Page images
PDF
EPUB

Sacrament Chrift hath provided a tree of life of graces against the death of finne, whereof they must be partakers that will eat of the tree of life, which Chrift here promifeth: So that whereas the Wife, man faith, Fructus jufti eft lignum vita, Proverbs the eleventh chapter and the thirtieth verfe. The feed of this tree is here fown, and bringeth forth the root of a better tree; for as grace is the root of glory, fo glory is the fruit of grace. Here in this life the root of grace is planted in us, and brings forth the fruits of righteoufneffe, that in the life to come it may make us partakers of the tree of glory, and to affure us of this life, we are fealed with the holy spirit of promife as the earnest of our inheritance, Ephefians the first chapter and the thic teenth verle, and the fecond epistle to the Corinthians the first chapter and the twenty fecond verfe: That albeit we are fallen and can be overcome of finne, yet if we fight better and doe the first works, we fhall be partakers of the life of glory: The kernel of grace is planted in us by the participation of the body and blood of Chrift; of which kernel commeth a tree, which bringeth forth the fruits of ho linefle and righteousnes in our whole life: Which God will in due time reward with the Crown of life and glory in the world to

come.

Hebr. 6. 11. Cupimus autem ut unufquifque vestrum idem ftudium ad finem ufque oftendat, ad certam fpei perfuafionem.

Auguft. 24. 1599.

S in the old teftament the Prophetiffe Deborah, in the fervice of the Children of ha against Fabin, doth fpecially praise God for the willingnelle of the people, Fudges the fift chapter; fo here the Apostle cominendeth the Hebrews for the work and labour of their love, in that they fpared no coft in fhewing themselves good Chriftians. Now the crown of our rejoycing is the fumme of our defire: and therefore as there Deborah defireth to have the promptneffe and readineffe continued in the people, fo the Apostle wisheth that all the Hebrews, as they have been carefull to practise the fruits of faith, fo fhould they ftill fhew further diligence in that behalf. The fpecial drift of the Apoftle is to flew, that the Chriftians comfort ftandeth in the perfection oftheir hope.

The Apostle, Hebrews the eleventh chapter and the first verse, ma keth their hope for to be the definition of faith: For though matters Hiftorical and Dogmatical pertain to faith,yet chiefly fai h hath hope for its object, for as Augustine, Credimus non ut credamus, fed us fperemus; therefore the Apoftle faith, the end of all Scripture is, that we may have hope, Romans the fifteenth chapter and the fourth verfe; and that which he affirmeth, in the first epiftle to the Corinthians the ninth chapter, That he which planteth, planteth in hope, is

as

as much true in all actions: the ground whereof is the hope we conceive of fome benefit; for he that foweth, foweth in hope, he that fai leth,faileth in hope, and he that marrieth,doth it in hope that his eftate will be bettered thereby For fure it is, that it is but a comfortleffe thing to beleeve that there is everlasting joy and glory laid up in Hea ven, except a man be perfwaded that he fhall be partaker of it; Exanguis res fides fine fpe, quia fpes fidei exanguis eft, Amb. And as hope is the blood of faith, as the Prophet faith, Ifaiah the thirtieth chapter and the fifteenth verle, In quietneffe and in confidence fhall be your strengths fo hope is that which whets diligence and therefore the Prophet faith, in the fecond book of the Chronicles the fifteenth chapter and the feventeenth verse, Bestrong and let not your hands be weak, for your work shall have an end: And in the new Testament the Apostle faith, Be fedfaft and immovable, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord, Quod labor vefter non erit inanis in Domino, the first epiftle to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter and the fitty eighth verle. So nothing is more to be defired than to have hope in the evil day; and the means of this hope is to fhew forth diligence.

But for the easier intreatie of the contents of this verse, the points which the Apostle holdeth are, first, That we are not only to beleeve, but alfo to hope: Secondly, Not with a feeble or faint hope,but with the fulneffe of hope: Thirdly, This hope must not be for an hour, as Chrift fpeaketh of St. John, John the fift chapter, but continuing to

the end.

Then for the means of this hope his request is, First, That Diligence be used Secondly, This Diligence must be fhewed forth.

For the first point, the Apostles defire is, That they fhould hope for that which they beleeve; wherein ftandeth the real difference that is between the faith of the Devils and men reprobate, and the faith of the Children of God; for even to the Devils the Apostle afcribes faith, but this faith ends in fear, James the fecond chapter, Damones credunt & contremifcunt; but a Chriftian mans faith and beleef ends in hope. A Chriftian man beleeves that he may have hope, for hope comes by faith, as the Apostle fheweth, Galatians the fift chapter and the fit verle, We by the spirit wait for the hope of righteoufneffe through faith; and that faith which is the cause of hope, doth work by love; as the fame Apostle teftifieth, And love caufeth diligence, Credendo fperamus, fperando diligimus, qui diligit diligendus eft; Amb For there is no love without diligence. And to neceffary is hope that the Apostle makes it a part of our falvation: For as, Ephefans the fecond chapter, ye are faved by faith; fo he faith, Romans the eighth chapter and the twenty fourth verfe, we are faved by hope: For how foever it is certain, that God is the hope of all men in general, as the Prophet calls him, the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are in the broad fea, Pfalm the fixty fift; fo it is as certain, there is another hope, bfides that general, which the faithfull conceive; for that general hope concerns this prefent life. The Apostle faith, if we had no other hope but that, we are of all men most miserable, the Dddd 2

firft

first to the Corinthians the fifteenth chapter. The hope of all men is, fpes Dei,that he doth fave both man and beaft, Pfalm 36. that they fhall be delivered from outward danger, and shall be both kept by God under the fhadow of his wings; and when none can minister help, then they flying to God,fhall be fafe: But he is more specially called the hope of Ifrael, Joel the third chapter and the fixteenth verfe; that is, there is a further hope,& this is a Chriftians hope. It is true that Chri ftians have a hope in God for defence from trouble in this life,as others have: and in that fenfe, this their hope is like a breft-plate against the troubles of this life, the first epistle to the Theffalonians the fitt chapter and the eighth verfe; and the fame hope of theirs, for that the troubles of this life are compared to the furges and waves of the Sea, is called an Anchor, Hebrews the fixt chapter. But the Chriftian mans hope goeth further than that general hope; for the Heathen doth fay, pero dum fpiro; but when breath is gone, the just man hath hope in his death, Justus etiam in morte fperat, Proverbs the fourteenth chapter and the twenty third verle therefore the Apostle calls a Chriftian mans hope fpem vivam, a lively hope; as if the other were fpes mortua, the firft epiftle of Peter the first chapter ard the third verfe: For whereas the faith of all men doth fail in death, the Christians faith doth even then flourish, because they are begotten again to a lively hope, through the refurrection of Chrift from the dead. It was Davids (perch, That when he was laid in the grave, his flesh should reft in hope, Pfalm the fix. teenth. In this life our hope hath a waiting, as St.Paul calls it,wherein ir doth hope for the hope of righteousneffe by Chrift, Galatians the fift chapter and the fift verfe; and after this life it hopes for the fruition of the riches of glory, that is, for Chrift himself, who is the hope of glory Coloßstans the first chapter and the twenty feventh verse: His hope is not in the shadow of Gods wings only, but fpes in lumine virtutis, as the Prophet speaks, Pfalme the eighty ninth and the fifteenth verfe.

:

There is yet one point more, and that is a neceffary admonition nor to confound, but keep feveral thefe two virtues theological; for they be two dif-joyned virtues, as the Apostle fheweth, the first epistle to the Corinthians the thirteenth chapter: Now these three are Faith, Hope, and Love; and whereas we put Hope under Faith, all the ancient Fathers have put difference between them; of whom Augustine makes four differences: First, Faith hath for its obje&t the word and promife of God, but Hope looks not for a promife, but rem promissam, we beleeved the promife, but hope for the thing promised. Secondly, of Faith, as well evil things as good things, are the object; for we beleeve the pains of Hell no leffe than the joves of Heaven, but the object of our hope is only for good things, as that in this life me shall be partakers of the righteousnesse of Christ, and afterward of his glory. Thirdly, We doe not only beleeve things to come, but fuch as are present and paft; for things paft by faith we apprehend, Hebrews the eleventh chapter and third verfe; and for things to come, we be leeve there shall be a day of Judgement, when the Shepheard shall

Separate

[ocr errors]

Separate the sheep from the goats, Matthew the twenty fift chapter; but Hope doth only apprehend things to come, and not things paft, Fourthly, as Bernard noteth, the applying virtue is Hope; for this is Vox fidei, magna & invifibilia repofita funt timentibus Deum; but Hopes voice is, mihi ipfi reperiuntur, that is, I my felf have a part in them: Quod fides futurum credit, id fpes fibi futurum expectat; but Charities voice is, I am diligent, & fpem apprehendo.

For the use of this virtue, whereas in the Scripture there are many fayings which force farre, As that, as the ground that drinks in rain and bringeth not forth graffe, is cursed; fo the Chriftian that drinks the water of Gods word,and yet brings forth no fruits of faith is in a curfed state,Hebrews the fixt chapter: Yet to conceive hope,because in the fame chapter is matter of comfort alfo, fo the Apo ftle faith, That by two immutable things, whereby it is impoßible for God to lye, that is his word and oath, we have strong confolation, Hebrews the fixt chap ter and the eighteenth verfe: As he hath made us great and pretious promifes, the fecond epistle of Peter the fecond chapter; fo he is à faithfull Creator, the first epiftle of Peter the fourth chapter: And as Sarab conteffed, He is faithfull that hath promised, Hebrews the eleventh chapter and the eleventh verfe: And as Sarah laid,fo Abraham (aith,Hè is able to doe what he promiseth, Romans the fourth chapter & the twenty first verfe. And therefore we are to conceive hope, and fay with the Apostle, in the second epistle to Timothie the first chapter, I know whom I have beleeved, Scio cui credidi; and not only able, but willing, For of them that come to him he casteth away none, Fohn the fixt chap

ter.

Secondly, Our hope must not be faint, but we muft have a perfect affurance of hope; not a hope halfe full, but the full measure of hope, as the Apostle fheweth, negfogiau irma☺ : We must not fail with one fail but with the whole gale of winde, that is, with a full afsurance of hope; tor to this belongeth that which the Apostle requireth, That we be carried forward to that perfection, Hebrews the fixt chapter and the firft verfe, That as we may not alwaies be babes in knowledge, that must be taught line upon line, Efay the twenty ninth chapter, but labour to come to a fuineffe of knowledge, which the Apoftle calls A treafure of wefdome, negosiar sourias, Coloßians the fecond chapter and the third verfe: So for being faithfull men, we must not content our felves with a weak and feeble faith, but must strive to attain to an affurance of faith, is megtopian isews, Hebrews the tenth chapter and the twenty fecond verfe; not to fay as Agrippa, Acts the twenty fixt chapter, I am fomwhat perfwaded to be a Chriftian, that is bu a beginning of faith; but when we have this beginning, we are to goe forward, and fo in hope we must not content our felves with a good perfwafion at the firft, and fo to reft in a mammering; but proceed till we be fully affured: And this St. Peter telleth plainly, we must perfecte perare, the firft epiftle of Peter the firft chapter and the thir teenth verfe, truft perfectly.This is Peters defire, as it is the Apostles

Dddd 3

here.

here.
Which full affurance, that it is a different thing from faith,
the Apoftle fheweth, Ephesians the third chapter and the twelfth
verse, In whom we have boldnesse and accesse with confidence by faith in
Chrift, παῤῥησίαν και προσαγωγὺ ἐν πεποιθήσει δια πίςεως. That confidence (or
fiducia) as the Apoftle calls it, is the perfection of our hope; and we
attain to it, as he faith, per fidem: This fiducia is the effect of faich, as
wazwy and rapinoia, access and boldness of speech are the effects of hope,
the fecond epiltle to the Corinthians the third chapter and the twelfth
verfe. Those beginnings of hope and faith are not to be difl.ked,Mark
the ninth chapter and the twenty fourth verfe, I beleeve, Lord help my
unbelief; but he that hath fuch a fa th, must strive to come to Abra-
hams faith, Qui contra fpem fub fpe credidit, Romans the fourth chap-
ter: So he hath that small meature of hope which the Prophet (pea-
keth of Joel the fecond chapter and the fourteenth verfe, Who knoweth
if the Lord will return and repent, and leave a bleßing behinde him? Fon.
the third chapter and the ninth verfe. These are beginnings not
to be difallowed, fo that he ftrive further to the perfection of hope
which was in Job, Job the thirteenth chapter and the fifteenth verle,
Etenim fi occiderit,fperabo in eum; Which made Paul fay Romans the
eighth chapter and the thirty eighth verfe, I am fure that neither life
nor death, things prefent, nor to come, &c.

Thirdly, This fulneffe of hope must continue to the end, and not abide for a time: As Chrift blames, Luke the eighth chapter, we're sorras, fo the Apostle finds fault with temporary hope: It is that which we fee in Demas, he beleeved and had hope, and gave great hope for a time, lo that Paul acknowledged Lim his fellow laborer; but his faith and hope had foon an end, for he forlook Paul, and fell to embracing the prefent world, the fecond epiftle to Timothie the fourth chapter. Therefore it is not enough to hope foratime, but our hope must continue to the end; for as the Apoftle faith, thou mayft fee the goodneffe of God in breaking off the natural branches to graff thee in, if thou continue; for elfe he will thew like feverity to thee, Romans the eleventh chapter and the feventeenth verse, but thou must permanete. The fame Apostle faith, Galatians the fift chapter and the feventh verfe, You did run well; as if he should say, nay you fate ftill, and therefore all is to no purpose: Therefore the Apoftle exhorts, Soto run that they may obtain, the first to the Corinthians the ninth chapter; as he himself doth in chastifing his body and fubduing it, leaft while he preach to them, he fhould be rejected. His meaning is, albeit he be affured, That nothing shall separate him from the love of God, Romans the eighth chapter and the thirty eighth verle, yet he will runne ftill, and keep his hope. For the ftate of finctifica tion is like the fanctifying of the Nazarite, If at the end of fix dayes be did touch any unclean thing, he was to begin again, Numbers the fixt chap er and the twelfth verfe. So it is in the matter of hope and other virtues And therefore the Prophet prayeth not only for the fpirit and an ingenious fpirit, but a conftant (pirit that may continue, Pfalm the fifty first.

The

[ocr errors]
« PreviousContinue »