By the foresaid examples he exhorteth them to patience, and by example of Christ himself
crucified, 5. and because this discipline is an argument that they be God's children, 9. with
whose red they should be much more content then with that of their carnal Fathers: and because it
bringeth iustification. 12. Exhorting them therfore to plucke vp their harts, and to take faster
footing: 18. considering that al being now so sweet, and not terrible as in the old Testament, their
damnation, if they refuse to heare, wil be so much the greater.
1. AND therfore we also hauing so great a cloud of witnesses put vpon vs:
*
Col. 3,8.
1 Pet. 2,1.
laying away al
weight and sinne that compasseth vs, by patience let vs run to the fight proposed vnto vs,
2. looking on the author of faith, and the consummatour Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, who, ioy being
proposed vnto him, sustained the Crosse, contemning confusion, and sitteth on the right hand of
the seat of God.
3. For, thinke diligently vpon him which sustained of sinners such contradiction
against himself: that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds.
4. For you haue not yet resisted vnto bloud, repugning against sinne:
5. and you haue forgotten the consolation, which speaketh to you, as it were to
children, saying,
*
Prou. 3,11.
Apoc. 3,19.
My sonne neglect not the discipline of our Lord: neither be thou wearied
whiles thou art rebuked of him.
6. For whom our Lord loueth, he chasteneth; & he scourgeth euery child that he
receiueth.
7. Perseuer ye in discipline. As vnto children doth God offer himself to you. For what
sonne is there, whom the father doth not correct?
8. But if you be without discipline, whereof al be made partakers; then are you
bastards, and not children.
9. Moreouer the fathers indeed of our flesh we had for instructours, and we did
reuerence them: shal we not much more obey the Father of spirits, and liue?
10. And they indeed for a time of few daies, according to their wil instructed vs: but
he, to that which is profitable in receiuing of his sanctification.
11. And al discipline for the present certes seemeth not to be of ioy, but of sorrow:
but afterward it wil render to them that are exercised by it, most peaceable fruit of iustice.
12. For the which cause stretch vp the slacked hands & the loose knees
13. and make straight steps to your feet: that no man halting erre, but rather be
healed.
14.
*
Rom. 12,18.
Follow peace with al men, and holinesse: without which no man shal see God:
15. looking diligently lest any man
✟
That we be not good, there is noe lacke on Gods part, who offereth his grace to vs: but the
defect is in our selues that are not answerable to Gods calling of vs and grace towards vs.
be wanting the grace of God: lest any root of
bitternes springing vp doe hinder and by it many be polluted.
16. Lest there by any fornicatour or prophane person
✟
Such as forsake their saluation and religion to saue their lands and goods are like Esau.
as Esau:
*
Gen. 25,33.
who for one dish of
meat sold his first-birth-rights.
17. For know ye that afterward also desiring to inherit the benediction, he was
reprobated:
*
Gen. 27,38.
for he found not place of repentance, although with teares he had sought it.
18. For you are not come to
*
Ex. 19,12.
a palpable mount, and an
✟
' kindled (or) burning.
accessible fire and whirle-wind,
and darkenes, and storme,
19. and the sound of trompet, and voice of words, which they that heard excused
themselues, that the word might not be spoken to them,
20. (for they did not beare that which was said: And if a beast shal touch the
mount, it shal be stoned.
21. And so terrible was it which was seen, Moyses said: I am frighted and
tremble.)
22. But
✟
The faithful are made fellowes of Angels & of al the perfect soules departed since the
beginning of the world, and of Christ himself.
your are come to mount Sion, and the citie of the liuing God, heauenly Hierusalem,
and the assemblie of many thousand Angels,
23. & the Church of the first-borne, which are written in the Heauens, and the iugde
of al, God: and the spirits of the iust
✟
τετελειωμένων.
made perfect,
24. and the mediatour of the new Testament Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ, and the sprinkling of bloud
speaking better then
*
Gen. 4,10.
Abel.
25. See that you refuse him not speaking. For if they escaped not refusing him that
spake vpon the earth, much more we, that turne away from him speaking to vs from Heauen.
26. Whose voice moued the earth then: but now he promiseth, saying,
*
Ag. 2,7.
Yet once; and
I wil moue not only the earth, but heauen also.
27. And in that he saieth, Yet once, he declareth the translation of moueable
things as being made, that those things may remaine which are vnmoueable.
28. Therfore receiuing an vnmoueable Kingdom, we haue grace: by the which
✟
λατϱευωμεν.
let vs
serue pleasing God, with feare & reuerence.
29. For
*
Deut. 4,24.
our God is a consuming fire.
ANNOTATIONS.
CHAP. XII.
6. He scourgeth. ) Temporal punishment after remission of sinnes, either here or in
Purgatorie.
By this we proue that God often punisheth the sinnes euen of his louing children, though not
with eternal damnation, yet with temporal chastisement and correction; & that he doth not
alwaies together with the remission of deadly sinnes and eternal punishment, exempt the offender
receiucd to his grace, from al fatherly correction either in this life or in the next. Neither
haue the Heretikes of this time any reason or Scripture in the world, why they should take away
Gods chastisement of his children in the next life, more then in this world.
17. He found not. ) It is not meant, that Esau could not find remission of his sinne at
Gods hand: but that hauing once sold and yealded vp the right of his firft-birth to his
yongcr brother, it was too late to be sorie for his vnaduised bargaine.