them to condemne them selues an hundreth tymes But it is great pitie that the diuel hath so ruled and reigned amongst them as that hee hath for these fourteene hundreth yeeres so blinded those that name themselues Christians as that they are gone so farre as to deuise a bewitching fantasie that Iesus Christ was figured in the person of Melchisedech that his bodie is the heauenly brcad his blood the wine to nourish soules and that he offered both the one and the other Now at the first sight this Allegorie will please such as haue itching eares how Iesus Christ calleth his bodie bread and his blood wine And therefore this seemeth verie well to agree that Melchisedech offered bread and wine because the bodie of Iesus Christ ought to haue this power in it selfe to feed vs and his blood also to quicken our soules howbeit heere is no speaking of anie oblation made vnto God But Moses saith that Melchisedech king of Salem offered bread and wine that is to saie that he presented it vnto Abrā It shuld here fal out that Abrā was God because the oblation was deliuered vp vnto his owne person and yet it was not to himselfe alone but for his whole company also So here the kingly liberalitie of Melchisedech after hee had once friendly receiued him Now to referre this vnto God were to peruert the whole substance of the matter as may be seene And besides our Lord Iesus Christ offered his bodie and blood not that they were before bread wine but because they wer offred they are called bred wine that is to say they are of the power nature of bread wine vnto vs. For how is it that our soules are susteined by the body blood of our Lord Iesus Christ our liues preserued by thē Forsooth it is because that the sacrifice that was once offered is the summe and perfection of all goodnes And therefore if Iesus Christ had not been before offred vp his bodie had not been at this day meat neither yet his blood drinke And marke why Saint Paul saith in the first epistle to the Corinths 1. Cor. 5.7.8 That Iesus Christ our Passeouer was offered vp for vs let vs therefore now eate And this is the order that we must holde that is that the oblation be first made that wee afterward by the power therof might be nourished and filled with the bodie blood of our Lord Iesus Christ So that now wee see euerie manner of way that these miserable fantasticall people who haue corrupted this place of Moses haue no vnderstanding of our Lord Iesus Christ Now the Papists as they haue been possessed by Sathan and cast vp into a reprobate sense not knowing to iudge betweene white and blacke and that by the iust iudgement of God haue made themselues selues so rediculous as that the verie children in the streets might spit in their faces yet not cōtenting themselues with this erro◠only haue brought in also a great number o◠other filthy dregs of their own And therupo◠haue said that bread wine must bee daily offred vp sith the priesthood of Iesus Christ is answerable vnto the priesthood of Melchisedech Wheras first of all they are conuinced by their owne mouthes of ouer grosse follye For they say that in their Masse there remaineth neither bread nor wine after the consecration or rather charming of their Oste as they call it but euen God himselfe And although wee see bread the wine that distilleth yet they say they ar but speeches that is to say visible figures in which is no substāce For they wold make men beleeue that there is neither bread nor wine and so neither belieue either their sight tast or yet any of the rest of all their sences And yet in the meane while they make men belieue that it is al nothing when as they haue pronounced the sacramental words as they terme them So that if they should offer vp bread wine where are they For they say that there is none of thē there And yet for al that they allege this text say that there must be bread wine offered vp We see then their beastlines to be so grosse as that very children may laugh thē to scorne and be their iudges And besides if they will haue any correspondence between Melchisedech and our Lord Iesus Christ then must the Psalme which wee haue alledged Psal 110. needes bee true that is that there is but one priest who was made by a perticuler oath And therfore he must cōtinually keep his office howbeit they make thēselues priests in the roome of our Lord Iesus Christ And thus is their similitude cast to ground And therfore we shall not need any other replies nor arguments to cōfute their beastlines but take the text barely as it lieth therwithall eftsoons take their cōfession frō their own mouths to cut their owne throtes But be as be may we see that by this text there is a singuler doctrine instructiō which the diuell straineth himself to darken bring in doubt falsefie yea if it wer possible vtterly to ouerthrow it And therefore wee for our partes ought so much the more awakē our dull sences to imprint in our memories that which is here cōteined the rather incited therunto by reason of the solemne oath that God was willing to pronounce For as if we haue alreadie said it was not without cause that he soswore by his name But it was to the ende infallibly to confirme our faith that we should not doubt but that whatsoeuer is requisite for our righteousnesse peace and defense leadeth vs vnto the kingdome of heauen through Iesus Christ his onely sonne And this is it that wee are heereby to learne Hee saith anon after THAT MELCHISEDECH BLESSED ABRAM because hee was the Priest of the high God This blessing importeth a superioritie as the Apostle very well aduertiseth vs when as hee saith Hebr. 7.7 That the better blesseth the lesse And therefore in the qualitie of a priest Abram must needes be inferiour to Melchisedech And yet it is said that Abram was the father and head of the church and therfore we must needes conclude that Melchisedech represented a greater person then any mortall man could be And this was it that made many of the Fathers imagine him to bee an Angell but those are verie foolish mere toyish inuentions For when he is called the Priest of the liuing God no doubt of it hee was knowne to be a man in the country and also King of Salem And this is as great a mockery for put the case it had ben an Angell yet should he not haue bin greater then Abrā in this generall paternitie of the whole church And therefore we must come backe vnto this which is that although Melchisedech was a mortall man yet surpassed hee in dignitie the Angels of heauen by reason of his priesthood not as of
will bee called Christians and will also with open mouth make profession therof and yet notwithstanding are such as bee farre worse then the Papists for they neuer went thus farre in Popery to saie that those which were damned and cursed before God could any way possibly bee saued without faith The very Papists themselues wil grant this and these dogs do vtterly reiect raze out euerie whit of this as if there were nothing els said but this So Abram a very wise man and this was the vertue in him which made him beleeue God Here we see a sort of villaines that would be accounted to be famous men and bee called Maisters and Doctours and yet are so madde and so possessed with furie as that they would vtterly ouerthrow all Wherefore wee are to bee so much the more attentiue and heedfull vnto that which is here conteined For on the one side Moses saith THAT ABRAM BELEEVED GOD and on the other side he addeth that this beleefe or faith was imputed to him for righteousnes And first we are here to define what BELEEFE is for otherwise wee shall make nothing of it And here we see how the Papists are entangled in their errors for although they confesse in part that wee are iustified by faith yet can they not fully conceiue and accept it And what is the reason Forsooth it is because they vnderstand not what this word Faith or Beleefe meaneth And for the better vnderstanding hereof we must ioyn somthing betweene faith and the promise For a man may sing well with one voice alone howbeit there will bee no perfect melodie without ther be many tunable voices agreeing togither Euen so is it with faith for if the word of God goeth not before and faith agree therwith there will neuer be any good hermony For the word of God faith are two things which cannot be seperated For so a man may speake exceeding much of beleefe and yet notwithstanding it should be as we say like an hie Almaine a barbarous kinde of speech as it is amongst the Papists vntill such time as wee bee come vnto this point that God must speak we must haue our eares open attentiue to obey and giue place vnto his word What thē is Belief It is to receiue whatsoeuer is spokē vnto vs from the mouth of god with such reuerēce as that we hold it to be certain sure And yet wee must do more then all this for God wil somtimes speak in such sort as that we shal be no whit the better to heare him We haue seene heretofore that whē he spake vnto Cayn and asked him where his brother was the Cain right well knew that he must answer before his iudge in despite of his teeth neuertheles he grombled and was angry saying who made mee my brothers keeper Adam also heard the like voice where art thou howbeit hee was so afeard as that he would haue hid himself and haue been glad to haue found some bottomles dungeon to haue fled from the presence of God Wherefore it is not inough for vs to heare the word of God with that authoritie that it deserueth but it must also be therewithall quallified that is to say it must be such a sure and certaine word vnto vs as may make vs approach neere vnto God and make vs partakers of his bountie and goodnes and not to doubt but that he wil be our Father and Sauiour and so therupon may be bold to call vppon him and hold our selues for his children flie vnto him for succour and aide Thus we see how Abram beleeued it was no fantasticall opinion which hee had conceiued in his braine Ro. 10.17 for Faith as S. Paul saith commeth by hearing and by hearing of the word of God Abram then heard and was taught before he beleeued Neither was hee instructed by anie creature or mortall man but knew right well that it was GOD which called him to be one of his children Now this had not been inough as wee haue already sayd but Abram heard these words I AM THINE EXCEEDING Gen. 15. 1 GREAT REWARD I AM THY DEFENCE FEARE NOT FOR I AM THE ALMIGHTIE GOD WHICH HATH BROVGHT THEE OVT OF CHALDE AND OVT OF HER OF THE CHALDEANS and as hereafter wee shall see and as we haue already partly handled it in the twelfth Chapter That Abram beleeued not God in hearing I cannot tell what and which apperteined nothing vnto him or to heare some perticuler speech but he beleeued God when as hee verily beleeued that hee was kept and reserued to be an inheritour of the kingdome of heauen Thus we see what his faith was But for the better vnderstanding hereof wee are to note that there is a perticuler faith and a faith also which comprehendeth whatsoeuer is requisite for our saluation As if God should now threaten vs it might so fall out as that it would moue and touch the hearts of verie hypocrites contemners of his word Now this is said to be a perticuler faith For how many do we see when as the iudgements of God are set before them to be amazed and seared as it were within with an hotte yron looking on euery side when they should fall vpon them and why so Forsooth the reason is that although they would stomacke and brag out the matter neuer so much yet shall they bee driuen to acknowledge and vnderstand that they shal neuer be able to escape the heauenly iudge his handes These men then I say haue a certain kind of faith howbeit it is but in part and it is such a peece of faith as will do them no good as for example you shall see some men assure themselues vppon a perticuler promise when as they are in daunger for if a man shall come and saie vnto them that God will haue compassion vppon them they can lyke verie well of this speech howbeit it is but onelie in an expectation Againe we shall see another man extreemly sicke or suffering great pouertie and it may be that hee will call vppon GOD for aide Another man may bee brought vnto such an extreame daunger as that hee is as it were at his wittes ende yet hee hath a good hope because hee knoweth that God can helpe him Nowe these are but perticuler beleefes and can not saue vs and so consequently not iustefie vs but when wee shall assure our selues of our adoption wherein consisteth all our felicitie this is it that maketh vs hope that GOD will bee our Father vnto the ende because hee hath promised that his children shall not perish and that wee maye call vppon him as vppon our GOD for our vndoubted saluation Now then when as wee shall haue this promise by which God vniteth vs vnto him selfe and so allyeth him selfe vnto vs as that wee neuer doubt that hee will forget vs this then is such a faith as comprehendeth within it all the promises 1. Timo. 4.8 For as Shint
are not able to march one foote forwarde yet must wee enforce our selues beyond all force For the question is not here that wee should go vnto it as in our owne strength as though we were verie able people of our selues But we must attend looke to haue God to furnish vs with that which is impossible for vs to doe and farre aboue our power and abilitie This then is it which we are here to retaine Moreouer let vs not doubt that although there come neuer so manie things thwarting vs. but that it is God that hath to do in it and not thinke any thing to come by Fortune when as we are vexed this way and assayled that way but let vs thinke that God guideth and gouerneth all and that he doth it to the end we might learne the better to obey him and not to haue our head and armes onely armed but all the whole bodie and to be so furnished as Saint Paul also exhorteth vs as that wee may be armed to be able to fight stoutly for there he biddeth vs Take the sword the shield and Helmet and all the whole furniture euen from top to toe And besides he biddeth vs to put on the whole complete armour of God And why doth he so because although we thinke our selues to be well armed in one place yet wil the diuel by his craft subtiltie finde the meane td assaile in another place and continually lye in ambush for vs. Thus wee see then that wee must learne wisely so to furnish our selues as that the diuel shal not be able to finde any breach about vs neither yet finde any open place to enter into vs but that we shall be able to repulse both on the right and on the left side And the answer which Abraham maketh vnto his sonne sheweth the same a great deale better when as he sayeth My sonne God will prouide a Sacrifice In these words we see that which hath heretofore been declared to wite that our faith must looke further than vnto this worlde Neither can wee beleeue in God without we giue place vnto his prouidence to rule ouer all thinges whatsoeuer that wee are able to iudge of or apprehend And in verie deede wee should verie well encline our selues thereunto if wee did consider euen of those workes of God which wee see before our eyes If wee doe thinke of the course of nature wee shall see the clowdes passe to fro and yet wee knowe not what God will doe with them VVee see how the raine falleth we see also a whirle-winde arise with great and sudden raine VVee see likewise the heauen in short time waxe darke and where before it was faire and cleare there is nowe nothing else but obscuritie ouer all All these things wee see and wee shall haue Philosophers set vs downe naturall causes hereof and yet without all doubt wee shall bee confounded of these things Nowe what if God should presently deale after a straunge manner not keeping his common and accustomed order This then should be our instruction to be wonderfully astonished when as wee speake of the incomprehensible power of God And so wee should frame our selues to acknowledge his prouidence and worship him when as he declareth vnto vs that he will surmount all our reason and vnderstanding But what It is great pitie that we cannot exalt God and saye that he can do no more than all our senses are able at the first to promise vs. And this is the reason why there is so little faith in the worlde And they also which are reasonably well affected and think them-selues disposed to beleeue GOD yet is their faith so leane and weake as that a man shall not neede to haue any thing at all to rebate the edge thereof Now all the mischiefe that commeth hereof is this that wee are not persuaded of the prouidence of God VVhen Saint Paul speaketh of Abraham he saith That he gaue glorie vnto God Rom. 4 2â— because he beleeued that he was almightie And this is a part of that whereof he speaketh That we must referre all things whatsoeuer which may any way trouble vs and whereof we can find no reason for it vnto the prouidence of God And therefore wee are a great deale the more to meditate vpon this doctrine For whensoeuer and how often so euer there shall arise fantasies in our heads to pull vs backe and coole vs not to do that which God commaundeth vs let this alwaies be our shield and defence God will prouide But as how It seemeth many times that that which God commaundeth vs bringeth therwith great inconueniences And this is the cursed wisedome of man that is the greatest enimie vnto faith and which hath alwayes borne the mightiest sway For wee see that God commaundeth Kings Princes Magistrates to looke that he be honoured his seruice purely sincerely maintained Now hereupon we shall haue men consider thus thus with them selues and saye why the world is now growne to be so wicked peruerse as there is no dealing with it and if we should go on this course all the world would rayle and crye out on vs. And besides if this straight dealing should be vsed it will neuer come to good For we see that it is not so easie a matter to mannage and gouerne men There will come troubles of it And againe if they perceiue things somewhat hard to be brought to passe then must there be some qualification or else there will be no good done in it Thus wee see I say with what temptations they shall be solicited which goe about to oppose them selues vnto any wickednes Nowe what commeth hereof in the ende Surely most commonly that they which seeme to be most circumspect wise and thinke to see farthest into this geare will so speake and deale as that they will prooue neither fish nor flesh as wee say And so by this meanes God is quite and cleane shut out of the dores For first this mischief commeth of it we obey him not soundly roundly as we should And besides we rob him of that honour that belongeth vnto him For if any man shall saye O such a matter may fall out if you so deale VVhat is God dead Hath not he foreseen for all the inconueniences that might come to passe And if any man shal say this geare must not goe on this sort for then such a mischiefe wil follow theron Is not this to accuse God of folly to rob him of his power as if he could not restraine any man from going whither he would and yet notwithstanding the issue therof to be both good prosperous Euen so standeth it with the ministers of the word of God for there are a verie fewe of them that can discharge their dueties True it is that they haue many vices which hinder them but this cursed and diuelish wisedome raigneth in many which will not sticke to stirre vp sundrie contentions
vnto other kingdomes But that the propertie thereof is to make vs righteous For earthly Princes may verie well bee called righteous whilst they faithfully execute their office abstaine from outrages tiranny crueltie and render to euery man his due in this sort they may be said to be righteous Howbeit there is another manner of righteousnes In the son of God and it is it whereof we are made partakers A man may be as it were an Angel in all vertues neuertheles this serueth no further then for his owne person He may giue good example vnto others correct thē that haue done amisse look that men liue honestly according to the law but to make other righteous passeth all mans power And therefore the righteousnes of our Lord Iesus christ is not shut vp within himself to haue it for himself only but so to cōmunicat it vnto vs as that by his means we may be made iust before god And how shuld that be we haue alreadie shewed that God reputeth vs for iust innocent when as it pleaseth him to bury our sins iniquities And again accordingly as he hath regenerated vs by the spirit of our lord Iesus christ that is also to cloath vs with his righteousnes Howbeit this is but in part whiles we liue in this vorld our sins are fully forgiuē vs without exceptiō yet notwithstāding we are not so reformed but that there stil remaineth in vs infirmities and sins And therfore we must imbrace this righteousnes that is to saie vnto the remission of our sins But how euer it is wee see in what sort our Lord Iesus Christ maketh vs partakers of his righteousnes Here we see the first point that we are to note The second is of the place Salem And Salem is as much to say as peace And the Apostle sheweth vs that ouer and besides the righteousnes which wee receiue from our Lord Iesus Christ we eftsoones enioy a peace which he only openeth which by none other meane we can obtaine And although the wicked contemners of God striue to bee at rest and peace yet doth the Lord so awaken them with a spirit of phrensie as that they are like men halfe dead For marke how the wicked striue to bee at rest and peace That is they forget God as much as in them lieth so become very brutish And yet in despight of their teeth God will put them in minde of him and when hee appeareth vnto them they tremble as before their Iudge And besides they haue an hundreth thousand witnesses for their own consciences are more then all the actions in the world yea they cannot but condemne themselues And although God seemeth to hold his peace yet cannot the wicked be pardoned but that they must needes be enforced to feele their curse Esay 48.22 and 57.21 And therefore as Esaie witnesseth There is no peace for the wicked But as S. Paul saith to the Ephesians Christ is our peace because hee hath conioyned and vnited vs vnto God his father Ephes 2.14 Marke also why in the first chapter to the Romanes hee saith That beeing iustified by faith wee are at peace with God Hee maketh a difference of the peace of the wicked that is to say betweene the peace which they seeke after and cannot finde it and the peace of the faithfull The wicked wil turne their backe vpon God and flie from him as farre as they possibly can but the faithful come before him and acknowledge him for their father because they know that he wil not impute their sinnes vnto them forsomuch as Iesus Christ hath forgiuen them them And thus haue they peace and reioyce in the infinite mercies which hee hath bestowed vppon them And therfore it is not without cause that Iesus Christ is called the king of peace And there is more in it then so for the faithfull are not only assured for the time present but also for the time to come For they knowe that God hath begun his work in them conditionally that he wil performe it Philip. 1.6 And therfore their trust is that hee will neuer faile them but that he will more and more guide and gouerne them vntill they come vnto his kingdome Thus we see how we haue peace and shall possesse it in Iesus Christ because that without him we cannot be but the enemies of God and as we make warre against him through our sinnes and rebellions hee cannot choose also but arme himselfe against vs. Heere is also to bee noted that hee was a Priest for euer when as Melchisedech was brought in as yesterday was touched without beginning without end and without any petygree And it was to this ende that wee might knowe that although our Lorde Iesus Christ was in the fulnes of time sent yet that he was the sonne of the eternall God that hee was also appointed to be the Redeemer before the creation of the world Colos 1.15 16.17 For hee is the first borne of all creatures because that in him by him all things were made also that he according to the wonderfull counsell of God should restore all things forsomuch as all things both in heauen in earth were dissipated after the fall of Adam who ouerthrew all the creatures with him Howbeit all things were restored by our Lord Iesus Christ knowing also as the Apostle in the last Chapter to the Hebrewes saith That Iesus Christ is yesterday Heb. 13.8 and to day and the same for euer that his power doth and shall shew it selfe vnto the end of the world Marke then how wee must altogither haue recourse vnto this power which the fathers themselues felt and proued before such time as he was manifested in the flesh nothing doubting that although men may be absent from him and that there is a great space betweene heauen and earth yet notwithstanding that we shall continually bee quickened by his life enriched by his benefites and vpholden and preserued by his power For seeing the Sunne which is but an insensible creature fructifieth the earth giueth heate thereunto and that God by meane thereof nourisheth and vpholdeth vs what shall it be in respect of Iesus Christ who is no insensible creature no no creature at all but verie God manifested in the flesh yea our Mediatour on whome GOD hath bestowed whatsoeuer is requisite for our saluation Thus wee see in summe what wee haue to learne heereby Now where the Papists all such as beare the name of Christians ought by this place of Moses to bee taught that Iesus Christ is an onelie King and Priest that hath vnited vs vnto GOD his Father and who also is the cause that the Father holdeth vs vnder his protection they haue turned it cleane contrarie to that which is here set downe And this error was not begunne by the Papists let vs not laie more vpon them then in deede is due vnto them for they haue blasphemies inough amongst
be as a man would say fiue times as much founde to weigh it downe and when wee shall thinke to paie him with halfe an ounce he wil finde matter inough to condemne vs in fiue times as much And what shall become of vs then Let vs therefore learne rightly to know what wée are that wee be not in the ende found worse then naught And let vs consider as I haue alreadie sayd that wee can neuer be saued except we be assured that we may call vpon God as vpon our Father Now besides this first abuse there is a second which is that they that thinke to be iustified by their merites doo neuer consider that not one of our workes is good when as God will looke straitly vnto them for as I haue already said although we should keep the one halfe of the lawe or three partes of it yet were it all nothing for we should all be condemned if we failed but in one only point and yet there is another reason to wit we neuer once came neare the accomplishyng of the lawe either in whole or yet in part And how so we saide yesterday that God iudgeth not of our workes as we imagine For hee hath his owne weightes and balance And how iudgeth he them Forsooth he looketh whether the heart be pure and cleane from all fleshly pollutions And where shall a man finde such an heart We are euer mashed in a great many of wicked affections and although they reigne not in vs yet can we not be altogither rid of them Moreouer we shall neuer finde such a zeale in vs to glorify God as we shuld but that there will be alwaies some infirmitie we may haue a good meaning to do well but yet it shall not bee so perfectly done as that it may stand before his face Now we do not here speake of this as to say I thinke and I suppose but wee must conclude and saie God hath said so and God alloweth and liketh of it And therefore we should be very far of from deseruing any thing before him nor yet be quiet in conscience for ouer and besides that we faile in many things and that there is no man but hath alwayes some remorse of conscience although we thought to do the best that wee possibly might yet were it altogither halting and lame Yea and there may bee also some infirmitie that may pollute euen very good workes in deed For was there euer a better woorke then that of Abram Ge. 22.10 when hee was readie to kill his owne sonne And yet notwithstanding his heart was touched with many sorrowes and griefes which shewed his weaknes Thus then we see that this worke was poluted before God could not be reputed to be anie merit What shall we say then to that which we do considering that none of vs all but is soone staied when as we shall once be spoken vnto to go that way And although we would gladly employ our selues to serue God faithfully yet goe we not so rightly and soundly on as we should by the hundreth part And must we needes be continually vexed vnquiet yea verily we all know it without we wil be too too blind Now as I haue alredie said we must assure our selues that God loueth vs receiueth and accepteth of vs as if we were righteous And from whome haue we this priuiledge Wee must come to that saying of Saint Paul to the Romanes Rom 10. which is we must looke vpon our lord Iesus Christ For when our saluation is spoken of then behold the glorious heauen we are by and by on the one side astonished and amazed thereat because we are not worthie once to come neare it And besides wee see on the other sides hell standing wide open before vs to swallow vs vp because wee are horrible wretched sinners And then will we say Who shall ascend into heauen For it is impossible that wee should come there for where are our wings to flie vp thither And besides as I haue already said hell standeth gaping wide open readie to receiue vs if so be that he wil giue iudgement against vs and then we will saie how know we that we are pardoned and forgiuen but that God may verie well throw vs downe headlong into the bottomles pit of hell Now hereupon Saint Paul answereth and setteth downe the remedie which is this that we must not doubt but that heauen is ours And how shal we be sure of that Forsooth because that in the person of Iesus Christ we know it to be set wide open for vs. And therefore the asking of this question doubtfully Who shall ascende into Heauen Saint Paule saith Is to fetch Iesus Christ downe from thence For wee knowe that the Sonne of God hath saide That there are manie Mansions in his fathers house and that hee hath not taken them for his owne perticuler benefite but to the ende to receiue vs togither vnto himselfe as fellowe heires with him As concerning hell he descended into it for hee suffred the torments and paines which wee should haue suffered hee suffered the horrible torments of Gods wrathfull curse which made him cry out and saie My God mys God why hast thou forsaken mee Euen so then when as we make our saluation certaine then we may see that we are assured And that also is his meaning where he saith Ro. 8.33 Who shall laie anie thing to the charge of Gods chosen He is angry with Sathan and with whatsoeuer is against vs as if he would haue said seeing that wee haue forsaken all our arrogancy and haue no such imagination as once to thinke that we can bring anie thing of our own with vs vnto God to make vs acceptable cōsidering that we know that it is of his owne free mercy and goodnes that he hath chosen vs as also called vs vnto him selfe by the Gospel let the diuel with all his suppostes accuse vs as much as they lust yet will he iustifie pardon vs how Forsooth saith hee behold how our Lord Iesus Christ maketh intersession for vs by the power and vertue of this praier forsomuch as hee is our Advocate for the appaising of the wrath of God his Father by this we see how we are pardoned And this is the certaintie wherof he speaketh in another place as we haue already said Rom. 4. This also is shewed vnto vs in the person of the poore publican that is to say of the customer whom the people scorned whē he came vnto God to pray Lu. 18 1◠12.13 He came not vnto him after a bragging sort howbeit hee verely belieued that God wold haue mercy vpō him therin he was bold as we all also must be as in the Epistle to the Ephesians it is sayd Ephes 3. But when hee looked towardes him he humbled himselfe and was ashamed crauing nothing but pardon and Iesus Christ said that he was iustified euen with that
himselfe but hy reason of him whose figure he beare as Dauid was far greater then all the Angels when it was said of him Thou art my sonne Psal 2.7 Hebr. 2. ◠this daie haue I begotten thee This was not spokē saith the Apostle of any Angel and yet was Dauid a wretched sinner the sonne of Adam euen as well as any of the rest And how then is it here that he is so highly exalted as that the Angels are made inferiors vnto him It is because that this figure represented the maiestie of the sonne of God not the person of Dauid alone Wee must then come to this point that Melchisidech could not bee aboue Abram but in regarde of the truth which he figured And therefore wee must conclude that Iesus Christ was euen then declared to the end that the beliefe of the faithfull might bee altogither grounded on him because there was none other saluation giuen vnder heauen from the beginning but the same which is at this daie reuealed vnto vs in the Gospell Now it is true that there is a common kinde of blessing For to blesse is oftentimes taken in the holie scripture for to praie as hereafter wee shall see that one common man blesseth another saying God blesse thee as when we salute one another they are blessings this is the common phrase of the holie scriptures But there is a singuler blessing which is reserued for the priestes And therefore marke why it is so often saide in the lawe The priestes which blesse the people in the name of God that is to say which haue that authoritie giuen them thereto And the same forme hath been deliuered vnto vs in the sixt Chapter of Numbers where it is said Num. 6.23.24.25 26. Luk. 1.24.50 Thus shall the priestes blesse my people The Lord blesse you and keepe you the Lorde make his face to shine vpon you And againe The Lord be fauourable vnto you and grant you his peace Thus wee see what a form the Lord hath set downe in his church And for this cause also it is said when as Iesus Christ ascended into heauen that he lifted vp his handes ouer his Apostles as the priestes did to the end to accomplish the figures of the lawe in blessing his Disciples This then is the blessing which is heere spoken of Hebr. 7.7 And marke why the Apostle reasonneth not without cause that it must needs be that Melchisedech in this qualitie was farre more excellent then Abram because hee blessed him And yet is Abram the father of the whole Church We are therfore to conclude that our Sauiour Christ hath a farre greater maiestie then any earthly maiestie hath or can haue and that in the person of the Mediator Wherefore all power and dignitie must bee subiect vnto him and regard him and both great and small must acknowledge and confesse that God his father hath giuen vnto him the chiefe aucthoritie euen in this humane nature of his and euery knee must how and kneele vnto him Thus we see how these wordes of S. Paul in his Epistle to the Philippians are to be vnderstood Philip 2.9.10 And this is it which we are to remember It remaineth now that wee apply these wordes to our own vse benefit that is we must not doubt but that Melchisedech blessed Abram in a figure euen as at this daye our Lorde Iesus Christ who is the euerlasting Priest blesseth vs in the name of God his Father For this praier which is here set downe is not in vain but must needes bee effectuall because wee know that it could not bee otherwise chosen but that he must needs be heard Let vs therfore conclude that so long as wee put our trust in Iesus Christ wee haue him for our Aduocate towards God his Father And although we are cursed in Adam and do daily bring a new curse vpon our heads through our sins transgressions yet notwithstanding the same shall hereby be blotted out prepared in that our lord Iesus christ vouchsafeth in deed in truth to take vpon him the office to blesse vs. We see also the praier which he once made in the gospel after S. Iohn in this maner Holy father I do not onely pray here vnto thee for these to wit Ioh. 17.20 21. for the eleuē apostles and Disciples which he had chosen vnto himself But I pray also for all those which shall belieue in my name through their preaching that they may all be one in me as I am one in thee and that wee may be all one In this sort did our sauiour Iesus Christ pronounce these words out of his owne month to wit that he praid not for his Disciples alone which were of his own company but also for as many as belieue in him through their preaching Let vs heere then learne that when soeuer wee shall imbrace the doctrine of the Ghospell in true obedience that wee be surely persuaded that the sonne of God is giuen to vs for our souereign and onely good Thus we see how powerfull his praier will alwaies be for it is needlesse for him to beginne the same at euening at morne euerie day For it is sufficient that he hath sealed it with his blood and by that onely and euerlasting sacrifice which hee offered vp once for all For wee are assured to haue our praiers heard when as we pray vnto God in the name of our lord Iesus Christ For our praiers shuld stink yea infect the aire if wee considered what God is and afterward considered what wee our selues are Howbeit our praiers are made holy through the priestly blessing of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ vnto whom we must looke that wee might bee partakers of all his benefites Thus we see in summe how we are to applie this saying of Moses vnto our benefite and the building vp of our faith where it is said That Abram the father of the faithfull was blessed We see herein that Abram as of him selfe was accursed sith hee was faine to borrow the priestly blessing And Melchisedech also right well knew that there is nothing in vs but miserie and wretchednes and that it is God that must blesse vs and that we must imbrace it with all humilitie if wee will enioy the benefite that is brought vnto vs by our Lord Iesus Christ and which hee daily offreth vnto vs by the preaching of the Gospell Now hereupon Moses reciteth the blessing of Melchisedech BLESSED ART THOV ABRAM saith he OF GOD MOST HIGH possesser of heauen and earth And blessed bee the most high God that hath deliuered thine enemies into thy hand hee blessed Abram in the name of God as wee haue alreadie alledged out of the law Wee must not heere vnderstand that when the priestes haue the office to blisse that it proceedeth as from their owne authoritie and that God hath resigned his office ouer vnto them and his honour and praise to be thereby so