Twenty-Seven Lectures Upon Hebrews, Lectures · Lecture 22
The 22. Lecture, vponupon the 1. 2. and 3. verses of the fifte Chapter.
1 FOr euerie high priest is taken from among men, and is ordeined for men, in things perteining to God, that he may offer both giftes and sacrifices for sinnes.
2 Which is able sufficiently to hauehave cōpassion on them that are ignorant, and that are out of the way, because that he also is compassed with infirmitie.
3 And for the sames sake he is bound to offer for sinnes, as wel for his owne part, as for the peoples,
YOV hauehave heard before, how the Apostle hath taught, that our Sauiour Christ is our greate highe priest, and what maner of priesthood he hath: euen such a priesthod, by which him selfe is entred into the heauens, and hath giuen grace vntounto vsus that do beleeue, that through his vertue and power, wee might also with boldnesse approche vntounto God.
This excellencie of Christ and his high priesthood, the Apostle beginneth nowe to proue, by comparing together Christ and Aaron. For, like as when he spake of his prophesie, because there was no prophet in Israel so great as Moses, and to whome God so familiarly appeared as vntounto Moses: therefore, to proue the excellencie of Christe, hee compared him with Moses. So nowe, in this matter of his priesthoode, because there was no prieste comparable with Aaron, ordeined of God as hee was, with so singular honour, so great promises, so much reuerence of his people: therefore hee compareth Christ with Aaron, that by the difference, it might more clearely appeare, that Christ both must needes be an high priest, and in honour alone farre aboue all other. He beginneth his comparison thus: For euerie high priest is takē from among men, and is ordeined for men in things perteining to God: yt is, those which are priests after the order of Aaron, first, in nature are their brethren, men like vntounto them selues, subiect to all infirmities, whiche the people are subiect vntounto, hauing nothing in them selues wherein especially to reioyce, but is like vntounto other men: againe, they execute their office, and doe the worke appointed them, not for themselues alone, as men hauing a priuate businesse, but in the name, and for the benefite of the whole people, that the fruite of their labour might redounde vntounto manie, and they serue the people in things apperteining to God. A third propertie of that high priest was, that hee came not before god in his own vertue, but brought gifts and sacrifices with him, for reconciliation: by gifts, he meaneth all oblations of thinges without life, which apperteined to the sacrifices: by sacrifices, all beasts which were killed and offered, according to the lawe.
An other thing required in the priestes of the old law, which were after the order of Aaron, the Apostle addeth in the second verse, in these words: Which is able sufficiently to hauehave compassion on thē which are ignorant and out of the way. This propertie here spo ken of, is compassion, in feeling the sinnes, and errours of the people, as if they were his owne: and hauing a continuall care, howe to instruct them and teach them in the right way, that they might caste from them all this corruption, and bee reconciled vntounto God. After this, hee sheweth the cause why this compassion was in him, and how he was made so louing: because that he also is compassed with infirmity, that is had experience in his owne flesh, how proue they were to sinne, howe subiect to tentation, how soone seduced from good to euil, and how readie to fall from life to death: of which infirmities, he was so partaker, that the smart and stinge of them was in his owne flesh, and dayly he was wounded with his owne concupisence, to doe the thinges that hee would not: and therefore greeued with him selfe, and hauing pitie on his brethren, hee willinglie executed his Priestes office, and did it gladly, which he found by experience must be done of necessitie, or no flesh should be saued, and offered sacrifice in signe of the purging of their sinnes, and reconciliation vntounto God, as the Apostle addeth in the thirde verse: And for the sames sake he is boūd to offer for sinnes, aswel for his owne parte as for the peoples: and thus farre, of this beginning of comparison betweene Christe and the priestes of the lawe, setting nowe downe these properties of the Priest, and after shewinge the greate excellencie that is in Christe, aboue them.
Now, in this we hauehave to learne manie profitable instructions.
First, where he saith: EueryEvery high prieste is taken of men, and appointed for men, in things apperteyning to God: we learne, that no man can hauehave accesie or entrance vntounto God, but by a mediatour: the Lorde woulde not then receiue the peoples gyftes, their offeringes, their vowes, their prayers, their thankes giuing, what so euer it were: no man in Israel, were he neuer so holie, had his accesse vntounto God, but by a mediatour: nor he offered any thing vntounto God, but by the priest. This was then their schoolemaister, to leade them to the Messias, without whome they knewe, there was no agreement betweene God and them: so that wee knowe, they were taught in the same faith that wee be taught, that man through sinne was once cast out from the presence of God: and from thencefoorth for euer, to dwell in his shame, except some other woorke reconciliation for him: for man had loste all his owne power, and as Adam was, so were all the Children of Adam.
All were gone out of the way, they were all corrupte, there was none that did good, no not one.Psa. 14. 3.
An vnpossible thinge for all fleshe, eueragaine to come into the presence of God, without a mediatour, in whome GOD would be againe reconciled.
This doctrine the Iewes were taught in their high prieste, who onelyonly entred before the Arke, where was the signes of Gods presence, and all people else forbidden to approche neere. And as thus they confessed the necessitie of a mediatour, so further in the person of the high priest, in that he was taken from among men, that is, was a man, like vntounto his brethren, they learned also yt this mediatour should be a perfect man.
For, when God who wrought daily amonge them, by the ministerie of Angels, glorious and fearefull woorkes, yet neuer appointed Angel, nor other creature to make the peoples sacrifice, and offer vp their vowes and prayers vntounto him, to come vntounto him in the peoples name, to craue pardon and forgiuenesse of sinnes: but in an vnchaungeable counsell, euer reserued his woorke vntounto the priest, one of their brethren, a man like to them selues, hee taught them: plainely, that hee shoulde bee a perfecte man, of their owne nature and substance, who so euer shoulde reconcile them vntounto God.
Againe, in that the priest came not with emptie hands before God, neither yet might do except him selfe would be destroyed, but he had with him alwayes his sacrifice, to acknowledge all men endebted vntounto God, in payment whereof, he would be reconciled: they learned herein, that their mediatour must also offer vpa sacrifice for them, in whiche God would be pleased, and accept it as a sufficient payment of all our debtes vntounto him: which sacrifice they knew well, should not be the bloud of Calues, & Goates: for it is to vile a thing to appease the anger of God, but another sacrifice, holie & righteous, without spott of sinne, vnblameable before God, with suche a one God would be pleased. Thus the Israelites beeing instructed, of necessitie, to seeke a mediatour, and that mediatour to be a man, and that man to offer vp a sacrifice of his owne, without spot or blemishe, a satisfaction for our sinnes, and a reconciliation to God: in this they were instructed, to confesse as we confesse, and to beleeue as we beleeue: that as there is but one God, so there is but one mediatour betwene man & God, euen the man Iesus Christ: who gaue himselfe to be the price of the redemption of mankind: this is ye fayth 1. Tim. 2. 5.of Gods elect, holden of Abraham, Isaake, & Iacob, as well as of vsus: the faith of the Saints from the beginning: and we to whom now it is most clearely reuealed, let vsus be thankfull for so great a benefite, in more constancie of our faith, neuer to be remoued from this holie trueth. As oft as we speake of a mediatour, let vsus confesse, there can be none among angels, for they are no men: nor among ye Saintes; for they were all sinners: neither among all other creatures, for they are all corruptible: so that wee wil not giuegive neither gold nor siluer for the redemption of our soules, nor trust in the merites of saints and Angels, who al want vertue for this worke: but when wee thinke of any mediatour, we will confesse Iesus Christ the sonne of God, the sonne of Dauid, the onelyonly mediatour, and purger of our sinnes.
And here further let vsus learne, seeing a priest is to doe our thinges before God, and to offer for our sinnes, let vsus knowe these two things bothe to be done by Christe for vsus, that is, bothe to make intercession, and to purge our sinnes, in neither of which workes, let vsus attribute any thing to any other, except we will robbe Christ of the glorie of his priesthood: wherein we may see what the Papistes hauehave done: for if wee bee wise to iudge rightly, and will see that whiche God setteth beefore our eyes, wee cannot choose, but wee muste needes see howe they hauehave taken bothe these things of the priesthood of Christe, and giuen them vntounto other.
First, for the oblation of Christe to purge our sinnes, if wee will acknowledge it, wee must confesse, that it was done but once, and must neuer be repeated the seconde time, bothe as the Apostle after in plaine woordes teacheth vsus, and as the nature of Christes priesthood doeth necessarilie proue: for hee hathe his priesthood abidinge euer, euen as he liueth euer, neither can it be carried Chap. 7. 24.ouer to another: but as the sacrifice is his owne, so hee is prieste alone to offer it, whiche hee did once vponupon the crosse.
Therefore their Masses are aboue all sacrilege accursed, in which they say, that the Prieste thoughe vnbloudily, yet he offereth in a propitiatorie sacrifice the naturall and royall! bodie of Christe, and not onelyonly thus they tran…erre the purgation of our sinnes from the Altar of the Crosse, where it was made by Christe, to the Altar of an idoll, where they woulde doe it by a prieste, but they doe not so muche as confesse, that it was once perfecte and full vppon the crosse, but finde wantes in it there offered. I slaunder them nor for it is their owne doctrine, neither, am I sure, will they denie: them selues write, that Christe satisfied for sinns before baptisme, both for the giltinesse and punishment of them: but as for sinnes after baptisme, he tooke only away the guiltinesse of the fault, but le…t the punishment for our selues to beare, so much as by afflictions of our life, and by purgatorie after our life, we could possibly endure.
Thus lame they leaue vntounto Christe the purgeing of our sinnes, the highest part of his priesthood. The other part of his intercession, they handle it no better: for do they not pray vntounto all saints and Angels▪ doe they not call the virgine Marie, the Queene of heauen, the gate of Paradise, the treasuresse of grace, the refuge of sinners, the mediatresse of men, our life, our delite, our hope? & what after this cā they leaue vntounto Christ? And this (dearely beloued) I alledge not vntounto you, out of priuate mens writings, whiche they might denie, but in their sacred holy Masse booke, these things are written. In their masse of the annunciation, they sing this song:
Salue virgo virginum,
Mediatrix hominum.
All haile, virgin of virgins, the mediatresse of men. In the masse of the conception, they sing this:
Tuspes certa miscrorum,
Vere mater orphanorum,
Tu lauemen oppressorum,
Medicamen infirmorum,
Omnibus es omnia.
Thou art the vndoubted hope of the miserable, the mother in deed of Orphanes, the refreshment of the oppressed, the healing medicine of all the diseased, and thou art all things to all men.
You heare the rime of all this I am sure, and for the matter, it is not worth englishing. Now, ioyne vntounto this, more out of the masse booke.
O foelix puerpera,
Nostra pians scelera.
O happie bringer foorth of children, cleansing our wickednesse &c. and out of the Portesse:
Tu per Thom… sanguinem &c.
O Christ, make vsus to ascend vntounto heauen, whether Thomas is ascended, and by the bloud of Thomas &c. And tel me nowe, what is left vntounto Christ to be our mediatour? Surely (dearely beloued) the trueth is, euen as the Lord hath persuaded vsus this day: he that bosted so long to be the vicar of Christ, we hauehave tryed him, and founde him to be the verie Antichrist, who denyeth in deed Christ to be come in flesh, while thus hee denyeth him to bee our onelyonly mediatour.
Nowe, let vsus returne further, to heare what the Apostle teacheth. The fourth propertie here mentioned, requisite in a priest, is, that he hauehave cōpassion on his brethren, according to that feeling which is in his owne flesh, of his owne infirmities▪ this compassion is, to reioyce with his brethren, in all well doing: and to be greued for them, in their sinnes & errours: whiche propertie the Apostle saith was in the priest of the lawe, in a certeine measure, as hee was helpe by experience of him selfe, and so muche as God accepted in him, who was for a time the priest of his people.
This ought to bee nowe a speciall instruction vntounto vsus all, because wee are all made a spirituall Priesthood vntounto GOD, to offer vp our spirituall sacrifices, that we should hauehave this compassion one toward another, to delight in the well doing of our brethren, as hauing receiued the same spirit of faith, and to be greeued with their offences, euen as men subiect to the same infirmities. This reioycing was in Paule, when he writeth to the Philippians, that if he might procure their faith & constancie of godlinesse, Phil. 2. 18.though it were with the losse of his life, yet he would reioyce with them for the greate blessing: and this holie sorrowe for our brothers fallings, the same Paule expressely cōmaundeth vntounto vsus all, writing to the Galathians: brethren, if a mā be fallen by occasion into any fault, ye whiche are spirituall, restore Gal. 6. 1.such a one with the spirit of meekenesse, considering thy selfe, leaste thou also be tempted: if this thē be in vsus, & our brotherly louelove be measured with this line, wee are all this day Priestes vntounto our God, offering vp a moste sweete smelling sacrifice, euerie one his brother, to be a seruaunt of righteousnesse vntounto God. And as this is the duetie in eueryevery one of vsus, so especiallie the minister ought to bee full of this compassion, to declare still vntounto his people all the counsell of God, that they might bee confirmed who are called, and conuerted who goe yet astray, that with one hart and voice, at last they might glorifie god together, this it is y• ought to be: but, O Lorde! how farre is this from beeing done? where may we finde a man, that reioyceth in his brothers godlinesse, or pitieth him in his sinne? who can boaste of his friendes, of all his acquaintance, of all his kinred, that him he hath brought vntounto the Lord? how many are the ministers in number, that are able to teach, and hauehave their dwelling with their parishioners, to teach thē to know god? surely these things are so farre out of order, & iniquitie hath so preuailed & gotten y• vpper hand, that we may take vp againe the prophets cōplaint, Like priest like people: the people are so dulled with carnall concupiscence, that all their companie is, for cardes, or dice, or daū sing, or banquetting, or some riot of life: the name of the Lord is not remembred, but when it is blasphemed: this is the fellowship of the world: the ministerie hath not so altogether cast off shame, but yet the faults of it are somwhat too great and grieuous: for many of them are hirelings, non residēts, dumb dogges, going a whoringe (not after many women, which the worlde would detest) but after manie benefices, which the Lord God of Israel doeth as much abhorre: would to God this cōplaint were false, and it shal be false when god shal giuegive his feare into our harts, and giuegive vsus eares to heare that good promise of Christ: blessed are those seruaūts, whom the Lorde, when he commeth, shall finde wakinge. Luk. 12. 37.In the meane while, if admonitions may stirre vsus vp to be wise in time, let vsus heare what the Apostle saith more in this place.
It followeth: because that he is compassed about with infirmitie: this is the cause why the high priest had such compassion on his brethren, because himselfe fealt all their infirmities: thus the Apostle testified of Christ before, that because he was tempted, he was made able to helpe those that were tempted: and Saint Paule saith, for this cause be we comforted Hebr. 2. 13.in our tribulation, that we might be able to comfort other in their afflictions: so our owne sense and feeling must needes be a prouocation vntounto vsus to pitie …. Cor. 1. 4.other: and in deede, it is a thing vtterly impossible, that whatsoeuer I suffer my selfe, I shoulde not hauehave a compassion of it in another: If I be hungrie, I pitie all whom I heare crie for meate: If I be in pain, I pitie all which crie out in their griefe: euen so it is also with vsus, and muche more in the afflictions of spirite: I beare the burthen of mine owne sinnes, if I see their loathsome appearance, and feele their heauy iudgement, that I mourne vnderunder them, it is vtterly impossible but I should hate them in my selfe and in all men, and I will seeke diligently howe to keepe men free from suche a deadly sicknesse. Thus we see what is the cause why we be not careful one to edify another: that is, because we hauehave no true feelinge of our own ignorances, nor perceiue any weightie burthen of our owne sinnes, whē we pray thus, the remē brance of them is grieuous vntounto vsus, the burthen of them is intollerable, we speake with feigned and deceitefull lippes, the sighes of our hearts they goe not with our woords: or if they doe, I appeale to your owne harts: how careful you are for your brethren: for I am sure, the words of the Apostle must needes be true, if I say you feele your owne sinnes, you bee carefull for your brethren, wishing and procuring as any occasion serueth, that they also may finde grace to turne from their sinnes, & come out (as Paule saieth) out of the snares of the diuel, who hath entrapped them after his owne will: and if this great miserie 2. Tim. 2. 16.of thy brother moue thee not, thoufeelest not the miserie that is in thine owne ioyntes and bowels, which astonishment of sense, is barbarous & brutish dishonoring both the hart & coūtenance of a man.
Another thing here to be marked is, that the Apostle calleth al sinnes, by the name of errours & ignorances: teaching vsus first, that al errour and innorance before God is condemned as sin, & whatsoeuer man doth with all his good intentes, if he be ignoraunt in his work, he oflereth but the sacrifice of a foole, neither doth God regarde it. Wherin we may se what their church is, whose whole religion is blindenesse, and whose deuotiō (as them selues confesse,) is bred and nourished by ignorance: & another cause why our sinnes are named ignoraunces, is, because the sinners knowe not their owne way, they thinke they hauehave peace & reioycing. When danger and woe is neerest vntounto them: they think their sinne is sweete and ful of pleasure, when indede it is nothing els but anguish & affliction of spirit: for they see only with their eyes & hauehave regarde after the present time, not knowing yt the time passeth, & the cōcupiscēce is ended in it, & that yt lord after wil call thē to iudgmēt. Thus the Prophet Daniel nameth the sinnes of Nabuchadnezar, his errours: and Abacuch making his Dan. 4. 24.prayer for all the sinnes of Israel, hee nameth them Hab. 3. 1.their ignorances: let vsus therefore as this Apostle before warned vsus, beware lest we be hardned with the deceites of sinne, but knowe for a suretie when wee be delighted with euil, it is our errour: & if we were wise we would neuer be deceiued with so hurtfull enticements.
It followeth now in the third verse: And for the same cause he must, as for the people, so for him selfe, offer sacrifice for sinne: In these words the Apostle beareth witnesse, of want & imperfection of the priesthood of Aaron: that though he appeared as a mediatour betweene God and his people: yet he was not perfecte for suche a woorke, but acknowledging his owne sinnes, hee sett him selfe in their number which looked for a better mediatour, who was only figured, could not be exhibited in his person: to this end he offered sacrifice, both for the people, and for him selfe, according as hee was expresly commaunded in the lawe of Moses, as wee reade in the ninth Chapter of Leuiticus, and againe after is here mentioned in the seuenth Chapter following. And Leuit. 9. 7.here we see the propertie required in a mediatour, & that is, that he be absolute & holie, without spot, to whome it can not bee said, Physician cure thy selfe, for then could he be profitable to none: but who soeuer shall take vponupon him this worke, to pacific God and to conquer Satan; he must hauehave a body prepared of God to all obedience, & he must be armed with the power of God, to beate and vanquish sinne, hell, and condemnation, & so to abolish the Diuel: they neuer knewe this, neither the righteousnesse, nor yet the power of a mediatour, who so easily hauehave giuen this glorie vntounto weake men: for this streight condition, the iustice of GOD requireth of him, that shal reconcile man vntounto God, that he bring in him selfe all the righteousnesse whiche his holie lawe requireth, by it first to sanctifie him selfe, to be accepted, and in that innocencie to beare the punishment of the sinnes of his people, that hee might sett them free: then in the power of his spirite to ouercome that punishment, & rise from it, that it might be abolished, and all with him might hauehave entrance into glorie and eternall life. Now this comparison of the Apostle, somwhat more plainly appeareth, in which we see the dignitie of Christe. Aaron was in nature a perfect man, and so was Christe, and more excellent in propertie, beeing without sinne. Aaron ministred for the peoples sake, and for his own also beeing a sinner: Christ for his people only, himselfe needing nothing. Aaron offered sacrifice, but of other things, none of his owne: Christe offered his sacrifice his owne and him selfe.
Aaron had compassion on his brethren, but in a certeine measure, and the greatest parte of it for him selfe, and sorrowe of his owne infirmities: but Christe, wholie was grieued for vsus, and for our sakes onelyonly he bare infirmities, of all which the doctrine is plaine vntounto ye people of Israel, that not Aaron, but Christ, was the great high priest to reconcile them vntounto God: And here we see touching that that is said, the high priest offered for his own sinnes and for the sinnes of the people, that is not ment that his sacrifices were in deed a cleansing of their sinnes: for neither can the bloud of Calues & Goates wash away that infection, neither can a sinnful man offer a sacrifice of such price: onelyonly the Lord Iesu offering his body, could do so excellent a woorke: but that the sacrifices of the lawe, and that high Prieste, were said to purge sinnes: it was onelyonly in figure, as being signes and tokens of Christ, and of his bodie, to be sacrificed vppon the crosse, which redemption, they confessed and beleeued, in their oblations, and God sealed it vntounto them, by fire from heauen, consuming their burnt offerings, that their faith was precious in his sight, and he would perfourme his promises vntounto them, according to their hope, and giuegive them a sacrifice for their sinn, euen his only begotten sonne that eueryevery one which beleeued in him should not perishe but hauehave life euerlasting: and in wittnesse of this constant trueth, because their sacrifices were as figures of it, he giueth them the name of that which they figured, and calleth them sinne offeringes, and propitiatorie sacrifices, and reconciliations betwene God and them. And this is cōmon to all sacraments of the olde and newe Testament, that they might be vntounto vsus sure & vndoubted pledges of Gods promises, that he perfourmeth them all: therefore the name and title of the thing, is giuen to the figure: so these sacrifices were called sinne offeringes, and peace offerings: circumcisiō was called Gods conenant, the Lambe his passeouer, the Arke his glorie, the temple his rest, Baptisme the washing of our new birth: and what madnes is in men, I can not tel, why they stum ble and fall, and are broken an this phrase: this is my bodie. Could the name of reconciliation be giuen to the bloud of an Oxe, the name of Gods benefites be giuen to the cutting off of a litle skin, and to a white lambe: his glorie, his blessednesse, his rightcousnesse, to golde, to stones, to water: and can not the name of the body of Christ be giuen vntounto bread? or could not the name of forgiuenesse, of merciemercy, of couenant, of glory, of presēce, of righteousnesse, change the nature of golde, stones, fleshe, water, and such like: and must needes the name of bodie streight change bread into fleshe? or is not the sacrament of Christes bodie and bloud, as glorious a mysterie, as full of trueth as other sacraments were: & why should it not hauehave a greater honour, named by the thing whiche it representeth: but this as occasion is offered, and in a worde, for the thing is plaine to those that will vnderstand, & they that with affection hauehave robbed themselues of iudgmente, let vsus pray for them: and they that do belong vntounto the couenant, shal one day with vsus confesse the true doctrine of the sacrament in which it is sealed. Now Let vsus pray, &c.