Iohn 3 3. saith Christ hee cannot see the kingdome of God That is as our Sauiour himselfe expoundeth it Except that a man bee borne of Water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God That which is borne of the flesh is flesh Iohn 3 6 and that that is borne of the Spirit is Spirite A man can receiue nothing except it be Iohn 3 27. giuen him from heauen §. 17. Why doe men then presume so much Augustine of the possibilitie of nature saith S. Augustine seeing it is wounded it is â—â—angled it is troubled it is lost It behoueth vs rather truly to confesse it then falsely to defend it For in our flesh the euill lurketh and Bullenger out of vs iniquitie ariseth Whereupon the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romaines saith * I know that in mee that is in my Rom 7 18 19. flesh dwelleth no good thing For to wil is present with mee but I finde no meanes to performe that which is good For I do not the good thing which I would but the euill which I would not that doe I. Also it furthermore seemeth that the verie coÌ„sideration of this our weake sinfull nature where-vnto we are yoked was the only cause which enforced the same Apostle within 5. verses following vehemently to breake forth into these speeches saying O wretched man that I am vvho shall deliuer Rom 7 24. mee from the body of this death But comforting recouering himselfe through faith in his Redeemer he presently maketh this reply in the next verse after saying * I giue thanks vnto God through Rom. 7 25. Iesus Christ our Lord. For hee deliuereth vs from the wrath of 1 The. 1. 10 God to come And GOD hath giuen vs the victorie 1 Cor. 15 57. through him Yea the victory is wholely gotten in his Augustine Name that hath taken man vpon him and hath liued without sinne that in him and through him being both the Priest the Sacrifice remission forgiuenes of sinnes should be obtained and giuen That is to say by the Mediatour of GOD and Man that man Iesus Christ by whom the purging of our sinnes beeing made wee are reconciled vnto God For men bee not seperated from God but by sinnes whereof the purging is not made or which are not purged in this life by our owne vertue and strength but by the mercie of God by his pardon clemencie and not by our own power For the same small vertue and strength that is called ours is graunted and giuen vnto vs by the mercifull goodnesse of Almightie GOD. Thus much onely to shewe vvhat Man is of himselfe by nature ¶ Of the shortnesse and vncertaintie of Mans life §. 1. IT followeth next to be coÌ„sidered what the life of Man is and so consequently how short and vncertaine the same To beginne therefore first with Mans life vve finde in the fourth of S. Iames that the Apostle doth not there compare or liken it to smoake but plainly saith * It is euen Iames 4 14. a vapour or smoake that appeareth for a little time and afterward vanisheth awav We read also in the second Booke of Samuell that the subtile woman of Tekoah pleading with King Dauid for the reconcilement 2. Sam. 14. 4 of his sonne compareth the life of Man to no better thing then water spilt vppon the ground which being once down can neuer be gathered vp againe Besides the Prophet Esay with the afore-said S. Iames S. Peter doe all three agree in one sentence about the life of man Esay 40 6. lames 1. 10. 1. Pet. 1 24 saying * All flesh is grasse and the glorie of man is as the flower of grasse Euen as a flower of the fielde so florisheth Psalm 103 15 16. Man for the winde goeth ouer it and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more §. 2. Man that is borne of a woman saith Iob Iob. 14 1 2. is of short continuaunce and full of trouble hee shooteth forth like a flower and is cut downe he vanisheth also as a shadow and continueth not The daies of his life are determined the Iob 14 5. number of his monthes are known to thee ô Lorde thou hast appointed him his boundes beyonde the which hee cannot passe §. 3. The time of Mans life saith the Psalmist Psal 90 10 is threescore yeeres and tenne and if they be of strength foure-score yeeres yet their strength is but labour sorrow for it is cutte off quickly and we flee away If the number of a Mans dayes doe amount Ecclê° 18. 8 to an hundred yeres it is very much And no man liuing hath any certaine knowledge of his death But euen as fishes when they think theÌ„selues Ecclesi 9. 12 in most safetie are taken vvith the hooke and as birdes are caught in a snare when they thinke nothing lesse so death suddainly smiteth men in an euill season when * Granado they are least mindfull of any such matter §. 4. Now if we consider by the authoritie of these few former places onely what and hovve short the life of Man is seeing the longest terme thereof according to the saying of the Psalmist passeth not threescore and tenne or foure-score yeeres for all the rest if any mans life be drawne a little longer is but labour and sorrow and Granado abate out of this saith Granado the time of our infancie vvhich is rather a lyfe of beasts then men and withall the time that we spend in sleep at which instant we haue not the vse of our sences and reason vvee shall finde that this life of ours is a great deale shorter then it seemeth vnto vs. For wee cannot well reckon the time of our infancie for any part of our life because the life of infancie when we are not yet come to the vse of reason which only sheweth vs to be men is as it were the lyfe of a young Goate that goeth wantonly about leaping and skipping in diuers places at pleasure And especially because we plainly perceiue that in all that age there is nothing either learned or doone that may well beseeme the dignitie of a man And as for the time we spend in sleepe that may much lesse bee counted any part of our life seeing it is the coÌ„mon custome of men to sleepe the third part of the day and night which is eyght vvhole howres VVhere-vppon it followeth by thys account that the third part of our life is consumed in sleepe and so consequently that during that time we doe not liue Besides all this if wee doe compare thys life of ours with the eternitie of the life to come which endureth euerlastingly we shall finde that it vvill scarcely seeme so much as a minute Very well therefore and aduisedlie did that Philosopher write vvho likened the life of man to lightning which coÌ„tinueth Crates but a
and my sword shall eate flesh for the blood of the slaine and of the captiues when I begin to take vengeance on the enemy And to make yet a little more manifest the might of our God and his preuailing power against the disturbers of his peoples peace the Prophet Dauid after his victories obtained in foure great battailes which 2 Sam 2â— hee had with the Philistians declareth the same most pithilie in the second booke of Samuell by the description of a tempest saying In my * trouble did I cal vpon the 2. Sam. 22. 7. Lord and cry to my God and hee heard my voyce out of his Temple and my cry did enter into his eares Then the earth trembled quaked the verse 8 9. 10 11. c. foundations of the heauens mooued and shooke because hee was angry Smoake went out of his nostrils consuming fire out of his mouth coales vvere kindled therat He bowed the heauens also came downe and darknesse was vnder his feete He rode vpon the Cherub and did flie and he was seene vppon the wings of the wind He made darknes a Tabernacle rounde about him with waters gathered together in thicke clowdes At the brightnesse of his presence the coales of fire were kindled the Lord thundred from heauen the most High gaue his voyce hee shot arrowes and scattered them to wit he sent lightning destroyed them The chanels also of the Sea appeared and the foundations of the world were discouered by reason of the rebuking of the Lord thorow the blast of the breath of his nostrils c. §. 21. By the which speech of the Prophet sundry other like precedent places to this purpose euery Christian Reader may indifferently perceiue the power of his Preseruer and by often contemplating the same be the better encouraged according to the example of holy Ieremie boldlie to confesse his Makers almightines saying There * is none like vnto thee ô Lord our Ierem 10 6 God thou onely art great and thy Name is great in power VVho woulde not feare thee ô King of verse 7 8. Nations For vnto thee appertaineth the dominion Among all the Wisemen of the Gentiles and in all theyr Kingdoms there is none like thee but altogether they doate and are foolish For the stock is a doctrine of vanitie But thou ô Lorde hast euer had great strength might and who can withstand Wisd 11. 18 19. the power of thine arme For as the small thing that the ballance wayeth so is the world before thee and as a droppe of the morning dewe that falleth downe vppon the ground Thine ô Lord is greatnes power and 1. Chro. 29 11. glory and victory and prayse for all that is in heauen and in earth is thine Both riches honour come of thee and 1. Chro. 29 12. thou raignest ouer all In thine hande also is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great to giue strength vnto all ¶ Of the Wisedome of God §. 1. WHere saith Iob is Wisedome Iob 28 12 13 14. to be founde Or where is the place of Vnderstandings habitation Surely no man can tell saith he how worthy a thing Wisedome is neither is shee to be founde in the Land of them that liue The deepe saith shee is not with me the Sea saith shee is not with mee Shee cannot bee gotten for the purest verse 15. 16 gold neither may the price of her be valued with any siluer She shall not be bought with the wedge of the gold of Ophir noâ— vvith the precious Onix nor the Saphir No Golde nor Christall may be compared verse 17 18 vnto her neither shal her exchange be for plate of the finest Golde For perfect Wisedome is more worth then any Golde or Pearles c. From whence then coÌ„meth Wisedome Iob 28 20. 21. and where is the place of Vnderstanding Seeing shee is hid from the eyes of all men liuing and from the foules of the ayre Destruction and Death say VVee haue verse 22 23 24 c. heard the fame of her with our eares but it is GOD that vnderstandeth her way he knoweth her place For hee beholdeth the ends of the world and looketh vpon all that is vnder heauen VVhen he wayed the windes and measured verse 25 26 27. c. the waters when he set the rayne in order and gaue the mighty floods a lawe then did hee see her then declared hee her prepared her and knew her And vnto man he sayd Behold to feare the Lord is Wisedome and to depart froÌ„ euill is Vnderstanding §. 2. There is one wise saith Sirach euen the Ecclê° 1 8 9 most high God the Creator of all things the Almightie the King of power glorie and maiestie of whoÌ„ men ought to stand greatly in awe vvhich sitteth vppon his throne Hee is the Lord that hath created Wisedome through the holy Ghost Hee hath seene her numbred her and measured her He also hath powred her out vppon all verse 10 flesh according to his gift and hee giueth her aboundantly vnto theÌ„ that loue him It is likewise the lord our God alone that by wisedome as Salomon saith hath layd Prou 3 19 20. the foundation of the earth and stablished the heauens through vnderstanding By his knowledge the deepes are broken vp and the clowdes drop downe the dew Hee onely as S. Augustine saith is the Augustine Author of all perfect wisedome knowledge and he of his goodnes giueth wisedome vnderstanding vnto whoÌ„ it pleaseth him Science as Aristotle saith may be had Aristotle by diligence but wisedome and discretion commeth from God For hee giueth vvisedome out of his Prou 2 6 mouth commeth knowledge and vnderstanding Yea all wisedome commeth from God Ecclus 1 1 and hath beene euer with him and is with him for euer §. 3. Wisedom as Sirach saith hath been created Ecclus 1 4 froÌ„ the beginning and the vnderstanding of Prudence from euerlasting Shee is the mother of beautifull loue of Ecclus 24 20 21 feare of knowledge and of holy hope In her is all grace life and truth and in her is all hope of life and vertue For shee as Salomon saith is the breath Wisd 7 25 of the power of God a pure influence that floweth from the Almightie therfore can no defiled thing come vnto her Yea Shee is the brightnes of the euerlasting verse 26 light the vndefiled mirrour of the maiestie of God the Image of his goodnesse Shee beeing one can doe all things and verse 27 beeing stedfast herselfe shee reneweth all and according to the ages she entereth into the holie soules and maketh them the freendes of God and Prophets For GOD loueth no man but him in verse 28 whom Wisedome dwelleth Wherefore if any man lacke Wisedom Iames 1 5 let him as the Apostle counselleth aske it of God
Psal 145. 17 the Psalmist saith in all his vvayes and holie in all his workes Yea his vvayes are righteous the iust Hose 14 10 shal walke in them but the wicked shall fall therein For as his wayes are plaine and right vnto Ecclê° 39 24 the iust so are they stumbling blocks vnto the wicked §. 4. But to the end wee should not imagine the wayes of Almightie God to be like our wayes nor his secrete intents to resemble our deuises it hath pleased the Lord himselfe in the prophecie of Esay fully to assure vs of the contrarie by his owne speech where he saith * My thoughts ô house of Esay 55 8 9 Israell are not your thoughts neyther are your wayes my waies For as the heauens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts aboue your thoughts And an example partly to approue this speech of God may be founde in the first Booke of Samuell where wee reade that when the Prophet according as hee vvas appointed went about to annoynt a nowe King in steed of Saule ouer Israell he first after he came to Bethlehem called for Elihab 1 Sam 16 the eldest sonne of Ishai a goodlie tall fellowe and presently supposed him because he was of an high stature and comlie countenaunce to bee the man whom God had chosen But when the Lorde refused him â—ee called for the second sonne and after that the third so in order vntill he had seene seauen of Ishais sonnes at the last when there remained onely but one more named Dauid the most vnlikely amongst all the rest to be elected King the Lord far contrary both to the expectation of his Father and the Prophet as soone as the lad came into their presence called vnto Samuell saying Arise and annoynt him for this is hee Giuing vs hereby to vnderstand that he respecteth not as wee doe the outvvarde appearance comly proportion of euerie beautifull person but rather the godlie inclination of mans minde and the feruent affection of his hidden hart §. 5. Now although indeede we are not able as S. Ierome saith by reason of our manie Ierome â— infirmities to conceaue Gods wonderfull counsels or attaine to the knowledge of his hidden purposes for that his secrete determinations seeme like a deepe Gulfe vnto vs yet must we alwayes in duetie acknowledge him in whatsoeuer hee doth to be iust and true in all his wayes and humblie confesse that he keepeth an vpright and euen hand in the performing of all his promises whatsoeuer And far more fitly also wil it become vs reuerently to admire the meruailous vvorkings of the Almightie then ouer busily to beate our braines about matters that are beyond our capacity saying in all humility of spirit as the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romaines saith * O the deepenesse of Rom 11 33 the riches both of the wisedome knowledge of God! howe vnsearchable are his iudgements his wayes past finding out ¶ Of the Word of God §. 1. THE Worde of the Lord our God Heb 4 12. as saith the Apostle is liuely and mightie in operation and sharper then anie two edged sword It entereth through euen vnto the deuiding in sunder of the soule and the spirit and of the ioynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the hart §. 2. The Word of God as Saint Ambrose Ambrose saith is the pleasant Garden of Paradice where the Tree of knowledge is appoynted by God vnto all the elect In the midst whereof standeth the Tree of Life which is Christ our Sauiour No Cherubin with a fierie sword saith hee keepeth the enterance but it is opened by the instinct of the holy Ghost and the light of the Gospel to all that are hungry In it are the Riuers of liuely vvater by which the Church of all the faythfull is ouerflowne and cherrished and the mindes of the godly inriched with the treasures of heauenly graces Therein also are Trees of all sorts verie faire and fruitfull that is the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles planted by Gods owne hand and the voyce of God continually walking earnestly seeking the saluation of mankinde and leading them vnto the way of life §. 3. The Word of God as Saint Augustine Augustine sayth is the vvombe of God vvherein all his Children are conceaued carried borne and nourished It is the Lanthorne vvhereby our feete Fulgentius may bee directed and the true Light by vvhich our pathes may bee guided vnto Christ It is as it were the Lydian Touchstone Ambrose which rightly tryeth all the opinions and teachings of men whether they be true or counterfeit It is as the Apostle saith the * sword of Ephe 6 17 the Spirit And the * power of God vnto Rom 1 16 saluation to euery one that beleeueth It is the mistery or secrete of the vvill of Rom. 16. 25 GOD. And his Letters or freendly Epistles sent Augustine vnto vs from our heauenly Countrey to instruct vs in fayth and godlines of life It is the liuelie meate or foode of mans Ambrose soule with the which it is nourished fedde and daily gouerned It is the wholsome doctrine of the holie Ierome Ghost wherein is contained whatsoeuer is needful to be knowne of vs in this life concerning our future felicitie in the vvorld to come §. 4. The very authoritie of Gods Worde alone is as S. Augustine saith more theÌ„ all Augustine the sharpnesse of mans imagination or inuention for it hath one constant plaine simple holy meaning wherein the truth consisteth by vvhich onely wee fight and ouercome And whatsoeuer in argument saith S. Gregorie hath not authoritie from the Gregory Word of GOD it may well be auoyded vvith the same ease vvith vvhich it is affirmed For as whatsoeuer gold is vvithout the Origen Temple is not sanctified so vvhat-soeuer sence is without the holy Scriptures although vnto some it seeme wonderfull yet it is not holy because it is not contayned in the sence of the Scriptures §. 5. The entrance as Dauid saith into the Psalm 119. 130. Word of the Lord sheweth light and giueth vnderstanding vnto the simple For it is * prooued to bee most pure It Ps 119 140. Ecclus. 1. 5 Ps 119 160 Psalm 119 72 104 is * the wel-spring of wisedome And the * beginning of it is truth The Lawe of thy mouth ô Lord sayth hee is better vnto mee then thousandes of golde and siluer By thy precepts haue I gotten vnderstanding And by thy coÌ„maundements thou hast Psa 119 98 made me wiser then mine enemies Therefore loue I thy commaundements Psalm 119 127 aboue gold yea aboue most fine gold I reioyce also at thy Word as one that Psalm 119. 162. findeth a great spoyle And my soule ô Lorde hath kept thy Psalm 119. 167. testimonies for