The just man falleth seven times a day Saint Paul would have the incestuous person restored It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the elect cannot sinne against the Holy Ghost neither doe all the reprobate sinne against the Holy Ghost They that sinne against the Holy Ghost must fall toti à toto in totum 1. The Elect fall but in part either in their understanding or their will they that commit this sinne fall wholly in their understanding and will too they obscure the light which they have received choke the good motions that were in them with their whole will might and maine runne against the truth they professed When Saint Paul was a persecutor he sinned in respect of his understanding upon ignorance but he did not persecute Christ with a malicious minde Peter fell upon infirmitie but not upon malice in his will in part but not in his understanding and will too They that commit the horrible sinne against the Holy Ghost are set with their understanding and will yea with all their forces against the truth Hence it is called blasphemia spiritus Mat. 12.31 because it is with the spirit and minde of man in soule and body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to fall voluntarilie with the Hebrew Greeke and Latinists procidere 2. They must fall à toto from all the former gifts not from some one part of the celestiall doctâ—ine and calling but from the whole body of the doctrine that concerneth salvation maliciously resisting it A man may fall on his knees yet not on the whole body So a man may fall from some one fundamentall point though not from the whole body of the heavenly calling as many Heretickes doe But these fall from the whole 3. They must fall in totum wholly and finally without recoverie The godly man sayes in the Prophet though I fall I shall ryse againe for the Lord putteth to his hand these fall and never rise again because God denyeth them his hand Then followes the punishment Where 1. The grievousnesse of it 2. The equitie of it They cannot be made new men again they were once new men at least in shew having lost that new Coate they cannot have another they cannot bee cast into a new mould againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is an active Some expound it they cannot renew themselves so Erasmus Some understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that any Minister should renew them some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God should renew them because God cannot deny himselfe and that were an impotency rather then a power Tit. 1.2 2 Tim. 2.13 Impossible because it is repugnant to the will of GOD Dei posse est velle non posse nolle Luk. 1.37 Mark 10.27 he doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not meete not profitable not convenient but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impossible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to drive them into desperation Chrys. The Iesuits interpret it hard It is an hard matter for them to be renewed but it is not impossible Yet their owne glosse sayes non tantum difficile and Verse 8. their end is to bee burned they must burne for ever in hell Impossibile non difficile Difficile est quod quamvis cum labore fieri potest impossibile quod fieri non potest So they cannot bee renewed 1. It implies a weakenesse 2. A contradiction So that it is not only hard and difficult but impossible that God should renew them to repentance By Repentance is repugnant to the words Of all other sins men may repent but not of this 2 Tim. 2.25 Repentance is the gate whereby wee must enter into heaven the very doore and entrance is denyed to them therefore no mervaile though the house bee denyed to them If they could repent they might bee saved for at what time soever a sinner repenteth of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart the Lord will blot them out of his remembrance But it is impossible for them to repent their hearts are hardened And thou according to the hardnesse of thy heart that cannot Repent treasurest up to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath Romans 2. ver 5. They have cast off GOD and GOD hath cast off them they may have an horror in the Conscience for their sinnes they may peradventure weepe howle and cry for them yet they doe not repent They are not pierced with true sorrow for sinne they grieve for the fearefull and endlesse torments which they are to sustaine for their sinnes but grieve not for sinne as it is sinne they are grieved that they are fallen into the hands of GOD as a judge but are not sorrowfull that they have offended him as a Father For any other sinne GOD may give Repentance unto men but for this hee will not Oh horrible sinne GOD may give Repentance for all other sinnes yet hee is not bound to doe it The King may pardon burglarie or for breaking into an house yet hee is not bound to it So GOD may give men Repentance for thefts murders adulteries drunkennesse c. Yet none can challenge this at his hands Therefore let none presume to commit any sinne whatsoever in hope of Repentance this is no good argument no sound conclusion in Divinitie they that sinne against the HOLY GHOST cannot repent therefore they that fall into any other sin may repent at their pleasure a man is not sure to have Repentance for foolish idle words for wicked and uncleane thoughts iâ— is in GODS hands the pearle of Repentance lies in his treasury Thou mayest bee stricken with the dart of sudden death while thou art sinning therefore let not the hope of Repentance bee as a loadestone to draw thee to sinne Repentance is a singular thing that will open the lap of Gods mercie and the doores of the kingdome of heaven too Manasseh had beene a monstrous Idolater yet upon repentance hee was received to mercy David had committed Adultery and Murder yet on repentance they were remitted the Thiefe on the Crosse had beene a bad liver all the dayes of his life yet upon repentance hee was taken into Paradise There were some that crucified CHRIST the Lord of life being pricked in their hearts for it were imbraced in the armes of mercy the Prodigall Son that had spent all his substance on harlots yet when he came to his father with that dolefull and penitent voice I have sinned against heaven and before thee his father fell on his neck and kissed him but they that sinne against the Holy Ghost can never repent and therefore can have no mercy neither in this life nor in that which is to come O fearefull sinne the Lord in mercy keepe us all from it If at any time wee have sinned as in many things we sinne all Let us pray to God that we lye not in our sinnes but that our hearts may quickly smite us for them as Davids did that wee may flye
but as faithfull souldiers let us continue with Him to the end If we goe from Him we depart from our owne life and throw our selves into death and destruction Therefore let us tarry with Him Let us believe this our Prophet and never depart from Him VERSE 13. NOw as a Sovereigne remedy against infidelity and hardnesse of heart he prescribeth a mutuall exhortation unto them that will be as a trumpet singing in our eares to keepe us out of the sleepe of sin Call one to another as Souldiers doe in the battell Still hee persisteth in the same metaphor As souldiers when they be in the fight and conflict call one to another saying ô be of good cheere play the men start not aside cleave to your company be not afrayd of enemy the victory shall be ours So we that be CHRIST's Souldiers must stirre up and provoke one another Cast not off your confidence that ye have in CHRIST let neither Satan nor any of his instruments pull you from Christ the author and finisher of your salvation be not faint hearted but hold out to the end This mutuall exhortation one of another is amplified three kind of wayes 1. By the time when it is to be performed 2. By the occasion which is not to be neglected 3. By the end for the which it is worthy to be practised The time when is not once or twise but daily 1. We are forgetfull of heavenly matters therefore we have need to be put in mind of them every day 2. We are dull and slow in practise of them lazie horses that will scarcely go therfore we must be put forward with the spurre of dayly exhortation As Christ sayd concerning the forgiving of our brother that wee must forgive him 77. times so it may be affirmed of the exhorting of our brethren we must exhort them 77. times we must be continually exhorting them Many thinke if they have called on their brethren once or twice to pray to goe to Church c. they have done their duty I have told him of it often I will speake no more to him of it I but thou must exhort him every day That which is not effected to day may be effected to morrow gutta cavat lapidem non vi sed sape cadendo Therefore exhort him every day if thou doest no good on him yet he is left without excuse and thy reward is with God 2 To this duty of exhortation he stirreth us up by the opportunity of the time which he wishes us to lay hold of What is this day Some interpret it of the time of the Gospell which hath the name of day in regard of the great light that is in it whereas the time of the Law may be compared to the night in comparison of it But I take that to be curious Others expound this day to be the whole course of our life which in respect of the brevity of it is termed by one Diecula While our life lasteth which is but short let us exhort one another That is good counsell yet I take it not to be the direct meaning of the place By day he meaneth that gracious time wherein God stretcheth forth his armes to us in the ministery of his Word to call us unto his Kingdome We are to take the opportunity offered to us and not let it slip walke while yee have the light while our peace lasteth that we may conveniently goe one to another while we have the Scripture amongst us whereby we may learne how to exhort one another while GOD speaketh unto us by His ambassadours from whose mouth we may have instructions for a wise execution of this duty while the candle of truth shineth among us let us be carefull to exhort one another in these peaceable dayes in this flourishing time of the Gospell let this Christian duty be performed by us all 3 The third is the danger that will ensue if exhortation be omitted hardnesse of heart will grow and so our brethren shall bee incureable The which hardnesse of heart is amplified by the efficient cause of it the deceitfulnesse of sinne carrying us like a thiefe out of the way and leading us to destruction that is the nature of the word There be many to deceive us 1. We deceive our selves Iames 1. 1 Iohn 1.8 2. The Divell that sly serpent deceiveth us 3. Sin deceiveth us and that she doth three kind of wayes 1. by putting on the visard of vertue Adultery is but a tricke of youth a sweet sin that may easily bee borne withall covetousnesse is but thrift and good husbandry every man must have a care of his owne estate swearing is the part of a Gentleman of a generous and heroicall spirit they be nice fellowes base minded men that will not sweare there is no life in them drunkennesse is good fellowship they be misers that wil not spend a penny in an Ale-house we mault-men are the only companions in the world Thus we are coosened by sin 2 Sinne deceiveth us by shrouding it selfe under the coate of Gods mercy But let us not be so afrayd of sin God is mercifull he will wincke at such light sinnes as these be we shall never be called into GODS counting house for them whereas he is a severe punisher of sin even in his owne children 3 Sinne deceiveth us by custome in sinning Many sins at the first we were afrayd to commit our consciences checked us for them but in processe of time being inured to them we commit them without feare or shame A custome in sinning makes sin at the length seeme to be no sin The children of the Lacedemonians being used to stripes had no feeling of stripes and after we have beene used to sin we have no sence or feeling of sin Thus especially we come to be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin our owne consciences feared up with an hot iron Therefore for the avoyding of this let us exhort one an other dayly that the fire and heat of exhortation may cause our hearts to melt and so keepe us from being hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin Exhortation if it be used in time will be as a trumpet to waken our selves and others out of sin Saint Paul and Barnabas went from towne to towne exhorting the brethren Acts 14.22 Exhort one an other and edifie one another 1 Thes. 5.11 have compassion on some putting difference and others save with feare pulling them out of the fire Iude verse 22.23 But alas this duty is neglected every one for himselfe and God for us all Am I my brothers Keeper I will looke to my owne soule as well as I can what have I to doe with my brothers soule Let not us that be Christians have such a thought in us Let us as the Scripture willeth us exhort one an other dayly labour to preserve one an other from being hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sin and let us be as Bells to toll one another to the
hath promised heaven to mee Tit. 1.2 and hath sworne that I shall have heaven therefore I hope for it 3. CHRIST hath purchased heaven for mee with a deere purchase even with the shedding of his owne bloud therefore I hope for heaven 4. God that hath promised it to mee in Christ is able to fulfill his promise he doth whatsoever he will in heaven and in earth therefore though I be unworthy of it being a wretched sinner though I have many strong enemies to wrastle withall by the way even all the devills in hell against mee though I meete with crosses passe through a Sea of tribulations yet I will hope for heaven and I know I shal one day have it this is the ancre that pierces the waters of troubles and entreth into that within the vaile This is the hope of a Christian which makes not ashamed as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 5.5 this makes us with Abraham Rom. 4.18 to believe under the hope of grace against the hope of nature and our owne worthinesse The hope of the hypocrite shall perish Iob 8.13 Pro. 10.28 but the hope of a godly man that believeth in Christ shall never perish There may be weakenesses in hope as in faith but it shall never be quite overthrowen A man may bee sicke yet not dye the Sunne may be eclipsed yet not extinguished we have this as an ancre of the soule and by vertue of it we arrive at the haven of happinesse in the life to come Therefore let us desire God to increase our hope and to strengthen it daily more and more But this ancre being in heaven already may put us in an assured hope of heaven and the Lord in mercy so fortifie this ancre that no stormes of afflictions may bee ever able to prevaile against it Lord increase our hope VERSE 20. HEre wee have a pledge of our entrance into heaven which is Christ Iesus Our ancre is in heaven but as for us poore soules how can we come thither Well enough Christ is there therefore we shall bee there The argument is drawne from the relatives Christ is gone into heaven before and we shall goe after him he is praecursor and wee postcursores Iohn Baptist was Christs forerunner and Christ is our forerunner the head is in heaven therefore the members shall be in heaven the husband is in heaven therefore the wife shall be with him the first fruits are in the barne of heaven Christ is the first fruits of them that sleepe therefore we that are the second fruits sanctified in him and by him shall one day be in heaven with him Let this strengthen our faith and hope too our forerunner is entred into heaven before us and we shall follow after him This may uphold us against all the suggestions and temptations of Satan Flesh and bloud is ready to object against us oh it is a long way to heaven an irksome and tedious way through many tribulations wee must enter into the kingdome of God You shall meete with many enemies by the way and your legges are weake to carry you in this way how is it possible for you to come thither To all these we must oppose this buckler Christ our Saviour is gone before us and we shall follow after Christ had a body as well as we compassed with naturall infirmities as well as we he dyed as well as we yet he is in heaven therefore though I be full of weaknesses though I dye yet I shall rise againe and meete Christ in the ayre and be translated with him into his kingdome of glory This is our hope of eternall life and the Lord strengthen this hope in us all to the end Now least any should bee ignorant of whom hee meanes hee points him out by his name and office CHRIST had good authority to enter into this sanctuary because he is the true high Priest As the High Priest in the time of the Law went into the earthly sanctuary So is he gone into the heavenly Thus hee is returned to Christs Priest-hood from whence hee digressed Hebr. 5.11 CHAP. 7. IN the last Verse of the former Chapter of purpose hee made choyse of such a similitude to set forth the nature of hope withall whereby hee might justly take occasion to returne to the Priest-hood of Christ againe from the which hee hath digressed Verse 11. Chap. 5. ad finem 6. In the explication of this his excellent Priest-hood according to the order of Melchizedeck 1. He intreateth of Melchizedeck the type and figure Verse 1. ad 11. 2. Of our Saviour Christ prefigured by him speaking 1. Of his calling to the office of Priest-hood Chap. 7. and 8. 2. Of the exequution of it Chap. 9.10 In the type 1. A narration of the dignity and excellency of Melchizedec Ver. 1.2 3. 2. An amplification of his greatnesse Verse 4. ad 11. In the narration of the dignity of Melchizedec 1. A description of him out of Moses 2. An interpretation and application of it by the Apostle Melchizedec is described by his offices he was both a King and a Priest which are first affirmed then confirmed Melchizedec Some take it to be a noune appellative because of the signification that he was so called of the people because he was a just King 1. Then the names of Abram Sarai Iacob Benjamin should be appellatives because they signifie something 2. Then Salem should be an appellative Some of the late Hebrewes whom others follow say it was a common name to the Kings of Salem as Pharaoh to the Kings of Aegypt and Caesar to the Emperours of Rome but it is an invention of their owne it was the proper name of the man Melchizedecks kingdome is illustrated by the place where hee ruled King of Salem Ierome in locis Hebraicis is of opinion that this Salem is that which is called Sichem Gen. 33.18 where he affirmeth the ruines of Melchizedecks palace were to be seene in his dayes and that it is that Salem which is mentioned Ioh. 3.23 that was neere Iordan and in the Greeke and Latine tongue it is called Sicina Yet the same Ierome epist. 126. ad Euagrium reckons up a great number of learned men which thinke it is Ierusalem which at the first was called Salem after Iebus and at the last Ierusalem which as some suppose is composed of Iebus and Salem B. being turned into R. for Iebusalem Ierusalem Ioseph lib. 1. antiq cap. 11. lib. 7. c. 3. de bello Indâ—ico l. 7. c. 18. is also of opinion that it is the same that was after called Ierusalem Sundry Hebrewes were of the same minde as Ierome testifieth in traditionibus Hebraicis in Genesim and the Chalde paraphrase doth translate it Melchizedec Rex Ierusalem And indeed it is most probable that it was Ierusalem 1. The name of Ierusalem hath Shalom peace in it â—â—ru Shalom they shall see peace 2. Shalom and Sion are all one Psal. 76.2 now Sion is Ierusalem therefore
an interrogation yet it is better to read it affirmatively otherwise they should have ceased to have beene offered Once purged from the guilt and punishment of sinne Should no more be pricked in conscience for their sins their consciences accusing them and drawing them before the tribunall of Gods justice for their sins If a medicine have once throughly cured a man it needs not againe be ministred to the man So if the ceremoniall Law with her sacrifices had healed the people of their sins those sacrifices might have ceased to bee offered but they were offered every yeare therefore they did not purge them from their sinnes The often iteration of those sacrifices shewed their inability to take away sin If the sacrifice of Christ once offered on the Crosse have purged us from all sinne then Christ must be no more offered but the sacrifice of Christ once offered on the Crosse hath purged us from all sinne which the Papists deny not Therefore Christ is no more to be offered as they say he is in the sacrifice of the Masse The Iesuites affirme that the Apostle here strikes at the legall sacrifices but not at the sacrifice of holy Church I but with one stroake hee woundeth them both The repetition of a sacrifice argues the weakenesse and debility of it for if it have once abolished sinne it needs not bee repeated againe CHRIST by his sacrifice on the Crosse hath taken away the sins of the world therefore Christ is not to be offered up any kinde of way neither bloudily nor unbloudily to expiate sin There is a conscience in every man that keepeth a register of all his sins It is scientia cum alia scientia There is a generall knowledge of the Law written in the hearts of us all and conscience is a particular application of it to our selves As for example the Law of God sayes Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge My conscience sayes to mee if I be guilty of that sinne thou art an Adulterer thou hast had thy Queanes in many corners therefore God will judge thee this is conscience which setteth our sins in order before us For the better unfolding of it we know that there be sundry kindes of consciences 1. There is an erring conscience a blind conscience as was in them that thought they did God good service when they killed the Children of God Such a conscience was in Paul before his conversion for the which hee was grieved afterwards when the eyes of their minde come but once to bee opened then their conscience will accuse them for it 2. There is a sleeping conscience A man knowes the will of God yet his conscience being a sleepe for a time he lyes snorting in the bed of sinne So did David in his sin of numbring the people but his conscience awoke at the length and his heart smote him for it A man may lye sleeping in covetousnesse drunkennesse adultery and God at the length awaken him out of that sleepe which is good for him 3. There is a seared conscience such as was in them 1 Tim. 4.2 when men are past feeling and hardned in their sins Custome becomes another nature They are so accustomed to drinking whoring oppressing and deceiving of their neighbours as that they thinke those to be no sins Their consciences never checke them for them These are in the ready way to Hell 4. There is an accusing conscience which is as a scolding queane in the house of a mans heart and will never suffer him to bee quiet day nor night They are like the raging Sea continually foaming In that case were they that went out of the Temple one by one being convicted of their owne consciences Such a conscience had Iudas when he cryed I have sinned in betraying innocent bloud This may prove a tragedy both in the end and in the beginning too as it did in him and it may end with a comedy in Gods Children It may lead some to hell and for others it may bee the way to heaven Mordeat nunc ut moriatur It is better for us that this Worme gnaw on us here to the vexation of our hearts for a while then gnaw on us eternally hereafter This accusing conscience more or lesse wee shall have in this world at one time or other they that fall into grosse sins and yet never feele a hell in their consciences in this life shall never finde an heaven in the life to come Therefore it was well said of one being demanded which was the way to heaven hell sayes he For if thou goest not by hell thou wilt never get to heaven 3. There is an excusing and cleering conscience When the bookes are cleered betweene GOD and us A debter is cleered when the booke of his Creditour is crossed so our consciences are quiet when our sins are out of Gods booke then we shall have no more conscience of sin This could not be effected by the sacrifices in the time of the Law neither can it bee obtained by any thing that we can doe in the time of the Gospell It is neither our comming to Church nor hearing of Sermons though these bee good things not our prayers fastings almes deeds receiving of Communions noe though wee should give our bodies to be burnt These are excellent duties yet these cannot acquit our consciences of sinne for when wee have done all we are unprofitable servants and we sinne in our best actions The only way to come to a quiet and excusing conscience is the application of Christ's merits to our selves being justified by faith we have peace with God If wee have laid hold on CHRIST by a lively faith wee may take up that song death where is thy sting c. Therefore let us repent and then entreat the Lord to assure our consciences that CHRIST hath dyed for all our sinnes and then wee shall have no more conscience of sins So we shall sing for joy when wee lye on our death beds and shall stand without trembling before God in the life to come VERSE 3. BVt the offerers of them have still conscience of sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not onely of their present sins but of their sinnes past too All of them doe lye as a loade still on their consciences whereof the yeerely sacrifice by the High-Priest putteth them in minde Levit. 16.21 As they in the time of the Law had many sacrifices to put them in remembrance of sinne so wee in the time of the Gospell have many remembrancers of sinne Sundry Monitours to admonish us that we be sinners The Raine-bow may be a remembrance of sin to us that the world was once drowned for sinne and that it might be so still but for the goodnesse and mercy of God Baptisme daily ministred in the Church putteth us in minde of sinne for if we were not sinners we needed not to be baptized The Lords Supper puts us in minde of
England is mine and shall any goe about to wring them out of his hands The King of Kings sayes vengeance is mine and wilt thou wrest Gods sword out of his hand Take heede how thou doest it lest thou beest found a fighter against God Say not such a one hath angred mee I will be even with him ô saucy Merchant wilt thou intrude thy selfe into Gods office The second branch of the testimony The greatest part of Interpreters are of opinion that the Apostle alleadgeth this to his purpose indirectly by the way of consequent If God will bee avenged on the enemies of his people much more on the enemies of his Sonne They thinke that to judge his people is to judge the enemies of his people for his peoples sake But this is alleadged directly and to judge is put for to punish The Lord shall judge his owne people even so many of them as revolt from him the living God to dumb and dead idols That is the scope of the whole Chapter as yee may see from Verse 15 to this place and Saint Paul citeth Verse 21. Rom. 10. to prove the rejection of the Iewes Though they be his owne people whom he hath honoured with the Word and Sacraments that have given up their names to him and taken upon them the profession of his holy truth yet if they fall from him he will severely punish them Therefore those men that have beene enlightned with the Spirit of grace that have had CHRIST IESUS revealed to them and yet contumeliously despise that spirit count the bloud of the Testament a prophane thing and tread the Sonne of God under their feete undoubtedly they shall drinke deepely of the cup of Gods vengeance for vengeance is Gods and he will powre it in full measure on them It cannot bee denyed but that God is exceeding mercifull his mercy reacheth to the clouds is higher than the heavens his mercy is over all his workes There is not halfe a Psalme of Iustice but an whole Psalme of his Mercy The foote of that song is this for his mercy endureth for ever yea he is the Father of mercies of a great number of mercies yet for all that hee is just too As mercy is his so vengeance is his he is a Iudge as well as a Father As he is wonderfull kind and beneficiall to his people when they serve him so he will judge his people when they depart from him David said concerning the government of his house and kingdome I will sing of Mercy and Iudgement Wee sing of Mercy but we let Iudgement goe like bad Musitions wee leave out one part of the song wee harpe much on the string of Mercy but we never meddle with the string of Iustice. Though wee sweare be drunken commit adultery steale secretly from our neighbours though we make small reckoning of his word raile on it and the Preachers too yet God is mercifull ready to forgive our sins I but remember likewise that vengeance is his and he will judge even his owne people especially if with an high hand they sinne against him hee will wound the hairie scalpe of them that goe on in their sins The Scripture records examples of Gods vengeance as well as of Gods Mercie He threw the Angels out of heaven when they sinned hee drowned the whole world for sinne he rained fire and brimstone on Sodome he made Iesabel a filthy adulteresse though a Queene to be cast out of a window and eaten up with dogs If we know the truth and make no conscience to live according to the truth if we cause his Gospell to be blasphemed by our wicked lives especially if wee choake the truth revealed to us set our selves against it and maliciously despise the spirit of grace whereby wee were in some measure sanctified then the vengeance of GOD will light heavy on us Therefore let us thinke as well on Gods Iustice as on his Mercy VERSE 31. OVt of this divine testimony the Apostle inferreth a fruitfull conclusion shewing what use we are to make of this doctrine it must cause us to feare God Almighty An horrible thing to fall suddenly when we little thinke of it and deepely too into the wine presse of Gods wrath so much the word doth import Into what into the hands of the living GOD. Why God hath no hands therefore we need not feare falling into them True indeed God hath no part or member of a body as we have for he is a spirit yet for our capacitie it is adscribed to him By the hands of God in this place is meant the wrath power and anger of God Almighty As a master sayes to his servant take heede how you come into my hands againe so it is a fearefull thing to fall into Gods hands What is this God A living God that lives for ever not a dead and dumbe Idoll therefore there is no escaping out of his hands if we fall into them For the better explication of it know that GOD hath two hands The one is Manus protegens into thy hands I commend my spirit It is a comfortable thing to fall into these hands The other is manus puniens and that is double the one as he is Pater castigans so David chose to fall into the hands of God the other as he is Iudex vindicans and so it is a fearefull thing to fall into his hands The wrath of a King sayes Salomon is as the roaring of a Lion what is the wrath of the King of Kings An earthly King may be appeased with rewards and requests but his wrath if he be once angry as a Iudge cannot be appeased Some by violence may snatch thee out of a Kings hand which is stronger than he none can deliver thee out of Gods hands if thou beest his prisoner once looke for no Gaole delivery Thou mayest run out of a Kings kingdome but there is no running from GOD whither shall I flye from thy presence in any corner of the earth hee will finde thee out yea though thou haddest wings to mount up into the heavens he can fetch thee downe An earthly King lives but for a time at the length hee dyes but GOD lives for ever Therefore it is a fearefull thing to fall into his hands Yet men little consider this they imagine it is nothing to fall into Gods hands A servant had rather fall into Gods hands by making a lye then into the hands of his master by speaking a truth A number of desperate persons had rather fall into Gods hands by swearing and forswearing then into the hands of an earthly judge We make no account of Gods hands tush God sees it not or if he regard it he is a kinde God it makes no matter for falling into his hands yet it is a fearefull thing for though he beare long with thee in wonderfull patience and long suffering yet he will make thee beare in the end Therefore let us not wittingly and willingly
lust will be quenched Let us strive against drunkennesse by not comming at Ale-houses by not looking on the Wine when it smileth in the glasse 4 By imbracing the contrary vertue Instead of Pride let us imbrace Humility instead of Covetousnesse Liberality of Vncleannesse Chastity c. VERSE 5. THE profitable vse of afflictions is grounded on a testimony of sacred Scripture Where 1. An allegation of the testimony Verse 5.6 2. An application of it In the allegation 1. The manner how it is alleaged 2. The matter of the testimony alleaged The Physitions prescript and the reason of it Verse 6. It seemes that it should rather be an Interrogation which is more forcible and frequent in the writings of the Apostle Have ye forgotten Have yee suffered such a sweet sentence to slip out of your mindes Some interpret it exhortation but the word consolation is comfortable suitable to the place as the word children doth import What consolation not that which is dumbe but speaketh by the way of a kinde reasoning and loving disputation Not onely to them of the Old Testament but to you also of the New And how doth it speake not as to servants but as to children 1 We are ready to forget good things those that be most joyful and comfortable to us our memories are as Iron Chests for bad things they will keepe them fast enough We will remember injuries seven yeeres after we will remember that which we have heard at a Play and interlude many yeeres together and talke of it If we have read a thing in a wanton and lascivious Booke wee will remember it But as for the sacred Scriptures the pastures of our soules we quickly forget them yea even those things that serve most for our comfort Though we forget spurs yet me thinkes wee should not forget comfits though we forget those Scriptures that spur us on to goodnesse yet we should not forget them that may comfort us in our calamities Yet sayes he ye have forgotten the consolation Little children will hardly forget sweet things plums sugar c. yet we forget the sweetest junkates that bee in GOD's Apothecaries shop Let us rub our memories and call them to minde to the everlasting comfort of us all 2 The Papists will not be judged by the Scripture because it is mute and cannot speake Iudex est lex loquens The Scripture cannot speake therefore unfit to be a Iudge Yet here ye see the Scripture speaketh So Iohn 5.39.7.42.19.37 and not that alone but God speaketh by it Heb. 3.7 Luke 1.70 Therefore it may well be Iudge of all Controversies 3 The Scriptures speake generally unto all not to them alone that were alive at the first writing and publishing of it but it speaketh to al posterities to the end of the world Rom. 15.4 Marke 13.37 The Lawes appertaine to the whole Nation so doe the Scriptures to the whole Church Therefore let us not say of any place in the Old or New Testament this belongs not to me 4 It speakes to the wicked as to servants they shall quake at it whether they will or no as Foelix trembled at S. Paul's speech but it speaketh to the godly as to children therefore we should reverently attend to the voice of our Father c. speaking in it Then comes the testimony it selfe which hath two branches an exhortation and a reason of it In the exhortation a double counsell is prescribed to us 1. That we should not despise GOD's corrections 2. That we should not be discouraged by them Hee speakes to us as a Father Not my servant but my Sonne Despise not according to the Hebrew cast it not away according to the Greeke set not light which is all one For that which we care not for we hurle away The fatherly chastening as a father chastiseth his children For he it is that chasteneth us whatsoever the rod or instrument be which he useth Sometimes he chasteneth us by the Devill as he did Iob sometimes by creatures fire and water by men of our owne mold yet alwayes the LORD chasteneth us The Philistims had killed Eli his two sons and taken away the Arke yet Eli said it is the Lord The Sabeans and Chaldeans tooke away Iob's cattell yet Iob sayes the Lord hath taken away Afflictions come not by chance or fortune 1 Sam. 6.9 but by the providence of God Therefore let us not despise but accept with meeknesse Gods chastenings 2 We must not faint under the burthen of afflictions imposed on us by GOD. How ready are we to breake forth into passionate and desperate speeches Never was any so tormented as I am If GOD loved me he would not thus afflict me Oh this is greater than I can beare We have much Aquavitae to keep us from fainting 1. The inward comfort of the Spirit which in all afflictions cryeth in our hearts Abba Father 2. The consolation of Scripture GODS Apothecary shop from whence we may have medicines against all griefes whatsoever 3. The recoâ—dation of the mercy of God that will not suffer us to be tempted above that which we are able to beare 4 The cogitation of that heavenly company that draweth in he yoke of afflictions with us If we did beare the burthen alone we might faint but we have many to beare it with us 5 The sweet end afflictions Ye have heard of the patience of Iob and what end the Lord made Our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth unto us an eternall weight of glory therefore faint not VERSE 6. THE reason is double 1. These chastisements are a token of GOD's love therefore let us not despise them 2 They are a token of our salvation which is an effect of the love of GOD he receiveth that is into his Kingdome May we certainely conclude that God loves all he chastens I surely He may punish the wicked as a Iudge doth Malefactors but chastises onely his children whom he loves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He punished Pharaoh and the Egyptians with frogs lice and other plagues but he chastises onely those whom he loveth A bad man may have his house burnt so may a good man The one the Lord punishes the other he chastens A bad man may be grievously sick so may a good man the one God punishes the other he chastens How may we discerne betweene punishments and chastisements 1 The one is inflicted in mercy the other in fury Correct me O Lord yet not in thy fury 2 The one waxe worse they fret and fume blaspheme fight against God continue still in their sins and obstinately resist God to the end as Cain and others did 3 The one are crushed by their afflictions they are as Gods hammers to crush them in peeces the other are amended by their afflictions They say with David It is good for me that I have beene afflicted Their afflictions makes them hurle away their sins drunkennesse pride covetousnesse uncleannesse c. The one are
sicut Angelorum judicium fuit inexorabilius quà m hominum ita Ministrorum gravius erit quà m Laicorum Therefore let us be types and examples of all goodnesse to our flockes and as we are called the light of the world so let us bee lights indeede Let our light so shine before men that seeing our good workes they may glorifie our Father which is in Heaven Yet more particularly wee must examine our conversation in that speciall calling wherein wee be set The weaver labours in the loome the Merchant on the sea the husband-man is seldome from the plough and our plough must in a manner bee alwayes going ever looking to GODS husbandrie that is committed to us Many there bee that live honestly among their neighbours and are good house-keepers but they neglect their Cure I but innocens absque sermone conversatio quantùm exemplo prodest tantùm silentio nocet sayes Saint Ierome Episcopus est nomen operis Saint Ambrose compares him to a Bee that is ever gathering honey out of the flowers of the Scriptures Id componens arte oris sui and delivers it to the people Saint Chrys. is bold to say Necesse est Episcopum in singulos dies sementem facere ut ipsa saltem assuetudine doctrinae auditorum animi sermonem retinere possint Be instant sayes Saint Paul in season and out of season so often as we can for gifts of minde and body So often as the people can conveniently assemble together let the Ministers of the Lord cast forth the net of the Gospell and be drawing of some fishes to the shoare of eternall life Blessed is the servant whom his Lord when hee commeth shall finde so doing To him He will say come thou good and faithfull servant enter into the joy of thy Master O what an excellent thing is it for a minister thus to affirme with Saint Paul that he hath kept a good conscience in all things in his entrance into the ministery and in a faithfull wise diligent and religious exequution of his office to Gods glory and the benefit of the people such a one may sing for joy with the Swan when hee is ready to depart out of the world I have fought a good fight from henceforth is layd up for me a crowne of righteousness which the righteous Iudge will give me at that day It will play Ioab with us it will say nothing while the fact is a doing but when it is done it will cry alarme against us he himselfe will be most against us as the man that left Absalom hanging sayd of Ioab Therefore as Saint Augustine counselleth us let us obturare ei os in hoc mundo ne clamet contra nos in futuro let us doe nothing so neere as we can that may wound our consciences in this life that wee may make a comfortable accompt in the life to come Take heede of the thousand witnesses nay of the thousand armies as Luther calls it If thou beest arraigned of fellony murder treason at the barre of an earthly judge and but two witnesses come against thee Lord have mercy on thee thou art gone and how shalt thou quake before the barre of GODS tribunall seate when a thousand witnesses shall step out against thee then there is nothing to be expected but that fearefull voice goe thou cursed c. Wee of the Ministery are much subject to the tongues of men we are set on an hill and the eyes of all are converted upon us If there bee but a little spot in the face it is quickly espied and a great matter is made of it yea let us walke as warily as we can give no offence to any yet men will take offence and the best Ministers though living under the protection of a gracious Prince we may escape the clawes of men yet certainely not the best of us all can escape the jawes of men and let not that trouble us for if all could not give CHRIST a good word some sayd hee was a good man others nay but he deceiveth the people then let not us thinke that bee sinfull wretches to have every mans good word In all speeches and obloquies let us have recourse to our consciences and heare what they say of us If all the world commend us and our consciences condemne us we can have no comfort On the contrary side if all the world speake evill of us and our consciences speake good to us we need not to care for any of them all Let us remember that worthy speech of a worthy Father nec malam conscientiam sanat praeconium laudantis nec bonam vulnerat opprobrium criminantis We are wont to say if I have GOD and the King on my side I care for no man in England So may we say if I have GOD and a cleare conscience on my side I care for no man in all the world The Papists say it is unlawfull for a Minister to marry Some Protestants say it is inconvenient for Ministers to marry and indeed their maintenance being so small it is so yet for all that I say it is both lawfull and convenient nay necessary for all Ministers to marry for all without exception But wot ye to what wife namely to a good conscience If thou beest marryed to her if thou hast her at home to comfort thee in the house of thine heart though thy living be never so small thou shalt live marveilously well yea more at hearts ease then King Richard the third did in his Kingdome but if thou beest a minister and hast a Xantippe at home the worme of conscience gnawing on thee for they bad comming to thy Benefice for thy bad living in the same si inde te eijcit fumus malae conscientiae alas poore man whither shall thou goe wilt thou run away from thy selfe whither soever thou goest thou carryest thy conscience with thee and that will keepe a yelling against thee in domo in foro in mensa in lecto and in all places Wherefore let us all be assured that we are at peace with our conscience that wee have this loving Wife to cheere us up wheresoever wee bee what is our rejoycing sayes Saint Paul save the testimony of a good conscience Let a man be lying on his death bed let some say to him remember man what faire and beautifull houses thou hast what goodly Lordships what lands and possessions what bags of silver and gold remember in what credit honour and reputation thou hast lived on the face of the earth will this comfort him thinke you truely but a little But if his conscience say to him as Hezekiahs did to him remember that thou hast walked before the Lord with an upright heart this will comfort him and make his heart to skip for joy in his belly recta vita esca conscientiae a good life is the meate of the conscience Live well in thy calling this is meate and drinke to thy conscience this shall comfort
we know the Sunne by his brightnesse so the Father by Christ. And the expresse image of his person The former did shew that CHRIST was of the same nature with the Father but this that he further resembleth the person of the Father every Sonne is of the same nature and essence that his Father is of but every Sonne is not like the person of his Father in stature countenance voice gesture c. Whereas there is nothing in the person of the father but it is expressed in lively colours in CHRIST not a painted forme but an engraven forme As if a mans picture were taken in brasse or Waxe all the lineaments of his face hands and the rest of the parts of the body might evidently be seene in it he that beholdeth the one beholdeth the other Col. 1.15 Io. 14.9 the eternity of the God-head his wisedome power justice and goodnesse may be seene in CHRIST This is the third argument to prove the deity of CHRIST and it is drawne from the identity of the divine essence Hee that is the brightnesse of Gods glory and engraven forme of his person is GOD but CHRIST is the brightnesse of GODS glory and engraven forme of his person Ergo He shewes him in the fourth place to be God by the worke of preservation He that beareth up the world by the mighty power of his providence is God Exod. 15.13 Isai. 46.3 Deut. 1.31 Cap. 32. v. 11. but Christ beareth up the world by the power of his providence Ergo hee beareth it up else it would fall Some say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ruling all things Yet the metaphor is significant Christ beareth up all things in heaven and earth There were two pillars that bere up the house where Sampson played and the Philistims were assembled together but Christ is the only pillar that beareth up the house of the world The Poets write much of one Atlas that bore up the heavens with his shoulders but our Saviour Christ is the true Atlas that beareth up heaven and earth As he made the world so he beares up the world and keepeth it up from falling If it were not for him the Sunne Moone Stars and all the host of heaven would fall to the ground if it were not for him the birds of the ayre the fishes of the Sea the beasts of the field would drop away in a moment the earth would sinke downe under our feet the Sea would overflow his bankes and drowne us all Our Saviour Christ beares up all in regard of their nature he beareth up the Devils themselves and all his instruments in the world he does not beare them out in their wickednesse but hee beareth up their essence In him all live breath and have their being But more particularly in love and mercy he beareth up his children and the members of Christ as a father beareth his Sonne and taketh him up into his armes so doth he those whom he hath adopted in Christ Nay as a mother beareth the infant so doth he us as an Eagle fluttereth about her young ones so the Lord beareth us on his wings This may bee a singular comfort to us all wheresoever we be on the water or on the land in the day or night though we be among the thickest of our enemies nay among Devills yet the Lord Iesus beareth us in his hands and none can take us out of his hands This should cause us all to stand in aw of him to be afraid to displease him Will any be so madde as to make holes in the ship that beareth them Will any hew downe the pillars that beare up the house Shall a child scratch out the eyes of the nurse that beareth him Our Saviour Christ beares us up all therfore let us not like rebels fight against him by our sinnes let us please him all that we can by whom wee are borne up They of Tyre and Sydon sought Herods favour because their land was nourished by him all men throughout the wide compasse of the world are nourished by our Saviour Christ. The breath would quickly be out of the nostrills of us all if it were not for him Kings Princes Noblemen Gentlemen Merchants Clothiers Rich and Poore depend upon him if he take away his hand we are all gone Therefore let us serve him with all our might that beareth us up with his mighty word It is not our riches our Silver and Gold our Sheep and Oxen that can beare us up then the rich man would never have dyed It is Christ that upholdeth us all Let us all therefore feare and reverence him wee especially that be his Ministers of whom he hath such a fatherly care being the watchman and keeper Let us above all others glorifie this GOD that beareth us up by the hand of his power and mercy The fifth argument to prove the deity of Christ is drawn from the worke of redemption He that hath purged us from our sins is God But Christ c. This is spoken of whole Christ His humanity was the instrumentall cause of this purgation his deity the efficient We are purged by the word as by an instrument applying this to us and by the Sacrament of Baptisme sealing it up in our hearts Ephes. 5.26 but by the bloud of Christ Meritoriè Acts 20.28 by the oblation of his owne body and the shedding of his owne bloud not by an Angell not by the co-operation of our merits with himselfe Not of His owne for He knew no sin but ours that are bred borne and brought up in sin of all our sinnes He hath not left one unpurged Not by our selves nor by Angels Here the slie and nice distinction of the Iesuits is taken away which they invented of late to make us beleeve that by the Doctrine of Merits they derogate nothing from the glory of CHRIST Indeed they say that we may make satisfaction for sin and merit Heaven yet it is not we that doe it but Christ by us not our workes simply in themselves but as dyed in the bloud of CHRIST Our merits are Christs merits and therefore they may deserve Heaven I but Christ hath purged our sins by Himselfe not by our selves he hath done it by his owne bloud immediately not mediately by our workes dyed in His bloud therefore that is a meere delusion to mock the World withall This is a singular benefit that we receive from Christ a purgation from all our sins Sin is an heavie load and importable burthen a man had better have a mountaine than one sin hang on Him Hence it is that they cry O ye hils fall on us In what a pittifull taking was Iudas when he felt the horrour of his sin not purged by the Lord Iesus How did he houle and cry I have sinned and at length tooke a rope and hanged himselfe There is no torment to the torment of sin this is in a manner the only hell
meanes that as man by sin had deserved death so by the death of a man he should be redeemed from sin and death The necessity of Christs incarnation he proves first from the end of it He that by suffering for men was to bring men to salvation must be man Christ by suffering for men was to bring men to salvation ergo Christ was to bring many to glory This he could not do but by afflictions and namely by death it selfe for the Crosse must goe before the Crowne therefore it was requisite that in our humane nature he should first suffer It became this was most comely fit and convenient for him namely that God ver 9. which so graciously gave his Son for us that is God the Father by whose grace and mercy Christ died for us It became him for the better illustration of his owneglory for a more lively demonstration of his mercy and justice to the world of his mercy in not sparing his owne Son but giving him up to the death for us of his justice in punishing the sins of the world so severely in his owne Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. These words are to be referred to Christ not to God the Father 1. They are affirmed of him in Scripture 1 Cor. 8.6 Col. 1.16 2. Before hee spake of his humiliation it was meet to premise something concerning his glory power and dignity 3. For so much as it is said he was to be perfected through afflictions by afflictions to mount up to glory that concerning his Deity was well premised that we might know it was no new glory which he took but that which hee had from all eternity as hee was GOD Ioh. 17.5 It became God the Father to perfect the Prince of our salvation through afflictions for whom are all things and by whom are all things after he had brought many children to glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having made them willing by his holy spirit Wee are said also to be drawne Sed trahit sua quemque voluptas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Syntaxis might better be referred to CHRIST than to the Father otherwise the participle should have beene in the dative case to agree with the pronoune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then in the accusative case It ought to bee translated thus for it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things to consecrate the Prince of their salvation through afflictions bringing many Children to glory Children not friends but Children begotten by the word made the Sonnes of God by faith Iohn 1.12 knowne by the spirit Rom. 8.14 Not a few but many for he is a powerfull SAVIOUR many shall come from the East c. Not all men because all imbrace him not being offered to them Sundry were called to the feast that came not To glory in the kingdome of heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some translate it Sanctifie because of the next Verse but the words are diverse To perfect CHRIST is said to bee perfected because after his suffering hee was glorified in his Humanity as well as in his Deitie CHRIST his afflictions are so farre from being a shame or ignominie to him that they bee solemne rites or sacred ceremonies whereby he was consecrated Bishop of the universall Church Through afflictions in the whole course of his life especially at his death and passion The Arch-duke the Captaine the leader in whose steps wee are to tread the Author of their salvation Acts 3.15 If CHRIST had not become man afflicted and put to death he could not have carryed men into the kingdome of heaven for a purgation must be made for the sinne of man by the fiery furnace of affliction and especially by death therefore it became Christ to be made man too though he were God GOD is the efficient and finall cause of all 1. There is nothing but it is by GOD the Host of heaven the Sunne Moone and Starres are by him the birds of the ayre the fishies of the Sea the beasts of the field the greene and flourishing coat that the earth hath is by him All men yea Angels even the Devils themselves are by him not as Devils .i. malicious accusers of the Saints but as they be invisible and immortall spirits all are by him nay to proceede a little further and yet to keepe our selves within compasse of sound Divinity sin it selfe is not without the providence of God it is not à Deo creante sed disponente he disposeth of all the grosse sins that be in the world to his owne glory as a wise Physition makes a good use even of poyson in his confections Furthermore as all things are by GOD so all for him all serve his holy will and blessed pleasure some unwillingly some willingly GOD makes Satan and his instruments to be for him whether they will or no but the faithfull are willingly for him and serve him with all cheerefulnesse Let us remember that wee our selves and all that we have is for God he made us he redeemed us with the bloud of his Sonne therefore we are his not our owne our wit wealth honour worship learning our soules our bodies our eyes tongues hands feete all are for him with all that wee have we must glorifie him Our tongues are our owne sayd the wicked that is false all that we have is Gods therefore all must be at his commandement The pot is for him that made it and the servant must be imployed about his Masters businesse he must be his masters man not his owne therefore as we were created by God so let us be wholly for him Now it became this high and mighty God for whom are all things and by whom are all things which worketh all as seemeth best to him to consecrate the Prince of their salvation through afflictions bringing many children to glory CHRIST brought them to glory which he could not doe but by enduring many afflictions 1 Here we see that CHRIST could not bring us to heaven without innumerable afflictions which our sinnes had deserved he himselfe knew no sin but he was afflicted for our sins And indeed he was wonderfully afflicted for them from his cradle to his grave A man of sorrowes as the Prophet termeth him he was borne not of a wealthy Lady but of a poore woman base and contemptible to the eyes of the world at his first comming he was not laid in a costly Cradle but in a Cratch not in a Chamber well furnished but in a Stable borne in Winter and in the night when he was an Infant banished into Egypt hee wrought as is thought in the trade of his Father and was a Carpenter he had not a hole to hide his head in women were faine to minister to him of their owne substance as he went up and downe preaching the Gospell he had not bags of silver and gold about him but was faine to send to the Sea for a peece of 20d.
and Spirit in this life that wee may have entrance into the holy Hierusalem in the life to come If CHRIST and we are all of one much more are we among our selves A King and a beggar are of one a rich man and a poore man are of one a faire and beautifull man or woman and they that want beauty are of one we descended all of Adam and were taken out of the dust of the ground therefore let us not insult one over another GOD for a season hath advanced one above another the Magistrate above the Subject the Father above the Son the Rich man above the poore man and every one is to be honoured according to that place whereunto God hath exalted him yet if we look back to our originall to the stocke from whence we are taken we are all of one The Wax that hath the print of the Kings seale on it is the same in substance with the waxe that hath the print of the seale of a meane man yet it is honoured in that the Kings seale is set on it So we are all of one weake and waxie nature save that it pleaseth God to set a more honourable print upon one then on another Therefore let us not thinke highly of ourselves and contemne our brethren but submitte to them of low degree using the greatnesse that GOD hath given us to the glory of the Giver Seest thou a poore Lazarus full of sores desirous to bee refreshed with the crumbes that fall from rich mens bordes Contemne him not in thy heart he and thou though thou farest deliciously every day and rufflest out in silkes and velvet are both of one This he proveth by the relatives They that be brethren come of one Father and Mother CHRIST and wee are brethren therefore we are of one of one Adam which is our Father and of one Mother which is Eve Whereas some interpret it of one God of one heavenly Father it is impertinent to the Text. He doth not simply say they are his brethren but hee is not ashamed to call them brethren Prov. 19.7 All the brethren of the poore doe hate him how much more doe his friends goe far from him He pursueth them with words but they are wanting to him But Christ thought it no disparagement to his glorious Deity to call men his brethren Though there be wonderfull ods betweene Christ and us hee the Creator we the creatures hee the LORD and Master we his servants he without sinne we defiled with sinne in Soule and body he mervailous rich heaven and earth being his we poore men of our selves not worth a groat yet Christ is not ashamed to call us brethren If a man come once to be Lord Major of London hee will scant acknowledge his poore brethren and Sisters when they come to him Christ is not a Lord for a yeere and a day but an everlasting King yea the King of Kings yet he vouchsafes to call us brethren One Iudge will call another brother and if he be a Sergeant he shall have that name but every pettifogger and paltrie Lawyer shall not be the Iudges brother yet Christ the Iudge of the whole world calls us all brethren O the humility of Christ and the dignity whereunto he hath advanced us VERSE 12. THis he proved out of the Psalme 22.22 Many things in that Psalme are in the New Testament applyed to CHRIST as Verse 1. Verse 16. Verse 18. The Prophet speaketh this of himselfe that when GOD had delivered him from his enemies he would declare his name to the people which were his brethren though GOD had exalted him above them But prophetically also he speaketh of the Messiah after that CHRIST was delivered from Satans fury and the rage of his instruments from the power of death and of the grave hee would declare the name of GOD to his brethren This he did while he was alive Ioh. 17.6 but especially after his resurrection when hee sent his Apostles to preach the Gospell to all nations CHRIST was not only the Author and matter of the Gospell but he was also the proclaimer and Preacher of it he declared it in his owne life time by himselfe after his Ascension by his Apostles The name that is the power mercie and goodnesse of God By brethren here are understood not the Apostles or faithfull onely though they in more speciall manner bee the brethren of CHRIST Matth. 12.49 Ioh. 20.17 but all men generally for CHRIST and all men came of one which is Adam and were made by one God Mal. 2.10 CHRIST will not declare his name in a corner but in the middest of the Church In the middest of the Church among the rest of my brethren as fellow singers Christ did sing with his Disciples after the supper he prayed worshipped and sung as we doe CHRIST hath many Brethren 1. All men in respect of our humane nature which Christ assumed to himselfe are his brethren hee a man as all are 2. In regard of Country and lineall descent the Iewes are his brethren of whom Christ came according to the flesh Rom. 9.5 Deut. 18.18 3. In respect of consanguinity the kinsfolke of CHRIST in the Scripture are called his brethren Iames the brother of the Lord that is the kinsman of the Lord. 4. In respect of the Ministery the Preachers of the Word are CHRIST his brethren for hee was a Minister and Preacher of the Gospell as we are although in gifts and graces he excelled us all as the Sunne doth the Starres But more neerely and properly the faithfull are his brethren being made the Sonnes of GOD by faith in CHRIST IESUS I goe to my God and your God to my Father and your Father Ioh. 20.17 1. As CHRIST is not ashamed to call us brethren so let us doe nothing so neere as wee can that may shame this our Brother Is it not a shame that the Kings brother should bee a common drunkard whoremaster or such like Doth not the King take himselfe disgraced by it And shall wee that are Brethren to the King of Kings take such courses as that great ignominie should redound to CHRIST by it As hee is not ashamed to call us brethren so let us doe nothing that may pull a shame on him and his Gospell 2. Can a brother that is a wealthie man of faire revenewes and ample possessions see any of his brethren goe a begging will hee not rather receive him to his owne house and set him at his table CHRIST which is the Lord of heaven and earth is our brother therefore let us feare no want so long as wee feare him This may be a comfort to us in all our calamities that CHRIST and we are brethren VERSE 13. AN other argument to prove the humanity of Christ it is drawne from the effects Christ putteth his trust in God therefore he is man Hee that trusteth to another is inferiour to him to whom hee trusts the party whom he makes his pillar
sin as we have but the greatest of all is his owne goodnesse and mercy Isai. 9.6 Iohn 3.16 Both had sinned Angels and men Why was Christ made a man to dye for men and not an Angell to redeeme Angels from everlasting death because it was his owne good will and pleasure his singular love to mankinde Let us therefore magnifie him for it from generation to generation Some as Augustine observeth tooke occasion from hence to be proud and insolent See Christ tooke on him our nature not the Angels therefore we are exalted above Angels we have just cause to thinke highly of our selves As if a sick man should boast the Physitian came to my house not to my neighbours therefore I am a better man than my neighbour the reason why Christ tooke on him thy nature not the Angels was because thou wert sick of sin so were not the good Angels Neverthelesse it is a preferment to us that Christ should assume our nature to his our corruptible nature to his incorruptible as if a King should take the patcht cloake of a beggar and annex it to his royall cloake decked with Pearles and precious Stones Now as Christ hath honoured our nature in becomming man so let not us men dishonour our owne nature by drunkennesse uncleannesse covetousnesse nor by wrangling and contending one with another Christ hath graced our nature let not us disgrace it VERSE 17. WHereupon he returnes to his conclusion which he would have to be infixed in our memories I will declare thy name to my brethren which he could not doe unlesse hee were a man as his brethren are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debuit he ought because it was his fathers will and his owne will too necessitate non coactione In all things appertaining to the substance not to the corruption of our nature He was like unto us in all things sin only excepted He was like to us in all the faculties and members of soule and body He had the same affections that we have yet unstained with sin We are sorrowfull so was He My soule is heavie to the death We are joyfull so was He Luke 10.21 In that houre Iesus rejoyced in spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are zealous so was He the zeale of thy house hath eaten me up We are hungry so was hee Marke 3.5 Wee wonder at all things so did He. We are afraid of death so was He My soule is heavie to the death Come to the Body We are little ones grow in stature so Christ Luke 2. ult We are hungry thirsty sleepy so was He He slept in a Ship Mat. 8.24 not in a Church We are weary so was he He rested himselfe on Iacobs-Well Iohn 4 6. We dye so He died also As He is like to us so let us be like him in meekenesse patience charity in praying for our enemies Brethren All are his brethren quoad naturam the faithfull quoad gratiam Iohn 20.17 He will not be ashamed to call us Brethren at the day of judgement Mat. 25.40 and shall not we call one another brother The King and Subjects are brethren the Ministers and their People rich and poore are brethren and let us not be snapping and snarling one at another but live lovingly together as brethren Both members are unfolded in the words following that is he was a faithfull High Priest Appertaining to God In divine not in humane matters The High Priest made an attonement for the people Levit. 16. So did Christ for his people GOD and man were fallen out Christ made us friends God was displeased with us he pacified his wrath towards us which the Father by an audible voice witnessed from heaven Matth. 3.17 This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased How by the bloud of his Crosse which was Gods bloud Acts 20.28 We were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.18 19. In many things we offend all who then can be saved our sins for number exceed the sands of the Sea the least sin is sufficient to throw us into hell without Christ. But by Christ we are reconciled to his Father and have peace with him Col. 1.20 Luke 2.14 Rom. 5.1 Oh I have sinned but 1 Iohn 2.2 Christ is the propitiation for our sins Worthy then is the Lamb the Lord Iesus to receive all glory Men at Christ-masse use to take a greater liberty to sin to quaffe swill and carowse to open the floud-gates of all impiety but the consideration of Christs comming into the world should be a bridle to restraine us from sin Christ came now to make a reconciliation for our sins and shall we plunge our selves deeper into the Sea of sin God forbid The love of Christ should constraine us to forsake sin it should not make us wallow in the filthy puddle and sinke of sin Wilt thou make much of the knife that cut thy Fathers throat David though he longed for the water of the Well of Bethlehem yet when it was brought to him by three of his Worthies he refused to drinke of it saying Is not this the bloud of the men that went in jeopardie of their lives 2 Sam. 23.17 Sin cost the bloud of Christ let us not then drinke iniquity like water VERSE 18. HEE prosecuteth the former branch touching mercy As CHRIST was like to us in nature so hee was tempted as we are Saepius ipse miser miseris succurrere disce Art thou tempted whether thou art the child of GOD or not A shrowd temptation wherewith the best men and women are shaken So was CHRIST If thou beest the Sonne of God the Devill calls it into question and would have had CHRIST to doubt of it Art thou tempted with povertie with want of things necessarie for this life So Was Christ from his Cradle to his grave he was borne in a stable laid in a cratch had not an hole to hide his head in he had no money in his purse but was faine to send to the Sea for some he kept his Passeover in an other mans chamber was buryed in an other mans grave Art thou tempted with malevolent tongues with some that are ever rayling on thee So was Christ hee was termed a Wine bibber a glutton c. Art thou tempted with sicknesse the toothach the headach the cholike the gout c. We never read that Christ was sicke because he had no sinne in him yet being clothed with our nature hee knowes what belongs to paine and will succour us in all our distresses Art thou persecuted Herod sought his life as soone as he was borne A rich man that hath a good fire continually in his house a table furnished with all delicates that lyes soft on a bed of dowlne he cannot so well pitty a poore man as one poore man may doe another CHRIST being rich would become poore he would bee a man
with all reverence Secondly a strengthning of the charge by an argument which he disputeth by the example of their fathers Where first the sinne of their fathers then the punishment of the sinne Their sin is set downe first generally then particularly with the circumstances belonging to it of the place where it was committed the persons by whom the nature and quality of the sin amplified by the meanes they had to call from it the time how long they continued in this sinne The punishment is double 1. GODS wrath and displeasure 2. A definitive sentence proceeding from it an exclusion of them out of his rest VERSE 7. SEeing we have such a rare and excellent Prophet as is not as a servant but as the Sonne in the house of GOD let us attend to him and for so much as faith makes us to be of this house and hope is as a pillar for the susteining of us in it let us beware of infidelity that pulls downe the house and shuts up the doore against this Prophet that he cannot enter in into us Now because hee was to make a commemoration of the stubbornnesse and contumacie of the ancient Israelites which in time rejected this Prophet and would not heare him very wisely for offending of the Hebrews he delivers it in the words of the Holy Ghost rather then of his owne They would peradventure have kicked against his reproofe but they durst not spurne at the reprehension of the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost long agoe by the mouth of David provoked the people to lysten to CHRIST the true Prophet of the Church therefore let us all attend to him The Author of this Epistle was not ignorant that David was the penman or Authour of this Psalme for he himselfe affirmeth Hebr. 4.7 yet he doth not say as David speaketh but as the Holy Ghost saith whereby he gives us to understand that the Holy Ghost the third person in the glorious Trinity speaketh in the Scriptures the whole Scripture is given by inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3.16 this heavenly spirit did breath them into those worthy instruments which he used Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost The Manichees sayd that the evill GOD was the Author of the Old Testament and the good GOD of the new yet the Holy Ghost spake in the Old Testament This then is the prerogative of the sacred Scripture above other wrytings In other books men speake but in this God speaketh In other writings Tullie Seneca Plato Aristotle Plutarch speaketh who indeed were wise and learned men but in the bookes of holy Scripture the Holy Ghost speaketh which is the fountaine of all wisdome In them the servants speake in this the LORD speaketh In them the subjects in this the Prince The Holy Ghost speaketh in the bookes of Moses of the Psalmes of the Prophets in the bookes of the New Testament yet such is the blindnesse of our understanding and the corruption of our nature that we preferre humanity before Divinity the writing of men before the writings of God the Moone before the Sunne wee had rather be reading of humane Authors then of these heavenly books wherein the HOLY GHOST speaketh to us Now if yee will heare his voice as God hath commanded you to doe Deut. 18.18 Then harden not your hearts Thus it is as cleere as the noone day that the Spirit of God gives an evident testimony of our Saviour CHRIST To day In the time of the Gospell The law was as the night this as the day While he speaketh to us 2 Cor. 6.2 CHRIST spake in Moses time in Davids time he spake in his owne person on the earth and he speakes in the Ministerie of the Gospell to the worlds end The Gentiles that were not as yet of CHRISTS fold heare the voyce of CHRIST Ioh. 10. but CHRIST is now in heaven therefore the voyce of the Preachers is the voyce of CHRIST He doth not say to morrow post it not off till to morrow but heare it To day while it may be heard VERSE 8. WHat then He doth not say stop not up your yeares we must not doe that neither but it is in vaine for the eare to heare if the heart bee hardned therefore first he beginneth with the heart God opened the heart of Lydia The heart is the principall thing which GOD requireth in the hearing of the Word In vaine doe wee heare with our eares if our hearts bee not opened therefore sayes the Holy Ghost harden not your hearts GOD hardeneth the hearts of men and men harden their owne hearts He hardned the heart of Pharaoh and Deut. 2.30 GOD hardneth not only permissivè but also activè the LORD hath a kinde of act in it his providence is in it He gave up the Gentiles unto their owne lusts Rom. 1.24 Hee sendeth the wicked strong delusions to believe lies He did not only suffer Pharaohs heart to be hardned but he hardned it indeed How Not infundendo malitiam by infusing evill into our hearts for they be as pots full of all impiety already GOD needs not nay GOD cannot it is repugnant to his nature to put any evill into us yet hee doth not harden onely subtrahendo gratiam though that bee one meanes but by having an operation in the action yet so as he is free from the least imputation of sinne As hardnesse of heart comes from GOD it is a punishment of sin of our former contempt of his grace and mercie offered to us as it proceedeth from our selves it is a sinne yea an horrible sinne To conclude we first contemne that grace which should soften our hearts and then God hardens them We our selves properly to speake are the hardners of our own hearts GOD gives us his sacred word as a trumpet to waken us out of sinne he sends us his Ministers and Preachers as bells to toll us to the kingdome of heaven they will us in GODS name to believe in CHRIST to forsake our sinnes be they never so neere or deere unto us we for all that harden our hearts that those heavenly admonitions cannot enter into them Let God say what hee will let him preach by his Embassadours we will still continue in unbeliefe and dwell in our sinnes we say with them in the Gospell we will not have this man to reigne over us Sinne shall be our King Lord and Master CHRIST IESUS shall not rule us by his word and Spirit This is the hardnesse of heart that is in us by nature Oh Hierusalem how often would I have gathered thy children together and yee would not Matth. 23.37 The LORD sent his Prophets early and late 2 Chron. 36.16 and in Zach. 7.12 there is a wonderfull example to this purpose This hardnes of heart reigneth exceedingly at this present day yea even in those townes where there is most plentifull preaching Therefore let us intreat the LORD to give us a new heart to take from us
is acquainted with all the infirmities of men he doth not only know them notitia speculativa but experimentali Saepius ipse miser miseris succurrere disco he that â—s in misery himselfe can the better pitty them that bee in misery hee that never tasted of poverty can hardly pitty a poore man a Physitian may pitty a sicke man but unlesse he have beene molested with sicknesse himselfe he cannot have so great compassion on â—hem that be sicke Countrie fellowes that never knew the labour of a student and painefull Preacher thinke it is no labour to preach Nothing can move commiseration so much as a fellow-feeling of the same misery This is in our High Priest our Lord and Saviour being clothed with our nature he is touched with our infirmities 2. When wee are afflicted Christ is afflicted If the meanest Christian suffer he suffers Saul Saul why persecutest thou me non meos We doe not only suffer for CHRIST but with CHRIST hee is not only the master for whom we suffer but the companion with whom we suffer If we be sick he is sick Art thou tempted of the devill sometimes to presumption to desperation so Christ art thou hungry thirsty weary or heavy of sleepe Art thou grieved for the departure of thy friends So was hee for Lazarus Is thy soule heavy and pensive So was Christs my soule is heavy to the death doe thine own familiar friends betray thee So was it with Christ art thou molested with rayling scoffing and backbiting tongues So was CHRIST as he hung on the Crosse in all his paines they derided him and nodded their heads at him art thou tormented with the paines of Death and at the last givest up the ghost So was it with our blessed Saviour No temptation hath fallen to us but the same befell to Christ before us We drink of his cup and are baptized with his baptisme When the Wife is grieved the Husband if he be as he ought to be is grieved We are the Spouse Christ is our husband therefore our griefe is his griefe When any member of the body suffers though it bee the foote that treadeth on the ground the head suffers Wee are the members Christ the head therefore our crosses are his crosses Many are the troubles of the righteous through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of God But let this bee a pillar for us to leane upon in all afflictions our sufferings are Christs sufferings and he will one day make a comfortable end of them all VERSE 16. THe other comfortable use wee are to make of this Priest is contained in this Verse which is that we have an accesse to God which is amplified by the manner how the place whereunto and the end Let us not feare him because hee is a great and mighty high Priest but let us goe to him and to God the Father by him This going is not only with the feete of our bodies but of the minde Let us goe by prayer to God not feare to put up our supplications to him Not quaking and trembling as to a Iudge but with boldnesse as to a father uttering our mindes and disclosing our hearts to him To the throne of grace There is thronus gloriae Matth. 25.31 Apoc. 6.16 he speakes not of that but of grace because God is reconciled to us in the bloud of Christ. 1. We must pray to God flie to him by prayer 2. In the mediation of Christ our high Priest 3. In boldnesse with faith Hebr. 11.6 Iac. 1.6 4. The fruit of prayer which is double 1. That wee may finde mercy for all our sinnes and grace for all our miseries 2. To a seasonable helpe to helpe us in due time and season when wee stand in need of it In due time even in the time of trouble The Papists are enemies to this boldnesse they will not have us to be so bold as to goe to God immediately by Christ but we must have other intercessours by the way the Angels the Virgin Mary and all the Saints triumphing in heaven yet the Holy Ghost will have us to goe to God the father boldly in the name of Christ alone observe the words of the Text. Therefore First seeing we have such a compassionate high Priest let us goe boldly in his name to the throne of God 2. He doth not say let us stand a farre off but let us goe 3. Not quaking and shaking like Aspen leaves but with boldnesse 4. Not to the Throne of justice but of grace a gracious reconciliation being made by him betweene God and us 5. Not to finde Iack drummes enterteinments and to be sent packing away but that wee may obtaine mercy c. Therefore let us sue to God in the only name of this our high Priest Whatsoever yee aske the Father in my name hee will give it you Then why should we seeke to any other he makes intercession in the heavens for us not the Saints or Angels there is one Mediatour betweene God and man 1 Tim. 2.5 The Scripture acknowledges but one True say the Papists but one immediate Mediatour yet there be many mediate Mediatours besides him This is a playster for many soares with the Papists There is but one immediate head of the Church whereunto the Church is united as a body but the Pope may bee a mediate head of the Church So there may bee mediate mediatours betweene Christ the immediate Mediatour They might as well say there be many mediate Gods for the text sayes as there is one Mediatour so one God shall we then distinguish as they do but one Immediate God yet many mediate Gods besides him they may affirme the one as well as the other Away with all those mediatours set up by the Church of Rome and let us goe with boldnesse to the throne of grace in the name of this our High Priest and only Mediatour None so gracious with God as hee none hath reconciled us to God but he none loveth nor tendereth us as hee doth having layd downe his life for us Shall we goe to a father in the name of a servant when we may goe in the name of his Sonne Angels and Saints are but servants our fellow servants and brethren Christ is the Sonne of God therfore let us goe to him in his name and if we aske any thing according to his will he will heare us for his sake This incouragement doth the Holy Ghost give us in the next words we shall not loose our labour nor goe away emptie God the Father for Christ his sake will lade us with his benefits In due time even in affliction sayes the Psalmist God will stand by us in all our needs in sicknesse povertie imprisonment banishment yea in death it selfe The examples of Iosuah the three Children Daniel Ionah Peter stand as so many marble pillars to confirme and ratifie this when all leave us he will not forsake us when my Father and Mother
into the denyall of CHRIST and grave and reverend Preachers are subject to falls at this present day which are rather to be lamented then insulted of therefore being clad with the same infirmities let us pitty our brethren when they sinne Gala. 6.1 So let us consider our selves lest wee be tempted also One poore man will pitty an other one sicke man may well pitty an other Thou art sicke of the disease of sin as well as the people therefore pitty them when through weakenesse they are carryed into sinne Are the people heavy and drowsie at Sermons pitty them thou hast the same lump of flesh as they have Is any overtaken with drinke pride uncleannesse and other sins Winke not at their iniquities yet pitty those poore soules even wee that be Preachers if GOD take away his hand may fall as they doe therefore have compassion on them and with meekenesse pull them up out of their sins VERSE 4. A Calling is most requisite in all things we take in hand especially in the ministerie Who will meddle with the Sheepe of a man unlesse he be called to it and shall wee meddle with Christs Sheepe without a calling The Iesuites triumph in this place If Luther Calvin Beza were examined by this clause there would be found foule matter against them Nay if Pope Iohn the twenty two that chose himselfe Pope Hildebrand that entred the seat with the murder of his predecessours if Pope Sylvester the second that came in by conjuring if Pope Eugenius that came in by Simonie there would be found foule matter of damnation if all the Popish sacrificing Priests were examined by this clause which take upon them to offer up Christ without any calling nay the whole Scripture calling them from it they would be in a miserable case As for our calling 1. It is of God 2. Of the Church of God We have Gods seale to our calling because he hath furnished us in some measure with gifts for it yet who is sufficient for these things 2. Wee are called by the Church which by imposition of hands representing Gods hand hath separated us to this office Let every one be assured of his calling The Brownists harpe much on this string but I pray you who called Hunt a Souldier a meere ignorant man to be a Minister or De la cluse a Cardmaker to be a Preacher Who calls Taylors Weavers and other artificers to be expounders of the Word A lamentable thing to consider what a number of intruders there be that have thrust themselves into this holy calling In Ieroboams time every one that would consecrate himselfe became one of the Priests of the high places I pray God we live not in those â—imes every one that hath mony that can fee a greedy patron may have a benefice and leape into the Ministry A wofull thing Shall wee have them to make cloth that have no skill in cloathing will any make him his Shepheard that knowes not what belongs to Sheep and wilt thou deliver Christ's Sheep into the hands of a blind and ignorant Shepheard Wilt thou have him to build thy house that hath no skill in building wilt thou make him the Schoole-master of thy child that hath no learning but any is good enough for the Ministerie If men did looke as well to the charge as to the dignity of the office if Onus were as well considered as honos men would not make such hast to it as they doe They watch over the soules of the people as they that must give an account The day of taking in our profits is sweete but the counting day will be terrible when CHRIST will require every lost Sheep at our hands Therefore let none take this honour to himselfe but see that he be called of God as Aaron was If thou comest uncalled God will say to thee Friend how camest thou hither binde thee hand and foot and cast thee into outer darkenesse But if we come in by Gods calling he will protect us in our office against the Devill and all his instruments hee will blesse us in our office in this life and of his mercy not of our merits crowne us in the life to come Therefore let us all examine our calling internall and externall for an Asse may bee in a Lions skin an Ape in a purple Coate endeavour therefore that in some measure we may be sure of our calling Before the qualities required in a Priest were generally propounded now they are particularly applyed to Christ. VERSE 5. 1. HIs calling to the office 2. The exequution of his office 1. In things belonging unto God Verse 7 and 8. 2. In things pertaining unto us Ver. 9 and 10. His calling is iterated as the foundation of all Which is first affirmed then confirmed by two testimonyes the one obscure the other plaine Aaron had his calling mediately by Moses Exod. 28.1 Christ had his immediately by God Ioh. 8.42 Aaron was the Sonne of a man Christ is the Sonne of God Thou art my Sonne tu singulariter In calling him his Son he calls him a Priest for the first begotten was a Priest In the next words it is aske of me He appoints him to pray for the Church which is the office of the Priest VERSE 6. SAcerdos Sacer dux docens orans offerens They were Priests after the order of Aaron he after the order of Melchizedek They for a time CHRIST for ever Hebr. 9.24 VERSE 7. THe Priest did offer for the people So CHRIST for us Which is amplified by the time when the things what the manner how the person to whom the fruits which are two 1. The hearing of it 2. His learning by it The Priest was a man So Christ. In the dayes of his flesh that is of his mortall and weak flesh compassed with infirmities Ioh. 1.14 In heaven he hath flesh still but immortall and void of these naturall weakenesses no need of meat drinke sleepe not subject to wearinesse without any possibility of dying As CHRISTS flesh is in heaven so shall ours bee there too with him Offered up prayers c. that in the garden He useth the plurall number because it was made thrise and so three prayers signifying wants and necessities for things wanting of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indigeo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venio because they went after a meeke and submisse manner Father if it be possible let this cup passe c. There is his crying Teares droppes of bloud Luk. 22.44 Exauditus à metu Though Chrysostome translate it reverence yet Nazianzen and Theodoret translate it feare Calvin in this last time found it out raked under ashes but he was not the first founder of it but Nazianzen and Theodoret. Mark 14.33 Hebr. 11.7 The Iesuits translate it feared Christ as he was man did not only feare the death of the body the separation of the soule from it but also having the loade of all the
who thus professeth of himselfe I was a blasphemer a persequutor and injurious but I did it ignorantly and therefore hee sinned not against the Holy Ghost If they do it on weaknes as St. Peter did who cursed and swore he knew not Christ it is a grievous sinne yet not the sinne against the Holy Ghost An Eunomian or Macedonian that deny the deity of the Holy Ghost may repent and be received into mercy Sabelliani or Patripussiani that oppugne his person may also repent and bee forgiven but if they doe it on malice then they commit that sinne that cannot bee forgiven in this world nor that which is to come these bee the thornes and bryars which the Apostle pointeth out in this place Such a cursed earth bringing forth thornes and bryars were some of the Pharisees they could say of CHRIST this is the heyre yet they said let us kill him Such a thorne was Alexander the copper-smith which resisted Saint Pauls preaching very soare hee set his feet against Saint Pauls feete hee resisted not his person but his preaching not sleightly but vehemently with might and maine Such a thorne was Iulian sirnamed the Apostata that fell quite away hee was baptized into the name of Christ hee was a professour of the Gospell and that a zealous one as it seemeth he was a publike Reader in the Church of Nicomedia who so forward as he yet afterwards hee proved a vile pricking thorne hee washed away baptisme with bloud in contempt of it he abjured Christ and sacrificed to the Gods of the Gentiles he scoffed at Christianity mocking them that would believe in a crucified God If they came to have wrongs righted he sent them away with a flouting speech why your Master bids you put up wrongs turne the other check when you be smitten To the last gaspe he spewed out his malice against Christ taking the arrow out of his side that gave him his deaths wound he tooke the bloud into his hand hurled it up into the ayre crying vâ—cisti Galilaee he was but a plaine Galilean with him to the end These be the speciall thornes that the Scripture speaketh of in this place whose end is to burne in hell for evermore O cursed ground that hath the raine of the Word of God falling on it and yet bringeth forth such thornes The Lord grant that we bee never such ground For the preventing of it let us bring forth good fruit answerable to the raine that falleth on us let us take heed of the staires that may carry us headlong into the sinne against the Holy Ghost let us not bee patrons and defenders of bad men and evill actions against the light of our conscience that is a step to this fearefull sin Let us beware how on any sinister affection we oppose our selves to the preachers of Gods Word The Devill by little and little may cause us to set our selves against the Word of God it selfe Let us not carelesly neglect or any way contemne those heavenly points of doctrine that are delivered to us As we have the raine of the Word of God in great plentie among us so let us bring forth fruits in some measure worthy of it that we may not only escape the fire where these thornes burne but may bee received into GOD his kingdome there to reigne with him in eternall happinesse for evermore VERSE 9. NOw least they should imagine that they are the men hee shewes that they are perswaded better of them that they are the elect Children of GOD and shall bee eternallie saved Here is 1. The substance of the perswasion 2. The foundation on which it is builded In the former 1. The matter of it 2. A qualification of it by the mitigation of the harshnesse of his former speech that is a fearefull piece of earth which thou hast mentioned that brings forth bryars and thornes c. doest thou take us to be such a ground No sayes he be it farre from us we have a better perswasion of you Beloved of God and us too He winds himselfe into them by a kinde appellation of them Hee doth not say wee expect better things from you wee are in good hope you will prove better than thus or the like but we are perswaded and nothing can remove us from this perswasion wee take you to bee other manner of men farre different from the former The things that bee in them are starke naught but wee perswade our selves most excellent things of you They are reprobates but we are perswaded that you are the elect Children of God This is a goodly commendation may some say as if a man seeing a company going to execution should say to one that stands by him I am perswaded that thou art a better man then these I but this is a good perswasion there are but two sorts of people godly and wicked reprobates now being perswaded that they are better then the reprobate he is perswaded they be elect and what greater perswasion can there be then that therefore hee addeth such things as accompany salvation Saint Augustine reades it cohaerentia saluti ad Crescen Such as have salvation we are perswaded you are in the number of them that shall be saved 1. His perswasion is propounded then strengthened against that which might seeme to overthrow it Though we have somwhat sharpely chidden you and introduced a fearefull example of vile and wicked apostates a father may set before the eyes of his child thieves murderers drunkards blasphemers and yet be perswaded that his child is none of them only he doth it to warne him not to treade in their steps so as a loving Father I have told you of these men yet I am perswaded better if you A Preacher must not alwayes be inveighing against the faults weaknesses and imperfections that bee among the people hee must sometimes speak kindly and lovingly to them manifesting the good opinion he hath of them they are the fathers of the people they must bee wise and discreet fathers they must neither bee like to David that never reproved Adonijah and said to him why doest thou so neither like the contentious woman in the Proverbs as the continuall droppings of the raine ever scolding with the people they must play the part of the Samaritane that after Wine which made the wound to smart powred in oyle for the suppling of it So wee must sometimes come with the sharpe wine of reprehension sometimes againe with the oyle of consolation Before Saint Paul came with salt and vinegar when hee spake of the reprobate earth now hee comes with hony and sugar but we are perswaded better things of you Generosus animus magis ducitur quà m trahitur sweet and comfortable words will prevaile more with some then rough and hard speeches both in wisedome must be used by Gods steward severity and lenitie must be tempered together if by any meanes we may save the people committed to our charge Before Saint Paul like
us But alas we have no care of it we defile our selves innumerable kinde of wayes A dainty Lady or Gentlewoman would bee loath to file her fingers with a little dirt we all loath outward defilements but we give entertainement to sin which is the greatest pollution of all Nay we are like hogs that had rather be in fowle water then in cleane wallowing in the puddle of sin then bathing our selves in the bath of vertue As Christ separated Himselfe from sinners So must wee doe how wee must not shut up our selves in Cloysters in Nunneries and Monasteries as some did in a blind zeale in the time of Popery thinking that they were then separated from sinners when they were many of the most beastly sinners themselves Neither must wee be brethren of separation as the Brownists most unbrotherly name themselves we must not Hebr. 10.25 forsake the assembling of our selves together Wee must not separate our selves from the spouse of Christ because of some pretended wrinkles in her face neither must we altogether abandon the society of men 1 Cor. 5.10 but we must separate our selves from the pollution of sinners Though we be in Sodome as Lot was yet wee must not be Sodomites though we come into the company of drunkards yet we must not be drunken as they are though among adulterers bawdy talkers and livers yet wee must not draw with them in the same yoke of sin we must be like to the fishes that dwell in the salt water and yet themselves are fresh so though our dwelling be in a prophane towne yet wee must separate our selves from the prophanenesse that is in the Towne This is hard for us to doe though Christ could doe it It is a difficult matter to touch pitch and not to be defiled with it to bee in a fire and not to be burnt Barnabas keeping company with dissemblers was brought to dissemble with them and St. Peter that stout champion of Christ being in the high Priests hall was brought to the denyall of Christ. Therefore the best course we can take is to refraine their company as Ioseph if not but that wee fall into it then to pray to God to separate us from the wickednesse that is in that company The high-Priest in time of the Law was in a Sanctuary on the earth but our high-Priest is in the Temple and Sanctuary of heaven where he appeareth alwayes in the sight of God for us and let not our affections be here on the earth but let our conversation bee in heaven let us seeke the things that bee above where Christ our high-Priest and Saviour is VERSE 27. THe second thing in his Ministerie is his sacrifice which surpasseth the sacrifices of the Priests in the time of the Law in regard of the time when of the persons for whom and the kinde of sacrifice offered by him 1. For the time he had no necessity to offer daily as they did Num. 28.3 4. It was necessary for them to offer daily 1. Because both they and the people sinned daily 2. Because their sacrifices were imperfect and were dayly to be iterated There was no such necessity for Christ to offer dayly because he had no sin and by one sacrifice perfected us for ever 2. They did offer for their owne sinnes and the peoples too and that every day and so did not Christ. He had no sinne of his owne to offer for and as for the sins of the people he tooke them all away by one sacrifice First for he must be holy himselfe before hee could make the people holy Aaron sinned grievously in the calfe 3. For the kind of sacrifice they offered things without themselves as Sheepe Goates Oxen c. Christ offered himselfe he was Sacerdos victima Hebr. 9.14 We are all sinners Ministers and people we must all say yea even arietes gregis the Lords prayer forgive us our trespasses Therefore let us not swell in pride one against another but flie all to the mercy of God in Christ. Therefore let the best Preacher in the world knocke on his breast with the poore Publican and say Oh God be mercifull to me a sinner The order is here worthy to be observed he offered first for his owne sins A Minister in killing of sinne must begin with himselfe Si vis alios flere flendum tibi prius first weepe bitterly for thine own sins as Saint Peter did and then make the people to weepe for their sins I beat downe mine owne body sayes Saint Paul least while I preach to others my selfe should be a reprobate The like method must be practised by all Christians First cast the beame out of thine owne eye let us first represse sinne in our selves Then in others As the Priest in the time of the Law first offered for his owne sins so let us all being Priests by Iesus Christ first offer up our selves to God Wee count him a foole that will have more care of his neighbours Sheepe then of his owne and shall wee have more care of our neighbours soule then of our own Let us first begin with our selves There is but one sacrifice of the New Testament whereby the daily sacrifice of the masse is quite overthrowne This is a knife to cut the throat of the masse among the Papists the Priests offer up Christ dayly they doe more than needs there is no necessity of that for Christ offered up Himselfe once for all There bee many pregnant places for it in this epistle as Hebr. 10.11 12. I say the Papists there is but one bloudy sacrifice which was once offered on the Crosse 1 Pet. 3.18 yet there is an unbloudy sacrifice which Christ instituted at his last Supper where the body and bloud of Christ are offered under the similitudes of bread and wine which is a commemoration and an application of his sacrifice on the crosse to us for Christ said to his Disciples hoc facite that is Sacrificate as the Poet sayes cum faciam vitula pro frugibus ipse venito and the Hebrew word Gnasah doth often signifie sacrificare After the words of consecration bee said this is my body that is given for you i. that is offered to God the Father for you this is the bloud of the New Testament that is shed for many it was then shed and powred out for a sacrifice to God I but where do they read in any Author that hoc facite with an accusative case doth signifie to sacrifice The Poet doth not say facere vitulam 2. The Evangelists wrote in Greeke not in Hebrew or Latine Hee then ordained no propitiatory that 's my meaning sacrifice which was to be offered every day he instituted a Sacrament not such a sacrifice 1. In every sacrifice there is sensible quiddam as Bellar. confesseth and they also say it is an externall thing and they call it visible sacrificium In this imaginarie sacrifice there is no sensible outward thing that may be discerned by
of the Old Testament and shewing the defects of it he said to them The dayes come namely at Christ's comming in the flesh and at the revelation of the Gospell I will make when I will perfect or consummate whereas it is in the Hebrew Caratti pangam A new covenant This is more effectuall that was but an imperfect covenant this shall be a perfect and a full one With the house of Israel upon the house of Israel this shall rest upon them whereas the other passed from them And the house of Iudah These two houses bee now rent one from another but by this covenant I will unite and conjoyne them Some by the house of Israel understand the Gentiles by the house of Iudah the Iewes The New covenant is more sweete and comfortable than the Old As God promised so he performed He is not as man that He should lye nor as the Sonne of man that He should repent Men say and unsay they promise mountaines and scant performe molehills but God will ever be as good as his word as hee promised to make this New Testament so indeed he did VERSE 9. THe New Covenant is described two kinde of wayes 1. What it is not 2. What it is It is not like the Old Testament where there is a threefold dissimilitude betweene them 1. In respect of the Persons that was made with their fathers in the time of the Law this shall bee made with their posterity in the time of the Gospell 2. In respect of the time that was made at their delivery out of Aegypt when the Law was given by Moses this at their delivery out of the spirituall Aegypt by Christ. This was not the same day they came out of Aegypt for the Law was not given till so many dayes after but day is put for time That deliverance is amplified by the Author and the manner how The Author was God the manner was kinde loving and carefull as a father taketh his Child by the hand least he should fall or miscarry by the way 3. By an effect that ensued on the imbecillity of the covenant it was broken because of the hardnesse of it In the Hebrew it is which they brake St. Paul followes the Septuagint the sence is all one One condition of the covenant was that they should continue in obedience to me but they did not therefore that covenant being broken it was time for a new to come let us pray to God for grace to continue in that which we promised in baptisme And I regarded them not whereupon he was even with them they cast off Him and he cast off them The Greeke here is much different from the Hebrew but if the Hebrew words bee read with an interrogation the sense of the Greeke agrees well with them And should I bee still as an Husband to them they have played the Harlot and broken the covenant on their part and shall I stand to the covenant shall I bee as an Husband to them when as they are no Wife to me Nay I will set them as light as they doe me I regard them not I cast off the care of them Though the words differ the sense is all one therefore that must be no stone for us to stumble at Hebrew Et ego dominabar in eis I shewed my selfe to be their Lord and master in punishing them which is the right of Masters to doe Properly to speake God hath no hand to take us by but this is spoken metaphorically for our comfort As if the child bee fallen into a ditch the father in kindnesse takes him by the hand and pulls him out so deales our heavenly father with us who is farre more mercifull than earthly parents can bee to their Children The incomprehensible love of God towards us is set forth by diverse similitudes in Scripture Sometimes he is compared to an Eagle that fluttereth over her birds and preserveth them from all dangers sometimes to an Henne gathering us as Chickens under his wing Sometimes to a father as in this place and many others In all calamities he takes us by the hand and leads us out Hee hath not only committed us to the Angels hands as Psal. 91. and the Angell tooke Lot by the hand and brought him out of Sodom but hee gives us his owne hand If the King should take us by the hand when we are in any distresse it would greatly cheere us The King of Kings whose power none can resist takes us by the hand in all our miseries Let that bee a staffe of comfort for us to leane upon As hee tooke the Israelites by the hand and lead them out of Aegypt So though wee cannot see it with our bodily eyes hee takes us by the hand in all miseries If men should be in prison for righteousnesse sake as Ioseph was till the iron entred into his soule God at the length takes us by the hand and pulls us out If we be in poverty ready to starve as Elias was under the Iuniper tree God takes us by the hand of his mercy by some meanes or other and helpes us out If we be in banishment as the Israelites in Babylon and as many of our Country men were in Queene Maries dayes God takes us by the hand and brings us out If we be in some terrible and dangerous sicknesse as Hezekiah was even at the point of death God takes us by the hand and pulls us out of it If we bee on the Sea ready to be drowned as the Disciples were God takes us by the hand and delivers us out of the raging tempest O singular comfort that we have such a friend as God Almighty is Hee takes us by the hand in all calamities Let him have our hand and heart too Let us be carefull to please him all the dayes of our life He doth not say they never begun to keep my Testament but they continued not in my covenant It is like they made many faire beginnings were very forward at the first but they shrunk in the wetting and continued not Therefore God shooke them off Yee are they that continued with mee in my temptations Be faithfull to the end c. I will runne the way of thy Commandements to the end said David Let us not run apace for a while but let us hold out running to the end else we shall misse of the gold of eternall life Remember Lots Wife she went out of Sodom but because she looked backe she was turned into a pillar of Salt Let us not turne out of the way of Gods Commandements but continue in his covenant else hee will cast us off Now of our selves we have no power to continue no more than we had to begin Let us entreat him that hath begun a good worke in us to finish it to the day of Christ. Many flatter themselves in Gods mercies ô God is mercifull though we sin he will not punish us he will wink at our iniquities therefore we need
not be so shie of sin Though we live in drunkennesse uncleannesse pride covetousnesse yet wee may bee in the favour of God Indeed God is of wonderfull mercy hee is called the father of mercies in the plurall number not of Iustices There is a whole Psalme of his mercie and so not of his justice Yet wee must not imagine that his mercy can put his justice out of place To penitent sinners as the Publican was as Mary Magdalen was that Christ's feete with her teares he is mercifull but to them that continue in their sins hee will shew himselfe to bee just and powre down the vials of his wrath on them he cast off the Israelites his own chosen people for their abominable sins and doe you think that we shall escape which are but wild Olives and adopted Children in comparison of them There is no dallying with God if we continue not in his covenant he will reject us VERSE 10. YE have seene what it is not now consider what it is which hath three branches 1. A renovation of their hearts to keepe his lawes Verse 10. 2. An illumination of their understanding to know his will Verse 11. 3. The remission of all their sins against his Law and so consequently eternall happinesse Verse 12. He points out this New Testament much discrepant from the other which I will dispose As we say I ordaine this my last will and Testament in manner following So this is the Testament which I ordaine the Testament which I testate With the house of Israel under the which the house of Iudah is comprehended that is the whole Church In those dayes when Christ the Sonne of righteousnesse shall clearely shine in the preaching of the Gospell saith the LORD which is not as man that he should repent nor the Sonne of man that hee should lye I will put my Lawes In the Hebrew it is the singular number in the Greeke the plurall All my Lawes appertaining to the first and second table I will leave none of them out Into their minde the discoursing faculty of the minde whereby they shall conclude within themselves that it is the best course they can take to serve me That they may understand it Into their hearts that they may love embrace and keepe it Hebrew into the middest of them Not in Tables of stone as at the first but in the fleshie tables of their heart This is the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell 2 Cor. 3.3 and 6. God will not only put his Lawes into our eyes eares tongues hands feete In these parts the wicked may have the Law of God they may looke on the Scriptures talke of them heare Sermons c. but he will put them into our hearts and the heart shall set all the members of the body on worke He will write them there engrave them that they shall never be rased out nothing shall blot out that writing Then followes the conditions of the covenant on both parts as it is in all covenants On Gods behalfe he will be our God hee will protect and defend us provide all good things for us for this life and the life to come no enemy shall hurt us he will give us all things that bee good On our part we must be his people that is worship him depend on him by a lively faith live in obedience to him serve him and no other Happy is the people that have God for their Lord. God is a good God to us but we are an ungracious and unthankefull people to him VERSE 11. THe second branch of the covenant there shall bee then more plentifull knowledge then was in the time of the Law which is declared negatively and affirmatively The lesson taught by them is this know the Lord this shall not neede then earthly Schoolemasters may be removed and put up their pipes wee shall all have an heavenly Schoolemaster which is the Holy Ghost Ioh. 6.45 Ioh. 14.26 1 Ioh. 2.27 But what shall not one neighbour instruct an other in the time of the Gospell yes verily exhort one another edifie one another in your most holy faith Priscilla and Aquila taught Apollos Augustine and others think that this is spoken of the Saints in heaven but the text will not suffer it Sol. 1. Then there shall not be so many particular ceremonies the signification whereof one should teach another as there were in the time of the Law 2. This is spoken not simply but comparatively The Holy Ghost shall bee powred downe in such plentifull measure upon all the light of the Gospell that was hidden under darke shadowes in the time of the Law shall now shine so brightly to all as that the teaching by friends and neighbours shall in a manner bee superfluous yet for all that this neighbour-like instruction one of another shall remaine still but there shall not be so great necessity of it as there was before The affirmative part If all shall know the Lord then there shall be no need to teach one another who the Lord is but all shall know the Lord ergo Which is confirmed by a distribution great and small shall know him ergo all shall know him Hee doth not meane the least in age for little infants and children are not now capable of the knowledge of God no more then theirs in the time of the Law but from the meanest in estate and condition to the highest Not Schollers alone and book-learned men shall know the Lord but even artificers Plowmen they that be least in the reputation of the world All all estates and conditions of men Or as much as lies in me that am the teacher all shall know me A Preacher teacheth in the Pulpit and all that bee in the Church may learne of him if they will The Sun shineth in the firmament and all may be comforted by it yet the bleared eyes are not It is their fault if all know me not Ob. 2. If all shall know the Lord then the Scriptures shall be unnecessary we shall all be taught by the Holy Ghost therefore wee need not the dead letter of the Scripture such a dumbe Schoolemaster as the Scripture is Sol. Yes verily for the Holy Ghost teacheth us by the Scripture he unfoldeth to us the meaning of the Scripture he instructed the Eunuch by the Scripture They might as well reason an excellent learned man shall teach in such a towne therefore the Schollers taught by him shall need no bookes The Scripture is the booke whereby God teacheth us therefore that still must bee turned over by us Our Saviour sendeth us to the Scriptures Ioh. 5.39 Rom. 15.4 2 Pet. 1.19 1 Tim. 4.13 Object 3. If all shall know God then away with Schooles of learning and Vniversities to traine up men to the ministery in yea away with the ministery it selfe what need we any Ministers and Preachers in every towne to instruct us in the knowledge of the Lord Sol. Yes they are Gods mouthes by whom he
speaketh to us by whom hee revealeth the knowledge of his Majesty to us Christ knew there should be plentie of knowledge at his comming yet he bade his Apostles goe and teach all nations The Lord opened the heart of Lydia yet it was by Saint Pauls preaching the Lord catechized the Eunuch yet it was by Saint Philip the Lord added three thousand soules to the Church yet it was by Saint Peter How can they heare without a Preacher These be the Schoole-masters by whom God teacheth us to the end of the world The head Master of a Schoole doth not take away the Vshers Saint Augustine tract 3. in 1. Iohann Si unctio docet de omnibus nos sine causa laboramus Let us put you all over to the annointing then they might reply why doest thou write this Epistle to us why doest thou teach us nos extrinsecus admonemus magister intùs est qui docet Matth. 23.8 Nos abusivè magistri appellamur Neither doth hee send downe the HOLY GHOST on them in the similitude of cloven tongues as he did on the Apostles at the beginning they must be brought up in Schooles and Vniversities to attaine to the knowledge of the tongues and the right interpretation of the Scripture Paul mentions it as a blessing that he was brought up at the feete of Gamaleel hee disputed in the Schoole of Tyrannus but hee never wished the Schoole of Tyrannus to be pulled downe This doth declare to us the wonderfull abundance of knowledge that shall bee in the time of the Gospell above that which was in the time of the Law yet there bee a number of ignorant persons in the lap of the Church like them that knew not whether there was an Holy Ghost or no They have a confused knowledge of God but they doe not know him so distinctly in CHRIST as they ought to doe they have the more to answer for that living in so great light are still overwhelmed with darkenesse like to Tantalus up to the chin in water and yet drie like carelesse and negligent Schollers that have beene long at Schoole and learn't nothing the fault is not in God who gives them the meanes but in themselves that neglect the meanes 2. As wee have greater knowledge so greater obedience is required of us The servant that knowes his masters will and doth it not shall bee beaten with many stripes Wee know much and practise little therefore our condemnation shall bee the greater at the latter day VERSE 12. THe third branch of the new covenant is remission of sins In sence it agreeth with the Hebrew only the Apostle following the seventie hath for our further comfort enlarged it by the addition of one clause which is not in the Hebrew The first part of Verse is not in the Hebrew In my Sonne CHRIST IESUS I will be mercifull to their unjust and unrighteous dealings to all the injuries they have offered me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faults in manners when as we swarve from the marke of the Law of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in generall signifies all transgressions of the Law He useth many words to signifie to us that all our sinnes by what names soever they be called are forgiven us In acquittances we use to put in words enow for the declaration of a full discharge So doth the Lord when he acquitteth us of all our sinnes whether they be unrighteousnesse slips or violations of the Law they bee all forgiven hee professeth hee will remember them no more hee will cast them behinde his backe rase them out of the booke of his remembrance If wee minde to be revenged of a man wee say well I will remember thee I will one day pay thee home for it but God will not so much as remember our sinnes Oh blessed thing The just man falls seven times a day yet GOD will not remember his falls Hee remembred the sin of Amalek and of some hee sayes their sins shall be written with a penne of a diamond and sealed up in a bagge but he will keepe no register of our sins they shall bee quite forgotten Hee doth not say because they by their workes of penance have made satisfaction to my justice for their sinnes therefore I will remit them I will doe it of my sole mercy and goodnesse for my owne sake c. Object Was he not mercifull to the sinnes of the people in the time of the Law Sol. The forgivenesse of sins is now more cleerely manifested to us To them it was shadowed out by sacrifices and washings but now the Lamb is come offered on the Crosse whose bloud purgeth us from all sin This is a comfortable covenant the heavenly triacle and hony of the soule Our sins are innumerable besides our blasphemies besides the abhominable drunkennesse and whoredome that is amongst us our greedy scraping in the dunghill of the earth seldome or never lifting up our hearts to heaven wee sin daily in our best actions we sin in preaching of the Word for who preaches with such wisedome sincerity and zeale as he ought to doe wee sin in hearing our mindes oftentimes are on wooll-gathering our bodies in the Church our hearts on our Sheep and Oxen we heare more like Iudges to censure Gods Ambassadour than as Schollers to learne of him wee sinne in praying no sighes no groanes no fervency in our prayers no Amen at the end of them wee sin in giving of our almes wee give rather for vaine glory then for Gods glory we sin in our dayly talke and conferences one with another in them we seeke the ostentation of our own witte and learning not the edification one of another Who can cleere himselfe of pride wee are proud of our wit wealth beauty learning yea some are proud of nothing Good Lord then if God should call us into the counting house for our sins alas what shall we doe we cannot answer him one for a thousand and the least sinne deserves eternall death Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy thought if one evill thought remaine unforgiven we are in a miserable case Against all these let us hold up the buckler of this new covenant of the remission of our sinnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sins are bitter accusers In what a pittifull case was Caine who said my sinne is greater than can bee forgiven what a howling kept Iudas O I have sinned in betraying innocent bloud what makes men to hang themselves as Achitophel did to drowne themselves to lay violent hands on themselves save that they cannot be perswaded of the forgivenesse of their sins Therefore let us blesse God for this covenant and let us entreat him to seale in our hearts a comfortable perswasion of the remission of our sinnes dayly more and more VERSE 13. HEre followes a collection inferred on the former testimony which he gathereth out of the word new it hath his force from the contraries New and Old cannot stand together
are sanctified by the Holy Ghost as the worker of sanctification but we are sanctified by the offring up of the body of Christ as the meritorious cause of our sanctification The bodies of the Saints are holy things being the members of the Holy Ghost The bodies of the Martyrs are precious things whereby the truth of the Gospell was sealed yet by these we cannot be sanctified in the sight of God because there was sinne in them Hearing of Sermons prayers and almes deeds are all of them testimonies of our sanctification and by them we make our calling and election sure We have an inherent sanctification in us after we bee regenerate but that is lame and imperfect there is nothing that can perfectly sanctifie us that we may appeare without blame before God save the offering up of the body of the Lord Iesus Hee is made to us wisedome righteousnesse sanctification Therefore let us entreat the Lord to give us a true and lively faith whereby we may apply Christ and his merits to our selves that being sanctified by him and made cleane through his bloud we may enter into the holy Hierusalem in the life to come VERSE 11. FOr there were many of them of what sort and condition so ever Standeth as a Servitour at the Altar For some thing or other was done every day there was the morning and evening sacrifice For the publike good of the people being the Minister of them all One time would not serve the turne as it doth with Christ. The sacrifices in speciall were Bulls Goates Sheepe c. yet often iterated Never no hope of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fully and utterly as they ought to be so as they never trouble the consciences of men againe they were a recordation of sin but no a motion of sin No Priest was exempted from service In the Church of Rome peradventure the inferiour Priests the Parish Priests take some paines among the people But the Pope the High-Priest the Cardinalls and those that are called Majores sacerdotes live at ease some of them they are minstred unto but wee must all minister in those places wherein God hath set us that we may enter into the joy of our Master in the life to come The Angels are ministring spirits and shall we thinke scorne to minister 2. We must no day bee idle but dayly serve God in our severall functions whether wee bee Ministers or people passe the dayes of your dwelling here in feare As wee aske our daily bread at Gods hands so wee must daily performe service to God Daniel prayed three times a day Anna served God in prayers day and night The Bereans turned over the Bible daily every day let us doe something whereby God may be glorified 3. As the Priests in the time of the Law offered up the same sacrifices So let us the same sacrifice of prayer of preaching of praise and thankesgiving of almes deeds and the workes of mercy So long as wee tarrie in the world let us alwayes be offering up these spirituall sacrifices though they bee the same yet they are acceptable to God No more can any thing that wee can doe now CHRIST IESUS alone is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world VERSE 12. BVt He that is Iesus Christ our Priest hee being but one is opposed to them that were many He could doe more than all they put together Not many as they did one specie and numero too For the expiation of sins which those sacrifices could not take away There be foure things that commend this sacrifice 1. Sufficientia quoad precium 2. Efficacia contra peccatum 3. Gloria quoad praemium 4. Victoria quoad adversarium Hee doth not stand as they did Stare est famulorum sedere dominorum Not at the Altar here on earth but at the right hand of God in heaven Not for a time as those Priests continued their time and then went away but for ever Some joyne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to that which goeth before after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes for ever the vertue whereof lasteth for ever God hath no right hand nor left but as Kings cause them that bee neerest and deerest unto them to sit at their right hand so Christ He is in equall Majesty with his father After the offering up of this one sacrifice he offers no more as a Priest but reignes as a King for ever There must be no iteration of this sacrifice The Papists alleadge that the sacrifice of the Masse is the same with that on the Crosse. Suppose it were yet it must bee but once offered Those in the Law were often offered but this must be but once offered otherwise the whole disputation of the HOLY GHOST in this Epistle is overthrowne What doth he now he doth not now play the Carpenter he takes no more paines in preaching in suffering as he did here but he sits quietly in all joy and happinesse at the right hand of God Acts 7.55 Christ appeared to Stephen standing but that was for the strengthning and encouraging of him against the rage of his enemies He stood up ready to take him out of their clawes into the kingdome of heaven otherwise for the most part the Scripture introduces Christ sitting as it were in his regall throne at the right hand of God next in glory power and Majesty to God the Father yea equall with him in all things 1. This may bee a comfort to us against all our adversaries The King and Protectour of the Church sitteth at the right hand of God in heaven The Vniversities chuse them to be their Chancellours which are in greatest favour with the King and most gracious in the Court so doe incorporations chuse the like to be their high stewards that may stand them instead in the time of need He that hath the protection of us is a great man in the Court of heaven He sits at the right hand of God hee hath all power in heaven and earth Therfore let not us feare that are under his wings he will not suffer us to want the thing that is good 2. As CHRIST now sitteth in heaven after all the miseries crosses and afflictions which hee sustained on the earth so when this wretched life is ended we shall be in heaven with Christ Ep. 2.6 Let this encourage us to a patient suffering of all calamities in this world Wee may have a tragedy here but a comedie hereafter worme-wood here and honey there Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord they rest from their labours and shall remaine in heaven with Christ for ever VERSE 13. IT might be interpreted and expecteth the remnant As he himselfe the head of the Church is in heaven so he expecteth the comming of his members to him Or from henceforth waiteth that is the accomplishment of the number of his elect which God the Father hath given to him He comes down no more into the earth to
yee shall meete with bad examples every where but let us not be seduced by them To this he induces us by a forcible reason Ye may see it with your owne eyes Almost all the signes are passed already they be blind that cannot see this Here then it is cleere that there is a day of judgment and that day drawes neere If it were neere in the Apostles time how neere is it now a thousand and odde yeeres being passed since Let not us bee like them that put farre from them the evill day not like that servant which saith my Master defers his comming and falls a beating of his fellow servants not like those mockers that say where is the promise of his comming but let us make a just reckoning that this day is drawing neere indeed that CHRIST is ready to open the heavens and to descend in the cloudes and to assemble all nations before him Behold I come quickly said he in the Revelation he comes and he comes quickly therefore let us so live in a carefull discharge of all duties to God and man that our account may bee joyfull at that day that then wee may meete Christ in the ayre and be translated with him into the kingdome of glory If the Assizes at Bury draw neere will not they that have nisiprius to trye provide their Lawyers and have all things ready the generall Assizes of the world is neere therefore let as consider how we shall answer then VERSE 26. WEE had need to make much of the fellowship we have among our selves and provoke to love and good workes for the danger is great if we doe not If we It is good for all to looke to it He doth not simply say if we sinne for then it were woe with us all because in many things we sinne all Neither doth he say if we sinne contrary to our knowledge or if we sinne upon weakenesse and infirmitie as the deerest children of God may doe David sinned against his knowledge when he committed adultery and murder So did Peter when he denyed Christ. But if wee sinne willingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yeelding our selves voluntarily to Satan maliciously opposing our selves to Christ and his Gospell and rending our selves from the society of his Church and members suffocating and choking the knowledge of the Lord Iesus revealed to us as appeareth by the next words There is a great difference betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 volens and voluntariè A man may sinne willing his will consenting to it yet upon a suddaine passion of the minde drawne to it in some sort against his will But he that sinneth willingly doth it upon a mature deliberation with a resolute purpose to doe it come on it what will which indeed is rather a wilfulnesse than a willingnesse Such as doe wilfully and maliciously resist Christ and his Gospell that fall utterly away Not being blind and ignorant but when we have received of Gods gracious goodnesse and as it were with both hands taking some delight in it at the beginning having a taste of the good Word of God Hebr. 6. What the acknowledging of the truth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acknowledging it to be the truth of God it being sealed up to them in their hearts and consciences by the HOLY GHOST Their own consciences did tell them that it was the truth of God yet they sinned willingly and oppugned it That Christ is our only King Priest and Prophet that hee by the sacrifice of his owne body hath purchased to us remission of sins and the kingdome of heaven That there is no way to be saved but by him yet this blessed truth they afterwards condemne and resist it by might and maine Their estate is lamentable For the expiation of their sinnes this sacrifice being rejected by them wherewith alone the sinnes of the world are taken away there can be no sacrifice for the abolishing of their sinnes they can have no remission of sins and therefore no place in the kingdome of heaven Their sins are sealed up in a bagge This is it which he said before Heb. 6. It is impossible they should be renewed to repentance and that which Christ said Matth. 12. This sin cannot be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come For the better explication of this place errors are to bee avoyded The Novatians have egregiously abused this place sucking this poysonfull doctrine out of this sweete flower that whosoever sins after baptisme is damned no hope of forgivenesse of sin for them In baptisme we have remission of our sins therefore if any sinne after this generall pardon there remaineeh no remission of sinnes for them In baptisme we receive the HOLY GHOST therefore to sin after baptisme is to sin against the HOLY GHOST and there is no expiation of that sin Who then shall be saved Alas then we are all in a wofull case and none should set a foote into the kingdome of heaven Peter sinned after baptisme and after the receit of the HOLY GHOST yet he wept bitterly for his sinne and was received into mercy The incestuous man in the Church of Corinth that lay with his fathers wife sinned fowly after baptisme yet Saint Paul would not have him to bee swallowed up with griefe but admitted into the Church againe The Church of Ephesus had fallen after shee was baptised yet CHRIST raises her from that fall againe Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe the first workes At what time soever a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes though it bee twenty times after hee bee baptised I will put his sinne out of my remembrance We are to know that not all sins after knowledge are the sinnes against the Holy Ghost Aaron knew the Commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image yet he made the Israelites a golden Calfe for all that he obtained mercy at the hands of God David knew adultery and murther to be grievous sins yet he fell into them St. Peter contrary to his knowledge denyed CHRIST hee said I know not the man yet hee knew him well enough hee denyed him not once but thrise he added an oath a curse an execration to his denyall yet hee sinned not against the HOLY GHOST It is a dangerous thing to sinne against our knowledge for hee that knowes his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes It had bin better for them they had not knowne the way of truth c. yet not every sin against knowledge is the sin against the Holy Ghost But this may be a fruitfull caveat to all whom God hath enriched with knowledge They are the most subject to the sinne against the Holy Ghost Ignorant persons may be condemned for the Lord Iesus shall come in flaming fire rendring vengeance unto them that doe not know God
But ignorant persons cannot commit the sin against the Holy Ghost they must be men of knowledge that fall into this sinne therefore the more knowledge we have the more carefull wee should be that we be not carryed by little and little into this sinne Knowledge puffeth up knowledge breeds pride and pride may tumble us into hell before we be aware The Devill at the first and so hee is still was of wonderfull knowledge he saw what was in heaven yet he was carryed into the sinne against the Holy Ghost he sinned maliciously against the knowledge which hee had received The Pharisees were men of singular knowledge sitting in Moses chaire reading Divinity lectures to the people most skilfull in the Law of God these fell into this horrible sinne many of them as is apparant in the Gospell Therefore let them that have knowledge looke to themselves Let us not thinke highly of our selves for our knowledge least we fall into the condemnation of the Devill To whom much is given of them much is required Therefore the more knowledge GOD hath given us the more often let us be in prayer that we may employ it to the glory of the giver The more we know the more humble let us be and crave the gracious assistance of God's Spirit to guide our knowledge to his glory the good and benefit of our brethren As wee have science so let us have conscience and as we abound in knowledge so let us abound in practice and be plentifull in the fruits of righteousnesse by Iesus Christ. 3. Every sin that is done willingly is not the sinne against the Holy Ghost David lay with Bathshebah willingly and for the most part we sinne willingly with joy and delight but this sinne hath malice annexed to it as we shall see afterwards They fall toti à toto in totum scienter volenter malitiosè irrevocabiliter It is as cleere as the noone day that the sinne against the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiven it is peccatum irremissibile This is so cleere in Scripture as that the Papists cannot deny it yet they will smooth it with the oyle of distinction it is called irremissibile ordinariè non absolutè as Bellarmine speaketh because ordinarily it cannot be forgiven not because forgivenesse is absolutely denyed unto it aegrè difficulter it can bee forgiven yet with much adoe and seldome it is forgiven But Christ sayes it can never bee forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come not it can hardly be forgiven but never Saint Iohn calls it a sinne to death not a sinne neere death that cannot be forgiven without great difficulty but such a sin as strikes the party with the dart of death without recovery Every sinne is to death without the mercy of GOD in CHRIST but this is a sinne to death without a remedy The death of CHRIST cannot cure this sinne Without Repentance none can bee forgiven These men cannot repent Ergo it cannot bee forgiven There remaineth no sacrifice for this sinne the sacrifice of CHRIST cannot abolish this sinne because it is contemned by them and was never ordained for them A lamentable sin Let us entreat the Lord above all sins to keepe us from this There is a sacrifice for Idolatry for common swearing for prophanenesse for theft treason adultery murder these bee horrible sinnes and the Lord preserve us from them yet these may be washed away in the bloud of Christ sacrificed on the Crosse for us but there is no sacrifice for these sinners Lord keepe mee sayes Dauid from presumptuous sinnes But much more let us pray Lord keepe us from this sinne of sinnes the sinne against the HOLY GHOST and undoubtedly hee will keepe all his from it for they that are borne of God cannot sinne unto death VERSE 27. BVt on the contrary side Hee doth not say the present judgement of GOD shall light on them but that which is a mervailous torture to their conscience a fearefull and continuall expectation of it being assured it will one day come upon them as a condemned man lookes every houre to dye The godly stand in a joyfull expectation of CHRIST his comming and wish for it Come Lord Iesu come quickly but the expectation of his comming strikes a continuall terrour to the wicked which is as a racke to them in the meane season The devils believe there is a God and tremble so these apostats believe there is a day of judgement and quake at the recordation of it And the Zeale or fervency of fire goe ye cursed into everlasting fire Fire is terrible therefore the paines of hell are described by it Fire is devouring it devoures an whole towne This is a devouring fire it shall alwayes be a devouring of them and yet never fully devoure them they shall ever be burning and never burned Whom them that are opposite to Christ that wage battle against him open and professed enemies set on the other side against Christ yet under a kind of pretext and colour as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth import inverting to themselves some colourable reason why they should doe so This is that which hee said Heb. 6. They are a reprobate earth whose end is to be burned Here it is evident to us all that there is a day of judgement There is a lake burning with fire and brimstone The wicked would not looke for that which is not they looke and that with feare and horrour for the judgment to come Felix trembled therefore there is a judgement The thieves would not be afraid of the Assizes if there were no judgement The very devils and all the wicked know there is a judgement to come Why art thou come to torment us before the time they knew there was a time when they shold be tormented but they complained that CHRIST with his holy presence tormented them before the time Therefore let us all after a godly manner feare this judgement As for them that thinke there is no judgement they are worse than the Devill 2 Thes. 1.8 There is a violent fire that shall devoure the adversaries an unquenchable fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Doe not imagine that ignis gehennae is ignis fatuus It is said of the Sodomites that they suffer the vengeance of eternall fire God hath appointed a day wherein hee will judge the world in righteousnesse and wee must all appeare before the judgement seat of CHRIST Therefore let us often thinke upon it and let it be as a bridle to restraine us from sinne Whether I eate or drinke said Ierome mee thinkes the trumpet soundeth in my ears surgite mortui venite ad judicium Even now when wee are eating and drinking making merry at the Nativitie of our Blessed SAVIOUR even now when wee are in the middest of all our mirth and Christmasse games let us remember there is a judgement and let us live here that wee may stand without trembling before the Sonne of
man at the latter day The very conscience of a man doth tell him at one time or other whether hee will or no that there is a day of judgement Why are men vexed in their soules when they have sinned when they have committed such sinnes as the Law cannot take hold off as oppression and wrongs offered to their brethren secret adulteries c. Why are they grieved for these and can find no rest in them if there were not a judgment to come VERSE 28. HEre is the equity of it He that abrogates it that pulls it out of place that violates it elata manu Num. 15.30 Not he that in a small offence transgresseth the Law but that breaketh it in some monstrous and notorious manner either by blasphemy by contemptuous prophaning by contumacy against father and mother and hee that doth transgresse these lawes in a despite and contempt of them hee must needs be put to death there is no remedy No mercy is to be shewed in it the Law must have his course without respect of persons whether hee bee high or low rich or poore hee must dye for it No bribe may save his life Deut. 19.21.13 8. Yet good advice must bee had in putting him to death there must be an orderly proceeding against him his fault must be convinced by sufficient witnesses All Moses lawes were not written with bloud as Draco's were but only great and capitall crimes Such were to dye without mercy Mercie is an excellent vertue a divine vertue draweth neere to the nature of God which is the Father of mercies be yee mercifull as your heavenly father is mercifull Yet for all that mercy in some actions is to be shut out of doores We must sing of judgement as well as of Mercy as David did Mercy is not so to be imbraced as that Iustice should bee forgotten they that have transgressed the Law especially in contempt of the Law are to dye without mercy the Lord often toucheth upon this string We must not be more mercifull then God will have us Saul spared Agag but it cost him his kingdome Some will say of a thiefe a murderer condemned to dye is it not pitty such a proper man as he should dye no verily foolish pitty marrs the Citty If such a one be permitted to live hee may doe much hurt in the common-wealth therefore no pitty is to bee shewed to him mercy must bee stretched no further than God hath appointed But how must he dye orderly being convicted by the due course and order of Law The fact must be sufficiently proved before sentence of death passe against him and how must it be proved either by his owne confession or by the testimony of others Now one man may be partiall or he may speake on spleene and malice therefore two witnesses at least must be produced Iesabel procured two witnesses against Nabal Two witnesses were brought in against our SAVIOUR CHRIST Timothy must not receive an accusation against an Elder but under two or three witnesses There was thought no probability that two would conspire in an untruth the one at the length would bewray the jugling of the other Therefore if there were two then he dyed but now the world is growne to such an height of impiety as that it is as easie a matter to suborne two false witnesses to get two knaves to sweare an untruth as to take the pot and drinke A most vile age wherein we live but from the beginning it was not so VERSE 29. THe interrogation is more forcible then if it had beene a plaine affirmation they dyed the death of the body but these are worthy of the death where soule and body shall dye for ever Be you Iudges in the matter I dare appeale to your own selves Then he sets forth the greatnesse of their sin which ariseth by three steps or degrees 1. They in the Law despised Moses which was but a man these Christ which is the Son of God therfore they are worthy of a sharper punishment they broke but one particular Law these renounce the whole Gospell of CHRIST the Son of God They have not Christ actually to tread upon he is in heaven at the right hand of God but metonymically in treading his truth under their feete which they make no reckoning of in conculcating the benefits of CHRIST offered to them they tread CHRIST Himselfe or they carry such a spitefull minde against him as if possible they would pull him out of heaven and tread him under their feete They did it not actu but affectu This is the vilest indignity that can be offered to any to make him as dirt to tread on The Souldiers crucified CHRIST but they did not treade him under their feete For Traytors to tread the King under their feete is a monstrous thing yet these as arrant Traytors did tread Christ the King of Kings under their feete Horrible wretches In this they opposed themselves to his kingdome In the next to his Priest-hood Christ by his last Will and Testament gave us a Legacie of the kingdome of heaven Luk. 22.29 the which Testament was confirmed by the bloud and death of the Testatour Matth. 26.28 Now this holy precious and pure bloud wherewith we are washed from our sinnes these impure wretches account an unholy a common a polluted thing Mark 7.2 Acts 10.15 They make no more account of the bloud of Christ then of the bloud of a thiefe nay of a dogge or swine yet they had some benefit by this bloud Last of all they opposed themselves to the prophesie of Christ. It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they abuse him with some notable reproach and contumelie Which is the fountaine and bestower of all graces He had given them many graces of knowledge of some faith hope love and zeale yet they contumeliously reproach this spirit revile him terming him a spirit of errour that had deluded them all this while For this cause they have sinned against the Holy Ghost In these respects they are worthy of most severe punishment no sacrifice for this sinne Is any pitty to bee shewed to them that In this world there is Mercy but none to bee expected in the world to come Then judgement mercilesse Now CHRIST standeth with open armes venite ad me omnes but then he shall say ite maledicti no mercy to be found for the wicked at the day of judgment God shew mercy to the house of Onesiphorus at that day there is mercy for the godly that be in Christ but none for the wicked that be out of Christ. And who be they that shall be so severely punished From hence may be collected a true definition of the sin against the Holy Ghost It is a malicious oppugning of the truth of the Gospell sealed up in their hearts by the HOLY GHOST they were enlightned in the mysterie of redemption purchased by Christ that he is the only Priest which
did the rest Enoch lived so long and he dyed therefore certainely he dyed not Some maintaine this assertion that Enoch is still alive together with Elias they are kept by the providence of GOD in paradise where either they eate of the fruites of the Garden or live without meat miraculously as Moses Elias and CHRIST did forty dayes together then towards the end of the world these two witnesses shal come forth shew themselves openly to all encounter with Antichrist convert the Iewes and in the end shall be put to death But I proceed Saint Paul sayes 1 Cor. 15.51 So Enoch did not dye yet he was changed in soule and body extraordinarily assumed in coelestem patriam as Calvin speaketh yet not in coelestem gloriam freed from the miseries of this life yet not fully glorified Some glory now they have yet their full glory is now deferred till we all meete together in a perfect man in Christ Iesus It is here registred as a singular honour that God vouchsafed to Enoch to take him away They are sometimes deepest in GODS bookes that are soonest taken out of this world being fitted for it by GOD Almighty We read of two Trophenius and Agamedes that having built a Temple to Apollos required of the GOD such a reward as he thought to be best for men he granted it and within three dayes they were found dead The best we read of in Scripture tarryed not long here Iosias was taken away in the flower of his age our Saviour CHRIST lived not past thirty foure yeeres because Enoch pleased GOD he tooke him away Saint Peter being in the Mount said it is good for us to be here let us heere make our Tabernacles So we say of the Mountaine of this world it is good for us to be heere ôh that we might make our Tabernacles heere wheras indeed it were best for us to be taken out of this wretched and sinful world as Enoch was Here we are with wicked and deceitfull men there we shall be with Holy Angels here we sin continually there we shall cease sinning heere we are subject to innumerable calamities there all teares shall be wiped from our eyes Let us desire God to prepare us for death and then to take us away when it shall seeme best to his heavenly will Pope Siricius out of these words Rom. 8.8 framed this Argument they that be in the flesh cannot please God Married persons are in the flesh ergo Enoch was a maried man he begat Sons and Daughters yet he pleased God Abraham was a Maried man he had two Wives and many Children yet he pleased God in so much as heaven is called the bosome of Abraham Zachary and Elizabeth were Maried folkes yet they pleased God and walked in all his Commandements without reproofe Spiridion Bishop of Cyprus a Maried person yet he protested 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet never a whit the worse for divine duties Let us not be drowned in the pleasure of Mariage as he in the Gospell I have maried a Wife c. Let us keepe the marriage bed undefiled bring up our children in the feare and nurture of the Lord instruct our households in the wayes of God and out of Marriage we may fly to heaven as also out of a single life VERSE 6. IT is confirmed by an axiome in Divinity none can please God without faith he pleased God Ergo. Whereupon he sets downe two properties of faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be supplyed He doth not say it is hard or difficult but impossible Not to offer oblations to God that did Cain but to please God The workes of the unregenerate doe not completely please God The Iustice of Aristides the gravity of Cato the chastity of Lucretia the liberality of Caesar were not simply good works quoad formam or finem neither did they please God perfectly in as much as they wanted faith Fides est mater radix bonorum operum they did them not in faith to Gods glory therefore his soule tooke not that pleasure in them which otherwise he would have done He doth not say without policie Iacob a plaine man yet hee pleased God not without learning honour riches Lazarus a poore man yet pleased God not without beauty Ebedmelech a blackmore yet hee pleased God but not without faith Therefore let us all bee suiters to God to give and encrease faith in us that wee may please him in this life and bee glorified with him in the world to come I but all flatter themselves that they have faith wee have all faith Have yee so Saint Paul sayes all men have not faith 2 Thes. 3.2 Examine it by that touchstone Gal. 5.6 1 Ioh. 4.20 doest thou boyle in hatred against any of thy brethren doest thou say with Achab there is one Michaiah but I hate him one neighbour but I hate him then thou hast not true faith for faith and love goe hand in hand together Where there is no love there is no true faith Then he sets downe the two properties of faith That commeth that is that believeth pedibus fidei Iohn 6. Verse 44. That He is the Maker and Governour of all that sees all and judges all The foole hath said in his heart there is no God There be too many of these fooles it is to be feared in the lap of the Church Tit. 1. ult they professe they know God but by their workes they deny them We goe masked under the vizzard of Religion yet in our hearts wee say there is no God Wee speake faire and meane fowle pretend love and intend mischiefe Wee lye coozen dissemble circumvent and defraud one another as if there were not a God that sees all our juglings A rewarder In this life Gen. 24.35 The Lord blessed Abraham wonderfully so that he became great he gave him Sheep and Beeves Silver and Gold men servants and maide servants and Camels and Asses he rewarded Ioseph with honour Hester with a kingdome Dorcas with life againe In the life to come Apoc. 22.12 And behold I come shortly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his worke shall be We shall bee rewarded for our service yet not of merit but of mercy Luk. 12.32 2 Tim. 4.8 If we come diligently to Church as Hannah heare Sermons with a reverent attention as Lydia lay them up in our hearts and practise them in our lives as the blessed Virgin Mary if we come to the Holy Communion with sincere affections to have our faith strengthned and to become new men if we give with cheerefulnesse to GOD 's Minister that feeds our soules to the poore members of IESUS CHRIST God sees it and will reward it with joy of conscience in this life and with eternall happinesse in the world to come We serve not a churlish Nabal but a liberall master that will reward us for our service yea a cup of cold water shall not be unrewarded
them into the lap of his mercy But what is repentance not a knock on the breast a sigh a sob a teare only but a changing of the minde a forsaking of sin and an imbracing of vertue declinare à malo facere bonum that is repentance He hath not repented of his drunkennesse that is sorry for it to day and goes to it againe to morrow he hath not repented of his uncleannesse that grieves for it a time and returnes with the Swine to the wallowing in the mire He that forsaketh his sin shall have mercy Rahab had beene an Harlot before her conversion but she was none afterwards if shee had continued an impure Harlot still the Holy Ghost would not have honoured her so highly as to put her in the Catalogue of them of whom our Saviour descended Such were some of you sayes S. Paul but ye are washed c. I was a persecutor I was a blasphemer sayes S. Paul but now I am none So a good Christian must say I was a ruffianly swearer but now I am none I use the Name of God with reverence in all my speeches I was a Thiefe secret and open too but I thanke God I am none now I would not defraud a man of a penny to my knowledge though I might get a world by it I was a covetous Miser glued to my wealth it went to my heart to part with a penny to any good use but now I can honour God willingly with my riches I was an adulterer I thought my selfe in heaven when I was with Whores and Harlots but now I thinke it to be another hell Happy are they that have beene harlots and now are none as Rahab was What became of this Harlot She perished not neither temporally nor eternally with the rest of Iericho which are branded with a marke of disobedience They would not obey God they stood out with him at the staves end would not yeeld themselves to the Israelites as God had appointed Therefore they were all put to the sword Rahab in faith obeyed the wil of God submitted her self to him therfore she perished not in the common destruction of the City the Lord knows how to deliver the righteous and to reserve the wicked to the day of wrath The world was drowned but Noah was saved the Sodomites were destroyed but Lot was preserved all Iericho went to the pot but Rahab perished not with them Thus graciously dealt the Lord with his children But was Rahab alone preserved No verily but all that were in the house with her her father kinsfolke c. What had they all faith as well as she that they perished not That cannot be collected out of the Scripture Rahabs faith is commended not a word of theirs yet they were exempted from the temporall calamity for her sake The justmust live eternally by his own faith yet for outward externall blessings they may fare the better for the faithfuls sake Cursed Cham was saved from drowning for Noahs sake God blessed the house of the Egyptian for Iosephs sake All that were in the Ship though some prophane Mariners were in it were saved for S. Pauls sake Behold then what a blessed thing it is to be in the families of good Men and Women You may escape many fearefull calamities for their sakes GOD will not only extend his mercy to them but to all that be in their houshold whereas it is dangerous being with the wicked and irreligious S. Iohn would not goe into the Bath where Cerinthius was But why did they not put her to the sword as well as others what induced them to spare her Surely their owne Promise which they had given her ratified with an oath Ioshua had a speciall care of that Iosh. 6.22 Which may be a fruitfull caveat to us all to make conscience of our words and promises Promise is a debt and every honest man will have a care to pay his debts Though that be counted a ceremonie now a dayes yet the Israelites according to promise tooke Rahab set her safe out of the Citie before they slew the rest Regulus a Heathen man kept his word with his enemies though it cost him his life but we that be Christians will not keepe our words with our friends Especially if our promise bee bound with an oath as theirs was let not a world make us to breake it Iuramentum est res sacra Let not that be violated But must all oathes bee kept because Herod swore to give the Damosell whatsoever she asked did he well for his oaths sake to give her Iohn Baptists head No verily There be two that may be hindred by our keeping of our oathes God and our selves If we have sworne though it be to our own hindrance let us keepe it but if it be to GODS hinderance to the dishonour of God let us not keepe them Hast thou sworne in an anger never to come at such a Mans house be sorry for it Hast thou sworn in a fury to kil a man grieve for it and breake that oath But is it a lawfull thing which thou hast sworne tending to GOD's glory and the good of thy brethren Thou art now in an holy bond the breach whereof God will revenge Therefore looke to it let nothing cause thee to infringe thine oath Yet now adayes oathes are nothing men are become meere Atheists they think there is no God they may sweare for sweare abuse his Name at their pleasure tush God sees it not A monstrous height of impiety whereunto we are growen Words writings bonds oathes are nothing if there be no law to compell us to the keeping of them Hast thou sworne and that before a Iudge which is a certaine god on the earth to say the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth So God save thee by Iesus Christ discharge that oath with feare and reverence Have we in England taken the oath of allegiance to be true to the Kings Majestie his Crowne and Dignity not to conspire with the Pope or any forreigne Power against the flowrishing State of the Realme Let us keepe this oath not for feare but for conscience sake An oath is an edge-toole dally not with it GOD was revenged on the house of Saul because of the oath broken with the Gibeonites therefore the Israelites would not break their oath to Rahab they did not here pretend the Papists rule Fides non est servanda cum haeretico Rahab is a Cananite therefore let us not keepe our oath with her The cause of her preservation was the peaceable entertaining of the Spies which was a lively demonstration of her faith shee knew them to bee their enemies yet shee shutteth not the doores against them hence ye villaines ye come to espie the weaknesse of our Citie yee shall not set a foot into my house but readily and willingly she takes them in there she hides them from the cruelty of the King she conducts
Righteous man a true dealing man So some as Zacheus had faith he wrought righteousnesse the one halfe of his goods he gave to the poore and restored foure fold where he had done wrong but now men make profession of faith but have no righteousnesse The first table hath eaten up the second Men will not sweare not commit adultery in some sort they will keepe the Lords day they will come to Church heare Sermons talke of religion but come to the duties of the second table they make no conscience of them they will lye cozen flatter dissemble oppresse the fatherlesse deale unkindly and unmercifully with widdowes grinde the faces of the poore wring from their neerest and deerest by hooke and crooke a manifest argument they have no faith Luk. 1.6 for a faithfull man is alwayes a righteous man and he that loves God will love his brethren else he is a lyar and all his religion is in vaine The very Turkes and heathen that never heard of Christ are more full of the workes of righteousnesse then we There is more upright and mercyfull dealing among them then among Christians therefore they shall rise up in judgement against us at the latter day wherfore let us ad vertue to our faith that as we are faithfull so we may be righteous in our dealings 3 They obtained the promises that is some particular promises made to them As the Israelites had the possesion of the Land of Canaan promised to them Caleb had a speciall portion in it Ios. 14.13 David obteyned the Kingdome promised to him Abraham a Son when he was an hundred yeers old but that generall promise concerning Christ and eternall happinesse in soule and body in heaven together they obteyned not yet they were faine to waite a long time for these promises and endured much in the meane season There is a Kingdome promised to us Luk. 12.32 By faith we shall obtaine this promise if we can be content by many tribulations as God hath appointed to enter into it 4. They stopped the mouthes of Lions Samson Iudg. 14.6 not with his cloake but by faith David 1 Sam. 17.36 Benaiah 2 Sam. 23.20 Dan. 6.23 we also by faith shal stop the mouth of that roaring Lion VERSE 34. THe violence of fire that is the force or power Dan. 3.27 If wee have faith no creature shall hurt us The mouthes of the Swords Swords have mouthes as the mouth devoureth so doth the edge of the Sword The Sword devoureth one as well as another sayd David The Israelites escaped the swords of the Aegyptians that were at their heeles ready to thrust them through if the red Sea had not made a passage for them David often declined the Speare of Saul wherewith he was purposed to fasten him to the wall Elias escaped the sword of Iesabel who had threatned to take away his life wee escaped the swords of the Spanyards in eighty eight If they had landed there had beene no mercy with them they would have put all to the sword For God put valour into them they were made strong for their weakenesse Isa. 38.9 Psal. 38.3 and 10. Was it not valiantly done of Abraham with the servants of his owne house to encounter with five Kings was it not valiantly done of little David a young stripling never acquainted with warre to fight with that huge Gyant Goliah that had beene a man of warre from his youth up did not our English men fight valiantly with their little ships against the huge ships of the Spanyards ours being but molehils to their mountaines This valour was of GOD who taught their fingers to fight and hands to warre Weaknesse is twofold in body and soule Hezekiah was brought to great weakenesse when lying on his death bed as he thought hee turned his face to the wall and wept taking his leave of the world yet God made him strong againe David was weake in soule and faint hearted when hee brake forth into this lamentable speech one day shall I perish by the hand of Saul but God made him strong againe Let us entreate him to strengthen the weakenesse of us all When we are sicke what doe we some which is monstrouse to speake send to the Divell for helpe to witches sorcerers c. but to speake the fairest then their is posting to the physitian pils potions all kinde of medicines must be received That is not amisse so as they come in the second place and wee trust not in the Physitians as Ala did The Physitian wee should seeke to in the time of weakenesse and sicknesse should be God Almighty with the eye of faith wee should looke up to him When all earthly Physitians have given us over hee can set us on our legs againe Faith is the best medicine for the recovery of health and strength Tents It is a metonymie put for armies As Gideon with his three hundred men vanquished the Midianites As Ionathan David Asa Iehosaphat c. did their enemies they were not able to stand before them When there be rumours of wars mustering preparing of Horses c. Let not our hearts be troubled faith is the best weapon if you have a strong and valiant faith one shall chase a thousand and tenne shall put ten thousands to flight Let us intreat the Lord to make our faith stronger to our dying day As the Psalmist speaketh of the Church Wonderfull things are spoken of thee thou Citie of GOD So wonderfull things are recorded of faith By that men remove mountaines cast out devils subdue kingdomes nothing is too hard for him that beleeveth All of us by faith shall subdue the kingdome of Satan which is stronger than all earthly kingdomes By faith we shall tread the devill under our feet therefore GOD strengthen the faith of us all Before we had their actions now follow their Passions 1. An enumeration of them 2. An amplification The enumeration is first generall then speciall generall some concerne name body Vers. 36. life 37. The speciall is their flight An amplification 1. By a commendation of the men 38. 2. By a commemoration of the events of their faith 1. Affirmative 39. Negative as the reason Vers. 40. VERSE 35. WOmen received their dead 1 Reg 17.18.23 2 Reg. 4.18.36 Their passions are of three sorts 1. the suffering of those things that goe before death and might provoke us to a defection from God 35.36 2 The kindes of death which they suffered 3. A miserable flying and hiding of themselves The miseries going before death are greater as racking lesser some appertaine to the name some to the body The first going before death is racking as many were under Antiochus in the time of the Maccabees Timpanum was an Instrument like our Rack whereunto the parties were straight tyed the nerves of their hands and feet stretched out their bodies also cruelly beaten even to death thus was Eleazar tormented 2 Mac. 6.30 The which is amplified by their Constancy not receiving deliverance
the end in that let us be rocks not reeds or weather-cocks As Iesus Christ yesterday and to day the same for ever so in all holy and upright things let us be like Socrates semper idem the same yesterday and to day continually Could he not make him repent Why what did he for the effecting of it he used as strong arguments as he could Teares are forcible and oftentimes move flinty hearts When Pharaohs Daughter saw Moses cry she pittied him Esau cries for the blessing yet God will not move Isaac to give it him This is strange Seeke and yee shall finde Esau sought and that with teares too yet hee found not All teares are not acceptable to GOD there be lachrymae compunctionis such as Mary Magdalens were being pricked with sorrow for sinne she wept aboundantly and watered CHRIST's feet with her teares These be good teares which the Angels in Heaven rejoyce at There be lachrymae compassionis such as Christs were when hee wept over Ierusalem There are lachrymae devotionis such as the Iewes teares were that wept because the second Temple was not so glorious as the first Esra 3.12 There are lachrymae desperationis such are the teares of the damned in hell There be lachrymae simulationis as Ier 41.6 Such are Crocodiles teares and as they say some Womens teares that have them at command There are lachrymae rancoris indignationis such were the teares of Esau hee wept more upon stomacke being vexed in his minde that he should be thus defrauded by his brother than for any griefe for sin more for the losse than the fault It seemes he never wept because he had displeased God in selling away his birth-right but because he saw into what misery he had plunged himselfe Therefore God regarded not his teares neither would he have Isaac to be moved with them Otherwise if they be holy and religious teares flowing from the Fountaine of a true sorrowfull heart for sin God esteemeth highly of them he puts them into his bottle and of his mercy will reward them in the life to come Therefore let us weepe bitterly for our sinnes in this life that GOD may assume us into that place where all teares shall be wiped from our eyes in the life to come The argument for the enforcing of the exhortation is taken from the bounty of GOD towards us in the time of the Gospell above them that lived in the time of the Law If God have dealt more kindly and mercifully with us then hee did with them then our holinesse must exceed theirs but God hath dealt more kindly and mercifully with us then hee did with them Ergo we must be more holy than they were The comparison is 1. Propounded to Verse 25. Then applyed It hath two members 1. A narration of their condition in the time of the Law 2. Of ours in the time of the Gospell The narration hath two parts 1. A description of their estate 2. An amplification of it Verse 20. Theirs was status terror is ours amoris VERSE 18. THeir estate is described 1. By the place where the Law was given it was a materiall mount that might be touched with the hands and fingers of men ours is spirituall and immateriall In respect of Gods charge it might not be touched but in it selfe it was touchable so is not ours 2. By the accidents that fell out in the place That burned with fire which strikes a terrour into the beholders Nothing more terrible then fire it makes men afraid to look upon it Blacknesse which are uncomfortable therefore hell is resembled to outer darkenesse And tempest that came with a force and power it may bee it did beare downe trees before it the Law as a Schoolemaster came with rods VERSE 19. 3. BY the manner of Gods teaching and instructing of them at the delivery of the Law It was by the sound of a Trumpet to prepare them to attention The Trumpet that soundeth to a battell is terrible so shall the Trumpet be at the day of judgement And by Gods immediate voice speaking to them which the people could not endure but requested that God would not speake to them any more VERSE 20. A Reason is rendred from their inability for they could not endure Here wee may behold the necessity of the word preached by men like to our selves We are not able to beare Gods owne voice Therefore in mercy he speakes to us by his Ambassadours Hee spake to them in the Old Testament by Moses and the Prophets to us by Christ and his Apostles by learned and godly Preachers sent to us in all ages Though they be men subject to the same passions that wee are as Saint Iames speakes of Elias yet their voice is Gods voice he that heareth them heareth Christ. Therefore let us not despise them because they bee men but honour them as the men of God receive them as Angels from heaven yea as Christ himselfe Preachers were appointed in regard of our weakenesse therefore let us praise God for them and heare them with all reverence This fearefull spectacle is amplified 1. By the strictnesse of the charge If a beast beasts grase here and there in the valleys and Mountaines too they bee unreasonable creatures and understood not the charge given by God Yet if a beast touched the Mountaine c. So severe was the delivery of the Law VERSE 21. 2. BY the affection of Moses who was a principall man among them by whose hand the Law was delivered yet he feared and quaked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mente 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corpore I exceedingly feare and quake These words are not expressed in the Old Testament yet we are to believe them as the names of the sorcerers Iannes and Iambres supplyed by Saint Paul Neverthelesse they may be collected out of Exodus Moses said I feare and quake God answered comforting him Exod. 19.19 dixit facto etsi non verbo Moses was a rare and singular man greatly honoured by God Almighty he divided the Red Sea and brought the people over God talked familiarly with him as one friend useth to doe with another when he was dead God vouchsafed to bury him himselfe yet Moses shooke like an Aspenleafe He was not only afraid but he trembled too Such is the Majesty of God that it makes the holiest men in the world to quake because of sinne in them When God spake to Adam after the fall he was afraid and hid himselfe among the trees Manoah cryed out we have seene God therefore we shall dye Moses at the delivery of the Law did quake and tremble then how shall the wicked shake when Christ shall come at the latter day to take an account of the fulfilling of the Law Felix trembled when he heard of the day of judgement what shall they doe when they see it they shall cry out with them in the Apocalyps the great day of his wrath is come c.
that comforts us with the promises of the Gospell Therefore our righteousnesse should exceed theirs I beseech you by the mercies of God sayes S. Paul not by the terrours of GOD. Gods mercies have beene wonderfull therefore let us serve him more cheerfully than they have done the love of Christ ought to constraine us As he hath died for our sins and shed his bloud for them so let us dye to them continually Let us serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life that when this life is ended wee may raigne with Christ for ever They had short winter dayes that were full of shadowes we have summer dayes the Son of righteousnesse shineth forth brightly to us they had the bloud of Goats Lambes Calves Oxen as a representation of the bloud of Christ we have Christs bloud actually shed on the Crosse for us they saw Christ afar off Your Father Abraham saw my day and was glad we see him already offered on the Altar of the Crosse for our sinnes and crucified before our eyes in the preaching of the Gospell Happy are the eyes that see that which we see Many Kings and Prophets desired to see them and could not Let us walke worthy of this kindnesse of the Lord. Now followes the use we are to make of it which is double the one negative that we despise not our Saviour Christ the Mediator of the New Testament the other affirmative that we serve and honour him Vers. 28. He disswades us from despising him by two arguments the one from the worthinesse of the person 25. the other from the dignity of the Gospell the thing it selfe VERSE 25. FOr the caveat hee doth not simply say despise him not but with a watch-word looke to it the danger is great if ye doe Christ is despised two kinde of wayes openly and secretly openly by refusing to heare him at all as they in the Gospell wee will not have this man to raigne over us How often would I have gathered you together and ye would not some will not come to Church to heare CHRIST they had rather heare a Fidler than heare a Preacher 2 When as men heare yet contemptuously as the Pharisees did Luke 16.14 these are open despisers of Christs speaking The other are close and secret despisers They doe not peremptorily say they will not come but they make excuses for not comming I have bought a yoke of Oxen sayes one a Farme sayes another I have burling in hand spinning in hand I have a journey to take on that day I cannot come This is a despising of Christ speaking as the word importeth The other secret despisers are carelesse and negligent hearers we will give him the hearing but if we were out of the Church we would not thinke of it againe They looke themselves in the glasse of the Word see many spots but have no care to wipe them away This is a kinde of despising the voice of Christ and it shall be required at our hands despise not him that speaketh any kinde of way but heare him with all reverence He is worth the hearing 1 He speakes vera nothing but the truth for he is the Truth it selfe 2 Suavia that which is sweet and comfortable to us all sweeter than the honey or the honey combe Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavie laden I will give you rest 3 Vtilia that which is profitable he tels us of a Kingdome prepared for us 4 Manifesta he speakes plainely evidenter that any may understand him there be no aenigmata no riddles in his speech 5 Efficacia he speakes efficaciter powerfully with authority never did any man speake as he doth 6 Sublimia heavenly things therefore despise not him that speaketh but receive the honey drops of his speeches to the joy and comfort of you all Why what though we despise him the matter is not great yes there is great danger in it If they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth namely Moses yet tanquam ex divino Oraculo which revealed the Oracles of God to them on the earth They that rejected him were severely punished The man that with an high hand gathered sticks on the Sabbath-day contrary to the Law of Moses was stoned Corah Dathan and Abiram that murmured against him were swallowed up by the earth they that tooke their parts were destroyed Num. 16.49 Some vengeance or other wil light on us if we turne him away and refuse him that speaketh from Heaven But how doth Christ now speake from heaven Surely by the mouthes of his Embassadours he that heareth you heareth me Will ye have an experiment of Christ speaking in me When a learned Ezra standeth up in the Pulpit to speake to the people Christ speaketh The wicked will reply on Christ at the day of judgement and say Lord when saw wee thee hungry and gave thee no meat So some will say O if we might heare Christ speaking from heaven we will sit with reverence and heare attentively When any of his Stewards and Ministers speake He speaketh therefore beware how ye despise him that Moses's ministery and shall they escape that despise Christs ministery Many heavie judgements will light upon the contemners of Gods Word Manasseh though a King was carried into captivity for it Pelatiah died Ierusalem that would not heare Christ when he clocked to her as a loving Hen heard the cry of the Romanes to their destruction If we at this day turne away our eares from hearing Christ speaking to us from heaven the sword of the enemie famine pestilence tedious Agewes not heard of before some plague or other will fall on us If they escaped not that despised Moses shall they escape that despise Christ speaking from heaven VERSE 26. THE second reason is taken from the dignity of the Gospell Then at the delivery of the Law The voice of God did but shake the earth Exod. 19.18 Now at the exhibition of the Gospell It shooke earth and heaven too The which he proveth out of Hagge where we have 1. an Allegation of the Text then a Commentary on the Text. The people mourned that the second Temple was not so glorious as the first GOD comforts them promising to make it more glorious not in sumptuous building but by the comming of the Messiah into it Before he did shake but the earth when the Law was given now he will shake heaven and earth heaven and earth was moved with the comming of Christ when he was borne Herod and all Ierusalem was shaken Wise-men directed by a Starre came out of the East to worship him At the Passion of Christ the earth shooke the graves opened many dead Saints came out and appeared Heaven also was shaken at his comming the Angels in great multitudes came from heaven and sung for joy at his comming the voice of the Father was heard from heaven at his Baptisme This is my beloved Son c. At the passion of
Love not in word and tongue onely but indeed and truth Ioabs health and Iudas kisse are too frequent Let us love truely as Saint Iohn did Having averred it for his owne part he doâ—h amplifie it on the behalfe of others Not I onely It might joy her that hee loved her being the disciple whom Iesus loved but it must needs be a greater joy to her that all did love her Yet it is with a restraint all that have knowne the truth revealed in the Word for thy Word is truth saith Christ. All that have knowne it he speakes De notitia approbationis as Aquinas doth well interpret it of the knowledge not of speculation but of approbation that approve love and embrace the truth for indeed they that be of the houshold of faith are lead by one and the same Spirit therefore where one loves all love But is this so great a matter to be loved of all Woe be to you when all men speake well of you true when all tag and rag good and bad speake well of us For then wee should be happier than Christ himselfe was he could not have every mans good word Some said he was a good man others nay but he deceiveth the people All did not love him but all the godly all that loved the truth and where they love God himselfe loves therefore wee are to rejoyce in the love of the faithfull VERSE 2. THe last is the procreant cause of this love Where first there is the Loadstone that drew this love 2. The permanencie of this love in regard of the foundation whereupon it is built for the truths sake truth lasts for ever so shall this love doe They did not love her because she was an honourable Lady a beautifull Lady c. but because of the truth of the Gospell that had taken firme roote in her heart Some love for pleasure Isaac loved Esau because Venison was his meate that was his delight An adulterer loves an harlot for the satisfying of his filthy lust Some love for profit they love their friends as they doe their cowes horses and grounds for the benefit they reape by them Some love for beauty so Shechem loved Dinah Some love for honour and promotion in hope to be preferred by such a great man All these stand upon a tickle ground pleasure vanisheth and that quickly too then love vanisheth together with it When Amnon had gotten his pleasure of Tamar he hated her more than before he loved her Riches betake themselves to their wings as Salomon speaketh and flie away then love flies away too If a rich man become a poore man we set not much by him Honour is mutable the naile that is now aloft is in the dirt as it fell out with Haman then he is little regarded of any of his followers Beauty fades away like a flower then love fades away too love for the truths sake for Christs sake for the Gospels sake and that will be a permanent love But what is this truth Is not that changeable No verily For as Aquinas doth well distinguish though fides qua creditur ceaseth when we be in heaven yet fides quae creditur shall be in heaven though justifying faith ceaseth for we shall not neede to beleeve in Christ any longer when we shall see him face to face Yet the doctrine of faith which wee beleeve touching eternall happinesse purchased by Christ shall remaine when wee be in heaven the truth shall be with us for ever VERSE 3. THat shall suffice for the description now to the precation Where 1. There is the blessing prayed for 2. the persons frow whom 3. An addition made to those blessings The blessings prayed for are three grace mercy peace these be with you In the Greeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be with you but the future is put for the imperative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be with you and abide with you forever Aquinas doth thus distinguish them Gratia culpam delens Grace wiping away the guilt of Sinne Misericordiam poenam indulgens mercy remitting the punishment of sinne Pax Deo reconcilians peace reconciling us to God rather Grace is the roote the undeserved love and favour of God by which we are all that we are By the grace of God I am that I am Without him we are nothing the other are the branches budding from it Mercy which hath reference to our manifold miseries Peace arising of our reconciliation to God by Christ Being justified by faith wee have peace with God The persons from whom First from God the Father as the Author of all goodnesse Every good gift commeth from above form the Father of lights c. Then from Christ the Sonne of God and the Mediatour of mankinde who is 1. The Lord the Lord and King of the Church 2. Iesus a sweete Saviour that hath saved us from our sinnes 3. Christ the annointed King Priest and Prophet of the Church the Sonne of the Father Therefore God as well as the Father Where then is the holy Ghost Saint Augustine will have him to be comprehended in the gifts for we can have no gift but by the holy Ghost the destributer of them Or as Aquinas saith the holy Ghost is understood in the other two persons being nexus utriusque he sacred bond that unites them together The blessings annexed and added are truth and love Caietan with some others referre them to Christ the Sonne of the Father in truth and love that is his true and beloved Sonne they be rather to be adjoyned to the former and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with truth i. the vertue of truth and love to God and man these make a demonstration of the former to the world VERSE 4. NOw let us enter into the bowels of the Epistle The matter of it is a gratulation and an exhortation verse 5. First he praiseth her for the time past then he doth incite her for the time to come the gratulation is expressed by a joy wherewith he was ravished where 1. There is the greatnesse of his joy 2 the object of his joy 3. the rule for the ordering of it I rejoyced Christians may be joyfull Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes againe I say rejoyce At that time Iesus rejoyced in his Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he danced as it were for joy as here Saint Iohn rejoyceth in his Spirit and not a little but greatly too As the wise men rejoyced with an exceeding great joy when they found Christ. So he rejoyced with a great joy that he found of her children walking in the truth of Christ there is the object of his joy That I found by diligent observation when I was at thy house and by the constant relation of others since Of thy Children not all but some of them seldome are all good
sinne doe this in remembrance of me that my body was broken for you and my bloud shed for you on the Crosse. The immoderate showers that come oft in harvest and deprive us of the fruits of the earth may put us in minde of sin for they bee our sinnes that keepe good things from us Our moyling and toyling for the sustentation of our selves with much care and wearisome labour for if we had not sinned it shold not have bin so The sicknesses and diseases that bee among us terrible agewes that bring men to deaths doore and continue with them many weekes together the plague and pestilence that hath raged among us swept many thousands away and in a manner consumed some Townes c. the death of so many of our brethren and sisters continually before our eyes c. may put us in minde of sin for if we had not sinned wee should not have dyed There bee a number of things to put us in minde of sinne but there is nothing that can take away sinne but Iesus Christ the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world All these should humble us and make us to knocke on our breasts with the poore Publican and say ô God bee mercifull to us sinners Therefore let us all flye to this heavenly Physition for the curing of us VERSE 4. HE doth not say it is an unlikely thing hard or difficult but unpossible 1. God that is offended by sin and to be reconciled to us is a Spirit Bulls and Goats are fleshly things Psal. 50.13 2. God is most holy just and righteous there is no holinesse in Bulls and Goates 3. Man is a farre more glorious creature then Bulls and Goates created after Gods own Image endewed with reason and understanding yet the bloud of the wisest and holiest men in the world could not make satisfaction for sinne much lesse can the bloud of Bulls and Goates Yee are more worth than many Sparrowes so we are more worth than many Bulls and Goates 4. The Angels in heaven cannot take away sinne much lesse Bulls and Goates 5. As man had sinned so the bloud of man must bee powred out for the sin of man yea the bloud of such a man as knew no sin A sinner cannot satisfie for sinners therefore it became us to have such a High-Priest as was separated from sinners Neither was he to be a meere man but God and man the power of man is finite the power of God is infinite Therefore hee that delivered us from sinne offered up himselfe by his eternall Deity So that it is not the bloud of Bulls and Goates that can take away sinne but wee are purchased with the bloud of God Object Levit. 16.30 That is spoken sacramentally because that was a token and a signification of their clensing Object Rhemists The sacrifices of the Law before Christ could not take away sinne but the sacrifice of the New Testament since CHRIST 's death being an Application of it can take away sinne Sol. I but no creature can doe it neither before nor since CHRIST 's passion CHRIST yesterday and to day the same for ever Oh that this were effectually considered of us all Wee are redeemed from our old conversation by the precious bloud of CHRIST Our sins cost the bloud of the LORD IESUS Therefore let us take no pleasure in them David said of the water for the which three of his worthies ventured their lives this is the bloud of them c. Therefore hee would not drinke of it but powred it on the ground So as often as we are entised to sinne to drunkennesse uncleannesse covetousnesse c. Let us say these cost the bloud of the Sonne of God therefore though never so sweete let us not drinke of that water but hurle it away The love of CHRIST should constraine us to it Will any nourish a Serpent that hath killed his deere friend Sinne is the Serpent that killed CHRIST the friend of friends therefore let us not harbour him but hurle him out of doores Yet this bloud wherewith we are bought is little considered for all that wee wallow in sin still But they that belong to Christ will lay it to heart that it may be as a bridle to restraine them from sin As we are washed from our sins in the bloud of Christ no other bloud could do it so let us cast away sin keep our selves undefiled in this world that we may reigne with Christ in the world to come VERSE 5. 1. THe promised Messiah of whom David prophesieth in that Psalme for there bee sundry things that are peculiar to Christ and cannot be communicated to David 1. God required sacrifices of David but of this man he requireth none Psal. 40.6 2. This man was to supply the defect of the legall sacrifices and to fulfill the will of GOD perfectly for mankind this could not David doe Therefore this is a prophesie which David maketh of our Saviour Christ. Taking our nature on him In respect of his deity hee was in the world before but now he is in it too in respect of his humanity Ioh. 3.13 Eph. 4.9 yet he brought not his body with him from heaven 1 Cor. 15.47 Namely to God the Father Cruenta that were slaine incruenta Caphatsta thou takest no pleasure in He would have those sacrifices in the time of the Law as demonstrations of their obedience and monuments of thankefulnesse as Noah but now in the time of the Gospell hee will not have them 2. He would have them as types and figures for a time to represent the sacrifice of Christ to come but he will not have them as propitiatory for sin The only propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the world is the Christ's body which is opposed to the others Hast thou fitted in all respects for me Here seemes to be an apparant jarre betweene St. Paul and David In the Hebrew it is aoznaijm Carithali boared Some think that the Seventy whom St. Paul followeth did at the first interpret it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Hebrew and afterwards by the fault of the Printers came in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But there is no likelihood the Apostle would cite a corrupt glosse instead of the true interpretation In substance there is no difference betweene the Hebrew and the Greeke If God the Father prepared eares for Christ then a body For there cannot bee eares without a body so that both may stand very well save that the Seventy no doubt directed by the Spirit of God doth make the Prophets meaning more plaine which St. Paul layeth hold of because it fitteth his purpose to make an opposition betweene the Christ's body and the sacrifices of the Law The servant that would dwell with his master had his eare bored through with an awle Exod. 21.5 So because Christ offered himselfe as a servant to God the Father for our sakes it is said that he boared his eares