Twenty-Seven Lectures Upon Hebrews, Lectures · Lecture 11
¶The eleuenth Lecture, vponupon the 14. 15. 16. 17. and 18. verses.
14 For as much then, as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also him self likewise tooke part with them, that he might destroy, through death, him that had the power of death, that is, the diuel.
15 And that he might deliuer all them, which for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage.
16 For he in no sorte tooke on him the Angels nature, but he tooke on him the seede of Abraham.
17 Wherefore in all things it behoueth him to be made like vntounto his brethren, that he might be merciful, and a faithful high Priest in things concerning God, that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people.
18 For in that he suffered, & was tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
NOw, after that the Apostle hath proued y• our Sauiour Christ was perfect man, and dyed for our sinnes: he maketh in the 14. and 15. verses his conclusion, in plaine woordes, shewing how hee was man, and wherefore he dyed.
Touching his humanitie, according to the wordes last alledged out of the Prophet: Beholde mee and my children: so he concludeth of it: If then other children be partakers of flesh and bloud: euen he also in like sorte is partaker of the same. This is therfore our faith, and thus we beleeue: as wee are, so is our Sauiour Christ, his nature like to ours, a resonable soule, & humane flesh in him, as wel as in vsus: he differeth in nothing except sinne, but all is alike in him, and vsus. Euen as other children, so he hath taken his parte of flesh and bloud: a cleare and manifest place for the humanitie of Christe, and suche a one, as hath confounded all the aduersaries of it.
So it pleased the liuing God, he that in his meruaylous prouidence hath merciemercy ouer al his works, euen he who sometime in these earthly thinges to shewe his power, makethe the flowers to springe, and fruites to growe, where they were neither sowen nor planted: hee (I say) in his great merciemercy and goodwill to man, did bring it to passe, that our Sauiour Christe should bee made man, and by the woorke of the holie Ghoste should bee conceiued and fourmed in the wombe of the virgine Marie: euen as all other Children, as the Apostle heere sayeth afterwarde: Like vsus in all thinges, onelyonly excep…e sinne.Cap. 4. 15.
Heere (dearely beloued) wee must not onelyonly reiect the foule and rotten thoughts of such Heretiques, as hauehave denyed the humanitie of our Sauiour Christe, but manie other vaine fancyes of men: who graunt in deede, a naturall bodie to our Sauiour Christe: but they giuegive it suche qualities, as no bodie in the worlde hathe … had.
Some saye, it may be euerie where: whome God will teache better in his good time. Others say: it may bee made with fiue wordes, spoken with one breath: Hoc est enim corpus m…m: For this is my bodie: a foolishe people, and of no vnderstandinge: and yet they are more vaine then this, they thinke it may be made of a peece of breade, without fourme or figure, and into breade they thinke it may returne againe, if the wicked doe eate it, or, if it beginne to digest in the good mans stomache.
Is this to make him like vntounto vsus, sinne onelyonly excepted? Nay (dearely beloued) it is to be drunken, or else to bee madde in dallying with the bodie of Christe, we cannot tell howe. But they alledge Scripture for this, and saye: Christe hathe shewed suche miracles in his naturall bodie: as he walked on the Sea: He came in, when the doores were shutte: he became inuisible to the men that would hauehave throwen him downe the hill.
Therefore notwithstanding his likenesse with vsus, yet he may be in euerie Church in the pixe ouer the Altar.
In deede, if wee sawe him in the pixe, as wee sawe him walke vppon the Sea, there were some reason in their foolish & vaine talke: but of things done bodily by Christ, in visible & plaine fourme, to imagine another thing quite contrarie to our eyes & eares, what force is in such an argumēt, or what reason is in such wordes? Besides this, in all these things, Christ did nothing; but he hath made man do the like, that euē in this also, he might shew his likenesse with vsus: Christ walked vppon the sea, so did Peter… he was conueyed away soudenly out of his place, so was Elias: he entred when the dores were shutt, so did all the Apostles, (if maister Harding say true) and came into the Chappel, to helpe Basil to masse. If all this may proue Transubstantiation, then Peter and Elias, & all the Apostles might be transubstantiate with him: But the follie of this confuteth it selfe, and let vsus leaue it.
Now it followeth in the Apostle, wherefore this man Iesus Christ dyed, & he saith: That by death he might abolish him who had the power of death, that is, the deuil. And that he might deliuer all thē, which for feare of death, were al their life long subiect to bondage. Two special vertues of y• death of Christ are here set out: one y• he might vanquish the diuel an other, y• he might set his people at libertie: which both thinges, howe they were wrought in Christ, in the wordes themselues, we shal more plainely see. Of the vanquishing of the diuel, he sayth thus: That by death he might abolish him who had the power of death. The diuel hath the power of death, that is, he is ye authour of it: by his malicious nature he brought it into the wotlde: for god made it no…, nor hath any delite in it, neither it is good in his eyes, nor was euer mentioned among the workes of his handes, but from the diuell and of the diuell, & in the diuel, it began, and is, and abydeth: & therefore in the Apocalypse his name is giuen him, Abaddon, that is, the destroyer: and as death is of him, so for this cause also he is sayde to hauehave the power of it, because through his manifold tentations, he maketh men sinne, by whiche death reigneth: for so S. Paule sayth of Adam, beeing seduced by the diuell: By one man sinne entered into the world, and death by sinne, and so death went ouer al men, because all hauehave sinned: this is it then that is said, Christe vanquished him that had the power of death, that is, Rom. 5. 1….he abolished sinne, and the condemnation of sinne, which was the kingdome of the diuel, and thereby triumphed ouer him. So Saint Iohn sayth: for this cause the sonne of God appeared, that he might lose the workes of the diuel, that is, sinne & death, which are both of the diuel: for sinne God condemneth, & of death he hath said: I wil be thy destruction: protesting he is author of neither of both. And how hath our sauiour Christ done this? Euen by death. A mer 1. Ioh. 3. 8.uelous wisedome, & an vnspeakable mysterie, such as could neuer hauehave bene foūd or done, but by God alone, for what els is death, but the power of the diuel, and the verie miserie of the worlde? To make this the vanquishing of the diuel, and the meanes to bring all happinesse vntounto man, what was it else but his excellent vertue, who (as Saint Paule sayth) calleth things that are no…, a… though they were: and can raise vp light out of darknes. And sure if al men should hauehave laide their heades together, to wishe a plague to hauehave fallen vppon the diuel, they coulde not all hauehave deuised such another, that his glorie should be his shame: his power should be his ouerthrowe: his kingdome, his vndooing? What could the Prophet Dauid, in all his zeale of GOD, wishe more againste reprobate men, traytours to Christ, and to his Gospell, then thus to wishe? Let their deinti… tables be snares to take them, and let their prosperitie be their ruine. Euen thus Christe hath vanquished the diuell: and yet it is true, that he goeth about like a roaring Lion, seeking whome hee …. Pet 5. 8.may deuoure: and it is true that Iohn saith, that he hath great wrath, and maketh cruell warre againste Apoc. 12. 17the Church of Christ: but it is as true, his strength is all weakened, and his power is broken, that it can not hurte vsus: for Christe hath nowe ouercome him. And as Saincte Iohn sayth: The time is come, in whiche, the Prince of the worlde is Iohn. 12. 31.cast out, and Christe hath spoyled all principalities Col. 2. 15.and powers, and triumphed ouer them, vppon his crosse.
But how is it then, thou wilt saye, that his assaultes are so fearefully described, that he is sayd, to be Prince of this worlde, ruler of this darcknesse, Ephe. 6. 12.full of power and authoritie ouer fleash and bloud? Because we should knowe, no fleash is able to withstand him: neither was it according to the power of mortall man, that he was vanquished: but onelyonly Iesus Christe of the tribe of Iudah, was the Lion to crushe him in peeces.
Wilt thou knowe then, where and to whome, the diuell is abolished? Before Christ our heade, and to all the faithfull, that are members of his bodie.
Wilt thou knowe, where, and to whome, the diuel is in ful power, and ouercome? Before the naturall man, and to all those whiche in their owne strength, seeke to resist him: and therefore Sainct Paule, when he had described him in all his greatnesse, hee biddeth streight, caste away the strength of fleshe and bloude, and put on all the armour of God: for onelyonly by it, we should stande vpright in the day of euill.
So the diuel is abolished to all those that hauehave the shield of faith, to quenche his firie dartes, that is, to all those which beleeue onelyonly in Christ to be partakers of his victorie.
The diuel is in full force to those that are …, trusting in their owne woorkes, or in the libertie of their owne will.
In that the diuel is saide, to hauehave the power of death, as in other places, where he is called, the God of the worlde: the Prince of this darkenesse: the Author of sinne, wee must note this: if we rest in sinne, liue in errour and ignoraunce, followe the lustes of the worlde, or walke in all the wayes of death, then let me feare: for here is the kingdome of Sathan, and my perill is nigh, that I should be holden in it.
But if I be at couenaunt with my selfe, to hauehave no pleasure, but vtterly to hate these things: if I like not to go in the pathes of death: if I louelove not the world nor the things of the worlde: if I hauehave my delight in the word of God, to vnderstand the mysterie of Christe, and to be lightned with it: if I hate sinne and all the enticements of it: then may I hope, I walke in the likenesse of our Sauiour Christ, and all the power of Sathan is broken before me.
Where it is further said: that Christe hath done this by his death: that by death he ouercame him that had the power of death, we see a cleare and manifest testimonie, what maner of death Christe suffered, euen that, ouer which the diuell had his power: the same death, which is the rewarde of sinne: by bearing it, he ouercame it: and he conquered no more then he submitted himselfe vntounto: for by death he ouercame death: if he suffered no more but a bodily death, he ouercame also but a bodilie death: we shall all rise againe, but in the condemnation of the sinne of our soule: or if he hauehave ouercome death and the power of it, both in our bodie and soule, then Christ hath suffered the paines of it, both bodie & soule, yt we might rise again frō ye bands of death, and liue with him for euer. For this is true, by death he hath ouercome death, and he hath broken ye force of it, no further, then he hath felt the sting of it in him selfe. Therefore, this let vsus holde, and let vsus so beleeue. Christ, bodie and soule, was made a sacrifice for our sinnes: so he saide himselfe: My soule is Matt. 26. 58exceeding sorrowful, euen vntounto death: & at the entr…e into it. Saint Marke saith: He beganne to be astonished Mat. 14. 33. Luke. 22. 44at his griefe, & was ouerwhelmed with his sorrow: in which agonies Saint Luke saith, his sweat was as drops of bloud falling from him: and God sent an Angel from heauen to strengthen him. And can we thinke al this came vntounto our sauiour Christ, for feare of the death of the bodie? His seruants that receiue of his fulnesse, do they so easily despise this death, that either they wish for it, to be with Christ, or they reioyce in the middes of it before ye persecuter: and did our sauiour Christ himself, in whom is the fulnesse of the spirite, so feare and tremble at the remembrance of it? Did the Apostles sing in prison, and went away reioycing, when they were whipped & scourged? Did Paul glorie in so manie tribulations which he reckoneth vp? and did our Sauiour Christ, in the like paine, crie with a fainting heart? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? No (dearly beloued) it is not so: but that which made Christ to tremble, would hauehave crushed his Apostles in peeces: and that which made him to sweat bloud so plentifully, would hauehave made them sink into the bottom of hell: and that which made him crie, would hauehave holden both men and Angels vnderunder euerlasting wo and lamentation. If then our Sauiour Christ were Psal. 22. 14(as the prophet saith) like water powred out, and all his bones out of …oynt, if his hart were like wax mol ten in the midds of his bowell, if his strength were dried vp like a potsherd, and his toung cleaued vntounto his iawes, if he were brought with his sorowes into the dust of death: fie vponupon their blasphemous speaches & cursed words, which say he suffered nothing but bodily paine. I would those which are Papistes among vsus, and in their simplicitie are deceiued with the errour of many, I would (I say) they knewe the wickednes of this one point of their doctrine, that they say ye soule of Christ suffered nothing but onelyonly for the bodies sake, as our soules suffer when our bodies are weake, or are sicke, or die. If God impute this their ignorance vntounto them, howe shal they be saued from the death of sinne and condemnation? Do they not know what the scripture saith? He bare our sinnes in his bodie, he submitted himselfe to the death of them, and by the wounds of his stripes we be healed. Did our sinnes deserue only a bodily 2. Pet. …. 14.death? or did they not deserue ye second death, which is the wrath of God, holding bodie and soule in an euerlasting fire? And how shall they escape it, if they know not this death in the bodie of Christ, by whose stripes they may see themselues healed? Let them pray, and let vsus pray for them, that if it be the will of God, they may soone be conuerted, & know the vnspeakable louelove of our Sauiour Christe, who was accursed for our sakes, & suffered for vsus, not onlie ye torments of his bodie, but the anguishe of his soule, and the wrath of his Father▪ which wounded his flesh and spirit vntounto death, and would hauehave holden him in that condemnation for euer, if he had beene no stronger then we that deserued it. But because he was also the Sonne of God, in whome the fullnesse of the Godhead dwelt bodily, the eternall spirite that was within him did lose the chaines of death and hel, and mightily arose vp from the power of Sathan, of whiche it was impossible that hee should be holden: and he hath left those his enimies the diuel, death, & hel, in ignominie and darcknesse, and hath abolished them for euer and euer: not to hurt vsus any more, worlde without end. In this hope (dearlie beloued) is our delight and dwelling place, and they that knowe not these sufferings of Christ, our soules shall hauehave no pleasure in their counsels. And thus farre of the firste benefite mentioned of the deathe of Christe, that he hath abolished the diuel.
The second benefite is, that we be set at libertie from the bondage of the feare of death: For so the apostle sayth: And should set them free, as many a… with the feare of death, all their l…fe long, were hold…n i… bōdage: In these wordes, let vsus now consider what bondage we were in, without Christe▪ and what libertie wee hauehave obteyned through him. Without Christe, all our life is a miserable bondage: in feare and terrour of eternall condemnation to come vponupon vsus, for our sinne, in the day of death: through Christe wee see our sinnes purged, the diuell vanquished, death and condemnation abolished, and our selues in the libertie of the childrē of God, to say: Our father whiche art in heauen. This is the difference of estate betwene the children of God, and the children of this world. And what miserie (trow we) then do the wicked of the world liue in? There is in deede no peace vntounto the wicked, as the Lord hath said, when in all their life is feare and terrour: when they carrie in their breastes tormenting furies, to holde them day and night in feare of endlesse destruction. God hath don it, and no doubt they feele it, there is giuen vntounto thē a spirit of bondage, and of feare, in which they tremble Ro …. 15. …. Tim. 17.at their owne estate: they are the children of the handemayde Agar, borne in the bondage of her Gal. 4. 25.wombe, and dwell in the deserte, and are in mount Sinaie, where is the burning fire, and blacknesse, and Heb 12. 18.darknesse, and tempest, and sounde of trumpet at which they tremble: for they are without Christ, and therfore must needes be in bondage, and in the feare of death all their life. But thou wilt say: The wicked prosper & reioyce in their dayes, they are bound in no such bondage, nor feare no such feare. Thou canst not tell, nor thou knowest not the heart of a wicked man, howsoeuer hee boast in his substance, and hath peace in his riches: peraduenture there is a bitter remembrance of death▪ within him. When Pharaoh the proud tyrant had hardened his heart, & boasted exceedingly against ye people of Israel: Exod. 12. 31yet he sawe no sooner, the death of the first borne, but he feared & trembled, as the leaues in the wildernes: and I remember Solomon sayth: There is in deede a way that a man thincketh streight and pleasant, when the issues of it leade vntounto death. But what pleasure is that, and what delight? Solomo… addeth, euen in that laughing ye heart is sorrowfull: and that mirth doth end in heauinesse: they doe indeede Pro. …4. 13.strengthen them selues, & striue mer…eilously to cast out feare, sometime with one pastime somtime with an other: but if they could cast it out as out of a cannon, yet would it euermore returne againe and vexe their heart, that so flieth from it. Balaam would faine hauehave comforted himselfe, with riches and honor, which he loued so much: yet was he not without feare, but at the last it brake out and he spake: Let my soule die the death of the righteous, and Num. …. …let my latter end be like vntounto theirs. So I beleeue it is with all these men, of reprobate mindes, that stoare vp violence and robberie in their palaces, that fill their tables with drunkennesse, their bodies with vncleannesse, their mouthes with blasphemie: they know it, I think, and euen as Iosua saide, with all Ios. 23 14▪their hearts, and with all their soules they knowe it, yt the righteous mans life is better then theirs: they know that a groat wel gotten, is better then a pound stolen: that sobrietie is better then righteousnesse: that the chaste bodie is more blessed then the adulterous fleshe: that the mouth that praiseth God giueth a sweeter sounde then all their wicked talke: and if they do know this, would they neuer so faine …eare off their conseiēce as with a glowing y…on, yet sometime it awaketh them as out of a slepe, & they see a fearefull sight of death and bondage: so that, let vsus not frett our selues, because of the wicked, nor be enuious at their prosperitie: for neither their house, nor lande, nor hidden treasure, can either take from their bodies their quartan agues, nor this care from their minde, that they should not feare at the remembrance of their sinne. And if there be any that feareth least, in whome the stronge man so possesseth al, that the things he hath, seme to be in peace: yet for all that he is neuer the better, no more then the stalled oxe is the better, because he knoweth not that he is taken out to go to the slaughter-house: but a souden death shal hauehave the greater feare: and therfore (dearly beloued) seeing their condition, though we make the best of it, is yet extreme euil: let not our lott be with theirs, but with the righteous, of whom the Apostle saith, that they are seit free from the bō dage of the feare of death. But you wil say, where is this fredome? for the righteous man is yet affeard to die: not euerie one: for Paule saide, I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ: & no doubt God hathe so Phil. 1. 23.reuealed this hope to many sainctes, that they despise the graue and death: how be it, I graunt this is rare: and it is natural to all, to be loath to lay downe this earthly tabernacle, notwithstanding we are free from this bondage to feare at it, as thoughe wee had no hope. And though we die in bodie, yet we are free from eternall death, and no feare of it shal ouercome vsus so this is our blessing, not that we shal not die: but that we shal not be holden in death, and not that we shall not feare, but that we shal not be ouercome with feare: & he is a true christiā man that nether refuseth to die, nor yet sainteth for any feare of death: for why should I repine to giuegive this bodie to death? I must needes die, because my bodie is full of sinne: and I wil willingly die, that I may be deliuered from this bodie subiecte vntounto sinne: I muste needes die, because I am full of corruption whiche Rom. 7. 24.must be chaunged: and I will willingly die, because I would put on incorruption, that I might see God: I must needes dye, because I beare the image of an earthlie man: and I will willinglie die, that I may bee like the heauenlie man Iesus Christe: I must needs die, because so is Gods ordinance: and I will willingly die, that I may shewe mine obedience to his wil: for these causes I submit my selfe to the de: Heb. 9. 27.cree of God, who hath appointed for al men once to die, and I am either not at all afraid of it, or the feare 1. Cor. 15. 36.of it is not much: for I know the sting of it is gone, the victorie of it is lost, the curse of it is taken away, Gal. 3. 13.that which remaineth is onelie profitable for vsus: for 1. Cor. 3. …. Ro. 14. 7.it shall bring an end of all our labours, and giuegive vsus vp into the hands of Iesu Christ. Thus it is now accomplished, that heere is spoken: that Christe hath set vsus free from the bondage of the feare of death: which (dearely beloued) if we wil learne & knowe, assuredly it wil worke great increase of grace, it will chaunge our mindes more then wee are ware of, & when we are wise hearted to see in deede, no doubt we shal be as bolde as Paul, and say vnfeignedly: We desire tobe dissolued, and to be with Christe.
It followeth now in the 16, verse: For he tooke not at all vponupon him the Angels, but he tooke vponupon him the seede of Abraham. These woordes are a further declaration of that he said: He tooke parte of fleshe and bloud, euen as other children. This he maketh plaine thus: He tooke not (I say) any nature of Angels, but hee tooke the nature of Abraham, and was of his seede: naming Abraham, bothe in respect of the promises which were first made personally to him: and because by his name, there was more weight to persuade the Iewes that hee was their Messias, and by example the doctrine is more plaine, and in dede it is verie plaine: as other children tooke fleash, so did he, flesh I say, not the nature of Angels, but the seede of Abraham. And if the Apostle conclude all this, of these wordes of the Prophet, Beholde me and my children, what may wee conclude, and how boldely of the wordes of Matthew? Abraham begat Isaak, Isaak begat Iacob, Iacob begat Iudas, and so foorth, till hee came to the virgin Marie, of whome Christe was borne. How faithfully may we beleeue it, that hee was borne a man as other children were? And how boldely may wee detest all the madnesse of Martion, Maniche, Nestorius, Eutichus, Apelles, Apollinaris, Ennomius, Cerdo, Valentinus, the Pope him self: and all their disciples, who hauehave so many way es denied the true humanitie of Christe?
It followeth in the seuenteenth verse: Wherefore in all things it became him to be made like vntounto his brethren, that he might be a mercifull and faithful high Priest in things concerning God, that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people. In these words the Apostle sheweth an other necessarie cause why our Sauiour Christ was man: that by experience of our infirmities, hee might be mercifull, and faithfull to worke the reconciliation betweene God and vsus: and so concludeth this disputation of his humanitie, applying it now vntounto his priesthood, as before particularly he had done to his kingdome, and prophefie.
These words: He ought in all things to be like vntounto his brethren: which are repeated againe Cap. 4. 15. they are to be marked of vsus, that wee see how expreslie still the Apostle vrgeth, that Christ is a verie naturall man, altogether as we be, except sinne: like nature, the same flesh, like affections, the same soule, like properties of bodie, the same hunger, thirst, and other desires.
And as he is now, so we shalbe, our bodyes glorified Phil. 3. …. ….as his: nor his no more infinite or in manie places then ours shalbe: and thus it was necessarie it should be, that he might be a faithfull high Priest, to reconcile vsus, euen vsus bodie and soule vntounto God his Father.
It followeth in the 18. verse: For in that he suffered, when him selfe was tempted, he is able to succour those that are also tempted. These wordes shew the cause of the former saying, why our Sauiour beeing made man was so much the more meete to be a faithful mediatour vntounto vsus towarde God: for beeing man, and him self tempted, he felt our infirmities, and had the more compassion towarde vsus. Other thinges wee hauehave to note in the 17 and 18. verse, which the next time we will more speake of. Now let vsus pray. &c.