Twenty-Seven Lectures Upon Hebrews, Lectures · Lecture 27
¶ The xxvij. Lecture, vponupon the 3. 4. 5. and 6. verses.
3 And this will we doe if God permit.
4 For it is impossible that they, which were once lightned, and hauehave tasted of the heauenly gift, and were made partakers of the holy Ghoste,
5 And hauehave tasted of the good worde of God, and of the powers of the worlde to come,
6 If they fal away, should be renued againe by repentance: seeing they crucifie againe to them selues the Sonne of God, and make a mocke of him.
WE hauehave heard before, the Apostles exhortation that we should goe forward, and what pointes of religion hee set downe meete for children, beyond which we must goe, to knowe all the mysterie of God and Christ. And in these pointes here mentioned I tolde you, as the generall knowledge of thē was milke: so yet exactly out of the scripture, to vnderstand them as wee are taught, euen that also it is strong meate. The Apostle now goeth forward, and sayth: And this also we wil doe, if God permit, that is, by the grace of God, we wil goe forewarde, wee will not be alwayes dul of hearing, and children of vnderstanding. These wordes are an encouragement vntounto them, that they should not be discomforted: for God would no doubt hauehave merciemercy vppon them, to giuegive them vnderstanding hearts, & learned mindes, to apprehend and see the great saluation of the Lorde. Then, to the end that they should not receiue the graces of God in vaine, but vse in deede all these good giftes to their owne good benefite, he addeth, (because of the greate rebellion of some, and hard harts that are not easily led) another reason vntounto his wordes, which is full of feare and terrour, assuring thē, that the Gospel cannot be preached vntounto them in vaine, but of force it must needes hauehave his fruite, and be a sweete sauour vntounto God in Christe, either of life vntounto life, if they wil beleue & hearken: or else of death vntounto death, if they wil be despisers. To this purpose, he saith: For it is vnpossible to those which are once lightned, and hauehave tasted the heauenly gift, and hauehave beene partakers of the holy ghost, and hauehave tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come: if they fall away, that they should againe be renued by repentanuce: crucifying againe vntounto them selues, the sonne of God, and making a mock of him. With these wordes, no doubt, he would shake off from them, all carelesnesse and fleshly securitie, whiche were sunken deepe in some, and whose sluggish dulnesse was not healed without sharp medicines: and therfore, he vseth these woordes very forceable, and sharper in deede then any two edged swoord, to prick the conscience that was nigh seared vp.
Now (dearely beloued) that wee may vnderstande this scripture, and make it vntounto vsus a good comfort, whiche might seeme otherwise a heauie threatening: let vsus consider in it, these two thinges: firste, the purpose of the Apostle for which he speaketh it: then, them selues what they signifie.
The apostles purpose, is, to stirre vsus vp, desirously to heare, diligently to learne, wisely to increase in knowledge, and obediently to practise that we hauehave learned: for this purpose it was first spoken, to this ende it is nowe written: if then it hauehave in vsus this worke, and bring foorth this fruite, we hauehave bene profitable hearers, and it is vntounto vsus, the Gospell of health, and the worde of life. Let vsus then, not be as our forefathers were, slowe of hearing: let the worde preached be mingled vntounto vsus with faith: let vsus vse it to the glorie of God, that knowledge may increase, and righteousnesse may abound in our life: and for our partes it skilleth not at all, what this great and heinous sinne should be, of which the Apostle saith, mā can neuer repent him: for be it what it will, it is none of ours. This sinne is the sinne of those, that hauehave despised knowledge: but we are desirous to learne more. This sinne is of the contemners of the crosse of Christe: but the delight of our life is in it. This sinne is of men, that hauehave made the world their God: but God, whome we serue, hath had merciemercy vponupon vsus, that we account all the worlde but doung, to the end we may winne Christ: and therefore, whatsoeuer this sinne be, God himselfe beareth vsus witnesse, it is none of the sinns which we hauehave committed: and where so euer they dwell, that are in this condemnation, their tentes and tabernacles are not neare vsus. And is not this a greate comforte, and a singular light rising (as it were) out of darkenesse: that where there are suche sinnes, as euen the remembraunce of them might make our bones to tremble, by their description we know them, that they are farre from vsus, as the East is from the West, so that we neede not feare. Neither speake I this of mine owne heade, but by good warrant of the Apostle himselfe, and by the worde of the holy Ghost: for after this heauie threatning, saith not the Apostle to them immediately, & saith he it not to vsus this day, that by cause we hauehave loued Gods saints, & hauehave reioyced to glorifie his name, our state is faster knit vntounto saluation, and these heauie things shall neuer come neare vsus? In this persuasion of perfect hope, we may stand boldly vntounto the later end, the scorners and despisers of whome, you shall heare more hereafter, let them looke, and beware of vnrepentaunt sinne. And thus farre of the purpose of the Apostle, by which we beeing confirmed, that though we should fall through many infirmities, yet we can neuer fall away.
We may now more boldly examine the words, to learne as God shall instruct vsus, what this sinne is: let vsus therefore come vntounto the wordes. For it is vnpossible, that they which are once lightened, &c. We see here how the apostle setteth out the sinne against y• holy Ghost, shewing who they are which cōmit it, what the sinne is, and what end it bringeth. But before we further examine it, I must admonish you of two contrarie faultes, which are common vntounto vsus, in speaking of this matter. The one is too muche carelesnesse, the other is too much feare. Some of vsus scarse hauing any conscience at al, or any reuerence of Gods secrete iudgements, being altogether children, & more ignorant then children. If at any time talke be of diuinitie, streight with carelesse hearts, & venturous toungs, they are vp with predestination, or with sinne against the holie ghost. To these men I say: it were better for them, that they had neither tongues in their heads, nor hearts in their breastes, then that they should cōtinue in this vnreuerend & most vngodly vsage: for what do they else but blaspheme the eternall wisdome of god. At al his words we should feare & tremble: yet at his greatest mysteries, we are carelesse & mockers. The knowledge of his predestination should cast down our proud reason, euen to the ground, to confesse before him, that all his iudgements are vnsearchable, and al his ways are past finding out: yet we like fooles, who though we were braide in a morter, yet would not our foolishnesse depart from vsus: so foolishly wee examine y• high iudgments of God, to make them agreeable to our blockish reason. Likewise, the sinne against the holie Ghost, which is mentioned to make vsus feare, that we be not despisers of the graces of God: but y• we would louelove him, & learne all his iudgmentes, whereby we might assure our selues of his fauour, y• we cānot possibly sinne against his spirit: but whether soeuer we fall, he would raise vsus againe: as though this pleased vsus not, we make no ende of questioning, whether it be this sinne, or that sinne: when in deede, at all sinnes we make but a mocke. This fault (deatly beloued) I beseech you take heede of: praye, that you may cast it from you: then no doubt, in this our matter, the trueth which we seeke for, in feare & reuerence God wil reueale it vntounto vsus. The other faulte I spake of, and of which we must take heed, is to much feare: for some of vsus, and they of the best of vsus, on whom God hath shewed singular merciemercy, greatly to humble them so that they couer their faces, and hang downe their heades at the remembrance of their sinnes, and hunger and thirst after the righteousnesse of Christ, they would not hauehave this spoken of at all, and euerie sounde of the sinne against the holy Ghost doth wounde thē as it were to death, for feare least themselues should be holden in the transgression. To these men what should I say? nay, what can I say? for y• sūme of all Christe hath saide, and spoken truely vntounto thē: feare not my litle flock, for it hath pleased your father to giuegive vntounto you a kingdome: and if he hauehave giuen vntounto Luke. 2. 32.them a kingdome, purchased with the bloud of his only sonne, how should he not giuegive also vntounto thē y• victorie ouer sinne and death? And nowe my good brethren and sisterne, who so euer you be, sith you hauehave a spirite that desireth knowledge, delighteth in obedience, loueth God, hateth iniquitie, reioyce in this pledge of your saluation: for as the Lord doth liue, neither this sinne, nor the shadowe of this sinne, shal come nere vntounto you: only because it is a saluinge medicine to many of your brethren, when they be sunken deepe in rebellion: and because it is the mightie word of the Lorde, to crushe in peeces the reprobate before him: therefore I beseech you with glad & faithful eares, abide the hearing of it, & feare not the smoke, when the fire can not hurt you. Now, to cōe to our purpose. In these words of y• Apostle, I wil shew vntounto you first: what maner of men they must needs be, y• do fall into this sinne. Secondly, what māner of sinne it is. Thirdly, with what manner of mind it is committed: whervnto at last I wil add some examples, that you may see more clearly what it is. Touching the persons which sinne against the holy ghost, they are described thus by their qualities: first, they hauehave bene once lightened: secōdly, they hauehave tasted of the heauenly gift: thirdly, they hauehave beene made partakers of the holy Ghost: fourthly, they hauehave tasted of the good word of God, & of the powers of y• world to come. VntoUnto these qualities, we may add more out of other partes of scripture: in the 12. of Matt. our sauiour Christ speaketh of such men thus, that the vncleane spirite is gone out from them, that they are swept & garnished: in the 2. Epistle of Peter the 2. chapter, it is sayd of them, that they hauehave escaped from the filthinesse of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord, & of our sauiour Iesu Christ. By these & such like places we may cōclude that God hath many wayes made himselfe knowen vntounto them, y• hee hath giuen them true vnderstanding. y• he hath quickened their spirits to receiue gladly his gospel, that they had a feeling of y• kingdome of heauen, y• they hauehave knowen sinne to be ful of miserie & vexation of spirit, y• they hauehave cōfessed, there is no ioy but in Christ. This is y• state of knowledge to which they were called, & these are the graces which they were indued with: wherby we may first cōclude, y• Turks and infidels, that all Atheists & Epicures, they hauehave not yet sinned against the holy ghost: not Pharaoh a vessel of Gods wrath, not Sodome & Gomorha withal their filthinesse, not Rabsaketh, or any such who would make them selues Gods, they hauehave not sinned against the holy Ghoste: they are accursed creatures, and their sinnes are abhominable, they are bondslaues of Satan, & straungers from the God of Israell: but yet, we may say truely: it shalbe easier for all those of Sodome & Gomorha, for Tyre and Sidon in the day of iudgement, then for these wicked blasphemers of the holy spirite, which not only fulfilled the full measure of these Pagans sinnes, but hauehave also contemned the graces, which were giuen vntounto them, and despised the spirite of whiche the Pagans were neuer made partakers. Thus briefly I hauehave set foorth, what manner men they be, whiche may fall away to so great confusion.
And that it may yet be made more plaine: let vsus consider the wordes, by which the Apostle describeth them. The first marke of them is, that they bee lightened: that is, indued with the knowledge of God: not onelyonly by the heauens, which declare his glorie: nor by the firmament, whiche sheweth his work: nor by any of Gods creatures, in which his eternall power and Godhead doth appeare, & shine: and of which light, all nations are made partakers: but they are also lightened with his holye woorde, which is a lanthorne to their feete, and a light vntounto their steppes, and hauehave hearde his Gospell preached vntounto them, vntounto the which they hauehave agreed, that it is the word of life. The second note of them, is, y• they hauehave tasted of the heauenly gift: the heauenly gift is the life and great saluation that is in Christe Iesu, by whom we are reconciled, which likewise our Sauiour Christ calleth the gift of god, speaking Iohn. 4.to the woman of Samaria: and this is that knowledge, into which they are lightened by the gospel, and this they do not only knowe, but of this gifte they hauehave also tasted, whiche is, they hauehave gladly sometime receiued it, and reioyced in it, like as our Sauiour Christe describeth them by the parable of the stonie ground, that incontinently with ioye, they receiue the seede: and which also he noteth in Mat. 13.the Phariseis, speaking of Iohn Baptist whiche was a shining lampe among them, and they for a season did reioyce in his light. The thirde note of these men, is, that they hauehave beene partakers of the holie ghost: which, is that many graces of the spirite of God hauehave beene giuen vntounto them, as these two aboue named, y• they are lightned with knowledge, & reioyce in their vnderstanding, which is neither of flesh nor bloud, nor of the will of man, but of the holie ghost: vntounto these we may adde also others, as y• gift of miracles, the gifts of toungs, or any such that God hath distributed vntounto these, euen as he wil: these things or any of them, when they hauehave receiued to the praise of God, & glorie of his holie name, they are made partakers of the holie ghost, and they are blessed with heauenly blessing. The fourth note is, that they hauehave tasted the good word of God, not much differing from that he first spake of, that they were lightened, that is, that they had knowledge of God, not onelyonly by his creatures, but muche more by his worde.
But heere naming, the good word of God, hee noteth especially the Gospell, by comparison with the lawe: as if he shoulde saye: they hauehave knowen God, not onelyonly by his lawe, which is fearefull to the sinner: but by a more sweete vnderstandinge of the Gospel, which saith: Come vntounto mee all you that labour and are laden, so calling it the good worde, as that which is glad tydinges of saluation: and therefore also good, because they hauehave tasted it good and ioyfull, and hauehave seene the glorie of it, as the greatest treasure that is giuen vntounto man.
The fifte and laste note, heere set foorth, is, that they knowe and confesse, that this Gospell hathe the ende eternall life: and Christe is a mightie Sauiour, who will keepe for euer those whome he hath purchased: and hee nameth the worlde to come, because the spirite hathe lightened them, to see the latter ende of this corruptible worlde, and to knowe assuredly, that here they hauehave no dwelling citie: but another habitation is made for Gods chosen, not with mortall handes, but euerlasting in Heauen: and calling it the powers, because it is made so strong in Christe Iesu, that it can neuer be assaulted: for all power is giuen vntounto him, in Heauen and in Earthe: and hee hathe made that heauenlye Citie glorious for his Sainctes throughout all worldes.
Thus hath the Apostle described those persons, whome he biddeth beware that these fall not backe to chaunge so greate glorie into endlesse shame: for if they will turne these thinges vpside downe, and the graces that they had receiued to Gods glorie, abuse them to the reproche of his holy name, it is vnpossible they should rise againe by repentance.
And thus farre, of the persons, what giftes they hauehave receiued: wherein yet let vsus vnderstand a great difference betweene these men which fall away, and the giftes which are in Gods elect, that cannot perishe, nor euer sinne against the holye Ghoste.
First in the measure of grace, that they hauehave receiued, there is great difference or rather no comparison: then, their obedience, according to this grace, is nothing like.
The wicked, are but lyghtened with the beginninges of the Gospell, the electe are more instructed in the mysterie of Godlynesse. The wicked hauehave but tasted of the life that is in Christe, the Electe liue not them selues, but Christe lyueth in them. The wicked are but a little made partakers of the spirite by some giftes of grace that are within them: the electe are watered so farre with the spirit, that they to be baptised in the death of Christe, to dye vntounto sinne, to liue vntounto righteousnesse, so that sinne shall not reigne in the mortall bodye.
The wicked hauehave but tasted the Gospell of Christe, and his sauing health: the electe are fedde with his mercyes, and still they hunger and thirst after his righteousnesse, & see with exceeding …oy ye height, the bredth, the length, the depth, of the mysterie of their redemption. The wicked hauehave felt ye world to come, and hauehave for a little while delighted in it: the elect hauehave their conuersation altogether, and with great gladnesse loke from thence for a sauiour, that this life is not deare vntounto them, but they will holde it foorth in their hands to all persecutions, to finish the short course that they hauehave here with …oy. These are great differences, but the greatest is yet behinde: the wicked, they are straungers, euen from y• womb, not ingraffed into the body of Christ, nor hauehave any feeling of election in them selues: but the godly are indued with faith and assured hope, that if this earthly tabernacle be dissolued, they hauehave a dwelling place with GOD himselfe, who hath loued them: this hope they delight in, in this they liue, in this they rest: while this is assaulted, they despise the worlde: when this is vnshaken, then is their sorrow: but the wicked, it is not so with them: their hope is not this, for their ioy is onelyonly heere: when they hauehave examined the secrets of their owne harts, they shall rather finde that their bellie is their God: for, notwithstanding, all the gifs of God that they hauehave receiued: yet they want this measure of fayth, by which they are persuaded that God is their God, and their delight is all in the Lord alone. And againe, the obedience that they shewe in their life, it is not to the true obedience that God requireth, as their faith is no true faith: for God requireth this alone, that we louelove him with all our hearte, with all our soule, with all our strength, with all our vnderstanding: and that we louelove our neighbour as our selfe: but this louelove is not in them, nor they hauehave not this end of all their works, that they may glorifie god in al their life: the ioyes of heauen do somwhat moue them, and the paines of hell, do muche astonishe them: they see and know what gods maiestie is vnspeakable, and his glorie infinite, his fauour is better then life: and his displeasure is vntollerable: the glorie of his presence, the fiercenesse of his wrath: these thinges do touche them, because they would escape his iudgement: so still it is them selues that they louelove. If there were, neither heauen nor hell, they would not care for God, nor Christe: so (as I said) this is all their obedience, because they louelove them selues: but the godly, they obey for the louelove of God: their owne soule is not so deare vntounto them, as the name of the Lord, to see it glotified: nor their owne life is precious vntounto them, if the powring of it out, may be to the praise of his holie name. Thus muche of the difference, betweene the good and euil, as touching the graces of God, which they hauehave both receiued: whereby we see plaine, that faith and louelove are two especiall properties, by which the good and euill are distinguished, and by which we may trie our selues, if we be lightened, as the wicked, or as the elect of God. Nowe let vsus see the manner of rebellion, howe farre they fall away: first, we must obserue what points the Apostle hath before named: in the beginning of y• chapter he mē tioneth repentāce frō dead works, faith toward god, the doctrine of baptisme, & laying on of hands, and resurrectiō frō the dead, & eternall iudgmēt, which here he calleth y• beginning & foundatiō of christian amitie: then, he speaketh of an apostacie or falling away frō all these pointes heere named, euen from the foundation & firste beginnings of the christian faith, so y• all the former light is quite put out, & the first vnderstāding is al takē away: they laugh now at repentance, & the first faith they accōpt it folishnes: they esteme not of our baptisme, no more then of y• washing of their hands: & for any confirmation or solemne receiuing thē into the church of God, they care not for it: the resurrection of the dead doth but feede them with mery conceits, they think pleasantly with them selues, what maner of bodies they shal hauehave the eternal iudgment though it make thē somtime affraid, yet they incourage thē selues againe, & say, tush, it is a great way off: thus they hauehave turned light into darknes, knowledge into ignorance, hope into errour, faith into infidelitie, glory into shame, & life into death. Speake to thē of the sonne of God, they make a iest with the man of Galilie: tel them of the sauiour of y• world, they wil call him y• Carpentars sonne: such a generall apostacie the Apostle speaketh of, and this he calleth the fall from which man can not rise againe by repentance: for how can they repent, when the Apostle noteth them by this mark among other, that they are fallen from repentance: they are now (as S. Paul saith) past sorow for their sinnes, & as it is in the 2. to the Romanes, they hauehave a hart y• cannot repēt: so saith s. Peter, that they hauehave such eyes as can not ceasse from sinning. Whē they hauehave done al things y• are abhominable, yet thei will say, wherin hauehave we sinned? so they contemne, because they are in y• deapth, & they cannot returne, because they shal finde no grace: they hauehave sinned against the holie ghost, & cōdemnation is their portion: they shall neuer repent, but fal into iudgement: and thus farre of their sinne, howe greate it is.
The thirde thing we hauehave here to consider, is, with what minde they doe committe this greate sinne which heere the apostle setteth out, with these wordes: they crucifie againe vntounto them selues the sonne of God, and make a mocke of him: whiche, what can it be else, but euen with the spirite of the diuell (as saint Paule saith) to say that Christe is accursed: for was not he made vponupon his crosse, a curse for vsus, y• we might be made righteousnesse to God through him? they y• crucifie him againe, say they not againe, y• he hath a diuel, y• by Belzebub y• prince of y• diuels he casteth out diuels? doth not their hart loade him againe with all opprobrie and shame? & where it is said, they do this vntounto thēselues, it noteth how desirously & willingly, & with what cō sent of mind they doe it, euen so as they would againe hauehave the crosse of Christ a mocking stocke in the world: thus their owne conscience is their accuser of most wicked rebellion against God. This also appeareth plaine in the 12. Chapter of Saint Mathew, where when our sauiour Christ wil accuse y• Phariseis of this great sinne, it is saide, that he sawe their thoughtes. So, in the Actes of the Apostles, where the graces of God are magnified, by the preaching Act 13. 45.of Paule and Barnabas, it is said of the Iewes, that when they sawe it, they were full of enuie, rayling, and gainesaying all that Paule and Barnabas had taught. So againe, Paule saith to Elymas: O Act… 13. 10.thou that art full of all subtiltie and mischiefe. And it is written of Saule king of Israel, who so highly hated and persecuted Dauid, yet he saide: Beholde, 1. Sa. 27. 21.I knowe that thou shalt be king, and that the kingdome of Israell shall be established in thy hande: by these places it is cleare, that their conscience and heart, filled with enuie and malice, doe make them, with all greedinesse, to committe abhomination. And according as they hauehave thus caste off God, so God againe hath cast off them, and giuen them vp to their owne vile affections: so that it is come vntounto them, according to the true prouerbe: The dogge is returned to his vomit: and the swine that is washed to the wallowing in the mire: their hearts are fatte as brawne, that they can not repent: and their faces as brasse, that they can not be ashamed: and therfore their sinne is written with an yron penne, & grauen with the point of a Diamond, that it may be kept in remembraunce before the Lorde.
And here againe we see: the weake consciences that tremble for feare of their transgressions, and mourne all the day for feare of their sinnes: they are so farre off, from the sinne against the spirite of God, that the spirite cryeth in their behalfe: Comforte ye, comfort ye my people (sayth your God) speake comfortably to Hierusalem, and crye Esai. 40. 1.vntounto her, that her warrfare is accomplished, and her iniquitie is pardoned: for she hath receiued of the Lord double for all her sinne. Their godly sorowe hath brought forth their repentance, which is vntounto saluation: and wherof againe, they shall neuer repēt them. Neither let thē here be discouraged with the exāples of Esau, Iudas, or any such, who may seeme to hauehave beene sorrowfull: for they were not sorroful for their sinnes, as it is plainely testified of Esau, that he contemned his birthright, but they lamented their ruine and condemnation: neither did they louelove God, but hated their owne punishment: neither did they striue against sinne, but gaue vntounto it a kingdome, with power and wil to serue it. But wee that feele the lawe of the spirite, striuing against the lawe of the flesh, and in all our sinnes can say with Sainct Paul, that which we would not do, that we do: surely, we knowe no sinne against the holy ghoste: we are sinners, but as Paule was, though our sinnes bee moe in number, and greater in weight: yet God our father, through his sonne Iesu Christ, doth pardon vsus, and forgiue vsus all our transgressions. Nowe, beside all this that wee hauehave hetherto spoken, to conclude, let vsus see the word it selfe by which this sinne is named: it is named the sin against the holy ghost, not against the Godhead of the holy Ghost, for the same God is also father and sonne, nor against the person of y• holy ghost, for it is no greater then the person of the father, & of the sonne: but it is to sinne against the graces of the spirit within vsus, and so to sinne against them, that we contemne & despise thē, treade them vnderunder fete, accompt them prophane, & malitiously carry them awaye to all wantonnesle. This then is sinne against the holy ghost: in a continuall apostacie, & generall falling from God, to sinn against thine owne conscience, so y• thou despise the graces of God which he had giuen thee to y• setting out of his praise, and tur…e them to the contempt of his maiestie and glory. Nowe, a woord or two, to shew this sinne by examples, & so we will make an end. Our first example let it be Satan him selfe, and the Angels which did fall with him: howe could they be but lightened which dwelt in the presence of the father of light? & what outward temptation could they possibly hauehave, which neuer had enimie beside them selues? nothing could possibly be in these, but an apostacie or falling from God: after which, tho malice of their owne minde did seeke to rob God of his glory, despising his goodnesse, and withholding y• honour which they knew to be due vntounto him for their creation; thus sinning against the spirite of God, they were cast downe into horrible death: neither did euer God giuegive vntounto them a redemer, by whome they arise againe through repentance. Other examples are not easily sound, which are cleare & manifest before vsus: yet in many, some appearances are, by whiche wee may iudge, and not lightly be deceiued. Caine slue his brother Abel, & wherefore did hee slaye him? because his brothers woorkes were good, and his were euill. A horible sinne, to hate not the man, but the vertue of the mā, and hate it so deadly, that the bonde of brotherhod could not pacifie it: neither did he this of ignorance, for god instructed him, bad him leaue off his anger, and lift vp his countenance: why should he be malitious to his good brother? neither was he prouoked by any outward thing vntounto it: for Abel was obedient to him, as his elder brother: neither did Abels vertue hurte him, but that in well doing he might be also accepted: but the author of sinne, who wrought in his malitious heart, made him hauehave no regarde of al this: one purpose he had, and that he held, except his brother would be wicked, he would hauehave no peace with him.
Another example we hauehave in the Scribes & Phariseis: they knewe Christ came from God, and that his miracles were wrought by the spirite of God: and as Pilate iustly accuseth them, of enuie and malice they sought to put him to death: their conscience accused them in all their dooinges: they corrupted Iudas with monie, to betray him: they hyred against him false witnesses: they bribed the souldiours, after his glorious resurrection, that yet they should saye, his disciples stole him away by night.
This great, wilful, malitious working against the sonne of God, of men vtterly fallen away from the liuing God, our sauiour Christe calleth it sinne against the holie Ghost. To these (I thinke) we may adde Iulianus the Emperour, who for his moste wilfull renouncing of the Lord Iesu, is called to this day the Apostata, who was accoūted at the first, as Hilarius calleth him, a gratious and religious Emperour, but after being spoiled by philosophie and vaine deceite, he beganne to account y• worde of God to be but foolishnesse, persecuted the professours of it with many mockes and taunts, that they must do good for euill, and blesse where they were cursed: and all his life made a mocke of Christ, calling him in reproche the Carpenters sonne, and the man of Galilie, for no occasion but only for this, because he woulde maliciously striue against Christe, as plainely appeareth in his last wordes, nowe euen dying, when he lifted his face vp to the heauens and saide: O man of Galilie, nowe thou hast got the victorie. Thus by examples I hauehave shewed that, which before we heard in the worde, that the sinne against the Holie Ghoste, is a generall apostacie from God, with wilfull malice and an vnrepentaunt heart to persecute his trueth vntounto y• end: from which sinne (dearely beloued) as we are bounde daily to pray that God of his merciemercy would keepe vsus farre from it: so in the name of God I dare promise vntounto you, that as many of you as feare at the remembrance of it, you are as farre frō it, as the East is from the West: for this sinne is a mocking and scoffing at the sonne of God: it is not a weeping & mourning, least you should fall into it. Nowe let vsus pray, &c.
To the Reader.
Gentle reader I thought good in this vacāt place to set down an excellent speech vttered by the Authour of this book a litle before his death: whereby thou maist clearely see and learne, that there is a sweete peace in death, to all suche as painefully serue the Lord in life. For he being raised vp in bed, and his friend requesting him to speake, the Sunne shone on his face, & thereby tooke occasion thus to say:
THere is but one Sunne that giueth light to the world: there is but one righteousnesse: there is but one Communion of Saints. If I were the excellentest creature in the world: If I were as righteous as Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob (for they were excellent men in the world) yet we must all confesse that we are great sinners, and that there is no saluation but in the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ. And we hauehave all neede of the grace of God. And for my part, as concerning death, I feele such ioy of spirite, that if I should hauehave the sentence of life on the one side, and the sentence of death on the other side, I had rather chuse a thousand times (seeing God hath appointed the separation) the sentence of death, than the sentence of life.
The prayer which M. Deering vsed before his Lectures.
O Lorde God, whiche hast lest vntounto vsus thy holie worde to be a lanterne vntounto our feete, and a light vntounto our steppes, giuegive vntounto vsus all, thy holie spirite: that out of the same worde we may learne what is thy eternall will, and frame our liues in all holie obedience to the same, to thy honour and glorie, and increase of our faith, through Iesus Christe our Lorde, Amen.
Deering
DEring, in earthly life thy heauenly voice did teache
The ruth of sinnes, the trueth of endlesse grace:
And with thy voyce thy life conspired to preache
The praise of God with longing to embrace
The sweete delights wherin his Sainctes abound.
O blessed Organ of so noble sound.
When thou didst cry repentant griefe for sinne,
When with inspired breath from ghost diuine
Thy mouth powrde forth what hart did feele within,
Thy deepe desire to drawe men to incline
Their listening soules vntounto the healthful word:
O happie they that turnd vntounto the Lord.
And when thou didst his merciemercy sweete proclame,
And dist with thankfull and deliteful voyce
Set foorth the honour of his sauing name,
To quench dispaire and make the heart reioyce:
O happie hearers of so ioyful newes,
Vnhappie wretches that such ioyes refuse.
O happie thou, and all that shall with thee
Wel followe Him that ledde and is the way:
They followe well whome He hath blest to see
The path and trust, the guide that cannot stray.
Oh well, he liued whom God did so apply:
Oh well he dyed that liues eternally.
Wee thank our God for thee and for thy life,
And for the good that he by thee hath wrought,
Thy speech thy traua…le in his seruice rise,
Thy writings left wherby we stil be taught.
And in thy death Gods holy name be blest:
O blessed dead that in the Lord doe rest.
FINIS. T. N.
End of the text · Edward Dering, Twenty-Seven Lectures Upon Hebrews (1577)