truth and vertue thereof farre aboue the life of his sonne because hee limited not the power of God within so narrow a compasse as to thinke that Isaak being dead How Abraham may be said to hope aboue hope that also should therefore be bound or quenched By this meanes he kept the promise still because hee tied not the power of God to the life of Isaak but had this certaine perswasion that it would shew it selfe no lesse powerful euen in his dead ashes than in quickning and restoring his life againe From whence he recouered him after a sort As if he should say this hope did not deceiue Abraham For it was as a kind of resurrection when Isaak was thus deliuered out of the middest of the shadow of death The Greeke word Parabole which wee translate figure or similitude is interpreted diuers waies by the expositors For mine owne part I take it simply for a word of similitude as either after a sort or such a like speech For howsoeuer Isaak was not raised vp in very deede yet notwithstanding he seemed after a sort to be raised vp when hee was suddenly and miraculously deliuered by such an vnexpected fauour of God Yet I reiect not that which others thinke to wit that our flesh which is subiect to death is shadowed out in the ramme which was put in the place of Isaak I confesse that to bee true also which others teach that the image of Iesus Christ was painted foorth in this offring But I speake now of that which the Apostle meant to say and not of all things that might rightly be gathered Now in my iudgement the true sense is that Abraham recouered his sonne euen as if he had been giuen him from death into a new life By faith Isaak blessed c. This also was a worke of faith Vers 20 to giue a blessing concerning things to come Isaak For whereas the thing is not yet effected but the naked word onely appeares there faith must needes be said to reigne But in the first place wee are to obserue what good vse this blessing had of which he speakes For to blesse is generally taken to pray that good may come to those for whom we pray But there was another thing rather in the blessing of Isaak for it was as if he had put the person of his sonne Iacob into the possession of that land which God had promised to him and to his heires But what of all this Surely he had nothing in this land but the right of buriall These high words then Let peoples obey thee and let the nations doe thee seruice seeme to be ridiculous Gen. 27.29 For what authoritie was he able to giue another who was scarcely free there himselfe We see then that this blessing is grounded vpon faith because Isaak had nothing to giue his sonnes but the word of God Obiection Yet notwithstanding some may doubt whether there were any faith in the blessing of Esaw seeing he was a reprobate and reiected of God Answere The solution is easie because faith did chiefly shew it self in this when he discerned between the two twins begotten of him that in such sort that he gaue the first place to the lesser For in gouerning himselfe according to the oracle of God he took away from the eldest the ordinarie right of nature Now the condition of the whole nation depended vpon this that Iacob was the elect of God and this election was ratified and confirmed by the blessing of the father By faith Iacob when he was a dying Vers 21 c. The purpose of the Apostle is Iacob to attribute whatsoeuer came to passe amōgst this people and was worthie of memorie vnto faith notwithstanding because it had been a thing too long to recite euery particular example hee chuseth out some amongst many as this which hee now reciteth For the tribe of Ephraim did so surmount the others that they were in a manner hidden vnder his shadow For the Scripture often comprehends the tenne tribes vnder this name of Ephraim and yet notwithstanding Ephraim was the yonger of the two sons of Ioseph When as Iacob blessed him and his brother they were both of them then children What did Iacob see in the yonger that he should preferre him before the elder nay at that time when he did it his eyes were euen dimmed by reason of age and whereas hee put his right hand vpon the head of Ephraim surely it was not by chance or at aduenture for he crossed his armes so as he put his right hand vpon the left side Moreouer he assignes two portions vnto him as if he had bin Lord already of that land from whence famine had driuen Iacob There was nothing here therefore which was agreeable to reason but faith The Iewes despise faith and yet it was the chiefest vertue their ancestors had who onely was the gouernesse in this action If the Iewes therefore would bee any thing indeede let them boast of nothing but of faith And worshipped towards the end of his staffe This is one of the places by which we may coniecture that the Hebrues in old time had not the vse of prickes or points For the Greekes could not so farre deceiue themselues that they should turne Rodd for Bedd if there had been at that time such a manner of writing as there is now at this day There is no doubt but Moses speaks of the bolster of the bed when he saith Al Rosch Hamitthah But the Greeke translators haue turned it The end of his staffe as if it had been there Matthaeh The Apostle is not nice to applie that vnto his purpose which was commonly receiued True it is that hee wrote to the Iewes but it was to them which were dispersed in diuers regions and had changed their mother tongue into the Greeke Now we know that the Apostles were not so precise in this respect but did willingly apply themselues to the weake who had yet neede of milke Neither is there any danger in it prouided that the readers be alwaies brought backe to the pure and natiue reading which the Scripture vseth Now for the thing it selfe there is no great difference For Iacobs worshipping was a signe of giuing of thankes wherefore he was led by faith to submit himselfe vnto his sonne Ioseph By faith Ioseph when he died c. Vers 22 This which the Apostle now recites is the last of all the acts of the Patriarkes which in very truth is well worthie to be put in writing For doubtlesse it was a token of an excellent faith that all these riches pleasures and honours could not cause this holy personage to forget the promise of God For from whence is it that he had such a constancie of minde as to despise all that which was in high account here in this world and that he esteemed nothing of all that which was precious in it but because he ascended into heauen by faith
who is said to haue rested denied his rest long time after to the vnbeleeuers which he should haue done in vaine and without cause if thereby he had not been willing that the faithfull should also rest after his example And therefore in the sixt verse he saith Verse 6 It remaineth that some must enter into it for if it be a punishment as hath been alreadie said of infidelitie not to enter the entrance then is open to the beleeuers But that which he by and by after addes hath some more difficultie to wit that another day is assigned vnto vs in the Psalme because the first were excluded Now it seemes that Dauids words haue no such meaning For they onely signifie that God punished the infidelitie of the people by depriuing them of the possession of the land I answere that the consequence is good to wit that the same which was taken away from them is offered vnto vs seeing the holy Ghost admonisheth vs to take heede that by our owne fault we be not punished as they were Therefore the Apostle rightly saith that the promise is renued to the children because the infidelitie of the fathers left the possession emptie and void and all to this end that the children might obtaine that which the fathers despised For if Ioshuah had giuen them rest Ver. 8 c He denies not but Dauid tooke this rest for the land of Canaan into which Ioshuah brought the people but hee denies that it was the last rest vnto which the faithfull did aspire it being as well common to the people of that time as to vs now Certainly they had a higher respect than vnto that land for whereas the land of Canaan was so highly esteemed VVhy the Iewes desired so much to enter into the land of Canaan the faithfull did it for no other cause but in regard it was vnto them an image and pledge of the spirituall inheritance So then after they had obtained the possession of it they were not to rest in the view thereof as though they had been come to the fulnes of their desires but were rather to meditate of the spirituall meaning thereof Those of whom Dauid spake in the Psalme enioyed the possession but yet in the meane while they were admonished to seeke a better rest elswhere Wee see that the land of Canaan was a rest but onely in shadow and figure in such wise as it was needfull for the faithfull to looke further In this sense the Apostle saith that rest was not giuen them by Ioshua because the people entred into the land vnder his conduct to the end they might with the more cheerfull and readie affection aspire vnto heauen And by this it is easie to gather what difference there is betweene them and vs. For although they and we haue one end set before vs vnto which we ought to aime yet they had more externall figures by which they were holpen which figures we haue not VVe haue no such neede of shadowes and sigures now as the Iewes had neither is it needfull wee should seeing the substance is plainly and euidently set before our eyes For howsoeuer our saluation consists yet in hope yet the doctrine whereupon it is grounded brings vs directly to heauen Neither doth Christ reach vs his hand to leade vs about by many circuits and shadowes but with the same doth lift vs vp thither by turning our senses from this world Now in that the Apostle separates the shadow from the truth and substance it is because hee had to deale with the Iewes who rested too much vpon externall things Lastly Verse 9 he concludes that there remaines a rest to the people of God that is to say a spirituall rest whereunto God doth daily call vs. For he which is entred into his rest Verse 10 This is the definition of this perpetuall Sabbath in which the chiefe felicitie and blessednes of men consists wherein there is some similitude betweene God and them by which they are ioyned vnto him For whatsoeuer the Philosophers haue disputed touching the soueraigne good VVe must goe out of our selues to attaine true felicitie The soueraigne good of man all was but lies and meere follies because they held man still in himselfe whereas wee must goe out of our selues to attaine true felicitie The soueraigne good of man then is nothing els but to be knit vnto God Then we shall come vnto it when wee are conformed according to the rule and paterne which he sets before vs in his person Now the Apostle shewes that this conformitie consists in this that wee rest from our owne workes whereupon it followes that a man is made blessed when he renounceth himselfe What is it then to rest from our owne workes but the mortification of the flesh that is to wit when a man renounceth himselfe to liue to God For when we speake of the rule of liuing well and holily we must alwaies begin at this that man being dead in himselfe do suffer God to liue in him that he cease from his owne workes to giue God place to worke in him For it must needes bee confessed that the life is then well ordered when it is subiect to God Now such is the corruption of our nature that this will neuer be brought to passe vntill we cease from our owne workes There is I say such a repugnancie betweene the gouernment of God and our affections that hee cannot worke in vs vnlesse wee rest But for as much as the accomplishment of this rest is neuer in this life wee must daily striue to come vnto it The faithfull then doe enter into it but it is vpon condition that they profit daily in pressing to the marke Moreouer I doubt not but the Apostle of set purpose alludes to the Sabbath day to the ende he might withdrawe the Iewes from the externall obseruation of it For the abolishing thereof cannot be vnderstood vnlesse we know the spirituall ende for which it was instituted And therefore the Apostle vnder this one aimes at two things For in praising the excellencie of Gods grace he drawes vs to receiue it by faith and yet in the meane while he shewes by the way the true manner of obseruing the Sabbath to the ende the Iewes should no longer abuse themselues by staying in the outward ceremonie True it is he speakes not directly of the abolishing thereof because it was not his purpose but in shewing that this ceremonie had another end he thus draws them by litle and litle from that superstitious opinion which they had of it For whosoeuer vnderstands that the commandement had an other ende besides the externall rest or an earthly obseruation such a one looking vnto Christ knowes by and by that the vse of the ceremony is abolished by his comming For as soone as the bodie appeares the shadows vanish away Wherefore a man ought alwaies in the first place carefully to shew that Christ is the end of the law
spirits who would willingly bring out of vse that holy rule of an oath which God hath giuen in his lawe For out of question the Apostle here speakes of the manner of an oath as of an holy thing allowed and approoued of God And it is also to be noted that he doth not onely say that it was thus in vse in old time but also testifies that it lasteth euen yet to this day Let vs then take an oath for an helpe to maintaine the truth when we want other proofes So God willing more abundantly c. Vers 17 See how the Lord applies himselfe to our dulnesse and slownesse to beleeue and how he vpholds vs euen as a most gentle father is wont to do his children Because he seeth that we rest not satisfied with his bare and naked word he addes an oath to the end he might the more effectually confirme and ratifie the same in our hearts And hereby also we may see how profitable and necessarie it is to haue such an assurance of the loue he beares vs that we might haue no more accasion to wauer or tremble For as God forbids vs to vse his name without cause or for a light cause or a thing of nothing and threatens all them with his sharpe vengeance who shall rashly and vnaduisedly take vp the same in vaine And as he also commands that we reuerently vse the maiestie of his name so by both he shewes that he hath his name in great price and estimation The certentie then of our saluation must needes be a matter of great consequence seeing he that forbiddes to take vp his name in vaine vouchsafeth to sweare to confirme vs in the assurance of it Our saluation is in great account with God seeing he sticks not to confirme vs in the assurance thereof by his oath We may also gather from hence in what estimation our saluation is before god seeing that to prouide for the certaintie thereof he not onely supports our incredulitie but leauing as it were part of his own honour and yeilding much more to our weaknes then he should doeth yet notwithstanding by this meanes graciously remedie the same To the heires of promise It seemes he specially speaks of who take hope in this place for the thing hoped for but we rather adde hereunto that the Apostle speakes not of a naked promise hanging in the aire but of a promise which we receiue by faith or to speake in one word hope here signifies the promise apprehended by faith By this word to obtaine as also by the word hope he notes out such a constancie as he hath touched heretofore Which hope we haue as an anker of the soule Vers 19 c. It is a goodly similitude in that he compares faith to an anker cast out and fast rooted in the word of God For the truth is that whilest we flote vp and downe in the salt sea of this world we are not staied vpon sure and firme ground but we reele as a shippe to and fro in the middest of the sea yea euen in a troublesome sea tossed with floods and waues For the diuell he ceaseth not to raise vp infinite stormes and tempests that might at once ouerturne and drowne our shippe if so be our anker be not deepely fastened euen to the very bottome And indeed let vs turne our cies whither soeuer wee will we shall perceiue no firme land whereupon to stand safely but which way soeuer our senses doe turne them we shall see nothing but water yea such waters whose waues doe swell and roare lifting vp themselues on high threatening our destruction But as the anker is cast into the middest of the water into an obscure and hidden place and whilest it lieth so hidden it keepes the ship in safetie that it is not drowned of the waues vnto which it is exposed and laid open so ought we to fixe and fasten our hope in God who is inuisible Herein stands the difference that the anker is cast downwards because it findes fastening in the earth and our hope is raised vp on high and flieth into heauen because it findes nothing vpon earth Our hope finds no soâ—ting vpon earth and therefore we cast it not downwards but vpwards or in the world vpon which it may safely rest and stay it selfe securely neither ought it to rest it selfe vpon the creatures but onely vpon God And as the cable to which the anker is fastened ioynes the shippe with the earth by a long and inuisible distance so the truth of God is a cable by which we are knit vnto him so as there can be no distance of place so farre off neither yet any darknes be it neuer so thicke that can let vs to cleaue still fast vnto him Being thus made fast vnto God howsoeuer wee must fight indeede daily against infinite stormes and tempests yet are we notwithstanding so out of danger that we shall not perish with our shippe And therefore he saith that it is an anchor both sure and stedfast For no tempestuousnes of waues can be so great that they should be able to rent the anchor in pieces or to breake the cable or that the shippe by meanes thereof should be clouen in twaine This indeed falles out vpon the Sea but the power of God is farre otherwise to sustaine and keepe vs and is otherwise also as well in regard of the efficacie of hope as of the stablenes of the word of God And it entreth into that which is within the vaile We haue said alreadie that faith shall finde nothing which shall not be fleeting and vanishing till it come neere vnto God of necessitie therefore it must pearce euen into heauen But because the Apostle hath to doe with the Iewes hee alludes to the ancient Tabernacle and saith that they must not rest themselues in the things which are seene but that they must enter euen into the secret place which is hidden behind the vaile as if he should say you must passe beyond all the externall figures and old shadowes that faith may rest it selfe vpon Christ alone Now wee are to note this reason well Faith must passe beyond all externall shadowes that it may rest it self vpon Christ alone to wit that as Christ is entred into heauen euen so ought our faith to ascend vp thither after him For by this we are taught to cast the eye of our faith vpon nothing els For men shall lose all their labour to seeke God in his maiestie seeing it is too high for them to attaine vnto but it is Christ who reacheth vs his hand to bring vs into heauen And this was shadowed out of olde euen vnder the Law For the high Priest entred into the Sanctuarie not only in his own name but also in the name of all the people he bare as you would say the twelue tribes in thither in his breast and vpon his shoulder when in remembrance of them twelue precious stones were