longer in his jurisdiction 2. we shall be conquerors over him God will tread him under our feet Rom. 16.20 and will give us an issue with the temptation 1 Cor. 10.13 Satan may plot against us 1 Thes. 2.18 Luke 22.31 but God will confound him he may make us sin but he cannot make us continue in sin Sin the Divell and Death are three of the mightiest enemies that we have all these are destroyed by Christ for us therefore let us be thankefull to Christ that hath wrought for us so great and gracious a deliverance Let us not stand in an immoderate feare of death Death is a Serpent without a sting Though he gripe us yet he cannot hurt us Damocles the Parasite extolled the magnificence of Dyonisius affirming that there was not an happier man in the world than he wilt thou have a taste of my happinesse I he caused him to be set in a chaire of state the Table furnished with all delicates singing-men and women making melodie with voices and Instruments noble attendants to wait on him but therewithall he commanded a sharp naked sword to be hung over his head by a slender Horse-haire the which he espying tooke no pleasure in that Paradise but besought him earnestly to take him out of his happinesse againe So though we have the world at will though we be Gentlemen c. yet the sword of death hanging over our heads continually must needs quaile the courage of the greatest Gallant O quà m pulchrum esset dominantibus hic dominari Si mors non posset dominantibus insidiari It is appointed for all men once to dye when and how suddenly we know not our breath may be stopped on the sudden as Valentinians Luc. 12.20 We are all obnoxious to the feare of death but Christ hath delivered us from a slavish feare of it VERSE 16. HEre you have the amplification of it by the comparison of a more excellent nature refused by him the Angels far surpasse us yet he tooke not on him their nature but ours Not the seed of Adam of Noah but of Abraham because the promise was made to him In thy seed shall all Nations of the earth bee blessed If he should have taken on him the nature of Angels it was either for the good Angels or the bad The good needed it not because they never fell as for the evill Angels there was no such reason because they sinned in a more high degree than men 1. They sinned of themselves without the instigation of any man fell by the subtile provocation of the Serpent 2. They sinned in heaven in the Court of the King of Kings we sinned on earth which is his footstoole 3. They were indued with more excellent gifts of wisdome knowledge and understanding we are but babes and children to them 4. They were only of a spiritual essence they had no flesh to intise them to
1.20 From the testimony cited in the former verse he reasons in this They did not enter therefore some others shall for Gods promise shall take effect and not fall to the ground If a man having prepared a sumptuous dinner shall say if these dine with me then never trust me againe thereby we may safely collect that there bee others that dine with him Hath he said it and shall he not doe it They that shall not enter into this rest are described by a prerogative vouchsafed to them and by the contempt of that prerogative The Prerogative hath two branches the 1. is the preaching and manifesting of this rest to them 2. is the order of time in respect whereof they were preferred before others They were the first that had this glad tydings of peace offered to them yet they were stubborne froward and disobedient they would not beleeve GOD and his promise for that cause they never sate a foote into that rest Yet some there be that shal take possession of it namely they that believe in God heaven and earth shall passe away but not one jot of Gods word shall be unfulfilled Though diverse regard it not and thinke it to bee but a fooles Paradise yet undoubtedly some shall have it There be first that shall be last sayes CHRIST Many may have this priviledge to have the Gospell first preached to them and yet not be saved by the Gospell Christ gave commandement that his Apostles should beginne their preaching at Ierusalem The Gospel is the power of God to salvation to the Iew first Yet easier for Tyrus and Sydon at the day of judgement then for many of them We in England in this last age of this world have had the Gospell againe revealed unto us before a number of places in the world we even in these parts have had it a long time in most plentifull measure above and before sundry places in the land yet let us not flatter our selves in that Some of them that be still in darkenesse may goe to heaven before us Howsoever they that have the first offer which is a singular priviledge regard it not yet some out of all question shall have it Many come from the east and from the West and shall set downe with Abraham Isack and Iacob in the kingdome of heaven and the children of the kingdome shall be cast out into outer darkenesse Matth. 8.11.12 Those that were first bidden to the marriage would not come they made excuses yet the Lord sent into the high wayes and hedges and his house at the length was filled God is not tyed to any If the first refuse the last shall have it therefore while this rest is preached to us let us take hold of it and not reject it as the ancient Israelites did VERSE 7. 2. HEE proves it by the circumstance of time For David spake this a long time after they were setled in the land of Canaan by Iosua even foure hundred yeares after therefore he must needs meane another rest then the land of Canaan In David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hebr. 1.1 2. Not that voice that spake in the wildernesse but which soundeth now in the preaching of the Gospell Christ speaketh to us at this present day he that heareth you heareth me As if God did beseech you through us Therefore let us take heede that wee harden not our hearts against him VERSE 8. Iosua which was a type of CHRIST hath the same name with our Saviour CHRIST yet in a diverse manner Iosua was a Saviour for them in temporall things CHRIST in spirituall and eternall things hee saved them from the Canaanites earthly enemies CHRIST from sinne death hell and Satan spirituall enemies He gave them a land flowing with milke and hony in this world CHRIST gives us an everlasting habitation a celestiall paradise in the world to come If Ioshua had given them this rest then would not the Holy Ghost have spoken of another VERSE 9. WHereupon hee inferreth the conclusion 1. Introduced then confirmed Verse 10. There remaineth therefore By necessary consequence by the force and strength of reasoning A rest besides the land of Canaan wherein yee now rest In this place he reteineth the Hebrew word There remaineth a sabbatizing a keeping of a Sabbath in heaven for whom not for the people of the Devill but of GOD an holy nation a people zealous of good workes Many Atheists make a mocke at the kingdome of heaven The Preachers talke much of a glorious and wealthie kingdome which we shall have after this life but God send us wealth peace joy and pleasure in this world let them looke for that kingdome I but there remaineth a rest a Sabbath where we shall never be molested any more For whom doth it remaine and who be this people of God All nations in the world are his people by Creation but these bee his people by adoption whom hee hath adopted in his Sonne Christ Iesus whom he hath constituted a Prince and ruler over this people Rebels and traitours are not the Kings people they be the kings people that obey the Kings lawes 1. Every people is gathered together by some meanes or other a people is a collection of many men So we that are the people of God are gathered together with the trumpet of the word 2. A people gathered together must have lawes to rule them by otherwise they will soone be out of order leges à ligando because they are the bond that ties the people together otherwise they will range beyond limits even so Gods people have Gods lawes set downe in his word 3 Every people must have a King or ruler which is lex loquens even so the Ruler of Gods people is Iesus Christ they that will not have him to rule over them are none of Gods people 4 A people must have some Country to dwell in some in Denmarke some in France c. So the Country where this people dwell is the Church militant in this life and triumphant in the life to come 5 All people are distinguished by some outward habite and attyre French men goe not as English men Spanyards goe otherwise then Turkes c. So GODS people have the Sacraments to distinguish them Baptisme which is Christs marke and the Supper which is his Seale 6 People must live in obedience to the lawes of their King Traytors and rebels are not the Kings liege and loyall people So we that be GODS people must live obediently to Gods lawes If we be abominable swearers that rend GODS name in pieces contemners of his word if wee bee beastly drunkards and impure adulterers and adulteresses if we wallow in the mire of all sinne we are none of GODS people neither can we have any assurance of this rest therefore let us shew our selves by our workes to bee GODS people in this life that we may have this rest in the life
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
darke night wee may imagine a tree to bee a man but when the day comes it is easily discerned So the Word of GOD is the bright day and glorious sun-shine whereby we discerne truth from false-hood sound doctrine from that which is corrupt and hereticall Therefore let us exercise ourselves in Gods Word continually that we may discerne betweene the purity of the Gospell and the impurity of Popery and all Errours and Heresies whatsoever that being enlightned by the candle of the word we may see and take the way that leadeth to the kingdome of heaven CHAP. 6. BEfore wee had Saint Pauls objurgation that they were so great non proficients in the Schoole of Christ. Now follows an exhortation to pricke them forwards to greater perfection in Religion Where 1. The substance of the exhortation 2. The pressing and urging of it by foure arguments 1. A ridiculo 2. Ab exemplo 3. A Deo 4. A periculo 1. From a ridiculous absurditie set forth by a comparison 2. From an enumeration of the chiefe rudiments which they are to leave 3. From the efficient cause of the spirituall progresse which they are to make namely God 4. From a fearefull danger that will ensue if upon a carelesse neglect or contempt of the heavenly doctrine they stand at a stay and goe not forward by that meanes they may goe backeward and at the length may fall into the sin against the Holy Ghost Therefore it stands them in hand in feare and humility to aspire to perfection dayly more and more VERSE 1. THe exhortation hath two branches 1. What they are to leave 2. What they are to contend unto 1. Terminus à quo 2. Terminus ad quem Seeing it is a shame alwayes to be babes let us as men growne seeke after stronger meat The principles .i. that which begins us and enters us into Christianity leaving that How Not casting it for ever behinde our backes suffering it quite to slip out of our memories never thinking of it any more we must remember even the principles of Religion to our dying day but wee must not insist in those and set downe our staffe here but as good travellours goe on forwards As if one should say to a Grammer Scholler leave thy Grammar and goe to Logick Rhetoricke Philosophie to more deepe and profound points of learning his meaning is not that hee should leave his Grammar quite and never thinke on it any more but that he should passe from that to greater matters As if one should say to a Traveller going to London that sits eating and drinking at Colchester leave Colchester and goe on to London So leave this doctrine of the beginning of Christianity leave your A. B. C. be not alwayes beginners but proceede till ye come to some maturity Let us goe on to perfection with all cheerefulnesse and celerity Both we that are the teachers and you that are to be taught by us that we may aspire to perfection dayly more and more Wee cannot goe of ourselves we must be led namely by the hand of GOD Almighty as little Children cannot goe unlesse their mothers and nurses lead them Let us therefore intreat the Lord to lead us forward by the hand of his spirit to perfection dayly more and more Wee cannot climbe up to the highest staire of the ladder of perfection in this world we must be climbing all the dayes of our life Saint Paul was rapt into the third heaven yet he professed he was not yet perfect We know in part we believe in part and we must be as Schollers learning of our part so long as we live Though with Moses wee have beene brought up in all the learning of the Aegyptians though wee bee as perfect Scribes in the law of GOD as Ezra as eloquent and mightie in Scripture as Apollos though wee have as many tongues as Saint Paul who spake with tongues more than they all did yet wee must bee carryed on still to perfection wee must be as Travellours that are ever walking and going on and on never resting till wee come to our journeys end which will not bee till death it selfe shall come Our SAVIOUR himselfe as hee was a man did grow up in wisedome and shall any of us thinke our selves so wise that wee neede not to grow in wisedome Let us all goe on forwards to perfection every day more and more The first reason is taken from a ridiculous absurditie set forth by a comparison Not laying againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because foundations are layd exceeding deepe in the earth All men laugh at those builders that are alwayes laying the foundation but never set up the Walls lay on the roofe tyle and glaze the house c. but every day are laying the foundation Those bee foolish builders So we that be Christians must not always be laying the foundation of religion but wee must build up ourselves as a glorious house to the Lord. Then hee sets downe the particular stones of this foundation which wee must not ever bee laying hee reckons up the chiefe points of the Christian catechisme which all ought to have at their fingers ends which it is a shame to be ever learning Of these some concerne this life some the life to come they that appertaine to this life are private or publike 1. Repentance which is illustrated by the things we are to repent of There be living workes which we doe when CHRIST liveth in us these are not to bee repented of but to be practised by us and there bee dead workes which be sinnes and are so called 1. Because they come from dead men that are dead in trespasses and sinnes 2. Because they tend to death and destruction the wages of sinne is death All sinnes are dead workes covetousnesse malice pride drunkenesse uncleannesse lying swearing c. are dead works therefore let us have nothing to doe with them Men are afraid to touch dead bodies or to come neere them we flye away from a dead and stinking carkasse Every sin is a dead carkasse that sends up an unsavory smell into the nostrills of God therefore let it be abhorred by us all let us turne away our eyes and hearts too from all dead workes Repentance hath two parts thâ— mortification of sin and vivification to newnesse of life Isa. 1.16 Zacheus repented him when he left his peeling and griping and became a liberall man made restitution to those whom hee had defrauded and gave the one halfe of his goods to the poore Peter repented of his denyall of Christ when he did not only weepe bitterly for it for a time but stood in defence of Christ to the very death Then an adulterer repents of his adulterie when hee leaves quite his Whores and harlots and possesses his vessell in holinesse and honour Repentance is a forsakâ—ng of the sinne and an imbracing of the contrary vertue It is not the laying aside of sinne for a time
The just man falleth seven times a day Saint Paul would have the incestuous person restored It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the elect cannot sinne against the Holy Ghost neither doe all the reprobate sinne against the Holy Ghost They that sinne against the Holy Ghost must fall toti à toto in totum 1. The Elect fall but in part either in their understanding or their will they that commit this sinne fall wholly in their understanding and will too they obscure the light which they have received choke the good motions that were in them with their whole will might and maine runne against the truth they professed When Saint Paul was a persecutor he sinned in respect of his understanding upon ignorance but he did not persecute Christ with a malicious minde Peter fell upon infirmitie but not upon malice in his will in part but not in his understanding and will too They that commit the horrible sinne against the Holy Ghost are set with their understanding and will yea with all their forces against the truth Hence it is called blasphemia spiritus Mat. 12.31 because it is with the spirit and minde of man in soule and body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to fall voluntarilie with the Hebrew Greeke and Latinists procidere 2. They must fall à toto from all the former gifts not from some one part of the celestiall doctâ—ine and calling but from the whole body of the doctrine that concerneth salvation maliciously resisting it A man may fall on his knees yet not on the whole body So a man may fall from some one fundamentall point though not from the whole body of the heavenly calling as many Heretickes doe But these fall from the whole 3. They must fall in totum wholly and finally without recoverie The godly man sayes in the Prophet though I fall I shall ryse againe for the Lord putteth to his hand these fall and never rise again because God denyeth them his hand Then followes the punishment Where 1. The grievousnesse of it 2. The equitie of it They cannot be made new men again they were once new men at least in shew having lost that new Coate they cannot have another they cannot bee cast into a new mould againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is an active Some expound it they cannot renew themselves so Erasmus Some understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that any Minister should renew them some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God should renew them because God cannot deny himselfe and that were an impotency rather then a power Tit. 1.2 2 Tim. 2.13 Impossible because it is repugnant to the will of GOD Dei posse est velle non posse nolle Luk. 1.37 Mark 10.27 he doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not meete not profitable not convenient but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impossible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to drive them into desperation Chrys. The Iesuits interpret it hard It is an hard matter for them to be renewed but it is not impossible Yet their owne glosse sayes non tantum difficile and Verse 8. their end is to bee burned they must burne for ever in hell Impossibile non difficile Difficile est quod quamvis cum labore fieri potest impossibile quod fieri non potest So they cannot bee renewed 1. It implies a weakenesse 2. A contradiction So that it is not only hard and difficult but impossible that God should renew them to repentance By Repentance is repugnant to the words Of all other sins men may repent but not of this 2 Tim. 2.25 Repentance is the gate whereby wee must enter into heaven the very doore and entrance is denyed to them therefore no mervaile though the house bee denyed to them If they could repent they might bee saved for at what time soever a sinner repenteth of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart the Lord will blot them out of his remembrance But it is impossible for them to repent their hearts are hardened And thou according to the hardnesse of thy heart that cannot Repent treasurest up to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath Romans 2. ver 5. They have cast off GOD and GOD hath cast off them they may have an horror in the Conscience for their sinnes they may peradventure weepe howle and cry for them yet they doe not repent They are not pierced with true sorrow for sinne they grieve for the fearefull and endlesse torments which they are to sustaine for their sinnes but grieve not for sinne as it is sinne they are grieved that they are fallen into the hands of GOD as a judge but are not sorrowfull that they have offended him as a Father For any other sinne GOD may give Repentance unto men but for this hee will not Oh horrible sinne GOD may give Repentance for all other sinnes yet hee is not bound to doe it The King may pardon burglarie or for breaking into an house yet hee is not bound to it So GOD may give men Repentance for thefts murders adulteries drunkennesse c. Yet none can challenge this at his hands Therefore let none presume to commit any sinne whatsoever in hope of Repentance this is no good argument no sound conclusion in Divinitie they that sinne against the HOLY GHOST cannot repent therefore they that fall into any other sin may repent at their pleasure a man is not sure to have Repentance for foolish idle words for wicked and uncleane thoughts iâ— is in GODS hands the pearle of Repentance lies in his treasury Thou mayest bee stricken with the dart of sudden death while thou art sinning therefore let not the hope of Repentance bee as a loadestone to draw thee to sinne Repentance is a singular thing that will open the lap of Gods mercie and the doores of the kingdome of heaven too Manasseh had beene a monstrous Idolater yet upon repentance hee was received to mercy David had committed Adultery and Murder yet on repentance they were remitted the Thiefe on the Crosse had beene a bad liver all the dayes of his life yet upon repentance hee was taken into Paradise There were some that crucified CHRIST the Lord of life being pricked in their hearts for it were imbraced in the armes of mercy the Prodigall Son that had spent all his substance on harlots yet when he came to his father with that dolefull and penitent voice I have sinned against heaven and before thee his father fell on his neck and kissed him but they that sinne against the Holy Ghost can never repent and therefore can have no mercy neither in this life nor in that which is to come O fearefull sinne the Lord in mercy keepe us all from it If at any time wee have sinned as in many things we sinne all Let us pray to God that we lye not in our sinnes but that our hearts may quickly smite us for them as Davids did that wee may flye
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
faith in him wee have peace with God and a comfortable accesse to his Majesty Ahasuerus held out his golden Scepter to Hester and she drew neere to him So God being reconciled to us by CHRIST holdeth forth the golden Scepter of his favour to us and wee draw neere to him What a prerogative is this that we may draw neere to the high and mighty God which in himselfe is a consuming fire Wee thinke it a great favour to draw neere to an earthly King to kisse his hand to speake our minde freely to him that noble man is greatly honoured that can in such sort draw neere to the King We have all free accesse by Iesus Christ to the King of Kings wee may boldly draw neere to him and preferre our supplications to him wee need not stand aloofe off and goe to God by the Virgin Mary and the Saints triumphing in heaven by the Meditation of Christ alone we may draw neere to God Himselfe and say Our father as Christâ—eacheth â—eacheth us hee beareth such a love to us as that Christ Himselfe protesteth in the Gospell I say not that I will pray to the Father for you the Father Himselfe loveth you Therefore let us with a Christian confidence draw neere to him This may be an unspeakeable comfort to us in all calamities in sickenesse in poverty when wee have crosses in our soules in bodies goods or name when any thing grieveth us let us draw neere to our heavenly father and powre forth our griefes into his bosome he tenders us as the Apple of his owne eye and will not deny us any thing that is good 2. As we draw neere to him in all our troubles by hearty prayer in this life so by Christ our blessed Saviour we shall draw neere to him in his owne kingdome in the life to come where wee shall eate of the hidden Manna and of the tree of life in the Paradise of God for ever Behold then what a singular blessing we have by CHRIST such as the Law could never have given to us therefore let us bee thankfull to God for it let us love the Lord Iesus Christ by whom we draw neere to God let the love of Christ constraine us to forsake our sins which banished us out of Gods kingdome let us glorifie Christ by whom we have this accesse to God in this present world that we may be partakers of his eternall glorie in the world to come VERSE 20. THe third argument is taken from the manner of the institution of both Priest-hoods He that is made a Priest with an oath is greater than they that are made without an oath Christ was made a Priest with an oath the Levites without an oath Ergo. The consequence of the proposition is evident it must needs be a great thing and of singular weight and importance which God Almighty ratifieth with an oath God Almighty swore at the consecration of our high-Priest so did he not at the consecration of Aaron and his Sons therefore he is greater than they Both the parts of the assumption are expressed in the Text and the conclusion is emphatically inferred Verse 22. For so much as Christ was not made a Priest without an oath whereas those in the time of the Law were The word of the high and eternall God which is truth it selfe in whom there is not a shadow of turning is sufficient to procure credit and authority to that which hee speaketh By the word of a King as we use to say nothing can bee more sure Shall not then the word of the King of Kings bee believed but when an oath is annexed to it we ought the rather to be confirmed in it Now there be three principall things which God sweareth in Scripture The first is the eternity and perpetuity of Christ's Priest-hood he hath not onely said but sworne thou art a Priest for ever Which is a singular comfort to us all wee may bee bold to believe Gods oath Our Priest that makes intercession for us lives for ever The second thing is the destruction of the wicked of stubborne and disobedient persons that by Gods voice in the Ministery of the word will not be reclaimed from their sins I have sworne in my wrath that such shall never enter into my rest God sware that none of those that came out of Aegypt save Caleb and Ioshua should enter into the land of Canaan It came so to passe all their Carhasses fell in the wildernesse God hath sworne that such as have the Trumpet of the word continually sounding in their eares and yet will lye snorting in their sins shall perish eternally Therefore let us tremble at it and believe it The third thing that God hath sworne unto in the Scripture is the salvation of the faithfull that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye wee might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Hast thou a true and lively faith in CHRIST which is fruitfull in all good workes as Dorcas was and canst say with Saint Paul I live yet not I but CHRIST in mee c. GOD hath sworne that thou shalt be saved therefore doubt not of it Though the Devill walke about as a roaring Lion seeking to devoure us though he labour to win now us as Wheat though through the corruption of our nature we fall into many sinnes as the holyest of all doth sometimes fall though we be visited with grievous sicknesses though brought to poverty though death is before our eyes yet let us not stagger about our salvation we have Gods Word and oath for it therefore undoubtedly we shall be saved Howsoever wee bee here tossed in the Waves of this miserable world yet at length wee shall arrive at the haven of eternall rest Shall God sweare a thing and not performe that which he hath sworne VERSE 21. WE never reade of an oath when the Priests under the Law were set apart to the Priest-hood On the other side this our high Priest was made with an oath Where 1. The substance of the oath 2. The immutabilitie of it There is a compound verb in the Greek not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the swearing of an oath which is more emphaticall then to say simply with an oath God did sweare an oath when he appointed him to be high-Priest By him that is God the father that said to him Hee introduceth the words of the Psalme tu It is put discretive thou and no other He will admit of no after-thought to amend the former Men repent oftentimes of their words and oaths too but God will never repent of this oath that which hee hath sworne in this oath is immutable Object Gen. 6.6 1 Sam. 15.11 Sol It is a figurative
the sences They say that the body and bloud of Christ are there invisible under the shape of bread and wine therefore by their owne position it is no sacrifice 2. They confesse it to bee an unbloudy sacrifice and then not propitiatory for the quicke and the dead as they will have it for Hebr. 9.22 Without shedding of bloud there is no remission of sinnes There is no bloud shed therefore no remission of sins and then a masse not worth a figge thou canst not have the remission of sins by it but it is a phantasticall dreame of their owne Let us magnifie the Lord Iesus for his owne sacrifice which he offered for us and lay hold on it by a true and a lively faith What did Christ offer for us not silver and gold not a Bull a Sheepe or a Goate not the haire of his head the paring of his nailes or his little toe not one of his Disciples but himselfe Oh blessed SAVIOUR that spared not himselfe for our sakes So let us give our selves to him he that will be my Disciple let him deny himselfe and follow mee We must not only sacrifice our sins for Christ his sake which wee will hardly doe but if occasion require offer up our selves for him we must say with Paul my life is not deere to me c. I am ready not only to be bound but to dye at Hierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus But alas wee are wanting in love and thankefulnesse to Christ hee offered himselfe for us We will not offer up our pleasures for him Hee laid downe his owne life for us we will not lay downe our sinnes for him Wee will not forgoe our lusts our covetousnesse pride drunkennesse for Christs sake how then shall we offer up our selves for him as he did for us VERSE 28. THe reason is taken from the excellencie of this our high-Priest he that is the Sonne of God voyd of all infirmity sanctified for ever is able by one sacrifice to satisfie for the sins of the Church but Christ is the Sonne of God voyd of all infirmity sanctified for ever ergo This is illustrated by a famous antithesis betweene the Priests of the Law and him whereof there be foure branches 1. The ceremoniall Law made men Priests the Gospell made God a Priest For this our High-Priest as hee was the Sonne of man so the Sonne of God too and therefore God 2. The Law made servants Priests as Heb. 3.5 The Gospell the Sonne which is more honourable than any servant 3. The Law made them that had infirmities namely of sinne and corruption otherwise CHRIST tooke on him all our naturall infirmities 4. The Law made those that were mortall and endured not long by reason of death the Gospell hath made him that is consecrated for evermore By the word of the oath may be meant the Gospell as Luk. 1.73 because it was ratified by Gods oath But rather by it is meant the promise made to Christ which God confirmed in the Psalme with an oath If we respect the substance of the oath it was from all eternity CHRIST was ordained an everlasting Priest in the eternall decree of his Father 1 Pet. 1.20 but it is said to be after the Law because it was written published and exhibited after the giving of the Law The word of this oath comming after the Law did put the Law out of place though Gal. 3.17 because the promise was of greater force and efficacy then the Law but as the last Will disannulls all the former wills so the word of the oath comming after the Law did abrogate the Law Which is sanctified for evermore or perfected and therefore is able perfectly to fulfill the office of an High-Priest There was no Priest no Prophet in the time of the Law there is no Minister no Preacher no Christian whatsoever but hath some infirmity or other Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse was overtaken with wine and lay uncovered in his Tent. Abraham a Prophet so the Lord himselfe termeth him to Abimelech had his infirmities when hee dissembled for the saving of his life David a man after Gods owne heart had his grosse faults when hee was carryed into Adultery and murder using one as a Cloake to cover the other withall Saint Peter had his infirmity when he did Iudaizare cum Iudaeis applyed himselfe to all companies Saint Paul and St. Barnabas had their infirmities when they were at an open jarre and publike defiance one with another about St. Mark and departed in a chafe one from another Shew mee the garden that hath not one weede in it and shew mee the man either Preacher or other that hath not some infirmitie Let not us cast off men because of infirmities much lesse let us be ready as some are to hurle away the word because of the infirmities that be in the Preachers of the word If we will have a man without infirmities we must goe to heaven for one for there be the Spirits of just and perfect men There is none perfect in this world we are all full of infirmities the Lord be mercifull to us only Christ Iesus our High-Priest is voyd of infirmities hee is consecrated for evermore and holds to consecrate all that belong to him Let us serve this our High-Priest in holinesse and righteousnesse in this life that wee may triumph with him and offer the sacrifice of praise to God with him his Saints and Angels in the life to come CHAP. 8. IN the Priest-hood of Christ there bee two things 1. His calling to that office cap. 7. and 8. 2. The exequution of it cap. 9. and 10. In his calling 1. The Party called which is set forth at large in the former Chapter 2. The thing whereunto he is called in this Chapter which is to Minister for the good and salvation of his Church This Ministration of his is advanced above the Leviticall ministration by foure arguments 1. From his empyre rule and authority by reason whereof hee Ministreth after a more magnificent manner then the Levites did Verse 1. 2. From the place where he Ministers 3. From the Sacrifice wherewith he Ministers ver 3.4 5. 4. From the subject whereabout he is occupied In the first argument 1. An entrance into it 2. A description of his power and authoritie Having cast up the account this is the summe that ariseth of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or upon the things spoken this is the chiefe of all it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is to stirre us up to attention The summes of things are welcome to us Who is not desirous to have the summe of the Bible The summe of the Law contained in so many volumes a summe of Physicke c. The Oratours in the end of their Orations deliver the summe of that which they have spoken so doth St. Paul here hee delivers to us the totall summe of the things which he had spoken before
speaketh to us by whom hee revealeth the knowledge of his Majesty to us Christ knew there should be plentie of knowledge at his comming yet he bade his Apostles goe and teach all nations The Lord opened the heart of Lydia yet it was by Saint Pauls preaching the Lord catechized the Eunuch yet it was by Saint Philip the Lord added three thousand soules to the Church yet it was by Saint Peter How can they heare without a Preacher These be the Schoole-masters by whom God teacheth us to the end of the world The head Master of a Schoole doth not take away the Vshers Saint Augustine tract 3. in 1. Iohann Si unctio docet de omnibus nos sine causa laboramus Let us put you all over to the annointing then they might reply why doest thou write this Epistle to us why doest thou teach us nos extrinsecus admonemus magister intùs est qui docet Matth. 23.8 Nos abusivè magistri appellamur Neither doth hee send downe the HOLY GHOST on them in the similitude of cloven tongues as he did on the Apostles at the beginning they must be brought up in Schooles and Vniversities to attaine to the knowledge of the tongues and the right interpretation of the Scripture Paul mentions it as a blessing that he was brought up at the feete of Gamaleel hee disputed in the Schoole of Tyrannus but hee never wished the Schoole of Tyrannus to be pulled downe This doth declare to us the wonderfull abundance of knowledge that shall bee in the time of the Gospell above that which was in the time of the Law yet there bee a number of ignorant persons in the lap of the Church like them that knew not whether there was an Holy Ghost or no They have a confused knowledge of God but they doe not know him so distinctly in CHRIST as they ought to doe they have the more to answer for that living in so great light are still overwhelmed with darkenesse like to Tantalus up to the chin in water and yet drie like carelesse and negligent Schollers that have beene long at Schoole and learn't nothing the fault is not in God who gives them the meanes but in themselves that neglect the meanes 2. As wee have greater knowledge so greater obedience is required of us The servant that knowes his masters will and doth it not shall bee beaten with many stripes Wee know much and practise little therefore our condemnation shall bee the greater at the latter day VERSE 12. THe third branch of the new covenant is remission of sins In sence it agreeth with the Hebrew only the Apostle following the seventie hath for our further comfort enlarged it by the addition of one clause which is not in the Hebrew The first part of Verse is not in the Hebrew In my Sonne CHRIST IESUS I will be mercifull to their unjust and unrighteous dealings to all the injuries they have offered me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faults in manners when as we swarve from the marke of the Law of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in generall signifies all transgressions of the Law He useth many words to signifie to us that all our sinnes by what names soever they be called are forgiven us In acquittances we use to put in words enow for the declaration of a full discharge So doth the Lord when he acquitteth us of all our sinnes whether they be unrighteousnesse slips or violations of the Law they bee all forgiven hee professeth hee will remember them no more hee will cast them behinde his backe rase them out of the booke of his remembrance If wee minde to be revenged of a man wee say well I will remember thee I will one day pay thee home for it but God will not so much as remember our sinnes Oh blessed thing The just man falls seven times a day yet GOD will not remember his falls Hee remembred the sin of Amalek and of some hee sayes their sins shall be written with a penne of a diamond and sealed up in a bagge but he will keepe no register of our sins they shall bee quite forgotten Hee doth not say because they by their workes of penance have made satisfaction to my justice for their sinnes therefore I will remit them I will doe it of my sole mercy and goodnesse for my owne sake c. Object Was he not mercifull to the sinnes of the people in the time of the Law Sol. The forgivenesse of sins is now more cleerely manifested to us To them it was shadowed out by sacrifices and washings but now the Lamb is come offered on the Crosse whose bloud purgeth us from all sin This is a comfortable covenant the heavenly triacle and hony of the soule Our sins are innumerable besides our blasphemies besides the abhominable drunkennesse and whoredome that is amongst us our greedy scraping in the dunghill of the earth seldome or never lifting up our hearts to heaven wee sin daily in our best actions we sin in preaching of the Word for who preaches with such wisedome sincerity and zeale as he ought to doe wee sin in hearing our mindes oftentimes are on wooll-gathering our bodies in the Church our hearts on our Sheep and Oxen we heare more like Iudges to censure Gods Ambassadour than as Schollers to learne of him wee sinne in praying no sighes no groanes no fervency in our prayers no Amen at the end of them wee sin in giving of our almes wee give rather for vaine glory then for Gods glory we sin in our dayly talke and conferences one with another in them we seeke the ostentation of our own witte and learning not the edification one of another Who can cleere himselfe of pride wee are proud of our wit wealth beauty learning yea some are proud of nothing Good Lord then if God should call us into the counting house for our sins alas what shall we doe we cannot answer him one for a thousand and the least sinne deserves eternall death Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy thought if one evill thought remaine unforgiven we are in a miserable case Against all these let us hold up the buckler of this new covenant of the remission of our sinnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sins are bitter accusers In what a pittifull case was Caine who said my sinne is greater than can bee forgiven what a howling kept Iudas O I have sinned in betraying innocent bloud what makes men to hang themselves as Achitophel did to drowne themselves to lay violent hands on themselves save that they cannot be perswaded of the forgivenesse of their sins Therefore let us blesse God for this covenant and let us entreat him to seale in our hearts a comfortable perswasion of the remission of our sinnes dayly more and more VERSE 13. HEre followes a collection inferred on the former testimony which he gathereth out of the word new it hath his force from the contraries New and Old cannot stand together
of Holies even as it is termed Hakodesh Levit. 16.2 Loe say some heaven was not opened in the time of the Law till the passion of our Saviour Christ therfore the Patriarchs and others that dyed then went not to heaven but were in place of rest distinct from heaven this is their limbus patrum which they have forged But quickly to stop their mouthes it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Gate in the Kings Pallace may be opened though not knowne The way to the Holiest of all that is to heaven prefigured by their Sanctum Sanctorum was not yet manifested it was obscured under Types and figures darkely revealed to them Not all the people but one man entred into the Holy of Holies a type of heaven and hee but once a yeare The way to heaven was not so cleerely manifested then as it is now when Christ Iesus our fore-runner is gone into it before us and for us The faithfull then knew the way to heaven and immediately after death went to heaven but they had not such a cleare knowledge of it as wee have This is probable The first Tabernacle as yet having his standing whereby he doth not meane the first part of the Tabernacle as hee did before but the whole Tabernacle for indeed it was but one though divided into two parts while the Tabernacle of the Iewes with all the rites and ceremonies belonging to it was yet standing It is called the first in respect of Christ's body which was the second Tabernacle It is the Holy Ghost that speaketh in the Scripture 2 Pet. 1. ult 2 Tim. 3.16 Iacob said of Bethel the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it So the Holy Ghost is in the Scripture and we are not aware of it The Holy Ghost speaks in Genesis Exodus Leviticus in the Psalmes in the Prophets he speakes in the Gospels in the Epistles of St. Paul and St. Peter therefore when the Scripture is read let us heare with all reverence because God Almighty speaketh in them No place of holy Scripture is idle no not the framing of the Tabernacle the Holy Ghost therby doth signifie to us many holy mysteries in it therefore let no portion of Scripture be lightly regarded by us Wee know the way to heaven better than they did therefore wee should walke more carefully and conscionably in it then they did our Lord and Saviour our Head and Husband Christ Iesus is gone into heaven to prepare a place for us blessed are the eyes that see which we see Therefore if we tread not in this way but rather take the way to hell our condemnation shall bee the greater at the latter day As God in mercy hath opened the way to heaven more cleerly to us then to them So let us be carefull to take this way to the everlasting joy and comfort of us all VERSE 9. THis signification hee doth further prosecute 1. Shewing the use of that Tabernacle 2. The inabilitie of the service of it For the use it was a figure a parable Which signifies both a dark speech Mat. 13.10 and a figurative speech a similitude or likenes Take a similitude from the fig-tree that tabernacle was a similitude of a more excellent tabernacle to come namely of the body of Christ V. 11. that is illustrated by the time and the manner It was to bee a similitude but for the time present during the ceremoniall Law till the fulnes of time came that Christ shold come and be made of a woman The manner how it did prefigurate Christ by certaine gifts and sacrifices that were then offered Which were only figurativa not exhibitiva they did only figure out Christ by whom we are made holy and perfect but they could not make us holy Concerning the flesh and the outward man they might purifie them but they could not purifie the soule and conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the which time Are offered Peradventure that Temple stood when he wrote this Epistle therefore hee uses the present tense or hee speakes according to the custome of the time when they were used Make holy or perfect the word signifies both Him that worshipped God by them that by them performed divine service to God Hebr. 7.19 These did only point at Christ by whom we are made holy and perfect justified and sanctified by him so as our consciences be at peace with God Hebr. 10.2 by the meere offering up of a Calfe a Lamb c. Their consciences could not bee freed from the guilt and punishment of sin our consciences are pacified only by the sacrifice of Christ on the Crosse applyed to us by faith which was prefigured by those sacrificers Rom. 5.1 Conscience is a register that keeperh a note of all our sins Some times he may be a sleepe and say nothing but at one time or other he will awake and bring all our sins to our remembrance then what shall we doe whither shall we flie Where shall we find comfort As the sacrifices in the time of the Law could not pacifie the conscience So it is not the hearing of a thousand masses the going in Pilgrimage to the holy land it is not the building of Churches the giving of almes though these be excellent things if they flow from a true faith it is not the cogitation of our workes simply in themselves without Christ Iesus that can quiet our consciences Saint Paul in this sense disclaimed his workes I desire to be found in him not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith It is only Christ Iesus and the application of his sacrifice to us by a lively faith that can secure our consciences and stay the rage of them being justified by faith wee have peace with God the bloud of Christ purgeth us from all sinne Therefore let us entreat the Lord to assure our consciences upon good grounds that Christ is ours that hee hath dyed for all our sinnes and that his righteousnesse is ours then shall we have comfort of conscience in all calamities yea in death it selfe in this present life and shall triumph with Christ in the life to come VERSE 10. THat they could not purge the Conscience he evinceth by the nature and quality of them No carnall fleshly or outward thing can cleanse the heart or conscience these are only Carnall rites and outward ceremonies a carnall commandement Hebr. 7.16 consisting of meates drinkes c. therefore they cannot pacifie the conscience that is only the bloud of Christ that purgeth us from all sin These are illustrated by the time of their continuance Imposed as an heavy loade and importable burthen Act. 15.10 whereof we are now eased by Christ. There is some question about the grammaticall construction because the participle is of the accusative case plurall and
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
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
Testament is made There is no Mediatour besides him Mediatour quasi medius dator Of the New Testament which is farre different from the Old Covenant or Testament for it consisteth on better promises Hebrewes 8. ver 6. By the meanes of death that death being or comming betweene for the redeeming of us from the punishments due to the transgressions and the price wherewith he redeemed us from them was his owne bloud If CHRIST his death doth redeeme us from all transgressions then there needs no sacrifices for sin after his death Yes say the Iesuites one to be a representation of that on the Crosse. I but you say that the sacrifice of the Masse and that on the Crosse are all one in substance differing only in the forme and manner Now if Christ be really present in the Masse how can the Masse bee a representation of him And that manner is opposite to the Scriptures for the Scripture sayes he is only offered up with bloud Your unbloudy sacrifice is no sacrifice In the former covenant whereas we for our part were not able to performe that which belonged to us GOD performed his part but we could not doe ours It is unseasonable here to dispute whether CHRIST delivered them that lived in the time of the Law for by the Old Testament is meant the Old Covenant not the time of the Old Testament Therefore it is opposed to the New Testament In the Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if it were for the sins of them that were under the Old Testament That they which are called namely effectually as well internally by the spirit as externally by the word 1 Cor. 1.2 24. Rom. 8.30 Not only heare it but receive it namely by faith The promise The full fruition whereof they should receive hereafter in the meane season the Holy Ghost is as a Seale and earnest penny of it Ephes. 1.13 2 Cor. 1.22 It is not a thing merited by our workes but a gracious inheritance promised to us CHRIST is the right and principall heire Hebr. 1.2 we are secondary heyres with him and by him Rom. 8.17 Not a fading inheritance as these be but that lasteth for ever CHRIST is the sole Mediatour 1 Tim. 2.5 Ioh. 16.23 Apoc. 8.3 Let us not cry with those Idolaters ô Baal heare us but aske the Father in his Sons name and say ô CHRIST heare us Who prevailes more with the King then the Kings Son Let us not leave the Sonne and goe to servants There is a double calling the one externall alone by the outward sound of the word the other externall and internall too not by the Trumpet of the Word alone ringing in the eare but by the voice of the Spirit also perswading the heart and moving us to goe to Christ. Of this calling spake our SAVIOUR CHRIST no man commeth to me except the Father draw him namely by his spirit as well as by his word Iudas was called hee was not a professour alone but a Preacher of the Gospell Simon Magus was called he believed and was baptized Herod was called he heard Iohn Baptist sweetely and did many things that he willed him Sundry at this day come to Church heare Sermons talke of Religion that doe not answere Gods call Therefore let us entreat the Lord to call us effectually by his blessed Spirit out of our sinnes to holinesse and newnesse of life If wee be thus called we shall receive the eternall inheritance which CHRIST hath purchased for us Let us be suiters to God that he would make us partakers of this calling that makes an alteration of us 1 Cor. 6.9 11. If wee were Idolaters as Manasseh to call us out of our superstition and idolatry if persecutors as Paul to call us out of our persecuting if wee are Adulterers as David to call us out of our uncleannesse if drunkards out of our drunkennes if covetous oppressours as Zacheus was to call us out of our oppression and make us new Creatures in Christ Iesus It is not a purchase bought with the money of our owne merits but an inheritance bequeathed to us by the last Will and Testament of our Saviour Christ Luk. 22.29 and I appoint unto you a kingdome as my father hath appointed unto me The inheritances that bee in the world seeme faire and glorious it is a goodly thing to have the inheritance of a great Gentleman of a Knight Lord Earle Duke but a Kings inheritance surpasseth all yet these are but strawes to this inheritance These inheritances may bee taken from us while wee bee here Mephibosheth's lands were given away to Tsibah and Naboth lost his Vineyard though it was the inheritance of his fathers When Death comes then we must forgoe all houses and lands all that our fathers left us But this inheritance is eternall wee can never be deprived of it we shall enjoy it world without end Therefore let us seeke to have an assurance of this inheritance in our hearts and consciences If a man be sure to be a Lords heyre though hee is in misery yet he will endure it we are sure to have an eternall inheritance by Christ let us therefore abide patiently the miseries of this short life VERSE 16. THere must needs be carryed as a true and an infallible report it must be sure and certaine that the Testatour is dead Where 1. The axiome 2. The proofe or illustration of it Verse 17. Here wee see it was necessary CHRIST should dye Ought not CHRIST to suffer these things and to enter into his glory Luk. 24 26. why not because the Devill would have it to be so not that the rage and fury of the Pharises should bee satisfied not because Iudas would but because God the Father in singular love to mankinde had so ordained in his eternall counsell and because Christ was willing to dye for us Can mankinde bee saved no otherwise but by my death then here am I take me I will dye for them ô the wonderfull love of Christ Here the Testatour would live still if he might and then the legataries should never have their legacies our testatour might have lived still if he would being the Lord of life yet that we might have our legacy hee would dye ô unspeakable love Let it bee imprinted on our hearts that it may constraine us to leave all sins VERSE 17. NOw followes the proofe or illustration of the axiom A Testament is thus defined by Vlpianus Est declaratio voluntatis nostrae de eo quod fieri volumus post mortem Is of force Is firme After the Testatour is dead both because hee may alter it at his pleasure and the goods remaine all still in the Testatours hands it is testamentum ambulatorium usque ad mortem The Testament of our SAVIOUR CHRIST is a good Testament It is partly nuncupativum as it was pronounced by himselfe when hee was alive partly Scriptum as it was after committed to
writing by his Apostles The Testatour is Christ the thing bequeathed is an inheritance the legataries are the faithfull the witnesses to it are his Apostles Act. 1.8 The seales are the Sacraments the exequutor is the HOLY GHOST Ioh. 14.16 which is CHRIST 's Vicar on the earth a faithfull exequutor that will give us our legacies to the full and deprive us of nothing Our SAVIOUR is dead therefore his Testament is of force Object If CHRIST 's Testament was of no force till his death then how could they in the time of the Law have remission of sinnes and eternall life Sol. In seeing the day of Christ by the eye of faith as Abraham did it was not in force complemento till Christ dyed acceptatione it was This eternall inheritance could not have come to us without the death of our Saviour Christ. If hee had not dyed wee could never have had possession of this inheritance therefore how are wee to love the Lord Iesus that hath ratified this inheritance to us by his bloud Let the consideration of the death of Christ worke a death to sinne in us all that as he hath dyed for us to procure this inheritance so we may dye to sin daily more and more Seeing the Testatour is dead we may assure our selves of this inheritance bequeathed to us by his will It is a rule in Law debts must be payd before legacies and oft-times under the colour of paying debts the legataries goe long without their legacies It cannot be so here our Saviour Christ left no debts to pay he ought nothing he departed cleere with all men therefore we may be sure of our legacie All the devils in the world cannot keepe us from it VERSE 18. DEdicated to God by certaine Solemne rites and ceremonies Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the feast of dedication Ioh. 10.22 Much lesse should the latter bee ordained without bloud VERSE 19. TO the Law as God required Exod. 24.8 Every precept being spoken by Moses Some thinke that all the people are said to be sprinkled because the twelve pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel were sprinckled Others thinke that some few of the elders were sprinckled instead of all the rest Or all may be put for a great part In a manner all of them were sprinckled VERSE 20. YEt it was the bloud of heifers or of Goates but it is called the bloud of the testament because by it was signified Christ his bloud which is the maker of the Testament to this did our Saviour allude Matth. 26.28 this is the bloud of the New Testament which was shed for you Beza translates it that God hath commanded to you as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rather expound it which God hath commanded subaudi to be carryed to you The bloud of Calves and goates sprinckled on the people in the time of the Law was a figure of Christ's bloud sprinckled on our consciences Object Here wee may learne say the Rhemists that the Scripture containes not all necessary truths when neither the place to the which the Apostle alludeth nor any other doth mention halfe these ceremonies but he had them by tradition Sol. I but all these are contained in the Scripture The booke was sprinckled on the Altar or at least with the respersion that was cast on the people For the purple wooll and hysop Levit. 14.51 there is the water too Ribera sayes all these are necessarily collected for there could be no sprinckling without them Vnder the peace offerings Exod. 24.5 are comprehended Goates appointed to peace offerings as wee may see Levit. 3.12 The meaning of these words is nothing else but this is a significant token of the bloud of the New Testament that is to bee shed for your sins This bloud sprinckled on the people was a significant type and figure of the bloud of our Saviour Christ whereby the New Testament is confirmed to us That was the bloud of Goates and Heifers this of Christ the immaculate Lamb of God 2. Moses was the sprinckler of that bloud the Holy Ghost is the sprinckler of this 3. That was sprinckled on the face or garments of the people this on our hearts and consciences 4. The aspertorium the sprinckling sticke there was made of purple wooll and hysop the aspertorium here is faith With that doth the Spirit or God sprinckle on us the bloud of Christ. 5. That sprinckling did but sanctifie the outward man this the hid man of the heart 6. The force and power of that sprinckling lasted but a while the efficacy of this sprinckling continueth for ever Therefore let us all be desirous of this sprinckling As the Woman of Samaria said Lord give me of that water So let us say LORD sprinckle us with the bloud of CHRIST continually It is a comfortable thing for a man to bee sprinckled with sweet water it is a sweet smell and refreshes him but nothing so sweete as the bloud of CHRIST sprinckled on our soules and consciences by faith Let us desire the Lord to sprinckle this bloud on us dayly more and more that being washed with it wee may bee made fitt for the Holy Hierusalem and remaine with Christ for ever and ever Hebrewes 9.21 NOw followes an application of the rites and ceremonies belonging to the Tabernacle 1. A narration of them Verse 21.22 2. An accommodation of them The rites are two 1. The rite of consecration or sanctification Lev. 16.14 16. 8 15 18. 2. The rite of purification some by fire some by water Num. 31.23 In all things are comprehended also all persons An accommodation is made of these rites by the way of an antithesis or opposition whereof there be foure members 1. An application of the things Verse 23. 2. Of the place Verse 24. 3. Of the actions Verse 25.26 4. Of the use Verse 27.28 The things are applyed by way of opposition It was necessary that the types of heavenly things should be purified with such externall things for the purification of the flesh or outward man But c. The sacrifice of Christ is termed sacrifices in the plurall number and yet is but one because the fruit and efficacy of it is derived unto many So the wisedome of Christ is set forth by seven eyes his power by seven hornes Apoc. 5.6 The Holy Ghost being but one spirit it is called seven spirits Apoc. 1.4 The place is applyed by way of opposition 1. In respect of the nature that was made with hands this without 2. Of the use or end there the High-Priest did appeare before the Arke and Mercy-seate which were figures of Gods presence here our High-Priest appeares before GOD immediately without figures for us The third is an application of the action or service the dissimilitude whereof consisteth in three things 1. There the High-Priest went often into the holy place here our High-Priest went into heaven but once 2. He went with other bloud ours
head of it is in heaven and their conversation is in heaven the Church which is termed the kingdome of heaven should be purified with these that is with earthly things like to themselves They were earthly and they ought to bee purified with earthly things the ashes of an Heifer the bloud of Calves Goates c. But the heavenly things themselves that be under the Gospell which is a Gate and entrance into the kingdome of heaven the Church in the time of the Gospell the true Tabernacle and faithfull Citizens of heaven it was necessary that these should be purified with better sacrifices above these namely with the sacrifice of Christ himselfe else we could never have had any right to the kingdome of heaven Christ's one sacrifice is here called by the name of many because it is compared with the many sacrifices in the Law and opposed to them Not because there be many Masse Sacrifices to represent this one sacrifice Here wee see how wee are advanced above them in the time of the Law they had the patternes wee the things patterned they painted flowers we the flowers themselves they the shadowes wee the body they the picture we the man they the lineaments of the house we the house it selfe How are we beholden to God happy are the eyes that see what we see O that wee could walke worthy of them Better No comparison betweene them no more than betweene the creatures and the Creator What are Bulls Goates Calves to the Son of God that hath offered himselfe for us VERSE 24. THe Holy of Holies was a type of heaven Not made with the hands of Aholiab and Bezaleel Which were antitypes as it were pictures in waxe to represent this a stampe of this Into heaven it selfe whereof that was a type Act. 1.11 Manifestly and openly Not for a little while to goe out againe as the High-Priest did when he had prayed and sacrificed for the people but now and continually Not for himselfe but for us By the demonstration of his own sacred body wherein hee hath suffered for us to make intercession for us So long as Christ appeares in heaven for us our sinnes cannot appeare in the sight of God Of themselves they cry up to heaven for vengeance but Christ our Advocate and High-Priest is in heaven to answer for us Indeed father they are grievous sinners but here am I which in my owne body have borne the burden of their sins In the Courts here on earth men have Advocates and Proctours that appeare for them Christ our Advocate appeares in heaven for us therefore wee neede not to feare Who shall lay any thing to the charge of GODS elect It is CHRIST that appeareth in heaven for us 2. As hee is gone into heaven so we shall one day bee in heaven with him In the time of the Law the High-Priest went into the Sanctum Sanctorum but hee could carry none of the people with him Our High-Priest will bring us all into the true Holy of Holies the kingdome of heaven Father I will that they also whom thou hast given mee be with me where I am The fore-runner is gone before us and we shall follow after hee himselfe hath told us that in his Fathers house there be many mansions and he is gone to prepare a place for us What a dignity is this that dust and ashes should sit in the heavenly place with CHRIST Let this comfort us against all the crosses and calamities of this life What though wee be sicke many weekes together What though wee bee pinched with poverty for a time in this world and with soares as Lazarus c. all these one day shall have an end and wee shall bee in heaven with Christ have Palmes in our hands Crownes on our heads where all teares shall bee wiped from our eyes for ever VERSE 25. HHimselfe Hebr. 1.3 Often as the High-Priest offered often Every yeere whereas Christ but once Other bloud of Goates Calves c. Let us remember that which St. Peter telleth us we are redeemed from our old conversation wee are washed from our sins by the bloud of Christ therefore let us not wallow like swine in the dunghill of sin againe VERSE 26. BEcause there were sins in all ages of the world to bee done away CHRIST 's death was prefigured from the beginning of the world by the death of Abel by the oblation of Isaac by the sacrifice of many beasts in the time of the Law yet hee suffered but once Now not in the precedent or future time but now in the fulnesse of time Gal. 4.4 End of the world 1 Cor. 10.11 1 Ioh. 2.18 Hora. Though 1600 yeeres and moe are passed since yet a thousand yeeres are but as a day with the Lord. Hath he beene manifested 1 Tim. 3.16 appeared in the nature of man truly like to us in all things sin only excepted To the abolishing so as hereafter it shall bee of no force to accuse and condemne us or to shut us out of heaven There is sin still remaining in us but the guilt and punishment thereof is put away how not by the sacrifice of a Lamb Goate Calfe c. but by the sacrifice of himselfe Why did not GOD send CHRIST at the beginning of the world 1. Hee would have sicke man for a time to bee humbled with the sight and feeling of his disease that the Physitian might bee more welcome when he came 2. He would have the prophesies concerning Christ to bee fulfilled before he came A sharpe and evident knife to cut the throat of the Masse withall If CHRIST be offered up in the sacrifice of the Masse then hee suffers at every Masse for there can bee no offering of Christ without suffering but he suffers not even in the judgement of the Papists neither Bellarmine nor any of them all can though full of shifts tell handsomely how to elude this argument for here their unbloudy sacrifice hath a deadly wound There can bee no oblation of Christ without the suffering of Christ. The world then is not eternall as some Philosophers dreamed it had a beginning and it shall have an end onely GOD is without beginning and ending for the Angels themselves had a beginning If the end of the world was in the time of CHRIST and of his Apostles then now it must needs bee at an end now it lyes a gasping and is ready to yeeld up her breath that day is at hand when the world shall passe away with a noyse Therefore why doe wee dote so much on the world wilt thou sit feasting and banquetting in a rotten house that is ready to fall on thy head Such an house is the world therefore rather hasten to bee out of it The wicked are called the men of this world wee that bee the faithfull are men of another world ye are not of the world sayes our SAVIOUR CHRIST yet for all that wee are meere worldlings following the pleasures and
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
hath borne the sinnes of us all therefore let us not feare death 2. It is but a sleepe Lord if hee sleepe then shall hee doe well enough Men are refreshed after sleepe so we after death Apoc. 3.14 13. There bee two benefits which wee shall receive by death 1. Wee shall rest from our labours Here wee are like Noahs Dove wee can finde no rest either day or night wee shall rest from the workes of our calling Now indeed wee are early up in the morning sit up late at night and eate the bread of carefulnesse all the day long but then wee shall rest from that toiling and moiling wee shall rest from the workes of piety and Religion All that wee shall doe then will bee to sing Hallelujahs to our blessed redeemer Wee shall rest from sinne wee shall no longer cry out like tyred Porters Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from this body of death We shall rest from all miseries and sicknesses cry out no more my head my head nor complaine of troubles in our selves Wives Children or servants Wee shall rest from weaknesses and infirmities Now wee eate drinke sleepe c. but then wee shall eate of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God and never hunger or thirst any more 2. Their workes follow them our labour is not in vaine in the Lord. The almes of Cornelius the garments of Dorcas the Centurions Synagogue a Cup of cold water given in CHRIST 's name shall be rewarded so that we may sing like a Swanne before our death as St. Paul did 2 Tim. 4.8 henceforth there is layd up for mee a Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give mee at that day and not to me only but unto them also that love his appearing 4. Comfort against death is a glorious resurrection Iob 19.25 26.27 Phil. 3. Christ's glorious body Our bodies putrifie in the earth yet there is not an end of them We have praeludia in the Old and New Testament the Widow of Sareptas Son raysed up by Elias the Sonne of the Shunamitish Woman by Elisha In the New Testament Christ raised up three the one in domo Iairus daughter the other in feretro on the Beare the Widdowes Sonne of Naim the third in Sepulchro that was Lazarus which had lyen foure dayes and began to stincke all which are pledges of our resurrection The same God that raised them up will raise us up at the last day Death goes not alone there is one that followes her and that is judgement Iudgement either of absolution for the godly come yee blessed of my Father or of condemnation for the wicked goe yee cursed into c. If there were no judgement after death the godly of all others were most miserable and if no judgement the ungodly were the happiest men But let us know that after death comes a judgement one way or other salvation or damnation We must all appeare before the judgment seate of Christ c. The drunkard must give an account of his drunkennesse the covetous man how he hath imployed his riches we must give an account of our oppressions thefts secret or open of our negligent comming to Church and contempt of the Word of God Let this cause us with a narrow eye to looke into our lives let us judge our selves in this world that wee bee not condemned hereafter Yet there bee a number in the Church that thinke it a scare Crow and make a mocke at this judgement as the Athenians did at the resurrection Acts 17.32 they will believe the Assizes at Bury and in other places but count this a tale of a tub Felix though a wicked man trembled at it Let us all tremble at the naming of this judgement Let it be a meanes to pull us from sin and to make our peace with God in this world that we may stand without trembling before the Sonne of man Iudgment followes upon the neck of death either come thou blessed or goe thou cursed The good thiefe the same day he dyed was with Christ in Paradise that was his judgment the rich man the same day he dyed was in hell in torments that was his judgement Wherefore whilest wee have time let us repent while God giveth us a breathing time on the face of the earth for when death commeth it is too late then there is no mercy but judgement to be expected While we be alive Christ knocketh at the doore of our hearts with the hammer of his Word if we will open to him he will sup with us and we shall sup with him in the kingdome of glory but if now we shut him out and will not suffer him to enter he will shut us out and though we cry Lord Lord with the foolish Virgins he will not open to us VERSE 28. AT the which offering he dyed To take away not existentiam peccati but reatum dominium paenam Of many Matth. 26.28 he dyed for all sufficienter What is CHRIST dead and gone then wee shall never see him againe Yes he shall appeare in the heavens with his mighty Angels Without sinne Why the first time he appeared without sinne for He knew no sinne I but then hee came with his fraile body to offer up for sinne Verse 26. Now he shall appeare with no more sacrifice for sinne Then he came as a Lamb to be slaine for sin now as a King and a Lion Then he came as a Priest with a sacrifice to offer now as a Iudge to sit on the Throne To the salvation of the godly but to the damnation of wicked and reprobate men Here is another argument against the Masse Men may as well dye often ordinarily as Christ be offered up often As this is an unmoveable truth that a man ordinarily dies but once So this is a firme position in Divinity that CHRIST can be but once offered properly But to whom shall the day of Iudgement be comfortable to them that are weary of the loade of sin and looke for their deliverer Phil. 3.20 Tit. 2.13 2 Pet. 3.12 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window for the comming of her Sonne So we the spirituall mother brethren and sisters of Christ must looke out at the window of our hearts for him A Woman lookes for her Husband and we look to our money our Sheepe and Oxen but we looke not for Christ. It is to be feared if he were a comming we would entreat him to tarry still and say with the devills why art thou come to torment us before the time hee is our deliverer let us looke for him as faithfull servants for their masters and say come LORD IESU come quickly The second comming of CHRIST is here notably described 1. He shall come potenter because it is said he shall appeare 2. Innocenter without sinne 3. Finaliter to them that looke for him 4. Vtiliter to salvation He
an interrogation yet it is better to read it affirmatively otherwise they should have ceased to have beene offered Once purged from the guilt and punishment of sinne Should no more be pricked in conscience for their sins their consciences accusing them and drawing them before the tribunall of Gods justice for their sins If a medicine have once throughly cured a man it needs not againe be ministred to the man So if the ceremoniall Law with her sacrifices had healed the people of their sins those sacrifices might have ceased to bee offered but they were offered every yeare therefore they did not purge them from their sinnes The often iteration of those sacrifices shewed their inability to take away sin If the sacrifice of Christ once offered on the Crosse have purged us from all sinne then Christ must be no more offered but the sacrifice of Christ once offered on the Crosse hath purged us from all sinne which the Papists deny not Therefore Christ is no more to be offered as they say he is in the sacrifice of the Masse The Iesuites affirme that the Apostle here strikes at the legall sacrifices but not at the sacrifice of holy Church I but with one stroake hee woundeth them both The repetition of a sacrifice argues the weakenesse and debility of it for if it have once abolished sinne it needs not bee repeated againe CHRIST by his sacrifice on the Crosse hath taken away the sins of the world therefore Christ is not to be offered up any kinde of way neither bloudily nor unbloudily to expiate sin There is a conscience in every man that keepeth a register of all his sins It is scientia cum alia scientia There is a generall knowledge of the Law written in the hearts of us all and conscience is a particular application of it to our selves As for example the Law of God sayes Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge My conscience sayes to mee if I be guilty of that sinne thou art an Adulterer thou hast had thy Queanes in many corners therefore God will judge thee this is conscience which setteth our sins in order before us For the better unfolding of it we know that there be sundry kindes of consciences 1. There is an erring conscience a blind conscience as was in them that thought they did God good service when they killed the Children of God Such a conscience was in Paul before his conversion for the which hee was grieved afterwards when the eyes of their minde come but once to bee opened then their conscience will accuse them for it 2. There is a sleeping conscience A man knowes the will of God yet his conscience being a sleepe for a time he lyes snorting in the bed of sinne So did David in his sin of numbring the people but his conscience awoke at the length and his heart smote him for it A man may lye sleeping in covetousnesse drunkennesse adultery and God at the length awaken him out of that sleepe which is good for him 3. There is a seared conscience such as was in them 1 Tim. 4.2 when men are past feeling and hardned in their sins Custome becomes another nature They are so accustomed to drinking whoring oppressing and deceiving of their neighbours as that they thinke those to be no sins Their consciences never checke them for them These are in the ready way to Hell 4. There is an accusing conscience which is as a scolding queane in the house of a mans heart and will never suffer him to bee quiet day nor night They are like the raging Sea continually foaming In that case were they that went out of the Temple one by one being convicted of their owne consciences Such a conscience had Iudas when he cryed I have sinned in betraying innocent bloud This may prove a tragedy both in the end and in the beginning too as it did in him and it may end with a comedy in Gods Children It may lead some to hell and for others it may bee the way to heaven Mordeat nunc ut moriatur It is better for us that this Worme gnaw on us here to the vexation of our hearts for a while then gnaw on us eternally hereafter This accusing conscience more or lesse wee shall have in this world at one time or other they that fall into grosse sins and yet never feele a hell in their consciences in this life shall never finde an heaven in the life to come Therefore it was well said of one being demanded which was the way to heaven hell sayes he For if thou goest not by hell thou wilt never get to heaven 3. There is an excusing and cleering conscience When the bookes are cleered betweene GOD and us A debter is cleered when the booke of his Creditour is crossed so our consciences are quiet when our sins are out of Gods booke then we shall have no more conscience of sin This could not be effected by the sacrifices in the time of the Law neither can it bee obtained by any thing that we can doe in the time of the Gospell It is neither our comming to Church nor hearing of Sermons though these bee good things not our prayers fastings almes deeds receiving of Communions noe though wee should give our bodies to be burnt These are excellent duties yet these cannot acquit our consciences of sinne for when wee have done all we are unprofitable servants and we sinne in our best actions The only way to come to a quiet and excusing conscience is the application of Christ's merits to our selves being justified by faith we have peace with God If wee have laid hold on CHRIST by a lively faith wee may take up that song death where is thy sting c. Therefore let us repent and then entreat the Lord to assure our consciences that CHRIST hath dyed for all our sinnes and then wee shall have no more conscience of sins So we shall sing for joy when wee lye on our death beds and shall stand without trembling before God in the life to come VERSE 3. BVt the offerers of them have still conscience of sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not onely of their present sins but of their sinnes past too All of them doe lye as a loade still on their consciences whereof the yeerely sacrifice by the High-Priest putteth them in minde Levit. 16.21 As they in the time of the Law had many sacrifices to put them in remembrance of sinne so wee in the time of the Gospell have many remembrancers of sinne Sundry Monitours to admonish us that we be sinners The Raine-bow may be a remembrance of sin to us that the world was once drowned for sinne and that it might be so still but for the goodnesse and mercy of God Baptisme daily ministred in the Church putteth us in minde of sinne for if we were not sinners we needed not to be baptized The Lords Supper puts us in minde of
sinne doe this in remembrance of me that my body was broken for you and my bloud shed for you on the Crosse. The immoderate showers that come oft in harvest and deprive us of the fruits of the earth may put us in minde of sin for they bee our sinnes that keepe good things from us Our moyling and toyling for the sustentation of our selves with much care and wearisome labour for if we had not sinned it shold not have bin so The sicknesses and diseases that bee among us terrible agewes that bring men to deaths doore and continue with them many weekes together the plague and pestilence that hath raged among us swept many thousands away and in a manner consumed some Townes c. the death of so many of our brethren and sisters continually before our eyes c. may put us in minde of sin for if we had not sinned wee should not have dyed There bee a number of things to put us in minde of sinne but there is nothing that can take away sinne but Iesus Christ the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world All these should humble us and make us to knocke on our breasts with the poore Publican and say ô God bee mercifull to us sinners Therefore let us all flye to this heavenly Physition for the curing of us VERSE 4. HE doth not say it is an unlikely thing hard or difficult but unpossible 1. God that is offended by sin and to be reconciled to us is a Spirit Bulls and Goats are fleshly things Psal. 50.13 2. God is most holy just and righteous there is no holinesse in Bulls and Goates 3. Man is a farre more glorious creature then Bulls and Goates created after Gods own Image endewed with reason and understanding yet the bloud of the wisest and holiest men in the world could not make satisfaction for sinne much lesse can the bloud of Bulls and Goates Yee are more worth than many Sparrowes so we are more worth than many Bulls and Goates 4. The Angels in heaven cannot take away sinne much lesse Bulls and Goates 5. As man had sinned so the bloud of man must bee powred out for the sin of man yea the bloud of such a man as knew no sin A sinner cannot satisfie for sinners therefore it became us to have such a High-Priest as was separated from sinners Neither was he to be a meere man but God and man the power of man is finite the power of God is infinite Therefore hee that delivered us from sinne offered up himselfe by his eternall Deity So that it is not the bloud of Bulls and Goates that can take away sinne but wee are purchased with the bloud of God Object Levit. 16.30 That is spoken sacramentally because that was a token and a signification of their clensing Object Rhemists The sacrifices of the Law before Christ could not take away sinne but the sacrifice of the New Testament since CHRIST 's death being an Application of it can take away sinne Sol. I but no creature can doe it neither before nor since CHRIST 's passion CHRIST yesterday and to day the same for ever Oh that this were effectually considered of us all Wee are redeemed from our old conversation by the precious bloud of CHRIST Our sins cost the bloud of the LORD IESUS Therefore let us take no pleasure in them David said of the water for the which three of his worthies ventured their lives this is the bloud of them c. Therefore hee would not drinke of it but powred it on the ground So as often as we are entised to sinne to drunkennesse uncleannesse covetousnesse c. Let us say these cost the bloud of the Sonne of God therefore though never so sweete let us not drinke of that water but hurle it away The love of CHRIST should constraine us to it Will any nourish a Serpent that hath killed his deere friend Sinne is the Serpent that killed CHRIST the friend of friends therefore let us not harbour him but hurle him out of doores Yet this bloud wherewith we are bought is little considered for all that wee wallow in sin still But they that belong to Christ will lay it to heart that it may be as a bridle to restraine them from sin As we are washed from our sins in the bloud of Christ no other bloud could do it so let us cast away sin keep our selves undefiled in this world that we may reigne with Christ in the world to come VERSE 5. 1. THe promised Messiah of whom David prophesieth in that Psalme for there bee sundry things that are peculiar to Christ and cannot be communicated to David 1. God required sacrifices of David but of this man he requireth none Psal. 40.6 2. This man was to supply the defect of the legall sacrifices and to fulfill the will of GOD perfectly for mankind this could not David doe Therefore this is a prophesie which David maketh of our Saviour Christ. Taking our nature on him In respect of his deity hee was in the world before but now he is in it too in respect of his humanity Ioh. 3.13 Eph. 4.9 yet he brought not his body with him from heaven 1 Cor. 15.47 Namely to God the Father Cruenta that were slaine incruenta Caphatsta thou takest no pleasure in He would have those sacrifices in the time of the Law as demonstrations of their obedience and monuments of thankefulnesse as Noah but now in the time of the Gospell hee will not have them 2. He would have them as types and figures for a time to represent the sacrifice of Christ to come but he will not have them as propitiatory for sin The only propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the world is the Christ's body which is opposed to the others Hast thou fitted in all respects for me Here seemes to be an apparant jarre betweene St. Paul and David In the Hebrew it is aoznaijm Carithali boared Some think that the Seventy whom St. Paul followeth did at the first interpret it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Hebrew and afterwards by the fault of the Printers came in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But there is no likelihood the Apostle would cite a corrupt glosse instead of the true interpretation In substance there is no difference betweene the Hebrew and the Greeke If God the Father prepared eares for Christ then a body For there cannot bee eares without a body so that both may stand very well save that the Seventy no doubt directed by the Spirit of God doth make the Prophets meaning more plaine which St. Paul layeth hold of because it fitteth his purpose to make an opposition betweene the Christ's body and the sacrifices of the Law The servant that would dwell with his master had his eare bored through with an awle Exod. 21.5 So because Christ offered himselfe as a servant to God the Father for our sakes it is said that he boared his eares
in token of that his voluntary service But hee could not have his eares prepared for the doing of the will of his Father unlesse he had a body Therefore the Seventie to make it more cleere sayes a body hast thou prepared for me wherein I should doe thee service and suffer for mankinde And because all the Sacrifices in the Law could not take away sin therefore was this body of Christ prepared by the Lord that should be sacrificed for the sins of the world No other sacrifice was able to make satisfaction to Gods justice for the sins of men Verse 10. There is joy when any man child commeth into the world but much more have we all cause to skip for joy at Christ's comming into the world Vnto us a child is given to us a Sonne is borne behold I bring you tidings of great joy sayd the Angel to the Shepheards when Christ came into the world The Angels sung at his comming which needed not to be redeemed by him and shall not we men sing for his comming for whose redemption he came into the world it had beene better for us we had never set a foot into the world if he had not come into the world Therefore let us praise God all the dayes of our life for his comming into the world When he commeth into the world that was the maker of the world For by him all things were made nay that which is more when hee commeth into the world that was the Saviour and redeemer of the world that reconciled the world to God and yet found no kind entertainment in the world he was rayled at spitted on buffetted whipped crucified he came into the world but the world received him not And shal we that be Christians imagine to find any kindnes in the world it hated the Head and wil it love the members no we must look to have a step-mother of the world as Christ had we must looke for crosses and afflictions in the world as he had As Christ came into the world so in the time appointed by the Father he went out of the world again and so must we There is a time to be borne and a time to dye as we came into the world so we must go out of the world Where we came we may know but where we shall go out we cannot tel Let us glorifie Christ while we be here that at our departure out of the world we may live with him in eternall glory He saith not so soone as he came into the world when he lay in the cratch but he said in the time of his humiliation in the world And how came he into the world after a base and ignominious manner borne of a poore woman affianced to a Carpenter that was brought to bed in a stable in the Inne where hee was laid in a Manger wrapped up in meane swadling clouts This was the manner of his first comming contemptible in the eyes of the world But his second comming shal be most glorious when he shall come in the clouds with all his holy Angels attending on him Now he came as a Lamb to be killed therefore he came meanely then he shall come as a Lion and a King to reigne for ever Therfore that shall be a glorious comming it shall be terrible to the wicked but most comfortable to us that be the wife of the Lord Iesus A true body made of a Woman the fruit of her Wombe as ours is not an aerie or phantasticall body as some Heretickes dreamed A body in all substantiall things like to ours differing only in one accidentall thing and that is sinne him that knew no sinne did God make sinne for us God ordained him a soule too The deity did not supply the office of his soule as Apollinaris did imagine he had a true soule too as we have wherein he suffered for our sakes my soule is heavy to the death But because the body is conspicuous so is not the soule and because he was to dye in his body he could not dye in respect of his soule therefore the spirit of God nameth that God hath ordained a body for every man but a more speciall and excellent body for our Saviour Christ a body conceived not by the conjunction of a man and a woman but extraordinarily by the Holy Ghost that being a most pure and sacred body not infected with the least spot and contagion of sinne it might be a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the world Ours are most wretched and sinfull bodies that because they are poysoned with sin must one day see corruption and bee consumed to dust and ashes Lazarus body did stincke when it lay foure dayes in the earth Ours in regard of sin are stincking bodies but Christ's was a most glorious body and for that cause saw no corruption Absalom had a beautifull body yet a wretched body Saul had a comely body yet a miserable body The body of the fairest Lady on earth is a vile body only Christ's was a glorious body The Martyrs bodies that were burnt for the profession of the Gospell were in some respect to be honoured because they were the Temples of the Holy Ghost and sealed up the truth of the Gospell with their bloud yet all their bodies joyned together nor the bodies of all the holy men in the world could make satisfaction for one sinne therefore God ordained Christ a body for this purpose to be offered up for the sins of us all As for our bodies let us labour to offer them up as a lively sacrifice to God in all obedience to him in this life that Christ may change them and make them like his glorious body in the life to come VERSE 6. THe reason why thou hast prepared this body for me is because in burnt offerings and sinne offerings thou hadst no pleasure These would not content thee therefore I come with my body into the world Supply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here he reckons up two other sacrifices used in the Law which God likewise rejected Loa shealta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sense is all one VERSE 7. FReely of mine owne accord as 1 Reg. 22.21 Isai. 6.8 as an obedient child sayes to his father loe I come father if it be to preferment a man will say loe I come but if it be to the Gallowes for another who will say loe I come Why because in the beginning of thy booke that mooved him to it that the things written of him might be performed Hebr. Bimgillath in volumine in the scrowle For the Bible with the Iewes as it is at this day was wrapped up in a scrowle not printed as it is among us Megillath of Galal volvere The Seventie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath bred diversity of interpretations Some referre it to the beginning of the Psalmes Psalm 1.2 whereas that is spoken of all the godly others to the first verse in all the Bible In the
offer any sacrifice for sin but remaining in heaven still he patiently abideth Then let us waite The foot-stoole of his feete Donec imports a continuation of time Sinne the Devill and his instruments death it selfe If Christ tarrieth for us shall not we tarry for him Luk. 12.36 2 Pet. 3.12 The soules of the Saints that lay under the Altar cryed how long Lord but this answer was returned to them that they should rest for a little season untill their fellow servants and brethren were fulfilled Apoc. 6.10 11. The patient abiding of the poore shall not perish for ever Let us by patience and long suffering passe through the sea of afflictions in this world that we may be with Christ in the haven of eternall happinesse in the world to come Let us tarry for him till the breath bee out of our bodies and let our flesh rest in hope till the day of judgement 2. This phrase doth signifie the greatest and basest part of subjection that can be Ioshua made the men of War to set their feete on the neckes of the Kings that fought against them Ios. 10.24 Adonibezeck made them whom he subdued to gather crumbes under his table Iud. 1.7 The Psalmist sayes of the enemies of Christ they shall licke the dust under his feete and Rom. 16.20 The God of peace shall tread Satan under our feete I will lay thee at my foote we are wont to say Now as they shall be Christ's footstoole so our footstoole too Wee shall be conquerours yea more than Conquerours by him that loved us but this full and compleate victory shall not be till the day of judgment when death the last enemy of all shall be subdued In the meane season while we be here we must look to have our enemies on our top to spit on our face to smite us as they did Christ to make long furrowes on our backes to offer us the greatest indignity that can be but let us be of good comfort the time shall come when they shall be our foot-stoole to their everlasting shame and we shall be as Kings with crownes on our heads and palmes in our hands for ever and ever VERSE 14. THere is great reason he should sit still at the right hand of God in heaven because with one offering he hath perfected that is hath gi-given them all things that were requisite reconciliation remission of sins sanctification redemption Not for a time but for ever Not all the world in generall but those that are sanctified they that remaine dogs and swine still have no benefit by this sacrifice but those that are sanctified Eph. 1.4 1 Cor. 6.11 All have not benefit by the sacrifice of our Saviour Christ only they that are sanctified Acts. 20.32 This is the will of God even your sanctification If we be not sanctified we shall never set a foote into the kingdome of heaven Dogges Enchanters Whoremongers are without Follow peace and holinesse without which no man shall see GOD. Except a man bee borne of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God Ioh. 3.5 Such were some of you but yee are sanctified c. 1 Cor. 6.11 This is little considered of us We falsely imagine that we may wallow like swine in the mire of our sinnes and yet goe to heaven when wee dye That cannot bee None are perfected by the offering of CHRIST but they that are sanctified If thou remainest a covetous miser still and beest not sanctified from thy covetousnesse if thou continuest a drunkard still and art not sanctified from thy drunkennesse if thou dwellest in thy fornication adultery stil and beest not sanctified from these sins If thou beest a proud man still and art not sanctified from thy pride to have a lowly opinion of thy selfe thou shalt never have any comfort by the oblation of CHRIST Wee must be Saints in some measure while wee are here on the earth or else wee shall never be Saints in heaven hereafter Paul writeth to them that are sanctified 1 Cor. 1.1 Therefore let us entreat the Lord to sanctifie us in soule spirit and body throughout that we may enter into the holy Hierusalem in the life to come VERSE 15. FOr the HOLY GHOST testifieth this also to us 2 Pet. 1.21 For after hee had said before these are the words of the Apostle making a collection out of the Prophet He doth not say for Ieremie beares us witnesse but the Holy Ghost The whole Scripture was given by inspiration from God it was inspired by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 The HOLY GHOST speakes in the bookes of Moses in the Psalmes and in the Prophets in the writings of the Evangelists in the Epistles of the Apostles and in all the rest In other writings men speake but in the Scripture GOD Almighty speaketh therefore how reverently are they to bee read and heard of us wee that bee the Preachers speake yet it is not wee but the Spirit of GOD that speaketh in us the HOLY GHOST speaketh by the mouth of all his servants therefore let us take heed how we resist the Holy Ghost VERSE 16. AFter he had promised a New Covenant instead of the Old After those dayes namely of the old Testament those being expired Then saith the Lord concerning the New Covenant that was promised Two things Renovation and Remission of sins Verse 17. God doth not promise to put his lawes in our eyes that wee might look on them in our mouthes that we might talke of them or on the fringes of our garments as the Pharises had the Law of God but if wee feare Him Hee will put his lawes into our hearts that the heart being possessed with the Law of God it may set the tongue and all the members of the body on worke VERSE 17. NEither the guilt nor punishment of them This testimony was cited Chapter 8. to prove that there was a New Covenant to abolish the Old Here it is alleadged to prove that remission of sins is effected by the sacrifice of Christ in the New Testament which was only figured out by the sacrifices of the Old Testament So that one and the same Scripture may be applyed to diverse purposes The foundation whereupon the remission of sins promised by God was built was the sacrifice of Christ in the New Testament otherwise this testimony should not be alleadged to purpose That which we minde to punish we will remember I remember Amalek said the Lord. A master being displeased with his servant sayes I will remember you anon but God will not remember our sins he will rase them out of the booke of his remembrance An happy turne for us for if he should remember but one sin against us it were sufficient to cast us into hell As God remembers not our sins So let not us remember the injuries done to us Ioseph would not revenge himselfe on his brethren for the injurie they intended against him and practised but
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
But ignorant persons cannot commit the sin against the Holy Ghost they must be men of knowledge that fall into this sinne therefore the more knowledge we have the more carefull wee should be that we be not carryed by little and little into this sinne Knowledge puffeth up knowledge breeds pride and pride may tumble us into hell before we be aware The Devill at the first and so hee is still was of wonderfull knowledge he saw what was in heaven yet he was carryed into the sinne against the Holy Ghost he sinned maliciously against the knowledge which hee had received The Pharisees were men of singular knowledge sitting in Moses chaire reading Divinity lectures to the people most skilfull in the Law of God these fell into this horrible sinne many of them as is apparant in the Gospell Therefore let them that have knowledge looke to themselves Let us not thinke highly of our selves for our knowledge least we fall into the condemnation of the Devill To whom much is given of them much is required Therefore the more knowledge GOD hath given us the more often let us be in prayer that we may employ it to the glory of the giver The more we know the more humble let us be and crave the gracious assistance of God's Spirit to guide our knowledge to his glory the good and benefit of our brethren As wee have science so let us have conscience and as we abound in knowledge so let us abound in practice and be plentifull in the fruits of righteousnesse by Iesus Christ. 3. Every sin that is done willingly is not the sinne against the Holy Ghost David lay with Bathshebah willingly and for the most part we sinne willingly with joy and delight but this sinne hath malice annexed to it as we shall see afterwards They fall toti à toto in totum scienter volenter malitiosè irrevocabiliter It is as cleere as the noone day that the sinne against the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiven it is peccatum irremissibile This is so cleere in Scripture as that the Papists cannot deny it yet they will smooth it with the oyle of distinction it is called irremissibile ordinariè non absolutè as Bellarmine speaketh because ordinarily it cannot be forgiven not because forgivenesse is absolutely denyed unto it aegrè difficulter it can bee forgiven yet with much adoe and seldome it is forgiven But Christ sayes it can never bee forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come not it can hardly be forgiven but never Saint Iohn calls it a sinne to death not a sinne neere death that cannot be forgiven without great difficulty but such a sin as strikes the party with the dart of death without recovery Every sinne is to death without the mercy of GOD in CHRIST but this is a sinne to death without a remedy The death of CHRIST cannot cure this sinne Without Repentance none can bee forgiven These men cannot repent Ergo it cannot bee forgiven There remaineth no sacrifice for this sinne the sacrifice of CHRIST cannot abolish this sinne because it is contemned by them and was never ordained for them A lamentable sin Let us entreat the Lord above all sins to keepe us from this There is a sacrifice for Idolatry for common swearing for prophanenesse for theft treason adultery murder these bee horrible sinnes and the Lord preserve us from them yet these may be washed away in the bloud of Christ sacrificed on the Crosse for us but there is no sacrifice for these sinners Lord keepe mee sayes Dauid from presumptuous sinnes But much more let us pray Lord keepe us from this sinne of sinnes the sinne against the HOLY GHOST and undoubtedly hee will keepe all his from it for they that are borne of God cannot sinne unto death VERSE 27. BVt on the contrary side Hee doth not say the present judgement of GOD shall light on them but that which is a mervailous torture to their conscience a fearefull and continuall expectation of it being assured it will one day come upon them as a condemned man lookes every houre to dye The godly stand in a joyfull expectation of CHRIST his comming and wish for it Come Lord Iesu come quickly but the expectation of his comming strikes a continuall terrour to the wicked which is as a racke to them in the meane season The devils believe there is a God and tremble so these apostats believe there is a day of judgement and quake at the recordation of it And the Zeale or fervency of fire goe ye cursed into everlasting fire Fire is terrible therefore the paines of hell are described by it Fire is devouring it devoures an whole towne This is a devouring fire it shall alwayes be a devouring of them and yet never fully devoure them they shall ever be burning and never burned Whom them that are opposite to Christ that wage battle against him open and professed enemies set on the other side against Christ yet under a kind of pretext and colour as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth import inverting to themselves some colourable reason why they should doe so This is that which hee said Heb. 6. They are a reprobate earth whose end is to be burned Here it is evident to us all that there is a day of judgement There is a lake burning with fire and brimstone The wicked would not looke for that which is not they looke and that with feare and horrour for the judgment to come Felix trembled therefore there is a judgement The thieves would not be afraid of the Assizes if there were no judgement The very devils and all the wicked know there is a judgement to come Why art thou come to torment us before the time they knew there was a time when they shold be tormented but they complained that CHRIST with his holy presence tormented them before the time Therefore let us all after a godly manner feare this judgement As for them that thinke there is no judgement they are worse than the Devill 2 Thes. 1.8 There is a violent fire that shall devoure the adversaries an unquenchable fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Doe not imagine that ignis gehennae is ignis fatuus It is said of the Sodomites that they suffer the vengeance of eternall fire God hath appointed a day wherein hee will judge the world in righteousnesse and wee must all appeare before the judgement seat of CHRIST Therefore let us often thinke upon it and let it be as a bridle to restraine us from sinne Whether I eate or drinke said Ierome mee thinkes the trumpet soundeth in my ears surgite mortui venite ad judicium Even now when wee are eating and drinking making merry at the Nativitie of our Blessed SAVIOUR even now when wee are in the middest of all our mirth and Christmasse games let us remember there is a judgement and let us live here that wee may stand without trembling before the Sonne of
it CHRIST the Saviour of the world was promised to them that he should come of Abrahams seed but as yet he was not come the kingdome of heaven whereof the land of Canaan was a type was promised to them but as yet they received it not yet they believed certainely that they should have them and dyed in that faith Faith is an evidence of things that are not seene The victory over sinne death and the Divell is promised to us we shall bee more than conquerors yet sinne gives us many a fall the Divell assaults and tempts us death seaseth on us and takes us away yet let us believe Gods promise As yet we have not received the resurrection yet believe it nor the kingdome of heaven yet believe it and dye in that beliefe though thou kill me I will believe in thee The affirmative 2. Though they received them not yet they saw them not neere hand but farre off not with the eye of the body but of the soule which is faith Abraham in the birth of Isaac saw CHRIST In thy seed that is in CHRIST shall all nations be blessed Isaac was borne of a woman which by the course of nature was never like to have Children so was CHRIST of a Virgin that never knew man In the oblation of Isaac he saw the oblation of Christ on the Crosse. When Isaac bore the wood wherewith he should be burnt hee saw Christ bearing his owne Crosse when he saw Isaac bound on the Altar he saw Christ fastened to the Crosse. So the Israelites afterwards saw CHRIST afarre off in the Paschall Lamb and the rest of the sacrifices but blessed are our eyes wee as yet see the kingdome of heaven but afarre off but one day we shall see God face to face 3. They were perswaded they should have them and dyed in that perswasion they saluted them as Marrinors espying the shoare afarre off skip for joy hoping shortly to bee at it so these seeing the celestiall Canaan afarre off rejoyced at it and embraced it with the armes of faith So we must rejoyce at the sight of death as Simeon and Paul 4. They confessed themselves strangers here Whereby it is apparent they looked for a Country in heaven and dyed in faith expecting that Country 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Citizens that have a râ—ght and interest in the City may goe up and downe boldly strangers are fearefull standing at the curtesie of others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that come as wanderers from another people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without house and home They confessed it 1. By deeds by their dwelling in tents 2. In words before all men It is not to be extended to the Patriarcks before the floud for some of them as Enoch dyed not It is to be restreyned to them after the floud Hee doth not say all these were rare and excellent men beautified with singular graces of GODS spirit deepe in his bookes therefore they were exempted from death there is none that hath that priviledge Death is a Cup whereof all must drinke there is no man living but shall see death Wise Solomon godly David that was a man after Gods owne heart is dead strong Samson faire Absalom wealthy Nabal is dead Lazarus dyed and the rich man also dyed and was buryed Beggars dye and Kings dye Have I not said yee are Gods yet yee shall dye as men It is well observed by Saint Augustine that it fell out by the providence of GOD that the verb morior should not be declined after the same manner that other verbs of that kinde be orior ortus est morior mortuus est to declare that death signified by it cannot be declined Mors non cogitur abesse sed cogitur non obesse Death cannot hurt the godly it is rather a benefit to them yet they dye This we can all say nothing so certaine as Death yet we make no use of it for all that we bathe our selves in the pleasures of sin we are set on the merry pinne we follow the world so earnestly so greedily as if we should live for ever We are like the fishes that are skipping and leaping in the water and yet by and by are taken in the Net We know that the Net of Death is continually spread for us all yet we are as jocund as if no net were laid for us It is said Eccles. 7.4 That the living shall lay it to heart Wee talke of Death wee carry Death about with us we see it daily in other men Almost every weeke a buryall in many Townes yet wee live as if we should never dye Damocles the Parasite was set in Dionysius chayre he had all the honour and pleasure that could be devised but when hee considered the sword hanging by a slender horsehayre over his head hee tooke delight in nothing Death as Gods sword hangs over our head continually it is senibus prae foribus adolescentibus in insidiis The staffe of death stands before the doore of old folkes and it may steale on young men ere they bee aware yet we regard it not It causeth us not to have our conversation in heaven but we are as great earth wormes as if we should never dye All these dyed but how did they dye in the faith All dye but all dye not in the faith 1 Thes. 4.16 some dye in CHRIST and some live to the world and dye in the world Achitophel dyed but it was not in faith hee dyed a malecontent in a proud conceit of his wit and wisedome that his counsell should not bee followed which was wont to bee reputed as an oracle from heaven Iudas dyed but it was in desperation in infidelity not in faith he could not be perswaded that his sins were washed away in the bloud of CHRIST and therefore tooke a rope and hanged himselfe Cain dyed but not in faith for he cryed my sin is greater than can be forgiven Happy are they that dye in faith The Scripture doth not simply say blessed are the dead but that dye in the Lord. Iob dyed in the faith I am sure my Redeemer liveth Old Father Simeon dyed in the faith with CHRIST in his armes LORD now lettest thou thy servant Saint Paul dyed in the faith the time of my departure is at hand From henceforth A sweet thing to dye in the faith All that dye quietly to the eye of the world dye not in the faith The Psalmist sayes of the wicked there are no bands in their death Good men may have sore temptations when they lye on their death beds through the distemperature of the braine and the vehement paine of the body they may deliver some fearefull and impatient speeches savouring of infidelity as Iob did in his pangs and yet for all that dye in the faith Live in the faith bee plentifull in the fruits of faith and thou shalt bee sure to dye in the faith It is the
what Country man he was he answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mundanus The whole world is my Country all Countries are alike to me Yet in truth wee have no Country in the world England is not our Country Heaven properly to speake is our Country as Christ sayes call no man father here on earth so call no Country your Country on the earth Now heaven is our Country so we must seeke it it is worth the seeking and we cannot have it without seeking seeke the kingdom of God We must seeke it by prayer reading of Scripture hearing of Sermons by godly and fervent desire of the heart by heavenly meditations Our whole life ought to be a continuall seeking of heaven but alas we seeke for silver and gold Sheep and Oxen houses and lands and let heaven goe we are like Aesops dogge that snatched at the shadow and lost the substance We seeke more for shadowes then for the substance all the weeke long we are seeking of the world and scant on the Lords Day no day in the weeke doe we seeke heaven VERSE 15. THis is illustrated 1. By a declaration of the Country which they sought 2. By the fruit and reward of their seeking Object They professed themselves strangers because they were out of their soile the land of Chaldea Sol. That cannot be the Country which they had longed after for if their minde had run on that they had opportunity and time enough to returne in they had leysure but they would not take it 1. He shewes what Country it was not which they sought VERSE 16. 2. WHat it was which is first described comparatively then plainly pointed out with the finger The reward 1. A favour or prerogative in this life 2. In eternall happinesse in the life to come Exod. 3.15 he is the God of the whole world in generall he is the God of the wicked for temporall blessings of the faithfull for spirituall and eternall He that is the God of the whole world is now the God of three men Chrys. It is a glory to servants to have a denomination from their Lords and Masters I am servant to such a Noble man but it is no honour for a Lord to say I am the master of such a poore man such a beggarly fellow is my servant yet God glorieth of us that hee is our God Master and Father He makes this a piece of his style as if a puissant Prince would be called the King of Pigmies He hath prepared Hebr. 13.14 Ioh. 14.2 They doe not merit it GOD in mercy prepares it for them When Vide Matth. 25.34 God prepares many excellent things for us in this world but none comparable to this He prepared the world as an house furnished for man at the first We can but prepare temporall houses for our Children Some by this City understand the Church which though it bee on the earth is called heavenly because her chiefest part Christ her head is in heaven and her conversation is in heaven Hyperius But they were in the lap of the Church already within the walls of that City they needed not to seeke that which they had Heaven then is better than earth it is better by many degrees Men chuse that which they thinke to be best we choose earth rather than heaven therefore in our opinion that is the better What fooles what dolts be we men are ready to change for the better who would not change a beggars cottage for a Kings Pallace a patcht Cloak for a Princes robe We say heaven is the better yet we are loath to change our dwelling on earth for it by our good wills we would tarry here still We say heaven is a better country then this but we would faine continue in the earth still Many a Child is ashamed of his Father when hee comes to great honour We were base and ignominious wretches yet God was not ashamed of us If a great man have a kinswoman that is poore yet if a faire and beautifull woman haply he will not be ashamed of her We are all fowle and black by reason of sin yet God is not ashamed of us and shall we one of another A King is not ashamed of a beggar and shall one beggar be ashamed of another Shall one earthen Pot though it be a little guilt and tipt with silver be ashamed of another earthen Pot Though thou beest a rich man and hast more silver and gold than thy brother yet be not ashamed of him thou art earth as well as he yee are Pots of one Potter Constantine was not ashamed of the Bishops the Angels are not ashamed of us they acknowledge themselves to be our fellowes and brethren and shall we be ashamed one of another Though he be never so poore a man if he believe in Christ be not ashamed of him 2. As God is not ashamed of us so let us not be ashamed of him though Christ be afflicted here on earth yet let us not be ashamed of him and his Gospell for if we be he will be ashamed of us when he commeth with his holy Angels How doth it appeare he is not ashamed of us because he disdaineth not to be called our God He doth not say to be called their Lord and Master but God I thank my God that we read often This comprehendeth all good things for this life and that to come happy are the people that be in such a case blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. The Lions shall be hungerbit but they that have God for their Lord shal want nothing that is good This may strengthen us against poverty sicknes and all calamities against sin Satan and death it selfe Will any child feare want that hath a rich and loving father our God our Father is rich heaven and earth are his he is most loving he tenders us as the apple of his eye therefore wee can want nothing that is good The Lord is our God our shield Protectour and defender therefore let us feare nothing If God be on our side who can be against us Nay this may comfort us against death it selfe From this one word our Saviour proves the resurrection he is not the God of the dead but of the living for all live to him Though we dye God is our God he will raise us up againe at the latter day and translate us into his kingdome This may be a pillar of comfort for us to leane upon that God is our God By what token doth he shew himselfe to be our God because he hath prepared a City God is an excellent preparer Hee prepared the world as an house well furnished against the comming of man into it he prepared a Table for the Israelites in the wildernesse he gave them water out of a stony rocke and Manna from heaven he prepared a kingdome for Hester when she was a poore banished maide hee prepared a Whale for Ionah when he was cast into the
over-seething pots that send forth a fome or from over-charged stomackes that must needs belch Salomon saith of the foole eructat stultitiam he belches out foolishnesse Belchers yee know are odious to all so be all pratlers With what With malicious words As they said of Moses and Aaron Yee take too much upon you So Diotrephes said of Saint Iohn hee tooke too much upon him as if none should rule in the Church but hee Hee prated that hee did exhaust the treasury of the Church that hee overburthened them with a multitude of strangers sent to them It may be that he breathed out some points of erroneus doctrine too He prated against him he could not tell what inaniter ac irrationabiliter saith Lyra vainely and without all reason Zenophanes was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spurre to Homer and Diotrephes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spurre of Saint Iohn of whom hee was not worthy to be named the same day A common sinne yet a grievous sinne more grievous than we are aware of to be pratling in corners of other men 1. Therein they sin against God who gave them their tongues to be as trumpets to sound forth his praises and bells to toll their brethren to God not as coales of Iuniper to burne withall nor as sharpe rasors to cut withall 2. In this they imitate the devill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Basil they have their character and denomination from the devill hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the accuser and slanderer of the brethren so are they Hee is the old devill and they are the young devills 3. The object where about they be occupied is the good name of men now a good name is above silver and gold Hee doth not a man so great wrong that robbeth him of his silver and gold as hee that robbeth him of his good name 4. Hee is a man-slayer and no manslayer hath eternall life he kills three men at once with the sword of his tongue himselfe the hearers and the man whom he trusteth through with the speare of his malevolent speeches vnus est qui loquitur unum verbum profert he is one that speaketh he bringeth but one word out of his mouth yet in uno momento multas aures inficit multas animas interficit in one moment he infects many eares and kills many soules 5. He banisheth himselfe out of the Kingdome of heaven raylers by name are excluded therefore let us leave this pratling least hereafter we chatter and burne in hellfire Major est machaera linguae quam ferri saith Saint Augustine the sword of the tongue makes a deeper wound than the sword of yron It goes to the heart of many Saint Chrysostome professes he knew some Quos verba magis affecerunt quam vulnera whom words have more affected then blowes and no marveile saith he the body receives the one the soule the other But let us not be so faint hearted words are but winde as wee use to speake let them passe away like the winde especially being undeserved 1. What be those pratlers they be not lupi rapaces sed pulices mordaces Not ravening wolves but back-biting fleas they bee but as a company of whelpes that follow us wapping at our heeles 2. We draw in the same yoke with Christ and all the Saints Some kept a pratling against Christ that he was a perverter of the people that hee denyed to pay tribute to Caesar. Tertullus the oratour made a declamation against Paul Wee have found this man a turbulent fellow a mover of sedition throughout the world What a number of false accusations were commensed against Athanasius that he embeaseled the Kings treasure that he had killed Arsenius his owne deacon In this wee have a cloud of witnesses many companions in this affliction Wee may happily keepe out of the clawes of men but wee shall never keepe out of the jawes of men The servant is not above his master Daemonium habet he hath a devill audit Dominus patitur audit servus indignatur this heares the master and puts it up quietly this heares the servant and stormes at it impatiently 3. Men speake against us but God speakes for us It is Origens observation Nunquam tantas laudes dixit Deus de Mose ac postquam Miriam Aaron ei maledixerunt God never spake so much in the commendation of Moses as when Miriam and Aaron discommended and spake evill of him Were ye not afraid to speake against my servant even against Moses They disprayse God prayses what neede we to regard them 4. What is our rejoycing save the testimony of a good conscience there is joy within why should there be sorrow without Those pratling tongues croake in our eares like Ravens an excusing conscience sings like a Nightingal in our hearts let this inward musicke countervaile the outward jarring for a good conscience is a continuall feast 5. Consider him that endured such speaking against of sinners hee that knew no sinne boare the contumelious speeches of sinners shall not wee that bee sinners beare the reviling speeches of sinners 6. We are no losers but gainers by it Blessed are ye when men hate you when they separate you and revile you putting out your name as evill for the Sonne of mans sake rejoyce and be glad behold your reward is great in heaven Hereunto accords that worthy speech of S. August Quisquis volens detrahit famae meae nolens addit mercedi meae Whosoever willingly detracts from my good name doth unwillingly adde to my reward in the Kingdome of heaven therefore let us be so farre from vexing at them as rather let us rejoyce in them This is the least though it be fowle enough there follow greater from words he goes to actions 1. He receives not the brethren himselfe 2. He forbids them that would 3. Hee casts them out of the Church Yet he doth not simply say he receives not the brethren but not content with his malicious prating still he goes on from one degree of sinne to another There is a kinde of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of covetousnesse in sinning a covetous man is not content with that which he hath though he have the riches of Craesus yet still he would have more So hee that hath begun to drinke of the water of sinne must needs drinke more and more Haman was not content to put Mordicay to death that refused to bow to him but he must needs have the lives of all the Iewes in the provinces of Ahasuerus Herod was not content to kill Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword but he clapt up Peter into prison intending to serve him with the like sawce The Iewes at Thessalonica could not be content to have persecuted Paul in their owne Citty but they must pursue him to Berea likewise One witch-craft one adultery would not content Iesabel her