decayed places of Sion and to our selues euery one of vs this I say yet not I but Saint Iohn That He that loueth his brother he hath no offence in him whereat another should fall therfore in any controuersies that can arise in the church if we feare God let vs follow this rule let vs not doe any thing for vaine glory for honour for riches for pleasing men for if we do we may be assured offeÌ„ces wil arise we shall be guiltie of theÌ„ but if only Gods glory the loue of our brethren do constraine vs God will giue vs the spirit of wildome peace and we shall not be offences vnto any but this let you me coÌ„mit vnto the Lord with our hartie praires he wil bring to passe a good worke in our eyes Againe our rest must bee in all trueth and howe doe suche men seeke the glorie of this rest which fil the world with lying and flattering which call good euil and euil good light darknesse and darknesse light The Prophet Amos complayneth of the Iudges of his time that they were so corrupte through brybes that they were redie to sell the people for old shooes if he were aliue now he would add to this another complaint that some preachers are also so corrupt that they wil sell the trueth for a mounrning gowne Let a man be now neuer so blinde that hee walke as at midnight when it is noone dayes yet you shall finde some Preacher will commende his sight if a man were as black as the black horse spoken of in the Apocalypse that nothing were in him but shadowe darknesse yet he shall finde a black prophet with a black mouth and a headlong tongue to make him as white as the white woll or as white as the white snowe and if a false tounge coulde colour him more then that it is set to sale and it is easily bought But haue such men care of our blessed rest or do they delight in the glorie of it Do they thinke that in the church of Christ it wil be euer suffered that the sweete and costly garments of Gods sainctes shal be taken from them and made a spoyle for straungers or he that goeth about this shall hee not disquiet our peace Leaue off then you that feare the Lorde leaue off to sell the praises of faith and of religion to those which neuer sought and inquired after them Remember Elihu saith If I shoulde giue titles my maker woulde destroy mee Do not therefore iustifie the sinner while thou liuest Thou foolish praiser thou folish praised what substance is there in you but a blast of winde Let vs then leaue off lying and speake euerie man the trueth froÌ„ our hearts and so let vs enter into our rest dwell in the peace of Gods Church together Nowe one worde more touching this rest the seuenth day is called the Lordes rest the land of Canaan is called his rest the temple his rest the Gospell his rest yet were not all these his rest but figures and presentations of it as times places meanes by whiche we should rest in him yet had they the name of the rest as things liuely presenting the rest vnto vs in whiche we enioyed the spirituall rest thus it is in all sacraments because they present vnto vs Gods graces and his holy spirite worketh in the ministerie of them the more to assure our faith they are also named by the thinges which they preseÌ„t vnto vs Now touching the sabboth day which is here mentioned you see from the beginninge it was a figure of our spirituall rest in Christ so that as al figures in him haue ceassed are complete so the obseruation of that seuenth day hath also ceassed and the trueth of it must shewe it selfe which is that not the seuenth day but all the days of our life our thoughtes should be with God and our workes to his glorie and thus the olde Sabboth was ceremoniall and is now abrogate euen as you see for that Sabboth is now our saturday in which we lawfully occupie our selues in all honest labour of our calling An other end of that Sabboth was according to the manners of men necessarie for them then and now necessarie for vs and that was that thei might haue a time to meet together to worship God in the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ to make publique prayers vse his sacramentes for strengthening their faith heare his law and his prophets that they might learne his iudgments and edifie one another in the knowledg of God this end of the Sabboth must needs be perpetuall as long as our weaknesse needeth mutuall helpe and as long as it is meete we should openlie serue the Lord to this end the commaundement is stil read vnto vs Remember thou keepe holie the Sabboth day which now is our sunday ordeined by the apostls exaÌ„ples that the superstition of the Iewish Sabboth should be taken away and kept holie that thus we should occupie our selues in that day otherwise the olde Sabboth can possiblie be kepte of vs no other way but as the Apostle here teacheth vs in the tenth verse that as we see God rested in it from all his works so we in all our life must rest from our own woorkes that is wee must rest from our care or regarde of the flesh to accomplish the desires of it but as we are bought with a price so wee muste yeelde our selues seruants vnto our Lord and offer vp our selues a holie liuely sacrifice to doe his will and thus farre of this text Now let vs pray c. ¶ The xx Lecture vpon the 11. 12. and 13. verses 11 Let vs studie therefore to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the same example of disobedience 12 For the word of God is liuely and mightie in operation sharper theÌ„ any two edged sword entreth through euen vnto the diuiding a sunder of the soule the spirit and of the ioyntes and the marrowe and is a discerner of the thoughtes and the intents of the heart 13 Neither is there any creature which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open vnto his eyes with whome he hath to doe IN this eleuenth verse the Apostle maketh his last proofe of Christe to be our prophet because y â— â—…ce of this word of God agreed â—…t but with the maiestie of his person and so entreth into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 description of the vertue power of this word making earnest exhortation that wee would vse the great benefite of it and therefore hee saith first Let vs therfore studie to enter that is let vs labour let vs be careful let vs giue all indeuour let vs care trauell that we may enter thus shaking off al sluggish dulnesse quickening them froÌ„ heauinesse of spirite as vnto a thing of great weight he calleth vs with great care and studie to giue our selues vnto it And
him Yea and be he neuer so proude a man that nowe despiseth him he shal confesse his follie then when all that shal see him shal say Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. Pride or flatterie or couetousnesse or vanitie or feare or what you will may make vs nowe ashamed to confesse him or to dissemble that euer we knewe him but when all this corruption is taken from vs and the graue and death shall take their owne that we shall liue againe in immortalitie and knowe the length of his dayes in our owne bodies our former foolishnesse will make vs so affearde that we will pray vnto the hilles to hide vs and to the mounteines that they would couer vs but vowes and wishes shal be but foolish thoughtes Let vs therefore despise the shame whiche Christe hath despised before vs If it be imputed vnto vs for follie that we feare the Lorde let vs beare his reproche If our companie haue no liking except we bring our sinnes with vs to bee content to heare the blaspheming of Gods name religion euill spoken of Godlinesse mocked at wordes to sowe discorde among brethren yll reportes of men absent boasting and bragging of vaine persons wanton vnchast speaches or other vaine and vnprofitable babblings such as is most vsuall among men if without this our companie be not pleasaunt seeing in this our Iesus is dishonoured let vs rather denie them then be ashamed of him and goe rather out of Babylon the mother of whoredomes then out of Ierusalem the citie of God. It foloweth I will declare thy name vnto my brethren we are called the brethren of Christ not in societie of fleshe and bloud for that the wicked haue with him as well as we who are yet no brethren but straungers euen from the wombe but as they are naturall brethren which are borne of the same parents so we are brethren with Christ that are borne of God through the same spirite by which we crie Abba Father the fruite wherof is in glorifying his name euen as our Sauiour Christ saith He that doeth the will of my Father which is in heauen he is my brother And where it is further sayde In the middes of the congregation I will praise thee First heere wee must needes confesse what duetie is amoung men euen that they edifie one another for as many as are of Christe are called in this couenaunt I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the middes of the congregation I wil prayse thee He that considereth the dayes of his life and findeth his yeares many in al them can not remember that he hath bene careful for his brethren to tel them the feare of his Lord or how in companies and meetings he hath spoken of his praise he can not knowe that he hath any portion or fellowship in this kinred The graces of God are not such that they can be locked vpon our harts or kept secret but they will burne within like fire and make vs speake with our tounges that we may make many brethren partakers of our ioy The prophet saith I haue beleeued therfore I haue spoken Saint Paule teacheth that it is so with vs if we beleeue we will also speake And tell me I beseech you what man excelleth in any thing and hath not a delight to speake of his cunning Doth not the shipman talke of the winds the plowman of his oxen will not the souldier be reckoning vp his wounds and the sheepheard telling of his shepe If hee be good in hounds haukes horses shooting or any such exercise is not his name spoken of according to his skil nay let it be in things worse then these cardes dice tables daunsing is not euer the mans talke according to the delight of his minde And shall we think the knowledge of God hath lesse affectioÌ„ of our hearte or lesse obedience of our toung then the most vaine and vnprofitable desires of worldly minded men Or my bowe mine arrowes haue they my tonge tyed vnto them to delight in their talke and shall not the mysterie of Christ and God wherein I apprehend the forgiuenesse of my sinnes and eternall life hath my toung no portion of suche comforte or if it be in my heart wil it not fill my mouth with praise If I haue heard of it wil I not also declare it I remember the Prophet Ieremie once made with him selfe a solemne decree that he would no more speake in the name of the Lord but the woord of God saith He was in my heart as a burning fire shut vp in my bones I was wearie with forbearing and I could not staye So when the Apostles were threatened exceedingly not to speake a word of the gospel of Christ they answered directly they could not choose for the things which they had sene and heard were such as they were constrayned to speke of them to other So it is with vs if wee be the brethren of Christ the couenant of our kinred is I will declare thy name vnto my brethren in the midst of the congregation I wil praise thee let them knowe this all to whome it is spoken and let them discerne betweene hypocrites and true Christians Some thinck it a prayse to be close men secret to them selues that by their words you shall neuer knowe them of what religion they be those men where they think they hide them selues moste there they lay widest open their shame and while they thinke to kepe it secret of what religion they are this their dissimulation proclameth it lowder then the blast of a trumper that they be of no religion at all at all I say touching any religion of God for if it were of him it would shew foorth his praise and what their heart beleued their mouth wold coÌ„fesse it But these Laodicoeans that be neither hott nor colde nor what God they loue you cannot tel y Lord hath appointed a day when he will spue them out of his mouth Let vs learne a better profession I wil declare thy naâ—… vnto my brethren let vs hold it with ioy and gladnes that in the middes of the congregation we will singe prayses to him And note how expresly iâ—… is saide in the middes of the congregation as shewing y no feare of man should keepe him backe from it for before one we will peraduenture speake or before two or three we wil be bolde to rebuke swearers or other vngodly doings but if it be before many in solemne assemblies and one impudent man alowde blaspheme the name of God where is he that in the middes of the congregation will praise the Lorde â–ª ô how squeamish we be heere and full of good manner not to speake openly for feare of offence But ô poore wretched men that we be who taught vs this modestie to be ashamed of Christ before manie What is this else but to keepe the honour of God for holes and corners
hearts condemned them selues those y were disobedient He destroyed not Caleb and Iosua that were of an other spirit he destroyed not Moses that was faithful in all his house and if our hearts condemne vs not we haue boldenes with God he wil not impute our sinnes vnto vs but hee wil geaunt all our request fulfil all our desires this reioycing let vs haue in our selues and how so euer the world be moued no man shall take our ioy from vs It is not so with them which put their trust in other things whether it be in the Pope or in the Citie of Rome or in the multitude of their fathers or what soeuer in all these is no suretie at all for if God shall destroy Rome and all the buildings of it what will they then say or what if the Papacie bee troaden downe so that none be after found in that seate is not then all their reioycing done and what a miserable faith is it whiche is no stronger then a mortall man whose spirit is in his nostrels or then a walled towne whiche is easily battered is this the rock which Christe commendeth whiche neither storme nor tempest shall euer shake nay this is the blinde confidence whiche the people of Israel had in the temple and in mount Sion whiche vanished as smoke when the people were led into Babylon and left the temple naked behinde them So these men when we shall see such thinges come to passe they shal be ashamed of the Pope their expectation of Rome which was their glorie but we wil dwell in the defence of our God with a true faith committing our selues vnto him and neither Rome nor Babylon nor our forefathers nor our posteritie shall euer turne away his loue from vs this comforte is here taught vs by the apostle in this example of our forefathers whiche kepte their faith in the wildernesse and were not seduced with the multitude Now where he saith With whome was he angrie fourtie yeere we haue here to learne what is the long suffering of the Lord who doeth not streight punishe the sinner but as he endured the māners of the people of Israel fourtie yeeres so he beareth with vs in all our transgressions and so the prophet Dauid setteth out vnto vs this example that God made his ways knowen vnto Moses and his workes vnto the children of Israel that we might see The Lord is ful of compassion and verie stowe to anger and of great kindnes againe in the hundreth and seuenth Psalme reckoning vpp the works which God did for his people in the wildernesse making this an instruction vnto vs of his long patience goodnesse he addeth streight O that men would therfore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnes his wonderful workes before the sonnes of men if thus we consider this example such like we are no idle hearers but profitably exercise ourselues in his iudg ments and as we ought to giue him this praise that he is long suffering patient and of much mercie so let vs knowe what duetie wee ought againe to render vnto God for all his goodnesse for a greate manie of vs we cry with loude voyces The Lord is mercifull but we be dum be deafe and haue no hearts when we should learne what his mercie requireth of vs Be wise then and learne of the blessed Apostle Paule who thus teacheth the Romanes The bountifulnesse of God must prouoke thee to repentance for else thou despisest the bountifulnesse patience and long suffering of the Lorde Marke this well derely beloued be not mocked if we say God is good the Lord is gratious full of patience to the children of men know that our owne hearts do then answer vs render againe praises obedience to him that is so good vnto thee for tell me what wouldst thou think of such a child who because his father is louing kinde would therefore be rebellious riotous what wouldest y think of a seruāt that because his maister is gētle courteous would therefore be carelesse in his worke and not regarde him what subiect thinke we were he that because his prince is good and fauourable woulde therefore be trayterous and conspire against him would we not giue speedie sentēce against such monstrous vnnaturall men and what heartes then haue wee that be here this day if we will confesse this greate goodnes of God our king father and yet walke in our sinnes before him we know it to be true and we cānot deny it if sinne should carrie vs still away all the day long to be defiled in it our consciences would aunswer vs at night euen as Paul saith This hardnesse of ours and harts that cannot repent they heape vp vnto vs wrath against the daye of wrath when this merciful father will shewe himselfe that he is also a righteous and a iust God and if we do not in time beleue it foresee it now while it is yet called to day experience which is the scholemistres of fooles shall make vs cōfesse at y last that god forgetteth it not which he long leaueth vnpunished I remember this was once the fault of Israel why they lied vnto the Lorde and set not their mindes on him because as the Prophet saith God helde his peace and that of long time But why should this faulte be ours who by their example should learne wisedome nay let vs rather leaue them in their wayes and followe the spouse of the bridegrome Christe who in the day of he◅ calling though shee sleepe yet her heart waketh and when the head of her beloued is ful of deawe and his lockes with the drops of the night shee despiseth not his long patience but aunswereth in the ioy of her heart I haue put off my coate how shall I put it on I haue washed my feete how shal I file them againc as the Church saith in the Canticles Thus let vs answere the long suffering of our God and how so euer he be angrie with many as with the Israelites in the wildernesse he wil be pleased with vs as with Caleb or Moses and we shall enter into his rest Againe where it is here set out howe God was angrie let vs remember the commaundemente of our sauiour Christ to vs Be perfect as your heauenly father is perfect The prophet Dauid being greatly prouoked against his enimies yet would he not hurte them because saith he thy louing kindenesse was before mine eyes and therefore I walked in thy trueth So wee if Gods image and likenesse shine in our dooinges we are sure wee walke in peace therefore where the scripture biddeth Be angrie but sinne not how can we haue a better rule then to see in the worde howe God is saide to be angrie with his people He is angrie here because they refused wisdome imbraced follie because they forsooke the word of trueth and followed
Christ what is the office of the true priest and that is that hee be greate and stronge to beare all our infirmities then that hee make an entrance for vs vnto God induing vs now with saith boldenesse of his spirit and finally giuing vs his grace and saluation which things as they were neuer in Aaron nor in all the sonnes of Leuie so they haue clearely appeared in Christe and therfore with boldnesse let vs cleaue vnto him to this effecte is this exhortation Now where he saith Sith therfore we haue a great high priest who hath entred into the heauens Iesus the sonne of God let vs holde this profession I would we could heere learne of the Apostle to bee wise The excellencie of our sauiour Christ both of his person and of his doings was a strong persuasion vnto him to giue glorie vnto Christ alone Seing Christe was the sonne of God full of power to doe all he would who had entred into the presence of his liuing father what man is he shall ioyne him selfe vnto him to claime a parte and fellowshipp in that worke which Christe hath taken vppon him selfe or who that may haue his hope and reioycing in Christ wil cast it off to glorie in a mortall man◅ this madnesse was so greate in the Apostles eyes that as a thing which it grieued him to remember so he besecheth his brethren neuer to let it sink into them but rather seeing Christ was vnto them such a one let them abide in him hold fast his profession Thus we at this day let vs strengthē our faith and aunswer all our aduersaries if the question be whether iustification bee in our owne woorkes let vs say seing Christ the sonne of the liuing God hath beene conceiued of the holie Ghost and borne of a virgine and sanctified himselfe for vs fulfilling all righteousnesse in his flesh and offering vs freely of his fulnesse to be made holie before God we will holde this profession and wee that are but dust and full of euill wee will not ioyne our selues with so excellent a sauiour we renounce our righteousnesse and the righteousnesse of our fathers the righteousnesse of Abraham of Paule of Peter of the virgin Marie and the righteousnesse of Christe shal be our righteousnesse alone If wee be asked whether the Masse be a sacrifice for our sinne let vs aunswer seeing Christ the immaculate lambe of God by his eternall spirit hath offered vp once his owne bodie vppon the crosse and giuen eternall redemption to those that doe beleeue if an impure priest of polluted members will presume to bee one in this businesse let his sinnes be imputed vnto him who with vnchaste handes will needes crucifie againe the sonne of God we will none of his cursed workes but will holde our profession Christ is our sacrifice and sacrificer alone he is the pro pitiation for our sinnes So in all other poinctes if Christ who came downe from heauen and is in the bosome of his father hathe taken vpon him to be our prophet let vs holde this profession and not care what fleshe and bloud can say vnto vs If Christ to whom all power is giuen in Heauen and in Earth who is King of glorie and sitteth on the right hand of maiestie in the highest places if he haue taken vpon him to lose the workes of the diuel and set vs free from his bondage why holde we not this profession or why runne we to holie water belles candels crosses and such vanities as though they holped Christ in his worke Or if all our enimies thinke they can connute this that here we say let them aunswer vs howe is the reason of the Apostle good against the priesthod of Aaron that it is abolished no other sacrifices are but Christ because he is so excellent a priest the sonne of God the greate high priest and hath entred the heauens If this dignitie of his person proue the priesthod onely to bee his why doth not the same proue all these thinges we speake of to be done wrought by him alone or how is it possible that his priesthood for the excellencie of it cannot stand with the priesthood of Aaron which yet was glorious and that it shoulde stande with the filthy stinking priesthood of a greasie handed pope which is loathsome to see heare ▪ or how can his glorie beare no fellowe in his priesthod yet beare the fellowship or any partenership with other in the office of a Kinge and prophet Seeing then it is thus withvs that wee be glorified to haue such a priest so high so greate let vs holde as the Apostle saith his profession and acknowledge no helpers vnto him Thus the Apostle hauing shewed the dignitie and glorie of Christ our priest in the 15. verse following he sheweth also his mercie and compassion that we may knowe him a perfect priest and for this cause he addeth this least the weake Iewes should otherwise be offended and fall at the knowledge of his glorie for hearing our Sauiour Christe exalted as God they would easily thinke and shall the Lord againe speake vnto vs do we not remember the dayes of mount Sinai when he spake vnto them and they were all afraide yea Moses himselfe did he not tremble and the people pray that they might heare him no more shal it be so agiane with vs or hath the Lord spoken and we haue not seene his maiestie to stop this or like offence the Apostle addeth this of his compassion loue for we haue not a high priest which cānot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sorte ▪ yet without sinne the summe of which words are that as we acknowledge Christe to bee the sonne of God so we also beleeue that he was made man like vnto vs and in this participation of nature hath taken also vpon him al our infirmities accounting them as his owne so that we may be bolde to come vnto him who is no more fearfull in the glorie of his maiestie but louing in y similitude of our nature And that it is said here he suffereth with vs is tempted as we made like vs in all things we must vnderstand it by reason of that spirituall and vnspeakable coniunction which we haue with him in that he is our head and we are his members a vnitie not knowen of fleshe and bloud for it is not made of ioynts and sinewes but seene onely with the eyes of faith according as it standeth by participation of the same spirite and when we shal know what the spirite is we shall see the band in whiche we are knitt together and be able to speake it howe Christ now suffereth with vs and howe the afflictions of his sainctes are suche vnto him as if they were in his own bodie euen as he saith Saule Saule why persecutest thou me by which experience the apostle Paule also calleth his afflictions the afflictions of
XXVII LECTVRES or readings vpon part of the Epistle written to the Hebrues Made by Maister Edward Deering Bachelour of Diuinitie ¶ Imprinted by Lucas Harison ANNO. 1577. ¶ To the Christian Reader increase of faith and knowledge with an earnest Zeale of Christ Iesus the Lord. THE Epistle to the Hebrues conteyneth such doctrine as the holy apostle knew moste necessarie for the Iewe who a fewe excepted in the blindnes of their heartes acknowledged not Christe Iesus for the Messias albeit all thinges long before prophecied of the Messias by the holy Patriarches and Prophetes were in him clearely and fully accomplished and that in the eyes and eares of all Israel This their great blindnes caused the excellent light of this Epistle to be set foorth to the whole world for as their other wantes and falling off from the faith and naturall Oliue tree caused the fullnesse and grassing in of the Gentiles so their doubtfulnes as the doubtfulnesse of Thomas occasioned such cleare doctrine that we which come afterwarde cannot now without singular impietie make any doubt in the doctrine and gospel of our Lord Iesus Christe the which long agoe hath not beene both made and fully aunsweared Whereuppon all men ought to bee armed with this persuasion that whosoeuer againe doubteth where the doubt is already taken away and whosoeuer sinneth the sinne that hath beene heeretofore punished is a double offender for hee is not guiltie of the infidelitie alone or of the sinne but also of the despising the example set downe for vs that we trembling at the iuste iudgements of God against others should auoyde the the sinne in our selues knowing that if wee cōmunicate with the wicked in their blindnes wee must also communicate with them in the daunger is in the prouocation then in the punishment Wherefore concerning my first woordes the Iewes acknowledged not Iesus Christ for the Messias and redeemer of the world but we must acknowledg it and the rather hauing amongst the vnspeakable treasures of the word of God this pretious epistle wherin the doctrine of the person and offices of Christe are most substantially prooued and witnessed by the holy Ghost For therein the Apostle chiefely proueth Christ to be the annoynted of God annointed not with common Oyle but with the Oyle of gladnes that is with all fulnesse of the spirite into a prophet that teacheth vs the wisedome and loue of the father hee alone the priest that washeth away sinne maketh peace with his sacrifice euen a high Priest after the order of Melchisedech al other priests after the order of Leuie being for the time but shadowes and figures of the light and life in Christe hee alone the King of Salem whose kingdom is without vnrighteousnes and euerlasting not as other kingdomes which are outward and bodily but his kingdome frameth and ruleth the hart by the spirit of God and the scepter of his lippes the throne thereof being established in trueth and maiestie for euer and euer Besides these chiefe partes being the bodie of the Epistle there be other braūches conteining both vehemēt exhortations to the worthy receiuing of the word this present doctrine in faith and also to the bringing forth of the plentifull fruite therof in patience This excellent epistle about foure yeres past was expoūded in the citie of London by two learned godly men who made I suppose their choice of that Epistle as conteining very necessary doctrine for our times wherin the enimies of the Gospel are to to many preuaile too too much against the peace of the Church for they seke righteousnes in their own works sacrifices whiche is not foūd otherwise in heauē or earth thē in the righteousnes alone sacrifice of our lord Iesus Christ who not by the sacrifice of staūge bloud but by the offering vp of his owne bloud being himselfe the sacrifice and sacrificer made an end of all sacrifices and oblations going before and lefte no place for any new sacrifice or oblation to be vsed afterwarde Neither was this all that the Apostle ouerthroweth all other sacrifices establishing that as all sufficient which was at the fullnes of them according to the eternall decree of God the father made vpon the altar of the crosse once for euer and so consequently confuteth the Papistes mainteyning euen with bloudie sacrifices of men their vnbloudy sacrifice of the Masse but moreouer the doctrine is ve ry profitable and necessarie to stirre vp the minds and furnish the harts of professours of the Gospel 〈◊〉 knowledge concerning the person and offices of Christ Iesus the Lord. For to leaue the Catholiques as they vntruly call themselues either to the grace of God to be conuerted which God graunt vs hartily to pray for or to the blindnes of their hart to worship they know not what concerning the professours of the truth I beseech thē in the mercies of Iesus Christ to knowe the height the depth the length bredth al the mesures of Christ preached in the Gospel that as the foundation is moste certeine so it may bee also certeinely knowne and bring forth certeine fruites to the glory of God their own assured saluatiō in him Otherwise if the know ledge of our lord Iesus Christ be weake our faith cānot be strong if the faith be not strong thē our hope is small the afflictions of the spirit many But on the other side daily and effectuall exercises of the worde bringe increase of knowledge increase of knowledge bringeth increase of faith increase of faith bringeth increase of hope hope bringeth patience and in patience wee holde the possession of our soules til the day of our ful redemption But to returne to the two Interpreters of this Epistle the one lyueth and may doe wel if the Lord so dispose of his hearte to publishe in Printe his Readinges made to his greate prayse vpon the whole the other is layd vp in peace with the righteous but before his death he painfully gathered together the greatest part of his lectures leauing thē in writing that therby he might againe profite the Church after his death and now they are published to the benefite of the Church the zeale wherof greatly exercised his godly minde and many times brought his watchfull head and weake body neere to the graue Of whome I might truly speake much to his great prayse yet nothing vnknowne but let God haue the praise neuerthelesse as I will say no more ▪ in persuading men so I can say no lesse in duetie then this his goodnesse was by the grace of God very much and his harmelessnes more his giftes notable and his spirite more notable accompanying him for the measure of his bodily strength with daily increase til the last day and hower wherin for our punishment the Lord translated him from mortalitie to immortalitie Touching these his Praelections a goodly paterne of his swete spirite thou hast them gentle Reader in thy hands and I leaue
he beginneth this worke of his eternall decree to bring his sonne into his kingdome all the Angels of heauen shall worship before him and shal a mortal man so farre exalt himselfe in his wisedome in his richesse in his honour in his nobilitie in his crowne in his kingdome that he shall thinke it a disgrace to giue all his life to the Gospell Can fleshe puffe it selfe vp so farre aboue the Angels O dearely beloued if we be happie let vs learne this and let vs further the worke of the Lorde the Angels worke with vs If we will not we shall pine away in our owne enuious idlenesse and without vs the Sainctes and Angels shall giue Christ his glorie Another thing here we may marke howe it is attributed to God the Father this glorifying of Christ for so he saith when he bringeth his first begotten sonne into the world Whereby we learne that it is the worke of God and let not vs boast for though he vouchsafe to set our hande to his businesse yet our hande that is but vanitie doeth wither awaye in the worke except God giue it vertue that it should haue fruite We cannot so much as speake except he put his spirite into our mouth and when we do speake with a good measure of grace yet the ignorant do not heare vs except he prepare their hearts and still our worke is nothing worth but he alone worketh al in al. And for this purpose that we shoulde giue him the glorie of his owne woorke and not seeke our owne praise therefore hee hath chosen his workmen as you see Not many wisemen of the worlde not many mightie not many noble but commonly men of small account a few in number he giueth them tongs to speake and they carie his Gospel ouer mightie kingdoms and make it flourish when al the powers of the realme haue armed them selues against it And all this that we shoulde confesse as here the Apostle saith it is he it is not we that giue this kingdome vnto christ And seeing it is his worke who is able to bring all his purposes to passe it shal be our wisedome to further that which God himselfe will make to flourish and prosper whether we will or no. And where it is here saide Let all the Angels worship him he giueth our Sauiour Christ a cleare testimonie so to be the sonne of God in petson that he is also in nature one the same God with his father For whome shoulde the angels worship but God alone who in themselues haue suche power giuen them of God that one is able to destroye whole kingdomes and suche glorie that our eyes cannot beholde them And seeing God hath made this law Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him alone shalt thou serue and yet the Angels worship Christ how cleare a proofe is it that Christe is God for we knowe their perfect and willing obedience and therefore we pray Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heauen So that the Iewes might throughly know that seeing the Angels did worship him and had so their charge from God therfore Christ was one God in the maiestie of the father And most true it is our sauiour Christ without that nature had neuer taken that honour vpon him The Apostles of Christe Paule Peter Barnabas other men of excellent gifts and singular power to worke mightily sighes and miracles yet would they neuer heare the name of worship Peter vtterly refuseth Paule and Barnabas they rent their clothes being rauished with zeale of gods glorie when it is once offered them Nay the Angels them selues whiche are greater then all kinges they cannot abide it as manifestly we see in the Angel whiche appeared vnto Iohn when Iohn would haue fallen downe at his feete to worshippe him the Angel gaue him streight charge Take hede thou do it not for I am but a fellow-seruant with thee and then teacheth him that which heere we learne that worship only apperteineth to God so that this text serueth the Apostles purpose very fitly both to the cōfession of the godhead of Christ in his preferring so farre aboue Angels that the Israelites might more equally beare it that he should be preferred before Moses In the 7. verse wher he saith he maketh his Angels ministring spirits wee muste note that this name the Apostle giueth them as that wherein is their greatest honour For otherwise if he named in the Angels thinges of least account it had bene no proofe of the glorie of Christ but naming that by which they most excelled yet exalting Christ so farre aboue them it is cleare proofe of his excellēt glorie aboue all creatures So I say here we must note that that holie ghost attributeth this to the Angels as their highe honour that they are ministring spirites wherin let vs wel consider what it is to serue the liuing God and how truely it is said his seruice is perfect freedome If he be an Angel hee hath no greater glorie and who are wee and what are our fathers houses that can fancie vnto our selues more honour then to feare before God and walke obediently in his commaundements Howe many times doe Abraham Isaak Iacob Iosue Moses Dauid and all the good kings of Iudah how many times doe they intitle them selues the sonne of GOD how many times doth God shewe foorth his great loue and fauour vnto diuerse men vnder this name to call them his seruants Or who was euer heard of except Senacharib or Pharaoh or men like vnto them that would boast otherwise and say Who is the Lord that I should heare his voice I knowe not the Lorde neither will I let his people go Praye dearely beloued that wee may haue eyes to see and cares to heare and hearts to vnderstand vnto what honour in this day we bee called for most assuredly true it is and all the Angels of heauen beare wittnes vnto it that in the world there is no greater glorie then to serue the lord If thou were as highe as the Prophet Dauid yet Dauid had no greater glory to boast of then this Behold Lord for I am thy seruant I am thy seruat the sonne of thine hand maide Or if thou were a king aboue all kinges full of wisedome riches honor as Solomon king of Israel yet to be the seruaunt of the Lorde were thy greatest dignitie aboue titles of kingdomes and countries this were most honourable Solomon the preacher the sonne of Dauid Yea the Angels of whom we speake they haue al their glorious names of Thrones Powers Rules Principalities Dominions in this respect that they be the seruantes of the Lorde to execute these his mightie workinges and take away from them this seruice of God you take away the honour of their highe calling So assuredly we may beleeue confesse it boldly that amōg men there is no other honour but this If God haue made my life to
abound in worldly peace the crowne and beautie of mine honour is to serue the lord If God haue giuen me trouble in the dayes of my vanitie this is cōfort ynough that I am the seruaunt of the lord Be our life as it will either high or lowe the only fruit of it is the seruice of God the onely hurt that can approch vnto vs is to forget the Lord whose seruants we should haue bene and let vs so much more constantly dwell in this persuasion of heart because we haue heard that the Lord hath spoken it there is no greater glorie no not in his Angels then to serue before him Of the nature of angels as they are here described by the grace of God I shall say more in the latter end of this Chap. Now let vs pray that as we haue learned so we may follow acknowledging the glorie of our Sauiour Christ and what the honour of his kingdome is and desire grace that we may be founde woorthie to be labourers in that excellent worke in which God hath appointed to glorifie his sonne and that we may serue him in holinesse and righteousnes all the dayes of our life who is only al the hope we haue and shall in his good time fill our life with his owne presence and satisfie our eyes with the sight of his maiestie And the same onely and liuing God giue vs his holy spirite in which we may be comforted to liue in his loue to walke in his wayes and to account al the world but vanitie in respect of the inheritaunce purchased vnto vs in the Lorde Iesu the onely forgiuer of al our sinnes to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be honour and glorie worlde without ende Amen The fourth Lecture vpon the 8. and 9. verses 8 But vnto the sonne he saith O God thy throue is for euer and euer the scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousnesse 9 Thou hast loued righteousnes and hated iniquitie Wherfore God euen thy God hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes NOw the Apostle beginneth the third comparison according to the title before Bearing vp all things with his mightie power which setteth out the kingdome of Christ so that the comparison is Christe is an eternall king so is no Angel therefore he is to be honoured aboue them Thus hauing made mention of his kingdome then he describeth it more at large bothe to shewe what his kingdome is and to make it more plaine that though we could imagine easily that Angels in honour deserued the name of Kings yet such a kingdome no Angel could euer haue An euerlasting throne a righteous scepter exalting trueth beating downe iniquitie in worthinesse whereof GOD hath annoynted this King with gladnesse aboue all other and hath called him by the name of GOD himselfe Heere the Iewes whome God hath shut vp in a heauie iudgement and for the first centempt of his Gospell keepeth them stil in blindenesse vntill this day they as they seeke busily all wayes of errour to deceiue them selues so they haue blinded their eyes that they should not vnderstand this prophesie And first where it is said Thy throne O God They say the name GOD is likewise attributed to men as they occupie any rome appointed them of God as where this same prophet saith I haue said you be Gods whiche meaneth that they haue commaundement from God to execute his iudgement But the Iewe if he had not chaunged his heart and turned it away from wisedome to follie hee might haue knowen that though this name be also giuen to Angels or iudges yet it is giuen not to one but to manie so that in their number it is manifest that it is a figuratiue speeche Or if it be giuen to one it hath some addition as where it is saide to Moses I haue made thee Pharaoes God limiting the name to a certeine sense but thus attributed to one without any correction of speache it was neuer but to God alone Againe they say all this Psalme is of Solomon and therefore beeing true in him it cannot proue any diuinitie in Christ but this errour is euē as grosse as the other For how so euer this is true that the Psalme was written as a wedding song of ioy at the marriage of Solomon with Pharaoes daughter yet this is knowen and manifest that in the stories of those men whiche were figures of Christe something is euer spoken not agreeing to the figure but to Christe alone that we might bee bolde to applie it vnto him Neither yet can this Psalme possibly be written of that mariage of Solomon simply in it selfe For when the Prophet beginneth my hart breaketh out into a good matter howe can this praise or this earnest desire of the Prophet agree to it which was contrarie to the lawe of God and of it selfe could neuer be good What had the Kings of Israel to doe with Idolaters and blasphemers to marrie their daughters no doubt as Solomon was a most famous prince so the glorie of the world did here lead him For Aegypt was the greatest Monarchie in the world and Pharaoh the mightiest King so that his daughter giuen to king Solomon was the princeliest marriage that could be made but that it displesed God it is cleare for bothe his generall lawe is against it and this is particularly alledged in the causes of Solomons ruine And though this Psalme were now to wishe prosperitie and peace vnto it what then who will dispute with the Lorde for turning all thinges to the best to those that loue him so when Solomons hautinesse had done this what though God would except her after the renouncing of all her idolatries when as the lawe saith she had shauen her head and pared her nayles and forgot her fathers house what though he would haue her a figure of the honourable calling of the Gentiles and shewe then in her that though he gaue his lawes to Iacob yet he was a God in all the earth all that proueth nothing but Solomon might do yll still this wedding song was made not for him but for another whome hee figured But let these Iewish quarels againste the trueth alone and let vs examine the text heere as it is what honour it giueth to Christ and how by no meanes it can agree to Solomon In this scripture there are foure speciall things spoken First he is called God alone as I saide and without addition euen as the prophet Esai also calleth him the mightie god By whiche warrant of the Prophets beeing a moste sure word the Apostles are bolde to giue to our Sauiour Christe the name and power of the liuing God as Iohn saith the worde was God. And Thomas with these wordes confesseth his former vnbelief My Lord and my God. And S. Iohn in his Epistle saith Iesus Christe this is the true God. And Sainct Paule calleth him the God which is for euer
and all that vse companie only for worldly pleasure without regarde of swearing lying backbiting idle talke wantonnesse or what soeuer what gladnesse receiue other by their admonitions exhortations Or how can they say this sweete oyle is in their heartes Let no man deceiue him selfe God is not mocked Hee that is of Christ hath a care to bring other vnto Christe hee hateth the iniquitie of all men and giueth comforte to manie with the oyle of gladnesse of whiche hee hath receiued And thus farre of these verses Now let vs pray to god our heauenly father that we may be taught of his spirit that like as he in his vnspeakable wisdome and mercie hath giuen vnto vs his owne sonne to be a Sauiour to establish vnto him a perpetuall Kingdome that our libertie might bee defended with his strong hande and to make vs partakers of all his benefites by rulinge vs with his scepter of righteousnesse that is filling vs with a holie knowledge of his Gospell to loue righteousnesse to hate iniquitie and by giuing vs of his fulnesse that we should receiue grace for grace haue a hapie measure of the oyle of gladnes with which he was annoynted so according to these his great mercies towarde vs let vs pray and the Lorde graunt vs that wee may finde fauour in his sight to imbrace his sonne alone to follow his wayes to loue his trueth to set out his honour and to finishe our weary pilgrimage in his seruice to the profit of our brethren strengthening of our faith through Iesus Christe our onely Sauiour to whome with the father c. ¶ The fift Lecture vpon the 10. 11. 12. verses 10 And thou Lord in the beginning haste established the earth and the heauens are the works of thine hands 11 They shall perish but thou doest remaine and they all shall waxe olde as doeth a garment 12 And as a vesture shalt thou folde them vp and they shall be chaunged but thou art the same and thy yeeres shall not faile THE Apostle goeth forward as before and heere addeth the fourth comparison in exalting Christe aboue Angels And hee maketh this comparison according to the title before giuen him that by him the worlde was made and it is this The sonne of God our Messias of whome we speake he made the worlde and ruleth it as he will and wil abolish it in the time appointed him selfe being vnchangeable in all his wayes which is a glorie farre aboue al that the scripture attributeth vnto angels Touching this scripture here alledged how it may be applied to Christ it is certeine that the Psalme according as the title is was a prayer of the afflicted Churche most like when it was in the captiuitie of Babylon bothe because of the great complaint of the singular miserie which they suffered because they in their prayer alledge the appointed time of deliuerance to bee come vpon them which was only of the captiuitie of Babylon to which God had appointed by his prophet Ieremie 70. yeres Now that captiuitie being a figure of our captiuitie vnder sathan the Prophets fortelling that deliuerie sawe also in spirite the deliuerie which we should al haue vnder christ And accordingly the spirite so spake in the Prophets that something was so proper to Christ figured as it must needes be referred to him and not applied to any figure And this is generall in all the expresse figures of our Sauiour Christe who so euer were the men or what soeuer were the blessings that GOD brought vppon his people because in Iesu Christe all his promises had their trueth and accomplishement therefore hee is some way so described that the people must needes be lead to acknowledge still the couenaunt which they had in him So in this captiuitie of Babylon the Prophet Ieremie foretelleth their deliuerie thus that they shal returne to serue God and Dauid their King Dauid beeing before dead And againe He would raise vp to Dauid a righteous braunch whome they should call the Lorde our righteousnesse which must needs be meant of the Messias whome they looked for to be the sonne of Dauid and expressely he noteth their returne into the fauour of GOD with the same wordes with which God maketh with vs his new testament in Iesu Christe that God wil be our God and we shal be his people He will forgiue their sinnes and iniquities they shal be all taught of god Euen so heere in this Psalme the prophet sore telling their returne from Babylon fore-seeth the redemption that is in Christ and breaketh out in complaint of his shorte life because he should not tarrie to see the day and to comfort him selfe againe speaketh out in spirite what ioy and gladnesse he sawe in Christ and how glorious a God he is and so vttereth the wordes here alledged And thou in the beginning O Lorde didst lay the foundations of the earth the workes of thy hands are the heauens c. And heere these words He laide the foundations of the earth and the Heauens are the work of his hands are spoken according to our infirmitie which knowe no buildings but by foundations nor can make any great workes without our hands otherwise it is certeine the earth hath no foundations nor no handes could make y heauens but al was made consisteth by the power of god Thus we haue heard what argument the Apostle heere vseth how this text is applied vnto Christ. Now touching the wordes where the Prophet saith And thou Lord the Apostle is a good expositor that this is spoken to the Sonne of God to whome he attributeth the original and cause of making the worlde A place most worthie to be diligently marked for it giueth clearely vnto Christ the fullnesse of the godhead according to the article of our crede I beleue in God the father almightie maker of heaueÌ„ earth And all Arrians olde and newe which so long haue blasphemed the Sonne of God and made him but a seruant in the creation of the world because many times the Scripture sayth By him God made the world if they heare this spoken to that sonne And thou Lord in the beginning didst lay the foundations of the earthe they will ceasse to blaspheme and confesse he is God to be blessed for euer And where it is saide that God the Father by him made the world that phrase of speache diminisheth not his glorie but rather testifieth it more clearely For we haue saide before that Christ is the sâ—…ning brightnesse of the glorie of his father that is the person in the Deitie by whome onely the eternall wisedome of GOD could make his maiestie shine vpoÌ„ any creature neither was it euer possible that any creature shonlde shewe forth the goodnesse of God but onely by the person of the sonne And therefore when the name of God or creation of the worlde is giuen vnto the Sonne as here we see we doe humbly confesse and adore
example of this humilitie is our Sauiour Christe him selfe to reache vs modestie that are but men for he who so loued the people of Israel that he weapt ouer their Citie when they would not repent prayed for them when they houng him on the crosse gaue his life for them when they had cast him off and would none of his saluation he that had this vnchangeable loue to his brethren flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone 〈◊〉 yet when he called his humane thoughts to y consideration of the decree of God he humbled him selfe changed his affections reioyced in other thoughts and said I thanke thee O father that thou hast bid these thinges from the wise and prudent and hast reuealed them vnto little ones WheÌ„ he saw he was sent their minister for the trueth of God to confirme the promises made vnto their Fathers he had no other longinge but how to winne them when he sawe an other counsell of God that they were not all Israel which were of Israel he knewe this was best reioyced in spirite gaue glorie vnto God and would not reason of his vnsearcheable iudgements Who is he now or of what wisdome that dare dispute against the counsel of God Are we greater then Moses wiser then the Prophets or higher then our Sauiour Christ Or haue all these helde their peace at Gods workes that we should reason against them Let vs then rule our selues or rather let vs be ruled of the Lord that we may say as the Apostle saide and this may be reason of all our beleefe So the Lord hath thought good A place much like vnto this is in the 24. of Luke when the two disciples y went to Emaâ—…s marueled exceedingly at al the things that had happened vnto Christ so that their faith began to fayle them thus our Sauiour Christe reprooueth them and all the reasoning that was withâ—… them O fooles slowe of heart to beleue all that the prophets haue spoken must not Christ needs suffer these things and so enter into glorie He referreth them first to the prophets to know y this was the decree of God but theÌ„ layeth a necessitie vpon the perfourmance of his word that it must needes be so And if that be not onely good onely iust onely wise in our sight that are but men let vs not boast there is no cause in this worlde of out misliking but because wee bee fooles slowe of heart to beleeue And thus farre the thing it selfe speaketh howe meete it is for vs to humble our selues vnder all the ordinaunces of God. It followeth in the Apostle For whom are al things by whom are all things this is a singular reason why we should be obedient and aske none account of all the dooinges of the lord Is man afflicted Why should he not be so The Lord hath done it and for the Lord hee was made Are the reprobate ordeined to destructioÌ„ Why should they not The lord so ordeined it and for the Lord they were made Are the elect freely saued Why should they not The Lord hath saued them and for the Lord they were made Yea but the reason of these things I see not yea but ô man who art thou that takest a contrarie part to dispute against God Are not all thinges for him and art thou onely enuious against his glorie Thus dearely beloued carrie the word of God to leane on beleeue assuredly it shall be fulfilled and thinke that it is best and you shal not be moued for euer If you come in place with those auncient worne creatures who with a colour of gray haire which is the wisest part in them so long deceiue our people they or their disciples if they reason against you Hath God forsaken his Church a thousand yeare and were all our fathers deceiued before Luther was borne such antiquitie vnitie vniuersalitie was it all in errour These wordes taken vp againe in our dayes and countenanced with the gray heads of our Phariseies Watson Fecknam Cole Heath and other like ô Lorde how manie men doe they deceiue For their owne reason lifteth vp it self they say How can this be so So many wise so many learned so many noble all deceiued Had God forgotten to be mercifull First I would aske of these men but this one question and if they will not willingly be deceiued let them answer as they thinke What one word of all these bothe might not and did not the Phariseies say against our Sauiour Christe And howe dare they nowe reason against the Gospell of Christe with the same argument with whiche the Phariseies reasoned against Christ But they will say now Christ hath made a promise to be with his Churche to the ende And had he not made this promise before It not Iesus Christe bothe to day and yesterday and the same worlde without ende Looke in the 18. of Deut. and in the 59. of Esaie as absolute as full a promise then as nowe But they were not so long in errour put case they were not he who punished the transgression of the lawe giuen by Angels with 400. yeres blindnesse may not he punish the transgression against his Gospell giuen by his onely sonne with 800. or a 1000. yeres blindnesse But for your sakes dearly beloued I do more then I woulde and with reason I confute them whiche haue no reason Let vs come to the text answere out of it Was the world deceiued so many hundred yeres Why should it not The Lord ordeined that there should come an apostasie and a generall fall from the faith of Christ that the world might be seduced with the man of sinne whose age began in the Apostles times and shall not vtterly die till the day of christ Thus the Lorde appointed and so let it be for all thinges are for his glorie And here let vs rest in all the thinges that â—…uer our hearts can thinke vpon if we can see no reason of the word of God we can see humilitie to confesse before him ô the deapth of the riches and of the wisedome and of the knowledge of God! How vnsearchable are his iudgements how are his wayes without finding out And because we knowe that of him by him and in him are all thinges let vs speake it To him be glorie for euermore All counsels all doctours all examples all decrees all what you will they are not our scholemaisters but our fellowe scholers that we may learne together out of the worde of God whose decree shal stand for euer whose iudgements are perfect righteousnes That which followeth in the latter ende of the verse To consecrate him by afflictions or to make him perfect by afflictions the meaning is that Christ in his death accomplished a full redemption and so was prepared to receiue an inheritance of glorie not attributing so this worke to his death as though all his life had ben impertinent for in al his
ceasse and bynde vp these promises for another people that should beleeue and then the Prophet aunswering againe to God in acknowledging all his trueth goodnesse saith thu s Beholde I and the children that God hath giuen me This is the sense of the Scripture aâ—…cording to that time But in all deliuerances of the people of God theeÌ„ the benefite came vpon them only in respect of Christ and it was euer a figure of the greate deliueraunce through him which at last should be openly giuen from death and from the diuel For this cause in all extreme perils of that people wheÌ„they would conceiue any hope they would make mention of their Messias and of the promises of God in him which should neuer be frustrate euen so in this place wheÌ„ the Prophet would speake certeinly of saluation in the middest of daunger he said of all those troubles they shall happen in thy lande ò Emanuel at the mention of whose name he hath so sure hope that he defieth the world sayth Gather together on heapes ô ye people and ye shal be broken in pieces gyrde your selues and you shal be broken in pieces take counsel and it shal be brought to nought pronounce a decree and it shall not stande for God is with vs so coÌ„tinuing his prophesie all according to the similitude of the happie dayes of Christe he sayth presently in his own person and figuratiuely in the person of Christe Though bothe the houses of Israel stumble and the inhabitants of Ierusalem fall down yet beholde I and the children that God hath giuen me will endure the reproches of men wil beleeue the promises Which wordes in Christ haue this meaning That how soeuer the wicked of the worlde doe fall and are snared and taken yet Christe wil keepe his and not one of them shall perish Now heere we must learne as the Apostle teacheth Was the Prophet Esaic a man like vnto his children that is like vnto those whiche obeyed his worde Then was our Sauiour Christ perfect man like vnto vs whome he hath deliuered from sinne and death and if he haue saued vs he hathe saued those whom God hath giuen him flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone For this is his intercession vnto his Father Beholde me and my children One other thing we must learne in this There was an apostasie of all men so that they which beleeued were made as signes wonders yet how so euer the world was the prophet saith Beholde me and my childreÌ„ Such shal be the days of Christ many shall fall away religion faith shal be persecuted iniquitie shall abound What then Our Sauiour Christe saith Lo I and my children if the whole world fall away we would not regarde their multitude to followe them to doe euill but we would alone stande with the Lord our god Such a faith constancie was in Iosua when he saide vnto all the people of Israel If it seeme euil to you to serue the Lord or if you will serue the Gods which your fathers serued beyonde the riuer or the Gods of the Amorites in whose lande you dwell yet I and my house will serue the lord Such a faith was in Elias wheÌ„ he coÌ„staÌ„tly folowed God although he thought there was not one man beside in Israel whiche had not worshipped Baal Such a faith was in Peter when hee sawe all decline euen the disciples and kinsfolke of our Sauiour Christ to fall from him vtterly forsake him yet Peter vowed it vnto Christ that he the apostles would not forsake him shewing a good cause of al their constancie Thou hast the words of eternall life whether should we go Suche a faith was in Paule who cared neither for man nor Angel in this respect but grounded his faith vppon Iesu Christe And if an Angel would teache otherwise let him saith S. Paule be accursed Thus dearely beloued our faith must be sealed in our owne hearts hauing the witnesse of the worde of God on whiche we must so surely rest that thoughe we sawe the whole worlde to fall away yet we would stande alone in the midds of skorners and presumptuous sinners we would speake as the prophet speaketh of our Sauiour Christ Beholde I and my children whiche God hath giuen me If other will needes by vnbeleeuing seale vp the promises that they may neuer see them and binde vp the testimonies that they may neuer heare them let them fall and be snared and be taken yet I and my children will serue the Lorde This boldnesse is the witnesse of a true faith this triall shal be made of men while the Gospel is preached For thus Christ coÌ„meth vnto his Father when all the worlde forsaketh him Beholde me and my children Here I would faine know of any learned man nay of any wise man or rather of any reasonable man whose heart is prepared to heare the word of God to obey it let him tel me why do they crie The Church the Church Or why do they thinke the Church is alwayes in a visible gouernment Or why do they carrie vs away to Rome and tel vs the Pope caÌ„not erre his faith is catholique beleeue as he beleueth y shalt be safe how caÌ„ this prerogatiue of place and person stand with this tryall where vnto Christe calleth so manie Beholde me and my children that is to holde the assurance of their fayth in their owne heart when all the worlde shall be against it The Prophet would then haue said if such priuiledged places had bene Behold IerusaleÌ„ I my children wil dwel in it And our Sauiour Christ would haue said Beholde Rome the Citie whiche thou hast chosen I and my children will abide in it but neither Ierusalem nor yet Rome haue any exception the prophet Esaie our sauiour Christe regardeth neither of theÌ„ but if Rome or if Ierusalem or if the Pope or if the high priest teache an other fayth then out of the woord of God Beholde I and my children we wil beleeue the Lord beare recorde against Popes prelates they be all lyers All places and all people are brought in order if they teach things that the word of God knoweth not let them beleue it them selues Behold I and my children beleeue an other And is it not trowe you strauÌ„ge or haue not those meÌ„ lost their vnderstaÌ„ding who yet runne after the cry of the church the church and beleeue a man they know not a place they neuer saw a people they neuer heard a religion they knowe not what But with such froward persons the Lord hath dealt frowardly when they ran headlong they knew not whether and inquired after a say the they knewe not what God in his iustice did bring theÌ„ to Rome the sinck in y world of all sinne iniquitie gaue theÌ„ their scholmaister to be the Pope a man made of all abhominations and whordomes This
God nothing must make thee breake the righteousnes of it not thy profite not thy pleasure not thy kinsman not thy friend not thy Father not thy King for if thou do thou hast sinned and thy sinne will finde thee out in the day in which shal be saide Come giue account of thy stewardshippe The Prince may sette thee in the seate of iustice but the prince must not make thee pe◅uert iustice he may giue thee an office but he cannot giue thee thy Quietus est for the vnfaithfulnesse of thine office if magistrates officers knew this they would not so ambitiouslie sue as they doe when they had obteined they would bee more faithfull then they are but this is a desperate disease and for me let it grow til it be rottennesse in their bones I speake not in hope of any amendment but I beare witnes of their sinne against the day of vengeance Further I say nothing they haue made their gaine their God and with the idol to which they are ioyned let them alone In this matter of faithfulnesse which we haue in hande let vs learne this that as it is necessarie in all so it is especially necessarie in the minister And to the ende that we may all learne what is the faithfulnesse of a minister let vs see what was in Christ whose faith is the example for all to followe It followeth He was faithful as Moses in all his house What was the faithfulnes commended in Moses That he did in euerie point acording to that which God had commaunded and pretermitted nothing of all that the Lord had saide This was then the faithfulnesse of Christe to doe nothing but at the will of his Father and this Saint Iohn witnesseth expresly in many places that Christe did and saide all things according to the word and will of his Father And thus Sainct Paule when he would shewe the faithfulnesse of him selfe and his fellowes he saith He maketh no merchandize of the worde of God nor mingleth it as vinteners doe their wine but speaketh as from God himselfe And in another place he saith He doth not mingle deceipt with the word of god Now the worde it selfe is called by Sainct Peter the milke that is without all deceipt shewing whatsoeuer is else of man it is falshod and no sweete nourishment of life in it therefore he that is faithfull speaketh onely the wordes of Christ as S. Paule saith in cleare and manifest declaration of trueth And expressely in plaine woordes this is taught vs by Paule in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians saying Our exhortation was not by craftinesse nor by deceipt nor by vncleanesse but as God allowed of vs to commit his Gospel vnto vs so wee spake not as studying to please men but to please God who tryeth our heartes neither euer did wee either flatter you as you know nor sought subtile meanes to winne ought vnto our selues as God is our witnesse Here is the image of this faithfull minister like vnto Christe one that preacheth nothing but the worde of God nor for any cause but for Gods glorie How many ministers know this the Lorde alone can tell but howe fewe followe it all we this day are witnesses And I may almoste say heere as I saide afore of officers I speake not for any hope I see of amends for I assure you it is almost with vs in the ministerie as it was in Esaies time with y people of Israel The whole head is sick and the whole heart is heauie from the sole of the foote to the crown of the head there is nothing whole therein but woūds swellinges and sores full of corruption from the priests of the highest chaires to the beggerly curates of the countrie a generall neglecte is of this faithful teaching of Gods people The other greatest part of vnfaithfulnesse is when we corrupt and defile the word of God committed vnto vs to mingle it with our owne deuices bring it into small account that we might magnifie our owne traditiōs this vnfaithfulnes we pray day and night that the Lord would keepe it from vs and we exhort you in the name of the Lorde receiue the worde ingraffed in you whiche can saue your soules and receiue the immortall seale which is the word of the liuing God by which you may be regenerate where in you haue the power of God to saluation through a pure faith and haue no trust in man for euerie man is a liar This faithfulnes by the grace of God we bring vnto you and beseech you to abide vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets but of this faith what one ◅ot or title is left vnto our aduersaries Zimrie was as faithful vnto Elahor or Hazael to Benhadad as they haue ben faithfull to the Lord Iesu in this behalfe for what is it else but to be guiltie of y death of Christ to pollute as they haue done his Testament which was confirmed in his bloud What is it but to bring him downe againe from heauen or to raise him vp againe from the dead to take away from vs the word of faith printed in our hearts by the preaching of his Gospell and to sende vs to Rome to inquire of our religion Surely dearely beloued I tell you true and yet not I but Paule nor Paule but Christ y he that sendeth vs beyond the seas to learn our faith when we haue the word of God at home he is an vnfaithfull creature adulterating the word of God and as one that would pull Christe againe downe from heauen and all the Decrees and Decretalles and Constitutions of the church of Rome which they haue ioyned to Gods word and tel you you must needes beleeue them they are the verie fornications of the whore of Babylon and haue no thing but filthinesse in them and if any doubt of it let him consider what hath ben said This was the faithfulnes of our Sauiour Christe to speake onely the woordes whiche his Father had commaunded him to speak This was the faithfulnesse of Christs Apostles to preache only what our Sauiour Christ had taught them This is our faithfulnes to beleeue according to the preachinge of the Apostles and to be built vpon their foundation not the Pope who hath exalted him selfe and cōmeth with his dispensatious against God the Father againste his Sonne Christ against his Apostles and maketh Lawes of his owne what a periured and faithlesse creature is he And thus farre of the ministers faithfulnesse Now more touching this comparison here made betwene Christ and Moses there is no doubt but the Apostle vseth it the more to ioyne the Hebrues vnto Christe for howe they accompted of Moses he knewe well and what soeuer was spoken of him they did willingly applie them selues to marke it learne it his praise did winne their affections to be more equally bent to learne christ Taking this occasion
here plainely teacheth vs that we be the house of God if wee holde the reioycing of our hope stedfast and sure vnto the ende and if there bee an other people which haue cast their hope from them and taken in stead of it a new fancie worldly minded mē which bring our worldly speeche to measure the trueth of God because in worldly things we say we hope of that which we can not surely tell whether we shall haue or no therefore to make also the hope of saluation a desire in vs whereof we are vncerteine if I say there be any such people let them boast they are the church yet we know they are not the church but an absurde people for let them aunswere mee but this one question I aske of them whether they be sure they are the church of God or no if they be not sure they be blinde leaders of the blind shall we follow them who knowe not whether they go If they be sure doe they thinke the Church of God can perish if it cannot the hope of it is sure and no man can come into it but he must haue his portion in this assurance of hope And al this I speake not as though Gods children are euerie one and alwayes in this assurance for sometime their faith is weake and their hope is shadowed that they might humble them selues vnder the hand of God till they doe acknowledge their owne vnworthines and hunger and thirst after the righteousnes of Christ but in all their weakenesse they wil confesse their sinne and say they ought more assuredly to holde their hope onlie this I say and this the Apostle sayth this is the doctrine of the house of God that they ought to holde the reioycing of their hope stedfast and sure vnto the ende and this doctrine that our hope is doubtfull and can not haue anie assuraunce of the thing we hope for this I say is not the doctrine of Christ nor of the house that he hath built but of some other an Idols house house of idolaters y either knowe not whether their God be faithful iust or but a deceiuer or whether thēselues should beleeue his promises or rather mistrust them And thus farr of the church as here the Apostle hath described it Now the third thing which we must here marke for our instruction is perseuerance for so he sayth We m◅st holde our reioycing continuall vnto the ende A most necessarie thing and such as without which all our labour is lost but a thing hard to atteine vnto ful of difficultie know it by the experience of it for scarce one of a great many doth grow vp into seruēcie of zeale so cōtinueth vnto the end And therfore the more daunger is vnto vs in this behalfe the more watchful we must be to auoyd the perill Let vs first know it persuade our selues in it there is no pleasing of God but in this perseuerāce vnto the end for euen as the prophet sayth so we shal find it true If the righteous man of an hundred yere old shal forsake his righteousnes the Lord wil also forget al y righteousnes y he hath done and a most iust cause why our sinnes should be imputed if at any time we should faint fall away for he y can measure his obedience to God by dayes yeeres accompteth times how long he wil walke before the Lord he is not worthie to be reckoned amonge his seruantes nor to be one of Gods children for God is not as men are nor his rewardes are as the rewardes of princes hee measureth not his giftes by such skant accomptes of yeeres and moneths and times past as though at last he could be enuious at our prosperitie but he filleth his hande with blessing and his loue with immortalitie neither is there any ende of his mercie and if we shall come to such cold reckoning to score vp our yeares and number our doings like prentices or hired mē let vs go serue some God that againe scoreth vp his benefites and with an euil eye loketh vppon his louers let vs worshippe with the papists al their abhominations Saint Cornellis who can only keepe vs from the falling sicknes S. Apolline who wil helpe vs of the toothache or some other Gods of the mounteines or Gods of the vallies if thou haue suche a God that can do so litle good make thy bargeine therafter and serue him by times moments But if thou serue y Lord God of hostes whose mercie is ouer all his workes and whose infinite goodnesse doth endure for euer thou seruest a bountifull Lord who giueth thee all things vpbraideth none thou maiest not be a nigardly seruant to giue vnto him either thy hand or thy foot but all is of him withal y must serue him Thou seruest a louing lord who wil not cha◅g his fauour towards thee for euermore thou maist not serue him by account of days but to the last houre thou must euer be faithfull A perfect God a perfect seruant an euerlasting God a perpetuall seruant if thou fall at the last thou art fallen from him and not he from thee thy condēnation is of thy self Therfore our sauiour Christ hath giuen vs a cleare warning that He that setteth his hand◅ to the plowe and looketh backward he is not meete for the kingdome of heauē but thus his promise is vnto vs He that persenereth vnto the ende he shal be safe and in this assurance Sainct Paule helde the reioycing of his hope I haue strouen a good strise I haue finished my course I haue kept my faith Now the crowne of righteousnes onely is behinde which he will giue mee who is the righteous iudge Euen ◅o dearely beloued let vs be constant let vs cast away the burthen that presseth vs downe and this sinne which so easily compasseth vs about and let vs runne with patience all out the race which is set before vs so we shal be like vnto our sauiour Christ who for the ioye that was set before him did despise the crosse and is nowe the authour and finisher of our faith The greatest enimie we haue to make vs slumble and fall that we should not holde this constancie and perseuerance vnto the ende is our owne fleshe And if it may haue any rule in this worke or if we consult with it in these heauenlie thinges wee are vndone and all our labour is lost for our fleshe will like of nothing long All delightes must haue their change and the greater the pleasure is the neerer is safetie in any thing what so euer apperteineth vnto the bodie Wouldest thou neuer so faine sell thy selfe to serue any thing thou shalt finde nothing that will giue thee a perpetual pleasure to buy thy seruice hunger thirst are soone satisfied the heauie cyclid is easily filled with sleepe labour hath wearinesse and rest is soone tedious all play and pastim◅ whiche
worshippest God and an idoll too And consider I beseech you but this one thing and marke it well that the Scripture is thus called the The worde of God. There is no doubt but the name of God is great ouer al the earth his name is praysed from the rysing of the sunne to the going downe of the same neither is there any creature but it sheweth foorth his glorie yet hath not God reserued the â—…ound of his name to be called vpon 〈◊〉 y name of any creature but he hath giuen this only to his woorde We do not say The heauen of God nor the earth of God nor any thing in them vnder the name of God is noted notwithstanding they shew forth his glorie but the writings of the Apostles prophets by this name we know them The word of God why else but that his wisdome his power his glorie his mercie especially and aboue al things shineth in his worde and therefore let vs persuade our selues that his maiestie can not be so highly offended in any abuse of all his creatures as when his woord is despised When man sawe not his eternall power and Godhead which was manifest and might haue ben knowen in the workes of the creation of the worlde yet God did ouersee all their ignorances and had pitie on them he gaue them a better testimonie of his presence made his worde knowen in the middes of them that they might beleeue it and be saued which word whosoeuer shal despise he hath despised the power of God by which he should be saued is more guiltie before god theÌ„ paganes infidels which neuer knew him neither can there be any other meane of saluatioÌ„ vnto him To this effecte no doubt the apostle giueth this reuerende speach to the prophesie The holie ghost hathâ—… saide Thus hauing prepared the people to heare regard he setteth downe the words of the prophet as followeth To day if you wil heare his voice hardeÌ„ not your harts as in the bitter murmuring in the day of tentatioÌ„ in the wildernes where your fathers c. To vnderstand this exhortatioÌ„ well we must see the whole purpose of the psalme The prophet maketh this psalme no doubt as a preparation for the people in all their holie conuocation how to present them selues before the Lord after the same manner in a good and laudable custome we vse it now in the church in our seruice vnto God beginning with this Psalme to stirre vs vp into feare and reuerence an earnest desire of the praise of god O come let vs sing vnto the Lord c. and because our zeale toward God is faint and hypocrisie hath infected the heartes of manie therefore the Prophet toucheth them neerer that if they will stand acceptable before God delay not nor bee faint hearted but euen speedily with a good courage Today if you will heare his voice harden not your heartes c. And he rehearseth the examples of their fathers who tempted God and fel in the wildernes the feare of whose examples should make vs wise This beeing now the plaine meaning of the prophet you see how fitly this Scripture is alledged by the Apostle as then the Prophet cryed vnto them in their assemblies Today if you will hear his voice c that they might keepe holie their Sabbaoth dayes and bee holie in their assemblyes before their God to heare his woorde with humilitie and offer them selues in a holie obedience vnto it So here the Apostle applying it vnto Christe who then spake by his Prophetes that his woorde now might haue also the reuerence of his owne person he sayth also to them Today if you wil heare his voice harden not your heartes c. Now touching the words that he sayth Today he meaneth all the time in which the gospel is preached teaching vs heerby that so long as the word is preached so long saluation is offered In like sense Saint Paul exhorting the CorinthiaÌ„s not to receiue the grace of God in vaine alledgeth this saying out of Esaic I haue hearde thee in an acceptable time and in the day of saluation haue I succoured thee wherevnto he addeth Behold now is the acceptable time beholde now is the day of saluation plainely expounding this time this day to be so long as the gospell is preached by which we learne how great a benefite it is to heare Christ preached for then God offereth him self vnto vs then he stretcheth out his handes as the prophet sayth to imbrace vs then he calleth vs to come vnto him then he wil accept vs then is the time of saluation for vs all his fauour loue mercie goodnes al his graces are laid out vnto vs he hath opened the heauens y we might see and shewed forth his glorie that we might vnderstand and be no more vnbeleeuing but beleeuing And what excuse trow we can we take vp to bringe before him if this Gospell of grace of peace of life be preached vnto vs and not regarded Therfore euen as the Apostle sayth afterward so let vs learne While the Gospel is preached it is stil called Today harden not our hartes against it through the deceites of sinne And this I beseech you once againe to remember that when the Gospell is preached vnto vs then it is Today Take away this word preached which is the power of God to thy saluation and what time art thou in Sure in the night in whiche no man can woorke for this is the day when his voice is heard Euen as the dayes of our life they arise with the sunne and go downe againe with it so the day of our saluation it springeth in the preaching of the Gospell and it is shut vpp againe with the ceasing of that voice and therfore the holie ghost saith when our sauiour Christ doth come to Capernaum in the borders of Zabulon and Nephtalim The people that sat in darknesse sawe a great light and to them that sat in the region and in the shadowe of death light arose vp vnto them this light is the light of the sonne of righteousnesse how long so euer it shineth so long shineth the acceptable time and the day of health nowe would I faine know what auaile prayers for the dead what helpeth sacrifices for them in purgatorie is not this Sonne gone downe vpon them is it not night with them and they all haue made their beds in the dark Haue they any more eares to heare or are they not as men dead long agoe Howe then can yet their state bee changeable How can they obtein grace mercie peace by our intercession If they can the Apostle sayth not true that it is no longer Today then while the Gospell is preached Sainct Paule saith not true that now onely is the Acceptable time our Sauiour Christ deceiued vs when he said The night commeth in which no man can work but this was the enuie of the diuell to
names it is plaine what storie is ment and we haue in it to learne first how great a crime it is to resist the minister of God for the name of that sinne God hath giuen vnto the place for a perpetuall remēbrance what the punishment of it hath beene and againe what it is to fall from our hope that we haue in Gods prouidence to mistrust him to feare that he wil faile vs for this is to tempt God with which sinne how highly he is displeased the name of the place to this day beareth witnes ▪ which Moses for that cause called tentation And heere againe let vs learne howe and in what case we may giue names vnto places and that is when the remembrance of the name is a putting vs in minde of some speciall worke of God towarde vs as in remembrance of the excellent vision that God gaue Iacob he caled the place Bethel When God gaue to Abraham the life of Isaak his sonne and saued him from sacrificing Abraham called the place Iehouah Iireh Likewise in remembrance of GODS punishments when he diuided the peoples tongues hee called the name of the place Babel When God destroyed from heauen the hoast of Israel with fire for remembraunce of the punishment they named the place Taberah Manie suche examples are in the Scripture good and profitable for vs to followe if we had hearts that feared God and had comfort in the remembraunce of all his workes but we haue leaf◅ that good worke of our forefathers and as time corrupteth all things so it hath here corrupted our manners In deede we giue names still vnto places but not now for any conscience toward God the better to remember his goodnesse towardes vs but we erecte thereby monumentes to our fleshe and make shrines of pride We do I am affraid as the prophet Dauid saith the wicked do think their houses their habitations shal continue for euer and cal their landes by their names We swell with vanitie and are puffed vp with pride in this hautinesse of heart wee giue names vnto our houses this boasting is not good and of suche high minded men the prophet saith They shal lie like sheepe in their graues death shal deuour them yea al their pompe with them of this let vs beware for it is a sinne that cleaueth fast vnto vs we are easily ledd with it otherwise if God giue vs humble heartes and mindes in the naming of our houses after our owne names or after other there is no hutt at all Now where it is saide They tempted God and proued him in the wildernesse where they saw his works fourty yeeres we must knowe the wildernesse was a terrible and fearefull place full of temptations where the people alwayes wanted sometime meat somtime drinke in feare of enimies in feare of serpentes in muche affliction but what of this yet if they tempt God they are rebellious against god For he that made the wildernesse and all the terrour of it is not his power ouer it to saue his sainct◅s No place no man no terrour must ouerthrowe our hope in Gods prouidence or if it do wee tempt God and prouoke him against vs therefore Dauid saide Though I walked through the vallie of the shadowe of death yet I would not feare because thou art with mee And let vs neuer deceiue our selues for if wee be not as Dauid was to trust still in God yea though he seemed to kill vs Surely let our dayes be neuer so peaceable yet euerie occasion will make vs fall from God. Solomon saith if we faint in the day of aduersitie our strength was neuer great and if with the Israelites we would murmur in the wildernesse with the Israelites we would also rebell euen in the lande of Canaan for they were no more obedient when they had peace when their lande flowed with milke and honie then when they were in the solitarie desert And let vs not looke vpon our fathers example but loke vpō our selues this day doth this peace of the Gospel make vs more thankful or more desirously to giue vs our selues to be seruants of the Lord then we were before whē we felt y prison houses hoat fires of idolatric the Lord knoweth he iudgeth and we are wise if our hearts be settled for no cause at all to leaue our obedience to God then we may be bolde and say with Iob If he wil kill vs let him not spare for we haue not denied the wordes of the holie one let it come that he sendeth Neither the wildernes nor fierie serpents nor yet y fruitful vines and pleasant springs of the land of Canaan shall separate betweene God and vs. And heere that God sayth he did xl yeres shew his woorkes vnto them he meaneth bothe Manna with which he ◅ed them from heauen their continuall leading with the pillour of cloude and pillour of fire and all other miracles whiche he did before them wherein appeareth the long suffering of God and as Paule sayth The riches of his bountifulnes great patience whiche is not ouercome with our sinnes but he once promised it vnto Abraham to giue a land vnto them and all the rebellion of his childrē could neuer falsifie his promise This ought to strengthen our faith to the forgiuenes of our sinnes we haue a couenant of God greater and better they y made with Abraham euen a couenant made in his only begotten Sonne through whom he hath said he is well pleased with vs and will remember out sinnes nor our iniquities any more And let vs not feare neither the greatnesse of our sinne nor the craf◅nes of our enimie but in a repenting and faithful heart trust vnto his promise that can not change his grace nor repent him of his mercie for euer And yet that wee should not be here secure and commit sinne without regarde as men that carrie away the grace of God to wantonnesse thinking any outward calling to be warrant enough of our election To take away the grosse opinion and make vs serch better whether we be the children of the couenaunt or no therfore he addeth that he was angrie with this generation and said It is a people that doe erre in their heartes for they haue not knowen my wayes c. testifying by this threatening that his promises were not to them onely in their birth that they were the children of Israel but much more in this if they walked in the steppes of the fayth of Abraham So all we this day saluation is promised vnto vs in Iesu Christe in a holie couenaunt whiche shall neuer be broken but God will make all our enimies our footestoole and will surely take vs into his glorie But let vs be wise to see whether the couenaunt is made with vs or no for as not all that were borne of Abraham were the children of Abraham so not all that professe the Gospell shall haue
the saluation of the Gospell for there are many drunkards gluttons adulterers couetous men blasphemers lyers contentious persons and suche other whiche shall neuer into the kingdome of of Heauen yet will they boast of the gospell of Christ but he that dyeth with Christ and is buried with him touching the olde man and as Christe is risen from the dead so by the spirite of Christe he that ryseth vp into newenesse of life with him this couenaunt is mad and with none other and he shal be iustified by his fayth when the sinnes of the wicked shall fall vpon them Further in this threatening wee haue to marke first the cause euen the peoples sinne which the prophet setteth out thus It is a people that do erre in their hearts for they haue not knowen my ways This is the beginnig of all euil to leaue the ordinances of God and walke in our owne imaginations and this is onely follie to forsake the word of God the founteine of all wisedome and to followe our owne inuentions whiche are vaine and fruitlesse So Moses vpbraideth the people when they obeyed no longer Gods ordinances to do them but made new lawes vnto themselues to liue by They are sayth he a nation voide of counsel neither is there any vnderstanding in them by this we know what they are what wisedome and counsell is in them that take away the worke of God and teache their owne traditions It is a plaine sentence They erre in their hartes for they haue not knowen my wayes So we may boldly say It is a foolishe people an ignoraunt people a people full of blindnesse and sinne whosoeuer walke in their owne imaginations for they haue forsaken the wayes of God and nowe what wisedome can there be in them And mark that he saith They erre in their hearts noting what studie is in theÌ„ and howe full they are of thoughtes and cogitations what to deuise euer mâ—…sing euer inuenting and neuer the better no quietnesse is within vs So that we are sure our owne traditions the more wee followe them our owne foolishnesse doeth the more vexe and disquiet vs and wee doe nothing else but waste pensiue dayes and heauie nightes studying with our selues how we may perish If thou doubt of this whosoeuer thou art heare the worde of the Lorde They erre in their heart for they haue not knowen my wayes if thou hearest it and knowest it leaue off their wofull wayes who seeke tradition and erre in their heartes and haue no peace and followe the worde of God whiche onely giueth light and securitie vnto vs. An other thing in this threatning is that God sweareth They shal not enter into his rest This oth is to persuade vs that with a constant purpose God is iust euen as he is merciful and let vs not flatter our selues in vaine hope to escape his anger while wee will needes walke still in our sinnes for in iustice iudgement the glorie of God shineth and no more then he can breake his promise of loue and mercie made with his Sainctes no more will he defile his couenant in whiche he hath threatened the rebellious people but hee will surely recompence their sinnes into their bosome and his anger shall consume them Therfore to these also hath he sworne and he wil not repent him They that haue not knowen his wayes they shall neuer enter into his rest of this rest we shall haue occasion to speake hereafter Now let vs pray that God for his sonnes sake woulde prepare our hearts to the hearing of his voice that wee may not be despisers as our forefathers haue beene whom God threatned in his heauie displeasure and hath shewed his iudgements toward them euen as he would but let vs be as his sheepe that doe heare his voice that his worde may he in our heartes a seede of regeneration by whiche we may be borne a newe into holinesse and righteousnesse to glorifie him that is our God for euer c. ¶ The sixteenth Lecture vpon the 12. 13. 14. verses 12 Take heede brethren lest at any time there be in any of you an euil heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God. 13 But exhort one another dayly while it is called To day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne 14 For we are made partakers of Christ if we keepe sure vnto the end that beginning wherwith we are vpholden IN these words the Apostle beginneth more particularly to handle y former words of the Prophet and so to amplifie his exhortation that in no wise the Hebrues should forget to heare to obey christ their only prophet first of all in this that the Prophet sayth To day â–ª by which the Apostle gathereth that we must not neglecte this time of our calling but wheÌ„ the voice of the Lord is heard then we must shew our obedience for it is not meet that he should speak and we should be deafe nor he should call to day and we to make answer we will come to morrowe such loose regard of the worde of the liuing God becommeth not those that are his Saincts neither doth our sauiour Christ so teach vs himselfe when he saith so many times He that hath eares to heare let him heare therfore when the Lord openeth his mouth let vs erecte our eares and in the day that he doth teache let vs learne in the same glorifie god in his goodnes this is y plain meaning of the Apostle in these words of the twelfth thirteenth verse Take heed brethren lest at any time there be in any of you an euil heart vnfaithful to depart froÌ„ the liuing God but exhort one another daily while it is yet called To day lest any of you be hardened with the deceitfulnesse of sinne Beside this generall doctrine in the wordes of the Apostle we haue manie thinges profitable to note First that heere againe he calleth them by the name of Brethren he sheweth a great affection of brotherlie loue toward them for there is no doubt but he was free from flattering woordes and of the aboundance of his heart his mouth did speake so that this testimonie of his good will had greate weight to allure the Hebrues the more willingly to heare him And we must learne a verie good lesson with what care and loue earnest desire wee must do all things to our neighbour We must not as in other things where wee care not greatly whether they come to passe or no so vse our exhortations and admonitions to our bretâ—…en but what we aduise them or speake vnto them touching the feare of God we must haue all our heart bent to doe them good no care nor desire ought to be greater in vs then this that by some meanes we might doe them good This affection the Apostle sheweth when hee calleth them Brethren and we that this day preach vnto you when we say dearely beloued or louing brethren or vse
such like names by which wee call you either we haue this earnest affection to winne you vnto Christ or else in the pulpit also we haue learned to dissemble I note this now bothe to stiâ—…re vp my selfe and to admonish other for I heare daily such louing names of the people in the preachers mouthes and I pray God as much louing affection may be in their heartes vnto them An other thing in these woordes of the Apostle taught vs is this what the cause is why all the day long the Lord speaketh vnto vs and few regard it and the cause is an vnbeleeuing heart therefore the Apostle saith Take hede there be not in anie of you an euil and vnbeleeuing heart to fall away from the liuing God which wordes he addeth as a declaration of the former wordes of the prophet where he saith It is a people that doe erre in their heartes for they haue not knowen my wayes heere we must first see where is the roote and founteine of our sinne whiche is not farre off from euery one of vs in the East or West or ends of the world but it springeth vp and is nourished in our owne hearts and what soeuer is euill in vs here it hath his founteine in which wee knowe first our sinne is our owne and of our selues it riseth accuse not neither this nor that but humble thy selfe and confesse thy sinne which is bredd within thee It is true we haue many tentations but we could not be ouercome of them if the corruption of sinne were not within vs for our Sauiour Christ was also tempted yet he sinned not the cause was wheÌ„ the prince of this world came vnto him he founde nothing in him if it were so in vs all temptations should be in vaine but we because we are borne in sinne and no goodnesse dwelleth in our flesh therefore we are streight carried as we moste desire and our owne concupiscence giueth strength to our tentations And againe here we see as our hart is a root of sinne so there is no sinne but commeth from the heart if thy heart accuse thee not be of good comfort thy sinnes are abolished if thy heart condemne thee mock not thy selfe for thy sinne abideth Our Sauiour Christ sayth The things come not from without which do defile a man but they do proceede froÌ„ the heart that is within for out of the heart come euill thoughtes murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse slaunders all such things as defile a man. A notable sentence and ful of godlie comforte in all our life for when I see so many men vexed in minde this way or that way some vowe pilgrimages some obseruation of dayes some absteine from meates some one thing some an other in this wauering of many my hope is stedfast I fear not meat drink day time place person for all this serueth mee and I serue the Lord before whom wheÌ„ my heart is fetled in loue and obedience al the world beside cannot defile me Let vs therfore take good heede of this and we take good heede to the safest tower of defence that wee haue in all our life take heede of thy heart for if it accuse thee it will kill thee if it be on thy side let the heauens fall yet the ruines of it shall not make thee affraide let thy aduersaries be who they will let their counsell be neuer so subtile and thy destruction that is conspired neuer so cruell yet if thy heart shal be faithful thine enimies shall feare more then thou they shal be ashamed more then thou for innocencie assisteth thee which is strengthened with the arme of God and is not vanquished of a vaine man Let vs followe then the calling of the Apostle and let vs regarde well our heartes Now as this is the safetie of thy life to haue thy heart cleane so marke these wordes of the Apostle and he wil teach thee how to haue thy hart cleane Let there not be in any saith he an euil hart of infidelitie Infidelitie is it whiche maketh thy heart abound in euill and if by any meanes it can get roome to lodge within thee thy heart is taken and imagineth from henceforth al mischiefe When our Sauiour Christ so manie times reproueth sundrie sorts of men he maketh this as a generall fault of all that They are vnfaithfull and slowe to beleeue When Saint Paul condemneth them as reprobate men which do neuer see the light of the Gospell he maketh this the cause of their sin that The God of this world hath blinded the eyes of their vnbeleeuing heart And if we will be free from so great a plague let vs follow this counsell of the Apostle that there be not in vs vnbeleeuing hearts Let vs be as our Sauiour Christ teacheth Thomas to be not vnfaithfull but faithful Whatsoeuer is spoken in the worde of trueth let it haue within vs a sure persuasion If God say hee wil be our defence and our exceeding great rewarde let vs beleeue the assuraunce of his promise and knowe he will not leaue his Sainctes neither yet forsake them If God haue promised eternall life to those that walke faithfully before him let vs beleeue his word that a thousande thousande and ten thousand thousand yeres before him haue none account neither yet any time which can be expired at the last but aboue all time in immortalitie he hath established a dwelling for his Sainctes If God haue threatened eternall fire to consume and deuour his enimies let neuer our heartes doubt or wauer through the temptations of the diuell but let vs acknowledge it in a certeine trueth and beleeue it as if wee hearde euen nowe the fearefull voice to sound Go yâ—… cursed into eternall fire With such a beleeuing hearte let mee foresee the latter ende and I shall not sinne for euer But take nowe this feare awaye of those last iudgementes and bring a wauering heart to Gods promises and the sentence is pronounced ouer thee because thou hast not beleeued trueth thou shalt erre in thine hearte and beleeue lyes till vanitie waste away thy yeres and thou fall into the destruction whiche thou shalt feele before thou canst beleeue that it is prepared And let vs not onely beleeue these last thinges of which last of all men must haue experience but in all thinges nowe incident into our life Let vs not be hard hearted but beleeue the trueth what it speaketh vnto vs. If Paule say The glorie of the wicked is to their shame let vs yet while we haue time beleeue it and cast out suche ambitious desires as moste assuredly shall bring confusion If Paule say They that wish to be rich they fall into teâ—…tations and into snares and into many foolish and hurtfull desires which drowne 〈◊〉 perdition and distruction why do we not beleeue it and why make wee not our affections as straunge from couetousnesse as we wishe to be farre off
suche our comforte of our meeting wil soone be at an end and our last mirthe wil be in heauinesse And here we must marke when this duetie of mutuall exhortation is required the Apostle addeth While it is yet called to day this is as I told you before while yet life forgiuenes is offered vnto vs thoroughe the preaching of the gospel this is to stirr vs vp not to neglect the time of our calling so the prophet Esay Seke saith he the Lord while he may be foūd cal ye vpon him while he is neere We haue al our times in which we are called to repentance if we neglect them we shall not haue them againe thoughe wee sought them with teares The day was past with the riche man to call vnto Abraham for Lazarus to helpe him when they were both dead the day was when Lazarus lay at his gate despised of him The day was past with Pharaoh when he was in the redd Sea the day was while Moses and Aaron wrought suche miracles in his sight The day was past with Iudas when the diuell was nowe entered into him the day was before when Christe reproued him of his wicked purpose The day is with vs while yet we feele our hearts flexible and our conscience is touched with the feare of God the day is past when at the last our heartes sinke downe into infidelitie and we can no more be soarie for sinne therefore while time is and we be yet sure it is the day of health let vs regarde it and take hold of it as it cōmeth for when it is gone it is past recouerie behind there is no handfast to pull it back againe It followeth Lest any of you be hardened with the deceit of sinne we see here how we be caried into euil y is by craftinesse by deceit of sinne Sinne neuer appeareth in her own coūtenāce no more then y diuel sheweth himself in his owne shape but as he is a lyer from the beginning so all his dooinges are deceiuable errour as him selfe is false so are all his doings in falshoode Sainct Paule calleth it Iugling craftinesse to deceiue cunningly Now then if wee this day confesse that sinne is of the diuel why doe we not beleeue as the holie Apostle beleeueth that the sinner is holden in deceit and errour to doe the things he knoweth not And if in sinning we doe we knowe not what and as we woulde neuer doe if we knewe what we did what meane we so willingly to be deceiued Where is the glorie of our gray haires or the reioycing of a manlie countenaunce when so childishly wee will be led into the pit and snares Wee knowe it is ill we knowe it is of the diuel we hate the name of it we are ashamed of the lighte of the sunne when wee doe committ it we knowe the end of it is death and it bringeth foorth nothinge but our destruction and what heartes haue we yet within vs of fleshe or of stone of wisedome or of madnesse that we be still deceiued with such a monster Where be now our politique heads and wise counsels of which wee boast so much that we be ware men circumspect in all thinges foreseeing harmes preuenting enimies practises and I wot not what idle prayses of vaine men For where is their witt where is their counsell where is their sound aduice and depe consideratiōs whē their greatest dedliest enimies am bitiō pride reuenge iniustice couetousnes adulterie lodge in their priuie chambers lye betwene their brestes Alas dearelie beloued what gaine should be vnto vs if we with you you with vs should both perish together How much were it better that wee should admonish one another and liue together to eternall life Let vs not then be mocked with the deceit of sinne And at one worde to all those wise men of which I spake and to all you y be present of that number this I say and yet not I but the Prophet Ieremie that you may be sure I say the trueth When all your vaine prayses shal be scattered into the winde when the Lord shall cut off all flattering lippes and make perpetuall silence of these emptie idle blastes that haue puffed you vp an other and a truer and a more enduring testimonie shal be pronounced of you that except you turne while it is yet called to day and be not hardned with this deceitfulnesse of sinne you are vnwise shal be ashamed of your grosse ignoraunce for you haue refused the lawe of the Lord and what wisedome can be in you This testimonie I am sure is true and the liuing God hath spoken it of the children of men and how blessed are we if we doe beleeue it how much more happinesse is in one day of our honour in which we are wise to escape the deceipt of sinne then in ten thousand dayes in which we should fall from the Lord of life This is wisedome and hee that hath vnderstanding let him marke where and how many are his footesteps that he bee not ouertaken with the sleightes of sinne It followeth now in the wordes of the Apostle for we be made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our substance stedfast vnto the latter end he amplified before the exhortation of the Prophet by pondering of this woorde Today willing vs not to pretermit the time but diligently to stirre vp one another while this day of health abideth Nowe he continueth the same exhortation by waying of the residue of the words If you heare his voice harden not your harts a◅ in the bitter murmuring shewing that our forefathers example should be our instruction and wee ought to take heede by their punishmentes for if God spared not them how should he spare vs but they when they heard his voice yet they sinned though he spake vnto them yet they beleeued not and therefore his anger fell vpon them euen so if now the voice of Christ shal be heard of vs and we beleeue it not or else little regarde it as wee fall into the same example of disobedience it standeth with the iustice of our God that we shoulde be partakers of like punishmente To this purpose are the wordes of the Apostle to the ende of this chapter Touching this 14. verse the more to persuade vs the Apostle sheweth what great benefite is vnto vs if we will be faithful to heare his voice and abide constant in obedience of it for so wee shal be partakers of christ We knowe this is our hope and all the assurance we haue with God that wee bee made members of Iesu Christe wee must be graffed into him and be made members of his bodie Euen as the vine-braunche can haue no life nor bring forth any fruite except it abide in the bodie of the vine no more haue wee either life or righteousnesse except we be and abide in Christe This is the mysticall vniting and spirituall ioyning
vs in the scripture â–ª their destruction therefore is our example to beware and to feare before the angrie iudgementes of God for their deathes were no common deaths but as Paule noteth souden and greate destructions as in one day when 23000 were slaine for their fornications againe a great multitude destroyed by fierie serpentes for murmuring against God and at other times the angel of God brought many plagues vppon them in which they perished theâ—… lieauâ—… iudgements were not executed of God nor written for vs that wee should forget them The prophet Dauid in the hundred and sixt psalme reherseth these and many other punishmentes of that people in consideration of all which he finally maketh this exhortation to vs al Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for euer and euer and let all people say Amen praise ye the lord If Sainct Paule applie this to make it our instruction that we shoulde feare and flee farre from the like sinnes if the propher Dauid in the remembrance of these so many and so righteous iudgements do so earnestly prouoke vs to prayse the Lorde in all his noble actes and to shewe foorth his praises and to runne vnder the protection of his hand to be saued from our enimies why should wee lightly let goe these admonitions and not rather with faithfull hearts see what great things the Lord hath done and consecrate our selues to do his will who is the God of glorie if we doe not what hope can wee haue to escape his iudgements He that spared not his owne people the children of Abraham the naturall plants which he had planted howe should he spare vs that were straungers from his couenant and wilde oliue braunches which contrarie to our nature are by his loue graffed into the naturall oliue tree Let vs therefore beware by their harmes and the great iudgements which God hath executed in our eyes let them make vs feare before him and walke with reuerence in his ordinaunces and wayes It followeth nowe in the Apostle Towhom sware he that they should not enter into his rest was it not to those that obeyed not This is but a repetition of the other wordes of the prophet all to one purpose that by a double testimonie as it were wee might haue sure hope that the punishments of God shall not come if our rebellion do not pull it downe vppon vs for the promises of God are for euer true that at what time so euer a sinner do repent him of his sione the Lorde will also repent of all punishmentes whiche he threatned to bring vppon him neither can wee possiblie stumble and fall downe in our wayes except we be solde vnder our sinne to worke wickednes in his sight without repentance And thus farre the Apostle hauing clearely taught that sinne is all the cause of Gods anger Now in the latter end he saith further And we see that they could not enter for their â—…liefe in these wordes concluding what is the roote and founteine of all disobedience in vs and that is vnbeliefe infidelitie a heart that can not giue full credite to all the threatnings and promises of God of this by occasion of the Apostles woordes I spake vnto you in the former Lecture now that the Apostle repeateth it we may be sure as Paule sayth as it was not grieuous vnto him to tell vs the same thinge often so it is for our saftie often to heare it and therfore I say vnto you as I sayd before let there bee in none of you an euil heart of vnbeliefe for hence is the prouocation to all euill Bring a faithful heart which with an assured assent shall receiue the woord that is preached vnto thee and thou art armed with a stronge shielde which shall quench all the fierie darâ—…es of the diuel No man can beleue what things God hath reserued for his Saincts but hee must needes accompt all the worlde to be but dung to the ende hee may winne Christe No man can see what are the threateninges of Hell fire whiche is not quenched but hee will abhorre his sinnes more then hee abhorreth anie death and flee from them least they should bringe him to so great condemnation let vs then be armed that the darts of infidelitie do not wound vs and all the shoâ—… of other temptations they shal scarce strike through our eyelids true it is that our flesh is weak but an armour of proofe bringes it strong defence so we may be easily â—…educed with y 〈◊〉 decâ—…it of sinne but a liuely faith wil sone lighten our eyes that we shall not sleape in death Though the world be full of all euil concupiscence yet This is the victorie that euer commeth the world euen our â—…th And see I beeseech thee iudge of the first sinne of our first parents Adam and Eue and by one offence iudge all was not Eue ouercome by infidelitie and first did shee not dout of Gods threatnings before she eate of the Apple when God had saide yee shall dye the death did she not fall to halting and began with pâ—…aduenture shee could not tell well whether it were so or no and from this staggering fell shee not away to sinne and turned not till she fell into the wrath of God for euer â–ª did not Adam also follow her example and this corruption let vs be sure we haue taken from his loines and sucked from her breasts by it the diuel is strong against vs but let vs beware of it and be faithfull and his strength is broken The Lion of the tribe of Iudah hath ouercome the crooked serpent and by fayth in him wee shall surely liue This dearely beloued the Apostle heere doeth teach vs a blessed lesson if we can happily learne it and in which we shal be saued foreuer more and all our enimies shal be our footestoole And the Lorde graunt for his Christes sake that we may be made riche in all knowledge of his will and abounde in a great measure of faith that we may cleaue vnseparablie vnto God and vnremouablie to be ioyned as chaste virgines with a pure faith vnto his Sonne Christe And let vs pray c. The eyghteenth Lecture vpon the 1. 2. verses of the fourth Chapter 1 LET vs feare therfore least at any time by forsaking the promise of entering into his rest any of you shoulde seeme to be depriued 2 For vnto vs was the Gospel preached as also vnto them but the word that they heard profited not theÌ„ because it was not mixed with faith in those that hearde it YOV haue hearde two especiall poinctes in whiche the Apostle doth amplifie this exhortation alledged out of the prophet To dâ—…r if you heare his voice harden not your heartes c. The first was that he saith To day therefore we ought not to foreslowe the time of our calling but take the occasion opportunitie while it is offered Say not vnto the Lorde when he knocketh 〈◊〉 and come
againe another time for thou knowest not whether he will returne or not Seeke him therfore where he may be found and call vnto him while he is neere at hand The seconde pointe the Apostle stoode vp on was that If we heare his voice we should not harden our hearts teaching vs that onely by faith wee shoulde bee fruitefull hearers And if infidelitie beare rule in our heartes all preaching and teaching is in vaine and the voyce of Christe can bee vnto vs but a sauour of death vnto deathe therefore when wee heare him speake let vs faithfully receiue the Gospell of saluation at his mouth or at the mouth of his minister knowing he is our onely prophet giuen of God vnto vs of this the apostle now concludeth in the first of this chapter Let vs feare therefore least at any time this promise of entring into his rest being forsaken any of you may seeme to be depriued by this conclusion yet once againe exhorting them that they would not neglect their onely prophet calling them so at last be frustrate of their vaine hope Let vs heere lay together these sayings of the Apostle in the beginning of the second chapter when he had proued our sauiour Christe to bee God he saith Wherefore my brethren we must carefully hearken to the things we heare least we fall away as water In the beginning of the thirde chapter when hee proued him to be mā also like vnto vs except sinne he addeth Therfore my brethren partakers of the heauēly calling consider the Apostle and highe Priest of our profession Iesus Christ After againe when hee had proued our sauiour Christ to be our only and faithful Prophet he confirmeth his doctrine by the woorde of the prophet alledging this exhortation out of him To day if you wil heare his voice harden not your harts c. Againe applying these woordes of the Prophet he saith See my brethren that there be not in any of you an euill heart of vnbeliefe Now heere againe as a conclusion Let vs feare lest this promise of entring into his rest beeing forsaken we should seeme to be depriued And as though all this were not inough in the eleuenth verse after he sayth Let vs therfore be diligent to enter into that rest that no man fall into the euil example of disobedience And yet againe in the end of this chapter Seeing wee haue a greate highe Priest that hath pearced the heauens euen Iesus Christ the sonne of God let vs hold fast our profession c. What shall wee thinke of all this what meane these often exhortations surely dearelie beloued nothing else but that wee bee dull of hearing and exceeding harde to learne for tell mee notwithstanding this exhortation so often made are there not ◅rowe you many among vs which yet regarde it not yea and yet if againe and againe hee should crie vnto vs would wee all obey his voice wee would if wee were wise but foolishnesse is so wrapped vp in our heartes that I am affraide all the exhortations not onelie here made by the Apostle but all other that haue bene made vnto vs thirtie fourtie fiftie threescore yeeres haue not yet taught vs all that be heere this day with singlenesse of heart and with synceritie to loue the Lord and is it then any maruell though the Apostle hauing compassion on his brethrens ignoraunce doe this often exhorte them in one thing and if wee be weake subiect to the same infirmities y they were let vs think it is necessarie for vs Only I beseeche you take heede that seeing God hath this mercie vppon vs which he had vppon our fathers that his word is thus vnto vs Precept vpon precept precept vpon precept let not vs be againe as they were that notwithstanding all these often and earnest exhortations so plaine to vnderstand yet that the Lord speake vnto vs as with a stammering and a straunge language that we vnderstand nothing for alas dearely beloued how vnprofitable were that for vs and how much better were it wee had neuer heard at all then so often to refuse the Lordes calling let this therfore be our wise vnderstanding in this case and that whiche so often is tolde vs let vs at the last truelie learne it Now touching these wordes of the Apostle that he saith let vs feare that wee lose not this rest promised vs we must not take it as though the Apostle taught that the elect should feare as though they might fall from their hope or that their election were not sure for you haue heard before howe hee saide We must hold the reioycing of our hope with all assurance and constancie vnto the end but heere wee muste consider to whome the Apostle speaketh that is to such as are farre off from a true fayth which haue shewed no great regarde to the voice of the Lorde Iesu whiche are yet in many tentations of sinne doubtful to be carried away with the deceites of it As if at this day the apostle should preach when we see so many worldly minded men so few hungering and thrusting for heauenlie things in this case and to suche people considering their outwarde woorkes the Apostle sayth let vs feare as in deede there is iust cause of feare for when there is scarce in vs anie zeale of God scarce any loue of righteousnes but all our thoughts doe wander in worldlie vanitie if in this case we should boast of our faith were it not good to byd vs feare to take heede that we be not deceiued and what is this against the assuraunce of the faythful that the Apostle biddeth them which are not yet called in holinesse to feare lest they be deceiued in their vaine hope If it be heere sayd the Apostle includeth also him selfe and therefore this feare is also in the most godlie I deny not but in other places of scripture feare is commended vnto the most godlie but the cause of this is because we be all weake full of infirmitie readie to sinne as we see in Dauid in Ezechias in Peter in all the Sainctes of God and therefore this feare is commended in them which is a good care and regarde of their weakenes that they fall not a care that may driue ou◅ securitie not a feare to take away the boldenes of faith So when we are bid to feare it is as when wee are byd to watch to be sober to stand with our loynes gyrded to haue before vs the wayes of God with reuerence and obedience it forbiddeth presumptuous and vaine boasting of saluation when the glorious and fearefull name The Lord thy God is not regarded of thee So when Saint Paule commendeth our faith he addeth Be not yet high minded but feare and Iob sayth If I haue done righteously I will not lift vp my head This feare is a feare of falling into sinne least wee should offend so mercifull a Father it is not a feare of falling from his grace least hee should
of God in so much that if they should bee made causes of our lustification and the glorie of Christe should be so giuen vnto them wee might iustly call them the beggerlie elements of the world and vnprofitable things What shall wee say or thinke of so manie childishe toyes and foolishe fancies as wee haue seene of late when men will attribute saluation vnto them When our owne woorkes haue this honour giuen them When Holie water Belles Candles Crosses Palme bowes Ag◅us deies the beginning of Saint Iohns Gospel hanging aboute your necke when to these thinges we attribute power against the diuel whom Christe vanquished onely vppon his crosse what name shal wee giue these beggerly thinges When pilgrimages fastinges visiting of mens tumbes kissing of reliques purchasing of Masses when these things are exalted and said to purge our sinnes what shal we cal them what drunkennes what witchings what madnesse what brutish astonishment hath couered our spirits that we should beleue such things what strange illusions and sleights of Satan haue hid our vnderstandings that we should know nothing The ceremonies ordeined of God himselfe the sacramentes of his eternall testament they are but helpes of our infirmities to leade vs vnto Chr◅ste from whom whē you shal separate them they are no more Gods holie sacramentes but beggerly elementes and our owne fansies and fonde immaginations which are contrarie to Christe euen from our cradle to exalt them thus what is it but a proude liking of our owne presumption This is a cleare proofe that in nothinge is saluation but in Christe alone and that one saluation hath beene from euer whyle these outwarde thinges haue had manye chaunges And againe in that Christe was then the prophet we are sure the patriarches and forefathers did not worship God after their owne will and deuice but onely as the spirite of Christe did teache them from which testimonie of spirite when they fell away all their religion was reiected for onely in Christ God was also well pleased so that thoughe they had no lawe written yet were they taught of God and his sonne was their scholemaister to lead them in al trueth reuealing his will vnto them euer by such meanes as best pleased him and after when God wrote his lawe he wrote this also as a decree for them to holde euer that they should neuer adde nor take away but do onely what they were commaunded and much more now in these last dayes in which our Sauiour Christe hath appeared vnto vs in our owne nature man like vnto vs vppon whome we sawe the holie Ghost to come downe and God him selfe hath sealed him in making manifest the owne glorie speaking out of his cloude This is my beloued sonne heare him much more I say we ought now only to heare his voice because now more clearly thē euer before he hath reuealed all the counsell of God vnto vs but nowe the diuel hath beene no lesse enuious against the saluation of man then he hath beene before now also he hath made some to set forth the imaginations of their owne hearts and hath bewitched many to followe their damnable wayes by whom the way of truth is blas phemed and for their owne traditions sake he hath made the woorde of the Lorde Iesu of none effecte This worke hath he wrought in all the Papacie yet we cānot or wil not se his rebellious doings Christ saith his kingdom is not of this world yet hath he taught them to make their Bishops Princes and hathe giuen them power ouer life and goods Christ saith The princes of the nations beare rule ouer thē but it shal not be so among you yet hath he made his firste begotten sonne to weare a triple crowne and al the kinges of the nations to come kisse his feete So Christe hath taught vs to worship in spirite and trueth to drinke the wine in the sacrament of his bodie and bloude to praye in a knowne toung to eate of any meates without scruple of conscience to vse holie matrimonie in all estates as a remedie against sinne but as though Christ were no prophet vnto vs we haue abrogated these his lawes and made other con◅ratie of our owne This our eyes haue seene our eares haue hearde and whether we will or no wee must needes confesse it yet some flatter them selues in a maruelous madnesse and doing all things contrarie to the Lorde Iesu they say still they cannot erre but they shall one day see and knowe that Christ is the onely prophet of the new Testament and blessed be the Lorde God who hath made vs this day to beleeue it and while yet the day of health and acceptable time is to hearken onely vnto him and refuse all the vaine inuentions of men It followeth now in the Apostle But the worde that they heard prof◅ed thē not ▪ because it was not mingled with faith to those that heard it As before the Apostle concluded repeating againe his exhortation so in this verse he repeateth the cause why they profited not by the word of exhortation that wee againe hearing the cause of our sinne should be made more wise to take heede of it the cause was their infidelitie because saith he The word was not mingled vnto them with faith the word of God preached is as a cup offered vnto vs of which we must drinke whether we wil or no one way it is made vnto vs a cup of the water of life another way a cup of destructiō and such a liquor as is of death vnto death euen as saith or infidelitie is brought vnto it so it is a cup of life or death In this similitude the Apostle speaketh thus The word was not mingled to them with faith As men that loue to sit at the tauerne do mingle their drink with spices or their wine with sugre so we in that most blessed tauerne in which the worde of God is offered vs to drinke we must mingle it with the sweete spice of faith and it is a cup of eternall life vnto vs otherwise if we be vnsaithfull we haue lost our blessing and are fallen from the hope of life Christ who is the head corner stone in whō the building doth stande he is nowe to vs a stone of offence at which we haue stumbled are fallen downe because we haue not receiued his worde with faith It is true the gospel is the power of God to saue man but yet to saue the man that doth beleue whether he be Iewe or Gentile here we see how God hath ioyned vnseparablie his word our faith wherfore it is also called the word of faith neither is it possible to be faithful without the knowledge of the word neither is any knowledge of the worde profitable but beeing mingled with faith This dearly beloued is no obscure doctrine that you should not vnderstād it neither is it taught vs in ambiguous wordes that ye can doubt of it but it
is plaine plainely taught that if we wil be saued by Iesu Christe his worde must be mingled to vs with fayth if wee be of the newe testament belong vnto this couenāt which is made in Christ to the forgiuenesse of our sinnes then we beleeue the word that is preached and the lawes of God are written in our heartes And this S. Paule setteth out so cleare vnto vs that it is impossible impossible I say for any to knowe the Gospel and to be ignorant of it for this is the gospel as Paul saith The power of God to saue all that do beleue do you heare this and do you vnderstand it tell me then what think you of that religion where this preaching of the gospel is holden back nay where they haue bene so enuious vnto it that they haue not suffered the woorde to be in such a language as the people might once reade and vnderstand it The Priestes them selues vpon whome they laied the worke to sacrifice for their sinnes and to whome they confessed their sinnes to haue forgiuenesse of them And what I say will you think of suche a people or what religion haue they doeth not the Apostle say true there is no saluation but by beleuing the worde as it is preached vnto vs and doe they say true that the Masse purgeth our sinnes ▪ the prieste forgiueth them the masse is in latine the priestes ignorāt the people are led with vaine imaginations no faith no worde is in all their doeing but it is no maruel though some men be robbed of their harts and beleeue all the illusions of Sathan for how can a man beleeue the trueth except the spirit of God be in him Pharaoh was not taught by all the woonders y Moses wrought in Aegypt The Iewes were not the wiser for all the miracles whiche Christe wrought before them If such thinges haue happened in the daies before vs though now the Apostles and prophets do all cry Without faith in the Gospel preached you can neuer be saued Ignoraunce is abhomination before God and yet the Pope who taketh the word from vs teacheth vs no faithe couereth vs with blindnes prayseth ignorance in our hearing if we embrace him follow him loue him honour him as Pharaoh did Iannes and Iambres or as the Iewes did Annas and Caiphas let vs not maruel no new thing hath happened in our dayes The Lord hath not lightened their mindes what wisdome can be in them but we will leaue them to him who is iust and mercifull and let vs pray that his woorde may be alwayes mingled vnto vs with fayth that in this greate darknesse of the worlde we may see light One thing else wee may heere marke that it is said the word did not proofit thē because it was not ◅ngled with faith wherby we know it is only faith that com mendeth vs vnto God without which the woorde is in vaine the presence of Christ is in vaine to be his brother sister mother al is in vaine nothing but faith carrieth vs with boldnes into his presence Manie singular proofes of this our Sauiour Christ sheweth in many places when a woman crieth vnto him Blessed is the wombe that bare thee the pappes that gaue thee suck Our sauiour Christ answereth nay rather blessed are they that heare the word of God kepe it When some saide vnto him Beholde thy mother and thy brethren would speake vnto thee he answered again He that doth the wil of my heauēly father he is my brother my mother In another place when cōtrouersie was how we should haue life saluation through him he saith to his disciples The fleshe profiteth nothing it is the spirit that quickeneth noting in al this that not his bodily presence not his kinred not y trauell of his mother nor any thing is imputed vnto vs for right ousnesse but only faith in which we beleeue according to his gospel preached vnto vs y in his death al our sinnes are purged in his resurrection wee are iustified This maketh vs acceptable without this it is vnpossible to please him this the Apostle teacheth vs here when he saith For this cause the word profited them not because it was not mingled vnto them with faith for only faith doth all apprehendeth all ouercommeth all and the gates of hell shall not in the ende preuaile against it and the Lorde increase this faith in vs And let vs pray c. The nineteenth Lecture vppon the 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. verses 3 For we whiche haue beleeued do enter into rest as he said to the other As I haue sworne in my wrath if they shall enter into my rest although the works were finished from the foundation of the world 4 For he spake in a certein place of the seuenth day on this wise And God did rest the seuenth day frō all his works 5 And in this place againe ▪ if they shall enter into my rest 6 Seeing therfore it remaineth that some must enter therinto and they to whom it was first preached entered not therein for vnbeleefes sake 7 Againe he appointed in Dauid a certein day by To day after so long a time ▪ saying as it is said this day if ye heare his voice harden not your heartes 8 For if Iesus had giuen them rest then woulde he not after this haue spoken of another day 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entred into his rest hath also c◅assed from his owne workes as God did from his THIS Scripture whiche nowe I haue read vnto you I must needes confesse to mee it seemeth yet somewhat obscure neither hathe God so reuealed it vnto mee that I dare boldly pronounce this it is but submitting my selfe to any better interpretation which shal be shewed of other according to that whiche God hath giuen me so I will shewe you what I think moste likely and so muche the more boldely I will shew you mine opinion because by the grace of God I wil speake nothing but agreeable to all which the Apostle before hath most plainly taught vs You knowe howe earnestly hee hath exhorted vs to harken vnto Christ what fault especially shal make vs neglect it and that is infidelstie what great peril we haue in this sinne that it We shall not enter into his rest Nowe he teacheth and addeth sure arguments to his doctrine howe wee shall auoide so great punishment and so great sinne and how we shal be obedient vnto Christ and that is by faith an humble acknowledgement of him to be our Prophet and a constant beleeuing of all his trueth This doctrine firste hee setteth downe in these woordes For we enter into his rest that doe beleeue This he proueth first by the manifest text afore alledged for it was said To whom I sware in mine anger that they should not enter into my rest meaning the
vnbeleeuing and vnfaithful therfore wee that are beleeuing and faithfull wee shall inherite that reste This I think to be the meaning of these words folowing As it is said to whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my reste Nowe because the Apostle hath reasoned long and much out of this place of the Prophet and will yet reason longer he wisely foreseeth what might bee heere aunswered of the Iewes ▪ that this place is of the people of Israel meant of their entraunce into the lande of Canaan vnder condition of obedience of the law of Moses and therefore rather teacheth them to keepe stil those ordinances then to change them for new follow this Iesus of whomethey haue not heard before This cogitation might easilie arise and they might soone be so persuaded that the prophet spake of the present time now therfore in the words following the Apostle taketh away this offence and doubt teaching that not vnto them onelie but to vs also it was spoken and with this caution proueth with other arguments the former doctrine that by faith grounded in our prophet Iesu Christ we shall enter into his rest And he saith thus Especially seeing his woorkes were finished from the foundation of the worlde The woorde which is heere commonly translated although I english it thus Especially seeing which I doe because the sence wel agreeth and I knowe nothing to the contrarie but the word may well beare it so nowe touching the obiection before made the Apostle aunswereth thus Neither can this bee ment of the rest of the land of Canaan in obeying the lawe of Moses for when neither the law was yet giuen neither the land once promised yet then was this reste of the Lord into which his people did enter for the scripture saith euen at the beginning The Lord rested the seuenth day from all his workes Now this obiection thus beeing confuted there is also in these woordes the seconde reason for proofe of this doctrine before taught that they enter into the Lords rest which doe beleeue and the reason is this Seeing God finished his woorkes streight from the foundation of the worlde so that then he was said to rest the seuenth day men entred not into that rest by the obseruation of the lawe of Moses which was not giuen nor by any woorkes of fleshe whiche were euer vnprofitable but it is cleare then wee entred by fayth according to this which is written To day if you heare his voice harden not your harts this argument is plaine in these words Especially seeing his works were finished from the foundation of the world for he saith in a certeine place of the seuenth day thus and God rested in the seuenth day from al his workes but of this argument we wil speake again in the ninth verse Heere the Apostle may seeme to some of vs to reason not verie stronglie for how proueth he that it is one rest of which it is saide ye shall not enter into my rest and againe the Lord rested the seuenth day for the one semeth to be of God alone the other a figuratiue promise set out vnto vs but this doubt is soone taken away for when it was sayd God rested the seuenth day was it not also said he blessed the seuenth day and h◅lowed it whiche is he appointed it to this holy exercise that mā should leaue off his other thoughts and consider the power and wisdome and goodnesse of God in all his creatures wheron after he gaue his law writen Remember thou keepe holie the sabboth day six daies shalt thou labour but the seuenth c by which it was plaine that this reste was the same vnto whiche they were after called and thus we see the Apostles words how apte they be to his purpose It followeth now And in this place againe if they shall enter into my rest In these words the Apostle teacheth that this is also the same rest which the first was where we see that the rest of the land of Canaan was that they should there enioy peace and in his holie place praise God day night who had deliuered thē out of the cruel bondage of Aegypt from all hurt of the great terrible wildernesse in steade of which he had giuen them a moste pleasaunt countrie that flowed with milke and honie Now vpon the warrant of all this trueth that one rest hath bene from the beginning though the name may bee often named in sundrie respects as first it was so called because God rested from his workes againe because the people entred into a peaceable land in stede of a perilous desert so vpon other occasions this name of rest is named but all in one spirituall sense that is now a ceassing from our owne works to do the workes of God and after this to dwell in the peace and rest of his glorie for euer therfore where promise of entrance into his rest is it is a promise made vnto all and of all ages vpon this I say the Apostle saith further Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therinto they to whome it was first preached entred not because of their vnbelief againe he appointed in Dauid a certeine day by to day saying after so long time as it is alredy alledged to day if you if you wil heare his voice harden not your harts in all these words he cōcludeth as he taught before that seing this rest hath ben euer set out to our first fathers to the people of Israel yet they entred not for vnbelief seeing it can not be but some must needes enter for the graces of God must needes be enioyed therefore in Dauid it is againe said To day if you wil heare his voice that it might be knowen y we which do beleeue shall enter into his rest So in these two verses is the conclusion of the two former arguments to proue that only by fayth we shall enter in to his rest And this I take to be the naturall meaning of these wordes in the 3. 4. 5. 6. and 7. verse It followeth in the 8. verse For if Iesus had giuen them rest he would not haue spoken of any other rest after These woordes proue by an other reason that the former prophecie is not ment of the land of Canaan according to the obiection before spoken of his reason is this Iosua led them into the lande of Canaan a great many yeares before the Prophete Dauid made this exhortatiō if therefore it had bene ment of that land to what purpose did Dauid speak thus so long after could it be threatned vnto them they should not enter into that rest into which they had alreadie entred and dwelt there foure hundreth yeares Vppon this reason he concludeth in the ninth verse Therfore there remaineth yet a rest vnto the people of God. In the tenth verse he sheweth at the last what this rest is that wee should no longer walke in our will but
By soule heere he meaneth that parte of vs in which our affections are as ioy sorrowe loue hatred anger mildenesse or any such motion of vs of good or euill By spirit he meaneth the moste excellent parte of vs in which is reason wisedome vnderstanding to consider and meditate of all the works of god By ioynts and marrow he mea◅ieth all the members of our body and thus Sainct Paule vseth these wordes of soule and spirite and bodie where he saith to the Thessalonians as it is in the fifth chapter The God of peace sanctifie you wholie that your spirit and soule and bodie may be kept blamelesse vntil the comming of Christ teaching vs what is a true Christian when his minde thinketh his soule desireth his body executeth nothing but what is faultlesse before God and man. So when the worde is saide to diuide betweene the soule and the spirit it noteth the mightie worke of it in the reprobate to wound all their thoughtes and desires with feare and terrour and with astonishment of heart contrarie in the electe it crucifieth the olde man with al the concupiscences and the desires of it When it is said to diuide betweene the ioynts and the marrow it sheweth the worke in all the members of our bodie to sell them vnder sinne to worke vncleannesse with greedines being hardened or to sanctifie them in the power of God that they may be seruaunts of righteousnesse vnto him being mollified To be short in soule spirite ioynts marrowe the Apostle meaneth that the word once heard the whole man is touched and al that is with in him feeleth streight a chaunge except a heauier iudgement be vpon him that he haue eares heare not wherein yet the worde hath a worke and maketh him fall deeper in the sleepe of sinne if we will learne examples are before vs of good euil what to leaue or what to choose The prophet Abacuche foreseeing the state of Christes church what daunger should be vnto it euen then to be oppressed again when it was not yet halfe growen vp he saith When I heard it my belly trēbled my lippes shooke at the voice rottennesse entred into my bowels and I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the day of trouble heere we see the worde diuiding betweene the ioynts and the marrow how it distempered the prophets whole bodie because of the heauie threatning of the Lorde and an excellent blessing was vnto him for this feare and trembling at the voice of the Lord in the day of trouble hee had rest So the Prophet Esay at Gods threatening against his church that euen in the dayes of Christe her peace should be broken off her flourishing glo rie shoulde againe be shadowed hee crieth my leanesse my leanesse wo is me as if he had said it consumed his flesh and wore away his beautie to heare the voice of the Lord against his people if thus wee feare in deede at Gods thretenings as his saincts do vnfeignedly reioyce at all his promises a good worke of his mightie woord is in vs and it is his power to our saluation but if we be despisers and regarde not the woord that is brought vnto vs a while we may seeme to be in peace as the sick man in his sleepe feeleth not his paine but the word will wounde at the last the spirite and wee shal feele it in our flesh what we haue despised We reade in Daniel of Belshazzar a proud king in the mids of his princes and all his roaltie he sawe a hand writing and the woorde of the Lorde was before his eyes streight his countenance was chaunged and his thoughtes troubled him so that the ioyntes of his loines were loosed and his knees smote one against another such feare and terrour came vpō him whē the voice of the lord did pronounce his iudgment And not onely thus but we see it further the wicked not onely wounded but also slaine with the word of God. When many of the rulers of the people of Israel led the people to moste shamefull idolatrie the prophet Ezechiel was sent to preache vnto them and when hee prophecied before them Pelatiah the Sonne of Benaiah one of the Princes which seduced the people he dyed in his presence A like example is of Ananias and Sapphira who at the voice of Peter did bothe fall downe dead so true it is that the word is forceable to deuide and enter betwene our reines that is to sley the wicked and to quicken the godlie Last of all it is here said that the word discerneth betwene the thoughts and intents of the heart meaning that how so euer the heart of man is prepared the woord of God directeth it either more to be hardened with the deceites of sinne or wholie to bee renewed to the loue of righteousnesse It followeth nowe Neither is thereany creature which is not manifest in his sight but all thinges are naked and open vnto his eyes with whome we haue to doe These words shewe an excellent proofe of all the former things spoken of the word for seeing it is the word of God how should it not haue the power of God if among men as euery one hath moste power so his word is moste feared how should it not be but God who is the searcher of our hearts and reines and is almightie ouer all but that his worde should haue of his nature vertue and power to make the proude to feare and to comfort the humbled Let vs therefore now bee wise in time and let the worde of the Lorde fashion all our heartes if it doe not yet it worketh still and wee shall one day knowe what voice wee haue despised for as it is heere that all thinges are open vnto his eyes so we shall heare his voice when in all thinges it shall shew his power It shall speake vnto all creatures and they shall heare it the earth and sea shall bring the bodies which they haue consumed the fire shall yeld againe his ashes and the ayre her dead the elementes shall mealt away and the Heauens shall vanish the Lorde shall speake and the deade shall all arise then shal we too late bewail our madnesse which haue heard before this voice regarded it not And this let vs learne with it if such bee the strength of Gods woorde of it selfe when yet hee shall multiplie this power and make it also eternall which is infinite what shall we say then but O Lorde who shall abide it when hee shall pronounce Go you cursed into eternall fire what condemnation shal be vppon the wicked surelie dearelie beloued as it is greater then our heartes can immagine so yet in this similitude we may see as it were an image of it for as his worde diuideth betweene soule and spirit marrow bones cogitations and intentes so we knowe that in euery parte of them the wicked shall feele Gods anger head and arme
priest of the olde lawe must necessarily be a naturall man then that he must do the worke of the people in thinges apperteining to God thirdly that he must doe it with some sacrifice fourthly with compassion for the peoples errours in all which Christ onely is excellent aboue all other Now the Apostle goeth forward and yet sheweth a fifte propertie of the high priest afore and that is that he was called of God and thrust not himselfe into that roome function To this purpose now it followeth And no man taketh vnto him selfe this honour but he that is called of God as was Aarō then in the two verses following sheweth howe in this also Christe excelled Aaron and had a more glorious calling then he first because an high decree of God was pronounced by the Prophete in which vnder the name of a soone God ordeyned him priest saying Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Againe he called him not vnto a priesthood of signes and shadowes which endured but for a while but he called him to the true priesthood it selfe which chaunged not but made him a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech So as the sonne is higher then a seruant the trueth better then the figure of it and that which abydeth euer better then that which in time is abolished so much this calling of Christ exceedeth Aarons calling and all the priestes of the lawe Heere let vs first learne sith the Apostle speaketh plainely No man taketh honour to him selfe but he that is called of God as Aaron was that bothe it is vnlawfull for any man without a calling to take vppon him the ministerie neither yet any calling ought to be which is not according to the will of God for seeing the ministerie is honourable and hee is iustly honoured that executeth it faithfully how can I exalt my selfe but of right I ought againe to be brought lowe and in steede of glorie haue shame for what doe I in this but rob Christe of his glorie who is head of his Churche and appointeth ministers whom hee will who ruleth in the house of Iacob and ordeyneth officers at his owne pleasure If in an earthlie kingdome subiectes would presume to take offices at their owne choice were it not extreme confusion vtter reproche and shame vnto the prince howe muche more to bring this confusion into the Churche of Christ Therfore both our Sauiour Christ himselfe did openly ordeine his own apostles neuer any of them executed that office but with protestation that they had this calling of God therfore their Epistles beginne as you reade Paule an Apostle of Iesus Christ. Peter the seruant of Iesus Christ. And y same frō the beginning hath beene a perpetuall lawe in the church of god Moses Dauid Esay Ieremie and all the residue they tooke not this honour to them selues but were called of God in the name of God they declared vnto the people his visions and his wordes from which if they declyned to the righte hand or to the leste they made them selues sinners and not onely thus it is in the ministerie but for as much as the Apostle giueth it a generall terme No man taketh honour vnto him selfe euen in the common wealth in matters of this vaine life not onely the God of peace wil not haue his people to liue in confusion euery man to exalte himselfe but also limitteth to euery one the bounds of his calling in which God hath giuen him honour and without which bothe hee sinneth against God and offendeth his Prince that hath appointed him The Iustice muste deale with those thinges whiche apperteine vnto a Iustice a iudge with the things of a iudge and as it is rebellion for the priuate man to resist the magistrate so is it presumptiō in a magistrate to take vpō him aboue his calling We haue gotten amōg vs I know not what prouerb which cōmonly we call A cast off our office if this bee to cast off the lawe of our calling and take more honour then is giuen of the higher power we deserue it right wel if for such prety castes our selues should be cast quite out of our places for in matters aboue vs we be all priuate men and must goe vnto them to whom God hath giuen the iudgemente where we our selu◅s haue the place of honour there let vs be faithful as before the Lord. The second thing to be learned in these wordes is that we haue all such a calling as we may be sure it is of God for we must be called of God as Aaron was Heere dearely beloued I woulde wee had no cause to complaine or seeing thinges are so ill as they are I would we had the spirite of the prophete Ieremie to wishe that our handes were full of water or in our eyes were a founteine of teares that we might weepe day and night for the sinnes of our nation then the Lorde in due time would hearken vnto vs and the highest from his holy seate woulde regarde vs that our eyes might see all our ruines restored But nowe touching this calling in magistrates and officers of our common wealth I will say no more but in one worde as the scripture speaketh God calleth him vnto his dignitie who is orderly appointed and is a man of courage fearinge God dealing truely hauing no respecte of persons and hating couetousnesse otherwise if by bribing by ambition or by any vnlawfull meanes he come to his preferment the more he knoweth himselfe the more he wil feare least his calling be not of God but this they will regarde to whome it belongeth our speciall doctrine here is in the callinge of the ministers wherof by the grace of god I wil tel you the trueth but because this and other thinges are nowe in bitter controuersie betweene our selues so that the vncharitable wordes of our mouthes are witnesses against vs of the euill affections of our hearts and our hurtfull doings one toward another do shew abundantly that euil will hath taken deepe root within vs I protest y I haue neither part nor fe lowship in this diuisiō but in loue vnitie I beare him witnesse who speaketh trueth and beare with his errour who is deceiued acknowledging my self more vnworthie then either both And that you dearly beloued may hold fast the bonde of peace and not be broken off with euerie temptation I befeeche you consider but this with me hath not God giuen his gifts diuersly to one more to one lesse to one ten pounds as it is in the parable to another but one and can we thē all know a like must we not of necessity one know more another lesse one be more wise another lesse one vnderstand this truth another that euen as God reuealeth it and euerie one of vs haue our wantes in which wee may bee better taught and shall it not be euer so as long as our knowledge is in part we see not the
owne Pontificall as you may plainly see it Now iudge your selues and I appeale to the conscience of euerie man y hath an vnderstanding heart whether suche creatures haue their calling of God or no I might likewise alledge that fourme and manner of ordeining as contrarie to Christes institution as these former are for where Christes ordinaunce is that his ministers should be made with prayer and fasting and with laying on of handes they as men thinking basely of suche simple dealing and a great deale more to making of their priestes they must haue oyle candels basens towels amices albes stoales gyrdles maniples myters bookes crosses linnen bandes chalices pattens singing cakes wine and water flowre and such other things trifled and toyed with all with so many foolishe gestures as I am persuaded that any wise man this day reading it in their owne bookes woulde abhorre it either as intollerable pride or vnspeakeable foolishenesse but wisedome is the Lords and he giueth it to whome he will and let vs praise him for his goodnesse to whome he hath giuen eyes to see If any will here obiecte notwithstanding all these abuses yet the priest had that whiche was principall libertie to preache and minister sacramentes therefore their ministerie not to be reiected I answer In this on one side was the greate goodnesse of God that in time to come his children might assuredly knowe he reserued to him selfe a church euen in the middes of all desolation and that he called them by his woorde and confirmed by his sacramentes euen as at this day for seeing there can be no sinne so greate but faith in Iesu Christ scattereth it all away it was impossible that the man of sinne shoulde so muche adulterate either the word of God but that it should be to the faithfull a gospel of saluation or else the sacramentes of God but that they should be pledges of eternall life to those that did beleeue Againe on the other side in that they kept this authoritie to their priestes to preache to baptise it was the pestilent sleight and subtiltie of the diuell the more easily by suche a colour to deceiue them for if he had vtterly dented preaching of the Gospel and vse of sacramentes who woulde then haue beene seduced these be his wayes to destroy Pagans and Infidels but to corrupt the churche of God he putteth on an Angels cloathing that vnder pretence of holinesse he might deceiue And in deede he did deceiue for he hath so farre prophaned the preaching of the Gospell and the sacramentes of Christe that we ought according to the word of God to separate our selues and to say accurssed to all their doings although God of his infinite goodnesse who calleth things that are not as though they were euen in that ministerie gaue grace vnto his Saincts I say therefore againe as I sayde before that in the Popish church from the crowne of the head to the soule of the foote not one order is of God nor any peece of their priesthood is honour giuen of God wherein I appeale vnto their owne consciences whose wisedome is without affection in them and thus farre of this 4. verse Touching the two nexte verses I haue before shewed the meaning of them that by testimonie of the Prophet the Apostle proueth that Christ also had his calling of God euen as Christ him self often witnesseth that he was sent of his father touching this text Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee it meaneth that openly and plainely God made it manifest that Christ was his only sonne by many signes and miracles in which as Paule sayth God was made manifest in flesh but of this I spake more vnto you in the exposition of the fifte verse of the first chapter The other text heere alledged is out of y 110. Psalme Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisc lcch of which text we shal also haue occasiō to speake more largely hereafter this now we haue to learne y this Psalme is ment of Christ and this sentence is his caling to y priesthod of this y apostle is a plaine witnesse our sauiour Christ in the 22. of Math. teacheth that this psalme could not be meant of Dauid because it is said in it The Lord saide vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hand vntil I make thine enimies thy footestoole and reason teacheth it plainely for seeing as is heere alledged it is to the praise of an high priest how could it be of King Dauid to whome the priesthood in no case belonged or how could it be of any Priest of the lawe who had their proper calling of God where this was an other after the order of Melchisedech who was bothe a King and a priest and therfore it is plaine to bee ment of Christe who was figured in Melchisdech The conclusion then of the Apostle in all this is that Christe had his calling of God as Aaron had and a more glorious excellent calling therfore a greater high priest then any before him but the time is past Let vs pray c. ¶ The xxiiij Lecture vpon the 7. 8. and 9. verses 7 Who in the dayes of his fleshe did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him frō death was also heard in that which he feared 8 And though he were the Sonne yet learned he obedience by the thinges which he suffered 9 And beeing consecrate was made the authour of eternal saluation vnto all them that obey him THE Apostle in this Chapiter beginneth to proue our Sauiour Christ to be the only high Prieste of the newe Testament and because the people of Israel had so great affiance in the priesthood of Aaron that they could hardly be drawen away from the deteyning of it thinking assuredly that vnto that Priesthood the lawe and testimonies of God had beene tyed for euer and not knowing that all ceremonies of y the law were ordeyned vntill the time of reformation in whiche Christ should appeare chaunge that Priesthood to become him selfe vnto vs a Priest of a better testament therefore the Apostle firste setteth foorth the properties of the Priesthood according vnto the lawe and after by comparison applieth them vnto Christe in whome they all shine in a muche more excellent sorte then before in Aaron and therfore it can not be neither breach nor dishonour vndishonour vnto the law of God nor the priesthood of it if the shadowe and the figure which was Aaron should now be taken away and the bodie and the trueth which is Iesu Christe should be established for euer The properties whiche the Apostle speaketh of necessarilie apperteining vnto euery priest as vnto one that must be a Mediatour are these that first he should be man as we are as Aaron and his posteritie were For neither Angell nor Archangell nor principalities nor powers can doe this woorke to present fleshe and bloud vnto
make his heart to melt in the middest of his bowels howe could his strength not be dryed vp like a potsharde and his tounge not cleaue vnto the iawes of his mouth Who hath beene euer so full of wo and who hath beene brought so lowe into the duste of death His vertues were vnspeakable and righteous aboue all measure yet was hee accompted among the wicked His temperauncie in perfecte beautie and his appetites bridled with all holie moderation yet they said of him behold a glutton a drinker of wine His behauiour honest without all reproofe and his couersation vnspotted yet they slaundered him as a friend of Publicans and sinners and reported him as a companion of theeues He loued the lawe of his father with such fulnesse of desire that he would not suffer one Io◅e not one title vnaccomplyshed and yet they accused him as an enemie vnto Moses a breaker of the lawe a subuerter of the Temple and a teacher of newe doctrines such as were not of god He harkened vnto his father in al humilitie and loued him with all his hart and with all his soule so y he was obediēt vnto him vnto death yea euen y death of y crosse yet they said of him presumptuously that hee blasphemed and robbed God of his honour He was an enimie of satan euen vnto death by death ouercame him that brought death into the world he hated him with so perfect hatred and held stedfast y enimitie that was betwene them vntil he had spoiled his principalities and powers and triumphed ouer them in an euerlasting victorie yet horibly they reproched him by the name of Belzebub said he had a diuel and by the power of satā he wrought al his miracles O the depth of al abhominations the bottomles pit of all vncleanesse who could once haue thought so lothsōe a sinke to haue bene couered in the hart of man O God righteous in iudgement and true in worde is this it that the Prophet hath tolde before that the thoughtes of many heartes should be made open then create we beseech thee new heartes within vs and take not thy holy spirite for euer from vs. And you dearely beloued if these were the causes that Christ had to complaine then think not that his cryings were aboue his sorrowe to see so neere vnto his hart euen in his owne person innocēcy bla med vertue defaced righteousnesse troden downe holines prophaned loue despised glorie cōtemned honour reuiled all goodnesse ashamed faith oppugned and life wounded to death how coulde he yet absteine from stronge crying and teares when the malice of Satan had gotten so greate a conqueste If iust Lot dwelling among the Sodomites and seing and hearing such a wicked people vexed from day to day his righteous soule with their vngodly deedes what shall we think of Christ liuing in such a generation But O my brethren beloued of the Lord open the eyes of your faith and you shall see these things they were but the beginnings of sorow What shall we thinke was his griefe of minde for the Iewes his brethren that were thus powred out vnto wickednesse howe did his greate loue boyle in sorrowes of hart to see their destruction If Moses when he beheld y anger of God against his people in greate compassion of their miseryes prayed earnestly vnto the Lord Forgiue them O God or raze me out of the booke that thou hast written If Ieremie in fore seeing the captiuitie of Hierusalem had so great grief that he cryed out O that my head were ful of waters mine eyes a founteine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the stayne of the daughter of my people If Esay in like aboundance of loue bewailed his brethren that would needes perishe with these wordes of complaint Turne away from me I wil wepe bitterly labour not to comfort me because my people perish If Paul that most excellent Apostle haueing receiued but his portion of the great loue of Christe called God to witnesse that hee spake the trueth howe he had great heauine◅se and continuall sorrow of hart for his brethren and that for their sakes him selfe wished to be separate from Iesu Christ what manner of teares shall wee thinke were those which Christe him selfe poured out when he wept ouer Ierusalem what sorrow of minde whiche then interrupted his spceeches and made them vnperfect howe deepe was that angrie griefe printed in his bowels when hee behelde the blindenesse of the people and was sorrowfull for them what manner of affection was it that in the middest of so great reproches and mocks could neuer be chaunged but prayed stil Father forgiue them they knowe not what they doe If it be grieuous vnto vs to lose the thinge that is moste deare vnto vs in this earthly Tabernacle howe muche more did this sorrowe pearce euen through the bowels of our sauiour Christe to see man taken from him vnto destruction for whose sake he would so willingly sacrifice vp his life this is an other spectacle in which wee may beholde his greate dolour and anguishe to knowe the paines hee endured and the causes of his mightie cryinges But this also dearely beloued though it were exceeding yet it was not all no it was but a taste of griefe in comparison of the rest Beholde if you can his person here and see the residue and so you shall knowe the loue of god His griefe was exceding to see all vertue and godlynesse so troaden vnder feete and it was yet more infinite to beholde Satan to preuaile against man to his euerlasting condemnation No creature could euer beare such a perfect image of a man of sorrowe But the height and depth of all miseries was yet behinde the sinne that he hated he must take it vpon his owne bodie and beare the wrath of his father that was powred out against it This is the fullnesse of al paine that compassed him round about which no toung is able to vtter and no heart can conceiue This anger of his father it burned in him euen vnto the bottome of hell of the which anger the prophet speaketh Who can stand before his wrath or who can abide the fearcenes of his wrath His wrath is powred out like fire the rocks are broken before him When the Prophet was not able to conceiue the weight of his anger and his voice cleaued vnto his mouth when he went about to vtter it the hardest of all creatures he tooke for example that the harde rocke did cleaue asunder at the sounde of his wordes And as is saide in an other place suche a voice as maketh the forlorne wildernesse to tremble A voice so ful of terrour in the eares and hearts of the wicked that the sonne shal be darkened at the sound of it and the Moone shall not giue her light the Starres of heauen shall fall away and the powers of heauen shal be shaken
life in Christe is to bee obedient vnto his will. What so euer be the way that hee will shewe vs and bid vs walke in it let vs neither decline to the right hande nor to the lefte but goe forwarde in the same We are not to loke into the worlde how our fathers before vs haue walked Our iniquities the iniquities of our fathers shall be bound together If wee be partakers of their euil doings If we go after Baalims which our fathers haue taught vs we shal be fed with the wormwood which our fathers haue eaten The gouernement of the church is vpon the shoulders of Christ he giueth vs the lawes by which we liue he ruleth alone in the house of Iacob his voice must be followed We may not now euery one say wee haue a vision we haue a dreame God hath spoken by his sonne and charged all to heare him We may not boast our selues of Sainct or Angel to hearken to new doctrines which we haue not learned for God hath not put in subiection vnto Angels these dayes of the Gospell in which we are but vnto Christe who is made the head of his people and all thinges are in subiection vnder his feete so that this is the way we haue to walke Christe is our Lord let vs receiue his lawes he is our mayster let vs followe his rules he is our Apostle let vs heare his Gospell Let vs obey in all things and we shal be established This is the glorie that GOD hath giuen vnto his sonne he is our lawgiuer we haue no other If we will leaue the stubbernnesse of our owne heartes and obey him as life is in him so wee shall surely liue for the Lorde hath not as greate pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when the voice of the Lorde is obeyed It is an euerlastinge truethe That to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken is better then the fat of Rams for to disobey is as the sinne of witchcrase and to chaunge the law that is set before vs this is wickednesse and idolatrie Let vs not be wise in our owne conceites to frame God a religion such as we will. This is to drawe iniquitie with cordes of vanitie and to pull sinne after vs as with car tropes A iust recompence of such wearye labours when God shall say vnto vs who hath required these things at your hands Let vs then followe so as wee be called and bringe into captinitie euerie thought of man to the obedience of Christe And the Lord our God for his Christes sake giue vnto vs heartes ful of humilitie that we may think him wisest and rest in his decrees that we be neuer spoiled through vaine Philosophie and the traditions of men but harken vnto him who is onely wise that at the last we may liue with him who hath alone immortalitie and shall fil vs with his glorie for euermore Whiche times the Lorde God bring speedily vpon vs and finishe the dayes of sinne for his mercies sake that we may enter into the heauens whether Christe is gone before vs and reigne with him for euer who is our onely Sauiour to whome with the Father and the holie Ghost three persons and one God be all honour and glorie worlde without ende Amen ¶ The xxv Lecture vpon the 10. verse and so forth the residue of the Chapter 10 And is called of God an highe priest after the order of Melchisedech 11 Of whom we haue many thinges to say which are hard to be vttered because ye are dull of hearing 12 For when as concerning the time ye ought to be teachers yet haue ye nede again that we teach you what are the first principles of the word of God are become such as haue neede of milke and not of strong meate 13 For euerie one that vseth milke is inexpert in the word of righteousnesse for he iâ—… a childe 14 But strong meate belongeth to them that are of age which through long custome haue their wittes exercised to discerne both good and euill WE haue heard before what comparison the Apostle hath made betweene Christ and Aaron and how the excellencie of Christ is incomparable aboue him in all workes of the priesthood our benefite by him vnspeakablie greater as of whome alone is all saluation The conclusion of the same disputation is added now in the tenth verse And he is called of God an highe priest after the order of Melchisedech which words do conclude in shorte summe all y hath been spoken â–ª first that Christ is our priest hath therfore the name of the high priest giuen him Secondly what kinde of priesthod he hath not Aarons for for it Aaron himselfe was sufficient appointed of God but another spiritual priesthod after the order of Melchisedech Thirdly that vnto this priesthod he was called of God to this sense and meaning the wordes are plainly set downe in this tenth verse as you haue heard of all which we haue spoken alreadie Nowe because this priesthod of Christ after the order of Melchisedech was not well vnderstood what kinde of priesthod it should be of what vertue and grace therefore the Apostle meaneth more at large to speake of this that they might vnderstand it as his maner is often to make exhortation to stirre vp their dull spirits least they should heare in vaine so here in the eleuenth verse and after following he maketh a long digression vnto the beginning of the vii chapter both to persuade them to holde a good vnderstanding of all that hath been spoken and to prepare them more diligently to other things that should be taught that so they might all glorifie God in good wisedomâ—… and knowledge of the mysterie of his wil. And this exhortation he beginneth thus Of whome we haue many things to say which are hard to be declared because you be dull of hearing Here first the Apostle the more to stirre them vp diligently to learn this mysterie of Melchisedech how he was a figure of our Sauiour Christ and the priesthood of Christe was represented in him he saith first that the matter is harde and difficult to be declared and therefore requireth great heede and dâ—…ligence This place dearely beloued let vs learne well for it hath many good instructions in it it is harde saith the Apostle and therfore you must adde more diligence to it Heere firste wee learne a good cause why it pleased God to leaue places in Scripture harde to vnderstand like as other places are easie for as the easinesse is because none should bee discouraged but all learne so the hardnesse is because none should be negligent and carelesse and heerein the Lord hath delt also mercifully with vs for seeing all carelesnesse in reading his worde in whiche his wisdome is reuealed is the taking of his name in vaine our ownâ—… profite doeth now make vs take more heede of this finne for we cannot vnderstand or be edified by it but with
in whō the God of this world hath blinded their vnbeleuing mindes that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ should not shine vpon them for otherwise the secret of the Lord is reuealed to those that feare him and his woorde is a lanthorne vnto their feete and a light vnto their steps it is not harde but as Salomon saith It is easie to him that wil vnderstand he is a scorner that seeketh it and can not finde it Moses sayth This commaundement which I command thee this day it is not hid from thee nor sarre of it is very nere vnto thee euen in thy mouth and in thy hart to do it The prophet Ose saith of the iudgementes of God vnto his people that they were as the morning light And the Lorde saith by the prophet Esay I haue not s◅okē in secret nor in a place of dark nesse in the earth I said not in vaine to the house of Iacob Seeke ye me And if thus the doctrine of saluation were preached while yet the people were taught by signes figures how clere is it now since the sonne of righteousnes hath shined in perfect light what wrong is it to say still the scriptures are hard and to make them to be Sphynx his ridles or the winding oracles of Apollo whiche are the cleare wordes of the liuing God I appeale to your owne consciences all that haue experience whether haue you found such hardnesse in scripture or whether do you easily see how we are saued in Iesus Christ what obediēce we owe againe vnto god I am sure there is none of you that with a single heart haue come to read the scripture that were euer driuen back with any hardnesse of it How is it then why do the papists stil cry out of the hardnesse of the worde why see they not this easinesse as wel as we sure I will tel you the Lorde is witnesse howe I tell you true Those men they haue come neere vnto God with their mouth honored them with their lips but their harts haue been farre from him ▪ they haue worshipped God in vaine teaching doctrines which were precepts of men and for this cause God hath couered them with a spirit of slumber hath shut vp their eyes the gospell is vnto them as the words of a booke that is sealed so that whether they be learned or vnlearned they can read nothing This is the great hiddē cause their sinns haue found them out gods iudgemēts haue blinded them Another cause that I tolde you before is because they would leade vs blindfolde after the church of Rome this cause I make not of mine owne head thē selues as I said wil confesse it For this is a solemne decree in their late generall counsel of Trident the 4. session the 2. canon that it belongeth to their holy motherchurch to iudge of the sence interpretation of the scripture nether must we presume to leaue those interpretations although they were such as were neuer meete to bee openly taught published And their greate doctour Hossius saith thus if we haue the interpretation of the church of Rome although wee see not howe it can agree with the wordes of the texte yet we must beleeue it But are not these think you vnreasonable wordes if they be not examine mo of their witnesses at last you shall finde it confesse it that they are not onely vnreasonable but exceeding shameles men while they hold this that the scripture is hard and to be vnderstood after the church of Rome for thus they haue termed the scripture dead y◅ke a thing without life a dumbe iudge a nose of waxe a black gospell ynken diuinitie these such other words are witnesses against them to all the world their owne bookes are extant and with what spirite then haue these men spoken surely not with the spirit of the father Dauid or of his sonne Salomon who say The lawe of the Lord is perfect and conuerteth soules it giueth to the simple sharpnesse of witt and to the children knowledge and discretion nor with the spirite of Paule that sayeth All scripture is inspired of God and is profitable to reproue correct instruct and to make a godly man perfect to euery good worke this is not to call the scripture a waxen nose or ynken diuinitie but these speeches are much more agreeable to the spirit of the olde heretiques which said the prophecies were dremes But to let their vncomely speeches go to come againe to our purpose They cry out still that the interpretations of the churche of Rome are the sense of the scripture And would you not now thinke that these interpretations of the Romaine church were merueilous wise graue mysticall seing they would haue all the worlde thus to reuerence them See therfore what they are and iudge I wil alledge vnto you some of them in the weightiest matters of faith You are wise iudge what I say these are their most learned expositions of all other in which they boast not a litile Christ saith Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my church ergo the Pope is head of the church how groweth this conclusion forsooth thus if vpon this rocke Christ will build his church then vppon Peter for Peter signifieth that rocke If vpon Peter then vpon Peters successour for the trueth doth cleaue vnto the chaire and Peter maketh his success our inheritour of all his goodnes If to Peters success our then to the Pope for Peter was bishop of Rome And if the church be built vpon Peter then Peter was chiefe of all other and so the Pope is head of the church if these collectiōs be not theirs let me be reproued as a slaunderer if they bee theirs then bee you wise to vnderstand what their religion is for all these collectiōs are vtterly vntrue It is vntrue that Peter is that rocke vpon which the church is built for our Sauiour Christ himselfe saith he that heareth my wordes and perfourmeth them he buildeth vpon the rocke It is vntrue that what faith Peter had the same must be left to Peters successours for Scribes Phariseis buyers and sellers succeeded Moses Aaron It is vntrue that Peter was Bishop of Rome for he was the Apostle of circumcision therefore it was vtterly vnlawfull for him to bee a Bishop among the Gentiles Againe they reason thus The Apostles say to Christ Lord behold here are two swordes therefore the pope hath both ciuil ecclesiasticall gouernement might they not better haue reasoned when Peter would haue vsed one sworde Christe cōmaunded him to put it vp therefore no such swoord at all belongeth to him Again they say Christ promiseth to his Apostles the comforter which shall teach thē all trueth therfore the church of Rome cannot erre howe bring they all the Apostles to the Pope of Rome howe doe they
resigne our selues ouer to the obedience of the will of God euen as wee looke to enter at the last into that rest and dwelling place which is in heauen not in earth which God had pitched and not man in these words for he that hath entred into his himselfe hath also rested frō his owne woorkes euen as God rested also from his Thus I haue plainely as I coulde shewed you the whole meaning of all these wordes whiche I haue read together vnto you and I haue the fewer thinges seuerally to note vnto you in them because as you haue heard the wordes were most of them mentioned before as occasion was then I spake of them more at large vnto you onely of the other thinges whiche before the Apostle spake not of I will note vnto you what I think necessarie In the thirde verse I tolde you howe the Apostle taught vs that this rest to whiche we bee called was the rest of God from the beginning because from the beginning it was saide God rested the seuenth day what we should learne in this we may plainely see the commaundement Kepe holie the Sabboth day For that day was instituted for this cause because then God rested from his woorkes and in that day a rest is commaunded vnto vs that in it we should do no manner of worke and why dearely beloued shall we rest God is not pleased with idlenesse he wil not haue vs like the idle men that at the ix houre of the day stande still idle in the market but God commaundeth vs to keepe that day holie vnto him which is to serue him in it and not our selues Nowe seeinge in this daye wee muste glorifie God and rest from our owne woorkes to consider his woorkes from which in this day he rested it is plaine and euident that it is a Sabbaoth dayes worke wisely to meditate in all the workes of God for as Paule saith They are the wisdome of God in which we should knowe God and in them the inuisible thinges of God that is his eternall power Godhead that we should knowe him and glorifie him and giue thankes vnto him So we read in the booke of Iob when Eliphas would persuade Iob to the feare and reuerence of Gods maiestie he biddeth him beholde the starres how high they are The prophet Esay when he will assure the church of the mercie of God that he will according to his mightie power fulfill all his promises hee sayth thus Who hath measured the waters in his fist and counted heauen with his spanne and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weyed the mounteines in a weight and the hilles in a balance In meditation of these greate workes of God the Prophet would teache them to feare no man but put their only trust and confidence in god So the Prophet Ieremie setteth out the constant course of the day and night for vs to consider and in it to know how vnchaungeable the loue of God is to all his Sainctes So our Sauiour Christ by the goodlie colours of the flowers of the field he would haue vs learne what a fatherly prouidence God hath ouer his childrē to couer their nakednesse who clotheth so gloriously the vading flower The prophet Dauid in many places and specially Psal. 104. doth make a goodlie rehersal of the prouidence of God in ruling the whole world thereby exhorting vs to obey God to hate iniquitie and concludeth with this excellent sentence Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth the wicked till there be no more O my soule praise thou the Lord praise ye the Lord If wee by these exhortations and instructions can teach all our senses our eyes to see and our eares to heare so that in the creatures of God we can see his glorie loue his goodnesse feare his maiestie expresse his image in all our conuersation then are we sure wee keepe holie his Sabbothes and we inioy the good beginnings of that blessed rest into which we shall enter for euer but if we bee vnprofitable creatures in the world if we haue eyes and see not and eares and heare not and the sight and vse of so excellent werkes can stirre vs vp neither to loue nor feare not once to knowe so excellent a workman we are holden in the bondage of a spirituall Aegypt and wander in straunge vnknowen wayes of a spirituall wildernesse where we haue neither any water of life nor any secret Manna to satiate and fill our faint and hungrie soules we walke in the world as subiects of the world and dwell on the earth as seruants of the earth the oxe the horse do as we do they eate and drinke and see the sunne and vse at their will the day and night and neuer consider him who made all these thinges Let vs not be like vnto them but as we haue hearts able to cōprehend better things so let vs vse them that we may fil our wayes with perfect peace If God haue giuen vs the meane estate of life in which neither wee want not yet abound but our meat our drink our cloathing is suficient vnto vs let vs acknowledge the greate goodnes of god who hath set in vs an example of y estate of life which him selfe hath testified to bee good for vs in y prayer which he hath taught vs all Giue vs this day our daily bread If God haue giuen vs pouertie colde nakednes much affliction let vs think with our selues How good is God vnto vs euen in these days of calamitie for hath he not made vs like his only begotten sonne a man despised in the world of smal account who had experience of all our sorrowe griefe that we againe carrying his image might die with him y we might also reigne with him in the due time which he hath appointed againe let me see this also in my pouertie affliction God hath by this meanes prepared me so that whatsoeuer is done vnto me God will impute it as done vnto himselfe whosoeuer shal mocke or dispise my life he reprocheth god y thus hath made me whosoeuer shal cloth feede harborough me Christ accepteth it as his owne as if he were hungrie receiued meate he were naked and receiued raiment what a marke print of y loue of god is this in me how blessed is this estate which of so manie is thought most miserable if God hath giuen vs high excellent honour if in y middes of my pleasure with a wise hart can thinke thus This is yet the place of my banishmēt my bodi is a prisohouse in which my soule is in bondage my life is a pilgrimage in which I wander as in a coūtrie y is not mine owne and yet if God haue here filled my senses with so many delights if such be the glorie of these kingdomes and this nobilitie If the honour riches of these dayes
haue so greate gladnesse of hearte O Lorde what are the Heauens of Heauens where we are citizens which is our countrie where our bodie is glorious and crowned with life where thy maiestie shal shine in perfect beautie before vs where all thinges shal be our owne and we shal bee thine A happie lordship a happie Earledome a hap pie man whose honour teacheth him thus to know the Lord who hath had mercie vppon him These and such like meditations thoughts which carrie vp our mindes from the Creatures to the Creatour and from our worldly calling to him that hath called vs these doe leade vs into the rest of the Lorde these are our holie woorkes on the sabbaoth dayes and this is our wisedome in enioying all the benefites of god But of this meditation I spake before vnto you in the exposition of the sixt verse of the second chapter Nowe touching this woorde whereof we haue heard so much that is the rest of God we must marke how the scripture vseth it sometime for the trueth which is euer one somtime for the figures whiche haue beene diuerse The true and perfecte rest is that which is now begonne in vs the resting from our owne workes that is our dyinge vnto sinne the crucifying of the olde man that wee may giue ouer our bodies vnto the Lord to be seruants of righteousnesse and that onely his spirite may reigne in vs that as Paule saith it be not nowe we that liue but that it be Christ that liueth in vs and this rest shal be made perfecte in the resurrection of the iust when we shal be ioyned vnto Christe our head and God shal be vnto vs all in all The figures of this rest as I saide haue beene diuerse The first figure was the rest of the sabboth day called our rest because wee were without bodily labour only in spirituall exercise to consider the works of God his greatnesse and power and goodnesse therby to learne with al our harts to serue him to glorifie him as our only god so y al the seuenth day longe while the sunne shined it preached vnto the people that they should ceasse from sinne and serue God die vnto the world and liue in him An other figure of this spirituall rest was the lande of Canaan called their rest because they ceassed from the fearefull trauell of the solitarie wildernesse and from feare of enimies which alwayes rose againste them from their bondage before in Egypt now inhabiting a quiet countrie full of all fruit and pleasure and their spirituall exercise in this rest was to see from what miseries God had deliuered them what blessings he had giuen them howe mightilie he saued them from al hurt of man and beast and euerie creature and therfore now in a holy rest and quietnesse to be thankful vnto him to serue him to trust in him to rest vnder the shadow of his wings An other figure of this rest was also y tēple of whiche it was said This is my rest for euer here wil I dwel for I haue a delight therin called also the rest in respect that before the tabernacle and the Arke was carried from place to place but nowe it was settled for euer in mount Sion the spirituall exercise of this rest was that God had now made knowen vnto them his statutes and ordinaunces in which they should liue his couenauntes and promises were sure vnto them and that they shoulde not immagine vaine thoughts or followe their own deuises but abide in the waies of God acknowledging them alone to be the wayes of life and so giue ouer them selues to walke in them These were the figures of this spirituall rest which abideth for euer and vnto vs nowe to whō figures haue ceassed this rest is set out clearlie in it self that we should liue in it ceasse from our owne workes doe the woorkes of our God and worship him in spirit and trueth hauing according to this exhortation of our Apostle our Sauiour Christ our onely prophet to rest in his woorde our onely priest to rest in his sacrifice for sinne our only king to rest in his defence our only head to rest in his nourishment who only with his blessed spirite feedeth vs to eternall life and worketh in vs all in all This is that kingdome of God whiche we are taught to pray that it may come and prosper and this is that the prophet Esay sayth of the roote of Ishaie that in those dayes his rest should be glorious this is the trueth sigured in all the former restes of the Sabboath of the lande of Canaan of the temple as Zacharias ful of the holie ghost doth most plainly shew This is saith he the othe which he sware to our father A brahā that he would graunt vnto vs that we beeing deliuered out of the handes of our enimies might serue him without feare in holines righteousnes al the dayes of our life and this rest hath in it as Paul saith a pure heart that is vn◅ed cōstant loue a sincere saith that is holy and true religion and a good corscience that is peace toward God through Iesus Christ and these properties of our rest deerely beloued mark them wel that we may knowe the place where we dwell in peace and lest we thinke foolishly that we are at rest when yet we are tossed in the tempestuous sea our religion must be pure and vntouched from the curious and entising fancies of Philosophie from traditions and decrees of men from superstition of the elements of the worlde as meate drinke daies times and such other to be short pure from al thinges which Christ our only prophet hath not taught vs And how can we thinke then that we are yet in this rest if we be holden with decrees Touch not tast not c. if counsels and fathers whiche are diuerse and daily renued do lead vs with their sūdrie indgments what rest is in my religion if thus I muste walke vncerteinly It was said of the first rest What I commaund thee do that onely this rest is nowe abundantly confirmed vnto vs more amplie thē before as Christe is greater then Moses and how then do we seeke after any instruction but onely after the word of Christe alone Againe seeing in our rest is vnfeigned loue contention and strife quarels are cast out how do we say we are entred into our rest when this dissention is amōg vs one with another let vs looke vnto it wel to whom it belongeth It is a greuous thing to trouble the peace of the church so is it a greuous thing to see trueth lye hidden or despised therfore iudge not you rashly nor condemne any mans worke before it be tried We are called vnto a rest and let vs nourish our peace who soeuer fall out with vs let vs not fall out with them but let vs seeke the truethe in loue and so shall be built vp the