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
he beginneth this worke of his eternall decree to bring his sonne into his kingdome all the Angels of heauen shall worship before him and shal a mortal man so farre exalt himselfe in his wisedome in his richesse in his honour in his nobilitie in his crowne in his kingdome that he shall thinke it a disgrace to giue all his life to the Gospell Can fleshe puffe it selfe vp so farre aboue the Angels O dearely beloued if we be happie let vs learne this and let vs further the worke of the Lorde the Angels worke with vs If we will not we shall pine away in our owne enuious idlenesse and without vs the Sainctes and Angels shall giue Christ his glorie Another thing here we may marke howe it is attributed to God the Father this glorifying of Christ for so he saith when he bringeth his first begotten sonne into the world Whereby we learne that it is the worke of God and let not vs boast for though he vouchsafe to set our hande to his businesse yet our hande that is but vanitie doeth wither awaye in the worke except God giue it vertue that it should haue fruite We cannot so much as speake except he put his spirite into our mouth and when we do speake with a good measure of grace yet the ignorant do not heare vs except he prepare their hearts and still our worke is nothing worth but he alone worketh al in al. And for this purpose that we shoulde giue him the glorie of his owne woorke and not seeke our owne praise therefore hee hath chosen his workmen as you see Not many wisemen of the worlde not many mightie not many noble but commonly men of small account a few in number he giueth them tongs to speake and they carie his Gospel ouer mightie kingdoms and make it flourish when al the powers of the realme haue armed them selues against it And all this that we shoulde confesse as here the Apostle saith it is he it is not we that giue this kingdome vnto christ And seeing it is his worke who is able to bring all his purposes to passe it shal be our wisedome to further that which God himselfe will make to flourish and prosper whether we will or no. And where it is here saide Let all the Angels worship him he giueth our Sauiour Christ a cleare testimonie so to be the sonne of God in petson that he is also in nature one the same God with his father For whome shoulde the angels worship but God alone who in themselues haue suche power giuen them of God that one is able to destroye whole kingdomes and suche glorie that our eyes cannot beholde them And seeing God hath made this law Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him alone shalt thou serue and yet the Angels worship Christ how cleare a proofe is it that Christe is God for we knowe their perfect and willing obedience and therefore we pray Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heauen So that the Iewes might throughly know that seeing the Angels did worship him and had so their charge from God therfore Christ was one God in the maiestie of the father And most true it is our sauiour Christ without that nature had neuer taken that honour vpon him The Apostles of Christe Paule Peter Barnabas other men of excellent gifts and singular power to worke mightily sighes and miracles yet would they neuer heare the name of worship Peter vtterly refuseth Paule and Barnabas they rent their clothes being rauished with zeale of gods glorie when it is once offered them Nay the Angels them selues whiche are greater then all kinges they cannot abide it as manifestly we see in the Angel whiche appeared vnto Iohn when Iohn would haue fallen downe at his feete to worshippe him the Angel gaue him streight charge Take hede thou do it not for I am but a fellow-seruant with thee and then teacheth him that which heere we learne that worship only apperteineth to God so that this text serueth the Apostles purpose very fitly both to the cōfession of the godhead of Christ in his preferring so farre aboue Angels that the Israelites might more equally beare it that he should be preferred before Moses In the 7. verse wher he saith he maketh his Angels ministring spirits wee muste note that this name the Apostle giueth them as that wherein is their greatest honour For otherwise if he named in the Angels thinges of least account it had bene no proofe of the glorie of Christ but naming that by which they most excelled yet exalting Christ so farre aboue them it is cleare proofe of his excellēt glorie aboue all creatures So I say here we must note that that holie ghost attributeth this to the Angels as their highe honour that they are ministring spirites wherin let vs wel consider what it is to serue the liuing God and how truely it is said his seruice is perfect freedome If he be an Angel hee hath no greater glorie and who are wee and what are our fathers houses that can fancie vnto our selues more honour then to feare before God and walke obediently in his commaundements Howe many times doe Abraham Isaak Iacob Iosue Moses Dauid and all the good kings of Iudah how many times doe they intitle them selues the sonne of GOD how many times doth God shewe foorth his great loue and fauour vnto diuerse men vnder this name to call them his seruants Or who was euer heard of except Senacharib or Pharaoh or men like vnto them that would boast otherwise and say Who is the Lord that I should heare his voice I knowe not the Lorde neither will I let his people go Praye dearely beloued that wee may haue eyes to see and cares to heare and hearts to vnderstand vnto what honour in this day we bee called for most assuredly true it is and all the Angels of heauen beare wittnes vnto it that in the world there is no greater glorie then to serue the lord If thou were as highe as the Prophet Dauid yet Dauid had no greater glory to boast of then this Behold Lord for I am thy seruant I am thy seruat the sonne of thine hand maide Or if thou were a king aboue all kinges full of wisedome riches honor as Solomon king of Israel yet to be the seruaunt of the Lorde were thy greatest dignitie aboue titles of kingdomes and countries this were most honourable Solomon the preacher the sonne of Dauid Yea the Angels of whom we speake they haue al their glorious names of Thrones Powers Rules Principalities Dominions in this respect that they be the seruantes of the Lorde to execute these his mightie workinges and take away from them this seruice of God you take away the honour of their highe calling So assuredly we may beleeue confesse it boldly that amōg men there is no other honour but this If God haue made my life to
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
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
following on the contrarie parte the Apostle setteth downe what is the proper glorie of Angels that by plaine comparison this dignitie of Christ might more appeare and so of Angels he addeth that they be all ministring spirits sent out for the safetie of those whiche shall inherite saluation Where he calleth them ministring spirites according to the testimonie of Dauid before alledged He maketh his Angels spirits and his ministers a flâ—… of fire which bothe names spirites and ministers the one of nature the other of office he bringeth thus into the proper definition that they be ministring spirites And because the ministerie of any creature may be in diuerse things therefore to take away this vncerteintie wherein their ministerie should be hee addeth streight that they are ministers for the safetie of Gods electe So setting out a perfect definition of an Angel fully comprehending all that wee can or ought to knowe of those blessed spirites I for all their glorie is comprehended in the nature of a spirite and the prayse which continually they sing vnto God is comprehended in their ministerie for they are named ministers according to Gods ordinaunce and good pleasure so that with continuall praise and thankesgiuing and reioycing in the Lorde they doe their worke as after their example we make our prayer Thy will be done in earth us it is in Heauen Now vpon this definition of Angels and the former testimonies of the great glorie of the sonne of God our Sauiour Iesus Christ by good comparison the Apostles conclusion is plaine and manifeste that seeing our Sauiour Christ is so exalted euen aboue the angels in all the honour of a King a Priest a Prophet wee ought much more so to acknowledge him aboue Moses aboue Aaron aboue all Temple sanctuarie mercie seate and all ordinances of the lawe that he might be alone our onely health and saluation And thus hee finisheth this first Chapter in which I saide he setteth out the person of Christe according to his Godhead bodily dwelling within him Now touching the wordes what we haue to note of this where he saith to which of the angels saide he at any time I then sufficiently declared vnto you as God gaue me grace when I expounded the v. verse Likewise of Christes sitting at the right hand of God I spake more fully expounding the third verse Where it is here added Till I make thine enimies thy foote stoole The Apostle Sainct Paule speaking of this victorie of Christ he saith He shall abolish all rule and authoritie and power noting as he faith in an other place that we wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities and powers against worldly rulers of this darkenesse against spirituall wickednesse in high places wherein we see of what force and strength our enimies are And because he saith The last enimie shal be abolished which is death we see that there shall neuer want enimies to the Churche whereby wee shoulde be prouoked in regarde of our continuall daunger to be euer watchinge and because of our stronge enimies onely to put our truste in Christe And here I beseech you let our hearts be in out owne wayes and of our naturall life let vs learne wisdome least we be also vpbraided of our Sauiour Christ that we can discerne the face of the earth of the skie but we can not iudge of our selues what is right Tell me who of vs hauing a long iourney by many theeues and wilde beastes or passing the rockie seas in great and violent stormes though lie escape a place or two where no theefe is not aâ—…ye beaste hath molested him yet at euerie place of daunger his feare is still renued And thoughe he haue passed many highe surges and deepe gulphes of water yet at euerie waue hee is still affraide not carelesse because he hath passed farre but still carefull because there is more behinde and this wisedome we vse because we know we may as well fall toward our iourneyes end and as well bee drowned before the hauens mouthe as when we first began our daungerous voyage Euen so with the Church of Christ in which this day we confesse our selues to haue our portion from the first day of her peregrination in earth till her last entraunce into glorie there is a perpetuall hatred betweene the serpent and her head and betweene the seede of the serpent and her children in which strife euerie one of vs particularly haue our fight so that from our mothers wombe till we lie downe in the graue our life is a warrefare vpon earth No age no condition of life no day no night but brings his enimie with him and the same enimie armed with sinne and death as well against the man of an hundred yeares olde as against the childe that is newe borne and as well we may fall into condemnation through apostasie of old croked age as through concupiscence and pride of youth And if at any time we become secure like a carelesse people who haue our senses dulled with an idle dreame of peace it is not because webe out of danger but according to the parable in the gospel The strong man hath possessed aâ—… therfore al things seme to be so safe sure Let vs therefore be wise shake off the weight of this dull sluggishnes which presseth vs downe that with attentiue eares wee may willingely heare his louing counsell who one day will breake the strongest head of all our enimies Hee biddeth vs watche and pray because wee knowe not the day nor yet the houre and so much the rather let vs doe it because we stand not in danger of robbing or drowning or tearing with wilde beastes which yet would make vs affraide though death should end our miserie but we stand in daunger of greater calamities when death shal be abolished whether we shal be accursed in eternall fire or whether wee shal be the blessed of the Lorde And as the perill is great so we haue heard the enimies are strong and such as before whome we are verie cowards for be we otherwise neuer so valiaunt to indure paine to quarell to fight to despise any daunger as it is the manner of a great many ruffians in deed but men of good courage they would bee called bring mee one of them in battell against these enimies wee haue to striue against pride against concupiscence against idle games against all sinne and thou shalte see no boy no woman no sickeman so verie a cowarde he hath not the heart to strike one blowe but yeeldeth him selfe a slaue and is led away as an oxe to the slaughter-house Let vs therefore watch Let vs pray for in this dangerous battell in which these strong men are verie cowardes what can we do Euen let vs denie our selues and trust vnto him that sitteth on the right hand of his father and hee shall make all our enimies our footestoole And this word we must not lightly
glorifie god in al their life the ioyes of heauen do somwhat moue them and the paines of hell do muche astonishe them they see and know what gods maiestie is vnspeakable and his glorie infinite his fauour is better then life and his displeasure is vntollerable the glorie of his presence the fiercenesse of his wrath these thinges do touche them because they would escape his iudgement so still it is them selues that they loue If there were neither heauen nor hell they would not care for God nor Christe so as I said this is all their obedience because they loue them selues but the godly they obey for the loue of God their owne soule is not so deare vnto them as the name of the Lord to see it glotified nor their owne life is precious vnto them if the powring of it out may be to the praise of his holie name Thus muche of the difference betweene the good and euil as touching the graces of God which they haue both receiued whereby we see plaine that faith and loue are two especiall properties by which the good and euill are distinguished and by which we may trie our selues if we be lightened as the wicked or as the elect of god Nowe let vs see the manner of rebellion howe farre they fall away first we must obserue what points the Apostle hath before named in the beginning of y chapter he mētioneth repentāce frō dead works faith toward god the doctrine of baptisme laying on of hands and resurrectiō frō the dead eternall iudgmēt which here he calleth y beginning foundatiō of christian amitie then he speaketh of an apostacie or falling away frō all these pointes heere named euen from the foundation firste beginnings of the christian faith so y all the former light is quite put out the first vnderstāding is al takē away they laugh now at repentance the first faith they accōpt it folishnes they esteme not of our baptisme no more then of y washing of their hands for any confirmation or solemne receiuing thē into the church of God they care not for it the resurrection of the dead doth but feede them with mery conceits they think pleasantly with them selues what maner of bodies they shal haue the eternal iudgment though it make thē somtime affraid yet they incourage thē selues againe say tush it is a great way off thus they haue turned light into darknes knowledge into ignorance hope into errour faith into infidelitie glory into shame life into death Speake to thē of the sonne of God they make a iest with the man of Galilie tel them of the sauiour of y world they wil call him y Carpentars sonne such a generall apostacie the Apostle speaketh of and this he calleth the fall from which man can not rise againe by repentance for how can they repent when the Apostle noteth them by this mark among other that they are fallen from repentance they are now as S. Paul saith past sorow for their sinnes as it is in the 2. to the Romanes they haue a hart y cannot repēt so saith s. Peter that they haue such eyes as can not ceasse from sinning Whē they haue done al things y are abhominable yet thei will say wherin haue we sinned so they contemne because they are in y deapth they cannot returne because they shal finde no grace they haue sinned against the holie ghost cōdemnation is their portion they shall neuer repent but fal into iudgement and thus farre of their sinne howe greate it is The thirde thing we haue here to consider is with what minde they doe committe this greate sinne which heere the apostle setteth out with these wordes they crucifie againe vnto them selues the sonne of God and make a mocke of him whiche what can it be else but euen with the spirite of the diuell as saint Paule saith to say that Christe is accursed for was not he made vpon his crosse a curse for vs y we might be made righteousnesse to God through him they y crucifie him againe say they not againe y he hath a diuel y by Belzebub y prince of y diuels he casteth out diuels doth not their hart loade him againe with all opprobrie and shame where it is said they do this vnto thēselues it noteth how desirously willingly with what cōsent of mind they doe it euen so as they would againe haue the crosse of Christ a mocking stocke in the world thus their owne conscience is their accuser of most wicked rebellion against god This also appeareth plaine in the 12. Chapter of Saint Mathew where when our sauiour Christ wil accuse y Phariseis of this great sinne it is saide that he sawe their thoughtes So in the Actes of the Apostles where the graces of God are magnified by the preaching of Paule and Barnabas it is said of the Iewes that when they sawe it they were full of enuie rayling and gainesaying all that Paule and Barnabas had taught So againe Paule saith to Elymas O thou that art full of all subtiltie and mischiefe And it is written of Saule king of Israel who so highly hated and persecuted Dauid yet he saide Beholde I knowe that thou shalt be king and that the kingdome of Israell shall be established in thy hande by these places it is cleare that their conscience and heart filled with enuie and malice doe make them with all greedinesse to committe abhomination And according as they haue thus caste off God so God againe hath cast off them and giuen them vp to their owne vile affections so that it is come vnto them according to the true prouerbe The dogge is returned to his vomit and the swine that is washed to the wallowing in the mire their hearts are fatte as brawne that they can not repent and their faces as brasse that they can not be ashamed and therfore their sinne is written with an yron penne grauen with the point of a Diamond that it may be kept in remembraunce before the Lorde And here againe we see the weake consciences that tremble for feare of their transgressions and mourne all the day for feare of their sinnes they are so farre off from the sinne against the spirite of God that the spirite cryeth in their behalfe Comforte ye comfort ye my people sayth your God speake comfortably to Hierusalem and crye vnto her that her warrfare is accomplished and her iniquitie is pardoned for she hath receiued of the Lord double for all her sinne Their godly sorowe hath brought forth their repentance which is vnto saluation and wherof againe they shall neuer repēt them Neither let thē here be discouraged with the exāples of Esau Iudas or any such who may seeme to haue beene sorrowfull for they were not sorroful for their sinnes as it is plainely testified of Esau that he contemned his birthright but they lamented their ruine and condemnation neither did
holden by traditiōs but writtē by Moses not in doubtful testimonie but in manifest shew of the glorie of god And this their opinion they did not think was any coniectural exposition but the manifest word as it was oft repeated that this should be an ordinaunce to them for ouer For this cause the Apostle hauing compassion vpon his weake brethren who beleued in Christ but were also thus addicted to the law he writeth vnto them this Epistle by all meanes persuading them neuer to ioyne together our sauiour Christ with the Ceremonies of the lawe whose glorie is perfect in him self alone and all height must be abased before him He created alone and he will redeeme alone He made alone and he wil saue alone and to be set in cōparison with him all the gold siluer precious stones all the ornaments of the temple they are but Beggerlie Elements Nothing else in earth nothing vikler earth nothing in heauen nor in the heauen of heauēs no vertue no power no strength no name else that is named in which or by which we can be saued but only the name of Iesus christ And for this cause this epistle was written Wherin it shal be good for vs to marke how from the beginning sathan hath striuen to obscure and darken the glorie of Christe and howe hee hath holden stil the same purpose vnchaungeably euen to our dayes First he chaūged him selfe into an Angel of light with glorious names of Moses Moses vnder pretence of holinesse striuing against trueth a marueylous practise in those dayes inough to haue subuerted the faith of many For who would haue thought that such men so great louers of the lawe of the Temple of Moses should bee enimies of the true Mellias or be ignoraunt of the saluation and spirituall worship which he should teach them But here we learne not to ground our faith neither vpon the glorious wordes nor vppon the glorious hames of mortall men For this deceiued from the beginning but the worde it selfe must bee graffed in vs if we will not erre So now in these our last times in which the diuel striueth as at the firste wee see how many say vnto vs The church the church The pope the pope The fathers the fathers many thousandes are led with this sound of wordes yet in these wordes is no wisedome onely they renewe the olde deceipt in which the diuel first troubled the church of God For what is the Churche they speake of who is the pope who are their fathers are they greater then the Temple then the lawe then Moses if not then their names may be vsed for a cloke of falshood as y others were Then we must trie them and examine them whether it be a true churche or true fathers they speake of To follow a church you know not what is to trust to the Temple you knowe not how And knowe it well such wordes are but mockeries and such spirites are of error and darknesse The effect is proofe inough For the end of their religion is that ignorance is the mother of deuotion Now touching the author of this Epistle who it was it skilleth not For if the name had ben here what had it shewed but that God vsed the ministerie of such a man And now the time is not knowen it teacheth expressely the doctrine is of god And for this cause to the bookes of holie scripture names are sometime added sometime not that the doctrine of the Lorde might be vnto vs without respect of person And for my parte who wrote this Epistle I can not tell nor I see no cause why I should seeke it For when the spirite of God hath lest it out can I think it the better if I should adde it I remember Athanasius sayeth that since the Gospell was first preached this Epistle was euer thought to be Paules But Eusebius as boldly on the other side saith that he dareth constantly affirm as the sense is the Apostles so the phrase pēning is some other mans but whose God knoweth and thus much of the authour whome we will leaue as we finde him a faithfull wittnesse of Iesus Christ euen to the ends of the world but whose name we knowe not Now for the time in which it was written it is certein it was in y apostles dayes For if it had bene after the destruction of Ierusalem threatning so oft the anger of God to those who would despise his sonne no doubt he would haue mentioned so singular an example Besides this he maketh mention of Timothie as his companion and fellowe who was famous among the Apostles And it is like that this Epistle was written about the later end of the Apostles age because he saith that this doctrine first preached by the Lord hath now bene confirmed vnto vs by them that heard it And noting the time how long the Gospell had bene preached afore he sayth that time required that nowe they should be able to be teachers of it Againe in the x. chapter he putteth them in remembraunce that in times past they had suffered great and manifolde afflictions for the Gospels sake So that we easily see this Epistle as it is holie and Apostolicall in the trueth of doctrine so it hath also the honour of their time And thus farre of the occasion authour and time of this Epistle Now as briefly as I can I will shewe you the argument of the whole Epistle and that is this that onely in Iesus Christ is the forgiuenesse of our sinnes Which argument he handleth thus Firste setting out our sauiour Christ who he is in the ten firste chapiters Then howe saluation is thorough him in the residue of the Epistle In setting foorth our sauiour Christe who he is he sheweth first the nature of his person in the two first chapters then what is his office in the next eight Touching his person he teacheth first that he is perfect God in the first chapter then that he is perfect man in the second Chap. of which we wil speake more particularly in expoūding of the text Of his office whereof we said he intreateth in the viii next chapters he teacheth this firste that he is our Prophet from the beginning of the iii. chapter to the xiiii verse of the fourth then that he is our priest from thence to the xix verse of the x. chapter And though the Apostle of purpose and with great care do plainely teach that Christ is our king yet because this necessarily followeth of the other there was no doubt but that Messias their priest and prophet should be also their prince and king therefore he seemeth not to make any particular intreatie of this as of the other offices but as he was a kingly prophet a kingly priest and the sonne of God so in proofe of all these he maketh with them manifest proofes of his kingdome at in the text more plainely God willing I will
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
God God dwelleth in him and he in god And who soeuer he be that for any seare of man or for any cause maketh it not knowen that thus he beleueth or wil not professe his fayth the scripture testifieth against the thoughts of his heart and sayth plainlie He loueth the glorie of man more thē the glorie of god Let vs not be guiltie of so great sinne for this cause the calling of the Gentiles was so greatly magnified because the name of God should be greate from one end of the earth to the other Howe doe we holde our peace if wee be called in this couenant and not onelie so but what creature is there whiche is his dumbe nature sheweth not out the prayse of his Creatour The Heauens declare the glorie of GOD and the firmament sheweth his hand◅e woorke howe should then man of whome GOD hath bene esspecially mindful ty his toung so excellent a member of his bodie not with it speake forth y praise of God and make the world his witnes what faith he hathe in Christe But of this I spake before in the eleuenth lecture and vpon the twelfth verse Nowe let vs pray c. The thirteenth Lecture vpon the 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. verses to these wordes whose house c. 2 Who was faithful to him that hath ppointed him euen as Moses was in all his house 3 For this man is counted worthie of more glorie thē Moses in as much as he which hath builded the house hath more honour then the house 4 For euerie house is builded of some man he that hath built al things is God. 5 Now Moses verily was faithful in al his house as a seruant for a witnesse of the things which should be spoken after 6 But Christ is as the Sonne ouer his owne house c. I Tolde you the Apostle in this Chapter beginneth a speciall discourse of the prophesie of Christ first as you haue heard making an earnest exhortation for vs to hearken vnto him Nowe he goeth forwarde and teacheth what maner of Prophet Christ is and howe we ought to account him First that he was ordeined of God next that he was faithfull in his calling for he saith He was faithful to him that appointed him for in that the sonne of god was as we haue hard thus made man this was gods appointment to make him our Prophet and in that he was appointed of God he is set forth with his warrant that he did not glorifie him selfe to be our prophet but his father gaue him this honour by his glorious voice sounding out of the cloude This is my beloued sonne in whome I am wel pleased heare him and let vs take heede not to refuse or despise him that is thus sent of God and speaketh from Heauen least we should be found to striue against god And here that it is saide God appointed him wee see the roote and founteine of this loue that Christ should come a sauiour among vs It was not onely in the person of the Sonne who gaue his life for his sheepe but it was also in the person of the Father who so loued the worlde that Hee gaue his onely begotten Sonne that euerie one which beleeueth should not perish but haue life euerlasting So that we know as the worke instrument of our saluation is in Iesu Christ God and man who was crucified for our sinnes so the first cause is in God the Father who according to his owne purpose and will hath predestinated vs in Christ before the foundations of the worlde were laide that we should be vessels of honour to set foorth the praise of his glorie who had mercie vpon vs. And as we must giue vnto our Sauiour Christe the glorie of our redemption in the sacrifice of his bodie or else we denie him to be the Sonne of God so we must giue vnto the Father the praise of his mercie that hath freelie loued vs and predestinated vs eternallie vnto life or else we denie that he is the Father of our Lord Iesu Christ for as this is our profession that Christ hath done the deede so this is our profession that God the Father hath appointed him vnto it And as the Apostle speaketh here that God appointed him to be our Prophet so our Sauiour Christ euer acknowledgeth that he was sent of his Father The second thing here witnessed of Christ and in which we are assured he is our onelie prophet we are prouoked to hearkē vnto him is that He was faithful in all the house of God This faithfulnes is truth and integritie in discharge of this office committed to him wherein he set all his care and industrie that he might be found faultlesse that like as he was sent of God to be a Prophet to reueale his will so he did faithfully perfourme it teaching only the doctrine ordinances of his Father as in many places Christ testifieth this faith in his doing My doctrine saith he is not mine but his that sent me Againe I doe nothing of my selfe but as my father hath taught me so I speake And again The words that thou hast giuē me I haue giuen thē How diligently then ought we to heare such a Prophet as hath so faithfully spoken And here we haue all a verie good lesson taught vs in the person of Christ to what calling so euer we be called of God in the same let vs be faithfull if wee be preachers faithfull preachers if we be princes faithful princes if we be iudges faithfull iudges if we be treasurers faithful treasurers if we be merchants faithful merchants what soeuer we bee faithfulnesse must bee our praise for as Saint Paule requireth of all Hee that hath an office let him be diligent in his office so hee giueth this as the prayse of all diligence It is required of euerie dispenser that he be found faithfull and euerie vnfaithfull seruant shal be condemned in his worke in the day that his accompt is called for for he that hath bene vnfaithful in things of this life which are fraile and fewe how can he thinke there shall euer be committed vnto him eternallthings and infinite in number And we must heere also marke that it is say de of Christe He was faithfull to him that called him that is to God for vnto God wee must make our accompt of euery worke It is true that Kinges make their vnder officers but the offices are all of God Kinges serue to appoint the persons in this ministerie of man but God alone appointeth them their work which is the ministerie of his iustice and the safetie of his people of which he also will aske an accompte and before him we doe all that we doe When Iosaphat King of Iudah appointed his iudges and officers he giueth them this charge Remember that now you execute not the iudgemēts of man but of the lord Ther fore in euery office thou bearest the image of
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
By soule heere he meaneth that parte of vs in which our affections are as ioy sorrowe loue hatred anger mildenesse or any such motion of vs of good or euill By spirit he meaneth the moste excellent parte of vs in which is reason wisedome vnderstanding to consider and meditate of all the works of god By ioynts and marrow he mea◅ieth all the members of our body and thus Sainct Paule vseth these wordes of soule and spirite and bodie where he saith to the Thessalonians as it is in the fifth chapter The God of peace sanctifie you wholie that your spirit and soule and bodie may be kept blamelesse vntil the comming of Christ teaching vs what is a true Christian when his minde thinketh his soule desireth his body executeth nothing but what is faultlesse before God and man. So when the worde is saide to diuide betweene the soule and the spirit it noteth the mightie worke of it in the reprobate to wound all their thoughtes and desires with feare and terrour and with astonishment of heart contrarie in the electe it crucifieth the olde man with al the concupiscences and the desires of it When it is said to diuide betweene the ioynts and the marrow it sheweth the worke in all the members of our bodie to sell them vnder sinne to worke vncleannesse with greedines being hardened or to sanctifie them in the power of God that they may be seruaunts of righteousnesse vnto him being mollified To be short in soule spirite ioynts marrowe the Apostle meaneth that the word once heard the whole man is touched and al that is with in him feeleth streight a chaunge except a heauier iudgement be vpon him that he haue eares heare not wherein yet the worde hath a worke and maketh him fall deeper in the sleepe of sinne if we will learne examples are before vs of good euil what to leaue or what to choose The prophet Abacuche foreseeing the state of Christes church what daunger should be vnto it euen then to be oppressed again when it was not yet halfe growen vp he saith When I heard it my belly trēbled my lippes shooke at the voice rottennesse entred into my bowels and I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the day of trouble heere we see the worde diuiding betweene the ioynts and the marrow how it distempered the prophets whole bodie because of the heauie threatning of the Lorde and an excellent blessing was vnto him for this feare and trembling at the voice of the Lord in the day of trouble hee had rest So the Prophet Esay at Gods threatening against his church that euen in the dayes of Christe her peace should be broken off her flourishing glo rie shoulde againe be shadowed hee crieth my leanesse my leanesse wo is me as if he had said it consumed his flesh and wore away his beautie to heare the voice of the Lord against his people if thus wee feare in deede at Gods thretenings as his saincts do vnfeignedly reioyce at all his promises a good worke of his mightie woord is in vs and it is his power to our saluation but if we be despisers and regarde not the woord that is brought vnto vs a while we may seeme to be in peace as the sick man in his sleepe feeleth not his paine but the word will wounde at the last the spirite and wee shal feele it in our flesh what we haue despised We reade in Daniel of Belshazzar a proud king in the mids of his princes and all his roaltie he sawe a hand writing and the woorde of the Lorde was before his eyes streight his countenance was chaunged and his thoughtes troubled him so that the ioyntes of his loines were loosed and his knees smote one against another such feare and terrour came vpō him whē the voice of the lord did pronounce his iudgment And not onely thus but we see it further the wicked not onely wounded but also slaine with the word of God. When many of the rulers of the people of Israel led the people to moste shamefull idolatrie the prophet Ezechiel was sent to preache vnto them and when hee prophecied before them Pelatiah the Sonne of Benaiah one of the Princes which seduced the people he dyed in his presence A like example is of Ananias and Sapphira who at the voice of Peter did bothe fall downe dead so true it is that the word is forceable to deuide and enter betwene our reines that is to sley the wicked and to quicken the godlie Last of all it is here said that the word discerneth betwene the thoughts and intents of the heart meaning that how so euer the heart of man is prepared the woord of God directeth it either more to be hardened with the deceites of sinne or wholie to bee renewed to the loue of righteousnesse It followeth nowe Neither is thereany creature which is not manifest in his sight but all thinges are naked and open vnto his eyes with whome we haue to doe These words shewe an excellent proofe of all the former things spoken of the word for seeing it is the word of God how should it not haue the power of God if among men as euery one hath moste power so his word is moste feared how should it not be but God who is the searcher of our hearts and reines and is almightie ouer all but that his worde should haue of his nature vertue and power to make the proude to feare and to comfort the humbled Let vs therefore now bee wise in time and let the worde of the Lorde fashion all our heartes if it doe not yet it worketh still and wee shall one day knowe what voice wee haue despised for as it is heere that all thinges are open vnto his eyes so we shall heare his voice when in all thinges it shall shew his power It shall speake vnto all creatures and they shall heare it the earth and sea shall bring the bodies which they haue consumed the fire shall yeld againe his ashes and the ayre her dead the elementes shall mealt away and the Heauens shall vanish the Lorde shall speake and the deade shall all arise then shal we too late bewail our madnesse which haue heard before this voice regarded it not And this let vs learne with it if such bee the strength of Gods woorde of it selfe when yet hee shall multiplie this power and make it also eternall which is infinite what shall we say then but O Lorde who shall abide it when hee shall pronounce Go you cursed into eternall fire what condemnation shal be vppon the wicked surelie dearelie beloued as it is greater then our heartes can immagine so yet in this similitude we may see as it were an image of it for as his worde diuideth betweene soule and spirit marrow bones cogitations and intentes so we knowe that in euery parte of them the wicked shall feele Gods anger head and arme
hande and foote back and side shall haue experience of his anger all the thoughts of their harts shal be wounded with death and so much the more vnspeakable because their bodyes shall feele and their minde knowe the immortalitie of death and euerlasting destruction that is vppon them whiche extreeme wretchednesse no horrour of darcknesse no weeping and gnashinge of teeth no gnawinge of conscience no eternall fire doth fully and inough set out vnto vs. But this we leaue to the reprobate men who euen to this day haue sould their heartes to conceiue mischiefe and it repenteth them not Let vs feare now in the day of health and better thinges are appointed for vs We shall heare an other voice Come ye blessed into eternall life possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning which voice shal enter depe and into all our members bring a sensible feeling of the loue of God and his greate glorie when with heart and minde wee shall see and knowe our inheritaunce with God in eternall glorie wherevnto if nowe we be raysed vp and the promises of God beginne with vs this vnspeakable and glorious hope so that our heartes be fast holden in the loue of it neuer to chaunge for worldly vanitie or rather shame woorse then vanitie for with what name shall we name it that is exalted against the Lorde if I say thus the woorde of God bee vnto vs wee haue sealed it that his word is liuing and entreth into the diuision of the soule and the spirite and we haue beene fruitfull hearers of all this longe exhortation which the Apostle hath made and ended to stirre vp his brethren faithfully to heare this prophet of God his sonne Iesus Christe and our sauiour who hath reuealed all his wil vnto vs And thus farre of this former parte of the Epistle in which we are taught that Christe is our only prophet but the time is paste Now let vs pray c. The xxj Lecture vpon the residue of the chapter the 14. 15. 16. verses 14 Seeing then that we haue a geat high priest which is entred into Heauen euen Iesus the sonne of God let vs holdefast our profession 15 For we haue not an hye Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all thinges temped in like sorte yet without sinne 16 Let vs therfore go boldely vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercie and finde grace to help in time of neede WE haue heard dearely beloued howe the Apostle hath taught that Christe is nowe our onely Prophet what care we should haue diligently and faithfully to harken vnto him if we will not be guiltie before God of great condemnation and iudgement The reasons are of the Apostle to proue him our onely Prophet first because God sending his onely begotten sonne into the worlde made man like vnto vs and reuealing the will of his father vnto vs the excellencie of his person inforceth vs to confesse that God ordeyneth him alone to be our Prophet Againe he was faithful in the house of God and then what nedeth any other prophet vnto vs thirdly he was more honourable then Moses in this office many wayes to be preferred afore him therfore no other Prophet is to bee ioyned with him Fourthly the Prophet Dauid said To day if you hear his voice c. which we must needes vnderstand to be a perpetuall prophesie and therefore accomplished in Christ whome we must heare if we wil beleeue and be saued Last of all the force strength of the word of God is such as it must needes warrant the maiestie of God in Christ the author of it and as n one other hath that glory so none to be our prophet but he alone vnto all those reasons he hath added as you haue heard ernest exhortatiōs to giue more weight vnto them for the better persuasion of his brethren to whome he writeth Nowe he beginneth the other principall point of this first part of the Epistle that is to proue that Christ is our only priest which disputation he continueth to the eleuenth chapter as we shal god willing heare He beginneth it firste with an exhortation as he vsed the like often before and as I saide to make vs more carefully regarde his woordes Sith thē we haue a great high priest who hath entred into heauen Iesus the sonne of God let vs hold this professiō the force of this exhortation is in the excellencie of the priesthood of Christe secretely compared with the priesthood of Aaron who was in nature their brother in person weake as other men in office earthly entring into a tabernacle made with hangs in vertue a figure of a better sacrificer himselfe not profiting at all but Christ is another highe priest in nature the sonne of GOD in qualitie great and full of glorie in office heauenly entering before God to be our mediatour in vertue holie and perfect himselfe to purge our sinnes This the Apostle noteth calling him high priest greate entring into heauen and the sonne of God and so much the more we are guiltie before him if we shal not holde fast and professe all his instruction and doctrine Now least we should thinke the Apostles exhortation is weake and that he taketh it for graūted which is in controuersie for he calleth our sauiour Christ high priest which yet it seemeth he hath not proued we must consider what hath beene spoken before and so we shall see good argumentes in this exhortation for the proof of his cause He hath taught him to be the sonne of God made man reuealinge vnto vs the counsell of his father purchasing a most glorious inheritance for vs and setting vs free from the bondage of the diuel in which wee were holden vnder the feare of death which things before witnessed of our Sauiour Christ and necessarily prouing him for the same cause to be our priest according to that trueth in the beginning of this disputation he calleth him our great highe priest So he beganne before the thirde chapter Consider holie brethren the Apostle and high priest of our profession not yet hauing particularly spoken of those offices but calling him by those names because according to the description of his person before made it must needes followe that he was both our priest and Prophet Another argument of his priesthood is that hee was here in earth afflicted as we be submitting him selfe to death from which he is risen and nowe ascended into heauen therefore he is our priest crucified for our sinnes risen for our iustification and making now Intercession for vs before God his father Thus we see vpon howe good warrant the Apostle in the beginning exhorteth them to acknowledge Christ their priest and thus muche touching this entraunce of the Apostle into this disputation and why he vseth such wordes Now touching the matter To teach that our sauiour Christ is our onely priest he first sheweth by the workes of