the present time not knowing that the time passeth the cōcupiscēce is ended in it that that lord after wil call thē to iudgmēt Thus the Prophet Daniel nameth the sinnes of Nabuchadnezar his errours and Abacuch making his prayer for all the sinnes of Israel hee nameth them their ignorances let vs therefore as this Apostle before warned vs beware lest we be hardned with the deceites of sinne but knowe for a suretie when wee be delighted with euil it is our errour if we were wise we would neuer be deceiued with so hurtfull enticements It followeth now in the third verse And for the same cause he must as for the people so for him selfe offer sacrifice for sinne In these words the Apostle beareth witnesse of want imperfection of the priesthood of Aaron that though he appeared as a mediatour betweene God and his people yet he was not perfecte for suche a woorke but acknowledging his owne sinnes hee sett him selfe in their number which looked for a better mediatour who was only figured could not be exhibited in his person to this end he offered sacrifice both for the people and for him selfe according as hee was expresly commaunded in the lawe of Moses as wee reade in the ninth Chapter of Leuiticus and againe after is here mentioned in the seuenth Chapter following And here we see the propertie required in a mediatour that is that he be absolute holie without spot to whome it can not bee said Physician cure thy selfe for then could he be profitable to none but who soeuer shall take vpon him this worke to pacific God and to conquer Satan he must haue a body prepared of God to all obedience he must be armed with the power of God to beate and vanquish sinne hell and condemnation so to abolish the Diuel they neuer knewe this neither the righteousnesse nor yet the power of a mediatour who so easily haue giuen this glorie vnto weake men for this streight condition the iustice of GOD requireth of him that shal reconcile man vnto God that he bring in him selfe all the righteousnesse whiche his holie lawe requireth by it first to sanctifie him selfe to be accepted and in that innocencie to beare the punishment of the sinnes of his people that hee might sett them free then in the power of his spirite to ouercome that punishment rise from it that it might be abolished and all with him might haue entrance into glorie and eternall life Now this comparison of the Apostle somwhat more plainly appeareth in which we see the dignitie of Christe Aaron was in nature a perfect man and so was Christe and more excellent in propertie beeing without sinne Aaron ministred for the peoples sake and for his own also beeing a sinner Christ for his people only himselfe needing nothing Aaron offered sacrifice but of other things none of his owne Christe offered his sacrifice his owne and him selfe Aaron had compassion on his brethren but in a certeine measure and the greatest parte of it for him selfe and sorrowe of his owne infirmities but Christe wholie was grieued for vs and for our sakes onely he bare infirmities of all which the doctrine is plaine vnto the people of Israel that not Aaron but Christ was the great high priest to reconcile them vnto God And here we see touching that that is said the high priest offered for his own sinnes and for the sinnes of the people that is not ment that his sacrifices were in deed a cleansing of their sinnes for neither can the bloud of Calues Goates wash away that infection neither can a sinnful man offer a sacrifice of such price onely the Lord Iesu offering his body could do so excellent a woorke but that the sacrifices of the lawe and that high Prieste were said to purge sinnes it was onely in figure as being signes and tokens of Christ and of his bodie to be sacrificed vppon the crosse which redemption they confessed and beleeued in their oblations and God sealed it vnto them by fire from heauen consuming their burnt offerings that their faith was precious in his sight and he would perfourme his promises vnto them according to their hope and giue them a sacrifice for their sinn euen his only begotten sonne that euery one which beleeued in him should not perishe but haue life euerlasting and in wittnesse of this constant trueth because their sacrifices were as figures of it he giueth them the name of that which they figured and calleth them sinne offeringes and propitiatorie sacrifices and reconciliations betwene God and them And this is cōmon to all sacraments of the olde and newe Testament that they might be vnto vs sure vndoubted pledges of Gods promises that he perfourmeth them all therefore the name and title of the thing is giuen to the figure so these sacrifices were called sinne offeringes and peace offerings circumcisiō was called Gods conenant the Lambe his passeouer the Arke his glorie the temple his rest Baptisme the washing of our new birth and what madnes is in men I can not tel why they stum ble and fall and are broken an this phrase this is my bodie Could the name of reconciliation be giuen to the bloud of an Oxe the name of Gods benefites be giuen to the cutting off of a litle skin and to a white lambe his glorie his blessednesse his rightcousnesse to golde to stones to water and can not the name of the body of Christ be giuen vnto bread or could not the name of forgiuenesse of mercie of couenant of glory of presēce of righteousnesse change the nature of golde stones fleshe water and such like and must needes the name of bodie streight change bread into fleshe or is not the sacrament of Christes bodie and bloud as glorious a mysterie as full of trueth as other sacraments were why should it not haue a greater honour named by the thing whiche it representeth but this as occasion is offered and in a worde for the thing is plaine to those that will vnderstand they that with affection haue robbed themselues of iudgmente let vs pray for them and they that do belong vnto the couenant shal one day with vs confesse the true doctrine of the sacrament in which it is sealed Now Let vs pray c. The 23. Lecture vppon the 4. 5. 6. verses 4 And no man taketh this honour vnto himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron 5 So likewise Christ tooke not to him selfe this honour to be made the high priest but he that said vnto him Thou are my Sonne this day begat I thee gaue it him 6 As he also in another place speaketh Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech Tolde you the Apostle here maketh comparison betweene the priesthood of Aaron of Christ that so by conference the dignitie of Christ might more appeare The comparison hitherto hathe beene in this that the
shewe when I shal more particularly speake of them Nowe of his prophecie in the iii. iiii chapters he teacheth this that he is our onely prophet prouing it first because the sonne of God tooke vpon him our nature the excellencie of his person is warrant ynough that God ordeined him our only prophet Secōdarily he was faithful in his ministerie neither needeth any to be ioyned with him Thirdly he was more honorable then Moses himselfe and therefore much more should rule in the house of God alone Fourthly the Prophet sayth To day if you will heare his voice c. Therefore by the Prophet commended to vs as our only prophet Last of all the nature of the worde agreable onely to his person maketh that he is our prophet alone and thus he endeth this treatie Of his priesthood he speaketh more at large shewing first in the end of the fourth chapter what maner of Priest he is euen such a one as by his own vertue hath entred into the heauens and made a way for vs that wee might boldly through him come vnto god After this he beginneth a comparison of y priesthood of Christ with Aaron and so more clearely sheweth both his priesthood and the excellencie of it This comparison he maketh in these pointes First that the priest of the lawe was a naturall man like vnto his brethren Secondarily that he hath not a priuate worke but doeth all the peoples seruice in thinges apperteyning to god Thirdly that he appeared not before God in his own vertue righteousnes but with offerings sacrifices for sinne Fourthly that he was ful of compassion toward his brethren to pittie them in their weakenes Fiftly that he had his calling of God in all which things Christ exceeded all that were before him this he teacheth in the ten first verses of the fifte Chapter Then beginneth by occasion an exhortation which continueth to the vij chapter After that he setteth out at large the example of Melchisedech and the comparison of the first couenant with the tabernacle sacrifices apperteyning vnto it so teaching at the last our sauiour Christ to be our onely priest The second parte of the Epistle which is how this saluation of Christ is giuen vnto vs in the 11. 12. and 13. chapters the summe of it is that we haue this saluation through faith which faith is tried in many afflictions stil bringeth forth fruit in good works Now let vs come to the text I tolde you firste the Apostle proueth the excellencie of the person of Christ God and man In this first Chapter hee proueth his Godhead and beginneth thus Many times c. In this first verse setting downe the generall proposition of the whole Epistle that God hath now made knowen vnto vs all our saluation in his sonne Christ naming him Sonne that these titles after attributed vnto him might appeare more to bee according to the prophesies of him Then streight he describeth him making it manifest that he is god First by the glorie which his father hath giuen him Secondarily by the excellencie of his person Thirdely by the greatnesse of his power Fourthly by the benefites purchased to vs Fiftly by the dignitie which to him self he hath obteined all this is in the third verse Lastly by comparison with Angels whiche comparison hee maketh in many points alledging scripture according to the titles before giuen vnto him so endeth this first chapter Many times and after diuerse sortes c. Out of this verse first let vs note and consider well touching this doctrine which we are taught by Christe the certeintie of it which is first in the authour who is God himself euen the same God of our fathers which so many times and ways spake euer by his Prophets euen he in an assured trueth hath also spoken by his sonne Thus giuing the authoritie of the word of Christe to God the father that it might be confessed true and to take away al vaine quareling of contentious men who vnder pretēce of the name of God would easily haue disputed against our sauiour Christ and saide We know God is true and he spake to Moses he spake to the Prophets this man speaketh of himself and we wil not heare him To stop this offence though the Apostle might haue giuen the authoritie of his word euen to the person of Christ himselfe yet he would not but said thus God spake by him Another profe for the certeintie of his word is that he spake by his sonne in whiche name God sealed it vnto him to be his sufficient witnesse in the world euen as him self had spoken with a voice of glorie This is my beloued sonne in whom I am wel pleased he are him And this was a sure knowen truth vnto thē that no man had sene God at any time but the only begotten sonne who is in the bosome of his father he reuealeth him He is the personal word maketh knowen al the mysteries of God euen as he hath beene present with him in all his wayes Now as our sauiour Christ is our certeine teacher of vndoubted truth so how farre this truth is taught by him appeareth also in the wordes Many times many wayes by many Prophets of olde to our forefathers Of all these we must set the contrariotie in our sauiour Christ that God spake by him not many times reuealing his will by measure nowe some then more but once he hath sent him filled with all measure of wisedome and vnderstanding And before God spake many wayes either by Angels or by the cloude or betweene the Cherubims or by Vrim or by visions or by dreames but now he hath spoken one way euen by Christ made our brother with the voyce of a man in the middes of the Congregation plaine and euident in all mens hearing and all varietie shall ceasse for euermore Likwise before God spake by many prophets now he doth not so but hath sent his sonne alone in sted of all that all his people should heare him Likewise those times they are olde and past but the time of Christes teaching passeth not but is for euer And that was to y fathers men of diuers calling but this is to vs al of one condition So this the Apostle teacheth that Christe alone once euen in the dayes of his life after one manner and fourme hath preached vnto vs all that Gospell which eternally shal be the power of his heauenly father to saue all which doe beleeue Nowe let vs marke first the agreement then these differences manifestly to be seene betweene Christ and the Prophets First they agree all in this that God spake by all and this onely they haue a like from the first to the last Adam Seth Enoch Noe Abraham Moses Dauid Esaie Christe not one of them spake one worde of a naturall man in all their ministerie but onely the wordes of him that sent them that is they spake
reciteth not but for our times it hath a verie good instruction the Prophet thus concludeth The children of thy seruants shall continue and their seedâ—… shal stand fast in thy sight because Christ had ioyned his Church to himselfe he the head they the bodie by him who endured longer then the Heauens the Prophet knew his people could neuer perishe and in his thought if the Prophet had comfort against the tyrannie of the kingdome of Babylon what comforte may we haue now against the enimies of the church of Christ They thinke they be many strong and rich and wise and they will preuaile their Pope shall vp againe they will haue Masse they will exalte the Church of Rome they will become slaues to a vile person as they were before they will do I cannot tell what Alas poore soules how fast they hold a lye in their right hand The shame that they seeke for they shall neuer finde For what are they Or what is their strength How much are they better then grasse or then the flower in the field What is their life more then a vapour or then a smoke that vanisheth away yet they boast them selues against the Church of Christ which is knit vnto the sonne of God liueth in his life standeth in his strength whose right hand hath made all thinges and whose yeres endure for euermore while we trust in this our hope is sure and all our enimies shal be ashamed And let vs pray that it would please God our heauenly father of his great goodnesse to haue mercie vpon vs that by his spirit the eyes of our mindes may be lightened to see what great Saluation he hath giuen vnto vs in Iesu Christ who is his onely sonne heire of althings creator of the world who ruleth and gouerneth all things and shall shewe vs his glorie in immortalitie when all these creatures shall haue their â—…haunge And the Lord graunt that in these dayes of our vanitie while yet we are walking to the day of rest we may in the meane season see his grace and glorie in all his creatures in whiche we haue our pleasure that we may enioye them to his praise and with wise heartes measuring his times who shall endure for euer when all these thinges are past we may mourne in spirite to see the time approch when we with him shall bothe see and inherite his immortalitie through his sonne Iesu Christ who hath purchased it for vs and with his mightie power will keepe vs in safetie vnto it against that day to whom with the father and the holie Ghost our onely comforter beal honour and glorie nowe and euer Amen The sixte lecture vpon the 13. and 14. verses 13 Vnto whiche also of the Angels saide he at any time Sitt at my right hand till I make thine enimies thy foote stoole 14 Are they not all ministring spiritâ—…s sent forth to minister for their sakes which shal be heires of saluation NOWE the Apostle maketh the fifte comparison betweene the Angels and our Sauiour Christe in which it is plaine he is exalted aboue all Angels And this comparison is out of the saying of the Prophet Sitt on my right hand vntill I make thine enimies thy foote stoole A singular honour aboue all that euer Angel had for it signifieth that God hath taken him into the fellowship of glorie and giuen him all power in Heauen and in earth Touching this Psalme as it is moste true so it is confessed of all that it is a prophesie of our Sauiour Christ how he should be King of his Church and vtterly subuert all his enimies and be our priest after the order of Melchisedech who should bring an end to the priesthood of Leuie and according to this meaning of the Prophet so the Apostle alledgeth this sentence for proofe of this excellencie of the sonne of God aboue all Angels And with this testimonie our Sauiour Christe him selfe confuteth the Phariseis when they denyed his diuinitie resoning of the force of this word LORD because the comparison then was with Dauid These wordes of the Apostle To which of the Angels said hee at any time c. they shewe plainely what glorie it is to sitt on the right hand of god For when the Apostle sayth The like was neuer said to Angels that is such glorie was neuer giuen them what can it else meane but that Christe is confessed to be one God with his father Or what can we vnderstand to be higher then all Angels but God alone If the right hand of God could signifie his presence the Angels are in his presence and of them thousand thousandes are before him and as our Sauiour Christ saith They see the face of our heauenly father If his right hand could signifie the fruition or sight of his glorie the Angels are all blessed spirites and see his glorie euen as it is If his right hand did signifie any inferiour power though it were greater then all the worlde such power haue also Angels so that one of them haue smitten whole armies of men and whole Countries and therefore bee they also called principalities and powers because no strength in the world can resist them But seeing his right hand noteth vnto vs that honour whiche neuer Angel was receiued vnto and aboue the angels we know none but God alone therefore the Scripture speaketh plainely in setting Christe on the right hand of his father farre aboue Angels that he is one God and equall with his father Besides this sith it is saide Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enimies thy footestoole it is plaine that this is the right hand of God the power of God giuen vnto Christe in which he shall ouercome all his enimies and sith this is the ende of that glorie that glorie is nothing but the power by which this is brought to passe and when this shal be accomplished that all his enimies shal be confounded then this shall bee finished for him to sitt on the right hand of his father not that Christ shall ceasse to be equal with his father but that this kingdome of Christ our mediatour betweene God and vs in which he keepeth vs that shall cease and he shall giue it vp vnto his father and God shall be vnto vs all in all And thus farre of all these honourable titles giuen vnto Christ in all which the Apostle proueth him greater then all Angels The first is that hee is called the naturall sonne of god The second that the Angels haue commaundement to worship him The third that he is a King of glorie reigning for euer in trueth and righteousnesse The fourth that he is Creatour of the world and indureth when the world shall perish And fiftly that he sitteth on the right hand of high maiestie all whiche are proper titles to the sonne of God and greater then can be giuen to any Angel and therefore Christ to be exalted aboue them all Now in the 14. verse