Twenty-Seven Lectures Upon Hebrews, Lectures · Lecture 15
The fifteenth Lecture vponupon the 7, 8, 9, 10. & 11. verses.
7 Wherfore, as the holie Ghost saith, To day▪ if y… shal … his voice.
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the prouocation, according to the day of the t…tion in the wildernesse.
9 Where your fathers tempted me, proued me, and saw my workes fourtie yeares long.
10 Wherefore I was grieued with that generation, & saide, They err… …uer in their heart▪ neither hauehave they … my wayes.
11 Therefore I snare in my wrath, if they shal enter into my rest.
WE hauehave hearde hitherto in this thirde chapiter, howe the Apostle hath taught, that our Sauiour Christe is our onelie Prophet, faithfull in his worke, euen as Moses was faithfull; … muche more honourable then Moses, as the workeman is aboue the house or the sonne aboue the seruant: & this house which Christ hath built, and in whiche he reigneth, are euen we our selues: if we hold fast what he hath taught, & reioyce in the hope of it vntounto the end.
Now, he addeth another reason, take… of y• Prophet Dauid, who in spi… … this of Christ: To day▪ if you heare his … …y …ll circumstances of y• time & words doth manifestly apeare, & therfore let vsus open our eares & heare this excellent prophet, and neuer suffer his doctrine to fall vntounto ye ground: to this purpose, he alledgeth this long sentence of the prophet Dauid, and beginneth thus: Wherefore, as the holie Ghost doth say: he had before exhorted in his owne wordes, he addeth now more weight by the authoritie of the Prophet Dauid, to pricke them the more that were dull to learne: for howsoeuer they woulde otherwise hauehave made light account of the Apostles words: yet to hauehave despised the admonition of so high a Prophet, it had bene intollerable, euen among them selues. And to the end he might feare them yet more with their sinne, if they would not heare, he nameth not the prophet Dauid, whose words they knew well enoughe, but he nameth the holie Ghost, who spake in the Prophet, that they might know, to refuse it were not to refuse a man, but God, who spake by man vntounto them: for this purpose he begineth thus: Wherfore the holy Ghost doth say: and let vsus here learne, euen as the Hebrues ought to hauehave learned, with reuerence to heare and to obey the worde, (for it is not the w…orde of man but of God, no… spoken by man but by the holie Ghost.) So saint Paule speaking of the scripture, he giueth it this title of speciall honour aboue all writinges, that it is inspired from God: and Saint Peter sayth, 2. Tim. 3.that prophesie is not of man or mans wisedome, but the holie men of God spake as they were carried of …. Peter. 1. 21the holy ghost. This must breed in vsus a singular regard of the worde of the Prophets, except we bee exceeding blinde: for if I do beleue in my heart, as I confesse in my tongue, that God onelyonly is wise, God onelyonly is holie, God onelyonly is our Lord: then I must needes acknowledge, that his worde onelyonly is my wisedome, and my vnderstandinge before all people: his word is my warrant, of all pure, hollie and blamelesse religion. If I doe confesse that God onelyonly hath immortalitie, and is in light that shineth for euermore, then must I needs also saye, as Peter sayth All flesh is grasse: & the glorie of man is as the floure 1. Pet. 1. 23.of the feelde, the grasse withereth, and the floure vadeth: but the woorde of the Lorde indureth for euer: To be short, if this be a commaundement vntounto me, Thou shalt hauehave none other Gods but me: let me holde this as a commaundement from him, that I hauehave no worde of life but his, yea whatsoeuer I owe vntounto him, in the thoughts of my minde, in the woordes of my mouth, in the workes of my handes, in all my life: If this be his worde, this must be my teacher, and in obedience of it, I must doe all that I doe, make this accompt of the word of God, or you make no accompt of it at all: and make not this accompt of any other thing, or else thou worshippest God and an idoll too. And consider (I beseech you) but this one thing, and marke it well, that the Scripture is thus called, the The worde of God. There is no doubt, but Psal. 113. 3.the name of God is great ouer al ye earth & his name is praysed from the rysing of the sunne to the going downe of the same, neither is there any creature, but it sheweth foorth his glorie, yet hath not God reserued the …ound of his name to be called vponupon … y• name of any creature, but he hath giuen this only to his woorde. We do not say, The heauen of God, nor the earth of God, nor any thing in them vnderunder the name of God is noted notwithstanding they shew forth his glorie: but ye writings of the Apostles & prophets, by this name we know them. The word of God: why else? but that his wisdome, his power, his glorie, his merciemercy, especially, and aboue al things shineth in his worde: and therefore let vsus persuade our selues, that his maiestie can not be so highly offended in any abuse of all his creatures, as when his woord is despised. When man sawe not his eternall power and Godhead, which was manifest and might hauehave ben knowen, in the workes of the creation of the worlde, yet God did ouersee all their ignorances, and had pitie on them, he gaue them a better testimonie of his presence, & made his worde knowen in the middes of them, that they might beleeue it, and be saued: which word whosoeuer shal despise, he hath despised ye power of God by which he should be saued, & is more guiltie before god, thē paganes & infidels which neuer knew him: neither can there be any other meane of saluatiō vntounto him. To this effecte (no doubt the apostle giueth this reuerende speach to the prophesie. The holie ghost hath… saide.
Thus hauing prepared ye people to heare & regard, he setteth downe ye words of the prophet, as followeth: To day if you wil heare his voice, hardē not your harts, as in the bitter murmuring in the day of tentatiō in the wildernes, where your fathers, &c. To vnderstand this exhortatiō well, we must see the whole purpose of the psalme. The prophet maketh this psalme, no doubt, as a preparation for the people in all their holie conuocation, how to present them selues before the Lord: after the same manner, in a good and laudable custome, we vse it now in the church in our seruice vntounto God, beginning with this Psalme, to stirre vsus vp into feare and reuerence, & an earnest desire of the praise of God. O come let vsus sing vntounto the Lord &c. and because our zeale toward God is faint, and hypocrisie hath infected the heartes of manie: therefore the Prophet toucheth them neerer, that if they will stand acceptable before God; delay not, nor bee faint hearted, but euen speedily & with a good courage: Today if you will heare his voice harden not your heartes &c. And he rehearseth the examples of their fathers who tempted God, and fel in the wildernes, the feare of whose examples should make vsus wise.
This beeing now the plaine meaning of the prophet, you see how fitly this Scripture is alledged by the Apostle: as then the Prophet cryed vntounto them in their assemblies. Today if you will hear his voice &c: that they might keepe holie their Sabbaoth dayes, and bee holie in their assemblyes before their God, to heare his woorde with humilitie, and offer them selues in a holie obedience vntounto it: So here the Apostle, applying it vntounto Christe, who then spake by his Prophetes, that his woorde now might hauehave also the reuerence of his owne person, he sayth also to them: Today, if you wil heare his voice, harden not your heartes. &c.
Now, touching the words that he sayth, Today: Today.he meaneth all the time in which the gospel is preached, teaching vsus heerby, that so long as the word is preached, so long saluation is offered. In like sense Saint Paul exhorting the Corinthiās not to receiue 2. Co. 6. 2.the grace of God in vaine, alledgeth this saying out of Esaic: I hauehave hearde thee in an acceptable time, and in the day of saluation hauehave I succoured thee: wherevnto he Esa. 1.addeth: Behold, now is the acceptable time, beholde now is the day of saluation: plainely expounding this time & this day to be so long as the gospell is preached: by which we learne, how great a benefite it is to heare. Christ preached: for then God offereth him self vntounto vsus, then he stretcheth out his handes (as the prophet sayth) to imbrace vsus, then he calleth vsus to come vntounto him, then he wil accept vsus, then is ye time of saluation for vsus: all his fauour, louelove, merciemercy, goodnes, al his graces are laid out vntounto vsus: he hath opened the heauens y• we might see, and shewed forth his glorie, that we might vnderstand, and be no more vnbeleeuing, but beleeuing. And what excuse (trow we) can we take vp, to bringe before him, if this Gospell of grace, of peace, of life, be preached vntounto vsus, and not regarded? Therfore, euen as the Apostle sayth afterward, so let vsus learne. While the Gospel is preached it is stil called, Today: harden not our hartes against it, through the deceites of sinne.
And this (I beseech you) once againe to remember, that when the Gospell is preached vntounto vsus, then it is Today.
Take away this word preached, which is ye power of God to thy saluation, and what time art thou in? Sure in the night in whiche no man can woorke: for this is the day, when his voice is heard. Euen as the dayes of our life, they arise with the sunne, and go downe againe with it: so the day of our saluation it springeth in the preaching of the Gospell, and it is shut vpp againe with the ceasing of that voice: and therfore the holie ghost saith, when our sauiour Christ doth come to Capernaum in the borders of Zabulon and Nephtalim: The people that sat in darknesse Matt. 4. 16.sawe a great light, and to them that sat in the region and in the shadowe of death, light arose vp vntounto them: this light is the light of the sonne of righteousnesse: how long so euer it shineth, so long shineth the acceptable time and the day of health: nowe would I faine know, what auaile prayers for ye dead: what helpeth sacrifices for them in purgatorie: is not this Sonne gone downe vponupon them? is it not night with them, and they all hauehave made their beds in the dark? HaueHave they any more eares to heare: or are they not as men dead long agoe? Howe then can yet their state bee changeable? How can they obtein grace, merciemercy, & peace, by our intercession? If they can, the Apostle sayth not true: that it is no longer, Today, then while the Gospell is preached: Sainct Paule saith not true, that now onelyonly is the Acceptable time: our Sauiour Christ deceiued vsus, when he said, The night commeth in which no man can work: but this was the enuie of the diuell, to bring vsus in a fooles paradise of prayer when we bee gone, that we might not regarde the God of glorie while he offered eternall life vntounto vsus. And for the Saincts that are dissolued, and be with Christ, they shalbe witnesses against vsus, of our madnes, which esteemed them as tormented soules of purgatorie: and other whom God hath taken away in his anger, to make them dye in their sinnes, when we fill their handes with our foolishe prayers, wee ioyne with them in rebellion against God: but their torments can not be healed with medicines, and therefore as an vnprofitable and euill thing, so let it goe: let the darke fansies of dead men alone, and let vsus do our duetie one to another, in all prayers & workes and louelove, nowe in this time, while we may do good, and while the day is yet vponupon vsus.
Now further, where it is saide: If you will heare his voice. we learn by warrant of the holie Apostle, that our sauiour Christ was euer y• prophet of his church in vertue and power of his spirite, euen from the beginning, as well as in nature and substance of manhood, after he was borne of the virgin Marie: So the Apostle afterward againe saith of y• prophets times, that The voice of Christ did shake the earth then: & in all Cap. 12. 26.the disobedience of the people of Israel, in the wildernesse.
Sainct Paule saith: They tempted Christ: as noting him to bee their guide and leader in their deserte 1. Cor. 10.wayes. And this is the true acknowledgment of our Sauiour Christ, to be the lambe killed from the beginning of the worlde: to confesse that he is, and euer was, the mediatour and redeemer of his church, and the welbeloued sonne of his father, and the prophet for euer, whom he had ordeiued for his people: all whiche when wee shall beleeue, then wee shall boldely say, as this Apostle sayth: Iesus Christ to day, and yesterday, he is the same: and the same abideth for euermore: Cap. 13. ….the same Prophet, the same fayth, the same hope, the same God, euen as we confesse one, and the same catholike church. As our fathers were saued, so are wee: and at this day we beleeue, not only as Paule and Peter did beleeue: but wee walke in the steppes of that sayth: which was first in our father Abraham: yea, and in all Patriarches beefore him, as wee hauehave all had but one heauenlie maister.
And whatsoeuer outward ceremonies God hath ordeined, according to the diuersitie of times, they were euer appointed to be schoolemaisters to leade men vntounto Christe, in whome onelyonly GOD was wel pleased, and without whome there is no saluation.
And herein the singular louelove of God to vsus hath appeared: and these dayes of the Gospell preached, are aboue all other blessed dayes: because this Sauiour hath shewed him selfe vntounto vsus, and hath beene in the middes of vsus, flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bones, and we hauehave seene his glorie as the glorie of the onelie begotten sonne of God: and hee hath reuealed vntounto vsus the cleare and shining way of this saluation more openly then euer before: and therefore let vsus heare the admonition: To day if you will heare his voice, harden not your heartes.
And here that he saith: Harden not your heartes: we see how great a sinne we cōmitt, in not hearkening to the voice of God, we harden our hearts and couer thē as with a couering of brawne, that they may not be mollified with y• grace of God: for the word of God is liuing, and more sharpe then a two edged sword, and entereth to the diuision of the soule and the spirite: neither is it possible to keepe it out, but as a sword, so it wil pearce our heart, except we hauehave made it hard as flint. And as he sayth: Do not you harden your owne hearts: so let vsus persuade our selues, our sinne is our owne, and we hauehave done it, we may not excuse our selues, as the manner of some is, and say our heartes are hardened whether we wil or no: and who can doe withall? True it is, and the Prophet sayth it: We hauehave of our selues stonie hearts, and all the imaginations Ezec. 11 19. &. 36. …6. Gen. 8. 21.of them are euil, euen from our youth: so that all men, father & children, may say a like: we know that in vsus (y• is in our flesh) there dwelleth no goodnes, but what so euer the corruption of our nature is, be it neuer so greate, yet our fault is neuer the lesse, no more then if we had an Angels nature, whiche willingly and wittingly we would peruert: for vntounto our corrupt nature, we bring of our selues a peruerse wil, which did corrupt the Angels nature, and made them fall from God: so lay no more thy fault on thy nature, for thy will is set to worke iniquitie, with all delight to doe euil. We wish to bring our ill purposes to passe, we reioyce, wee are glad, it is the thinge we would hauehave: we will not heare anie other call: wee bid farewell to all, what so euer would turne vsus from our sinne.
The corruption which we hauehave, our pleasure is in it: and all the goodnes which we want, we care not for it: but our wil is after our worke, and as we are, so wee like our selues best: if there bee any wicked and dissolute man, that denieth this: either he hath taught his tong to lie, or a seduced heart hath deceiued him: for let him speake that can, the theefe that stealeth, the adulterer that defileth his bodie, the enuious man that speaketh euil, the beastlie man that murdereth another, the blasphemous toung, the rebellious hand: whiche of these is not thruste forewarde of his owne will? or who euer that mourned and wept, that fasted and prayed not to be lead into tentation, hath ben giuen ouer to so shamefull sinns? No, no, if God make vsus once mourne vnderunder the bodie of sinne, the grace of Christ is offered to the broken and contrite heart, and sinne reigneth not in vsus, but because we delight in it: let vsus hearken therefore to this admonition: To day if you will heare his voice harden not your heartes.
It followeth: As in the bitter murmuring, as in the day of tentatiō in the wildernes, where your fathers tempted me, proued me and saw my workes fourtie yeeres. This example of their fathers rebellion, is wel alledged, both to moue them the more to take heede by their fathers example, & because they were a people exceedingly holden with an opinion of their fathers, that they shoulde yet remember their fathers were but men, and they should not followe them in their sinne and wickednesse.
The storie which the prophet especially meaneth, is written in the 17. of Exodus, where Moses sheweth how the people murmured in Rephidim, for want of water: for then Moses gaue these verie names to the place, and called it, Bitter murmuring, because they stroue bitterly, and contended againste Moses: and he called it tentation, because they ceassed to put their trust in God, and rebelled for want of water.
So by the names it is plaine, what storie is ment: and we hauehave in it to learne. first how great a crime it is to resist the minister of God: for the name of that sinne, God hath giuen vntounto the place for a perpetuall remēbrance, what the punishment of it hath beene: and againe, what it is to fall from our hope that we hauehave in Gods prouidence, to mistrust him, to feare that he wil faile vsus: for this is to tempt God: with which sinne how highly he is displeased, the name of the place to this day beareth witnes▪ which Moses for that cause called tentation. And heere againe, let vsus learne, howe, and in what case, we may giuegive names vntounto places, and that is, when the remembrance of the name, is a putting vsus in minde of some speciall worke of God towarde vsus: as in remembrance of the excellent vision that God gaue Iacob, he caled the place Bethel. When God gaue to Abraham the life of Isaak his sonne, and saued him Gen. 28. 19.from sacrificing, Abraham called the place Iehouah Gen. 22. 14.Iireh.
Likewise, in remembrance of GODS punishments, when he diuided the peoples tongues, hee called the name of the place Babel. When God Gen. 11. Num. 11. 4.destroyed from heauen, the hoast of Israel with fire, for remembraunce of the punishment, they named the place Taberah.
Manie suche examples are in the Scripture, good and profitable for vsus to followe, if we had hearts that feared God, and had comfort in the remembraunce of all his workes: but we hauehave leaf… that good worke of our forefathers, and as time corrupteth all things, so it hath here corrupted our manners.
In deede, we giuegive names still vntounto places, but not now for any conscience toward God, the better to remember his goodnesse towardes vsus: but we erecte thereby monumentes to our fleshe, and make shrines of pride. We do (I am affraid) as the prophet Dauid saith: the wicked do think their houses & Psal. 49. 12.their habitations shal continue for euer, and cal their landes by their names. We swell with vanitie, and are puffed vp with pride: & in this hautinesse of heart, wee giuegive names vntounto our houses: this boasting is not good: and of suche high minded men the prophet saith: They shal lie like sheepe in their graues, & death shal deuour them. yea, & al their pompe with them: of this let vsus beware, for it is a sinne that cleaueth fast vntounto vsus, & we are easily ledd with it: otherwise, if God giuegive vsus humble heartes, and mindes, in the naming of our houses after our owne names, or after other, there is no hutt at all.
Now, where it is saide: They tempted God, and proued him in the wildernesse, where they saw his works fourty yeeres: we must knowe, the wildernesse was a terrible and fearefull place, full of temptations, where the people alwayes wanted, sometime meat, somtime drinke, in feare of enimies, in feare of serpentes, in muche affliction: but what of this? yet if they tempt God, they are rebellious against God. For he that made the wildernesse, and all the terrour of it, is not his power ouer it, to saue his sainct…s? No place, no man, no terrour, must ouerthrowe our hope in Gods prouidence: or, if it do, wee tempt God, and prouoke him against vsus: therefore Dauid saide: Though I walked through the vallie of the shadowe of death, yet I would not feare, because thou art Psal. 23. 4.with mee.
And let vsus neuer deceiue our selues: for if wee be not, as Dauid was, to trust still in God, yea, though he seemed to kill vsus: Surely, let our dayes be neuer so peaceable, yet euerie occasion will make vsus fall from God.
Solomon saith: if we faint in the day of aduersitie, our strength was neuer great: and if with the Israelites we Prou. 24. 10would murmur in the wildernesse, with the Israelites we would also rebell euen in the lande of Canaan: for they were no more obedient when they had peace, when their lande flowed with milke and honie, then when they were in the solitarie desert.
And let vsus not looke vponupon our fathers example, but loke vpō our selues this day: doth this peace of ye Gospel make vsus more thankful, or more desirously to giuegive vsus our selues to be seruants of the Lord, then we were before, whē we felt y• prison houses & hoat fires of idolatric? the Lord knoweth, & he iudgeth: and we are wise, if our hearts be settled, for no cause at all to leaue our obedience to God: then we may be bolde and say with Iob: If he wil kill vsus, let him not spare: for we hauehave not denied the wordes of the Iob. 6. ….holie one, let it come that he sendeth. Neither the wildernes, nor fierie serpents, nor yet y• fruitful vines and pleasant springs of the land of Canaan, shall separate betweene God and vsus.
And heere, that God sayth, he did xl. yeres shew his woorkes vntounto them, he meaneth bothe Manna, with which he …ed them from heauen, & their continuall leading with the pillour of cloude, and pillour of fire, and all other miracles whiche he did before them: wherein appeareth the long suffering of God, and as Paule sayth: The riches of his bountifulnes & great patience, whiche is not ouercome with our Rom. 2. 4.sinnes: but he once promised it vntounto Abraham, to giuegive a land vntounto them: and all the rebellion of his childrē, could neuer falsifie his promise. This ought to strengthen our faith to the forgiuenes of our sinnes: we hauehave a couenant of God, greater and better they y• made with Abraham: euen a couenant made in his only begotten Sonne, through whom he hath said, he is well pleased with vsus, and will remember out sinnes nor our iniquities any more. And let vsus not feare, neither the greatnesse of our sinne, nor the craf…nes of our enimie, but in a repenting and faithful heart, trust vntounto his promise that can not change his grace, nor repent him of his merciemercy for euer. And yet, that wee should not be here secure, and commit sinne without regarde, as men that carrie away the grace of God to wantonnesse, thinking any outward calling to be warrant enough of our election. To take away the grosse opinion, and make vsus serch better, whether we be the children of the couenaunt, or no, therfore he addeth, that he was angrie with this generation, and said: It is a people that doe erre in their heartes for they hauehave not knowen my wayes &c. testifying by this threatening, that his promises were not to them onelyonly in their birth, that they were the children of Israel, but much more in this: if they walked in the steppes of the fayth of Abraham. So all we this day saluation is promised vntounto vsus in Iesu Christe, in a holie couenaunt, whiche shall neuer be broken: but God will make all our enimies our footestoole, and will surely take vsus into his glorie. But let vsus be wise, to see whether the couenaunt is made with vsus or no: for as not all that were borne of Abraham, were the children of Abraham: so, not all that professe the Gospell, shall hauehave the saluation of the Gospell: for there are many drunkards, gluttons, adulterers, couetous men, blasphemers, lyers, contentious persons, and suche other, whiche shall neuer into the kingdome of of Heauen: yet will they boast of the gospell of Christ: but he that dyeth with Christ, and is buried with him, touching the olde man, and as Christe is risen from the dead: so by the spirite of Christe, he that ryseth vp into newenesse of life, with him this couenaunt is mad, and with none other: and he shalbe iustified by his fayth, when the sinnes of the wicked shall fall vponupon them.
Further, in this threatening, wee hauehave to marke first the cause, euen ye peoples sinne, which the prophet setteth out thus: It is a people that do erre in their hearts, for they hauehave not knowen my ways. This is the beginnig of all euil, to leaue the ordinances of God, and walke in our owne imaginations: and this is onelyonly follie, to forsake the word of God, the founteine of all wisedome, and to followe our owne inuentions, whiche are vaine and fruitlesse. So Moses vpbraideth the people, when they obeyed no longer Gods ordinances, to do them: but made new lawes vntounto themselues, to liue by. They are (sayth he) a nation voide of counsel, neither is there any vnderstanding Deut. 32. 2…in them: by this we know what they are, what wisedome and counsell is in them, that take away the worke of God, and teache their owne traditions. It is a plaine sentence, They erre in their hartes, for they hauehave not knowen my wayes: So we may boldly say, It is a foolishe people, an ignoraunt people, a people full of blindnesse and sinne, whosoeuer walke in their owne imaginations: for they hauehave forsaken the wayes of God, and nowe, what wisedome can there be in them? And mark that he saith, They erre in their hearts: noting what studie is in thē, and howe full they are of thoughtes and cogitations what to deuise, euer m…sing, euer inuenting, and neuer the better, no quietnesse is within vsus. So that we are sure, our owne traditions, the more wee followe them, our owne foolishnesse doeth the more vexe and disquiet vsus: and wee doe nothing else, but waste pensiue dayes, and heauie nightes, studying with our selues how we may perish. If thou doubt of this, whosoeuer thou art, heare the worde of the Lorde: They erre in their heart, for they hauehave not knowen my wayes: if thou hearest it, and knowest it, leaue off their wofull wayes, who seeke tradition, and erre in their heartes, and hauehave no peace: and followe the worde of God, whiche onelyonly giueth light and securitie vntounto vsus.
An other thing, in this threatning is: that God sweareth They shal not enter into his rest. This oth is to persuade vsus, that with a constant purpose, God is iust, euen as he is merciful: and let vsus not flatter our selues in vaine hope to escape his anger, while wee will needes walke still in our sinnes, for in iustice & iudgement the glorie of God shineth: and no more then he can breake his promise of louelove and merciemercy, made with his Sainctes: no more will he defile his couenant, in whiche he hath threatened the rebellious people: but hee will surely recompence their sinnes into their bosome, and his anger shall consume them. Therfore to these also hath he sworne, and he wil not repent him: They that hauehave not knowen his wayes, they shall neuer enter into his rest: of this rest we shall hauehave occasion to speake hereafter. Now let vsus pray, that God for his sonnes sake woulde prepare our hearts to the hearing of his voice, that wee may not be despisers, as our forefathers hauehave beene, whom God threatned in his heauie displeasure, and hath shewed his iudgements toward them, euen as he would: but let vsus be as his sheepe, that doe heare his voice, that his worde may he in our heartes, a seede of regeneration, by whiche we may be borne a newe, into holinesse and righteousnesse, to glorifie him that is our God for euer, &c.