and was also heard in the things which he feared And being him selfe the sonne yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered and being consecrate was made the authour of eternall saluation to them that obey hym These wordes my deare brethrē we haue now in hand to search examine what the spirit teacheth vs so much the more carefully to be harkned vnto of vs how much the more plainly it setteth foorth vnto vs the great loue compassion that Christ beareth toward vs Two thinges especially here the Apostle testifieth First the sufferinges of our sauiour Christ then the benefite that we enioy by the same according as hys sufferinges were onely for our sake His sufferinges what they were how great sorow oppressed hym he sheweth by those effectes which his sorowes brought forth that is praiers supplications cryinges teares feare and anguish of spirite whych things waited euer vpon him euen to the accomplishing of all his passions whych was the death of hys crosse The fruite that we do reape of those afflictions whych he suffered is the saluation of our soules eternall life if we wyl obey him In thys description of hys sufferinges though the thynges are set forth which were cōmen and vsuall vnto him al his life yet it appeareth especially the Apostle meaneth that greatest conflict of sorow which he had a litle before his passion described by the Euangelistes in all similitude like vnto this which the Apostle here declareth For as it is here said he made praiers noting by the word that they were many in number so it appeareth in the Gospell that beside other praiers three tymes he repeated thys one Father if it be possible let this cup passe frō me And as it is sayd he made supplications humblyng hym selfe low vnder the hand of hys Father so it is said in the Gospel that thē he kneeled downe fell vpon his face and so prayed vnto God. And as the cause of his praiers is here mencioned to be deliuered frō death so the words of his praier in the Gospel are lyke Father if it be possible let thys cup passe from me meanyng the death of his crosse to which he was condēned And as here is mencioned his great and lowd crying so there the Euangelist sayth he cryed out with a lowde voyce My God my God why hast thou forsakē me And like as here is said he praied with weeping teates so there is witnessed that he was sorowful and greuously troubled that his soule was heauy euen vnto death that in a great agonye hys sweate was lyke vnto drops of bloud A wofull kynde of weeping but such was his compassion that we might haue sure hope And as here is said he was deliuered from his feate so at that tyme when all hys spirites were troubled the Angell came from heauen to bryng him comfort These similitudes they are all so agreable that it is euident the Apostle respected especially aboue other this part of his passiō in which hys perfect loue and vnchaungeable affection towarde vs shined in most fulnes of beuty in that it was so feruent and so deepely rooted that neither feare nor trembling nor anye anguishe of spirite coulde make it shake nor the force of death nor any bloudy sweates could pull it out of his bowels In this one sentence dearely beloued ther is more for vs to learne then either eye hath seene or eare hath heard or all fleshe in this lyfe shall attayne vnto It is the deapth of the gloryous Gospell which the Angels do desire to behold But to note vnto you somethings in which our faith maye be strengthened we haue to learn by the example of our sauiour Christ in this place that in all temptacions we should approche vnto our God and make our complaintes vnto him who is onely able ready for to helpe vs He hath not forgot hys promise that he hath made of old Cal vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I wyll delyuer thee He is a place of refuge and of sure defence a strong tower against al assaultes The ryghteous man that shal hasten vnto him he shal be surely saued The author and finisher of our fayth he is gone before vs we shall be surelye partakers of the same mercy It skilleth not how great our tēptacions ar into whych we are fallē nor how many in number the Lord wyll deliuer vs out of all It skilleth not howe manye one sins are nor how great in our eyes that haue procured out troubles the Lord wyl scatter thē as the cloudes from the heauens and they shal not turne away his louing countenance from vs Let vs looke on thys paterne Iesus Christ that is set before vs It would crush our flesh in peeces to beare with hym the wayght of his afflictiōs from which he was deliuered and it woulde make our teares to bee as drops of bloude to be partakers of so great anguish of spirit as he sustained and yet it was not so great but the comfort of the Angell sent from hys Father was much greater So that by praier he obtained a most excellent victory hath brused the Serpentes head broken all his force And why shuld we then bee discouraged If our syns be as crimosin or if they be red lyke scarlet yet they are the syns of our own bodies but not ours onely but also the synnes of the world they rested all vpon Christ our Sauiour and yet he prayed for delyuerance and hath obtained and therfore we may say with boldnes Forgeue vs our trespasses If the loue of Christ were so great to beare the syns of vs all and of them euery one hath gotten forgeuenes how shuld not we that ar laden with our own syns lift vp our heads into great assurance of hope and heare with ioy fulnes the word of promise I wyll bee mercyfull to their vnryghteousnes and I wil remember their syns and their iniquities no more And what though our afflictions are exceeding many that the whole head be sicke and the whole hart be heauy that frō the sole of our foote vnto our heades there bee nothyng whole in our bodies but al woūdes and swellings and sores full of corruption yet all this is nothing vnto his passions by whole stripes wee are healed And these troubles are nothing vnto his mighty cryinges who was compassed about for our sakes with feares and horrours til his sweate was as drops of bloud and hys bones brused in hys fleshe Then let the whyps and scourges of our chasticement be greuous and let vs yet bee beaten if the wyll of God so be with Scorpions Christ in great compassion suffering wyth our infirmities ▪ hath borne yet a more heauy waight of iniquities hath bene deliuered So that if we obey we are partakers of his mercies we haue ful perswasion that neither death nor lyfe nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor
of the. v. Chapter to the Hebrues as it was read in Paules the. vj. day of December 1572. By Edward Dering Hebr. 5.7 ¶ VVhich in the daies of his flesh did offer vp praiers and supplications wyth strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death 8 was also heard in that which he feared And though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the thinges which he suffered 9 And being consecrate was made the Autor of eternall saluation vnto all them that obey hym THe Apostle in this chapter beginneth to proue our Sauiour Christ to be the onely hie Priest of the new Testament And because the people of Israel had so great affiance in the Priesthood of Aaron that they could hardly be drawen away from the deteining of it thine-king assuredly that vnto that priesthood the law testimonies of God had bene tied for euer not knowing that all the Ceremonies of the law were ordayned vntyl the tyme of reformation in whyche Christ shoulde appeare and chaunge that Priesthood to become him selfe vnto vs a Priest of a better Testamēt therfore the Apostle first setteth forth the properties of the Priesthood accordyng vnto the law and after by comparisō applieth thē vnto Christ in whō they al shine in a much more excellent sort then before in Aaron and therefore it cannot be neyther breach nor dishonour vnto the law of God nor the Priesthoode of it if the shadow the figure which was Aaron shuld now be taken away the body the truth which is Iesu Christ shuld be established for euer The properties which the Apostle speaketh of necessarilye appertayning vnto euery Priest as vnto one that must be a Mediator are these that first he shuld be man as we are as Aaron and hys posteritie were For neyther Angel nor Archangel nor principalities nor powers can do this woorke to present flesh and bloud vnto the maiesty of God whē them selues are but Spirites And therefore Christ that hee myght be hye Priest tooke not an Angels nature but was made of the seede of Abrahā lyke vnto vs that as there is but one God so ther might be but one Mediatour betwene God and man euen the man Christ Iesus in this respect as able to be hie Priest as Aaron him selfe beyng as naturally and as truly clothed with our flesh as Aaron was The second propertie of the Priest is that he should be ordayned not onely for him selfe to make his own attonement but also for other men to accomplishe whatsoeuer was betweene God and them that where they were before enemies straungers they might by hym be reconciled and haue free accesse vnto the throne of grace to finde mercy and succour in due tyme And for thys cause Christ alone is a perfect priest more excellent thē Aaron who was encombred with his own synnes to make first reconciliation for them therfore could not profit other And as this was the Priests office to be a Mediator for other so the meanes he must vse and the mediation to be wrought in thys worke was to offer vp giftes and sacrifices for syns that is to present vnto God the sacrifice of righteousnes pure holye in his sight in which he myght be pleased and the sinnes of the people might be taken away The whych sacrifice because it must bee so pure that in it they for whō it was made must be sanctified and so precious that it must be a sufficient purchase to redeeme man from al transgression therfore it could not bee made wyth the bloud of Calues or Goates which cannot take away synne nor wyth gold nor siluer which cānot redeme our Soules nor with meates and drinkes which profited not them that were exercised therein nor in any such carnal rites for which the Priesthoode of Aaron was ordayned and therefore an other Priest must make this sacrifice which cannot be any other then Iesu Christ who beyng made hye Priest of the good thinges to come by a greater tabernacle a more precious sacrifice euen by his own bloud hath obtained for vs an euerlasting redēption and therefore is nowe to be acknowledged our onely Priest the first Priesthood and the first law being altogether abrogated One other property of the Priesthood is that none thrust in him self beyng not appoynted nor take vnto him selfe this honour being not called vnto it And God euer shewed him selfe a ready reuenger agaynst all such as should defile his Priesthood to take to them selues the dignity to which they were not apointed But this calling also was geuen vnto Christ from God hys Father as before vnto Aaron both by word and by oth that no flesh shuld resist it euen as it is wrytten The Lord hath sworne and wyll not repent thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech So that in this behalfe our sayth must be euer strong that the calling of Christ is of the Lord euen as the callyng of Aaron was and wyth so muche the greater iudgement it shall bee reiected because it was confirmed wyth an othe The last propertie in this comparison is that the hye Priest of the law should haue an inward compassion towarde them that were ignorant and were deceyued in which perfect knot of vnfayned loue hys ministery was accepted of God and his sacrifices receyued and accompted holy And lest he should cast frō him this brotherly affection God printed in his owne body the infirmities of hys brethren that accordyng to the measure of grace which he had receued he might in dede be moued with hys brothers harmes as with hys owne So that he dyd not withdrawe hym selfe from the seruice of the Sanctuary but put on the holy garmentes was anoynted with the holy oyle bare the names of his brethren before the Lord presented their sacrifices abstained frō wine strong drynke mourned not for his friendes that were departed taught diligently the people praied for their transgressions and bare the burden of hys people as God had layd it vpon him But yet thys propertie exceeded more in Christ then in all the tribe of Leuie and the bowels of all compassion wer more large within him then the vtmost braunches of it in any other creature And this the Apostle noteth in thys place whyche now we haue in hand in which we may see as in a most lyuely glas the perfect beutye of all excellent loue The thinges they were not lyght nor the sorowes small nor the sighinges few in number nor the prayers faynt nor the anguish of spirite litle nor the death easy by which he hath sealed it vnto vs that hee had compassion on his people but as the Apostle sayth In the dayes of his flesh while he was here clothed in mortalitie lyke vnto one of vs to the ende he might be faithfull for our sakes he did offer vp praiers supplications with strong crying and teares vnto hym that was able to saue hym from death
things to come nor height nor deapth nor anye other euent are shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our lord Yea greater boldnes then this if it be possible to dwel within vs the Apostle here hath offered it in Christ iesu If all the syns were vpon hym and all sorowes in his flesh and yet frō them al God hath heard his praiers why should we not be sure that our syns sorowes they shall be done away Why shuld we not be sure that God him self hath appointed vnto al that mourne in Syon as the Prophet saith to geue vnto them beutye for ashes the oyle of ioy for mournyng the garment of gladnes for the spirite of heauynes Let vs therefore be bold dearely beloued for he was wounded for our transgressions broken for our iniquities the chasticement of our peace was vpō him These prayers are ours these supplications for vs auailable for moe synnes then we are able to commit This is our victory that shall ouercome the world euen our fayth In all miseries and multitudes of woe we are not sonken so deepe in sorow as he that for our sakes made prayers and supplications wyth strong cryinges and with teares and was delyuered from his feare The seconde poynt that we haue here to learn in this example of our Sauiour Christ is to knowe vnto whom we should make our prayers in the day of trouble which the Apostle testifieth in these words that Christ made his prayers vnto hym that was able to saue him frō death A rule to be kept of vs in all maner of our peticions and supplications whatsoeuer to make them knowen vnto him that can graūt our request that is vnto god Thys rule was kept of the Church of God from the begynning When men were once turned from their Idoles then in all their prayers they began to call vpon the name of the lord And God him self at no time doth more sharplye reproue hys people then when they woulde aske of those that had no power to helpe them This lesson that poore Leaper so defiled in flesh had yet humblye learned and wyth a pure hart hee prayed accordingly Lord if thou wylt thou cāst make me whole Vpon thys foundation our sauiour Christ hath built vp all the prayers of his true Disciples adding it as a special clause vnto the prayer that he taught them For thine is the kingdome the power and the glorye for euer and euer Amen Then let vs learne so manye as wyl pray in spirit to make our praiers vnto hym alone who is able to saue vs It is the sacrifice of the new Testament that he hath appoynted vs that we should offer vp vnto him and not vnto other the fruit of our lyps which may confesse his name And because this doctrine hath ben troden downe vnder feete and defited by the man of syn wyth all spiritual vncleanes I beseche you adde vnto this one reason or two more that you may answer the aduersary be able to stand in the day of euill When our sauiour Christ was purposed to teache his Disciples a true forme of prayer a perfect paterne vnto which they must frame their peticions or it is vnpossible they shuld be accepted he teacheth them that their begynning must be frō hence Our Father whych art in heauen What blessyng so euer wee woulde haue or from what plague so euer we would bee delyuered hee alone must be the person of whō we craue to whom thys name callyng doth belong Our Father whych art in heauen If thys name bee none of his hee is no Patrone to bee called on or if we wyll needes call vpon him we geue hym thys name whether it bee his or no. Christ is our good warrant who hath made this the beginning of al christian praier Our Father whych art in heauen Therfore the Idolaters of all ages that haue made thē selues Saintes to pray vnto according to the number of their prayers so they haue multiplied their Idoles the Chyldren of God to whom they haue sacrificed they shall wytnes agaynst them in the day of christ And you my deare brethren agaynst all your enemies defend thus the holynes of your praier that you know no other waye of speakyng then as you are taught Our Father Adde yet vnto this one reason more which you learne of S. Paul and I doubt not but you shall be well established in this present truth We know al and do confesse that we are able to doo no good thing of our selues but all our sufficiencie is of God we are not able so much as to thinke a good thought Yea the very wisedome of the flesh is enmitie vnto all ryghteousnes so true it is that the Prophet sayth Euerye man is a beast in his own vnderstāding And how much lesse then are wee able to offer vp vnto God that most precious sacrifice of praier and thankes geuyng to make it acceptable in his sight if we consult with our own flesh and bloud after the wyl of man so make our praiers vnto God We must needes acknowledge our own infirmities and confesse with S. Paule that we knowe not what to praye as we ought but it is the spirite of God that maketh request for the Saintes accordyng to the wyl of God and in thys holy spirit alone we must pray if we loke for the mercy of our Lord Iesu Christ to eternall life The spirit that beareth rule in our hart he must teache vs althinges or els we can doo nothing that God aloweth Now the voyce of this spirite that alwayes soundeth within vs it speaketh not thus either Sancta Maria or Sancta dei genitrix neyther S. Paule praye for vs nor S. Peter pray for vs These are but the spicinges of the dronken cups of Rome the soūdes of words which the spirites of errours haue blowen But the holy spirit of God that teacheth vs how to pray it crieth thus in our hartes Abba Pater Our Father whych art in heauen As Christ hym selfe hath beene our scoolemaister of no other prayer so the spirite that he hath geuen vs it knoweth no other sound but Abba Father these are the beginninges of our praiers If we speake not vnto hym to whom doo wee bow our knees If we wyll make the spirite subiect to any other let vs take hede that we greue not the holy spirite of God by which we be sealed agaynst the day of redemption Thus much I haue added to the example of our sauiour Christ who made his prayers to his Father who alone could deliuer him that he might the more assuredly be bold to abide in his steps It followeth in the text with great cryinges and wyth teares Here we haue to note in what measure our sauiour Christ was afflicted euē so far that he cried out in this bitternes of hys soule This the Euangelistes do expresse in moe woordes testifiyng