vs If it were thus yet what is become of building religious houses of pilgrimage of numbering many prayers of their holie orders their garments their fasting c All these they let sink in their own shame with out defēce for these applied not the death of Christ vnto vs but in the merite of the worke they were commended But as these haue no colour of good defence so the excuse of the other is very vaine for how say they that the pope or priests applie the me rites of Christ seeing this application cannot stand by their owne confession without a real sacrificing of Christ For saith not y Apostle here that Christ did it by him selfe not onely making Christe the woorke but also the woorkman the price and the chapman the sacrifice sacrificer not al the world can giue any other recompence for sinne but him nor all the world can giue him but him self as both more plainly we shall heare afterwarde And here is expressely saide that he did it by him selfe with as great warrant giuing vnto him y doing as the thing done As wel and with as litle sinne we may choose another sacrifice as another sacrificer For by the same worde of God bothe are giuen to him a like And as there is not mentioned any other thing that euer could be offered so there is not named any other person that euer could offer this But as he is alone our king and alone spoiled principalities and powers vpon his crosse so he is alone our priest and alone he sacrificed vp his bodie once for all Now where it followeth in the Apostles words That he sitteth at the right hand of high maiestie we must first marke the change of wordes where it is vsually saide he sitteth on the right hand of god Here he saith on the right hand of the highest maiestie whiche is as it were an interpretation of the right hand of God signifying nothing else but the power and glorie of God giuen vnto the person of the mediatour according to that saying of Paule God hath highly exalted him and giuen him a name aboue all names Beside this seeing the right hand of God doth signifie his power wee must learne to be wise hearted not make vnto God a right hand or a left like vnto ours Wee know the commandement Thou shalt make vnto thy selfe no grauen image nor the likenes of any thing that is in heauen aboue or in earth beneath or in the water vnder the earth Let vs giue our obedience and confesse that God is incomprehensible not like to any thing which possibly our bodilie eyes can see And let vs not seeke vaine pretences that we might committe sinne and see it not to say I will make it for a remembraunce or the more to stirre vp our mindes make it howe thou wilt the precept is broken which saith thou shalt not make it And be thou well assured as long as S. Paules wordes shall betruer then thine so long it shall stand that if thou do make any similitude in the worlde to represent God Thou hast now turned the trueth of God into a lie changed the glorie of the incorruptible God to the likenes of the image of a corruptible creature and if accordingly God giue thee vp to a reprobate sense for this pride in thine owne wisedome he doth with thee but as he did with thy forefathers therfore take heede The cause why the Scripture attributeth vnto God eares and eyes and hands and feete it is because we are not able yet to comprehende any thing of Gods maiestie therfore the holie Ghost applieth speach to our infirmitie that we might by these woordes the Lord seeth heareth kepeth and ruleth al things that in him we might boldly trust Let not vs carrie away this great goodnesse of God into rebellion to leaue his glorie whiche we see onely by faith and make him handes and feete and gray haire like vnto a wretched bodie that is consumed with yeares But the time is past Let vs pray that it would please God our heauenly father to humble our hearts vnder the mightie power of his sonne Christ that wee may feare loue and obey him reioycing in the excellencie of glory that he hath giuen vnto vs who is the sonne of God and the Lord increase in vs our faith and hope that in the assurance of Gods loue our consciences may be at peace and in the reuelation of Gods glorie our hearts may be filled with ioy in the Lord which we be seech God to graunt vnto vs euen for his sonnes sake our only mediatour and aduocate Amen ¶ The third Lecture vpon the 4. 5. 6. and 7. verses 4 And is made so much more excellent then the Angels in as much as he hath obteyned a more excellent name then they 5 For vnto which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my sonne this day begat I thee And againe I wil be his father and he shall be my sonne 6 And againe when he bringeth in his first begotten sonne into the worlde he saith And let all the Angels of GOD worship him 7 And of the Angels he saith He maketh his spirits his messingers and his ministers a flame of fire IN these wordes as I tolde you the Apostle beginneth to set out the person of our sauiour Christ by comparison with Angels and this comparison he maketh in many pointes as wee shall heare that the more cleare wee see it tho more effectually we might confesse his high Godhead and therefore aboue all thinges to set him alone called in the new testament the high Prieste and Prophet and King of his people And the first comparison here made is of the first title before giuen him that he is the naturall sonne of God begotten of the substance of his father whereby he must needs be one and equall with his father which name as no Angel hath it so no Angel is to be compared to him That thus the Apostle taketh the name of Sonne according to the dignitie of nature it is plaine in his owne wordes saying And is made so much more excellent c. verse 4. making his excellencie according to his name his name according to his excellēcie For otherwise the name of the sonne of God may be giuen to euery one of vs as God calleth Israel his first borne and all the elect the sonnes of God So the magistrates are sonnes of God and the Angels also the sonnes of God but we by adoption grace the magistrate because he executeth the iudgement of the Lord the Angels by creation none of vs according to the worthinesse of our owne nature But by nature substance eternitie as the Apostle here meaneth there is none the sonne of God but Christ alone And that thus Christ is the sonne of God he proueth it first out of the second psalme where it is said Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten
and rottennesse thy fleshly thoughtes shall breede an vnbeleeuing hart thou shalt be the foole which searcheth the maiestie till he be ouerwhelmed of the glorie for thy God is a spirite and in spirit and faith thou canst only see him Thou shalt nowe hate and detest the Idoll and idoll maker which haue fashioned thy God like vnto an old man with a gray beard which haue made him sit as in a chaire of estate and giuen him Angelles in golde and siluer and flaming fire to sit about him this is shame aboue al shames To say vnto the king thou art a slaue and vnto the nobles of the earth ye are villaines they be words of honour in comparison of this vnspeakable sacrilege to say vnto God thou art like a man Againe when thou saiest thou beleuest in the father the sonne and the holie ghost y sayest wel acknowledging in thine hart three persons one God in a mysterie which thou canst not expresse thy faith is accepted But when y hearest the father to be called the God of all grace the authour of life beeing mouing when thou hearest the sonne called the shining brightnesse and ingrauen fourme of the father of whose fulnesse we receiue al increase of grace when thou hearest the holie ghost called the comforter the spirit of sanctification the pledge of thine election when thou hearest y the father hath eternally begotten his sonne the sonne eternally begotteÌ„ of the father the holie ghost eternally proceeding from them both in al this shal we learne nothing for more cleare knowlege of our faith shal we not here confesse the person of the father to be the beginning founteine of al goodnes glorie life and immortalitie that we our selues whatsoeuer is vnto vs happie and blessed all is only of his free grace and mercie shal wee not confesse that truely and naturally he is the father and because he hath eternally begotten his sonne that his sonne is one God with him without beginning and shall we not humble our soules faithfully to beleeue this and neuer to search or inquire of how it is for our vaine and corruptible harts how can they see eternal and euerlasting things And because the sonne is the image of his father shall wee not learne that we knowe nothing of God nothing at al of his nature godhead maiestie working will power honour life and continuance for euer nothing I say but what we haue seene heard in Christe his sonne for he is the shining brightnesse of his glorie What haue I to do with men or with the children of men what counsell can mine owne heart minister vnto me I must robbe the sonne of God of his honour or I must confesse I knowe nothing of God but in him only Againe if of his fulnesse we receiue we haue no felowship with god but in him all gace mercie life 〈◊〉 immortalitie to him it beelongeth of him we haue it and for his sake it is giuen vnto vs So likewise when the spirite is sayd to be our comforter to proceede from the father the sonne we confesse he is one in nature godhead with the father and the sonne in personal substance proceeding eternally from them both and because eternally therefore incomprehensibly whiche we beleeue in faith and will not searche by reason only we waite and reioyce in hope till God strengthen our eyes to see his maiestie and then our harts shal be wise to coÌ„prehend this distinctioÌ„ of the persons Now this spirit being our comforter we acknowledge that it is the person of the holy Ghost which putteth his grace into our harts to make vs wise faithfull holie and so sealeth vnto vs in full assurance our inheritance that is in Iesu Christ according to the free purpose and good will of God his father Besides all this to confesse the humanitie of our sauiour Christ howe in his owne person he hath borne the punishmente of our sinnes and ouercome the diuell who helde vs in bondage howe he hath sanctified our nature in himselfe and made it meete to stand before the presence of God only by faith freely giuing vs his blessings These and many other things taught vs in the scripture to our exceeding comfort shal we neglecte them learne only the confession of Children I beleeue in God the father God the sonne God the holy Ghoste three persons one God Sure if we wil do thus I see no other but that the little children through gods infinite mercie shal be saued in y litle knowledge that they haue learned and we by his iust iudgments worthy to be condemned for his manifolde wisedome which wee haue despised Then dearly beloued if we wil not alwayes be childreÌ„ neuer learned in the word of righteousnesse let vs not only hold the generall principles of our faith but so farre also as particular points are taught and mentioned let vs wisely learne them till we may feele in our selues good increase of Gods spirite to loue him to feare him to walke before him with al our heart in all the wayes which he hath appointed for vs. Now in the wordes following But strong meate is for the perfect whiche through long custome haue their witts exercised to discerne betweene good euil Here appeareth as I said who are childreÌ„ who are strong they are children which haue not yet had triall and experience wherby they might bee rooted in faith and confirmed by knowledge against al falshod errour which kind of childhod Saint Paule telleth the Ephesians at the last we ought all to leaue of grow vp in the vnitie of faith and of the knowledge of the sonne of God into a perfect maÌ„ to the full measure of our age in Christ that we be not alwayes children wauering carried about with euerie blast of doctrine by the deceipt of men with craftinesse which lie in waite to deceiue And as this is a plaine description of Children so as plainly here the Apostle sheweth who are perfecte men euen those that are able with wise senses to iudge betweene good euill y is who haue their mindes lightned with the word of God so that they are able to trie what is acceptable well pleasing vnto god Nowe dearly beloued if these wordes be plaine enough giue me leaue to beseeche you in this plaine case as Paul beseeched the Corinthians in y like My brethren be not children iâ—… vnderstanding be childreÌ„ in ma lice but in vnderstanding be of perfect age and if you see the plaine and manifest meaning of the scripture what it is be wise and beleeue it and confesse this that we ought to be learned in Gods worde so that we haue good ground of our saith and be able to consute falshod As now in our owne dayes we see the Pope claimeth authoritie that he can despense against the word of God but if our witts be exercised in the knowledge of the
remembreth by good accompts what things the Lord hath done for him how he hath blessed him from what present perils he hath saued him how againe him self hath bene euer vnthankfull vnworthy of the least of al Gods mercies yea by many speciall crimes deseruing wrath and anger which thoughtes doe worke in him a troubled spirite and pensiue soule so that not onely teares but the state of the whole bodie sheweth the griefe of his minde and not the bodie onely but in all his life it worketh great care much praying anger with our selues feare desire zeale punishment also that by iudging our selues we may preuent the iudgement of God it maketh vs detest our sinne and the remembrance of our sinne as in the Acts of the Apostles they burne their bookes of sorceries which were of great price value and as Saint Iude sayth They hate euen the coate spotted with the flesh and according to this is the amendement of their life with all loue and desire If they haue beene extortioners they will make restitution if they haue beene vsurers they will giue back increase if they haue giuen their handes and knees and members of their bodyes to the Popish Masse with all their strength now againe they will deteste it and make it knowen they hate their firste sinne this manner of repentance is stronge meate of perfect men The second point heere spoken of is faith toward God of which so much as may be apprehended of children is called milke as to beleeue that God the father of his greate loue gaue his onely begotten sonne Iesu Christe to be made man who in his bodie might fulfil all righteousnesse and beare the punishment of sinne which also by the power of his spirit he ourcame and hath gotten eternall redemption for all that shall beleeue But so to examine this faith wisely and according to Scripture that when we finde the beginning in God the father the work in God the sonne the applying and bestowing of it in the holie Ghoste and when we be wise so to distinguish these graces in euery person that yet wee diuide them not as taking away from the one vtterly what soeuer especially wee giue vnto the other this I say when we haue so learned that wee see all the glorie of sauing health is in God no merit or desert in man but that without the law the righteousnesse of God is laid open vnto vs witnessed by the law and by the prophets then we be perfect to fede of this strong meate that faith alone iustifieth Againe when we knowe that this is the gifte of God with whome there is no chaunge nor shadowe of chaunge but he is constant in his loue for euer whē faith hereof taketh boldnesse that nether heigth nor deapth nor life nor death nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor any creature shall euer be able to remoue me from the loue with whiche God hath looued mee this assured boldenesse is the meat of the man of God who is perfect in faith Likewise Baptisme the thirde thing here mentioned the milke of it is to knowe that by it they be sealed into the couenant of Gods grace and mercy which he hath to the fathers and their children but to knowe by this how to be baptised into the death of Christ that as he is rysen againe from the deade so wee should walke in newnesse of life that is to knowe that our Baptisme presenteth vnto vs the free forgiuenesse of our sinnes washed away with the bloud of Christe While as hee dyed and was buried for our sinnes so wee also should dye vnto sinne that it haue no more rule in our mortal body and as he rose againe from the deade so that death hath no more rule ouer him so we should after liue in newnesse of life offering vp vnto God our bodies and our soules who hath redeemed them and purchased them vnto him selfe To knowe all this according to the scripture is the perfect knowledge of our Baptisme Imposition of handes that was a solemne ceremonie vsed with prayer in whiche it was declared that the parties were accepted of GOD into his Church according to the faith of Christe whiche then they professed this was the milke which children had fead on But to see in it a free and bolde profession of faith before all men to be holden and a holy vowe or promise in whiche they bounde them selues to perpetuall holinesse by the laying on of handes as by a solemne othe to haue it witnessed of the Lord they were his children and to witnesse it in them selues they woulde abide the temples of the holie Ghoste to be short to promise a persourmaunce of all what so euer was hoped for in vs in the day of our baptisme this is the strong meate And this which this day ought to be practised as a thing verie profitable in the Churche of God it is miserably defaced by the Papistes for where it was in the Churche of God an vse that Christian children should be taught the principles of fayth which when they had wel learned and could giue a good accompt of their faith then in y open congregation with prayer and laying on of handes on their heades they were declared to be receiued as partakers of the graces and sacramentes of the church this good order the Papistes haue chaunged and made them a sacrament of confirmation onely by the Bishop to be ministred and by him to little children of no knwledge to whome hee giueth a newe Godfather or godmother which should speake for them when they cannot speak for them selues And whereas in the scripture this hath beene euer a ceremonie in solemne blessinges in sacrifices in admitting ministers in giuing spirituall giftes and no where vsed but onelie with prayer this order seemed base to them that knewe no end of their owne inuentions and they would needes haue crosses tapers oyle miters surplices c. without which there was with them no confirmation thus in this as in all thinges prophaning the holie ordinaunce of God. The resurrection of the bodie another poynte here mentioned was for Children that they might knowe their bodies should not die as the bodies of beastes to consume in earthe and not returne but that they shoulde rise againe at the latter daye and their owne bodies should be made immortall but in this also to see the glorie what a bodie it is whiche shall liue for euer which shal be made like to the body of Christ which shal be made able to stand in the presence and behold the glorie God of which shal be set free from sorrow care sicknesse death al aduersitie This mysterie which the Angels of God desire to behold when we can wisely see it know therefore we are here but pilgrimes and straungers another countrie is our owne whiche God hath made and not man in which we set our heart with all the delight and pleasure of it in this to reioyce this
from it Where said he the pope shall dispense against my apostles and prophets God said It is better to speake fiue wordes which we vnderstood then 〈◊〉 thousand in an vnknowen tong Where said God the ignorant men should pray in latine With this verie argument are ouerthrowne all doctrines of men all traditioÌ„s alpoperie And if this argumeÌ„t were good in the Apostle why is it not good in vs Nay if this be vsuall in y scripture why are we so dull that we will neuer learne it Doeth not God condemne the idolatrie of the people of Israel by this reason They built high places which I commanded not Doeth he not condemne all their superstition and vaine worshipping with y same argument Who required these things at your hands When Dauids purpose was stopped from buylding the house of God was not this the word of the Lord that came vnto him Where socuer I haue walked with all Israel spake I one woorde to any of their Iudges saying why haue you not builte me a house of Cedretrees But why seeke we further wheÌ„ the law is plaine What I commaund thee do that onely And true it is y it is our wisdome and the Light that shineth in our harts as in a dark place If once we go from it as y prophet saith There is no wisdome at all within vs. And this I say because of some which would not haue arguments made negatiuely of scripture I think because it is against Aristotles doctrine But let vs now go forward It followeth in thevi verse Againe when he bringeth c. This is the second comparison betwene Christ and the Angels That it is saide plainely of Christ who is the sonne Let all Angels worship him a thing determined by y scripture it self that Christ is not onely greater then Angels but God to be honoured of all Angels And he alledgeth to this purpose the manifest prophesie that wheÌ„ God brought his sonne into the worlde hee proclamed before him this honour Let all the Angels worship him First touching the alledging of this texte out of the Psalme we neede not doubt this doeing of the Apostle is proofe inough that that Psalme is a prophesie of the kingdome of Christe of which the psalme saith that God with great power and glorie would establish it in earthâ—… shewing miracles in his creatures feare and confusion in his enimies ioy and gladnes in the hearts of his children righteousnes and holines in their liues and not only this but all Angels should worship before him Now as he hath taught this by the testimonie of the prophets giuen to Christ so after in the 7. verse he sheweth the same on the other side by the testimonies which y scripture giueth to angels of whoÌ„ sayth he it is said he maketh his Angels spirites and his ministers a flaming fire The absolute mening of which wordes wee must learne of the Apostle him selfe in the 14. verse following where according to this testimonie he hath defined their nature and called them ministring spirites Then in these wordes he maketh his Angels spirites and his ministers a flaming fire hee nameth them a flaming fire according to y similitude in which their glorie hath ben seene as the angels that were with Elizeus his seruant sawe them as chariots of fire the similitude of the beasts which Ezechiel saw were as coles of burning fire and the Seraphims haue their names because they are of a fierie colour and these wordes â–ª spirits and ministers we must resolue thus ministring spirites So out of this texte his argumeÌ„t staÌ„deth thus â–ª Christ is called the sonne the first begotten sonne whome the Angels worship but the Angels are his ministring spirites therefore Christ is greater then the Angels Now for the allegation of this text the Apostle is a sufficieÌ„t witnesse to me that this verse of the 104. Psalme is ment of the Angels of God and not of the windes and I see no reason to the contrarie For first he mentioneth the winds before where he saith He walketh vpon the wings of the winde and therefore a repetition of the same in other wordes was not necessarie â–ª Againe seeing ministers here signifie those which execute Gods power to saue his people I see no cause to attribute it to the windes for though God euen by the elements help his people manie times yet that praise is not giuen as a name to the element which is done in the Angels Now where it is obiected that the Prophet there setteth out the maiestie of God according to his gouernement in thinges of the worlde I graunt it and so the ministery of Angels was then open known in the world And therfore of Angels also the Prophet speaketh as of them in whome the glorie of God shined euen as in the heauens the cloudes the lightnings c. beside this in these words the apostle wil proue what is the nature of angels which requireth that he should speake in the naturall sense of the prophets wordes And the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed of the Apostle seemeth not to be without cause for though it be the Hobrue phrase â–ª as it is saide yet it may well haue iust cause why the Apostle vseth it in Greeke it signifieth as much as if he said thus Vnto all Angels we may say you be but ministring spirites And so it is like vnto the text next alledged of christ To the sonne he sayth c. And thus the preposition is verie conueniently vsed and maketh the Prophets wordes a naturall description of the Angels Therefore for my parte thus I say and thus I am persuaded that as it is here alledged so the wordes were ment of the angels of God which are his ministers to execute his will for safetie of his people And thus muche of the Apostles argument here made Nowe where our Sauiour Christ is here called the first begotten sonne of God both Sainct Iohn sufficiently sheweth the meaning of it in the beginning of his gospel and S. Paule doth plainly expounde the word Iohn saith of our sauiour Christ that he was in the beginning with God that al things were made by him without him nothing was made at al which is as if he had added he was his first begotten sonne Saint Paule expresly addeth the comparison of creatures naming him the first begotteÌ„ before al creatures because saith he all things were created by him in heauen in earth visible or inuisible angels or powers by him and for him all were made so this is the first begotten the maker creator of all things And he is called the first begotteÌ„ not the first creature that in this name we might see the blasphemie of Arrius who sayth there was a time when the sonne of God was not when this name first begotten is not in respect of nature as one in time begotten before other but in respect of his work
reciteth not but for our times it hath a verie good instruction the Prophet thus concludeth The children of thy seruants shall continue and their seedâ—… shal stand fast in thy sight because Christ had ioyned his Church to himselfe he the head they the bodie by him who endured longer then the Heauens the Prophet knew his people could neuer perishe and in his thought if the Prophet had comfort against the tyrannie of the kingdome of Babylon what comforte may we haue now against the enimies of the church of Christ They thinke they be many strong and rich and wise and they will preuaile their Pope shall vp againe they will haue Masse they will exalte the Church of Rome they will become slaues to a vile person as they were before they will do I cannot tell what Alas poore soules how fast they hold a lye in their right hand The shame that they seeke for they shall neuer finde For what are they Or what is their strength How much are they better then grasse or then the flower in the field What is their life more then a vapour or then a smoke that vanisheth away yet they boast them selues against the Church of Christ which is knit vnto the sonne of God liueth in his life standeth in his strength whose right hand hath made all thinges and whose yeres endure for euermore while we trust in this our hope is sure and all our enimies shal be ashamed And let vs pray that it would please God our heauenly father of his great goodnesse to haue mercie vpon vs that by his spirit the eyes of our mindes may be lightened to see what great Saluation he hath giuen vnto vs in Iesu Christ who is his onely sonne heire of althings creator of the world who ruleth and gouerneth all things and shall shewe vs his glorie in immortalitie when all these creatures shall haue their â—…haunge And the Lord graunt that in these dayes of our vanitie while yet we are walking to the day of rest we may in the meane season see his grace and glorie in all his creatures in whiche we haue our pleasure that we may enioye them to his praise and with wise heartes measuring his times who shall endure for euer when all these thinges are past we may mourne in spirite to see the time approch when we with him shall bothe see and inherite his immortalitie through his sonne Iesu Christ who hath purchased it for vs and with his mightie power will keepe vs in safetie vnto it against that day to whom with the father and the holie Ghost our onely comforter beal honour and glorie nowe and euer Amen The sixte lecture vpon the 13. and 14. verses 13 Vnto whiche also of the Angels saide he at any time Sitt at my right hand till I make thine enimies thy foote stoole 14 Are they not all ministring spiritâ—…s sent forth to minister for their sakes which shal be heires of saluation NOWE the Apostle maketh the fifte comparison betweene the Angels and our Sauiour Christe in which it is plaine he is exalted aboue all Angels And this comparison is out of the saying of the Prophet Sitt on my right hand vntill I make thine enimies thy foote stoole A singular honour aboue all that euer Angel had for it signifieth that God hath taken him into the fellowship of glorie and giuen him all power in Heauen and in earth Touching this Psalme as it is moste true so it is confessed of all that it is a prophesie of our Sauiour Christ how he should be King of his Church and vtterly subuert all his enimies and be our priest after the order of Melchisedech who should bring an end to the priesthood of Leuie and according to this meaning of the Prophet so the Apostle alledgeth this sentence for proofe of this excellencie of the sonne of God aboue all Angels And with this testimonie our Sauiour Christe him selfe confuteth the Phariseis when they denyed his diuinitie resoning of the force of this word LORD because the comparison then was with Dauid These wordes of the Apostle To which of the Angels said hee at any time c. they shewe plainely what glorie it is to sitt on the right hand of god For when the Apostle sayth The like was neuer said to Angels that is such glorie was neuer giuen them what can it else meane but that Christe is confessed to be one God with his father Or what can we vnderstand to be higher then all Angels but God alone If the right hand of God could signifie his presence the Angels are in his presence and of them thousand thousandes are before him and as our Sauiour Christ saith They see the face of our heauenly father If his right hand could signifie the fruition or sight of his glorie the Angels are all blessed spirites and see his glorie euen as it is If his right hand did signifie any inferiour power though it were greater then all the worlde such power haue also Angels so that one of them haue smitten whole armies of men and whole Countries and therefore bee they also called principalities and powers because no strength in the world can resist them But seeing his right hand noteth vnto vs that honour whiche neuer Angel was receiued vnto and aboue the angels we know none but God alone therefore the Scripture speaketh plainely in setting Christe on the right hand of his father farre aboue Angels that he is one God and equall with his father Besides this sith it is saide Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enimies thy footestoole it is plaine that this is the right hand of God the power of God giuen vnto Christe in which he shall ouercome all his enimies and sith this is the ende of that glorie that glorie is nothing but the power by which this is brought to passe and when this shal be accomplished that all his enimies shal be confounded then this shall bee finished for him to sitt on the right hand of his father not that Christ shall ceasse to be equal with his father but that this kingdome of Christ our mediatour betweene God and vs in which he keepeth vs that shall cease and he shall giue it vp vnto his father and God shall be vnto vs all in all And thus farre of all these honourable titles giuen vnto Christ in all which the Apostle proueth him greater then all Angels The first is that hee is called the naturall sonne of god The second that the Angels haue commaundement to worship him The third that he is a King of glorie reigning for euer in trueth and righteousnesse The fourth that he is Creatour of the world and indureth when the world shall perish And fiftly that he sitteth on the right hand of high maiestie all whiche are proper titles to the sonne of God and greater then can be giuen to any Angel and therefore Christ to be exalted aboue them all Now in the 14. verse
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
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
because otherwise the scripture would bee hard vnto them Againe because it was ashame after so longe time to haue profited so little Nowe he exhorteth them by shewing the great hurte which shal be vnto them by their ignorance and rudenesse ▪ and sayth that while they are such they can neuer knowe the pretious and hid treasure of righteousnesse whiche Christ hath giuen onely to those that are wise and haue learned his blessed Gospel For better vnderstanding of this you muste knowe this figuratiue speeche of the Apostle of milke and strong meate by milke he meaneth the generall principles of doctrine as him selfe after declareth as of repentance of faith in Christ of baptisme of the resurrection and suche like set out breifely in generall tearmes and according to the capacitie of Children with whiche they are prepared to the kingdome of heauen and must still growe vp in more vnderstanding till they doe see with all the saincts the higth the deapth the length the bredth of Gods vnsearchable goodnesse in Iesu Christ which the Apostle calleth here the word of righteousnes Now if we wil abyde stil in our first instruction when gray hayres shal be mingled with our black yet then still we will be children in vnderstanding the Apostles wordes shal be iustified in vs we are not meete disciples of the excellent knowledge of the Gospel for he that is still at his milke hath not yet tasted of the worde of righteousnesse which is strong meate And it foloweth in the Apostle For strong meate belongeth to thē that are of perfect age which through long custome haue their wits exercised to discerne good euill In these words the Apostle maketh it more plaine what is milke and what is strong meate and why they are so called that is milke which agreeth to beginners and such as haue little experience that is strong meat which is for olde practitioners such as haue wisdome to iudge betwene truth falshod And thus much briefly of the sense of the woordes out of which what instructions we haue to gather for our owne edifying I will speake more at large God willing the next time Now let vs praye c. The 26. Lecture vpon the 13. 14. verses before mentioned so forth vpon the 1. 2. verse of the sixth Chapter 13 For euerie one that vseth milke is inexpert in the word of righteousnesse for he is a childe 14 But strong meate belongeth to them that are of age which through long custome haue their wits exercised to to discerne both good and euill CHAP. VI. 1 THerefore leauing the doctrine of the beginning of Christ let vs be led forwarde vnto perfection not laying againe the foūdation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. 2 Of the doctrine of baptisme and laying on of handes of the resurrection from the dead and of eternall iudgment WE haue heard alreadie what reprehension the Apostle hathe hetherto made of the slackenesse of the people in learninge the mysteries of Gods word First because they haue beene so carelesse that they haue made the word hard vnto them that they cannot vnderstand it where I tolde you y who soeuer he be that accuseth the scripture of hardnesse the Apostle concludeth against him that he hath a hard dul hart Secondarily he rebuketh them in respect of the time which hath beene so long that they might nowe haue taught other yet they neede to bee taught them selues yea euen the beginnings And heere I wishe vs to looke well vnto our selues for all men knowe how longe the time hath beene in whiche the Gospell hath beene preached vnto vs and howe little we haue profited God knoweth Thirdly hee blameth them for their slacknesse because by it they spoile themselues of a great treasure for while they be thus rude and ignoraunt the worde of righteousnesse that is perfect knowledge can neuer be taught vnto them neither can they bee partakers of the excellent knoweledge of the gospel of Christe but it is vtterlie impossible euen as it is for children to eate stronge meate Then he sheweth who be strong euen those that haue their wisedome perfect so that they can iudge betweene good and euill To this purpose are these laste wordes of the Apostle Euery one that vseth milke is inexpert of the word of righteousnesse for he is a childe but strong meate is for the perfect whiche through long custome haue their wittes exercised to discerne good and euill Firste wee haue heere to learne this principle of Christianitie he that is rude and ignoraunt can not apprehend the excellent knowledge of the Gospell of Christe that is he that can say no more but this I beleeue in one God wee muste repent vs of sinne we are saued by faith we must worship God in spirite and trueth we are baptised in the name of the father the sonne and the holy ghost we beleeue the resurrection of our bodyes we looke for eternal life and suche like confessions in generall wordes though where this is confessed with a single heart and a minde willing to learne more God may and will for his Christes sake accept it vnto saluation yet we that haue receiued of the Lorde bothe time and abilitie ought more exactly to vnderstand if we wil not bee despisers of the manifolde graces of God as for example the childe is taught that there is but one God aboue al and to worship him alone whome he confesseth in three distinct persons the father the sonne and the holy Ghoste Surely a young Christian man which with this faith shoud humble him selfe before God and crye Our father which art in heauen no doubt God would heare his prayer yet notwithstanding seeing this mysterie is not onely taught in generall termes but is set out also in more particular pointes in knowledge of al we must looke for the fulnesse of our comforte and reioycing that now we haue in god Thou sayest I beleeue in God the father almightie thou sayest well and it is a holy confession if thou haue hearde no more but if thou hast also learned that God is a spirit not of the nature of man not like vnto the idols of the Gentiles not like vnto any creature that thou hast heard or seene but a nature of maiestie glorie incomprehensible and aboue the thoughts of man then thou oughtest heere to exercise thy senses with wise meditations howe greate and glorious the Lord is whome thine eye cannot see thine heart can not conceiue no creature in Heauen or earth can resemble vnto thee so thou shalt learne obedience to say vnto thy senses and vnto thy naturall heart what haue I to doe with you All carnal cogitations and thoughts of man be they neuer so high of Kinges and Emperours of golde and precious stones they are vile filthy to cary into heauen if thine imaginatiōs will resemble them to the God of glory thou doest but fill thy soule with corruption
Christ vnited with the person of his Godhead so the ways in which we are led vnto it they are imutable our faith is not quenched our loue not extinguished our hope faileth not nor the holy spirit can euer be takeÌ„ from vs but still they are newe euen to eternall life The fourth difference is in the fathers with whoÌ„ the first couenaÌ„t was made who though they were al called in Iesu Christ yet was there a difference of their honour euery one more exalted as God approched more neere vnto them So Abraham his posterity were a more honorable people then the other before him So the Israelites that had receiued the law dwelt in the land of promise had greater blessing then their fathers in Egypt So Iohn Baptist more then all Israel But now they that are called of Iesu Christ by his owne voice in him crucified before their eies haue aâ—…eined a singular honour the least of them touching their calling are greater then al Patriarches Prophets And these al in like precious faith like spirit like promises like couenaÌ„ts like accepted of god euery man in his own measure of grace No difference of Iew or Gentile learned or vnlearned but al haue throgh faith one entrance vn to the throne of grace that I neede not say now O Lord remember Dauid nor the couenaÌ„t made with Abraham But O Lord remember me the couenant which thou hast made with my fathers house For vnto all both those that are nigh and those that are far off there is but one couenant in Iesu Christ whome now we knowe not according to the flesh And this excellent glorie of Christian men dearly beloued as oft as I remember it it grieueth me to thinke vpon the madnesse of some who call them selues spirituall other temporal themselues clergie and other layitie them selues regular and other secular themselues they should say straungers from the Lord Iesus and other the liuely members of his body For what is it else to make this difference but to denie the brotherhode in the calling of Christe The fifte difference is that God then spake by his Prophets now by his sonne by Prophets meaning the continuall succession of Prophets in all ages For as they were men taken away by death so it was necessarie other to come in their places And because no Prophet was able to giue his grace to other or of his fulnes make other learned in the mysteries of God but they were al taught of the Lord therefore they had the credite of their worde euerie one in himselfe and none iudged by anothers gifts But so it is not with the Sonne of God for both he liueth to appoint vs teachers still and of his fulnesse he giueth all other their continuall increase of grace For which cause now the warrant of all dependeth vpon him alone And the greatest Apostle that euer was hath no other glorie but onely to be his seruant and messinger for he is that redeemer whose worde must be in the mouthe of his seede and in the mouth of his seedes seede after him for euermore So that it must needes be the pride of verie antichrist for a mortall man to exalt him selfe and giue the warrant of truth vnto his owne word that he cannot erre that all knowledge is in the closet of his breast that we must beleeue it as the Gospell what soeuer he decreeth A vile seruant so to swell in pride and set him selfe in the seate of the sonne of God why do we not abhorre it and rather kisse the ground vnder the feete of the Sauiour of the world to be slowe to speake out of our owne hart and quick to heare what hee hath commaunded And these be the differences which I thought good to note vnto you as the Apostles wordes plainely teach them Now where it is said In these last times meaning the daies in which this gospel is preached which also the Apostles and Prophets call the end of the world and last dayes It hath this name bothe for because in comparison of the age of the world these dayes shall be but few and also for that the will of God is finally reuealed in his sonne Christe who shall inherite the glorie to be our Prophet from the day in which first his father sealed him to that office euen to the latter end And thus much of this first verse Now let vs pray to almightie God our heauenly father who hath so loued vs that hee gaue his only begotten sonne to lead vs in the way of truth to saue vs from the bondage of death and to sacrifice his owne bodie for the raunsome of our sinnes that for his sake we may bee strengthened with the grace of his holie spirite to heare his word kepe it that we may in a good time and happie issue of our wayes be blessed by him who is our onely Sauiour to whome with the father and the holie Ghoste be honour and glorie for euer ¶ The second Lecture vpon the second and third verses 2 WHome he hath made heire of all things by whome also he made the worldes 3 Who beeing the brightnesse of the glorie and the ingraued forme of hiâ—… person and bearing vp all thinges by his mightie woorde baâ—… by him selfe purged our sinnes and sitteth at the right hand of the maiestie in the highest places WE haue heard howe the Apostle hath taught that our Sauiour Christe the sonne of God hath beene once sent vnto vs an eternall Prophet to teach vs all thinges which GOD hath done for our saluation through the preaching of the gospel to sanctifie vs all vnto him that him alone we should acknowledge to be our leader vnto eternall life Now the Apostle beginneth to proue this singular glorie to belong onely to Christe which he doeth by setting out a full and large description of him â–ª in which as I sayd he proueth him to be eternall God. Firste by his rule ouer all creatures verse 2. Then by the glorie of his owne person Thirdly by his great power Fourthly by his benefite bestowed vpon vs Fiftely by his glorie purchased to him selfe verse 3. Sixtly by comparison with Angels verse 4 whiche comparison he maketh in manie pointes as shall appeare in the residue of the chapter The rule of Christ ouer all creatures he sheweth in this That he is heire of all and created all By heire of all meaning howe in the person of a mediatour he hath restored all as in the person of the sonne he was the wisedome of God to make all And therefore called the heire because he restored not the worlde but by redeeming it and purchasing it vnto himselfe according as God the Father had giuen it to be a recompence of his worke in whiche respect it is said that God appointed him heire of all things This our Sauiour taught vs when he say de All power is giuen vnto mee in heauen
thee Where the Prophet shewing causes why the whole world should not preuaile against Christ he saith because God had decreed it in his eternall counsell and proclamed it with this sentence Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee That is this day haue I declared that thou art my natural sonne meaning especially the time in which he made him knowen in the worlde by his wonderfull workes as S. Paule ment when he saide God was made manifest in fleash noting the power of the spirit working in him in his birthe life death resurrection and ascension So this day noteth not any particular time but all times in generall wherein God hath shewed his power in Christ as especially in the time he liued among vs And it see meth that the Apostle maketh manifest this sense of his wordes in that he addeth to the text alledged in the vi verse the time when it was fulfilled leauing this without any distinct time as that whiche apperteined to all times in which Christ should be shewed to be the sonne of God especially as I saide in his life and before or since as God sheweth his glorie in him So this sentence was true when he appeared to Abraham Iacob Moses to any of the patriarches or prophets or after his ascension when he appeared to Stephan to Paule or any other or whensoeuer he sheweth his power to defend his church vnto the end according to his owne promise I am with you to the latter end of the world And thus this word to day is takeÌ„ in that which is after alledged To day if ye will heare are his voice harden not your hearts And againe In the day of health I haue heard thee And in the day of saluatioÌ„ I haue succoured thee meaning no particular day but al the time that the word is preached vnto vs. It followeth I wil be his father and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…y sonne This is another texte to proue Christ the naturall sonne of god It is written in the seconde of Samuel the seuenth chapter and they are the wordes of God vnto Dauid by the Prophet Nathan to giue him a promise of the blessing of his seede after him which was begone in Solomon who built the temple and whome God so highly aduaunced in all wisedome richesse and honour that the Fatherly prouidence of God appeared ouer him as ouer an especiall chosen sonne All which as it was promised to Dauid so Dauid looked for the perfourmance of it in Christ and to be figured in Solomon his sonne after him whose temple was a figure of the Churche of Christe his riches a figure of the great graces of the spirite of Christe giuen to his Church his honour aboue all kinges a figure how kinges should submitt them selues to Christ and be nurlefathers and Queenes nurses to the Churche of Christe his wisedome a figure that in Christe should be hid all treasures of wisedome and knowledge and finally he called by name the sonne of God in respect of his blessings as a figure of Christ who is the eternall sonne of his father in nature of his person And so the Apostle here alledgeth this place without any suche long exposition howe the place is meant because we should see in it that the people of Israel were not so ignorant of the Scriptures as we be but brought vp in the knowledge of the lawe and taught the vnderstanding of it euen from their â—…dell as we shoulde be And thus haue we heard this argument of the Apostle Christ hath a more honourable name then the Angels therefore he is more excellent then they Nowe also let vs see the manner of proofes here vsed He proueth Christe to be the naturall sonne of God by textes of Scripture witnessing 〈◊〉 he donâ—…eth that Angels are so because God in his scriptures neuer spake it for so he beginneth Vnto which of the Angels said he at any time c. The self same maner of proofe againe he vseth in the 13. verse following Because the scripture saide it not therefore he proueth it is not so making his argument negatiuely from authoritie of Scripture whiche in all thinges what soeuer man is required to do or know in matters of religion is euer a most certeine conclusion God spake it therfore we must doe it God spake it not therfore we haue nothing to doe with it And this argument must needes bee good so long as this word of the Lordo doeth endure What I commaund thee doe that only And so long as this is a iust condemnation of all our owne deuises who required these things at your hands And so long as this shal be true that our wisdome is folishnesse and we cannot doe well but when we bearken to the worde of God that shineth in our harts as in a dark place True it is and if we had but the wisedome of children we must needes see it that all particular lawes and orders with which we may be bound they are not set downe in precise words of Scripture but it is as true that the nature and propertie of euery lawe or order is so described that the worde of God as clearely is followed in it as if the wordes of the law were set downe in it For of all decrees to be made in his church hath not God said It must be without offence it must edifie it must bee comely and according to order and it must serue to the glorie of God. Now God hauing giuen grace into our heartes to iudge what soeuer we decree by these rules is not the word of God the warrant of it By such manifest proofe ofscripture the church of Christ doeth iustifie all that she doeth Thus the Apostle proueth heere his doctrine Thus we must do if we will bee the Apostles scholers Marke well this reason for it is worthy God said to Christ thou art my sonne therfore he is his sonne God said not so to any Angel therefore no Angel can take the name vnto him In like manner we will dispute with them God said The true worshippers should not go to mount Sion nor to Ierusalem but worship God in spirit and trueth Where said he go a pilgrimage or go visit the holie sepulchre God said Doe not obserue dayes and monethes and times and yeeres Where said he keepe vnto me Lent or Aduent imber weekes or Saincts Eeues God said vnto vs It is the doctrine of diuels to forbid marriage or to commaund to abstaine from meates Where said he eate now no fleash now no white meate let not the minister marrie God said Let euery soule be subiect to kings princes and the autho ritie of such men let it not be in his Apostles Where said he let the pope haue the gift of kingdomes bee exempt from authoritie of man weare a triple crowne and haue Lords and noble men vnder him God said Cursed 〈◊〉 he that addeth ought to his law or taketh
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
scripture principalities rules powers dominions thrones Cherubim Seraphim Angels archangels therefore there be nine orders A thirde reason they drawe out of this because there is named Angel and Archangel in whiche names is manifest difference of degree therefore there are nine diuerse orders of Angels Touching the first argument of the nine precious stones of the King of Tyrus it is nothing but follie for what though he were compared to Angels in glorie because his garment was full of precious stones doth it therefore followe that as many kinde of stones as were in his gowne so many orders there should be of Angels If I sawe a man cloathed in riche colours and many iewels about him so that I would say hee shineth like the Sunne must it needes followe that as many colours as are about him so many colours are in the Sunne But the thing is all false the king is not compared there to Angels but because the Cherubims that couered the Mercie seate were of beaten Golde and excellent woorkemanshipp with them that King is compared and called the couering and the annoynted Cherub so that the nine precious stones muste bee nine orders of Cherubims vpon the mercie seate or nine orders of cloathing Nowe where they say there are nine seuerall names of them therefore nine orders First that is false for heere the Apostle out of the Prophet alledgeth two names more spirites and flaming fire They are called in Iob the sonnes of God so by this accompt there must be twelue orders of Angels Or if they will say these names are common to all Angels so is I am sure the name Angel whiche yet they make one particular order therefore if the communitie of the name take away the particular order then are there but eight orders if not then are there twelue But touching these names it is no doubt they are so named according to our vnderstāding as we see the great glorie power of God to appere in them that we might giue him the praise of his work and not imagine so precisely a iust number of the orders of Angels And this is most cleare in Paule him selfe when he had reckoned vp principalities rules powers dominions hee addeth And euery name that is named in this world or in the world to come a cleare sentence of his owne modestie in confessing a holie ignorance of the state of Angels and such as should moue vs to sobrietie to say with S. Augustine The difference of these degrees I confesse I knowe not if any man will say he knoweth it let him speak but let him proue that he speaketh And in dede very reason inforceth thus much that none knoweth the difference for the names are such as we cannot make any good distinction betweene them and the same names are giuen also to the diuels that we should be sure they note no order but rather signifie the power that is in them Now for their third argument that there are Angels and Archangels manifest wordes of degree first this wanteth much in accompt to make ix orders then I say and it can hardly bee confuted that wheresoeuer the name Archangel is mentioned it signifieth our Sauiour Christ and no creature Or if it be attributed to a creature he that in one work is called an Angel in another woorke of greater glorie in our eyes he may be there called an Archangel yet I wil not define any thing neither dare I affirme that all Gods Angels are of equall glorie I haue not climed into the Heauens to knowe such thinges but this I knowe that all this proueth nothing a diuersitie of thus manie orders Therefore now to leaue to speake of things vnprofitable to seeke after let vs see what true comfort God giueth vs in this place The Angels of whome so muche we haue spoken and whose honour is such that seeing our Sauiour Christ exceedeth them the Apostle here proueth he is the GOD of glorie In that I say these Angels serue for our safetie how great is our saftie And what shall we render vnto God for this saluation It were exceeding loue to giue to any man a garde of men about him it were more to giue him a garde of princes But what are men what are princes what are Kinges in respect of Angels whome God hath made to pitche about vs Not one of vs this day that are Christes but haue his Angels to keepe vs in our way What princes glorie can now dazell our eyes except we knowe not our selues Howe can wee enuie earthly blessinges of houses lands seruaunts to abound vnto our brethren except we be ignoraunt what God hath done for vs How can we fil our liues with any straunge concupiscence of thinges whiche God hath holden back from vs if we beleeue what excellent treasure of his angels he hath giuen vs If his Angels be ours how truely may we say with Paule Let vs not hereafter glorie in men for whether if be Paule or whether Apollo or whether Cephas whether it bee the worlde whether life or else death whether they be things present or else to come all is oures And why should we now feare to be shodd with the preparation of the Gospel of peace and go boldly whether trueth fayth holinesse duetie calleth vs What if the world breake with hatred or men swell in malice againste vs are the Angels driuen back with vaine threatenings Or what if we doe fall before the enimie and he preuaile against vs as it happened to our Sauiour Christ him selfe is this a want in Angels that watch ouer vs Or is it not rather the good wil of God that we should dye with Christ the sooner to reigne with him Last of all now let vs knowe how this glorie is giuen vs not of our selues but as wee are members of Christ for to him it doth properly belong who is our head He is the ladder which Iacob sawe in a dreame reaching from Heauen to Earth and the Angels ascending and descending by it as him selfe plainely expoundeth it saying to Nathaniel that he should see the heauens open and the Angels ascending and descending vppon the sonne of man so that this honour is ours as we be Christes to him it apperteineth and to vs it is giuen as we be made mēbers of his bodie by faith And thus far of angels Nowe let vs praye that it would please God our heauenly father of his gratious goodnesse to lighten our vnderstanding into all knowledge wisdome of his worde that we may be carefull because of our enimies lest at any time we fall into temptation and that we may be bolde in Iesu Christ who sitteth at the right hand of his father till he make all our enimies his fotestoole and who hath giuen vs his good guard of Angels that we might see his loue and know our honour that so we may consecrate our selues to set forth his praise and walke before him in holinesse
righteousnes al the dayes of our life who is our only Sauiour to whom with the father the holie ghost be glorie for euer Amē The seuenth Lecture vpon the 1. 2. 3. 4. verses of the 2. chapter 1 WHerefore we ought diligently to giue heede to the things which we haue heard least at any time we runne out 2 For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and euerie trangression and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of rewarde 3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation which at the first began to bee preached by the Lorde and afterward was confirmed vnto vs by them that heard him 4 God bearing witnesse thereto bothe with signes wonders and with diuerse miracles and giftes of the holie Ghost according to his owne will WE haue hearde before howe that the Apostle after he had sette it downe that Christ was the Prophet of the new Testament that we might truely giue him this glorie streight hee magnifieth his person by many titles and by comparison with Angels proueing vnto vs that he is verie GOD. Now to shewe more clearely for what purpose all those praises of Christ were rehearsed himselfe maketh his conclusion in the beginning of this second Chapter that therefore we should most carefully hearken vnto him alone And this is the first part of this Chapter before the Apostle came as I tolde you to proue that our Sauiour Christ is also perfect man In this exhortation first the Apostle setteth downe his doctrine then his reason by whiche he will persuade vs vnto it his doctrine is this That it behoueth vs now more carefully to hearken to the woordes of Christe then afore time it behoued our forefathers to hearken to the lawe of Moses For where he sayth We ought more diligently he maketh this comparison plainly with the fathers in the olde lawe in the second verse following And heere we must wisely consider why he sayth We ought to be more carefull then they not that they might remitt any care for expresly they are charged with all care to adde nothing to take away nothing to chaunge nothing not to depart neither to the right hand nor yet to the left but day and night at home and abroade to do always this to studie it continually without intermission as appeareth in Deut. 4. 6. 5. 32. 6. 6. 11. 18. 12. 32. 28. 14. Ios. 1. 8. 33. 6. many other places Nor it is not saide that we be more bound then they as thoughe the authoritie of God were changed but this is spoken after our sense because now Christ hath spoken by himselfe then by angels now plainely then in figures therefore we ought more carefully to hearken not that all care ought not to be in them as wel as in vs but because our punish ment shall be more then theirs euen as we shall be despicers of the greater grace After this the Apostle addeth his reason to persuade vs to this especiall carefulnesse aboue all other people to hearken to the voice of Christe and that is of the perill that insueth Least saith he we run out The Apostle vseth a Metaphore taken of olde tubbes which runne out at the ioyntes and can holde no liquour In such a phrase of speache one sayth of him selfe I am full of creuisses or little holes and I flowe out on this side and on that meaning thereby that euerie vaine thing whiche hee heard he would blab it out so wee if we take into vs the sweete wine of the word of Christ as into old bottels and broken vessels that it runne out againe we become then altogether vnprofitable all goodnesse falleth away and we be as water powred vpon the ground This Metaphore the woman of Tekoa vsed to Dauid when in describing an vtter desolation of the people she said We are as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered vp againe And Dauid him self describing the extremitie of all miserie which was come vpon him he said I am like water powred out and all my bones are out of ioynt Likewise when he prayeth that all the plagues of God may fall vpon the wicked til they be consumed to nothing he sayth thus Let them mealt like the waters let them passe away So the Apostle noting the extreame perill and ine◅table death that is in neglecting the worde of Christe this glorious sonne of God he sayeth Take hede lest we be poured out meaning as water powred on the ground and is neuer after profitable any more And if you will see an example what this flowing away meaneth beholde the Iewes this day to whome it is threatened A despised people whose verie name is as a cursse so they haue flowed out and are come to ruine if their example doe make vs wise then this exhortation of the Apostle is not to vs in vaine It followeth in the second thirde verse For if the word spoken by Angels c. saluation In these words the Apostle aggrauateth his reason forceth it the more to feare the people He vseth to this end an argument of the comparison before made betweene Christ and the Angels that if the lawe giuen by angels were not broken without seuere punishment because it was giuen by such glorious spirites how much more shall we be punished if we despise this great saluatiō preached by the sonne of God That the lawe was giuen by Angels the scripture heere is plaine Moses saith of the deliuerie of it The Lord came with tenne thousand of Saincts And S. Paule sayth expressely the same Gal. 5. 19. And Saint Stephan likewise Act. 7. 53. And how can it be otherwise For when there was in the mounteine thunders lightenings tempestes fearefull sounds of a trumpet and the voyce of a man heard I am the Lord thy God that brought thee c. what could this bee but the ministerie of Angels For it must needes be true which our sauiour Christ sayth No man hath heard the voyce of God at any time Neither then could the maiestie of God speake but the voyce of his mouth would haue shaken vnto nothing bothe men and mounteine and all the elementes that were before him For howe can corruption stande in his presence If we doubt because of the wordes that the voyce sayth I am the Lord thy God And againe in the third of Exodus it saith I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaach the God of Iacob true it is that our Sauiour Christ then spake who is the God of glorie but he spake not in the voyce of his Godhead but in the likenesse of an Angel which he tooke vppon him For thoughe it be true that he tooke not the nature of angels nor was made one of them yet in his heauenly wisedome he tooke vppon him the likenesse of an Angel and according to that nature so spake wordes so that still this is true The lawe was giuen by
subiect to any creature and if it be Gods eternall counsell that it should neuer be submitted to any no not to Angels in whome else can wee trust or in what other thing can wee put confidence to haue any parte of this wrought for vs We are all as our fathers were men by nature of the olde world our bodies and mindes full of sinne holden vnder the condemnation of the diuell all creatures against vs and God him selfe hateing vs no way to renewe our age no man to chaunge our state no Angel but God hath giuen it to Christ alone Wil I say that I can alter mine owne wil to make it couet goodnes Or put power into the members of my bodie to serue righteousnesse Or doe the things in which is any merite to eternal life Or purchase againe Gods fauour which was remoued from me If I wil boast of any of these I speake too proud words for either man or Angel and say that this seconde worlde is made subiect vnto me all good will all righteousnesse al merite al pleasure in heauenly things al reconciliation all victorie ouer death all loue of God all hope to be short all that is good and all ioy of spirite is of this new world whereof Christ is king And whosoeuer shall thinke that any power of these things is in himselfe he is puffed vp into pride of heart suche as an Angel of Heauen should not beare vnpunished for not vnto Angels but vnto Christ these things are giuen What can we nowe thinke of these men that tell vs the sacraments giue vs grace the masse is propitiatorie for our sinnes our submitting our selues to the Churche of Rome shall saue vs the Pope if we follow him he can not erre Crosses Bells Candels Holie water Vestments Pilgrimage Pardons Reliques euerie one hath his vertue the number of prayers hathe his measure of reward flesh or fishe it hath his holines according to his time These men and all the louers of their Gospell which take away from Christ the only rule of the world wherof we speake and put it in subiection to fleshe and bloud and the elementes of the world what shall we say of them Shall we beleeue them Or shal they prospet Nay they haue plowed wickednesse and they shall reape iniquitie they haue wandered in errour and they shal eate the fruite of lyes Now if this be so that all flesh hathe no goodnesse in it that all his wisedome and trauell can renue no whit of the lost worlde or bring any light into horror and darknesse but all is of Christ what shall we yet do with wordes of louder blasphemie which they call workes of supererogation What shall we doe with the Pope himselfe who by generall voyce of all his Church is saide that he can dispense the abundance of merites whiche were in the virgin Marie and in all Saints by his bulls to applie them Confessis contritis that they shal haue days of pardon as manie as he will number Are they ashamed of these thinges Nay they are not ashamed but euen now they lende vs ouer whole volumes to shewe the fruite of pardons how good they are and of late haue sent vs a bull that we should haue experience howe they holde this doctrine And what shall we say of suche a one Surely dearely beloued euen as the Prophet sayth of the people of Israel His formeations are in his sight and his adulteries are betweene his breastes So his vncleanesse is manifest to all the worlde and his marke is in his forehead that hee might bee knowen to bee Antichriste And you dearely beloued when you talke with your friends who are not yet persuaded in the religion of Christ when they thinke that wee haue free wil or we may deserue by our works or Lent and fasting dayes are holie or flesh or fish doe please God or the signe of the crosse is good or censing and Musicke stirre vpp deuotion or any suche thing Doe but aske of them whether they thinke obedience loue deuotion forgiuenesse of sinnes puritie life grace and such other fruites of Gods spirite and his mercie aske I say whether they thinke them workes of the olde worlde corrupt by Adam or of the new restored by Christe If they be of the new God hath not giuen them neither to our prayers nor fasting not working nor day nor time nor meat nor crosse nor musick nor belles to be short no not to Angels but to Christ alone to be dispensed according to his will If thou were as good as an Angel or thy meate as good as Manna that fell from Heauen or â—…hy garments as precious as Aarons Ephod or thy censinges as sweete as the perfume of all the Tabernacle or the dayes that thou keptst were as honourable as the day in whiche Christ arose againe from the dead yet neither thou nor thy garmentes nor thy meate nor thy dayes can set one of thy feete in this world we speake of it is the kingdome of Christe and be hath done it alone according heere as this prophesie is plaine and manifest Now followeth this prophesie what it man that thou art mindful of him c. by these words the apostle pro ueth this kingdome of Christ both properly and of right to be his and also by faith through Gods spirite giuen vnto vs in our Sauiour Christ they haue this sense Was not thy glorie great inough O Lord in the worke of thy hands but y thou shouldest giue thy sonne to be made man in whom our nature should be so exalted that al power should be giuen to him in Heauen and in earth who by his death should abolish all enimitie against man that he might be crowned with glorie and maiestie and haue eternall life in his owne hand And all this according to the verie sense of the prophet and therfore here alledged as in deed it was to be a prophesie of our sauiour christ Of vs also it is ment thus The prophet considering both the great maiestie of God appearing in his works and the base and lowe estate of a frail man that such a God of so great maiestie should haue any respect of a fraile and wretched man he could not but thus humble him selfe What is man O Lord that thou shouldest regarde him Such thoughts dearely beloued let vs haue and with such secret counsels let vs nourish our fayth This is the meditation to which we are called in all the workes of God and for this cause God hath giuen vnto vs hearts of men full of reason iudgment that we should rightly consider of all his creatures When we see the heauens we cannot chose but confesse before them it was not the hande of man that set them vpp so high We knowe the shining light of the sunne it is not giuen vnto it from earth or earthly thing we are sure y earth is found our owne trauel hath found it so our eyes do see the
sorrowful euen vnto death at the entr◅e into it Saint Marke saith He beganne to be astonished at his griefe was ouerwhelmed with his sorrow in which agonies Saint Luke saith his sweat was as drops of bloud falling from him and God sent an Angel from heauen to strengthen him And can we thinke al this came vnto our sauiour Christ for feare of the death of the bodie His seruants that receiue of his fulnesse do they so easily despise this death that either they wish for it to be with Christ or they reioyce in the middes of it before the persecuter and did our sauiour Christ himself in whom is the fulnesse of the spirite so feare and tremble at the remembrance of it Did the Apostles sing in prison and went away reioycing when they were whipped scourged Did Paul glorie in so manie tribulations which he reckoneth vp and did our Sauiour Christ in the like paine crie with a fainting heart My God my God why hast thou forsaken me No dearly beloued it is not so but that which made Christ to tremble would haue crushed his Apostles in peeces and that which made him to sweat bloud so plentifully would haue made them sink into the bottom of hell and that which made him crie would haue holden both men and Angels vnder euerlasting wo and lamentation If then our Sauiour Christ were as the prophet saith like water powred out and all his bones out of ◅oynt if his hart were like wax mol ten in the midds of his bowell if his strength were dried vp like a potsherd and his toung cleaued vnto his iawes if he were brought with his sorowes into the dust of death fie vpon their blasphemous speaches cursed words which say he suffered nothing but bodily paine I would those which are Papistes among vs and in their simplicitie are deceiued with the errour of many I would I say they knewe the wickednes of this one point of their doctrine that they say the soule of Christ suffered nothing but onely for the bodies sake as our soules suffer when our bodies are weake or are sicke or die If God impute this their ignorance vnto them howe shal they be saued from the death of sinne and condemnation Do they not know what the scripture saith He bare our sinnes in his bodie he submitted himselfe to the death of them and by the wounds of his stripes we be healed Did our sinnes deserue only a bodily death or did they not deserue the second death which is the wrath of God holding bodie and soule in an euerlasting fire And how shall they escape it if they know not this death in the bodie of Christ by whose stripes they may see themselues healed Let them pray and let vs pray for them that if it be the will of God they may soone be conuerted know the vnspeakable loue of our Sauiour Christe who was accursed for our sakes suffered for vs not onlie the torments of his bodie but the anguishe of his soule and the wrath of his Father ▪ which wounded his flesh and spirit vnto death and would haue holden him in that condemnation for euer if he had beene no stronger then we that deserued it But because he was also the Sonne of God in whome the fullnesse of the Godhead dwelt bodily the eternall spirite that was within him did lose the chaines of death and hel and mightily arose vp from the power of Sathan of whiche it was impossible that hee should be holden and he hath left those his enimies the diuel death hel in ignominie and darcknesse and hath abolished them for euer and euer not to hurt vs any more worlde without end In this hope dearlie beloued is our delight and dwelling place and they that knowe not these sufferings of Christ our soules shall haue no pleasure in their counsels And thus farre of the firste benefite mentioned of the deathe of Christe that he hath abolished the diuel The second benefite is that we be set at libertie from the bondage of the feare of death For so the apostle sayth And should set them free as many a◅ with the feare of death all their l◅fe long were hold◅n i◅ bōdage In these wordes let vs now consider what bondage we were in without Christe ▪ and what libertie wee haue obteyned through him Without Christe all our life is a miserable bondage in feare and terrour of eternall condemnation to come vpon vs for our sinne in the day of death through Christe wee see our sinnes purged the diuell vanquished death and condemnation abolished and our selues in the libertie of the childrē of God to say Our father whiche art in heauen This is the difference of estate betwene the children of God and the children of this world And what miserie trow we then do the wicked of the world liue in There is in deede no peace vnto the wicked as the Lord hath said when in all their life is feare and terrour when they carrie in their breastes tormenting furies to holde them day and night in feare of endlesse destruction God hath don it and no doubt they feele it there is giuen vnto thē a spirit of bondage and of feare in which they tremble at their owne estate they are the children of the handemayde Agar borne in the bondage of her wombe and dwell in the deserte and are in mount Sinaie where is the burning fire and blacknesse and darknesse and tempest and sounde of trumpet at which they tremble for they are without Christ and therfore must needes be in bondage and in the feare of death all their life But thou wilt say The wicked prosper reioyce in their dayes they are bound in no such bondage nor feare no such feare Thou canst not tell nor thou knowest not the heart of a wicked man howsoeuer hee boast in his substance and hath peace in his riches peraduenture there is a bitter remembrance of death ▪ within him When Pharaoh the proud tyrant had hardened his heart boasted exceedingly against the people of Israel yet he sawe no sooner the death of the first borne but he feared trembled as the leaues in the wildernes and I remember Solomon sayth There is in deede a way that a man thincketh streight and pleasant when the issues of it leade vnto death But what pleasure is that and what delight Solomo◅ addeth euen in that laughing the heart is sorrowfull and that mirth doth end in heauinesse they doe indeede strengthen them selues striue mer◅eilously to cast out feare sometime with one pastime somtime with an other but if they could cast it out as out of a cannon yet would it euermore returne againe and vexe their heart that so flieth from it Balaam would faine haue comforted himselfe with riches and honor which he loued so much yet was he not without feare but at the last it brake out and he spake Let my soule die
light of the Lord is the breath of man it sercheth al the bowels of the bellie where also he calleth the word light because it shineth in mās heart as in a darke place and trieth out all the secrets of his thoughtes in this meaning heere the word is called liuelie as I tolde you before the more to stir them vp not to neglect so high a prophet as the sonne of God whose worde came with maiestie and power vnto them The second title heere attributed to the worde is that It is mightie in operation meaning that it hathe in it force and vertue able to subdue all enimes and bringe vs in obedience vnto Christe this vertue of the woorde Sainct Paule notablie setteth out to the Corinthians magnifying his Apostleshippe by this means Our weapons saith he are stronge by the power of God 〈◊〉 cast downe holds wherwith we ouerthrow imaginations euerie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God bring into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ haue readie vengeāce against al disobedience howsoeuer a man magnifie him selfe or a man exalt himselfe in whiche arrogancie of spirite he seemeth as it were buried in sinne and his heart hardened against the grace of God yet let him heare this word and let it oft fall into his eares for it is as the prophet saith a hammer which breaketh the stone in peeces and is able in the power of God to mollifie his heart or if the sinner be suncken downe so deepe that he will not rise it will crushe him down deeper that he may perishe in his sinne and so God saith to his Prophet Ieremie I will put my wordes into thy mouth and it shal be as fire this people shal be as wood and it shal deuour them And this is it Saint Paule expressely witnesseth to be the onely meanes to glorifie God to preache the trueth of his word vnto all for so saith he we are alwayes a sweete smelling sauour of Christ vnto God as wel in those that perishe as in those that be saued to the one a sauour of life vnto life to the other of death vnto death I would we that are preachers could learne and beleeue this it would make vs leaue our vain babling much talke of philosophie and prophane things and fill our mouthes onely with the worde of the Lorde for this only is mightie in operation the other hath at all no strength no strength at all in this behalfe to glorifie God or to conuert a sinner but strong to delude the people with idlo sounds strong to tickle our eares with fond delight strong to puffe vs vp with pride of our wittes but more weak then water to teach vs true repentance for proofe I say let the sinner come forth that hath beene conuerted by hearing stories or fables of poets I am sure there is none for faith is onely by the worde of God of let the preacher come forth that vseth such thinges and doeth it not either to please men or to boast of his learning for this he knoweth that the word only not prophane things conuerteth the people and why then doeth he vse them The Lord saith by his prophet Ieremie If they had stand in my counsell and had declared my wordes to my people then they should haue turned them from their euill way from the wickednesse of their owne inuentions a plaine testimonie why our preachings are vnprofitable to the people euen because we speake in our owne fansies and vse exhortations of our owne heade And againe in the prophet Malachie the Lord declareth what couenant he made with Leuie and how he promised to blesse his labours in the teaching of his people The Lawe of truth saith he was in his mouth and there was no iniquitie founde in his lipps he walked with mee in peace and equitie and did turne manie away from their sinnes Can any thinge be spoken playner Hold fast the word of God committe the fruite of thy work to the strength of it and thou shalt finde it as is here said mightie in operation and thou shalt conuert manie sinners Let them tell me nowe all that haue eares to heare what madnesse is it to fil the peoples eares with vnknowen tales and sweete wordes in which is nothing but a deceitfull sound leaue the word of God mightie in working to conuert their soules And you dearely beloued who delight in such vanitie and make the preacher transgresse for your fansies sake let me but reason with you as S. Paule reasoned with the Galathians Tel me whether by such tales or by hearing the word of God haue you receiued the spirite that is wherby were you conuerted from your vanitie vnto the liuing God was it the worde of truethe or else Gentile stories that wrought this vertue in you and are you so foolish that when you haue begun in the spirit you wil now go forwarde in the flesh Let vs leaue then this greate abuse bothe you to turne away your eyes to follie and the preacher to vse the pulpit like a Philosophers chaire We may alledge sometime a storie or prophane sentēce I denie it not but then it is good doing it when the remembring of the saying bringeth necessarilie into memorie the worde of God also for which it was alledged and giueth light vnto it for a more cleare declaration of the truth yet when the story is told and remembred by it selfe there is then but a foolish delight of a vaine man to helpe him in his talke to multiplie idle woordes there is no edifying in it at all The third title of the word now following is this That It is more sharpe then a two edged sword and this similitude is often made in the Scripture The prophet Esaie preaching the promises of God hee saith His mouth is made like a sharp sworde And Sainct Paule giueing armour to a Christian souldiour by which he may kil his enimies he biddeth him Take the sworde of the spirit which is the word of God. So in the firste and nineteenth Chapters of the Apocalypse the sonne of GOD is described with a two edged swoorde proceding out of his mouthe meaning by these speeches no other thing but that by the preaching of y gospel Christ should get the victorie and bring all enemies in subiection vnto him euen as the Prophet Esai saith He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lippes shall he kill the vngodly by which we doe learne that the more wee pray Thy kingdome come and the more we wishe the prosperitie of the Churche the more we must striue to make the word of God knowen vnto all for that is the swoorde and scepter of his kingdome The next title heere attributed to the worde is That it entreth into the diuisiō of the soule the spirit of the ioynts and the marrow
hande and foote back and side shall haue experience of his anger all the thoughts of their harts shal be wounded with death and so much the more vnspeakable because their bodyes shall feele and their minde knowe the immortalitie of death and euerlasting destruction that is vppon them whiche extreeme wretchednesse no horrour of darcknesse no weeping and gnashinge of teeth no gnawinge of conscience no eternall fire doth fully and inough set out vnto vs. But this we leaue to the reprobate men who euen to this day haue sould their heartes to conceiue mischiefe and it repenteth them not Let vs feare now in the day of health and better thinges are appointed for vs We shall heare an other voice Come ye blessed into eternall life possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning which voice shal enter depe and into all our members bring a sensible feeling of the loue of God and his greate glorie when with heart and minde wee shall see and knowe our inheritaunce with God in eternall glorie wherevnto if nowe we be raysed vp and the promises of God beginne with vs this vnspeakable and glorious hope so that our heartes be fast holden in the loue of it neuer to chaunge for worldly vanitie or rather shame woorse then vanitie for with what name shall we name it that is exalted against the Lorde if I say thus the woorde of God bee vnto vs wee haue sealed it that his word is liuing and entreth into the diuision of the soule and the spirite and we haue beene fruitfull hearers of all this longe exhortation which the Apostle hath made and ended to stirre vp his brethren faithfully to heare this prophet of God his sonne Iesus Christe and our sauiour who hath reuealed all his wil vnto vs And thus farre of this former parte of the Epistle in which we are taught that Christe is our only prophet but the time is paste Now let vs pray c. The xxj Lecture vpon the residue of the chapter the 14. 15. 16. verses 14 Seeing then that we haue a geat high priest which is entred into Heauen euen Iesus the sonne of God let vs holdefast our profession 15 For we haue not an hye Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all thinges temped in like sorte yet without sinne 16 Let vs therfore go boldely vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercie and finde grace to help in time of neede WE haue heard dearely beloued howe the Apostle hath taught that Christe is nowe our onely Prophet what care we should haue diligently and faithfully to harken vnto him if we will not be guiltie before God of great condemnation and iudgement The reasons are of the Apostle to proue him our onely Prophet first because God sending his onely begotten sonne into the worlde made man like vnto vs and reuealing the will of his father vnto vs the excellencie of his person inforceth vs to confesse that God ordeyneth him alone to be our Prophet Againe he was faithful in the house of God and then what nedeth any other prophet vnto vs thirdly he was more honourable then Moses in this office many wayes to be preferred afore him therfore no other Prophet is to bee ioyned with him Fourthly the Prophet Dauid said To day if you hear his voice c. which we must needes vnderstand to be a perpetuall prophesie and therefore accomplished in Christ whome we must heare if we wil beleeue and be saued Last of all the force strength of the word of God is such as it must needes warrant the maiestie of God in Christ the author of it and as n one other hath that glory so none to be our prophet but he alone vnto all those reasons he hath added as you haue heard ernest exhortatiōs to giue more weight vnto them for the better persuasion of his brethren to whome he writeth Nowe he beginneth the other principall point of this first part of the Epistle that is to proue that Christ is our only priest which disputation he continueth to the eleuenth chapter as we shal god willing heare He beginneth it firste with an exhortation as he vsed the like often before and as I saide to make vs more carefully regarde his woordes Sith thē we haue a great high priest who hath entred into heauen Iesus the sonne of God let vs hold this professiō the force of this exhortation is in the excellencie of the priesthood of Christe secretely compared with the priesthood of Aaron who was in nature their brother in person weake as other men in office earthly entring into a tabernacle made with hangs in vertue a figure of a better sacrificer himselfe not profiting at all but Christ is another highe priest in nature the sonne of GOD in qualitie great and full of glorie in office heauenly entering before God to be our mediatour in vertue holie and perfect himselfe to purge our sinnes This the Apostle noteth calling him high priest greate entring into heauen and the sonne of God and so much the more we are guiltie before him if we shal not holde fast and professe all his instruction and doctrine Now least we should thinke the Apostles exhortation is weake and that he taketh it for graūted which is in controuersie for he calleth our sauiour Christ high priest which yet it seemeth he hath not proued we must consider what hath beene spoken before and so we shall see good argumentes in this exhortation for the proof of his cause He hath taught him to be the sonne of God made man reuealinge vnto vs the counsell of his father purchasing a most glorious inheritance for vs and setting vs free from the bondage of the diuel in which wee were holden vnder the feare of death which things before witnessed of our Sauiour Christ and necessarily prouing him for the same cause to be our priest according to that trueth in the beginning of this disputation he calleth him our great highe priest So he beganne before the thirde chapter Consider holie brethren the Apostle and high priest of our profession not yet hauing particularly spoken of those offices but calling him by those names because according to the description of his person before made it must needes followe that he was both our priest and Prophet Another argument of his priesthood is that hee was here in earth afflicted as we be submitting him selfe to death from which he is risen and nowe ascended into heauen therefore he is our priest crucified for our sinnes risen for our iustification and making now Intercession for vs before God his father Thus we see vpon howe good warrant the Apostle in the beginning exhorteth them to acknowledge Christ their priest and thus muche touching this entraunce of the Apostle into this disputation and why he vseth such wordes Now touching the matter To teach that our sauiour Christ is our onely priest he first sheweth by the workes of
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
the strong meate with whiche the hope of the resurrection feedeth perfect men Last of all heere is mention made of eternal iudgement which was taught to children that they might knowe when all bodies should arise againe then the Lorde woulde set a day of his iudgemente in whiche he would iustifie and crowne with immortall glorie al his children and cast out into darknesse and endlesse condemnation al the wicked and reprobate But so to haue knowledge of this iudgement that we now behold in faith how the son of man shal come with maiestie and all his holy Angels with him how he shal come with a great crie with the voice of an Archangel with y blast of y trumpet of God that all creatures may heate his voice to restore again the bodies y they had consumed so y al nations kinreds of men should stande at once before him of which he shall make separation on his right hande and on his left to fill the one with life and glorie and put songs into their mouthes of euerlasting ioy and to condemne the other in hell and death with shamefull crying and gnashing of teeth To knowe this with vnspeakable comfort long looking for of all the promises of God and with feare and trembling at all his heauie threatenings this is thy strong meate of eternall iudgement which the Lord God of spirites graunt vnto vs for his sonnes sake who must needes be vnto vs a mercifull iudge if we do rest in him as in our only sauiour The time is past Now let vs praye c. ¶ The xxvij Lecture vpon the 3. 4. 5. and 6. verses 3 And this will we doe if God permit 4 For it is impossible that they which were once lightned and haue tasted of the heauenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghoste 5 And haue tasted of the good worde of God and of the powers of the worlde to come 6 If they fal away should be renued againe by repentance seeing they crucifie againe to them selues the Sonne of God and make a mocke of him WE haue heard before the Apostles exhortation that we should goe forward and what pointes of religion hee set downe meete for children beyond which we must goe to knowe all the mysterie of God and christ And in these pointes here mentioned I tolde you as the generall knowledge of thē was milke so yet exactly out of the scripture to vnderstand them as wee are taught euen that also it is strong meate The Apostle now goeth forward and sayth And this also we wil doe if God permit that is by the grace of God we wil goe forewarde wee will not be alwayes dul of hearing and children of vnderstanding These wordes are an encouragement vnto them that they should not be discomforted for God would no doubt haue mercie vppon them to giue them vnderstanding hearts learned mindes to apprehend and see the great saluation of the Lorde Then to the end that they should not receiue the graces of God in vaine but vse in deede all these good giftes to their owne good benefite he addeth because of the greate rebellion of some and hard harts that are not easily led another reason vnto his wordes which is full of feare and terrour assuring thē that the Gospel cannot be preached vnto them in vaine but of force it must needes haue his fruite and be a sweete sauour vnto God in Christe either of life vnto life if they wil beleue hearken or else of death vnto death if they wil be despisers To this purpose he saith For it is vnpossible to those which are once lightned and haue tasted the heauenly gift and haue beene partakers of the holy ghost and haue tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they fall away that they should againe be renued by repentanuce crucifying againe vnto them selues the sonne of God and making a mock of him With these wordes no doubt he would shake off from them all carelesnesse and fleshly securitie whiche were sunken deepe in some and whose sluggish dulnesse was not healed without sharp medicines and therfore he vseth these woordes very forceable and sharper in deede then any two edged swoord to prick the conscience that was nigh seared vp Now dearely beloued that wee may vnderstande this scripture and make it vnto vs a good comfort whiche might seeme otherwise a heauie threatening let vs consider in it these two thinges firste the purpose of the Apostle for which he speaketh it then them selues what they signifie The apostles purpose is to stirre vs vp desirously to heare diligently to learne wisely to increase in knowledge and obediently to practise that we haue learned for this purpose it was first spoken to this ende it is nowe written if then it haue in vs this worke and bring foorth this fruite we haue bene profitable hearers and it is vnto vs the Gospell of health and the worde of life Let vs then not be as our forefathers were slowe of hearing let the worde preached be mingled vnto vs with faith let vs vse it to the glorie of God that knowledge may increase and righteousnesse may abound in our life and for our partes it skilleth not at all what this great and heinous sinne should be of which the Apostle saith mā can neuer repent him for be it what it will it is none of ours This sinne is the sinne of those that haue despised knowledge but we are desirous to learne more This sinne is of the contemners of the crosse of Christe but the delight of our life is in it This sinne is of men that haue made the world their God but God whome we serue hath had mercie vpon vs that we account all the worlde but doung to the end we may winne Christ and therefore whatsoeuer this sinne be God himselfe beareth vs witnesse it is none of the sinns which we haue committed and where so euer they dwell that are in this condemnation their tentes and tabernacles are not neare vs And is not this a greate comforte and a singular light rising as it were out of darkenesse that where there are suche sinnes as euen the remembraunce of them might make our bones to tremble by their description we know them that they are farre from vs as the East is from the West so that we neede not feare Neither speake I this of mine owne heade but by good warrant of the Apostle himselfe and by the worde of the holy Ghost for after this heauie threatning saith not the Apostle to them immediately saith he it not to vs this day that by cause we haue loued Gods saints haue reioyced to glorifie his name our state is faster knit vnto saluation and these heauie things shall neuer come neare vs In this persuasion of perfect hope we may stand boldly vnto the later end the scorners and despisers of whome you shall heare more hereafter let them looke and