of his calling This word then signifies that the falls of others ought to instruct vs to humilitie and vigilancie as also S. Paul saith These are fallen by vnbeleefe be not thou high minded but feare Rom. 11.20 For vnto vs was the Gospel preached Ver. 2 He admonisheth vs that the very same doctrine by which God at this day calles vs vnto himselfe and that which he ordained for the Fathers in old time is all one How so to the end we might learne that the calling of God will profit vs no more than it did them if we ratifie not the same by faith This then is added by way of concession or granting very true it is that the Gospel is preached to vs but least we should bragge thereof in vaine he replies straight way and tels vs that the vnbeleeuers to whom God did this honour to make them partakers of so great a benefit yet notwithstanding felt no fruit at all by it and in like manner that we shall feele no blessing by it vnlesse we receiue it by faith For this cause he repeates hearing twice Hearing prosits no◠vnlesse faith be ioyned with it to the end we might know that hearing will not profit vs though we haue the Gospel preached vnlesse faith be ioyned therewithall Moreouer here we are to note the mutuall relation which is betweene the word and faith which is such as the one cannot be separated from the other for if faith be separate from the word or the word from faith neither of both will profit not that the efficacie of the word depends on vs. For let the whole world be a liar yet God notwithstanding which cannot lie Faith giues the word entrance in respect of vs. will not cease therefore to be true Tit. 1.2 But the word brings forth his fruite no other way in respect of vs but when faith giues it entrance It is the power of God indeede to saluation yet to none but the beleeuers The righteousnesse of God is reuealed therein but it is from faith to faith Rom. 1.16 The word preached is the power of God to saluation yet none feele the fruit but such as beleeue Thus it appeares that we must alwaies conclude that the word if it be considered in it selfe and of it owne nature hath his efficacie and is of power to saue men but they onely which beleeue doe feele the fruit But as touching the first member where I said that there is no faith where the word wanteth that he who goeth about to make such a diuorce wholy quēcheth faith and brings it to nothing it is a thing worthy to be noted For hereby it appears No faith without a promise that faith can be in none but in the children of God to whom only the promise of adoption is offered For what faith haue the diuels to whom there is no promise made of saluation what faith also haue all wicked men who know not what the word of God is wherefore hearing must alwaies goe before faith and that in such wise that we well consider that it is God and not man that speaketh 3 For we which haue beleeued doe enter into rest as he said to the other As I haue sworne in my wrath if they shall enter into my rest although the workes were finished from the foundation of the world 4 For he spake in a certaine place of the seuenth day on this wise And God did rest the seuenth day from all his works Deut. 5.14 Gen. 2.2 5 And in this place againe if they shall enter into my rest 6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter thereinto and they to whom it was first preached entred not therein for their vnbeleefs sake 7 Againe he appointed in Dauid a certaine day by Today after so long a time saying as it is said This day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts 8 For if Iesus had giuen them rest then would he not after this haue spoken of another day 9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God 10 For he that is entred into his rest hath also ceased from his own works as God did from his HE beginnes now to polish and to amplifie the place of Dauid which he had alleadged hitherunto he hath handled it according to the letter as they say that is in the own naturall sense but now he amplifies it by way of decking or polishing of it Therefore now he rather alludes to the words of Dauid than making any interpretation of them In the tenth to the Romans S. Paul amplifies a place of Moses two wayes The place is Say not who shall ascend vp into heauen c. neither is there any inconuenience if in applying the scripture to that which is presently handled one doe illustrate by way of similitudes that which was spoken more plainely Now the summe of all these wordes is that whereas God threatened in the Psalme to depriue them of his rest the same threatning also appertaines vnto vs for at this day we are called by the Gospel to a certaine kind of rest The chiefest difficultie of this place is from hence that many haue offered violence vnto it to drawe it to another sense for the Apostle hath none other meaning but by setting of a certaine rest before vs to spurre vs on forward to the desire of it as also to pricke vs on with feare that we be not turned aside from inioying of it through infidelitie In the meane while he shewes that the rest into which we now enter is of much greater excellency than that of the land of Canaan But let vs declare the whole matter orderly For wee which haue beleeued c. Vers 3 It is an argument taken from the nature of things contrarie Infidelitie onely is it that hindreth vs to enter it followes then that by faith we doe enter thereinto For wee must call to minde what hath been said alreadie to wit that God being angrie with the vnbeleeuers swaie that they should not enter into his rest Those then enter into it who are not hindred by infidelitie prouided that God doe call them But by speaking in the first person hee drawes them after a more sweete way or meanes separating them out of the number of strangers Although the workes were finished from the foundation of the world To make a definition what our rest is hee sends vs to Moses that is to wit that God rested from all his workes by and by after the creation of the world and lastly hee concludes that the true rest of the faithfull which shall endure for euer is when they are conformed vnto God Now as it is indeede the chiefe felicitie of man to bee vnited with his God so ought it also to be the first end vnto which all enterprises deliberations and workes should be referred To what end all our enterprises deliberations and vvorkes ought to be referred He proues this because God
who is said to haue rested denied his rest long time after to the vnbeleeuers which he should haue done in vaine and without cause if thereby he had not been willing that the faithfull should also rest after his example And therefore in the sixt verse he saith Verse 6 It remaineth that some must enter into it for if it be a punishment as hath been alreadie said of infidelitie not to enter the entrance then is open to the beleeuers But that which he by and by after addes hath some more difficultie to wit that another day is assigned vnto vs in the Psalme because the first were excluded Now it seemes that Dauids words haue no such meaning For they onely signifie that God punished the infidelitie of the people by depriuing them of the possession of the land I answere that the consequence is good to wit that the same which was taken away from them is offered vnto vs seeing the holy Ghost admonisheth vs to take heede that by our owne fault we be not punished as they were Therefore the Apostle rightly saith that the promise is renued to the children because the infidelitie of the fathers left the possession emptie and void and all to this end that the children might obtaine that which the fathers despised For if Ioshuah had giuen them rest Ver. 8 c He denies not but Dauid tooke this rest for the land of Canaan into which Ioshuah brought the people but hee denies that it was the last rest vnto which the faithfull did aspire it being as well common to the people of that time as to vs now Certainly they had a higher respect than vnto that land for whereas the land of Canaan was so highly esteemed VVhy the Iewes desired so much to enter into the land of Canaan the faithfull did it for no other cause but in regard it was vnto them an image and pledge of the spirituall inheritance So then after they had obtained the possession of it they were not to rest in the view thereof as though they had been come to the fulnes of their desires but were rather to meditate of the spirituall meaning thereof Those of whom Dauid spake in the Psalme enioyed the possession but yet in the meane while they were admonished to seeke a better rest elswhere Wee see that the land of Canaan was a rest but onely in shadow and figure in such wise as it was needfull for the faithfull to looke further In this sense the Apostle saith that rest was not giuen them by Ioshua because the people entred into the land vnder his conduct to the end they might with the more cheerfull and readie affection aspire vnto heauen And by this it is easie to gather what difference there is betweene them and vs. For although they and we haue one end set before vs vnto which we ought to aime yet they had more externall figures by which they were holpen which figures we haue not VVe haue no such neede of shadowes and sigures now as the Iewes had neither is it needfull wee should seeing the substance is plainly and euidently set before our eyes For howsoeuer our saluation consists yet in hope yet the doctrine whereupon it is grounded brings vs directly to heauen Neither doth Christ reach vs his hand to leade vs about by many circuits and shadowes but with the same doth lift vs vp thither by turning our senses from this world Now in that the Apostle separates the shadow from the truth and substance it is because hee had to deale with the Iewes who rested too much vpon externall things Lastly Verse 9 he concludes that there remaines a rest to the people of God that is to say a spirituall rest whereunto God doth daily call vs. For he which is entred into his rest Verse 10 This is the definition of this perpetuall Sabbath in which the chiefe felicitie and blessednes of men consists wherein there is some similitude betweene God and them by which they are ioyned vnto him For whatsoeuer the Philosophers haue disputed touching the soueraigne good VVe must goe out of our selues to attaine true felicitie The soueraigne good of man all was but lies and meere follies because they held man still in himselfe whereas wee must goe out of our selues to attaine true felicitie The soueraigne good of man then is nothing els but to be knit vnto God Then we shall come vnto it when wee are conformed according to the rule and paterne which he sets before vs in his person Now the Apostle shewes that this conformitie consists in this that wee rest from our owne workes whereupon it followes that a man is made blessed when he renounceth himselfe What is it then to rest from our owne workes but the mortification of the flesh that is to wit when a man renounceth himselfe to liue to God For when we speake of the rule of liuing well and holily we must alwaies begin at this that man being dead in himselfe do suffer God to liue in him that he cease from his owne workes to giue God place to worke in him For it must needes bee confessed that the life is then well ordered when it is subiect to God Now such is the corruption of our nature that this will neuer be brought to passe vntill we cease from our owne workes There is I say such a repugnancie betweene the gouernment of God and our affections that hee cannot worke in vs vnlesse wee rest But for as much as the accomplishment of this rest is neuer in this life wee must daily striue to come vnto it The faithfull then doe enter into it but it is vpon condition that they profit daily in pressing to the marke Moreouer I doubt not but the Apostle of set purpose alludes to the Sabbath day to the ende he might withdrawe the Iewes from the externall obseruation of it For the abolishing thereof cannot be vnderstood vnlesse we know the spirituall ende for which it was instituted And therefore the Apostle vnder this one aimes at two things For in praising the excellencie of Gods grace he drawes vs to receiue it by faith and yet in the meane while he shewes by the way the true manner of obseruing the Sabbath to the ende the Iewes should no longer abuse themselues by staying in the outward ceremonie True it is he speakes not directly of the abolishing thereof because it was not his purpose but in shewing that this ceremonie had another end he thus draws them by litle and litle from that superstitious opinion which they had of it For whosoeuer vnderstands that the commandement had an other ende besides the externall rest or an earthly obseruation such a one looking vnto Christ knowes by and by that the vse of the ceremony is abolished by his comming For as soone as the bodie appeares the shadows vanish away Wherefore a man ought alwaies in the first place carefully to shew that Christ is the end of the law
the Greeke word which is in the future tence which we translate should be spoken or which were to be spoken requireth this exposition Now the sumine is that Moses did faithfully teach the people those things which God had giuen him in charge yet so as a certaine measure was limited beyond which it was not lawfull for him to passe God hath heretofore spoken vnto vs diuers waies and at sundrie times by the Prophets yet he deferred the cleere reuelation of the Gospel to the fulnesse of time Whose house we are Verse 6 The Apostle Paul in the 1. to the Romans after he had told them in his Preface that he was appointed the Apostle of the Gentiles addeth in the 6. verse that the Romans to whom he wrote were of the number of them and all to the ende he might obtaine authoritie with them Euen so now doth the author of this Epistle exhort the faithfull Iewes who had made profession of Christ to perseuere in the faith to the end they might haue place in the houshold of God He had said before that the house of God was vnder the rule of Christ and now he addes this admonition to very good purpose telling them that they shal haue a place in this house of God if so be they obey Christ But in regard they had before begunne to receiue the Gospel he ioynes this condition if they holdfast that confidence and that reioycing Hope the constancie of faith c. for I take this word hope for faith And truely hope is nothing els but the constancie of faith He puts assurance and reioycing the better to expresse the vertue of it Staggerers no true beleeuers And from hence we gather that those who faintly and staggeringly doe consent vnto the Gospel are nothing lesse then true beleeuers For faith cannot be without a quiet and peaceable minde Two effects of faith which brings forth a constant boldnes of reioycing For faith indeede hath alwais these two effects ioyned with it to wit boldnesse and reioycing as we haue said in the fift to the Romans and in the third to the Ephesians To which as all the doctrine of the Papists is contrarie so if they had none other false doctrine but this alone it would rather destroy the Church of God then build it vp For they not onely darken the truth by their inuentions but openly condemne this confidence whereof the Apostle speakes of presumption As if it were not lawfull for a man to hold that he is consecrated to be the temple of God And besides what assurednes of confidence and boldnes could wee haue thereof when men know not what to beleeue Now this infolden faith which they haue forged of their owne heads is nothing els but a license to wander and stray out of the right way Wee are therefore admonished out of this place alwaies to profit and to goe forward euen till death because our whole life is but a race 7 Wherefore as the holy Ghost saith Psal 95.8 chap. 4.7 to day if ye shall heare his voyce 8 Harden not your hearts as in the prouocation Numb 14.22 Exod. 17.2.7 according to the day of temptation in the wildernes 9 Where your fathers tempted me prooued me and saw my workes fourtie yeeres long 10 Wherefore I was grieued with that generation and said They erre euer in their heart neither haue they knowne my waies 11 Therefore I sware in my wrath if they shall enter into my rest 12 Take heede brethren least at any time there be in any of you an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God 13 But exhort one another daily while it is called to day least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne HE still exhorts them to obey Christ in his word And to the end his exhortation might haue the more weight he confirmes it by the testimonie of Dauid For when hee was to touch them to the quicke it was needfull hee should presse them in the person of another least hee might offend them If he had plainly reproched the infidelitie of their fathers they would not so willingly haue heard him but in that he sets Dauid as it were to tell them of it the matter is so much the lesse odious Now his drift in few words is this that as God from the beginning would that his voice should bee obeyed and could not beare stubbornnes and obstinacie but did sharply punish it so also at this day if we proue not good schollers vnder him he will punish our obstinacie no lesse seuerely than hee did theirs Moreouer the words depend one vpon another till you come to the 12. verse To the end therefore the scope of the text may the better be vnderstood the words which begin at the seuenth verse to the twelfth the first of them being excepted must be enclosed with a parenthesis But let vs now come to the handling of euery point in order As saith the holy Ghost Vers 7 This serues to moue their attention more than if hee had alleaged Dauids name And it is good and profitable also to accustome our selues to such manner of speaking to the end we may be put in mind that the words which are cited out of the bookes of the Prophets are not of men but of God Now because this sentence To day if ye will heare his voyce is a part of the verse that went before some haue not translated it amisse Would to God you would this day heare his voyce It is certaine that Dauid hauing called the Iewes the people of God and the sheepe of his pasture doth from thence foorthwith inferre that it is good reason they should heare the voyce of God For speaking there to them whom hee had called to sing the praises of God and to celebrate his goodnes he by and by admonisheth them that obedience is the principall seruice that he requireth and that he preferres it farre before all sacrifices The first point is then that they should obey the word of God Harden not your hearts Verse 8 By these words is shewed that our rebellion against God proceeds from none other roote than from a voluntary wickednes None can soften the hardnes of our harts but God only to wit when we shut the gate against his grace True it is that we haue already hearts of stone and euery one of vs hath brought this hardnes with vs from our mothers wombe neither is there any but God onely who can soften and correct them Notwithstanding whereas wee repell the voyce of God we doe it with a witting and willing obstinacie and not by any other instigation and whether this be a truth or no let euery mans conscience testifie Wherefore the holy Ghost doth iustly reproue al vnbeleeuers for opposing themselues against God and for that they themselues are masters and authors of their owne obstinacie least they should lay the fault vpon some bodie els
the world was created by God For to what purpose haue men reason and knowledge but that they might confesse their Creator Yet so it is that faith only causeth vs to know and acknowledge that God created the world wherefore no marueile if faith bee accounted the chiefe vertue aboue all others in the ancient fathers But here a question may be demaunded Question why the Apostle affirmes that we vnderstand that by faith which the Infidels themselues doe know For the beholding of the heauens and the earth constraines the very wicked to acknowledge the maker of them And S. Paul also by this condemnes all men as guiltie of ingratitude because that when they knew God they did not giue that honour which to him belonged Rom. 1.21 And to say the truth it had bin vnpossible that the feeling of religion should alwaies haue word of God next that they depend on nothing but vpon his free promises In the first place he saith that the sacrifice of Abel was not esteemed for any respect better than his brothers but onely because it was sanctified by faith For in very truth the fat of the beasts had no such sweete sauour that God should bee appeased in respect thereof The person of a man must be accepted before his sacrifice can be allowed who is accepted of God then but he whose heart is purged by faith And the Scriptures doe shew sufficiently for what cause sacrifices were well pleasing vnto him for these are the words of Moses God had respect to Abel and to his gifts From whence we may easily gather that his sacrifices were acceptable vnto God because he himself pleased God And from whence came it that he pleased him but because his heart was purged by faith God testifying of his gifts He confirmeth that which I haue said to wit that there comes no works from vs that are acceptable to God till such time as wee our selues are receiued into fauour or to speake more briefly no workes are reputed for iust before God No vvorks are accounted for iust before God but those that proceed from a righteous man but the workes of a righteous man For see the argument of the Apostle God testified of the gifts of Abel by the which he obtained the praise of righteousnes before him Now this is a profitable doctrine and so much the more worthie to bee noted because the truth of it cannot easily be perswaded vnto vs. For when we see some brightnes to shine be it in any worke whatsoeuer wee are suddenly rapt vp into an admiration of it and wee thinke God cannot iustly reprooue it but hee who onely lookes to the inward puritie of the heart rests not at all in the outward visors of workes Let vs learne then that no iust worke can proceede from vs till such time as we be iustified our selues in the sight of God He being yet dead This he also attributes to faith to wit that God testified he had care of Abel after his death as well as during the time of his life For when he saith that he spake being yet dead he signifies that which Moses recites to wit that God was moued by his cruell death to take vengeance of it Whereas then it is said that Abel or his blood cried both the one and the other are figuratiue speeches Now this was a singular testimonie of the loue of God towards him that he had a care of him after he was dead And from hence it appeares that he is of the number of the Saints of God whose death was pretious vnto him as it is in the 115. Psalme vers 15. 5 By faith was Enoch translated that he should not see death Gen. 5.24 neither was he found for God had translated him for before he was translated he was reported of that he had pleased God 6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God for he that commeth to God must beleeue that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him BY faith Enoch c. Vers 5 He makes choise but of a few of the ancients to the end hee might make way to come the sooner to Abraham and his posteritie Enoch He shewes that Enoch was translated by the meanes of faith But first of all we must vnderstand the reason why God tooke him out of this world after such an extraordinarie manner It was an excellent testimonie whereby all men might know how greatly hee was beloued of God For at that time impietie and all manner of corruptions reigned euery where if hee had died after the common manner of men none would haue thought hee had been so presented by the prouidence of God that hee should not be infected with the common contagion of the time but in regard he was caught vp without dying the hand of God did therein manifestly shew it selfe from heauen by pulling him as it were out of the midst of the sire It is no small signe of honour then you see which the Lord shewed him in this translating of him Now the Apostle affirmes that hee obtained this by faith It is true indeed that Moses declares how he was a iust man and one that walked with God but for as much as faith is the beginning of righteousnes therefore this loue of God towards him is rightly attributed to faith As touching curious questions wherewith curious heads are wont to intangle themselues it is better to passe by them in silence Curious questions are to be auoided They aske forsooth what became of Enoch and Helias And ed with the feeling of his goodnesse He that hath not a true taste of Gods goodnesse wil neuer seeke to God nor call vpon â—im hoping for saluation at his hand for we either despise or flie from God if wee behold not saluation in him Now let vs remember that wee must beleeue this and not content our selues with a bare naked opinion of it For although the wicked and vnbeleeuers doe sometimes conceiue something like vnto it yet for all that they doe not therfore come vnto God because they are not staied vpon a firme and steadfast faith this is the second part of faith by which we obtaine fauour with God to wit when we are certainly perswaded that we haue saluation in him But many doe malitiously corrupt this second member by drawing from it the merit of workes and the confidence of meriting Merit of works For see how they frame their argument If wee be acceptable to God by faith because we beleeue him to be a rewarder of them that seeke him faith then say they hath respect to the merit of workes But the onely way to refâ—â—e this errour The meanes how to seeke God is to consider of the meanes by which we seeke God For we must not bee so foolish to thinke wee seeke God when wee erre from the right way of seeking him Now the scripture assigneth this to be the meane