father Origen calleth all them brethren of the Phariseis which séeke to entrap men And Aretius a learned man sayth Diabolicum est quaerere quod carpas quod damnes It is deuilishe to séeke to taunt to carpe to condemne Some folowed him to sée as vaine curious persōs do now a dayes which come to Sermons to see and not to learne Domine volumus a te signū videre Maister we would sée a signe of thee but he aunswered and sayd vnto them this euill and adulterous generation séeketh a signe but there shall no signe be geuen to it saue the signe of the Prophet Ionas Some preasse to heare inuectiues Some to be more ready to contēd and a few alas to few for the loue of Gods holy worde as this company And yet not vnlike but that some of them afterward cried Tolle eū crucifige eū away with him crucifie him Such is the inconstācie of the vnconstant multitude To this tendeth the parable of the séede some fell by the hygh wayes side some vpō stony places some among thornes some fell into good groūd brought forth frute some an hūdred fold some sixtie and some thyrtie folde Thus much for that point By the word of God I vnderstād here the word of the Gospell that is that Iesus is the true Messias the sonne of the woman of whom it is sayd Conteret caput Serpentis he shall breake the Serpentes head and valiantly vanquish the power and puissance of Sathan That sonne of Abraham in whom all the nations of the earth shal be blessed The sonne of Dauid which in the house of Iacob shall raigne for euer That sonne to whom it is sayd aske of me I will giue thée the Heathen for thine inheritaunce sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemyes thy foote stole To be short that ladder of Iacob which reacheth to heauen Christ taught sometyme the law sometyme the Gospell Albeit the Sermon of Christ in the v. vj. vij Math. is a true interpretation of the law yet notwithstāding the law is not the thyng for preachyng whereof Christ was sent in to this world For as we read in Esay 61. 1. vers The spirit of the Lord is vpon me for the Lord hath annoynted me and sent me to preach good tidynges vnto the poore Christ came not as a law maker or a law teacher as Moyses came before Hereunto is added that the word of the law doth slea or kill as S. Paule teacheth but the word of Christ giueth life as he testifieth him selfe veryly veryly I say vnto you if a man kéepe my saying hee shall neuer sée death The law is a knowledge knowen by nature as the Apostle witnesseth The Gospel is not knowē by nature but published frō the secret determination of the Godhead by our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ Lex per Mosen data est gratia veritas per Iesum Christū facta est The law was geuen by Moyses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ And our Sauiour saith to his disciples To you it is geuen to know the secretes of the kingdome of god c. And also to Peter he sayth flesh bloud hath not opened that vnto thée but my father which is in heauē Read. 1. Cor. 2. 1. Cor. 4. 2 Cor. 5. Collos 4. 1. Tim. 3. Rom. 16. The law sheweth sinne The Gospell sheweth Christ the Sauiour of the world teachyng that sinnes are forgeuē to all that beleue in him that they are reconciled to god These thynges do the wisemen Prophetes Scribes specially teach which are sent from the sonne of God. The law requireth onely obedience and condēneth the guilty The Gospell giueth remission of sinnes freely in the name of Christ to the penitent relieueth and comforteth the troubled consciences with his sweete promises The promises of the law are conditionall ye shal kéepe my ordinaunces and my iudgementes which if a man do he shall liue in them the promises of the Gospell are certaine and free Come to the waters all ye that be thirsty and ye that haue no money come buy wyne and milke without any money or moneys worthe All haue sinned and haue néede of the glory of God but are iustified fréely by his grace through the redēption that is in Christ Iesus Therfore by fayth is the inheritaūce geuē that it might be by grace The law proposeth preceptes the Gospell hath promises The law is a rule of good workes the Gospell is a doctrine of the person and benefites of the Messias The law denounceth the wrath of God eternall malediction death and damnation to all men for sinne Maledictus omnis qui nō permāserit in omnibus his c Cursed be he that continueth not in all the woordes of this law to do them all the people shall say Amen The Gospell offereth remission of sinnes to all men To giue knowledge of saluation to his people for the remission of their sinnes The law iustifieth none saueth none deliuereth none from sinne but accuseth bewrayeth sinne condemneth all the Gospell of Christ is the power of God to saluation to all that beleue offeryng to all remission of sinnes rightuousnes eternall life To be short the law is to be terribly thundered to the wicked negligent and impenitent the Gospell is sweetely to be sounded to those that acknowledge their sinnes and hartily repent for the same The swéete proclamatiō of Christ teacheth the same Come vnto me all ye that labour sore and are laden and I will ease you c. Of this we haue example in the Prophet Nathan who by a similitude thundered the law agaynst kyng Dauid Dauid repenteth saying I haue sinned against the Lord Nathan pronounceth the Gospell The Lorde hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not dye The worde of God or doctrine of Christ is called the worde of God that is the doctrine which Christ him selfe reuealed to men Whereof the principall point is frée remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes by fayth in Christ Iesus The efficient cause of this Gospell is the whole Godhead the eternall Father eternall Sonne and eternall holy Ghost The mouyng cause is the excéedyng mercy of God and his passyng loue toward mākynd So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begottē sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him should not perish but haue euerlastyng lyfe The first instrumētall cause is the sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ An other instrumentall cause are the Prophetes Apostles Euangelistes other teachers of the doctrine of the Gospell Therfore the Apostle sayth Let men estéeme vs as the Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secrets of god We together are Gods labourers c. we are messengers for Christ euen as though God did beséech you through vs. The materiall cause is Christ with all his
c. But the people preassed vppon him These wordes are very emphaticall and significāt notifieng the feruent study of those people to heare the word of god For this cause they followed him from Galilee from Decapolis from Hierusalē from Iudea from beyond Iordan They followed him ascendyng to the mountaine they folowed him descending from the mountaine they folowed him to the sea side they folowed on foote to the wildernesse Whether dyd they not follow him The paynefull clyming of the mountaines did nothyng discourage them the high craggye rockes did nothyng terrifie them the tēpestuous waues of the sea did nothyng dismay them Great multitudes came vnto hym lame blynd dombe c. Of multitudes folowyng read Mar. 3. 8. Luk. 6. Ioh. 6. Mat. 15. Certaine women folowed him with multitude of other folkes and they that caryed the mā sick of the Palsey because of the preasse went vp on the top of the house and let him downe through the roofe You also heare how to day they preassed vpon him They departed not from him sodeinly but continued sometyme iij. whole dayes with him and not a few sometyme iiij thousand some tyme v. thousand at a tyme beside women children You sée how the people in those dayes feruently pressed vpon Christ paynfully folowed him louingly cōtinued with him They folowed him to the wildernes to heare the sweetenes of his word wee Citizens hauyng the same within the walles of Cities loue it not but oftē ragingly contemne it They taryed with him whole dayes we thincke long to tary with him few houres and thinke not long to wayte vpon vanitie many houres Euery thyng encreaseth sauyng godlynesse Houses now are more large smoke lesse more eatyng more drinkyng more sléepyng more spendyng more cost for apparel more vanitie in talk mē more vitious but at Sermons in any case we cannot tary longer thē an houre It is tedious to many to tary so long They preassed vpō him we leisurely and slowly scarce come to him To the worlde as quicke as bées to the word as flow as snayles They heard him attētiuely we heare him negligently without courage as we were halfe asléepe and our mynd a pilgrimage coldly coldly Such is the behauiour of the multitude of this tyme such is the contēpt of the word such is the folly of men such is the loue of earthly thynges hate of heauenly things And therfore looke surely for plague and punishment They preassed vpon him Not vpō Hickscorner not vpon Iack Iuglar not vpō Tomtumbler not vpon corruptours destroyers as vayne men of our tyme but vpon him euē vpon Iesus Christ the Phisicion of the sinful the light of the world the expresse Image of the inuisible God the first borne of all creatures the wisedome power of God the way the truth and lyfe the Prince of Pastours the great shepheard of our soules the founder and finisher of our fayth the Euangelicall henne the true Vyne the bread of lyfe the rocke and fountaine of the liuyng waters the Emanuel the blessed séede the reconciler of God and man the cornerstone of the buildyng the foundation of the same the kyng of glory the prince of peace the high Priest the annoynted of God the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world the hope and redēption of Israell Iacobs ladder whereby we clyme to the omnipotent father the sonne of righteousnes the true light the starre of Iacob the mercyfull Samaritane the price of our redemption our sacrifice for sinne our satisfaction our righteousnes our guide our way to God the conquerour of Death Hell Sinne Sathan the giuer of lyfe the fountaine of grace veritie They preassed vpon him whose nobilitie riches wisedome bewtie strength puritie honour and goodnes can neuer be sufficiently commended without him our light is full of darkenesse Our strength full of weakenes our truth full of falsehode our perfection full of imperfection He is good we are euil yea our nature is euill Saint Austen saith Nemo erit bonus qui non erat malus None shal be good which hath not bene euill He onely is happy we are miserable wretches He is omnipotēt eternall we are weake yea weakenes it selfe dust and corruption By his righteousnes we be made righteous by his holynesse we be made holy by his glory we are glorified It is honest and comely that the wayfaryng man shoulde folow his guide The creature his creator the saued his Sauiour The subiectes their king the sheepe their shepheard the seruaūts their maister the schollers their teacher the members their head the children their parentes the souldiours their captaine the patiēts their Phisicion He is our guide we are the wayfaring men he is our creator we his creatures he our Sauiour we the saued he is our kyng we his subiectes he our shepheard we his shéepe he our master we his vnprofitable seruauntes he our heauenly scholemaister we his negligent scholers he our head we his members he our father we his children he our captaine we his souldiours hee the omnipotent Phisicion we the faint and féeble patientes Therfore it is good to folow him to preasse vpon him with the disseased woman to touch him Consider the cause why they preassed vpon him The finall cause why they preassed vpon him was to heare the word of God note their feruent desire to heare the word of god The worde of God not the traditions of men not vanities as vayne men of our dayes preasse to heare vanities yea euē on the Sabboth day which is intolerable The Sabboth day ought to be cō secrate to the seruice of god The true sanctifieng and halowyng of this day consisteth in the true worshippyng of god Many other folowed preassed on him for other causes The hypocriticall Phariseis folowed and preassed to deride him Some folowed preassed for noueltie Such were the mē of Athens which gaue them selues to nothyng els but either to tell or to heare some newes We haue multitudes of men of Athens now a dayes Some preassed to sée his miracles Vidimus mirabilia hodie we haue sene straunge thynges to day Some to get bodily health Some folow Christum Fortunatū wealthy rich Christ for their cōmomoditie that they maybe enriched as the mā that offered his seruice to Christ saying maister I wil folow thee whether soeuer thou goest And Iesus aūswered said to him Fores haue holes the byrdes of the ayre haue nests but the sōne of mā hath not where to rest his head The Foxe hath his hole in hipocrites the byrdes of the ayre the deuils haue their nestes in hypocrites no place for the sonne of mā in hipocrites Some folow and preasse for their belly sake as those which sayd Rabbi when camest thou hither c. Some to entāgle him in his talke The auncient
idle they fall vpon him and kill him But we suffer dranes in euery vocatiō most of all in the holy ministery Then euery man must labour Euery man must laūch Whether into the déepe what to do to make a draught not to deceiue mē not to séeke temporall profite but to edifie to séeke the profit of the church and glory of God. It foloweth in the text and Simō aunswered and sayd vnto him Maister we haue laboured all night and haue taken nothyng neuerthelesse at thy commaundement I will cast forth the net We haue laboured all night and haue not taken so much as one fishe Note here the complaint of Peter which is the complaint of many men and there with all note these wordes at thy commaundement I will cast forth the net and last of all the successe that when they had this done they enclosed a great multitude of fishes c. we haue fished all night and haue taken nothyng Many fish in the night such fish without the commaūdement of God without the presence of God without prayer estéeme more their fishyng then the word of God therfore their fishyng is vnlucky many by inspiratiōs of Sathan are moued and stirred to euill artes to theft murther vsurie and other horrible vices these labour in the night Many preach no man amendeth no man cōmeth out of the denne of sinne into the light of faith What is the cause men labour in the night Peter and his partners laboured all night and tooke nothyng Many with their partners labour all night and take nothyng What is the cause they labour in the night They haue not yet receiued Christ into their shyp they haue not the word of Christ to cast forth the net Doctour Luther no tabely sayth Quod passim premantur tanta miseria homines sola incredulitas in causa est Onely infidelitie or vnbelief is the cause that men are afflicted with so great miserie At thy cōmaundement I will cast forth the net We learne here an example of faithfull obediēce in Peter who was prompt ready to obey the commaūdement of Christ whom he knew not yet to be the sonne of god We know him to be the sonne of God yet we shew no such faythfull obedience how then shal we excuse our selues Simon declareth him selfe accordyng to his name For Simon by interpretation is hearing or obeyng Obedience is an excellent vertue Obedience is better then sacrifice Noah obeyed the word of the Lord and he was preserued from the floud Abraham obeyed the word of the Lord and it was sayd vnto him in thy séede shal all the nations of the earth be blessed Nahaman obeyed Elisaeus and was healed of his leprosie Incomparable was the obedience of Christ Christians obey God subiectes obey your Prince Children obey your parents seruaūtes obey your maisters wiues obey your husbandes Simon did cast forth the net but how at the cōmaūdemēt of Christ This is a profitable doctrine Whatsoeuer ye doe in word or déede doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuyng thankes to the Father by him Euery man ought to launch out his net in the name of Iesus Christ The Prince the Preacher the Magistrat the Housholder the Artificer the Plowmā c. For Christ saith with out me ye can doe nothyng Except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that build it Except the Lord kéepe the Citie the watchman waketh but in vaine Read the whole Psalme By the onely frée goodnesse gift of God is the house and houshold mainteined the Citie defended meat ministred children obtained Without the word of Christ in runnyng it helpeth not to be swift in battaile it helpeth not to be strōg in féedyng the flocke it helpeth not to be wise to Riches it helpeth not to be a mā of much vnderstandyng to be had in fauour it helpeth not to be cunnyng Without the word of Christ my fishyng my plantyng my wateryng and all my labour is nothyng worth Gregory sayth well Nisi intus sit qui doceat incassum lingua docentis laborat Except he be within that teacheth the toung of the teacher laboureth in vaine Xerxes that great kyng of Persia which inuaded Grece with seuen hundreth thousand of his owne people and iij. hūdred thousand straūge souldiours was vanquished by a fewe Greekes Why he launched not he inuaded not in the name of Christ The Isralites in the name of God passed safely through the red sea At the commaundement of God they compassed Iericho seuen tymes and all thynges fell out vnto thē most prosperously Samson in the name of God made heapes of his deadly enemies with the iawe of an Asse with the iawe of an Asse he slew a thousand men Dauid sayd to proude Goliath who defied the host of Israell Thou commest to me with a sword a speare and a shield but I come to thée in the name of the Lord of hostes the God of the host of Israell whō thou hast railed on By this name and omnipotēt word as Chrisostome noteth the stone was directed to the forehead of Goliath into the which it did sinke and he fell grouelyng to the earth And so the armed was slayne by the vnarmed the Giant by a Dwarf and the skilfull in martial affaires by one that could no skil but of kéepyng shéepe The cause was for that he had his helpe from aboue through the trust whereof he strake the blasphemer ▪ into the forehead In the same name oftentymes a poore mā groweth to great wealth and in fauour with God and man. Whosoeuer therefore purposeth to haue good successe in his affaires must of necessitie launche out with Simon into the déepe and that in the name of Christ he must become Simon a hearer and a Disciple Of necessitie he must heare read learne meditate the word of God according to the commaundemēt first séeke the kyngdome of God and his righteousnes c. He must receiue Christ into his shyp that is most faythfully and humblely pray him to blesse his labours That is the way to thriue in this world and in the world to come There are many launchers especially now a dayes which launch out into the déepe not in the name of Christ but in the name of Sathā they make draughtes deuilish draughtes by vsurie by periuries by cosenyng by lying theft murther flattering couetousnes and such like vilanie Is this the way to thriue Many obiect why the indeuours of godly men often tymes haue ill successe and the indeuours of the wicked haue good successe God hath appointed this ordinaunce that all thynges to the godly should prosper and come to good effect and to the euill should decay come to euill effect But Sathan troubleth this ordinaunce as it is sayd The Serpent shall byte his héele that is Sathan shall afflict Christ his mēbers with all maner of miseries incident to man notwithstādyng