wee turne away from Him that speaketh from Heaven FRom these Considerations hee chargeth them to beware lest they make light account of CHRIST'S Doctrine The word importeth a shifting of CHRIST speaking by some excuse or pretence THEN 1. The way to eschew Prophanitie and Apostasie is to embrace and make much of CHRIST'S speaking vnto vs in His Worde 2. VVhat-so-ever pretences and excuses a man vse to cloake his not-giving heartie obedience to the Doctrine of CHRIST it is but a refusing of Him and a turning away from Him make of it what hee will 2. Hee vrgeth this by threatening more certayne and heavie judgementes than vpon the despysers of Moses who is sayde to speake on earth because hee was but the earthen Vessell which carried GOD'S Will to His People and by earthlie Types and Figures made offer of Grace vnto them But CHRIST as GOD by His owne authoritie casting Heaven open in the playnnesse and spiritualitie of the Doctrine is sayde to speake from Heaven THEN As much as CHRIST'S Person is more excellent than MOSES and His Authoritie aboue his and the Heavenlie Clearnesse of CHRIST'S Gracious Offer aboue his darke Types As much more heavie and certayne Wrath shall overtake the despysers of His Doctrine nor the despysers of MOSES Lawe 3. Hee joyneth himselfe in the same daunger with the people if hee should turne away or refuse THEN Preachers shall doe well to lay the edge of their Threateninges to their owne Heartes and to enroll themselues amongst the threatened That bitternesse towardes the people may bee seene to bee remooved and their owne sluggishnesse may bee rowsed vp seeing they haue none to preach vnto them but themselues Vers. 26. Whose voyce then shooke the Earth but nowe Hee hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the Earth onlie but also Heaven To put an edge vpon the Threatening hee showeth howe terrible CHRIST is in shaking of the Earth by His Voyce at Mount Sinai and by the shaking of Heaven and Earth at the Day of Iudgement THEN 1. The terrible quaking of the Earth and burning of the Mount SINAI was pronounced by the Voyce of CHRIST who therefore is declared to bee the LORD GOD for so EXOD. xix is Hee called 2. His Terrour at the Daye of Iudgement may bee seene in that little Resemblance of Mount SINAI 3. The terriblenesse of CHRIST should make vs stand in awe of His Word Vers. 27. And this word Yet once more doeth signifie the remooving of those thinges which are shaken as of things which are made that those thinges which can not bee shaken may remayne He commenteth vpon the Testimonie of HAGGAI Chap. 2.6 and from this word ONCE concludeth That Heaven and Earth shall passe away and bee chaunged at the power of CHRIST'S vttering of His Voyce That these chaungeable Heavens and Earth beeing remooved Hee may make a Newe Heaven and a New Earth wherein His Subjectes and His Kingdome over them may remayne for ever setled THEN 1. It is a good Meane to get the vnderstanding of GOD'S Mynde in the Scripture to consider and weygh the force of the wordes thereof and what they doe importe by due consequence 2. No more chaunge shall bee of anie thing after the Day of Iudgement because but ONCE MORE and no oftener is CHRIST to shake the same 3. It is for the standing of CHRIST'S Kingdome that the creature is mooved shaken and chaunged All thinges made shall bee shaken but CHRIST'S Kingdome and the Salvation of His Subjectes shall never bee shaken Vers. 28. VVherefore wee receaving a Kingdome which can not bee mooved let vs haue grace whereby wee may serue GOD acceptablie with reverence and godlie feare FRom the nature of this Kingdome graunted vnto vs in CHRIST and from His terriblenesse he exhorteth vs to steadfastnesse of Fayth and humble obedience Hee sayeth Wee haue receaved it because wee haue receaved the Right and Title by the Gospell and soâ—e beginning of it THEN As wee receaue CHRIST in the Gospell wee receaue the Kingdome of Heaven with Him in Right and Title yea in begun Possession which groweth by degrees 2. Hee requyreth of a Receaver of this Kingdome reverent serving of GOD. THEN Right is given to this Kingdome before our service bee done Not because wee haue served heere-to-fore but to obliedge vs to serue GOD heere-after 3. Hee will haue vs to serue GOD acceptablie that is pleasantlie and chearfullie Next with reverence or shame fastnesse and Godlie feare THEN 1. It is not anough that wee doe such workes which belong to GOD'S Service but we must take heede to the manner of doing of them that they may bee done with a readie affection and good will 2. Next That they bee done in the sense of our own weaknesse vylenesse and vnworthinesse 3. And thirdlie That they bee done with reverende regarde to GOD in such a Godlie feare as may make vs circumspectlie handle and meddle with His Service as the word importeth 4. That this may bee the better done let vs haue grace or holde fast the grip of grace whereby wee may serue GOD sayeth hee THEN Hee that would haue strength to serue GOD must studie by Fayth to lay holde on GOD'S Grace in the Gospel and having layd hold thereon to hold it fast for other wayes wee can neyther haue heart nor hand to serue GOD. But hee that is fastened on the Grace and good will of GOD towardes him will drawe Cowrage and Strength from this believed Grace to serue GOD chearfullie and reverentlie Vers. 29. For our GOD is a consuming Fyre BEcause the holiest men haue neede of the Spurres of GOD'S Terrour to stirre vp their laysie flesh hee closeth with a Watch-word of MOSES DEVTER 4 24. terrifying the people from ldolatrie or Imagerie which hee applyeth for making men circumspect in their manner of worship TEACHING VS THEREBY 1. That to serue Idoles and follow a false Religion and not to serue GOD in reverence and Godlie feare in the true Religion will bee both alyke plagued 2. The words doe teach vs That GOD'S entering into Covenant and laying downe of the fead and enimitie agaynst vs maketh Him not to lay downe His awfull Majestie over vs. 3. And therefore wee must bee so confident of His loue towardes vs as wee remember in the meane tyme that Hee is a consuming Fyre to the vngodlie and prophane Professours of His Name The summe of Chap. XIII NOwe that you may bee fruitfull in the Fayth I recommended to you in short BROTHERLIE LOVE Vers. 1. HOSPITALITIE Vers. 2. COMPASSION with sufferers for the Trueth Vers. 3. CHASTITIE Vers. 4. CONTENTATION Vers. 5.6 STEADFASTNESSE in the TRVETH which GOD'S Messengers haue taught you Vers. 7. For chaunge who will CHRIST in Himselfe and in His Doctrine chaungeth not Vers 8. Beware of the Leven of IEWISH Doctrine such as is DISTINCTION OF MEATS and others lyke Vers. 9. For they who mayntayne the Leviticall Service can not bee part-takers of CHRIST
Covenant Hee declared the other to bee olde and to bee abolished when the Newe came Vers. 13. The doctrine of Chap. VIII VERS 1. NOw of the thinges which wee haue spoken this is the summe We haue such an High Priest vvho is set on the Right Hand of the Throne of the Majestie in the Heavens 1. THE Apostle accommodating himselfe to helpe the capacitie and memorie of the Hebrewes and vrging the speciall Poynct of his Discourse is worthie of imitation 2. In saying Wee haue such an High Priest who is set downe on the Right Hand c. hee setteth foorth the Glorie of Christ's person that hee may commende His Priesthood THEN 1. The Glorie of CHRIST'S Office is not seene till the Glorie of His Person bee seene 2. The Glorie of His Person is not seene till His glorious Soveraygnitie and Governament of the Worlde bee seene 3. Yea the Glorie of CHRIST is not rightlie seene till His Equalitie with the Father in Glorie bee seene and acknowledged 3. In saying that Christ as high Priest is set downe on the Right hand of the Throne hee giveth vs to VNDERSTAND That CHRIST as in His Divine Nature Hee is vndivided from the Father in Glorie and Dominion So in His Humane Nature Hee is exalted to the Fellowship of Divine Glorie with the Father Because of the Vnion of the Humane Nature with the Divine in one Person of the Mediator The two Natures still remayning distinguished but not divided nor separated the one from the other 4. Hee noteth the place of this Glorie to bee in the Heavens wherein hee preferreth Christ aboue the Leviticall Priestes for their Priesthoode is onelie exercysed on Earth but Christ's in Heaven AND THEREFORE When wee will employ our high Priest wee haue no earthlie Citie to seeke Him in but in the Heaven the onelie Place and Palace of His residence Vers. 2. A Minister of the Sanctuarie and of the true Tabernacle vvhich the LORD pitched and not man 1. FOR all this Glorie yet Christ is still called heere a Minister TO SHOW VS That His High Honour hindereth Him not to doe His Office for our Good 2. Hee is called a Minister of the Sanctuarie or of the holie thinges for the worde will agree with both and both tende to one purpose for the holie thinges were all tyed to the Sanctuarie and hee that was Minister of the Sanctuarie was Minister of the holie thinges also and that in name of the Saynctes Nowe the Sanctuarie or the holie thinges which heere is spoken of is the thing signified by the Sanctuarie and by the holie thinges And so taking all the significations of the worde together WEE ARE TAVGHT That CHRIST in his Glorie is not ydle but as a faythfull Agent in the heavenlie Sanctuarie taking the care of all the holie thinges which his saynctes and people are commaunded to present procuring and giving foorth all holie and spirituall thinges from heaven to his saynctes vvhich their estate requyreth 3. Hee is called a Minister of the true Tabernacle which GOD pitched and not man That is The Minister of his owne Bodie miraculouslie formed by GOD not after the ordinarie manner of other men signified and represented by the Typicall Tabernacle THEN The Tabernacle and Temple vnder the Lawe was but the shadowe and Christ's Bodie was the true Tabernacle For 1. As the symboles of GOD'S presence was in the typicall Tabernacle So the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth bodilie in Christ. 2. As the typicall tabernacle had inclosed in it all the holie thinges the Candle-sticke Table of Shew-bread Laver Altar c. So hath the humanitie of Christ or Christ the Man all holinesse and perfection the fulnesse of all good and all holie thinges in him Light Foode Washing and Reconciliation and all in himselfe that out of his fulnesse wee may all receaue Grace for Grace 3. As the Tabernacle in the outmost Coveringes seemed but base yet had better stuffe within So our LORD when hee dwelt in the tabernacle of his flesh amongst vs was found in forme as a man and in the shape of a servaunt but inwardlie was full of Grace and Trueth 4. In calling Christ's Bodie The true Tabernacle which GOD builded and not man hee teacheth vs To make vse of Christ in trueth as the Church of olde made vse of the Tabernacle in the Type That is In him seeke GOD Towardes him turne the Eye of our soule when we seeme to our selues to bee farre remooved to the ende of the earth In him offer all our spirituall sacrifices In him seeke our Washing our Foode our Light our Comfort In him as his Priestes make our Abode and daylie Dwelling In him let vs liue and breathe 5. In so calling Christ he appropriateth the sacrifcing of his Bodie to himselfe in his owne person as the personall and proper Act of his Priesthoode for the offering of the which Sacrifice once and never oftener as HEBR. vij 27. showeth hee keepeth still the style of the onelie Minister of the true Tabernacle as his owne incommunicable Prerogatiue AND THEREFORE Who-so-ever presumeth to offer his Bodie presumeth also to take his place Vers. 3. For everie High Priest is ordayned to offer Giftes and Sacrifices vvherefore it is of necessitie that this Man haue some-what also to offer HEE prooveth That Christ is the Minister of the Tabernacle of his owne Bodie by offering it vp because it behooved him seeing hee is a Priest to offer vp some-thing eyther the typicall Oblations or else his owne Bodie represented by them But the typicall Oblations hee could not offer according to the Lawe not beeing a Levite Therefore hee behooved to offer vp himselfe represented by the typicall Oblations THEN The Apostle acknowledgeth no Priest but eyther the Leviticall priest or the Priest that offereth vp his owne Bodie And who-so-ever pretendeth to haue the Office of a priest nowe vsurpeth eyther the Office of the Levite or Christ's Office Vers. 4. For if Hee were on earth Hee should not bee a Priest seeing that there are Priestes which offer Giftes according to the Lawe 1. HEE prooveth That Christ can not offer vp the typicall Oblations Because hee can not bee a Priest on earth albeit hee were on earth Because Priesthoode on earth is proper to the Levites onlie For they are the onelie Priestes by Lawe on earth and haue praescrybed to them by Lawe what they should offer Question You will aske mee heere Was not Christ a Priest when hee was on earth I aunswere Yes How then sayth the Apostle here If he were on earth hee should not bee a Priest I aunswere Because albeit hee began his Priesthoode vpon earth yet hee could not brooke his Office of Priesthoode on the earth For as the high Priest who was the Type carried the Sacrifice once a-yeare through the Court and before the Sanctuarie killed the Sacrifice and then tooke the bloode thereof in vnto the Holiest of all and presented himselfe there before the LORD
a vayne imagination which the Apostle acknowledgeth not For if that were possible then were the Apostle's wordes heere false and his reasoning ridiculous which were blasphemie to say 2. Hee sayeth Hee behooved to haue suffered often since the beginning of the worlde Because as often as new sinnes were committed and new Remission was to bee bestowed as often behooved hee to haue suffered to expiate these sinnes and to purchase the new Remission since the beginning of the worlde But this is impossible Therefore his Offering often is impossible THEN 1. They who make it needfull to offer Christ often make it needfull also that Hee should haue taken on flesh sooner nor Hee did and beene slayne sooner nor Hee was and slayne as often as newe sinnes were to bee expiated and forgiven from the beginning of the worlde And so by this vayne Conceat they doe ranverse all the wisdome of God about Christ and set to Him an Order and Course of their owne making themselues wyser than God 2. It is by the Apostle's esteemation as vayne a Conceat and as impossible to offer Christ oftener nor once nowe in the ende of the worlde as to haue offered Him before Hee came in the flesh since the beginning of the worlde 3. But now sayeth hee once in the ende of the worlde hee hath appeared to put away Sinne by the Sâ—crifice of himselfe THEN 1. No Sacrifice of Christ doeth the Apostle acknowledge but such as is joyned with His bodilie appearance in the worlde for that ende Once hath Hee appeared and once onelie hath Hee sacrificed Himselfe sayeth the Apostle 2. The Apostle vnderstoode no Offering of Christ but onelie one and once to bee offered for tyme by-gone or tyme to come from the beginning of the worlde vnto the ende thereof 3. This one Offering once offered was sufficient to expiate the sinnes of the saved before it was offered and therefore must haue force also to expiate the sinnes of the saved without repetition nowe after it is once offered 4. Whose sinnes Christ doeth take away for those Hee appeared for those Hee made a Sacrifice of Himselfe And whose sinnes Hee doeth not put awaye for those Hee appeared not Hee sacrificed not 4. In calling the tyme of Christ's Suffering The ende of the worlde hee giveth vs to vnderstand That there can not bee so much tyme betwixt Christs First and Second Comming as was betwixt the worldes beginning and his first comming But a great deale of lesse tyme neede force else were not that tyme the ende of the worlde Vers. 27. And as it is appoyncted vnto men once to die but after this the Iudgement ANother Reason to prooue That Christ neyther could nor should offer oftener nor once from the Common Lawe layde vpon Man of Once dying Which Lawe Christ having once satisfied by dying when hee offered vp himselfe there is no reason hee should offer himselfe agayne and so die agayne 1. It is appoyncted sayth hee for men once to die THEN 1. It is come by GOD'S just appoynctment that men should die since His Lawe is broken by men 2. The Common Lawe of Nature appoyncteth but one Death once to be suffered And though GOD by singularitie of Miracles make some Exceptions yet the Common Lawe standeth for a Rule beyonde which no reason Christ should bee tyed since His once dying is sufficient 3. Everie man must take Death to him and prepare himselfe to obey the Appoynctment 2. Hee sayeth After Death commeth Iudgement THEN 1. Everie man 's particular Iudgement Day followeth his departure out of this lyfe and Generall Iudgement abydeth all at length 2. The tyme of Grace and Mercie getting is onelie in this lyfe nothing but Iustice remayneth eyther to absolue the Reconciled or to condemne the vnreconciled sinner Mens Devyses for the Reliefe of the Dead are but Delusions of the Living Vers. 28. So CHRIST was once offered to beare the sinnes of manie and vnto them that looke for Him shall Hee appeare the second tyme without sinne vnto Salvation HEE applyeth the Common Lawe of dying once to CHRIST saying Christ was once offered to beare the sinnes of manie THEN 1. It is as vnreasonable that Christ should offer Himselfe oftener nor once as it is to exact of Him the laying downe of His lyfe oftener nor once for that is to exact more nor the severitie of GOD'S Iustice requyreth of Him 2. Christ's Death was not for anie sinne in Him but for our sinnes 3. Hee tooke not away the sinnes of everie man in particular for manie die in their sinnes and beare their owne judgement but the sinnes of manie the sinnes of His owne elect People MATTH I. 21 Hee shall saue his People from their sinnes 2. Hee sayeth that vnto them that looke for him hee shall appeare the second tyme. THEN 1. After that once Offering of Christ and ascending to Heaven Hee is not to bee corporallie present on earth agayne till the Day of Iudgement The Apostle acknowledgeth corporall presence no oftener 2. To looke for Christ's corporall presence vpon earth then and not till then is the propertie of true Believers 3. Corporall presence is joyned with Appearance the one is put heere for the other 3. Hee will appeare the second tyme without sinne THEN In his first comming hee was not without our sinne yet lying vpon him by imputation as his basenesse and miserie declared But the glorious manner of his second comming shall make evident That hee is without sinne that is Fullie exonored by that one Offering of the debt thereof which hee tooke vpon Him 4. In stead of saying that those who looke for him shall bee without sinne hee sayeth that Christ shall appeare without sinne To TEACH VS 1. That the defraying the Debt of 〈◊〉 sinnes of such for whome CHRIST hath vnderâ—aken lyeth vpon CHRIST and not vpon the Beâ—â—evers for whome Hee vndertooke 2. And that if 〈◊〉 once sacrificing Himselfe for them did not exâ—â—ate their sinnes sufficientlie then Sinne shoulde â—â—aue vnto CHRIST vntlll His second comming 3. That CHRIST'S freedome from Sinne â—â—all evidence our freedome from Sinne for whome Hee became Suretie 5. Hee will appeare vnto them who looke for Him â—nto Salvation THEN 1. The full accomplishment of the salvation of the Believers shall not bee vntill CHRIST'S second comming Though their soules bee blessed before yet the full blessednesse of soule and bodie is deferred till then 2. As CHRIST'S Glorie shall testifie then that His once offering fred Him of the Suretieship for our sinnes So our Salvation shall testifie that His offering was sufficient to exoner vs. 3. They that loue not His comming can not looke for Salvation The summe of Chap. X. THIS ONCE OFFERING of CHRIST putteth the mayne difference betwixt this Sacrifice and those Offeringes of the Lawe which because they were repeated could never perfect the worshipper Vers. 1. For if they could haue perfected the worshipper they should haue ceased to bee repeated Vers. 2. Nowe cease they