Twenty-Seven Lectures Upon Hebrews, Lectures · Lecture 18
The eyghteenth Lecture vponupon the 1. & 2. verses of the fourth Chapter.
1 LET vsus feare therfore, least at any time by forsaking the promise of entering into his rest, any of you shoulde seeme to be depriued.
2 For vntounto vsus was the Gospel preached, as also vntounto them, but the word that they heard, profited not thē, because it was not mixed with faith in those that hearde it.
YOV hauehave hearde two especiall poinctes, in whiche the Apostle doth amplifie this exhortation alledged out of the prophet: To d…r, if you heare his voice harden not your heartes, &c. The first was, that he saith: To day: therefore we ought not to foreslowe the time of our calling, but take the occasion & opportunitie, while it is offered.
Say not vntounto the Lorde, when he knocketh: … and come againe another time: for thou knowest not whether he will returne or not. Seeke him therfore where he may be found, and call vntounto him while he is neere at hand.
The seconde pointe, the Apostle stoode vp on: was, that, If we heare his voice, we should not harden our hearts: teaching vsus, that onelyonly by faith wee shoulde bee fruitefull hearers. And if infidelitie beare rule in our heartes, all preaching and teaching is in vaine, and the voyce of Christe can bee vntounto vsus, but a sauour of death, vntounto deathe: therefore, when wee heare him speake, let vsus faithfully receiue the Gospell of saluation at his mouth, or at the mouth of his minister, knowing he is our onelyonly prophet, giuen of God vntounto vsus: of this the apostle now concludeth in the first of this chapter: Let vsus feare therefore least at any time this promise of entring into his rest, being forsaken, any of you may seeme to be depriued: by this conclusion yet once againe exhorting them, that they would not neglect their onelyonly prophet calling them, & so at last be frustrate of their vaine hope. Let vsus heere lay together these sayings of the Apostle: in the beginning of the second chapter, when he had proued our sauiour Christe to bee God, he saith: Wherefore my brethren, we must carefully hearken to the things we heare, least we fall away as water.
In the beginning of the thirde chapter, when hee proued him to be mā also, like vntounto vsus, except sinne, he addeth: Therfore my brethren, partakers of the heauēly calling, consider the Apostle and highe Priest of our profession Iesus Christ: After againe, when hee had proued our sauiour Christ to be our only and faithful Prophet, he confirmeth his doctrine by the woorde of the prophet, alledging this exhortation out of him: To day if you wil heare his voice, harden not your harts, &c. Againe, applying these woordes of the Prophet, he saith: See my brethren that there be not in any of you an euill heart of vnbeliefe.
Now, heere againe, as a conclusion: Let vsus feare lest this promise of entring into his rest, beeing forsaken, we should seeme to be depriued: And as though all this were not inough, in the eleuenth verse after, he sayth: Let vsus therfore be diligent to enter into that rest, that no man fall into the euil example of disobedience.
And yet againe in the end of this chapter: Seeing wee hauehave a greate highe Priest that hath pearced the heauens, euen Iesus Christ the sonne of God, let vsus hold fast our profession, &c.
What shall wee thinke of all this? what meane these often exhortations? surely (dearelie beloued) nothing else, but that wee bee dull of hearing, and exceeding harde to learne: for tell mee, notwithstanding this exhortation so often made, are there not (…rowe you) many among vsus, which yet regarde it not? yea, and yet if againe, and againe hee should crie vntounto vsus, would wee all obey his voice? wee would, if wee were wise: but foolishnesse is so wrapped vp in our heartes, that I am affraide, all the exhortations, not onelie here made by the Apostle, but all other that hauehave bene made vntounto vsus thirtie, fourtie, fiftie, threescore yeeres, hauehave not yet taught vsus all that be heere this day, with singlenesse of heart and with synceritie to louelove the Lord: and is it then any maruell though the Apostle hauing compassion on his brethrens ignoraunce, doe this often exhorte them in one thing? and if wee be weake, subiect to the same infirmities y• they were, let vsus think it is necessarie for vsus. Only I beseeche you take heede, that seeing God hath this merciemercy vppon vsus, which he had vppon our fathers, that his word is thus vntounto vsus: Precept vponupon precept, precept vponupon precept: let not vsus be againe as they were, that notwithstanding Es…. …8. 10.all these often and earnest exhortations, so plaine to vnderstand, yet that ye Lord speake vntounto vsus, as with a stammering and a straunge language, that we vnderstand nothing: for alas (dearely beloued) how vnprofitable were that for vsus? and how much better were it, wee had neuer heard at all, then so often to refuse the Lordes calling? let this therfore be our wise vnderstanding in this case, and that whiche so often is tolde vsus, let vsus at the last truelie learne it.
Now touching these wordes of the Apostle, that he saith: let vsus feare, that wee lose not this rest promised vsus, we must not take it, as though the: Apostle taught that the elect should feare, as though they might fall from their hope: or that their election were not sure: for you hauehave heard before, howe hee saide, We must hold the reioycing of our hope, with all assurance and constancie vntounto the end: but heere wee muste consider to whome the Apostle speaketh, that is, to such as are farre off from a true fayth, which hauehave shewed no great regarde to the voice of the Lorde Iesu, whiche are yet in many tentations of sinne, doubtful to be carried away with the deceites of it. As if at this day the apostle should preach, when we see so many worldly minded men, so few hungering and thrusting for heauenlie things, in this case, and to suche people (considering their outwarde woorkes) the Apostle sayth let vsus feare, as in deede there is iust cause of feare: for when there is scarce in vsus anie zeale of God, scarce any louelove of righteousnes, but all our thoughts doe wander in worldlie vanitie: if in this case we should boast of our faith, were it not good to byd vsus feare, to take heede that we be not deceiued? and what is this against the assuraunce of the faythful, that the Apostle biddeth them which are not yet called in holinesse, to feare, lest they be deceiued in their vaine hope?
If it be heere sayd: the Apostle includeth also him selfe, and therefore this feare is also in the most godlie: I deny not, but in other places of scripture, feare is commended vntounto the most godlie: but the cause The fear… that is cō mended to the godlie, what … i….of this is, because we be all weake, full of infirmitie, readie to sinne, as we see in Dauid, in Ezechias, in Peter, in all the Sainctes of God: and therefore this feare is commended in them, which is, a good care and regarde of their weakenes, that they fall not: a care that may driue ou… securitie, not a feare to take away the boldenes of faith.
So when we are bid to feare, it is as when wee are byd to watch, to be sober, to stand with our loynes gyrded, to hauehave before vsus the wayes of God with reuerence and obedience, it forbiddeth presumptuous and vaine boasting of saluation, when the glorious and fearefull name, The Lord thy God, is not regarded of thee.
So, when Saint Paule commendeth our faith, he addeth: Be not yet high minded but feare: and Iob sayth: If I hauehave done righteously, I will not lift vp my head. Rom. 11. 20. Iob. 10. 15.This feare is a feare of falling into sinne, least wee should offend so mercifull a Father: it is not a feare of falling from his grace, least hee should take his merciemercy from vsus. A plaine rule of this, Saint Paule commendeth vntounto vsus all, writing to the Philippians, With feare (saith he) and trembling make an end of your owne saluation: commending lowlinesse, and humblenesse Phil. 2. 12.of minde, but yet ioyning it fast to the hope of eternall life. And this counsell hee followed him selfe, as he sayth to the Corinthians, I was among you in weakenesse, and in feare, and in muche …. Cor. 2. 3.trembling: Yet hee helde fast his fayth, that Neyther Rom. 8. 38.death▪ nor any creature should separate him from the louelove of God.
And this the Apostle, euen in this place, teacheth, when hee addeth: Leaste anie of you seeme … depriued. For (in deede) he is not depriued, or …rustrate of any hope, who neuer had hope: but it seemeth so to some, because he would talke of hope. No more can any man fall, who neuer stoode: yet because it appeareth so, Sainct Paule sayth: He that seemeth to stande, let him take heede hee …. Cor. 10. 12fall not.
It is moste certeine, Hope maketh not ashamed: but Rom. …5we deceiue our selues, in thinking we hauehave hope: for true hope, as is saide here, is in the promises, and Rom. 4. 1….they are apprehended with faith: and faith hathe feare of sinne. Where these thinges are, no man is depriued of his hope: where these things are not, he hopeth foolishly, who had in deede no hope at all. And he is saide to fall out, who at the last is founde to hauehave no inheritance with the Sainctes, who yet neuer fell out: for in deede, he neuer was within the couenaunt: according to that, which Sainct Iohn saith: They went out from vsus, but they were not of 1. Ioh. 2. 1….vsus: for, if they had beene of vsus, they should hauehave …arried with vsus.
This I say, that you may know how to answere the enimies of oure fayth, who▪ woulde hauehave vsus still to doubt, and neuer to be sure of Gods promises: when they obiecte vntounto vsus these places of feare, we may aunswer them, that our feare is our humilitie and casting away of pride: our feare is our reuerende care to walke in the wayes of God: if they feare any other feare, wee will not feare with them▪ For God hath not giuen vntounto vsus the spirite of 2. Tim. 1. 7. Rom. …. 16.feare againe vntounto bondage, but he hath giuen vsus the spirit of adoption, by which we crie, Abba, Father.
This is oure blessinge, whiche wee hauehave of GOD, and in whiche, wee shoulde alwayes reioyce. I graunt, wee do not here obey God, as wee shoulde: for who is hee that sinneth not? Wee feare many times, and Gods dearest children are most tempted: so that they are brought sometime euen to hell gates: but this we confesse, is our infirmitie, the trueth of Gods promises ought to hauehave greater faith within vsus: but it is necessarie we should feele our sinnes, that we might be humbled, and we must die in our selues, that we may reigne throughe the victorie which Christ hath gotten: and in al our weakenesse we will still confesse, that we may not, nor ought not thus to feare, but muche rather to reioyce in the Lorde, and alwayes reioyce.
Nowe, it followeth in the Apostle: For vntounto vsus hath the Gospel bene preached, as wel as vntounto them, but the word that they heard profited not them, because it was not mixed with faith, in those that heard it.
In these wordes the Apostle sheweth the cause, why he hathe thus applied the prophets exhortation vntounto vsus: because vntounto vsus nowe the same Gospell is preached, which was preached vntounto them: and if we be vnfaithfull, howe should wee escape, but bee partakers of the same punishmentes?
This place is well to be marked, which teacheth vsus, that the same saluation is now preached, whiche was preached before to all Patriarches and Prophets: in whiche wee knowe there hathe beene but one way of saluation, from the beginning of the worlde: for then this was promised, whiche is nowe perfourmed: The seede of the woman shoulde breake the head of the serpent: from whiche promise made, there was neuer but one faith of Gods electe, Gen. 3. 15.and one way of life, which was Iesu Christe: euen as our Apostle sayth, Iesus Christ yesterday and to day: he is the same, world without-end. And this doctrine is not new, but the Prophets and Pat…arches knew it with vsus, and they all beleeued the Catholique church and communion of Sainctes, euen as this day we do▪ Saint Peter saith: That it was reuealed 1. Pet. 1. 12.vntounto the prophets, that not vntounto them selues, but vntounto vsus they ministred those things, which now are preched vntounto vsus. And the Prophet Esay, in the 14. chapter, sheweth, howe God called out all nations, as it were to dispute Esa. 41. 4.with him, whether there were any saluation in the world, but by his free grace: and first hee asketh, who called Abraham in that couenant of merciemercy which was giuen him? who hath done it? euen he that called the generations from the beginning: I the Lord, I am the first, and with the l…ste, I am the same: expressely teaching; that his people of Israel had the sa…e saluation, whiche Abraham had: and Abraham the same which all nations and countries euer shall hauehave: one sauing health of all, euen as God is for ever vnchaungeable. So Sainct Paule, making comparison betweene vsus, and the people of Israel, of whome, here the Apostle speaketh, he saith: They 1. Cor. 10. 4.eate all the same spirituall meat, & drank all the same spirituall drink: for they did drinke of the rock which followed them, and the rock was Christe. And not onelyonly this one saluation is vntounto all: but this also, onelyonly Christ hath beene euer the Prophet and minister to declare that Ca. 12. 26.saluation: for so the Apostle teacheth, then, and nowe, his voice was heard: and as it is saide after▪ his voice did then shake the earth: yea, before then, ih the dayes of Noe he was preached vntounto the disobedient 1. Pet. 3. 19.people, who were drowned in the floude, and are now holden in the prison of their sinne. So that this we know, in Christ are saued all his saints, and by Christ they hauehave ben taught all that euer did beleeue. Wherby we learne all ye sacrifices of ye patriarches, and all sacrifices and ceremonies of the law, they purged no part of their sinns, neither was there anie redemption in them: for the Israelites had not the Fathers sacrifices, nor the fathers had their ceremonies, nor we hauehave now, either sacrifices, or ceremonies, which were in honour among them, yet one saluation is vntounto vsus all: and therefore, as we may boldly say vntounto them, all their ordinaunces in worldly elementes, they did not purge their consciences, Heb. 9. 9.meates and drinks did not helpe them, who were dailye exercised in suche obseruations: so agaiue Heb. …3. 6.they may say vntounto vsus, neither our sacraments doe giuegive grace vntounto vsus, no more then theirs vntounto them: they seale vntounto vsus the grace that is in Christ, and assure vsus of the saluation that is in him: but in them selues there is no health at all. And if we may say thus, euen of the sacramentes instituted of God, in so much, that if they should bee made causes of our lustification, and the glorie of Christe should be so giuen vntounto them, wee might iustly call them the beggerlie elements of the world, and vnprofitable things.
What shall wee say or thinke, of so manie childishe toyes, and foolishe fancies, as wee hauehave seene of late, when men will attribute saluation vntounto them? When our owne woorkes hauehave this honour giuen them? When Holie water, Belles, Candles, Crosses, Palme bowes, Ag…us deies, the beginning of Saint Iohns Gospel hanging aboute your necke: when to these thinges we attribute power against the diuel, whom Christe vanquished onelyonly vppon his crosse, what name shal wee giuegive these beggerly thinges? When pilgrimages, fastinges, visiting of mens tumbes, kissing of reliques, purchasing of Masses: when these things are exalted and said to purge our sinnes, what shal we cal them? what drunkennes, what witchings, what madnesse, what brutish astonishment hath couered our spirits, that we should beleue such things (what strange illusions and sleights of Satan, hauehave hid our vnderstandings, that we should know nothing? The ceremonies ordeined of God himselfe, the sacramentes of his eternall testament, they are but helpes of our infirmities, to leade vsus vntounto Chr…ste: from whom whē you shal separate them, they are no more Gods holie sacramentes, but beggerly elementes, and our owne fansies, and fonde immaginations, which are contrarie to Christe, euen from our cradle, to exalt them thus, what is it, but a proude liking of our owne presumption. This is a cleare proofe, that in nothinge is saluation but in Christe alone: and that one saluation hath beene from euer, whyle these outwarde thinges hauehave had manye chaunges
And againe, in that Christe was then the prophet, we are sure the patriarches and forefathers did not worship God after their owne will and deuice, but onelyonly as the spirite of Christe did teache them: from which testimonie of spirite, when they fell away, all their religion was reiected: for onelyonly in Christ, God was also well pleased: so that, thoughe they had no lawe written, yet were they taught of God, and his sonne was their scholemaister, to lead them in al trueth, reuealing his will vntounto them, euer by such meanes as best pleased him: and after, when God wrote his lawe, he wrote this also as a decree for them to holde euer, that they should neuer adde nor take away, but do onelyonly what they were commaunded: and much more now in these last dayes, in which our Sauiour Christe hath appeared vntounto vsus in our owne nature, man like vntounto vsus, vppon whome we sawe the holie Ghost to come downe, and God him selfe hath sealed him, in making manifest the owne glorie, speaking out of his cloude: This is my beloued sonne: heare him: much more (I say) we ought now only to heare his voice, because now more clearly thē euer before, he hath reuealed all the counsell of God vntounto vsus: but nowe, the diuel hath beene no lesse enuious against the saluation of man, then he hath beene before: now also he hath made some to set forth the imaginations of their owne hearts, and hath bewitched many to followe their damnable wayes, by whom the way of truth is blas phemed, and for their owne traditions sake, he hath made the woorde of the Lorde Iesu of none effecte.
This worke hath he wrought in all ye Papacie, yet we cānot or wil not se his rebellious doings: Christ Iohn. 1…. 3. 6saith his kingdom is not of this world: yet hath he taught them to make their Bishops Princes, and hathe giuen them power ouer life and goods: Christ saith, Matt. 20. 16.The princes of the nations beare rule ouer thē: but it shal not be so among you: yet hath he made his firste begotten sonne to weare a triple crowne, and al the kinges of the nations to come kisse his feete. So Christe hath Ioh. 4. 23. Matt. 26. 27. 1. Cor. 14. 19. 1. Cor. 10. 27 Hebr. 13. 3.taught vsus to worship in spirite and trueth, to drinke the wine in the sacrament of his bodie and bloude, to praye in a knowne toung, to eate of any meates without scruple of conscience, to vse holie matrimonie in all estates, as a remedie against sinne: but as though Christ were no prophet vntounto vsus, we hauehave abrogated these his lawes, and made other con…ratie of our owne. This our eyes hauehave seene, & our eares hauehave hearde, and whether we will or no, wee must needes confesse it: yet, some flatter them selues in a maruelous madnesse, and doing all things contrarie to the Lorde Iesu, they say still, they cannot erre: but they shall one day see and knowe, that Christ is the onelyonly prophet of the new Testament: and blessed be the Lorde God, who hath made vsus this day to beleeue it: and while yet the day of health and acceptable time is, to hearken onelyonly vntounto him, and refuse all the vaine inuentions of men.
It followeth now in the Apostle: But the worde that they heard prof…ed thē not▪ because it was not mingled with faith to those that heard it. As before the Apostle concluded, repeating againe his exhortation: so in this verse, he repeateth the cause, why they profited not by the word of exhortation, that wee againe hearing the cause of our sinne, should be made more wise, to take heede of it: & the cause was their infidelitie, because saith he: The word was not mingled vntounto them with faith: the word of God preached, is as a cup offered vntounto vsus, of which we must drinke whether we wil or no: & one way, it is made vntounto vsus, a cup of the water of life: another way, a cup of destructiō, and such a liquor, as is of death vntounto death: euen as saith or infidelitie is brought vntounto it, so it is a cup of life or death. In this similitude, the Apostle speaketh thus: The word was not mingled to them with faith.
As men that louelove to sit at the tauerne, do mingle their drink with spices, or their wine with sugre: so we in that most blessed tauerne, in which the worde of God is offered vsus to drinke, we must mingle it with the sweete spice of faith, and it is a cup of eternall life vntounto vsus: otherwise, if we be vnsaithfull, we hauehave lost our blessing, and are fallen from the hope of life. Christ, who is the head corner stone, in whō the building doth stande, he is nowe to vsus a stone of offence, at which we hauehave stumbled & are fallen downe, because we hauehave not receiued his worde, with faith.
It is true, the gospel is ye power of God, to saue man, but yet to saue the man yt doth beleue, whether he be Iewe or Gentile: & here we see, how God hath ioyned vnseparablie, his word & our faith: wherfore it is also called: the word of faith: neither is it possible to be faithful without the knowledge of the word: neither is any knowledge of the worde profitable, but beeing mingled with faith. This (dearly beloued) is no obscure doctrine, that you should not vnderstād it: neither is it taught vsus in ambiguous wordes, that ye can doubt of it, but it is plaine & plainely taught: that if we wil be saued by Iesu Christe, his worde must be mingled to vsus with fayth: if wee be of the newe testament, & belong vntounto this couenāt which is made in Christ, to the forgiuenesse of our sinnes, then we beleeue the word that is preached, and the lawes of God are written in our heartes. And this S. Paule setteth t. Cor. 1 21. Hebr. 10. 16out so cleare vntounto vsus, that it is impossible, impossible I say, for any to knowe the Gospel, and to be ignorant of it: for this is the gospel, as Paul saith: The power of God to saue all that do beleue, do you heare this? and do you vnderstand it? tell me then, what think you of that religion, where this preaching of Rom. 1. …6.the gospel is holden back: nay where they hauehave bene so enuious vntounto it, that they hauehave not suffered the woorde to be in such a language as the people might once reade and vnderstand it? The Priestes them selues, vponupon whome they laied the worke to sacrifice for their sinnes, and to whome they confessed their sinnes, to hauehave forgiuenesse of them.
And what (I say) will you think of suche a people? or what religion hauehave they? doeth not the Apostle say true: there is no saluation but by beleuing the worde, as it is preached vntounto vsus? and doe they say true, that the Masse purgeth our sinnes▪ ye prieste forgiueth them? & the masse is in latine, the priestes ignorāt, ye people are led with vaine imaginations: no faith, no worde is in all their doeing? but it is no maruel though some men be robbed of their harts, and beleeue all the illusions of Sathan: for how can a man beleeue the trueth, except the spirit of God be in him? Pharaoh was not taught by all the woonders y• Moses wrought in Aegypt. The Iewes were not the wiser for all the miracles whiche Christe wrought before them. If such thinges hauehave happened in the daies before vsus, though now the Apostles and prophets do all cry. Without faith in the Gospel preached, you can neuer be saued: Ignoraunce is abhomination before God: and yet the Pope who taketh the word from vsus, teacheth vsus no faithe, couereth vsus with blindnes, prayseth ignorance in our hearing: if we embrace him, follow him, louelove him, honour him, as Pharaoh did Iannes and Iambres, or as the Iewes did Annas and Caiphas, let vsus not maruel, no new thing hath happened in our dayes. The Lord hath not lightened their mindes, & what wisdome can be in them? but we will leaue them to him, who is iust and mercifull: and let vsus pray, that his woorde may be alwayes mingled vntounto vsus with fayth, that in this greate darknesse of the worlde, we may see light.
One thing else wee may heere marke, that it is said: the word did not proofit thē, because it was not …ngled with faith: wherby we know it is only faith that com mendeth vsus vntounto God, without which the woorde is in vaine, the presence of Christ is in vaine, to be his brother, sister, mother, al is in vaine: nothing but faith carrieth vsus with boldnes into his presence. Manie singular proofes of this our Sauiour, Christ sheweth in many places, when a woman crieth vntounto him: Blessed is the wombe that bare thee, & the pappes that Luke. 11. 27.gaue thee suck. Our sauiour Christ answereth: nay rather, blessed are they that heare the word of God, & kepe it. When some saide vntounto him: Beholde thy mother and thy brethren would speake vntounto thee: he answered again: Matth. …2. 50He that doth the wil of my heauēly father, he is my brother & my mother. In another place, when cōtrouersie was, how we should hauehave life & saluation through him, he saith to his disciples: The fleshe profiteth nothing, it is the spirit that quickeneth: noting in al this, that not his Iohn. 6.bodily presence, not his kinred, not y• trauell of his mother, nor any thing is imputed vntounto vsus for right ousnesse, but only faith, in which we beleeue, according to his gospel preached vntounto vsus: y• in his death al our sinnes are purged, & in his resurrection wee are iustified.
This maketh vsus acceptable, & without this it is vnpossible to please him: this the Apostle teacheth vsus here, when he saith: For this cause, the word profited them not, because it was not mingled vntounto them with faith: for only faith doth all, apprehendeth all, ouercommeth all, and the gates of hell shall not in the ende preuaile against it: and the Lorde increase this faith in vsus. And let vsus pray, &c.