treasure hidden and closed vp as in these wordes but haue life euerlasting here is poynted out the fielde of fayth where we haue to fetche that treasure héere is also a light sette vp vnto vs that we doe not wander in darkenesse and so léese our way I meane Christ that bright blasing starre the true light of the world finally here is as it were in a plot drawn out the worke of oure redemption and in a knot knit vp the whole mysterie of oure saluation and in handling hereof I thinke it good to vse that meanes that those do which when they haue an hard knot giuen them to knit the like straight they vndoe the same and so make it vp againe with lesse adoe you may say then here is a goodly warning not to perishe a large promise a ryche pearle a worthy treasure to haue life euerlasting but the next question is howe we may obtayne those promises héere is an ordinarie meanes expressed aunswering that question who so beleeueth in him This is the fielde to walke in the foote we muste trust to euen the fielde and foote of fayth But whom in whom shall we beléeue here can we not bee to séeke neyther For Chryste setteth vppe hymselfe here as a marke for our faythe to shoote at who so beleeueth in him Why shoulde we beléeue in him Here is answere to that also bicause he is that Prophet sent of God the sonne the onely begotten sonne of the father therefore ought our faithe to worke and rest on him What moued God to sende that Ambassadour not to spare his deare his onely sonne that cause also is not omitted God so loued the worlde c. it was his owne loue his frée mercy that brought this to passe nowe I thinke there are no more questions to be made no more doubtes to be moued For if all were sayde and vnderstoode whiche concerneth these pointes it were sufficient to saue a soule and to make a perfite man of god For beleue thou in Christ as sent of God as the sonne of God considering thorowly the loue of God by him declared then as truely as Christ is the truthe and may not lye thou standest in the state of saluation thou hast founde the fielde possessest that treasure not to perish but to haue life euerlasting The thirde Chapter ¶ That the especiall loue of God is the chiefe cause of mans saluation and that to the right knowledge thereof mans estate must be considered THus the knot being vndone let vs seuerally consider the partes and péeces thereof that the very bowels of the matter being searched there may a more perfecte vnderstanding grow thereof Therfore the firste steppe the firste entrie towarde the worke of oure saluation is the loue of God God so loued the worlde And to consider how this loue is declared towardes man therein consisteth the whole summe of our redemption And the first consideration herein to be hadde is this as whose loue it is we speake of for it is no vaine or light loue of man but an assured and stedfast loue the loue of God who is as S. Iohn saythe loue it selfe Then what loue it is that is here mentioned For God declareth his loue towardes vs in diuers sortes and manye are the benefits of God towardes man as that by him we liue we moue and haue our being he satisfieth the thirstie soule and filleth the hungrye soule with good thinges And the seruant of Abraham when he wente a wooing for Isaac tolde his tale vnto Laban the brother of Rebecca in this wife I am Abrahams seruant and the Lorde hath blessed my master wonderfully that he is becom great for he hath giuen him shéepe and Beeues and siluer and golde and men seruantes and mayde seruantes and Camels and asses This was a blessing a great tokē of Gods loue but there was a better blessing a greater loue wherwith God embraced Abraham and his posterity that is it whereof S. Iohn speaketh God so loued the worlde c. It is a speciall loue that is héere meant and it néedeth a speciall consideration Therefore that we maye the better acknowledge the goodnesse of God in this behalfe it shall not be from the purpose to remember oure first state howe God did then shew himselfe a louing Lorde towards vs then to set before vs our fall that we mighte vnderstand what we are whome God so loueth as S. Iohn here speaketh of loue that God shoulde sende his onely begotten sonne to be a pledge of his loue then howe the loue of God did worke and appeare in him fynallye howe that loue might haue his full effecte in vs by receiuing that worthy Ambassadour Chryste which is as S. Iohn saithe by beleeuing in him These being treated in whose hearts it shall happen to take roote it wil be a séede that shall spring to that floure that withereth not and fruite that fadeth not as to haue life euerlasting The fourth Chapter ¶ Howe the loue of God appeareth in the creation of the worlde and in mans first estate FIrst therefore the loue of God did maruelously appear in our first creatiō yea before our creation he made all thinges for the benefite of man and man for his owne glorie he bestowed sixe dayes labor vpon man and his necessaries as the booke of Genesis reporteth He layde the foundations of the earth and stretched out the heauens like a curtaine he gathered the waters togyther that the drye lande might appeare This he did for the benefite of man bringing all things into an vniformitie that there myght be a place of habitation for man but yet were not all things prouided necessarie for the maintenance of man wherefore he stayd his creation vntill all suche things were prouided as his heauenly wisdome thought best to serue his turne out of these thrée his first creatures the earth the firmament and the waters he drew out his other creatures necessarie for the vse and preseruation of man To the earthe God sayde Let the earth budde forth the bud of the herbe that seedeth séede the fruitfull trées bearing fruite according to his kinde God saide that worde and it came to passe and God sawe it was good it was good forthe glorie of God principally and it was good for the commoditie of man Moreouer God let the earth bring forthe the liuing thing according to his kinde cattell and that whiche créepeth and the beast of the earth according to his kinde it was done it was good in the sight of God and it was good for the profite of man of the firmament God sayde lette there be lightes in the firmament of heauen to giue light vpon the earth Then God made two great lightes the greater light to rule the daye and the lesse lighte to rule the night he made the starres also and sette them in the firmament of the heauen to shine vpon the earth God saw that it was good firste
broughte as a shéepe before hys shéerer that openeth not his mouth so was he brought before Annas Cayphas Herode and Pylate of whome he heard euill wordes ynough to moue his pacience but it was vnmoueable therefore he gaue them the hearing and answered their quarrelling questions with humble silence for pacience and silence they were two of the sharpest weapons he mainteyneth his kingdome withall Another saying of our Sauioure is this I gaue my backe vnto the smyters and my chéekes vnto the nippers I hid not my face from shame and spitting how that was tried true we know when our Sauiour was so roughly handled of Souldiers vnder Pilate now layd on with fistes now smitten with rods and how shamefully he was bespetted the Euangelist dothe most faithfully report and howe he helde hys backe to the tormenters what backbyting he had as well by euill entreatie as misreportes thereof Pylats bitter scurge may be for witnesse sufficiente another Scripture saythe he is broughte as a shéepe to the slaughter in suche manner did our Sauiour goe out of Ierusalem to the place of hys execution called Caluaria where hee was offered vp an innocent lambe and slayne as a sacrifice with bloude for our offences And so dothe the Prophete crie in the person of Christe pouring out hys complaintes and declaring the terrible pangs that he had on hys Crosse I am saythe he become a worme and not a man a shame of men and the contempt of the people all they that sée me haue me in derision they make a mow at me and nod the head saying he trusted in the Lorde let hym deliuer hym let hym saue hym séeing hée loueth hym agayne hée saythe I am lyke water poured out and all my bones are out of ioynt mine hart is lyke waxe it is moulten in the midst of my bowells my strength is dried vp lyke a potsherde my tongue cleaueth to my iawes and thou hast brought me into the dust of deathe for doggs haue compassed me and the assembly of the wicked hathe enclosed me they pierced my handes and my féete they gaue me gall in my meate and in my thirst they gaue me vineger to drinke they parted my garmentes amongst them and cast lottes vpon my vesture rebuke hathe broken my hart and I am full of heauinesse and I looked for some to haue pitie on me but there was none and for comfort but I founde none These were the sighes and sobbes vttered of the Prophet to be verified of our Sauioure whiles he was in that terrible horror and dreadfull anguish of soule as he lay like a lambe broken to the crosse and most bitterly bléeding to deathe for so farre dyd he submit himselfe in the cause of our redemption that he is made the most perfect patterne of all pacience so did the loue of God work in him that he was consumed euen of very zeale to hys house so was he turmoyled and tormented brused and broken racked and rent into péeces for euill deseruing seruauntes for our disobedience hée performed the vttermost poynt of obedience as Sainte Paule saythe he was obedient to the death the deathe of the crosse The fourtenth Chapter ¶ The sweetenesse of Gods loue fealt by a true and liuely fayth THis was the price paid for our redēption this was the purchase of our pardon euen the most precious bloudshéeding of the only begottē son of God so hath the merciful Lord stretched his loue towards the world in Christ euen to the top of the crosse and so to the bowels of the earth the bottome of the graue from whence he is risen to the right hand of the father ther to reigne vntill he haue troden his enimies cleane vnder his féete Now we to whome belonged nothing but shame and reproch may fréely glory without all suspition of vanitie we that in ourselues had no cause but to lament haue nowe good leaue to reioice reioicing in the Lord now may we withoute all feare triumph ouer our enimies with that sure Souldier of Christ say O death wher is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie May we now stay ourselues but to fal in admiration of gods infinite mercie and say with the Apostle O the déepenesse of the riches of God with the Prophet O Lorde what is man that thou visitest him or what is the sonne of man that thou so regardest him No man can haue greater loue than to giue his life for hys friendes What then mighte we now aske more at Gods hands what péece of loue is there nowe left which god hath not fully bestowed vppon vs for Christ is that good shephearde which layth downe his life for his shéepe O Lord what is man that thou shouldest so regard him O that mē would consider this loue of God which S. Iohn maketh so much of that he repeateth it again and againe In this saith he appeared the loue of God toward vs bycause God sente hys only begotten sonne into the world that we might liue through him And agayne herein is loue saith he not that we loued him but that he loued vs and hath sente hys sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes Let this sentence be well weighed The loue of God is a well conteyning the water of life whose operation is reconciliation whose riuers are righteousnesse whose streames wipe awaye the sands of sinne whose little drops refresh the hote hart of man flaming and boyling with the smoking fire of Gods furie and besides this it is a fountaine not forced but fréely springing of it selfe so saythe S. Iohn it is not a reward for a desert it is not loue for loue one for another but it is loue for hatred mercy without merite fauoure for falshoode pitie for obstinacie pardon for rebellion the payment of honoure for the debte of shame bringing hope for desperation and lyfe vnlooked for in place of deserued death thus dothe S. Iohn lay foorth the loue of GOD before vs as it were still harping on thys one string God so loueth the vvorlde and on thys playeth S. Paule also not without great pleasure in such sort that I thinke where it entreth the eare it may not but muche moue the hart for first he putteth the Ephesians in mind of their old estate in what case they stoode before they were called to the grace of the gospell that they so knowing them selues might the better knowe God hys goodnesse towardes them ye were saith he dead in trespasses and in sinnes yée in time past walked according to the course of the world and after the Prince that ruleth in the aire euen the spirite that worketh in the children of disobedience and here ioyning himselfe and his fellowes with the Ephesians among whome we also had our conuersation in times past in the lusts of our flesh and were by nature what were they the children of wrath as well as others Such were they such children are we
yet I saw neuer the righteous forsaken nor his séede begging their bread Doubtlesse GOD shall prouyde for you and yours sufficientlye and abundantly if you caste awaye all suche worldly respectes and muche more than otherwise Nowe I thinke these shall suffice to vnderset and staye you vp that you fall not on this side The next care concerneth my second suter that he take you not with the bayte of beautie wherby manye wise women and men haue bin deceyued and with a shorte pleasure haue purchased long and desperate repentance This caused Salomon to commit follie .11 of the 1. Kings This cooled she mightie Sampsons courage Iud. 16. Did not the beautie of Bethseba so rauish the eyes of holy Dauid that he committed with hir moste abhominable adulterie and made him also guiltie of bloudshed So it is written .11 of .2 Samuel He saw a woman washing hir selfe and the woman was very beautifull to looke vpon You might abuse these examples to folly as to saye These men were notable for strength for wisedome for godlynesse maruaile not then mighte you saye though I be ouercome in that case Not so sister but thys consider in these examples that if such of so excellent graces haue bene ledde awaye with these traynes you haue hereby a faire warning to beware and to be very circumspect in so subtill a pointe and so daungerous a case if you giue place to such fantasies that they ouercome reason you may soone slip into those inconueniences that you see in the examples of others you may plucke the house on your head as Sampson dyd As you choose your marke so goeth your game as you make your foundation so will your building be if the one be stedfast the other will not lightly shake but if the one be not surely grounded a little blast marreth much work surely the handsome person of man is not of long continuaunce Besides that it is subiect to corruption by innumerable meanes Wherfore if your mariage hang vpon that knot a little force will breake it a little laboure will vndoe it and of it selfe it will decay and weare away If this fansie be the leader of your loue you follow a blinde guide you may soone slide and wander out of your right waye Many an vnsauery wéede beareth a faire blossome so vnder a faire face there lieth hiddē many a foule fault and with sounde looke often is couered the hollow heart all hatred A liuelye example in Absolon 14. Sam. 2. I haue read an historie of one Paulus Aemilius a noble man of Rome matched with a wife called Papiria both for birth and beautie to iudge worthye suche an husbande Howbeit he diuorced hir and when hir friends entreated for hir demaunding of him what shoulde be the cause mouing him so to doe for they saw none séeing that she was to behold manerly and modest fayre and fruitefull Then he for answere thrusteth out hys foote and sayth Beholde see my shoe is it not fayre is it not newe yet none of you woteth where it wringeth me Belyke there was some secret fault in that woman not to be borne withall whych was so lothsome vnto the husbande as hir beautie coulde be pleasant Be aduised therefore least you finde that your handsome husband haue that which this man found in his faire wife If you will not that your shoe wring measure hym before you buie and iudge not of hym by the colour but measure him rather within than without least you wring for it afterwarde The goodly personage without wisedome vertue what is it better than a painted man Plato the Philosopher in the person of Socrates thus saith to Alcibiades He that at any time hath loued Alcibiades body hath not loued Alcibiades himself but he that loueth thée loueth thy minde nunc tui corpus amatur c. And the wise Tullie sayth Man is as his mind is not that forme figure whiche may be pointed at with the finger For this you vnderstande that man consisteth of two parts the one as the mind endued with reason that beareth the image of god the other as the body which we haue common wyth the brute beasts Wherefore Dauid you know cōpareth that mā that lacketh vnderstanding vnto horse mule and I me thinkes may well cōpare such lusty lads whose commendation is onely on their personage and lacketh learning witte and honestie vnto Plato his Man as Diogenes called When that Plato in his schoole had defined a man in this wise as to be a lyuing and twofooted creature made vpright and without any feathers Diogenes thinking that he had not well defined or expressed the nature bycause he suppressed that which was most proper to man and did concerne the mynde and gifte of reason he pluckte me a Capon bare and turned him into the schole saying Beholde Platos man Thus is a man if you consider not his mind a foole what is he but an vnfeathered foule A man without maners what is he better than a capon without feathers Wherefore if you méete any such in your dyshe estéeme him as you list I haue tolde you the price Trust not to soone those faire faces which come like capons vpon soppes and Sugar That braue apparell what is it but Pecockes feathers the good cōplexion the strength of the body the white hand the cleane leg what are these but fading flattering floures what but baites to deceiue the foolishe fishe all these serue but to please the eye and to satisfie the fantasie of the fleshe Consider what is writtē in the .6 of Genesis The sonnes of God sawe the daughters of mē that they were faire they toke thē wiues of all that they liked Therefore the Lorde sayde my spirite shall not alway striue with man c. Beholde that fleshly fansie of mariage for that they thereby abused and polluted the holy ordinaunce of God is expressed there as one of the causes that prouoked God so to powre out the raine of his wrath and to destroy all fleshe from the face of the earth Wherefore in this point I end with the exhortation of S. Iohn .1 epist. 2. chap. Loue not the world neither the thinges that are in the worlde if any man loue the world the loue of the father is not in him for al that is in the worlde as the lust of the fleshe the lust of the eyes and the pryde of life is not of the father but is of the worlde and the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that fulfilleth the will of God abydeth for euer By these sister you may cōsider the true and sure waye you haue to walke you haue the bywayes that may cause you to wāder in some sort stopped vp you may see if it please you the good and the bad although set forthe but in a rude glasse Sing not now Medeas song who sayd I see and allowe the better but yet I folow the worse Giue not Venus your apple