and in earth And all things the father hathe are mine Not onely earthly things but also heauenly For of the graces of the spirite he saith also He shal glorifie me and take of mine and giue it vnto you The Apostle addeth the seconde note of this authoritie That by him the world was made by the worlde meaning all things in heauen earthe and vnder the earthe For so Sainct Iohn addeth to this testimonie And without him nothing was made what so euer was made Then if all creatures were by him himselfe was vncreate and onely creator of all that is that we might boldely giue him the glorie of the father Almightie maker of heauen and earth And this is notably set out by S. Paul in the first chap ter to the Colossians where he saith He created all thinges in heauen and earth visible inuisible whether they be thrones dominions principalities or powers all things were made by him of which it must needes followe euen as S. Paule also concludeth that he is God aboue all The second thing wherein Christ is here exalted is the glorie of his person First that he is the brightnesse of his fathers glorie whiche title is absolutely giuen him as essentiall vnto the sonne of God not onely before vs but euen before his Father that as all the properties of the Godhead haue their beeing in the person of the father so the brightnesse and beautie of them is in the person of the sonne and so this name was proper to him before the worlde was made noting that eternally he was of the father In whiche sense Sainct Iohn calleth him The worde not according to the time in which creatures haue bene but an essentiall worde before all creatures In the beginning saith he was the worde and the word was with God. But of this mysterie I ceasse to speake For we cannot knowe it our tongues cannot speake it And these verie wordes whiche I nowe vse or any man can vse of Gods maiestie thinke not that their sense and meaning is according to Gods nature they are onely helpes of our weakenesse that by them our faith might be quickened in a spirituall vnderstāding otherwise all the woordes in the worlde cannot expresse the least part of the liuing god Touching vs he is called the brightnesse of his fathers glori◅ many wayes as because in our nature he shewed foorth the liuely countenaunce of his father in all fulnesse of grace and trueth and because in the power of his worde hee wrought mightily in all creatures and againe expressely Sainct Paule calleth him The image which is the shining brightnesse of God in respect of the cleare manifestation of the Gospel in which he hath set out so glorious a light of the power of GOD to saue his electe So he is to vs the brightnesse of glorie because many wayes he shewed foorth the glorie of his father vnto vs Euen as Sainct Iohn sayth No man hath seene GOD at any time that onely begotten sonne who is in the bosome of his father he hath reuealed him The second thing here attributed to him is that he is the ingrauen fourme of the person of his father noting hereby the vnitie of substance as in whome the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt bodilie Euen as Saint Paule doeth also call him the image of God distinguishing him by this name from all shadowes and figures like as this Apostle vseth the woorde in the tenth chap. And here expressely he addeth ingrauen aboue all the figures in the lawe the Ephod the Vrim or the Arke it selfe shewing the excellencie that is in Christe The third title of honour here giuen vnto Christ is of the greatnesse of his power and that is that he heareth vp all things with his mightie word In the metaphore of bearing after the manner of the Prophets no doubt he meaneth the nourishment and preseruation of all things in the state that God hath giuen them which is the prouidence watching ouer al his woorkes Now this beeing knowen to be the work of the liuing God That in him we liue we moue we are and this manifestly agreeing to Christe by cleare proofe of all his workes here in fleshe in which hee reuealed the image of God in him In this also it is assured that he is very God the stay and strength of the world without whose hand all thinges would fall into confusion Forthly he extolleth the person of Christ by the greatnesse of his benefites bestowed vpon man in these wordes By him selfe hauing purged our sinnes put in here as a Parenthesis because it sheweth the way how Christe purchased that excellent dignitie to sit at the right hand of his father wherof after he speketh In that he saith purged our sinnes expresly hee warranteth his Godhead For what creature could haue done so excellent a worke The Iewes could not be ignorant but though a man were as great as Adam yet Adam when sinne rested on him it draue him out of Paradise yea though a man could be as pure as an Angel yet the Angels when they sinned and kept not their first order their sinne weyed them into the condemnation of hel so y our Sauiour Christ taking our sin vpon him beeing able to purge it which no sainct or angel could euer doe it necessarily followed that he is the eternal God euen according to the knowen prophecies of the Messias that they should call him the Lord God our righteousnesse The fifte thing wherein Christe is here extolled is the high dignitie which he hath gotten in these woordes he sitteth on the right hande of high maiestie Noting hereby that God the father hath taken him vp into his glorie so that he sitteth in power and maiestie equall with his father and this is plaine in that he calleth it the right hand of highest maiestie And the scripture sheweth this end of it till I make thine enimies thy footestoole shewing that this is the power of God in him to sitte at the right hand of god And thus muche of the woordes of the Apostle in this magnifying the person of our Sauiour Christ. Now a litle further we will examine the words and applie them more particularly to our instruction In that it is saide firste God made him heire of all So that we see howe these woordes of the Apostle haue euerie way their weight to proue that Christe is the sonne of God the king of his people God and man mediatour betweene God and vs. We must learne of our selues we haue nothing but beeing ingraffed in him we are owners of all thinges In mine owne right I am naked and voyde of all I haue no meate to feede my hungrie bodie no drinke to comfort my faint and thirstie spirite no cloathes to keepe me warme no house to harbour mee I am to take no profite of any creature nor no pleasure in the sight of the Sunne For the earth is
the vnitie of the Godhead that is really in him When it is attributed to the father as he that by his Sonne hath made all these things we acknowledge the properties of y persons the father dwelling in light which none cā approch vnto a founteine and head-spring of immortall glorie And the sonne the shining brightnes of that glorie by whome it is made knowen of men and Angels so when we say we belieue in God the Father Almightie who made the worlde we acknowledge the goodnesse and mercie by which the world was made originaly to dwel in the person of the Father when we say the worlde was made by the Sonne we acknowledge the wisdome of God by whiche the thing was wrought and the glorie of it imparted vnto vs to be in the person of the sonne as likewise wheresoeuer the holy Ghost is mentioned in this worke we acknowledge the vertue and power giuen to all creatures both for their continuance for the efficacie to be of the person of the holie Ghost and where the creation is attributed to all Father Sonne and holie Ghost we confesse the vnitie of the Godhead in the distinction of persons which now we see in faith and wherein we reioyce in hope which shal neuer be confounded but shal be made perfect when this mortalitie shall put on immortalitie and we shall see God as he is Where it is said further God laide the foundations of the earth and the heauens are the workes of his handes We must consider the creation of the world is thus attributed to God not onely because all things were made by him but because he hath so made them that they carrie a marke imprinted in them of the power and Godhead of the Creator Thus he meaneth when he sayeth the Heauens are the workes of thy handes Euen as the Prophet sayeth The heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament sheweth his hand◅e worke Day vnto day vttereth speache and night vnto night openeth knowledge And heere we must learne according as the works of God are thus before vs so to beholde them and take the pleasure of thē that we giue glorie to God in all that he hath done When I see the heauens I must see his greatnesse who was able to set such a couering ouer the earth When I behold the earth I must behold his prouidēce who hath ordeined such a place of nourishment for all creatures When I looke vpon the vnchangeable course in which all things are established I must loke vpon his cōstant wisdōe goodnesse who in a stedfast purpose hath extended his mercies ouer all his workes In the least of all the creatures of GOD when I see wisedome power glorie more then all the worlde can reache their hands vnto let mee humble my selfe vnder his high maiestie before whome no King no Prince no power of the world hath any account but all nations before him are as nothing and they are accounted vnto him lesse then nothing and lighter then vanitie it selfe Thus God hath shewed him selfe in his creatures and euen as S. Paule saith his inuisible things hee hath made manifest in them both his eternall power and his Godhead that they might be without excuse all that will not honour him Let vs therefore dearely beloued forget now the times of ignoraunce and at last be wise hearted to reade the bookes which GOD hath written in great letters and layde open before vs in all his workes let vs see his glorie Thus did the Prophet Esaie before vs as in the 40. chapter of his prophesie we read Who hath measured the waters with his fist and compassed heaven with his spanne who is he hath comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mounteines in a weight and the hilles in a balance Nothing in the worlde no not the verie dust of the earth could come in the prophets eyes but he could see in it a great worke of the Lorde Sainct Paule saith God left not him self without witnesse amōg men euen when the times were moste blinde For as much as hee gaue vnto them from heauen rayne and fruiteful times for who is hee that maketh the rayne to fall the Sunne to haue his course of shining Who hideth the treasures of the snow brin geth foorth the hoare frostes Who couereth the Heauen with cloudes and bringeth foorth the windes out of their places Who maketh the sea to roare with the greate noyse of the waues and maketh it calme againe as if it had not beene moued What Princes what hostes of men though al the worlde woulde ioyne their strength together can doe the least of these things Nay if all nations should bende them selues together they can not hurt sea land ayre cloudes elementes day night summer winter nor any thinge that God hath established for euer but in euery one of these is the strength which cannot be resisted The ayre can infect all fleash the earth swallowe it vp the Sunne burne it with heate the frost kill it with colde the thunder and lightning do make affraide all the tyrants amoung men Nay we may learne in the plagues of Aegypt howe the moste vile things can make ashamed all the children of pride And why then do we not learne in all that we see to confesse y greatnes of the Lord Why doth not the strength of his workes make vs confesse his power and all the delight that we haue in them why doth it not make vs acknowledge all his goodnesse to the childrē of men The prophet Dauid saith When I beholde the Heauens whiche are the workes of thy hands the Moone and the starres which thou hast ordeined what is man say I that thou art mindeful of him or the sonne of man that thou so regardest him Our Sauiour Christ saith when we see how God feedeth the sparowes and cloatheth the Lilies we are a faithlesse people except we see his prouidence ouer vs to feede vs and to cloath vs in all our necessities And sure the trueth is except I see with such eyes the creatures of God I am become a creature degenerate from that image in whiche I was first fourmed If I see nothing in the heauens but that they are light aboue my reache the horse mule see this as well as I. If I see nothing in the earth but a place to walke in or to take my rest vpon it the beastes and foules see this as well as I. If I see nothing in my gorgeous apparell but pride of a goodlie colour the Peacock seeth that in her feathers And if in all my meate and drinke I knowe nothing but the pleasure and sweetenesse of the taste the hogge and swyne haue heere as great a portion as wee To be short if hearing seeing smelling tasting feeling be all the delight we can finde in the workes of God we haue giuen our preeminence to the dumbe creatures which haue these
the knowledge of God not onely by the heauens which declare his glorie nor by the firmament whiche sheweth his work nor by any of Gods creatures in which his eternall power and Godhead doth appeare shine and of which light all nations are made partakers but they are also lightened with his holye woorde which is a lanthorne to their feete and a light vnto their steppes and haue hearde his Gospell preached vnto them vnto the which they haue agreed that it is the word of life The second note of them is y they haue tasted of the heauenly gift the heauenly gift is the life and great saluation that is in Christe Iesu by whom we are reconciled which likewise our Sauiour Christ calleth the gift of god speaking to the woman of Samaria and this is that knowledge into which they are lightened by the gospel and this they do not only knowe but of this gifte they haue also tasted whiche is they haue gladly sometime receiued it and reioyced in it like as our Sauiour Christe describeth them by the parable of the stonie ground that incontinently with ioye they receiue the seede and which also he noteth in the Phariseis speaking of Iohn Baptist whiche was a shining lampe among them and they for a season did reioyce in his light The thirde note of these men is that they haue beene partakers of the holie ghost which is that many graces of the spirite of God haue beene giuen vnto them as these two aboue named y they are lightned with knowledge reioyce in their vnderstanding which is neither of flesh nor bloud nor of the will of man but of the holie ghost vnto these we may adde also others as y gift of miracles the gifts of toungs or any such that God hath distributed vnto these euen as he wil these things or any of them when they haue receiued to the praise of God glorie of his holie name they are made partakers of the holie ghost and they are blessed with heauenly blessing The fourth note is that they haue tasted the good word of God not much differing from that he first spake of that they were lightened that is that they had knowledge of God not onely by his creatures but muche more by his worde But heere naming the good word of God hee noteth especially the Gospell by comparison with the lawe as if he shoulde saye they haue knowen God not onely by his lawe which is fearefull to the sinner but by a more sweete vnderstandinge of the Gospel which saith Come vnto mee all you that labour and are laden so calling it the good worde as that which is glad tydinges of saluation and therefore also good because they haue tasted it good and ioyfull and haue seene the glorie of it as the greatest treasure that is giuen vnto man. The fifte and laste note heere set foorth is that they knowe and confesse that this Gospell hathe the ende eternall life and Christe is a mightie Sauiour who will keepe for euer those whome he hath purchased and hee nameth the worlde to come because the spirite hathe lightened them to see the latter ende of this corruptible worlde and to knowe assuredly that here they haue no dwelling citie but another habitation is made for Gods chosen not with mortall handes but euerlasting in Heauen and calling it the powers because it is made so strong in Christe Iesu that it can neuer be assaulted for all power is giuen vnto him in Heauen and in Earthe and hee hathe made that heauenlye Citie glorious for his Sainctes throughout all worldes Thus hath the Apostle described those persons whome he biddeth beware that these fall not backe to chaunge so greate glorie into endlesse shame for if they will turne these thinges vpside downe and the graces that they had receiued to Gods glorie abuse them to the reproche of his holy name it is vnpossible they should rise againe by repentance And thus farre of the persons what giftes they haue receiued wherein yet let vs vnderstand a great difference betweene these men which fall away and the giftes which are in Gods elect that cannot perishe nor euer sinne against the holye Ghoste First in the measure of grace that they haue receiued there is great difference or rather no comparison then their obedience according to this grace is nothing like The wicked are but lyghtened with the beginninges of the Gospell the electe are more instructed in the mysterie of Godlynesse The wicked haue but tasted of the life that is in Christe the Electe liue not them selues but Christe lyueth in them The wicked are but a little made partakers of the spirite by some giftes of grace that are within them the electe are watered so farre with the spirit that they to be baptised in the death of Christe to dye vnto sinne to liue vnto righteousnesse so that sinne shall not reigne in the mortall bodye The wicked haue but tasted the Gospell of Christe and his sauing health the electe are fedde with his mercyes and still they hunger and thirst after his righteousnesse see with exceeding â—…oy the height the bredth the length the depth of the mysterie of their redemption The wicked haue felt the world to come and haue for a little while delighted in it the elect haue their conuersation altogether and with great gladnesse loke from thence for a sauiour that this life is not deare vnto them but they will holde it foorth in their hands to all persecutions to finish the short course that they haue here with â—…oy These are great differences but the greatest is yet behinde the wicked they are straungers euen from y womb not ingraffed into the body of Christ nor haue any feeling of election in them selues but the godly are indued with faith and assured hope that if this earthly tabernacle be dissolued they haue a dwelling place with GOD himselfe who hath loued them this hope they delight in in this they liue in this they rest while this is assaulted they despise the worlde when this is vnshaken then is their sorrow but the wicked it is not so with them their hope is not this for their ioy is onely heere when they haue examined the secrets of their owne harts they shall rather finde that their bellie is their God for notwithstanding all the gifs of God that they haue receiued yet they want this measure of fayth by which they are persuaded that God is their God and their delight is all in the Lord alone And againe the obedience that they shewe in their life it is not to the true obedience that God requireth as their faith is no true faith for God requireth this alone that we loue him with all our hearte with all our soule with all our strength with all our vnderstanding and that we loue our neighbour as our selfe but this loue is not in them nor they haue not this end of all their works that they may
not themselues but God spake within them Whē soeuer were the time whatsoeuer were the meanes whosoeuer were the man wheresoeuer were the place whatsoeuer were the people yet the wordes were the Lordes And whosoeuer he be in the church of God from the beginning to the ending to whome this ministerie shal be committed if he will be numbered with Patriarches and Prophets Apostles and Pastours and with our Sauiour Christe himselfe whatsoeuer he speake Let him speake as the word of God. For this couenant God hath made with al his seruants euen as the Prophet Esaie saith My spirite which is vpon thee my words which I haue put in thy mouth shal not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede nor out of the mouth of thy seedes seede from henceforth ▪ euen for euer And in deede whose words else should diuide betweene the marrowe the bones but his onely who alone searcheth the hearts and the reynes Or whose wordes should kil our earthly affections but his alone who giues the sworde of the spirite And we whose messingers are we Or of whome are we sent Is not God our Maister and shall we not make our account to him according to that which we haue receiued of him We must looke vnto our owne charge and for all other men though they seeme to be pillers what they are it skilleth nothing to vs we are not accountable by their giftes Augustine Ambrose Ierome Gregorie or any else they had their owne charge of God and we haue ours by warrant from God they did speake and so must we If I speake out of the fathers of the Church and know it to be the word of God why do I attribute it to man rather then to God whose trueth it is Or if I speak of the Fathers and knowe it not to be the word of God be it neuer so true in the doctours mouth in mine it is sinne because I speak not as I am taught of god This I speake not so much for the papists whose heartes and soules the decrees and decretalles haue stolne away and left them without vnderstanding But I speake it because of brethren who knowe not their calling but fill the pulpites with doctours and counsels and many vanities where they should onely speake the word of God that our agreement may be with the Apostles and Prophets and with our sauiour Christ. Nowe let vs see the differences here spoken of betwene our Sauiour Christ and all other prophets what we may learne of them The firste is the doctrine taught by them was at diuerse times reuealed but that which Christe teacheth is reuealed but once And this is twise after expresly noted by the Apostle himselfe as in the ninth chapter Now at the latter end Christ hath beene once reuealed And in the xii chapter Yet once will I strike not onely the earth but the heauens also And this it is whiche sainct Iude saith of the christiā faith that once it was giuen to the saints which once doth mean the time of Christ in earth for so he saith it was by his sonne For though the Apostle yet vnderstoode not all and the spirit was after giuen them yet the same Spirite did but more lighten them in such things as Christ had also taught them By this we learn boldly to refuse it accoūt it as bastard doctrine whatsoeuer is sprong vp since cōmeth vnder the warrant of a mortall man as namely the idolatries of that mightie king and priest Prete Giam of the Abizannes in Africa and the idolatrie of the great Cam king and priest of the Tartarians in Asia and the idolatries of Ismael king and priest of the Persians and the idolatries of Mahomet king and priest of the Sarasins and the idolatries of the Pope and Papall men this day kings and priestes as proude as the other And of these what sects soeuer haue sprong of Homares or Halys Cuselbasoe or Casaboe of decrees decretalls Thomists or Scotists white friers or black that eternall Gospell as they called it more then 300. yeares since deuised at Paris the reuelations of S. Brigitt all other doctrines and expositions we must cast them away so many as came not in the warrant of our Sauiour Christ once preaching vpō earth which because it was once it cōfuteth all after it and abrogateth all before it which had diuersitie of time as the Apostle himselfe gathereth ca. 12. 27. The second difference that the doctrine of Christ is taught after one sort For though first were miracles and nowe none firste Apostles nowe none these were but meanes to confirme the preaching the word onely was the power of saluation which is the same it was then Whiche because it is but one therefore it is perfect For if any way before had bene absolute in itself there should none other haue come after it but it pleased not God to giue the glorie vnto all those maner of reuelations but reserued it to the preaching of the gospel which he hath made his owne power to saue all that do beleeue giuen it so great grace that it worketh more mightily then all miracles and pearceth deeper into the hart of man then any maner persuasiō yea though one should arise frō the dead to speake vnto vs And therefore we may condemne that whiche before vs was done in building monasteries vowing of pilgrimages praying for the dead their masses diriges honouring of saincts setting vp of Crosses and such like For howe were these thinges taught vnto men Not by preaching the Gospel but for the most part men were driuen vnto it by feare terrour of the night as we may see in their owne books legendes But as it was so it is come vnto it and the darkenesse hath couered it out of whiche it sprang The third difference here is that that was old therefore abolished for it cannot be but that which waxeth elder and elder must at last vanish but the testamēt of Christ it is still new yea though it were frō the beginning yet it is still the same and the day passeth not in whiche it was giuen but it endureth with the age of mā And therfore it is no sacrifice of the new testament to haue a masse which waxeth olde and when it is done is not but you must haue a newe so fill your number Neither yet is it possible that works should iustifie which also wax old are forgottē so that the righteous man of an hundred yeare olde if he leaue then his righteousnes it hath none accoūt The saluatiō of y world it is not thus but alwayes new if once I be in this couenāt it is an euerlasting couenant I was not taken vnder cōdition of time nor no time shal preuail against me The saluatiō it self it is not changeable as Ad◅s was in Paradise but it is made sure in the bodie of
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
as one by whoÌ„ al other things were begotteÌ„ And againe being the first begotten of all creatures in this name he condemneth the blasphemie of Seruetus which denyed him to be the sonne of God but onely in respect of his comming in fleash And that y apostle speaketh here of bringing into the world he meaneth not barely his natiuitie but as God gaue vnto Christ all the endes of the earth for his possession so the honourable setting of him in this authoritie he calleth it his bringing in into the world as appeareth because this is the glorie of this bringing that the Angels shall worship him And againe when he sayth the world he meaneth not this age of man but as he expoundeth it in the second chapter the worlde to come euen also as the Prophet Esaie called it that is the kingdome of Christ in the world through the preaching of the gospell And the worship with which the Angels shall worship him is that they shall haue from hencefoorth no such rule as before authorized in their owne persons from God but now they shall giue all glorie to christ Euen as we see in his natiuitie a great multitude of Angels sang Glorie be to GOD on high and in earth peace good will towards men because Christ was borne in the Citie of Dauid a sauiour vnto all people So in all his life in his death in his resurrection ascension and since his ascension there neuer appeared angel vnto man but to the praise of Christe and to ratifie all honour and worship due vnto him which ministerie of Angels because now so clearely it serueth Christ the Scripture is fulfilled Let all his Angels worship him And now that we haue seene the sense and meaning of this Scripture in some pointes I will more particularly applie it to our instruction It is saide first When he bringâ—… is his first begotten into the worlde which wordes meane as I said when in glorious triumph God lâ—…deth him into the possession of his kingdome And as the prophet saith wheÌ„ God giueth him his dâ—…n from sea to sea and from the riuer vnto the endes of the land that â—…ll that dwell in the wildernesse may kneele besore him and his enimies may lick the dust Heere we must marke howe this hath beene accomplished and when wee knowe it if wee loue Christe let vs set foorth his excellent glorie This was especially doone no doubt in the crosse of Christe him selfe according as him selfe prayeth when he entreth vnto it Father glorisiâ—… thy sonne And Sainct Paule saith in it he hath spoyled principaitâ—…es powers and hath made open shewe of them and triumphed ouer them vpon his crosse A proofe of this wee sawe with our eyes when Christe vppon the crosse so wrought in the hearte of the Romane capâ—…eine that hee cryed aloude Truely this man was the sonne of GOD. When all the people behelde it that was done and smoâ—…e their brests and went backe when manie Saincts roase out of their graues and went into the holie Citie And not onely this worke was in men but that wee might know the vertue of his deathpearced euen into hell to bynde iudgement to the diuel and his Angels with eternal desperation and to witnesse it vnto his Church that the gates of hell should not preuaile against it To this end we sawe the earth did quake the stones were 〈◊〉 the Sonne was darkened the graues did open and this was the beginning of this kingdome The increasing and amplifying of this is the preaching of the same crosse that is of Christe crucified that it might be seene and heard in all the worlde which had also a glorious beginning in the Apostles of Christe whome God sanctified to that worke with excellent power and graces of the holie Ghoste so that notwithstanding the weakenesse of their persons yet their voice went into all landes and their wordes vnto the endes of the earth And boldely Sainct Paule witnessed of themselues that God had giuen them glorious weapons to fight withall weapons not carnall neither swoordes nor prisons as earthly princes haue to keepe their subiectes in feare but other weapons in deede more contemned of the worlde but yet made by God more mightie then al other weapons or engines to cast downe holdes For by our weapons sayth Saint Paule we cast downe mans imaginations and querie â—…ighe thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bring into captiuitie euerie thought to the obedience of Christ. And this not onely was for that age but as GOD is vnchaungeable in all his wayes so this is made his euerlastinge ordinaunce that the preaching of the Gospel shoulde be his mightâ—…e power to saue all that do beleeue And accordingly this coÌ„mission is giuen to all that are sent out in the name of Christ for the gathering together of the Sainctes for the work of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ tâ—…l we meete all together in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christe Sith this then is that spirituall pompe and those victorious chariots by which the Sonne of God is carried in triumph into the inheritance of the world they that haue eares to heare let them heare what it is to preache the Gospel of Christ and they that be called vnto it let them knowe what woorke they haue in hande and they that resist it shall at the last be consumed as they that be enimies to the glorie of Christ must needes be made his footestoole So that euerie one in the regard of so glorious a worke should humble himselfe to become a labourer in it yea the greater dignitie the more trauell it shoulde bring vnto it So that princes them selues haue no greater honour if we wil beleeue the Prophet Esaie then to licke the dust vnder the Churches feet By which speache the Prophet meaneth that the faithfull zealous kings which reigne vpon earth should with the perill of their crownes not feare to set out and giue all their strength to the Gospell of Christe by whiche the Lorde of Lordes is to be settled in his throne and he that ruleth for euer in the house of Iacob is to be crowned king The preaching of the Gospel is the preparation of his waye and the obedience vnto it is the honour of his reigne and what king hath too good a hand to ioyne in this nay what king whose spirite is in his nostrels and all his glorie is but a vading flower what king I say is worthie to be a doer in this worke but that it pleaseth this immortall and heauenly king of his free grace to accept his labour so that iustly they are iudged that are despisers of GOD and knowe not the Lord of hostes against whome they are proude Shall God proclame it with so loude a voice that when
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
world to come of which we speake whereof the Apostle hath spoken no man can doubt All his speach hath bene to bring vs vnder the rule gouernement of Christ then it is Christs kingdome which heere he calleth The world to come which is through the power of the spirite to renewe the worlde to kill in vs the olde man with all his concupiscence to quicken our soule and bodie into all righteousnesse to vanquishe sinne death hell and to establishe vs in hope of perpetuall inheritance of the glorie of god This did our Sauiour Christ perfectly and fully accomplish in his owne person and we by the same spirit euerie one according to the measure which he hath receiued so he doth shew forth this victorie Thus the Apostle when he had mentioned the giftes of Gods spirite commeth into the speach of the kingdome of Christ which by the gifts of that spirite is set vp in vs not according to the will of mā nor according to the will of Angels but as it hath pleased God we if we wil be partakers in it let vs confesse and serue the Lord Iesu for he giueth this blessinge to whom he will. It foloweth But one testifieth in a certeine place c. that honour of renuing of the world which the Apostle before had denied to angels now by plaine testimonie of the prophete he proueth it to beelong vnto Christ and where he beginneth thus But one witnesseth in a certein place rather then naming the prophet bothe the vnwoonted speache better expresseth the affection of his minde inflamed with the loue of that whereof he spake and it is more answerable with the words of the prophet who not with vsual speach but with a souden exclamation saith What is man that thou art mindeful of him now touching this saying of Dauid it is no doubte but he spake it in extolling the goodnesse of God to all Mankinde both the wordes of the Psalme are plaine in reckoninge vp the benefites which apperteine to all men and here the Apostle expresly so vnderstandeth it in the eight verse where he saith But yet we see not all thinges subiect vnto him How then is it applied vnto Christ rightly truly and according to the prophets meaning for one thing let vs learne which I haue tolde you often bothe of the prophets and of their prophesies they had a continuall desire to see the dayes of Christ and longed after the time of his appearance more then the chased Hart doth long for water brookes or the fainte and thirstie soule longeth for meate and drinke and therefore had a delight euen to speake of his comminge which they do often and with glorious words touching their prophesies because they knew y all benefites which God gaue vnto man he gaue them for Christs sake who was onely beloued therfore bothe in setting out benefites receiued and foretelling the blessings which God would surely bring vpon them in their woords they had respect to him in whom all Gods promises were accomplished and many times vttered such speches as could properly agree to no other but Christ alone to whome alone was giuen and by whome we were partakers of it so that thoughe most of their prophesies had a trueth of the present time and incident vnto themselues yet they are also truely and according to the prophetes sense applied vnto Christ by whome all goodnesse came vpon them and vs So it is here in this prophesie of Dauid the words then are true and spoken of the state of man as it was but yet also are referred to Christ because he is authour of it and the only man to whom God gaue this excellent glorie whiche we also haue but through him and that we may knowe thus the Prophet meant in deede hee added these words thou hast made him a litle while inferiour to Angels thou hast crowned him with honour glorie c which fully wholy agree to none but christ But of all this we shal haue occasion to speake more after Thus we se how this prophesie is applied out of which the Apostles second argument of his exhortation is this In the preaching of the worde of Christ God hath giuen vs his kingdome and eternall life a glorie which no Angel could bring vnto vs how then shall we not moste iustly be condemned if we contemne such a heauenlie blessing God hath not made subiect to angels the world to come we do here consider as it were two worlds the one past made by Adam which was sul of hatred enuie rebellion sorrow shame sinne death the bondage of the diuel the other now restored by Christ ful of loue blessings obedience honour righteousnesse life the fauour of God not distinguishing these worlds by times the one first y other after or making any change of heauē earth or any creature for they stand both together in the light of the same sunne moone but as in man are two estates y one of Adam natural which is in death and condemnation the other of Christe and by grace which is in life saluation so they are called the olde world and the new which phrase is vsuall in the scripture often when God speaketh of sending his sonne hee sayth thus Lo I wil create a new heauen and a new earth And the 70. interpreters whom here the apostle followeth they call our Sauiour Christ y Father of the world to come because I say of this restitutiō which he maketh in the world And though the name properlie be giuen to these dayes in which the gospel is preached yet the fruite benefite was also before neither were Abraham Isaak and Iacob nor the other Patriarches and Prophets of the olde worlde but they also sawe in spirit the day of Christe and were then of his kingdome onely the name is reserued to vs because that blessing is now clearely reuealed in perfect beautie and Christ the author of it hath appeared as one of vs and dwelt among vs in our owne nature This world God hath not put in subiection to Angels that is God hath not made his Angels neither purchasers nor dispensers of this heauenlie treasure It was neuer in their power to haue done this thinge In vaine wee should looke for such blessing at their hands If they should enter into this worke they would fall downe vnder it for it is not an Angel but it is the Sonne of God that shall chaunge the worlde whiche was in sinne and shame to fashion it a new into righteousnesse and glorie This is a verie good place out of which we may learne how to knowe our selues and all other creatures how to giue vnto Christ his own honour for seeing the world to come noteth all the restitution which is by Christ the full chaunge of all that euer was by sinne and therfore named World because wee should assuredly knowe there is nothing excepted if then no parte of this worlde bee
XXVII LECTVRES or readings vpon part of the Epistle written to the Hebrues Made by Maister Edward Deering Bachelour of Diuinitie ¶ Imprinted by Lucas Harison ANNO. 1577. ¶ To the Christian Reader increase of faith and knowledge with an earnest Zeale of Christ Iesus the Lord. THE Epistle to the Hebrues conteyneth such doctrine as the holy apostle knew moste necessarie for the Iewe who a fewe excepted in the blindnes of their heartes acknowledged not Christe Iesus for the Messias albeit all thinges long before prophecied of the Messias by the holy Patriarches and Prophetes were in him clearely and fully accomplished and that in the eyes and eares of all Israel This their great blindnes caused the excellent light of this Epistle to be set foorth to the whole world for as their other wantes and falling off from the faith and naturall Oliue tree caused the fullnesse and grassing in of the Gentiles so their doubtfulnes as the doubtfulnesse of Thomas occasioned such cleare doctrine that we which come afterwarde cannot now without singular impietie make any doubt in the doctrine and gospel of our Lord Iesus Christe the which long agoe hath not beene both made and fully aunsweared Whereuppon all men ought to bee armed with this persuasion that whosoeuer againe doubteth where the doubt is already taken away and whosoeuer sinneth the sinne that hath beene heeretofore punished is a double offender for hee is not guiltie of the infidelitie alone or of the sinne but also of the despising the example set downe for vs that we trembling at the iuste iudgements of God against others should auoyde the the sinne in our selues knowing that if wee cōmunicate with the wicked in their blindnes wee must also communicate with them in the daunger is in the prouocation then in the punishment Wherefore concerning my first woordes the Iewes acknowledged not Iesus Christ for the Messias and redeemer of the world but we must acknowledg it and the rather hauing amongst the vnspeakable treasures of the word of God this pretious epistle wherin the doctrine of the person and offices of Christe are most substantially prooued and witnessed by the holy Ghost For therein the Apostle chiefely proueth Christ to be the annoynted of God annointed not with common Oyle but with the Oyle of gladnes that is with all fulnesse of the spirite into a prophet that teacheth vs the wisedome and loue of the father hee alone the priest that washeth away sinne maketh peace with his sacrifice euen a high Priest after the order of Melchisedech al other priests after the order of Leuie being for the time but shadowes and figures of the light and life in Christe hee alone the King of Salem whose kingdom is without vnrighteousnes and euerlasting not as other kingdomes which are outward and bodily but his kingdome frameth and ruleth the hart by the spirit of God and the scepter of his lippes the throne thereof being established in trueth and maiestie for euer and euer Besides these chiefe partes being the bodie of the Epistle there be other braūches conteining both vehemēt exhortations to the worthy receiuing of the word this present doctrine in faith and also to the bringing forth of the plentifull fruite therof in patience This excellent epistle about foure yeres past was expoūded in the citie of London by two learned godly men who made I suppose their choice of that Epistle as conteining very necessary doctrine for our times wherin the enimies of the Gospel are to to many preuaile too too much against the peace of the Church for they seke righteousnes in their own works sacrifices whiche is not foūd otherwise in heauē or earth thē in the righteousnes alone sacrifice of our lord Iesus Christ who not by the sacrifice of staūge bloud but by the offering vp of his owne bloud being himselfe the sacrifice and sacrificer made an end of all sacrifices and oblations going before and lefte no place for any new sacrifice or oblation to be vsed afterwarde Neither was this all that the Apostle ouerthroweth all other sacrifices establishing that as all sufficient which was at the fullnes of them according to the eternall decree of God the father made vpon the altar of the crosse once for euer and so consequently confuteth the Papistes mainteyning euen with bloudie sacrifices of men their vnbloudy sacrifice of the Masse but moreouer the doctrine is ve ry profitable and necessarie to stirre vp the minds and furnish the harts of professours of the Gospel 〈◊〉 knowledge concerning the person and offices of Christ Iesus the Lord. For to leaue the Catholiques as they vntruly call themselues either to the grace of God to be conuerted which God graunt vs hartily to pray for or to the blindnes of their hart to worship they know not what concerning the professours of the truth I beseech thē in the mercies of Iesus Christ to knowe the height the depth the length bredth al the mesures of Christ preached in the Gospel that as the foundation is moste certeine so it may bee also certeinely knowne and bring forth certeine fruites to the glory of God their own assured saluatiō in him Otherwise if the know ledge of our lord Iesus Christ be weake our faith cānot be strong if the faith be not strong thē our hope is small the afflictions of the spirit many But on the other side daily and effectuall exercises of the worde bringe increase of knowledge increase of knowledge bringeth increase of faith increase of faith bringeth increase of hope hope bringeth patience and in patience wee holde the possession of our soules til the day of our ful redemption But to returne to the two Interpreters of this Epistle the one lyueth and may doe wel if the Lord so dispose of his hearte to publishe in Printe his Readinges made to his greate prayse vpon the whole the other is layd vp in peace with the righteous but before his death he painfully gathered together the greatest part of his lectures leauing thē in writing that therby he might againe profite the Church after his death and now they are published to the benefite of the Church the zeale wherof greatly exercised his godly minde and many times brought his watchfull head and weake body neere to the graue Of whome I might truly speake much to his great prayse yet nothing vnknowne but let God haue the praise neuerthelesse as I will say no more ▪ in persuading men so I can say no lesse in duetie then this his goodnesse was by the grace of God very much and his harmelessnes more his giftes notable and his spirite more notable accompanying him for the measure of his bodily strength with daily increase til the last day and hower wherin for our punishment the Lord translated him from mortalitie to immortalitie Touching these his Praelections a goodly paterne of his swete spirite thou hast them gentle Reader in thy hands and I leaue
them to thy iudgement they neede not my commendation But be not thou deceiued in iudgeing good thinges by the first taste for they delight more the second time then at the first and more at the third time then at the second Try my commendation and giue thy sentence But of all other readers of these M. Ed. Deerings expositions I haue namely to exhort and beseech the Citizens of London others sometime his diligent auditours that they would now repaire their vnderstanding and reâ—…site their consolations reaped at the first fâ—…utes of this present doctrine that they would also examine and take an accompt of their memorie to see what is now set downe in writing here that they haue vtterly forgotten long agoe So they shall beholde how easily good thinges and comfortable things euen thinges of eternall life how soone they perishe and for want of true reuerence to the worde or diligent regard to our sáluation are by Satan made fruitelesse whereas in small matters olde men haue freshe memories as to remember where their gold lyeth and how many obligations they haue and of what conditions And what is it I pray you that in them causeth so good momorie euen the hart set theron with diligent care which heart more set vpon that that is more precious infinitely what iudgement what comfort what stedfastnes would it cause in the word of life But how commeth so small heede in so mightie matters Certeinly herevpon that the worldly man is of a worldly minde and a man without the spirit as the Apostle Iude speaketh hath no tast of the spirit no delight in spritual riches they are to him foolishnes But of memorie thus much may suffice I would haue thought it too muche were it not that to learning and knowledge in man I know nothing better For thy memorie though the voice be taken away and the spirite with the Lord yet the doctrine remaineth to thee in letters remaine thou mindfull now to make that hereafter fruitfull to thee by diligence which hetherto hath by negligence lyen barren Let vs account it a blessing from God that we haue thus many of M. Deerings readings the rest whiche wâ—…re to the x. Chapter or there about 〈◊〉 the other three Chapter 's waite for and desire some other 〈◊〉 faithfull labour If any man hauing small hope to make the remainder like to that which wâ—…e haue refuse therefore to attempt the matter let him otherwise abouÌ„ding with gifâ—… and 〈◊〉 and hauing exercises in the Church humble himselfe to be in the second or third place to finishe the worke and benefite the Church whereunto al men are insâ—…tely â—…ndebted and almost no man carefull to come out of debt But most of all let vs continually pray that our good God would in these perillous ends of the world put on vs al his whole complet armour to stand against the power and malice of Satan that he would also illuminate our heartes with the bright beames of his wisedome and holy word that we may be freed from the darknes of ignoraunce and errour that the mouthes of the wicked may be stopped and the lippes of the children of God opened and fulfilled with the 〈◊〉 of God. Moreouer seeing the Lord hath layed sharpe roddes and long time executed great iudgements vpon our neighbours round about giuing vs now all these 18. yeares of our gratious Souereigne the Gospel in great peace it is our duetie to consider our duetie in this behalfe first that we in brotherly compassion and in an inward fellowfeeling lament to our power redresse their calamities secondarily that wee be thankefull to God for our peace and carefull to yeeld our selues in all singlenes and trueth euery way obedient to the kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ the king of peace in as large the same maner that is to vs offered in the word of life in the third place that all diligence bee vsed that the word may haue his free passage and main course to the ouerthrow of all aduersarie power especially of the open enimies Papists and Atheistes to the discouerie of other sectes springing vpp of their owne accord where the word is not planted finally to the cutting off of prophane and loose life which nowe aduaunceth it selfe against heauen and prouoketh the Almightie except by discipline it be broken downe that the kingdome of Iesus Christe may be moste glorious on earth and that the sonnes of men may be safe and reioyce vnder the shadow of his winges For a further vnderstanding hereof and of many other like exercises in the knowledge practise of Christianitie I referre thee gentle Reader to these Lectures beseeching God to make thy labours fruitful with his coÌ„tinual blessings especially in thy prayers wherein as carefull for the whole Church also pray that the Lord in mercie would make the Churches beyonde the seas rather partakers of our peace with fulnesse therof then in iustice to make vs companions of their punishment in the laste place and greatest measure Amen The xxiiii of Nouember 1576 ¶ The Praelections of Edward Deering vpon certeine of the first Chapters of the Epistle to the Hebrues ¶ The first Lecture vpon the firste verse of the first Chapter 1 AT sundrie times and in diuerse manners God spake in the olde time to our fathers by the prophets in these last dayes he hath spoken vnto vs by his sonne AT sundry times in diuers maners c. Before we begin the exposition of this Epistle I wil briefly speak somewhat of these three pointes Why this Epistle was written by whome and at what time And first touching the cause of the writing though we knowe assuredly it was cause sufficient to leaue so excellent doctrine vnto the church of God yet a speciall occasion then giuen was vndoubtedly this The Iewes were stubbernly set to the maintenance and defence of the law of Moses holding fast al the ceremonies of it as things necessarie neuer to be abrogate but perpetually to be vsed in the worshipp of god Among the residue they did especially striue for Circumcision next vnto it for the obseruation of meates and drinkes and times and feastes and sundry purifyings as these things are namely mentioned in the scripture Besides these other ceremonies they imbraced them and loued them And though many thousandes as it is in the xxi of the Actes did beleeue yet were they still zealous for the law nor could possibly heare of the abrogation of it In so much that they and their forefathers had made this an article of their faith and it is the ninth article of their Creede they holde it to this day God gaue his lawe to his faithful seruant Moses and he wil neuer alter it nor chaunge it for any other And this their opinioÌ„ as it was rooted in theÌ„ so they had very many plausible persuasions for it they stroue not for the inuentions of man but for the law of God not
the Lord Iesu Christes and all that is in it I may haue from man my warrant here in earth that my house is mine and my lande is mine and he is a theefe and a robber that taketh it from mee But all the men in the worlde cannot giue me my possession before the liuing God but onely his Sonne Christ who is Heire of all And I am a theefe and a robber if before God I claime any other right in it Then that our hands may be our owne our goods our own our seruants our wiues our childrē ours Let vs be Christes that in him we may haue the good assurance of all our substance Take not thy meate but as the gift of Christ who hath sanctified it vnto thee nor any thing thou hast but with thankesgiuing to Christ that hathe sanctified it for thee if thou doest thou art an intrudour into the right not of a mortal man but of the fonne of God and thou shalt be sure the recompence of the iniuries that thou hast done will fall vppon thee and thou shalt know what it is so to dishonor thy god But contrariwise if I know my self by faith made a member of Christe and his right is mine in the creatures of the worlde and in his name and to his glorie I vse them whatsoeuer God hath giuen mee in the dayes of my pilgrimage the profite of it is mine I may vse it to my necessitie and the pleasure of it is mine I may vse it to my delight If my garments be silke I may put them on If my table be furnished with sortes of meate I may eate what my stomach craueth If I haue fieldes pleasant and delectable I may walkein them If I haue orchards of great delight I may eate the fruit of them Nay I will say more that their condemnation may be iust which loue not the Lord Iesus If thy dogges will hunt the beastes of the fielde or thy hauke will kill the birdes of the aire thou mayst vse the delight of Gods creatures I meane so farr as the state of Gods people in common wealthes which he hath ordeyned doth permit to euerie one for his holy recreation and pleasure who walketh faithfully in his calling to the glorie of God and profite of his people I do not iustifie the shamefull abuse of the worlde which hath carried away the christian libertie into carnall wantonnesse I allowe them not which wil needs weare silke and are not able to buy cloth or those whiche so giue ouer themselues to vanitie that the day is to short to make thē pastime except they watche the night at cardes and dice and riotous dauncing with suche men I meddle not but in their sinne in which I find them in it I leaue them I speake onely of the goodnesse of God vnto his Saincts what recreation God hath giuen in their wearie life And where it is further saide All things were made by Christ we may boldly conclude that no man hath power ouer his creatures but they must serue their creator What haue I to doe with another mannes worke God hath appointed his creatures a vse in it they are holie If thou wilt set them another law thou prophanest thy selfe in them When S. Paule had saide that to forbid meates was the doctrine of deuils he proueth it by this reason because God created them to be receiued with thankesgiuing If God created them who will exalt him selfe to be Lord ouer them If God appointed them to be receiued who shall say vnto me they are vncleane to vse Surely dearly beloued and before the Lord who hath made all will iudge all that proude and arrogant man of sinne who hath left all the ordinances of God to fill the world with his decrees and decretalles he hath taught vs the doctrine of diuels and let vs cast it frō vs We are Christes he hath made all in his holy appointments let vs euer liue For other lawes of meates drinks dayes apparel c. as then they may stand when they are profitable to any countrie and made onely for policie so they are to be despised when they are thrust vpō the church made matters of faith and religion Further in that that it is saide in the third verse That Christ is the brightnes of glorie ingrauen fourme of the substance of his father Let vs marke well why the Apostle thus magnifieth the person of Christe For no other cause but to warrant vnto vs the trueth of his worde that he is our Prophet we must beleue him And so S. Peter in the Acts teaching Christ to be the onely warrant of faith saluation he sayth God approued him thervnto by many signes and miracles mightie workes And in deed the father himself with a voice of excellent glorie approued him out of the clowd his voice was heard This is my beloued sonne heare him And all this was that Christe alone might be before vs the onely warrant of trueth Nowe he that shall take vpon him this honour bid y world beleeue because he hathe spoken what doeth he but boast himselfe as if he were the brightnesse of Gods glorie or that God had approued him by signes and miracles and who would do this that feared either to be or to be called the verie Antichrist that should come Againe it is said he beareth vp al things with his mightie word Where we must marke it is attributed to Gods mightie power the gouernance of all things in our sight either great or small that wee should learne not to measure the power of God by our weake senses It is his mightie power y vpholdeth the earth that stretcheth out y heauens that sēdeth forth the windes that raiseth on high the great waues of the sea these things we cōfesse are great mightie but as it is here so euery where the mightie power of God maketh the fether to moue his strong arme leadeth the flie in her way the same force which now shaketh a lease if he had sent it against a monteine it would haue turned it vp from the foundations and the same strength that bloweth vp the dust if it came against the earth it would shake the bottoms of it And this should make vs feare before him y what soeuer he hath done whether it seeme great or little wee should confesse his handie work according to his greatnesse so wee should honour him that whatsoeuer he hath commaunded whether it seme weightie or light al our obedience should be streight vnto it It foloweth by him self he hath purged our sinnes I do not doubt but you knowe how Christ hath purged our sinnes and the more you know it I am sure you are the more glad to heare it for this cōfort that we haue all in it I thought euē my duty to make some rehearsall of it Thus therefore we are taught and thus we doe beleeue
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
senses more exqisite then wee and we haue turned the heartes of men into the heartes of beastes who with wisedome prudence vnderstanding knowledge reason can do nothing And the wordes of the prophet are fulfilled in vs Man when he was in honour had no vnderstanding he was compared to the bruite beastes and was made like vnto them I speake this with the more wordes and the more earnestly that you might see and detest the shame of some who do not onely not see in the creatures of God the glorie of God to feare before him and to giue him honour but quite contrarie in all his creatures they prophane his name which eate till they surfeit and drinke till they be drunken who put on pride with all their apparell and make their lands and houses priuiledged places for muche iniquitie which fill their mouthes with cursed swearing euen in the sight of the Sunne and commit their whoredomes and feare not at the darkenesse of the night Flee dearely beloued farre from suche hate them as the prophet saith with perfect hatred al their assemblies The earth that mourneth vnder the burden of them one day will spue them out and the creatures which they hold in this miserable bondage of sinne one day God will heare their sighes and they shall giue a speedie witnesse against their oppressers And thus much of the creatures of God which here are saide to be made by the sonne of God and to be the workes of his hands An other thing heere we haue to consider that the Apostle teacheth the excellencie of Christ in respect of his continuance before whome the heauen and earth are but a moment for so in this comparison he speaketh of their age as a thing of nothing They shall perish they shal waxe old as a garment they shal be folded vp as a vesture making al the continuance of the heauen to be vanitie and of none account for although it may seme he might haue made this comparison with things of a more expresse shewe of vanitie then a garment as to haue compared them with smoke with the shadowe of smoke with the dreame of a shadow or such like yet in comparing the time of the heauens whiche are so many ages with a garment which is scace a yeare it is as cleare a testimonie al is nothing as if al were not a minute of an houre Besides this the cause of this comparison with a garment was the similitude in whiche God hath sette the Heauens who hath spred them like a corteine and made them as a couering to all his creatures it was not to make the comparison lesse in shewe of their vanitie Then heere let vs be wise hearted as the prophet was as oft as our hope is before our eyes to see our Sauiour Christ liuing for euer let vs not only cōfesse that our owne age is nothing in respect of him but let vs boldly continue euen the continuance of the heauens and account all thing nothing that hathe an ende for let the dayes be neuer so manie whiche you can call into account and multiplie yeares into the longest continuaunce which your thoughtes can comprehende that thousand thousandes be before you and tenne thousand thousandes are in your minde with one worde you shall confute them all with the breath of your mouth you may blowe them away and as the prophet sayth make them all as a garment that is rent and worne for reckon vp all thy thousandes that thou canst and put this worde Past vnto them and where are they nowe become a thousand thousand thousand yeares past what are they And if time be such a tyrant to breake the delight of the long age of the verie heauens that the wise hart of a man doth say euen they are vanitie wax old as doth a garment what foolishnesse hath wrapped vp all our vnderstanding and what blindnesse is in our hearts that we see not our owne life what it is Not one of a hundred that hath three score and tenne yeares and of those a great parte are slept out so that we feele them not and a greate parte consumed with sorrow either in losse of credit or feare of punishment or paine of sicknesse or griefe of our labour or pensmenesse of our wants or anguishe of our desires or at least euen with a wearinesse of time it selfe so that of three score and tenne yeares let him speake that can glorie most and he shall finde that in them all he hath scarce tenne full yeares of pleasure and this verie pleasure euen then when it is greatest what is it Surely suche as if hee loke downe into his owne thoughts he should say in the mids of it his heart is heauie And shall yet this life so short so troublesome so without pleasure so fast holde vs bounde with blinde desire that we neither long for nor looke after Iesu Christ who liueth euer and hath cast forth of his presence all sinne and sorrowe and deathe it selfe Could the Prophet so shewe him in immortalitie all his elect with him in the glorie of his father that he bewayled the vanitie of his owne life yea though it should haue lasted as long as the heauens and while the Sunne and Moone endureth though he should haue abiden king of Israel was al this vnto him as a shadowe or an idle dreame in comparison of Christe who is for euer and whose yeares shall neuer faile And shall we think wee haue the spirite of God or any portion in Iesu Christe who in his euerlasting continuaunce cannot finde such pleasure as in our visard of vaine life that soudenly appeareth and is no more who in the glorie of his presence and maiestie of his Father can see no such delighte as in carding diceing daunsing and such like works of reproche and shame and horririble confusion Nay I will tell you dearelie beloued and I will tell you true your owne eyes and eares shall beare witnesse with mee that I lie not These men that thus serue in the vile bondage of these pastimes they carrie with them the badge and cognisaunce of another maister then of the liuing God for tell me from morning to night are not their mouthes full of adulterie of wrath of hatred and swearing without shame◅ in whiche God is dishonoured and the crosse of his Sonne Christ made despised Then doubt not what these men do nor what maister they serue but pray that God may haue mercie vppon them as vppon vs this day who loue not their delights that they may repent and withdrawe them selues from the snare of the diuell in which they bee holden according to his will and begin while yet it is good time to despise this and regarde the life of Christe in comparison of which they may say with the Prophet The Heauens shall perish and consume as a garment but thy yeeres O Lord they haue no end One other thing foloweth in the Prophet which the Apostle
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
passe ouer for it noteth a certeine great confusion vpon the enimies of Christe forthough it be sometime honour to be named the Lords footestole as where it is saide Heauen is my throne and the earth is my footestoole And especially in the lamentations of Ieremie where he saith The Lord hath darkened the daughter of Sion and throwne downe the beautie of Israel and hath not remēbred his footstole Yet in this place where it is spokē of Gods enimies it noteth their extreme ruine and shame euen as of those whome wee doe stamp vnder our feete An example of this we haue in the Iewes whose name was once so honourable how doe the Prophets glorie of the house of Iudah yet since they haue taken vp this enimitie against Christ and sett them selues against his Churche and people they haue had experience of the Lordes right hand and their name is a name of shame and ignominie ouer all the worlde An other example we haue of Rome what citie had once such honour what name was of more renowne yet since it hath beene the seate of Antichriste enimie to the sonne of God and to his Gospell as she hath filled her selfe with all abhominations so God hath troaden her vnder feete and as the Prophet sayth shee hath left her name as a curse vnto the chosen of the Lord that I assure you in my eares in the eares I am sure of many thousands moe the citie of Rome is a citie of contempt of ignoraunce of sinne like a deade stock whose sweete blossomes and pleasaunt fruite is withered and worne away And her roote as the Prophet saith is rottennesse and her bud as the dust and suche shal bee the ende of all the enimies of the Sonne of God. Nowe followeth in the last verse this definition of Angels whereof we spake before in whiche we learne and so confesse that they are ministring spirites sent out for our safetie and defence so that hereafter whosoeuer will dispute with vs aboute Angels with one worde we will answer him and cut off all curiositie This we knowe and we know it onely and who so euer knoweth more hee knoweth nothing but the vanitie of his owne minde Angels are spirites whiche serue the Lorde ▪ for his Churches safetie If yet we wil be vaine still and thinke yea but what are Archangels principalities powers rules thrones dominions What are Cherubim and Seraphim All these how so euer they be called in diuerse respectes diuersly they are all Angels in condition and nature as they are so here defined For if any Archangel throne or dominion or any other name that is named were any way greater then an Angel all this disputation of the Apostle were nothing worth for how could it proue the excellencie of Christ aboue all creatures because he is greater then Angels If Cherubim or Seraphim or any Archangel were also greater then an Angel And therefore that the reason of the Apostle may be as it is strong and vnanswerable we must confesse all blessed spirits whatsoeuer they be they be all this and this is their glorie that they be ▪ Gods ministers for the safetie of his children This doctrine the Prophet Dauid teacheth also verie plainely in the 34. Psalme The Angel of the Lord pitcheth roūd about thē that feare him deliuereth them And againe in the 91. Psalme He shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to kepe thee in all thy ways they shal beare thee in their hāds that thou hurt not thy foote against a stone And according as this is Gods worde and his promise so we haue many examples howe he hathe at all times iustified his faith in the perfourmance of it that we might not stagger in this doctrine of Angels The Patriarches the people of Israel the Prophets the Apostles and Saincts of the new Testament our Sauiour Christ himselfe we haue seene howe the Angels haue beene with them in daungerous times and ministred the help of God vnto them Now touching the manner how the Angels of God execute this ministerie euen as it is not harde vnto the Lorde in the battels of men to saue with manie or with fewe so God sendeth out his angels more or lesse euē as he wil that it might be known the power is the Lords When Iacob feared before his brother Esau God sendeth to him an hoast of angels to comfort him When Eliseus was besett with the great hoast of the king of Syria his seruant was now exceedingly affraide Eliseus prayed to haue his eyes opened that he might see the helpe of God which was present with them and hee sawe immediately the mounteine full of horses and chariots rounde about Eliseus which were Gods Angels sent for the Prophets safegarde When our Sauiour Christ is in distresse and anguish God sendeth many Angels which doe minister vnto him And so he testifieth of the vsuall work of God common to all his sainctes and applieth it particularly vnto himselfe in reproouing Peter who woulde needs drawe his sword to mainteine his cause Thinkest thou saith he that I can not now pray vnto my father he wil giue me moe then twelue legions of Angels And as thus God sendeth out a great multitude for the saftie of one so contrariwise sometime he appointeth but one for the saftie of manie So God sent an Angel to deliuer Israel out of Aegypt and to guide them throughe the terrible wildernesse and euer after in all their troubles when they called vppon him the Angel of his presence as y prophet Esai saith was their deliuerer and when they should enter the lande of promise God sent an Angel to driue out the Canaanites before them When the armie of y king of Ashur came and besieged Ierusalem God sent an Angel who deliuered the Citie and in one night slew 185000. of the Assyrians When Dauid numbered the people and procured the wrathe of God God sent an Angel into Ierusalem who slew with the pestilence 70000. of the people So we haue many examples where vpon occasion to one man God sendeth one Angel euen as it is saide of one that he came to comfort our Sauiour Christ in the garden To Lot God sent two angels So to the womē that came to the graue of our sauiour Christ two Angels appeared tolde them he was risen againe When the Apostles looked after our Sauiour Christ at his ascension into heauen two Angels appeared vnto them to teache them what they had to do When God would destroy Sodome and Gomorth he sent three Angels to Abraham to tell him of it In the vision that Ezechiel had of the destruction of the citie God sendeth out sixe Angels to execute that iudgement And why is all this diuersitie to the end no doubt we should not be curious but rest in the doctrine which the Lord taught vs that the Angels are his ministers for
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
diuel he shall shew all power and signes and lying wonders Euen as it was euer from the beginning so it is with straunge things we haue beene delighted and with straunge things we haue ben deceiued How Iannes Iambres by many miracles helde the people of Aegypt in continuall idolatries we may see in the booke of Exodus How the Assyrians Persians had their soothsayers and charmers who wrought them miracles and helde them in errour the scripture in many places beareth witnesse And how all nations of the earth by miracles and wonders were made idolaters and worshipped before stockes and stones all stories beare yet record Augustine saith the Donatistes did glorie of their miracles Ierome saith that the Aegyptians when they were stung with serpēts would go sacrifice at Ieremies sepulchre and they were healed Ambrose saith y all mē were healed of all diseases as many as came to y tumb of S. Agnes to be short the fathers themselues here began to bee blind their posteritie far exceded thē til antichrist at last with lying signes got him greate victories and by such miracles from the top to the toe all standeth A miracle made S. Peter to be crucified at Rome for as Ambrose reporteth it when he fled away Christ mett him at y gate at whose sight Peter beeing astonnished talked with him and perceiued that Christ would haue him go back be crucified and so he dyed at Rome then because Ambrose saith Vbi Petrus ibi Ecclesia Where Peter is there is the church euer since the Pope hath ben head of the church When this was gotten by a miracle then al things came apace by manie miracles we learned Transubstantiation the sacrifice of the masse prayer for the dead going a pilgrimage holie water holie bread oyle candels to be shorte all and for euerie point of Poperie sundrie miracles done yea the verie dregges of miracles in milkepannes and greasie dishes by Robin goodfellowe and Hags and Fayries all wrought somewhat for their idle superstitions that at this day we should knowe their mysteries by their lying woonders But we know all the miracles of God are to confirme his woorde other signes neither wee nor our fathers haue knowen none And now that y vse of miracles is performed vnto vs and we doe beleeue the Gospell in token that our saith is accepted of God now hee hath taken signes from vs which serued vs before when we were vnbeleuing And surely our fayth is neuer so honourable nor God so well pleased with vs as when we haue said bothe to heauen and earth wee seeke no signes from them when the worde of God hath suche a persuasion in our heartes that wee haue now taken holde of all the good promises of God and said vnto miracles Get you hence The Iewes seeke a signe saith S. Paule surely we that be Christians seeke for none when they were offered of God he shewed his compassion vpon our infirmitie now he hath taken them away he sheweth greater mercie y he accepteth our faith and let vs hearken to y word of Christ by it we shall liue if we beleue it not we wold not beleue all miracles in the world no though dead mē should rise to preach vnto vs For great miracles haue bene already done not only by the Apostles but by Christ him selfe to confirme his worde if we beleeue not them it is to to much childishnesse to think we would beleeue other Signes were whē doctrine was more obscure now it is so cleare the signes are gone The sonne of God once reuenged the transgression of his lawe with the earth opening with waters with fire with hurlewindes that the people might feare he doeth not so now because his threatnings haue ben heard of all flesh Go ye cursed into eternall fire a voyce that pearceth betweene the marowe and the bones with greater feare then the rage of earth or water And Christe once shewed louing signes to make his people put their trust in him but now he hath spokē into our hearts Come ye blessed of my father into euerlasting life a voyce that goeth deeper into the soule spirite then the hearing of all the miracles by which Israel was lead into the lande of Canaan And we shal do iniurie to our Sauiour Christ if now we will aske that to these wordes he should adde miracles for if we bring saith to that which is spoken it will fill our hearts with all fulnesse and will sell the sight of all the miracles in the world to buy but one graine of a cōstant sayth in Christ wherin who soeuer shall stumble let him accuse him selfe if God giu◅ ouer to his owne blindnes that because he had no loue to beleeue the trueth therfore he should be ledd with lyes deceiuable things Thus much I thought to speak of miracles that we might be wise to knowe them as they be and from henceforth for euer put our only trust in the worde of our Sauiour Christ which only in the world is y power of God to saue all that do beleeue Now let vs pray c. The eighth Lecture vpon the 5. 6. 7. 8. verses vnto But we yet see c. 5 For he hath not put in subiection vnto the Angels the world to come whereof we speake 6 But one in a certeine place witnessed saying what is man that thou shuldest be mindful of him or the sonne ▪ of man that thou wouldest consider him 7 Thou madest him a litle inferiour to the Angels thou ▪ crownedst him with glorie and honour hast set him ▪ aboue the workes of thy handes 8 Thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his feete And in that he hath put all things in subiection vnder ▪ him he left nothing that should not be c. IN the last verse before the Apostle had saide that God gaue witnesse to the Gospel of his sonne with signes wonders diuerse miracles gifts of the holie Ghost according ▪ to his owne will. The words now that followe depend vpon these as I iudge in this sense According I say to his owne will for God hath not put in y hands no not of his Angels to dispense the riches of his new testament to whom they will but this is the glorie of his sonne according to the prophesies gon before of him and therefore let vs carefully hearken vnto his word So this is an other reason added vnto his exhortation Now let vs examine his words to se how this sense is gathered of them He beginneth For God hath not submitted to Angels c. This word for rendreth euer a cause of the speache before so that here we must needes so referre it his last woordes were According to his owne will and why he saide so he sheweth because God hathe not giuen it no not to Angels that at their will these graces should be dispensed but onlie by the will of Christe It followeth The
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
fraile life is such a bridle in their iawes to pull them back and death such a tyrant ouer thē to appall their courage that they haue no heart to doe as they would yet if they do rage as mad men not seeing their end yet God hath had mercie vpon vs turning their plague into our blessing and hath giuen vs but a shorte life least we should mourne too long so that whatsoeuer temptations we fall into yet but a verie little while the Lord wil deliuer vs from euill and all our troubles haue but a small reckoning to the hinderance of our glorie For it is but a while here that God hath made vs inferiour to Angels It followeth Thou hast crowned him with glory honour thou hast set him ouer the workes of thine hands thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his fete In all these words we learne the exceeding honour vnto which God hath raised his sonne Christe To be crowned with glorie and honour is to haue the excellencie of al dignitie giuē vnto him as the words folowing in the Apostle doe plainely expounde it where he saith In that he put all things in subiection vnder him he left nothing not subiect vnto him And in this according to the Prophet we must see our owne dignitie also as wee are Christes for this honour is not the naturall mans as all the miseries of our life can testifie but it is his that seeth him selfe to be Christs that can say as S. Paule saith I liue not now but Christe liueth in me ouer such a one the prouidence of God watcheth the Angels pitch their tents aboute him and he seeth great securitie in al his wayes Though the mounteines were moued or the seas did make a noyse yet the name of the Lord is his strong tower and he shall not be moued for GOD who hath made him Lord of all maketh that all things worke to him for the best If at any time hee seeme afflicted to the worlde it is but as a shewe or visard that seemeth feareful when the milde face of a man is vnderneath so these are but appearaunces without of a litle mourning when within is nothinge but a perpetuall ioy of the holie Ghoste S. Paule against those that are too much troubled to beholde our sufferings he sayth thus I graunt you we are wroung but we are not crushed in peeces wee are troubled but not at our wits end we are persecuted but not forsaken we are cast downe but we are not killed as if the Apostle should haue said vnto them ô you think vs in great bondage but our freedome is more then you are ware of And in an other place he notablie setteth out these afflictions of the godlie which the worlde thinketh to be so great that men shrinke backe and dare not looke on them I will tell you sayth Saint Paule we are as contemned persons but in deed honorable as dying but in deed aliue as men chastised but there is no death neere vs lamenting but in deede perpetually reioycing as poore men but in deede we make many other rich like men that had nothinge but in deede all the word is ours So we see howe this is true in vs euen now by faith and after this in full perfourmance of our inheritance with Christ in the resurrection of the iust thus euen in outward thinges we are partakers of Christes kingdome so that nothing can hurt vs Now touching y inward things y is a freedome of conscience aboue al things this we know if we be ingrassed into the bodie of Christ we be his he liueth in vs his victorie ouer al is ours we see it by faith all thing is in subiection vnder our feete Paule Apollo Cephas things present things to come life death the worlde it selfe all is ours the fayth of Christ exalteth vs hath made vs higher then the heauens In heauen and earth we haue no Lord but the Lord Iesus all things are vnder his feete our faith hath made vs one with him we are his and all is ours and no man can now beare rule ouer our faith except he wil beare rule ouer Christ by faith we are one with him his power is ours we reigne with him we are risen with him the world hath no more power ouer vs Wil one com to vs forbid vs flesh forbid vs whitmeat cōmand vs fish Heare it not it is the doctrine of diuels I speak not now of ciuil choyce of meates drinkes apparell c. We be Christs and all meats are ours Wil he say this garment is holie this day is fasting this relique is to be honoured this order is religious this crosse is defensiue against the diuell this Cake is thy Sauiour this masse is propitiatorie this worke is meritorious this pope is thy lawgiuer this church of Rome is the warrant of thy faith what shall wee say to such swine y lye wallowing in myre seke for righteousnesse in dounge and clay when Christ the sonne of God hath offered vs his righteousnes What shall we thinke of such seruile men who wil leade vs into bondage of euerie triflle whom Christ hath made rulers ouer all the world For what is it else to make me in bondage of things then to bring me in this feare of them I may not touche them I may not eate them I may not vse them that will make me holie this will defile me and such like Is this y voice of Paul To the cleane althings are cleane Is it the voice of Christ That which entreth in at the mouth defileth not the man. Is this the voice of the Apostle in an other place You be bought with a price be not the seruāts of men No dearely beloued if we haue fayth and be of Christ God our heauenly father hath giuen vs his owne Sonne sure with him he hath giuen vs all things we haue receiued the libertie of the children of God and the conscience of a Christian man is no more in the power of all the world but that is only sinne vnto him which is the breach of the lawe of god Now sith this is the state of a Christian man and thus all things are in subiection vnder his feete we see easily vpon what ground our sauiour Christ said that The kingdome of heauen is like vnto a pretious stone which if a man finde he will sell all that he hathe to buy it for all other riches of all dominions they haue their measure onely this treasure is infinite hath all thinges vnder it Now let euerie man boast himselfe as he will some of chariots some of horsses some of one thing some of an other but thou if thou wilt haue perfect ioy boast thy self of a Christian heart Neither the gorgeous chambers of any princes palace nor the riche iuell houses of the earth are comparable in glorie vnto this for what is
it to be garnished with golde and siluer and vaine sightes of a corruptible eye which in time consume and the rust and canker frett them away But in thine heart which Christ hath sāctified there is greater treasure then this If thou loke vpon the earth thine eyes are cleare to see from East to West and all is thine the stones in the streete are at league with thee and the beasts of the field are at peace with thee Let all the tyrants in the earth lift vp their handes against thee they shall not finde any thing vnder heauen to doe thee hurt all creatures are sworne to thy safetie it is not possible for man to breake their faithfulnesse they can do nothing vnto thee but good Loke also without the boundes and compasse of Heauen and Earth and with pure eyes thou seest greater thinges then these thou seest hell abolished death troden vnder feete the first sorrowe cast out into shame Saints Angels are in thy sight immortalitie hath lengthened thy dayes the glorie of God is before thee in a glasse He that can builde thee suche an other tabernacle let him be thy God and where else thou findest suche treasure there settle thy heart or if this only be the greatest reioyce only in this and pray for a sincere faith that thou mayest in deed see it and haue thy soule knit vnseparably vnto it that thou mayest greatly despise all other thinges say as the Prophet Dauid said What is man that thou art mindful of him And thus farre at this time Now let vs pray c. ¶ The ninth Lecture vpon part of the 8. verse vpon the 9. 10. verses 8 But we yet see not all things subdued vnto him 9 But we see Iesus crowned with glorie and honour which was made a litle inferior to the Angels through the suffering of death that by Gods grace he might tast death for all men 10 For it became him for whome are all these thinges and by whome are all these thinges seeing that he brought many children vnto glorie that he should consecrate the Prince of their saluation through afflictions I Tolde you at the beginning that the Apostle in the first seconde chapter setteth purposely out the person of Christ how he is God man how he set out his godhead in y first chapter you heard vnto which hee addeth this earnest exhortation in the beginning of this chapter wherof also we haue already spoken Nowe in these woordes whiche wee haue read he beginneth the other parte of his purpose to teache that our Sauiour Christe is perfect man and taketh his occasion of the text before alledged which he applyed vnto Christe as chiefe and principall though it be ment also of all men for when he had so highly magnified man in consideration of mans present state a doubt is streight moued Howe can this bee sithe we see not these things yet subiect vnto him To this the Apostle aunswereth that it is alreadie accomplished in our Sauiour Christe who is beecome man for our sakes and through death hath gotten this glorie for vs so heere is a full declaration how this prophesie alledged is verified in man and a preperation to teach more at large how Christe is perfect man In the words of this eighth verse But now we see not yet all thinges subiect vnto him he moueth the doubt whiche is easily made against that Scripture whiche so highly extolled man and aunswereth thus vnto it In deed I graunt all things are not yet thus subiect vnto man but yet in Christe wee see this already accomplished for wee haue seene him made lower then Angels and yet againe exalted and crowned with glorie and honour euen as him selfe is witnesse All power is giuen mee in Heauen and in Earth and so hee is risen from the dead that death hath no more power ouer him for euer who beeing made man for vs in him it is accomplished that man is ruler ouer all the workes of God now in parte and after this fullie when our base bodies shal be chaunged and made glorious In this we see how he commeth to speake of the māhod of our sauiour Christ which after he declareth more at large For the suffering of death Some translate this Through the suffering of death as shewing the cause why God exalted him but neither is that so pertinent to the Apostles purpose nor his wordes doe so signifie but thus For the suffering of death that is to the end hee might suffer death So he sheweth the cause why Christ was made lower then Angels and that is because he might die for otherwise in the maiestie of his Godhead all death and all corrupion fall before him and nothing can stand in his sight but life glorie and immortalitie therefore to the end that that immortalitie and glorie of GOD might dye and death might come vnto him it must needes be that he should be humbled beneath Angels In the words that followe That by Gods grace he might taste of death for all men he sheweth here y cause why he dyed As this was the cause of abasing him that he might dye so this was y cause of his death that he might dye for vs that is that he might take our death vpon him so by him we might be deliuered from it Where he saith By the grace of God he sheweth that it was the free loue of God that gaue his sonne vnto vs no desert on our behalfe but when wee sought not after him then hee offered him selfe vnto vs and when we sate as the prophet saith in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death then a great light rose vp vnto vs to this end that we which are the Gentiles might prayse God for his mercie And where it is said that he might tast of death he calleth here To taste of death to haue in deede sense and feeling of the paines not diminishing the passion as a thing lightly touched but warranting the bitternesse and all the sorrow of it euen to the bottome of the graue and deathe to be tasted fealt in deed and saying For all he meaneth not by All good or badd whosoeuer they be but as Sainct Iohn plainely expoundeth it God gaue his sonne to die to the end that al that beleeue should not perish but haue life euerlasting So our Sauiour Christ saith All that beleeue are baptised shal be saued So thus farre the Apostle hath taught plainely both how the former prophesie is accomplished in Christ and is verified in euerie one of vs and he hath aptly begun to teache this doctrine that our Sauiour Christ is perfect man which in this Chapter I saide was his especiall purpose Now touching this greate excellencie of man whereof the Apostle hath spoken howe wee be made partakers of it a little further weighe it He hath spoken greate and maruelous thinges euen as the Prophet had saide Marueilous things
receiue from Christ all that is healthfull vnto vs And as by ioyntes and sinewes our members are really knit and made a bodie vnto the head so really truely and in deed by one spirite wee be knit vnto Christe as perfectly and substantially made one with him as our members are one with our head If thou vnderstand not this or sayst with Nicodemus How can this be done I say vnto thee againe Pray that thou mayst be taught of God and that his spirit may reueale it vnto thee for if the tounge of Paule were dumb not able to speake what he sawe in vision how much lesse is man able to speake the trueth of greater mysteries And if our harts cannot comprehend all the wisdome of God in the winde that bloweth how he rayseth it vpp or maketh it fall againe how canne wee vnderstand this wisedome of our vniting vnto Iesus Christ Onely this I can say God hath giuen vs fayth in whiche wee may beleue it and out of which such ioy shineth in our mindes as crucifieth the worlde vnto vs how farre our reason is from seeing it it skilleth not it is sufficient if we can beleeue it We beleeue in the Lord our God yet we know not what is his countenaunce We beleeue apprehend by hope his glorie yet neither eye can see it nor eare can heare it We beleeue and see immortalitie yet our heart can not comprehend the height the breadth the length the deapth We beleeue the resurrection of the dead yet wee can not vnderstand such excellent wisedome how life is renewed in the dispersed scattered bones ashes We beleue our sauiour Christ is man we haue seene him and felt him yet how he was man borne of a virgin all men in the world haue no wisdome to declare Euen so dearely beloued wee beleeue that our Sauiour Christ and we be one hee of vs and we of him he the head we the bodie really substātially truly ioyned together not by ioynts and sinewes for that vniting I knowe wel enough but by his spirit of which we haue all receiued and this vnitie I cannot conceiue nor vtter till I knowe God euen as he is and his holie spirite which hath wrought this blessing Thus we learne what here the Apostle teacheth vs and thus wee vnderstand what is heere said He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one And where it is said heere He that doth sanctifie shewing the present time the worke still a doing it teacheth vs that our sanctification hath a daylie increase when it is fully accomplished then God calleth and our dayes are at an end And let vs note this well for it behoueth vs much If we be Christians we are still sanctified by the spirit of Christ for so it was in him He grewe still in grace before God men If thou begraffed into his bodie thou hast his spirite and it will haue his worke in thee Thou shalt not be wearie of well doeing nor ceasse to reioyce in God thy Sauiour but still increase in spirituall grace til thou come to the age of the fulnesse of Christe There can be no affection in thee according to the fleash but if it be greate it will appeare in his work much more this which is of the spirit of god If thou be sorrowful it wil make thy face sad If ioy be within it maketh thy countenance merrie If thou haue a flattering heart all the members of the bodie will streight serue so vile a thinge If hatred bee within thee thy bodie will shewe it forth in all manner of cursed doing and there is nothing that can possesse the minde but it leadeth the members in obedience of it Howe much more if the spirite of God hath replenished thy minde will all the bodie shewe foorth godlie desires This the Apostle noteth when he sayth He that sanctifieth It followeth For this cause he is not ashamed to call vs brethren Vpon good cause the Apostle sayth He is not ashamed for if hee humbled not him selfe in great loue of vs how iustly might hee accompt it shame to be as we are He that made Heauen and earth he that is the immortall and glorious God one with his father before whome all Angels do obey and all Princes are earth and ashes ought wee not to say seeing it pleaseth him to acknowledge vs that are but poore creatures that hee is not ashamed of vs It was great praise in Moses beeing so highly esteemed of Pharaoh that yet hee would vouchsafe to visite his poore brethren It was singular loue in Ioseph when he was nexte vnto the King in honour and dignitie yet not to be ashamed of his fathers house who were heardmen and shepeheardes But all is nothing in comparison of this that Iesus Christ is not ashamed of vs for what the glorie of the vaine worlde made not a mortall man ashamed of his duetie to acknowledge his poore father and brethren in whose persons hee might suffer a little reproch but how much greater was this doing whereof we speake The shining brightnesse of the glorie of God made not the onlie begotten sonne ashamed of his free grace to acknowledge vs that were his enimies in whose persons he should suffer a moste shamefull and slaunderous death This is the case betweene Christe and vs and this the Apostle meaneth when he sayth He is not ashamed to call vs brethren And if his highnesse abased it selfe to our lowe estate and was not ashamed let vs dearely beloued learne to be wise and knowe what the lord requireth of vs for all the good which he hath don vnto vs He sayth in the gospel He that is ashamed of me and my word before men I will bee ashamed of him before my Father which is in heauen And is not trowe you this a iust condēnation if we wretched men wil be ashamed of him who beeing the God of glorie was not ashamed of vs How much is he greater then we Abraham when he approched nere vnto him he felt him self how he was but dust When Iob came nere to see the tokens of him he abhorred him selfe and confessed how vncleane he was When Dauid saw the glorie of his dwelling he said he had leuer abide but one day as a dore keeper in the house of him then tenne thousand dayes to beare rule in Kinges palaces When Paule sawe the glorie prepared for vs in his resurrectiō he said he accompted all the worlde to be but doung to the ende he might winne him If then such a Christ be not ashamed to call vs brethren a marueilous vnspeakable foolishnes is bound vp in our heartes if we be ashamed to call him brother againe He were a folishe poore man that were ashamed of the kinred whiche the King did chalenge of him he is more foolishe thoughe he were a King him selfe that is ashamed of the Sonne of God when he offereth himselfe vnto
the holinesse that is in Christ for he hath sāctified him selfe for vs and is made vnto vs our sanctification of God without whome we are fleshe bloud the cogitations of our heart bent to euil all our righteousnes as a defiled cloath For if the Angels that are greater then wee in all power excellencie can not iustifie themselues in his sight what can we do as Eliphas saith that dwell in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust who shal be destroyed before the moth The Lord hath no neede of our workes nor they shall euer come in account before him for if one man could do all that all fleshe hathe euer done yet stil he might say he were vnprofitable The great iustice fortitude temperance liberalitie and all other vertues whiche so abounded in some of the Gentiles what haue they to glorie in them Nothing at all before God except they say as Paule witnesseth of them When we thought our selues wise we were verie fooles And why was all their doing nothing worth Because they sought their righteousnes in them selues and were not of y brotherhood of Christ to seeke all their holinesse in his person Euen thus dearely beloued and none otherwise it is with all Iusticiaries in the worlde whether they be Gentiles or whether they be Papists in their righteousnesse they are defiled and in their wisdome they are made foolishe if they seeke their holinesse in them selues or iustifie the worke which their hands haue brought foorth And let no mā be he neuer so holie if he were as good as Paul exempt him self for Paule him selfe confesseth this with vs that what soeuer he could do he would accompt it but as doung that he might haue the righteousnes not which was of him selfe but that which was by faith in Iesus Christ that he might be of this brotherhood as he sayth that he might be found in him This is the true rule of holinesse otherwise to talke of our grandfathers and fathers what good works they haue done it is to shew forth our owne ignorance in the faith of christ For what haue our fathers done but Socrates Aristides Scipio Fabricius and a thousande among the Gentiles did as much Or if they had done neuer so much if they had giuen all their goods to the poore and their bodie to the fire what then Except they had bene brethren with Iesu Christ one with him sought for their righteousnesse by fayth in him they had no holinesse in them And I merueile how this beeing so plaine so many yet can bee deceiued to loue still that idolatrous nation whiche teacheth them to glorie in their owne workes and let no man thinke we slander them or that they giue not this glorie to their owne workes for their owne wordes testifie against them they haue named it distinctly Opus operatum A worke wrought of it selfe without grace without Christ without fayth Opus operatum The thing done it is meritorious Did euer Pagane attribute more to them selues Then we may boldly conclude against them and our Sauiour Christ shall be our warrant They are not of God because they seke their owne glorie and let vs giue glorie vnto God to acknowledge all our holinesse to be in this brotherhood as we be one with Christ and Christ with vs whome God hath giuen a sanctification vnto vs. In that we are saide to be Partakers of the heauenly calling we must consider what is the honour offered vnto vs and that we be not dull of hearing when such a blessed sound is brought vnto our eares If we were called to vile things wee might stop our eares but hauing a heauenly calling they be and let them be excuselesse that despise it It was a vsuall persuasion with Saint Paule to put the Churches in minde of their calling they had of God to stir them vp the more willingly to follow it I beseech you brethren saith he to the Ephesians walke worthy of your calling in which you are called And of him self he testifieth to the Philippians that his continuall traue◅le was to be carried to the price of his high calling of God which was in Christ Iesu so let vs also be inflamed with the loue of our calling to followe it lest it come vpon vs also which was spoken in the Prophets See you despisers maruell and vanishe away for I will woorke a woorke in your dayes a worke which you will not beleeue though a man should tell it you We haue not to deale as our fathers had with men that preache lies and are learned to tell tales and happie had they beene if they had reiected them but the sonne of God is come vnto vs and hath called vs with a heauenly calling and yet againe his voice hath shaken not the earth only but also Heauen And how muche thinke you were it better for vs that we were againe in the darke dayes and blacknesse of our olde superstition then thus openly to heare the Gospell and litle or nothing to giue heede vnto it But this is a case almoste desperate and when we speake we are almost without hope We haue so many yeres despised this heauenly calling and lewde men lewde I may wel call them though some be riche and some be high who take suche libertie by reason of their riches titles that they dare openly blaspheme the Gospell and contemne our churche and congregations and no man is to controll them for this cause for my part I am nighe persuaded that God will cut off this generation whome he hath loued and raise vp another which yet he will blesse more and they shall bring a discipline into his Church which shall stoppe the mouthes of these mightie grants whiche thinke by their strength to do what they will. But I leaue this to the Lord who doth regarde it Where Christ is said here to be The Apostle and highe priest of our profession we must learne this that we that be Christians professe no other teacher nor no other Sauiour but this is all we beleeue and all we speake that Christ is bothe our wisedome our iustification his worde is ours his doctrine is ours his wisedome is ours we professe not one iot or one title wherof he hath not bene an Apostle vnto vs and whoso euer he be that teacheth vs other things then what Christ hath taught vs al he is not of our profession nor of our brotherhood and more then this we are sure he teacheth nothing but vaine illusions and imaginations of men for all treasures of wisdome and true knowledge are hid in Christ. And seeing it hath pleased him to be our Apostle who is the sonne of God the brightnes of his glorie y ingrauen forme of his substance the heire of al things the maker of heauen earth farre greater then Angels how vnthankfull be we if his doctrine be not our profession Nay how madd be we if
a house and Christe as the buylder who hath set it vp Moses may haue the praise that he was set in an honourable place but the praise is not his owne but the workmans that set him in if we make a comparison betweene them In this similitude of the Apostle that it might be a sul persuasion to the Iewes they must knowe certeinly bothe that Moses is but a parte of the house and that Christ is the buylder of it The first is a thinge without controuersie that Moses was a parte of the house for how was hee else one of Gods Saints or what comforte could he haue had of all the promises made to Israel if his owne portion had not bene in them by beeing one of Israel The other that Christe hath built this house the Apostle proueth it thus It must needes be that euerie house must be built of some bodie and therfore the house of Israel in which Moses was so faythfull was also built by some man it grewe not alone no more then timber and stones can ioyne together alone to make a house who was it then hath built 〈◊〉 or who made it who but euen hee that made all things and that is God him selfe if then as we haue taught Christ be God the wisdome of his father by whome all thinges were made in heauen and in earth and if he hath taken our nature that in one person God and man hee might be a faithfull ruier in this house of god then he ruleth as the builder as the maker so much more glorious then all other as the builder of the house is more glorious then the house it selfe this is the plaine meaning of the Apostle in these thirde and fourth verses Now if it be here obiected Onely God is the builder therefore Christ beeing man is also a part of the house We graunt it he is a part because he is as one of vs hath part with vs and we with him he our head and we his bodie but as he is a part as he is man so he is the builder as he is God therfore taking mans nature into the person of the Deitie to glorifie it with his owne glorie he in this person God and man is now also the builder of the house and therefore al other must giue him the preeminence of honour If it be againe obiected that Moses was also a builder as S. Paul calleth him self a builder a wise builder it is true that this name is giuen them but only improperly as vnto the instrumentes by whiche God buildeth for otherwise Paule may plant and Apollo may water but there is no growing into the house of God except Christ who is God him selfe giue increase for he is onely the effectual builder He as the prophet Dauid saith euen the most high hath stablished her by him all the bodie being coupled and knit together by euerie ioint for furniture therof receiueth the increase of a perfect bodie and is made a glorious house of God. It followeth now in the fifte verse And Moses was faithfull in all his house as a seruaunt for the testimonie of the things which should be spoken but Christ as the sonne is ruler of his house Here is an other difference in which our sauiour Christ farre exceedeth Moses and that is that Moses was in the house of god as a seruant but Christ as the sonne Nowe howe muche more honour the sonne hath in his Fathers house then he that is a seruant so farre Christe is aboue Moses and aboue all And in this the Apostle needed not vse many wordes for the trueth in all was cleare that Moses was a seruant all confessed God calleth him oft his seruant Moses And that Christ was the sonne no man doubted and the Scripture giueth him plainely the title of the Sonne of God. This was vnto the Iewes a verie plaine and a very strong persuasion for though they had beene alieuated from this Sonne of Dauid whome the Apostle preacheth vnto them neuer so much yet they must needes confesse it Moses was but a seruaunt the Messias must bee the Sonne therefore hee to rule in the house for euer and Moses to giue him place So now this high honour of the Sonne of God beeing giuen to this Christ crucified among them they could not be offended at the wordes but were wisely to consider whether this was he they looked for or no which by tryall and searching of the Scriptures when they shoulde finde true then Christe should haue the glorie of our redemption which thinge the Apostle nowe so carefully goeth about Heere we haue all taught vs a lesson of good humilitie and howe to knowe our selues and what place we haue in the church of god Who is there among vs dare aduaunce him selfe aboue Moses yet Moses was but a seruaunt Whiche of vs is so great as an Apostle Yet Paule sayth We confesse our selues to be seruants of the Church To the ende there should bee no mo maisters but Christe it was necessarie all other should bee seruaunts and to the ende he might bee Lorde alone so GOD ordeined it that all his ministers should bee fellowes so they are all fellowe seruaunts that are appointed of God for the ordering of his house Moses in singlenesse of heart was and was called a seruaunt Paule a seruaunt Peter a seruaunt all seruaunts for the woorke of the ministerie to buylde vpp the bodie of the Sainctes of God this is Gods ordinance from the beginning But of late one is risen vp a beast full of hypocrisie more lowely in name then any Apostle or Prophet and calleth him selfe a seruaunt of seruauntes but as proude in spirite as the whoore of Babylon which maketh her selfe Ladie ouer Kinges and Emperours And this deceiuer hathe thus as wee see prophaned the Lords Sanctuarie and exercised tyrannie in his Churche hee hathe driuen out the seruants which laboured in paine and lowlinesse to gather together by preaching all the people of God and hath set maisters in their steede after his owne likenesse who too too long haue nowe kept the Churche of Christ in bondage and ceasse not to striue to keepe it in bondage still And therefore we ought the more earnestly to praye that God would giue vnto the nource â–ª fathers and nources of his Churche that is to Kinges and Princes wisedome to see it and then we shoulde haue hope that they shoulde also finde grace to amende it But let vs returne to the Apostle When he hath thus shewed that Moses was but a seruaunt he telleth after wherein his seruice was and what was his faithfulnesse in it Iâ—… followeth For a testimonie of the things which should after be spoken For this purpose Moses was a seruâ—…unt and in the perfourmaunce of this duetie Moses was faithfull he was a seruaunt to beare witnesse vnto the people of all the woordes which God should speake vnto them that is a
worshippest God and an idoll too And consider I beseech you but this one thing and marke it well that the Scripture is thus called the The worde of God. There is no doubt but the name of God is great ouer al the earth his name is praysed from the rysing of the sunne to the going downe of the same neither is there any creature but it sheweth foorth his glorie yet hath not God reserued the â—…ound of his name to be called vpon 〈◊〉 y name of any creature but he hath giuen this only to his woorde We do not say The heauen of God nor the earth of God nor any thing in them vnder the name of God is noted notwithstanding they shew forth his glorie but the writings of the Apostles prophets by this name we know them The word of God why else but that his wisdome his power his glorie his mercie especially and aboue al things shineth in his worde and therefore let vs persuade our selues that his maiestie can not be so highly offended in any abuse of all his creatures as when his woord is despised When man sawe not his eternall power and Godhead which was manifest and might haue ben knowen in the workes of the creation of the worlde yet God did ouersee all their ignorances and had pitie on them he gaue them a better testimonie of his presence made his worde knowen in the middes of them that they might beleeue it and be saued which word whosoeuer shal despise he hath despised the power of God by which he should be saued is more guiltie before god theÌ„ paganes infidels which neuer knew him neither can there be any other meane of saluatioÌ„ vnto him To this effecte no doubt the apostle giueth this reuerende speach to the prophesie The holie ghost hathâ—… saide Thus hauing prepared the people to heare regard he setteth downe the words of the prophet as followeth To day if you wil heare his voice hardeÌ„ not your harts as in the bitter murmuring in the day of tentatioÌ„ in the wildernes where your fathers c. To vnderstand this exhortatioÌ„ well we must see the whole purpose of the psalme The prophet maketh this psalme no doubt as a preparation for the people in all their holie conuocation how to present them selues before the Lord after the same manner in a good and laudable custome we vse it now in the church in our seruice vnto God beginning with this Psalme to stirre vs vp into feare and reuerence an earnest desire of the praise of god O come let vs sing vnto the Lord c. and because our zeale toward God is faint and hypocrisie hath infected the heartes of manie therefore the Prophet toucheth them neerer that if they will stand acceptable before God delay not nor bee faint hearted but euen speedily with a good courage Today if you will heare his voice harden not your heartes c. And he rehearseth the examples of their fathers who tempted God and fel in the wildernes the feare of whose examples should make vs wise This beeing now the plaine meaning of the prophet you see how fitly this Scripture is alledged by the Apostle as then the Prophet cryed vnto them in their assemblies Today if you will hear his voice c that they might keepe holie their Sabbaoth dayes and bee holie in their assemblyes before their God to heare his woorde with humilitie and offer them selues in a holie obedience vnto it So here the Apostle applying it vnto Christe who then spake by his Prophetes that his woorde now might haue also the reuerence of his owne person he sayth also to them Today if you wil heare his voice harden not your heartes c. Now touching the words that he sayth Today he meaneth all the time in which the gospel is preached teaching vs heerby that so long as the word is preached so long saluation is offered In like sense Saint Paul exhorting the CorinthiaÌ„s not to receiue the grace of God in vaine alledgeth this saying out of Esaic I haue hearde thee in an acceptable time and in the day of saluation haue I succoured thee wherevnto he addeth Behold now is the acceptable time beholde now is the day of saluation plainely expounding this time this day to be so long as the gospell is preached by which we learne how great a benefite it is to heare Christ preached for then God offereth him self vnto vs then he stretcheth out his handes as the prophet sayth to imbrace vs then he calleth vs to come vnto him then he wil accept vs then is the time of saluation for vs all his fauour loue mercie goodnes al his graces are laid out vnto vs he hath opened the heauens y we might see and shewed forth his glorie that we might vnderstand and be no more vnbeleeuing but beleeuing And what excuse trow we can we take vp to bringe before him if this Gospell of grace of peace of life be preached vnto vs and not regarded Therfore euen as the Apostle sayth afterward so let vs learne While the Gospel is preached it is stil called Today harden not our hartes against it through the deceites of sinne And this I beseech you once againe to remember that when the Gospell is preached vnto vs then it is Today Take away this word preached which is the power of God to thy saluation and what time art thou in Sure in the night in whiche no man can woorke for this is the day when his voice is heard Euen as the dayes of our life they arise with the sunne and go downe againe with it so the day of our saluation it springeth in the preaching of the Gospell and it is shut vpp againe with the ceasing of that voice and therfore the holie ghost saith when our sauiour Christ doth come to Capernaum in the borders of Zabulon and Nephtalim The people that sat in darknesse sawe a great light and to them that sat in the region and in the shadowe of death light arose vp vnto them this light is the light of the sonne of righteousnesse how long so euer it shineth so long shineth the acceptable time and the day of health nowe would I faine know what auaile prayers for the dead what helpeth sacrifices for them in purgatorie is not this Sonne gone downe vpon them is it not night with them and they all haue made their beds in the dark Haue they any more eares to heare or are they not as men dead long agoe Howe then can yet their state bee changeable How can they obtein grace mercie peace by our intercession If they can the Apostle sayth not true that it is no longer Today then while the Gospell is preached Sainct Paule saith not true that now onely is the Acceptable time our Sauiour Christ deceiued vs when he said The night commeth in which no man can work but this was the enuie of the diuell to
resigne our selues ouer to the obedience of the will of God euen as wee looke to enter at the last into that rest and dwelling place which is in heauen not in earth which God had pitched and not man in these words for he that hath entred into his himselfe hath also rested frō his owne woorkes euen as God rested also from his Thus I haue plainely as I coulde shewed you the whole meaning of all these wordes whiche I haue read together vnto you and I haue the fewer thinges seuerally to note vnto you in them because as you haue heard the wordes were most of them mentioned before as occasion was then I spake of them more at large vnto you onely of the other thinges whiche before the Apostle spake not of I will note vnto you what I think necessarie In the thirde verse I tolde you howe the Apostle taught vs that this rest to whiche we bee called was the rest of God from the beginning because from the beginning it was saide God rested the seuenth day what we should learne in this we may plainely see the commaundement Kepe holie the Sabboth day For that day was instituted for this cause because then God rested from his woorkes and in that day a rest is commaunded vnto vs that in it we should do no manner of worke and why dearely beloued shall we rest God is not pleased with idlenesse he wil not haue vs like the idle men that at the ix houre of the day stande still idle in the market but God commaundeth vs to keepe that day holie vnto him which is to serue him in it and not our selues Nowe seeinge in this daye wee muste glorifie God and rest from our owne woorkes to consider his woorkes from which in this day he rested it is plaine and euident that it is a Sabbaoth dayes worke wisely to meditate in all the workes of God for as Paule saith They are the wisdome of God in which we should knowe God and in them the inuisible thinges of God that is his eternall power Godhead that we should knowe him and glorifie him and giue thankes vnto him So we read in the booke of Iob when Eliphas would persuade Iob to the feare and reuerence of Gods maiestie he biddeth him beholde the starres how high they are The prophet Esay when he will assure the church of the mercie of God that he will according to his mightie power fulfill all his promises hee sayth thus Who hath measured the waters in his fist and counted heauen with his spanne and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weyed the mounteines in a weight and the hilles in a balance In meditation of these greate workes of God the Prophet would teache them to feare no man but put their only trust and confidence in god So the Prophet Ieremie setteth out the constant course of the day and night for vs to consider and in it to know how vnchaungeable the loue of God is to all his Sainctes So our Sauiour Christ by the goodlie colours of the flowers of the field he would haue vs learne what a fatherly prouidence God hath ouer his childrē to couer their nakednesse who clotheth so gloriously the vading flower The prophet Dauid in many places and specially Psal. 104. doth make a goodlie rehersal of the prouidence of God in ruling the whole world thereby exhorting vs to obey God to hate iniquitie and concludeth with this excellent sentence Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth the wicked till there be no more O my soule praise thou the Lord praise ye the Lord If wee by these exhortations and instructions can teach all our senses our eyes to see and our eares to heare so that in the creatures of God we can see his glorie loue his goodnesse feare his maiestie expresse his image in all our conuersation then are we sure wee keepe holie his Sabbothes and we inioy the good beginnings of that blessed rest into which we shall enter for euer but if we bee vnprofitable creatures in the world if we haue eyes and see not and eares and heare not and the sight and vse of so excellent werkes can stirre vs vp neither to loue nor feare not once to knowe so excellent a workman we are holden in the bondage of a spirituall Aegypt and wander in straunge vnknowen wayes of a spirituall wildernesse where we haue neither any water of life nor any secret Manna to satiate and fill our faint and hungrie soules we walke in the world as subiects of the world and dwell on the earth as seruants of the earth the oxe the horse do as we do they eate and drinke and see the sunne and vse at their will the day and night and neuer consider him who made all these thinges Let vs not be like vnto them but as we haue hearts able to cōprehend better things so let vs vse them that we may fil our wayes with perfect peace If God haue giuen vs the meane estate of life in which neither wee want not yet abound but our meat our drink our cloathing is suficient vnto vs let vs acknowledge the greate goodnes of god who hath set in vs an example of y estate of life which him selfe hath testified to bee good for vs in y prayer which he hath taught vs all Giue vs this day our daily bread If God haue giuen vs pouertie colde nakednes much affliction let vs think with our selues How good is God vnto vs euen in these days of calamitie for hath he not made vs like his only begotten sonne a man despised in the world of smal account who had experience of all our sorrowe griefe that we againe carrying his image might die with him y we might also reigne with him in the due time which he hath appointed againe let me see this also in my pouertie affliction God hath by this meanes prepared me so that whatsoeuer is done vnto me God will impute it as done vnto himselfe whosoeuer shal mocke or dispise my life he reprocheth god y thus hath made me whosoeuer shal cloth feede harborough me Christ accepteth it as his owne as if he were hungrie receiued meate he were naked and receiued raiment what a marke print of y loue of god is this in me how blessed is this estate which of so manie is thought most miserable if God hath giuen vs high excellent honour if in y middes of my pleasure with a wise hart can thinke thus This is yet the place of my banishmēt my bodi is a prisohouse in which my soule is in bondage my life is a pilgrimage in which I wander as in a coūtrie y is not mine owne and yet if God haue here filled my senses with so many delights if such be the glorie of these kingdomes and this nobilitie If the honour riches of these dayes
heere in this word Let vs studie we haue a plain interpretation of that he said in the first verse let vs feare for the whole verses that and this as you may see haue one and the same meaning there hee saith Let vs feare lest forsaking the promised rest we seme to be fr◅strate that is lest by such vnfaithfulnes as was in them wee also make the promise to vs in vaine here he saith Let vs studie to enter into this rest least wee fall into their example of vnfaithfulnesse thus the exhortation beeing all one it is manifest that this worde Let vs feare which he vsed first hath the meaning of this word Let vs studie which he vseth now so that this is as I told you then y feare of gods children a careful studie in deuour to walk faithfully before god And an other good lesson we may here learne sith the Apostle saith let vs studie it is plain we ought not to nourish in vs as the manner of the world is a carelesse securitie to speake and think of our hope in God with a secure mind as if we cared not greatlie for it or longed not much after it such a carelesse minde is altogether vnmeete for the profession of the gospel of Christ and it is a thing that we do all vnderstand none can excuse him selfe by ignorance we know the fault by the tryall of our owne hart when we think of God and his heauenly kingdome what parte and fellowship we haue in it wee can tel how our heartes are then affected if it bee our ioy our comforte our consolation if it drawe our delight and studie after it then are we children of that kingdome then we obey this calling of the Apostle which is here Let vs studie to enter into this rest but if we can think or speake of the kingdome of heauen as wee would speake of farre countries for talke sake to heare what is sayde of them but without any care whether we see them or no then we are seduced with the deceit of sinne and this exhortation of the Apostle is made in vaine vnto vs And let vs not here deceiue our selues to think wee haue our cares for the life to come when wee haue no care at all for it our nature is here verie blind beleeueth easilie her owne vaine fancie not onely Scribes and Phariseis and suche frowarde sinners doe presume much of their owne righteousnesse glorie in them selues but euē Gods good people are soone beguiled with selfe-loue the Corinthians talked much that they were wise that they were spirituall holy men but Saint Paule saith vnto them Seeing such contentions emulations sectes are among you you are yet children and you are carnall So we dearly beloued if we wil say we feare before God our care our study our hart is in the kingdom of God yet we laugh when we talke of his iudgmentes make our ieastes and rymes with his holie woorde or if we be nothing moued in spirite when wee speake of it then are we not studious but carelesse secure negligent we heare not this exhortation of the Apostle Let vs studie to enter into his rest and thus is this exhortation ended made out of the woordes of the Prophet To day if you will heare his voice harden not your hearts c. It followeth now For the word of God is liuely mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged swoord and entreth through euē to the diuiding asunder of the soule the spirit and of the ioynts of the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughtes and the intents of the heart neither is there any creature which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked open vnto his eyes with whom we haue to doe In these wordes the Apostle setteth out the nature of the worde of God vnto vs vppon what occasion wee may easily see he hath taught that Christe is our onely Prophet and we haue no other schoolemaister to teach vs and instruct vs in the wayes of God he hath also earnestly exhorted vs to heare his voice and faithfully to harken vnto him lest we fall into the condemnation of others who haue bene despisers afore vs and whose iudgement we should not escape for the word of God woundeth euen into the soule of the sinner thus hee commeth to this description of the strength and force of Gods word as may appeare by his owne woordes going before lest we fall into the same example of disobedience thus prouing it y we cannot escape because the word is so strong and mightie And this doctrine of the Apostle let it this day be our instruction if we do beleeue or if we think the Apostle saith true that the word of God hathe so greate power in it let vs regarde it let vs giue our feare our reuerence our obedience vnto it for how great a sinne must it needes bee to despise a thing that is so precious and howe great peril is there in it to prouoke a thing against vs whiche is so strong If it were but the roaring of a beare or Lion it would make any of vs affraid yet could it but only pearce into our eares if it be but the voice of thunder it seemeth to make the verie earth to shake yet is it but a bodily sound and the spirite heareth it not a whitt what then When he speaketh whome the marrow within our bones doth heare how truly saith the prophete of him his voice shaketh not only the sea and the drie land but the verie heauens also and can we haue yet any excuse if we heare not him that speaketh so lowde If we beleue not him to whom our own hearts beare witne◅e of his trueth or if we heare not his word whose voice shaketh both heauen and earth or are we born of God if so great vertue power of god haue no feeling in vs No no be not deceiued God is not mocked his sheepe heare his voice we are not borne of him but we are born of hard rocky mounteins a stonie generation nourished and sed of cruel Tygres if such instruction such teaching preuaile not with vs Heare then dearely beloued heare learne that we may be edified let our harts be softened that we may haue the wordes of God written in them And seeing wee haue so excellent a prophet let vs be thankfull scholers and growe vppe in the knowledge of his doctrine if at it neuer be imputed vnto vs that wee haue hardened our hearts and would not knowe his wayes And to the end we may take the more heede let vs marke these words of the Apostle in which he setteth out vnto vs the great force of the woorde of God The woord of God saith he is liuely and sharper then any two edged sworde c. This place is well to be weighed of vs for of purpose the Apostle speaketh to teache vs what the worde of
God is and what power it hath both to quicken the faithfull and wounde the disobedient vnto death wherevnto so euer the Lorde doeth sende it it shall do his will no time no place no person can possiblie chaunge it no creature can breake the force of it the worke that is appointed for it to do it wil assuredly bring to passe Let soule spirit ioynts marow heart and thoughtes striue still against it it will wound all and pearce through as a sharpe sworde euen as al things are naked and bare before the eyes of the lord who speaketh neither let any man euer thinke whosoeuer he be that heareth or readeth this worde of God but that it worketh in him the will of god Euen all we here present this day when after this sermō ended we shal returne to our calings know it assuredly think on it as you are in your way y the word spokē is entred into you if it haue quickned your faith it is the word of life if it haue kil led your old affectiōs it is the seed of your new birth if it haue don you no good it hath detected your cor ruption accuseth you in your own cōscience for change it you shal not make it fruitlesse you cannot there is no defence against the strokes of it but it pearceth through to the place to which it is sent if it light in faithful places it bringeth the power of God vnto saluation if it fall where infidelitie is or disobedience it maketh the hart as flint or as an Adamant stone This is the effecte of the Apostles meaning in these wordes whiche you haue hearde The prophet Esaie to the same purpose vseth an apt similitude who speaketh thus in the name of the lord Surely as the rayne commeth downe and the snowe from Heauen and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it to bring forth and budde that it may giue seede to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shall my worde be that goeth out of my mouth it shal not returne vnto me in vaine but it shall accomplish that which I wil it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it This Iohn Baptist taught vs going before Christ to prepare his way when hee cryed to the people Euery vallie shal be filled and euery Mounteine and hill shall bee brought lowe crooked things shal be made streight the rough wayes shal be made smoothe and all flesh shall see the saluation of God meaning hereby that all offences and stumbling blockes should bee taken away no power in the worlde should be so greate which should not giue place to this word whiche is the power of God to saue all that doe beleeue The scriptures are ful of suche testimonies of the nature and strength of Gods worde to teache vs bothe to feare before it and to humble our selues for it wil preuaile and also to try our heartes that it may haue in vs a good and profitable work rather to renue vs in the spirit then to harden vs in the deceits of sinne but let vs now come to the words of the Apostle examine thē in all their proper meaning It is said first The word of God is liuing which propertie may be atttributed to the worde of God in diuerse respects first in respect of vs because it quikneth vs into a spirituall life and without it we are in darknesse in the shadow of death therfore it is a liuing word and the seede of our new birth So Sainct Paul saith to the Corinthians In Christ Iesu I haue begotten you through the gospel And S. Iohn sayth Of his owne wil hath he begotten vs with the word of life expreslie calling it the liuing worde or the worde of life because it quickneth vs as I saide into a spirituall life wherin without all doubting we are taught assuredlie to know that if euer we will become the children of GOD that we shall no more liue our selues but what Christ may liue in vs thus we must be borne and thus we must be made a new in takeing into vs the seede of the worde of God and then as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of it that we may grow thereby in the fulnesse of our agee in Christe If the Papistes did well vnderstande this they should also vnderstand with it that them selues were bastards no children as being borne of mortall seede of fathers of counsels of decrees of Popes not of the immortall seede whiche is the woorde of god Another cause why the word is called liuing is in respect of it selfe because it is eternall and abideth euer according to the nature of the liuing God whose word it is so Sainct Peter expresly calleth it where he saith we be borne of a newe immortall seede by the word of the liuing God and abiding for euer therefore attributing life and immortalitie vnto the worde because it is of the liuing and immortal God of which we ought to learn that there is no wisedome no instruction no discipline by whiche we can apprehend eternall life but only the wisdome and instruction of the worde of God for what an absurd thing is it that the wisdom of man which is vaine as man is vaine which is transitorie earthly is abolished should leade mee into that life which fadeth not but is eternall in heauen yea what an absurd thing I say is it seing we ourselues and all that is in vs before the presence of the Lord must needes be changed so that no man possible cā see him and liue yet to think that our wisdome can leade vs vnto him or our reason can approche vnto the places where his glorie dwelleth Surely dearly beloued this is much more folie then to seeke to gather grapes of thornes or figges of brambles for it is to seeke for light in darkenesse and for life in death for out of a corrupt minde a froward heart we seeke for holie obedience and immortalitie as many as say that without the word of God they can please him the papists do not yet vnderstād this and therefore they wearie them selues with their owne inuentions and multiplie ceremonies in their churches which God will cast out as he hath begon til their madnesse be made manifest to all nations An other cause yet there is why the worde of God is called Liuing and this cause moste agreeable to this place That is because it enteret◅ with power into euerie part of vs so that as our life is dispersed into euerie parte and we feele it both in griefe and pleasure euen so the vertue of the woord of God pearceth into euerie member to bruise as the prophet saith the verie bones or to fill them with marrow and fatnesse this sense is plaine and agreeable to al the words following and in this same meaning Solomon calleth it also A liuing worde as his words are plaine The
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
No creature at all shal yelde his seruice vnto them the elememtes of the worlde shall seeme to melt away This state of miserie Christe entred into and sunke downe deepe in this confusion and who can expresse his sorrow Beeing full of goodnesse he had the reward of euil full of obedience he was punished as wicked full of faith yet had the reward of a sinner inheritour of all things and Lord of all yet nothing at al to doe him duetie the King of Kings and Lord of lordes yet made an outcast and abiect of the people the ruler of all and God of glorie yet compassed with shame and great confusion the authour of life yet wrapped in the chaynes of eternall death the onely begotten of his father and his best beloued yet cast off as a straunger and chasticed as an enimie the brightnesse of glorie and the beautie of the highest heauens yet crucified in dishonour and throwne downe into hell O picture of perfect wretchednesse and image of miserie howe iust cause founde he to crie out alowde My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee his whole bodie and nature like vnto vs altogether broken with the rewarde of sinne his soule powred out into all calamitie the wrath of his father and condemnation resting vpon him How truely may we here say and confesse the article of our faith He descended into hell How liuely do we see it perfourmed that the Prophet speaketh of The snares of death compassed me and the paines of hell tooke holde vpon me I found trouble and sorrow This was the cōpassion that he had towardes vs by whiche he suffered with our infirmities more then Aaron or all the priestes of the lawe coulde possibly haue done for vs If we could possiblie consider dearely beloued as we should we would gladly imbrace him as the high priest for euer of the new testament when we shal be made of one fashion with him throughe some measure of his afflictiō to feele the weight of our sinnes then we shall confesse what cause he had of complayning and how dearely hee hath bought the honour of the high Priest and Mediatour The Lord lighten the eyes of our minde that with open countenāce we may behold him who for our sakes endured such a death of the crosse wee shoulde not then need many exhortations the remembrance of the latter end would keepe vs safe from sinne But let vs now see what the Apostle further teacheth vs and while our sauiour Christe is in these greate extremities what fruite of well doing he hath learned by it It followeth And although he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the things he suffored Lo dearly be loued this was no little profit of all his troubles he learned thereby how and what it was to obey his father that when these things rested all vpon him yet he could say in meekenesse of spirit Not my will my father but thy wil be done he might haue great boldnesse that his obedience was perfect The shame of the worlde the afflictions of the flesh the vexations of the minde the paines of Hell when these coulde make him vtter no other wordes but Father as 〈◊〉 wilt so let it be done what hope what faith did he surely build on that his obedience was precious in the sight of his father this example is our instruction We knowe then best how we loue the Lord when wee feele by experience what we wil suffer for his sake It is an easie thing to be valiant before the combate or to dreame of a good courage before the hart be tryed but in dede to be vnshaken in the midst of the tempest and to stand vpright when the ground vnder thee doth trēble this is to knowe assuredly thou art strong in deede and to say with boldenesse thou shalt neuer be moued this our Sauiour Christe might throughly glorie of The heauen earth and elementes they were all his enimies his Father in whome he trusted shewed him an angrie countenaunce he that fainted not but cryed stil Thy wil be done O Father he may be bold of his obedience there is no creature can make him falsifie his faith If this be the fruite of our afflictions the Apostle speaketh not without great occasion Account it for an exceding ioy when ye fall into sundrie troubles For what can bee more ioyful vnto the soule that is oppressed then to giue this in experience that neither hight nor deapth shall remoue him from the lord The glory of Abraham was exceeding great when he had sealed it with practise that he would forsake his countrie his kinred and his fathers house at the commaundemēt of God to go whether he would shew him then he knew by good proofe hee was made worthy of Christe when he could forsake Father mother house lande and all thinges to come vnto him The patience of Iob was not thoroughly knowen till all his goods were spoyled and he left exceedinge bare in that case when he spake so boldely Naked came I out of my moothers womb and naked shal I returne again the Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken away as the Lord wil so is it done the name of the Lord be praysed for euer Nowe might Iob be sure of the strong patience which should bring foorth hope that neuer should be confounded Our brethren before vs whiche so constantly haue holden the professiō of their faith that y flames of fire could not make it wauer they had a good witnesse that their election was sure when they might speake by experience that neither life nor death coulde remoue them from the loue of God. Thus the good grounde is knowen what it is when the heate can not scorche it nor bryers and thornes turne the good corne into weedes but thoroughe all stormes it will giue nourishment to the seede til it giue greater increase to Gods honour and glorie The best of vs all let vs thanke God for this profitable experience for before it come vnto vs we knowe not howe great the rebellion of the fleshe will be The Apostles of Christ they bragged not a little that they woulde neuer forsake their maister Christ he alone had the wordes of eternal life and they would not chaunge him for another they beleeued him they knewe him to be Christ the fonne of the liuing God and there was no other sauiour But when they sawe the swordes and staues the rulers offended the people in an vprore the crosse at hande their courage fell downe they forsooke him all and fled away Peter was not a litle stoute as himselfe was persuaded he would neuer forsake Christe though he should die for his name and for proofe of his courage he drewe his sword stroke so venterously that he had almoste slaine one he seemed to be at a point and fully resolued that he would not leaue his maister till the sworde shoulde diuide them but alas this boldnesse was
if it should happen you to fall downe into hell Christe hath descended also you should then be moste like him in his agonies and bloudie sweates The third cause at this time which I will touch is this God sendeth vs sundry chasticementes and especiallie that which is moste grieuous of al other the anguish of spirite and affliction of the soule for this purpose that we should be warned in time how to turne vnto him be free from the plague when it commeth for the iudgements of God that are dayly preached vnto vs they pearce deepe into the heartes of the true beleeuers and the worde that they heare it woorketh mightilie in them more sharp in their eares then a two edged swoord it entreth thorough them euen to the diuiding a sunder of the soule and of the spirite and of the ioyntes and of the marrowe and examine all the thoughts and the intentes of the heart so that it is vnpossible that any part of them should be hidde but they are all open vnto iudgement and heare the voice of the Lorde Then their sinne is reuiued in the midst of their bowels their coÌ„science hath no rest they feele death working in their hearts and hel is before theÌ„ they see sinne on their right hande and Satan on their left shame vnder their feete and an angrie Iudge aboue them y world ful of destructioÌ„ without and a worme gnawing the heart within the poore sinner knoweth not what to do to hide him selfe it is impossible and to appeare it is intollerable then hee breaketh out into lowde cryinges O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death he giueth no rest vnto his eyes nor sleepe vnto his eyelids vntill hee finde him that is able to saue him from this wrath in his bedde by night he seeketh him whome his soule loueth in the streetes and open places he inquireth after him and after many dayes in whiche he cannot finde him Christ sheweth him selfe at the last a perpetual deliuerer a victorious Lion of the tribe of Iuda in whome he hath strong saluation when hee hath mourned because of y plague that was before him Christ will approch neere and wipe away the teares from his eyes This y Prophet Abacuch setteth forth in his own person WheÌ„ I heard saith he the word of God my bellie trembled my lips shooke at the voice roâ—…nnesse entred into my bones I trembled in my selfe that I might haue rest in the day of trouble Euen so dearely beloued it is with vs all The plagues of God because they are pronounced against iniquitie it maketh the childe of God to feare and tremble that so foreseeing the harme he might prepare him helpe and because of the destroyer seeke without wearines vnto the sauiour though he hide him selfe at the first the wounded spirite and troubled hart must nedes finde him-out A great cause of vnspeakeable gladnesse though wee seeme swalowed vp of pensiue sorrowe We are full of griefe but we are chastised of the Lord because we should not be coÌ„demned with the world we die with Christ but because we should liue with him wee lament and weepe but because that Christe might wipe away all teares from our eyes we are deliuered vnto death for Iesus sake but because the life of Iesus should be made manifest in our flesh we beare about in our bodies the mortification of the Lord Iesus but because the life of Iesus might be manifest also in our bodies we haue anguishe of spirite and vexation of minde such as hath not bene from the beginning but for this cause that when souden destruction shall come vpon the carelesse world we might lift vp our heades and beholde our redemption at hande Let vs then be bolde and in patience possesse our soules for these causes we are nowe afflicted that wee might receiue mercie and finde grace to helpe in the time of neede for this cause we tremble and are affraide that after many praiers and supplications we might be deliuered from the things which we haue feared It followeth in the Apostle And beeing consecrate he was made the authour of saluation to all them that obey him In these wordes wee ate taught what 〈◊〉 and coÌ„moditie we haue through these bitter sufferinges of our Sauiour Christ and also by what meanes we are made partakers of it the fruite is eternall saluation the meanes to go vnto it is obedience in the first we learne that all promise and hope of life is in Christe alone hee hath alone the wordes of liâ—…e he is alone the breade of life the water of life the authour of life the word of life the tree of life the onlie life hee that beleeueth in him hee hath euerlasting life and he that dwelleth not in him shall see no life but the wrath of God abideth on him Take holde of Christ and take holde of life reach foorth thine hand to any other thinge and thou reachest vnto vanitie which cannot helpe Looke not for life but where it dwelleth in the flesh of Christe alone there it resteth Death hath reigned in all the world beside and led euery creature into bondage If thou looke vnto the heauens there is but vexation and anguishe if thou looke vnto the earth there is but darknesse and sorrow if thou call vnto Abraham he knoweth thee not if thou cry vpon Angels they can not helpe thee if thou looke vnto thy workes they are all vncleane if thou truste in thy prayers the Lorde hath no pleasure in them call for the helpe of al creatures they are subiect to vanitie there is no life but in Christ alone The elders the Angels the baestes and all creatures they giue this honour vnto Christe Saluation is of him that sitteth vppon the throne and of the Lambe and altogether they cry Amen And if all the creatures which yet are excellent good are not of power to giue anie peece of this life then what shall we think of those people enimies to God and murderers of his Saincts which so long haue made vs beleeue that they haue life in them selues that they can forgiue vs our sinnes for yeares euen as they will manie or fewe that they can make sacrifices propitiatorie for vs y they can purge vs by purgatorie fiers that their Pilgrimages their pardons their vowes their holie orders and such other spiritual drunkennesse of their sicke braines that these be auailable to purchase life If they will not be reclaimed let vs rest in the counsels of our God and say with Iohn He that hurteth let him hurt still and hee that is filthy let him be filthy still It is inough for vs that Christ is our life that our life is hid with Christe in God when Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glorie Now while we are in the dayes of our pilgrimage the way that wee must walke vnto this
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
sunne doth cōpasse it about then what strength of the world can make it stand in this wide emptie space compassed with the firmament The sea that is so great violent who can stop the proud waues of it or make it kepe his course to rise or fall The diuel may for a while dul our harts that we may be made like the horse mule in whome is no vnderstanding and think of chaunce and fortune and we can not tell what so that for all these workes we be neuer the better but if the power of the diuell be broken and we be carried out of the darknes that he hath scattered before vs our hearts shall see feele it and our tongs wil confesse The heauens declare the glorie of God the firmament sheweth his handie worke And not only in these things which before the simplest eyes are greate and merueilous but in euery thing we shall learne wisdome When we see the constancie that God keepeth with the day night which haue their course for euer we will see much more y certeintie of his counsel the assured couenant that he hath made with his childrē When we see how he cloatheth the flowers of the fieldes and feedeth the young byrds that call vpon him much more we wil knowe that he will not leaue his elect in their infirmities but will cloathe their nakednesse and minister food vnto them And to be short in all things we shall behold the goodnesse of God and as the Prophet Dauid heere doth aboue all workes we shall acknowledge his goodnesse toward man whom alone he careth for aboue all other and whome alone he hath made ruler ouer all his creatures with which thoughtes wisely conceiued it is vnpossible but wee should be stirred vp with thankfulnesse and with all our power shewe forth his praise who hath had so greate mercie vpon vs. It followeth Thou hast made him a little while inferiour to Angels In these words y prophet breaketh vp this praise of Christ with an acknowledgement of his present state in earth that if one should think Where is all this glorie Where is this honour he speaketh of Was not his life in much affliction Least any should be offended with this cogitation hee preuenteth it thus as if he had said And thy sonne ô Lord whome thou hast exalted so highly and giuen vs this glorie through him we confesse thou didest abase him and madest him a while inferiour to thine Angels and gauest him vp vnto death for thy peoples sinnes but thou diddest raise him againe and gauest him honour and victorie ouer death and sinne The prophet Esaie in the like purpose doth notably set out this great humbling of our Sauiour Christe not onely beneath Angels but beneath the lowest condition of all men and after sheweth how God would raise him vp againe aboue all his enimies that no man should be offēded at his crosse And in this we learne that in deede he had experience of euill he was in deede abased in deede bate our sinnes in his bodie and was truely broken for our transgressions that in the feeling of his sorrowe we might the more sensiblie see what was all his loue towardes vs And for as muche as the glorie here spoken of is ours as we be members of Iesu Christ to whome it is giuen we learne here so to loke for this glorie cuē as our Sauiour Christ hath attained vnto it before vs God humbled him vnto a lowe degree that he might exalt him our life must be as his we must suffer with him that wee may come vnto his glorie Without him we are borne in anger in him we be reconciled throughe many afflictions He that liketh not thus to go vnto glorie he may lye downe againe in his shame where Christ did finde him and make the worlde witnesse of his vnspeakable follie And he that will murmur against these afflictions in this way of life whiche are no other then Christe him selfe did suffer a thousand-folde more then he hath left them for vs let him leaue his redeemer and dwell againe in the bondage of death that the Angels may beate witnesse of an vnthankfull wretche But we dearely beloued as many as glorie in the crosse of Christ we must reloyce in afflictions and thinke the reproche of Christe more honourable then any ornaments of Golde and siluer Let vs comfort our selfe in this that thought Christ were humbled and our heartie desire is to beare the yoke with him yet his oppressiours liue not euer The seripture saith it is but a verie litle while that thus y hast made him lower then Angels euen so are all our troubles as a cloude that is blowen away or as the dark night against the appearance of y Sunne a verie litle while and they are no more We may call it as Paule did The momentanie lightnesse of this affliction or as Peter did A litle while now we are made sorowfull or as the Prophet Dauid did Heauines may endure for a night euen so it is with vs all and what so euer our troubles be many in number great in weight grieuous in circumstance why shoulde we murmur The Sunne that shineth giueth a salue vnto them the day that vanisheth drieth vp the wound in a verie litle while it is quite forgotten A blessed medicine that neyther al Apothecaries can make worse with drugges nor all tyrants can keepe it away with prisons nor all frowardnesse of the patient can make it of lesse vertue but all afflictions whatsoeuer they be they are healed with this if we be humbled with Christ a verie litle while and all is cured If this be not ynough to prepare our hearts to tribulation that they are our leaders to a perpetuall ioy nor this ynough that Christ hath tasted of them all before vs and we shal be like vnto him yet this is ynough euen for a froward man that though all troubles doe come vpon vs yet a verie litle while and they are all consumed This is the goodnesse of God toward his church he would not lengthen the dayes of their life into many hundred yeares as he did at the firste when his Churche had greater peace For if nowe wee had suche liues it is vnspeakeable what shoulde bee the oppression of the godlie what tyrannie of the wicked Howe would they swell in pride and tread the godlie vnder foote if they should liue many hundred yeres that now doe hate vs to death beyond death shewing crueltie to our bones and ashes when their owne feete stand at y graues mouth and the earth is ready to swallowe them vp Howe would the mightie men make vs laboure out all the strength of our body the couetous men make vs pine with hunger the ambitious men poure contempt and shame vpon vs if now since their minde is so fraught with malice their bodies had also strength of a thousād yeres But a short