concludeth and mightely affirmeth that we must couet this seed saying The promise that he should be the heyr of the world was not geuen to Abraham or to his seed through the law but through the righteousnes of faith For if they which are of the Law be heires faith is made void and the promise of none effect For the law causeth wrath for where no law is there is no transgression therefore is the heritage giuen by fayth that it might come by grace and the promise might be sure to all the seede not to that only which is of the law but also to that which is of the fayth of Abraham Secondly in this mere promise the great and infinite grace of God doth appeare For our desert or worthynes did not deserue that God should vouchsafe to be made man of the seed of Abrahā but it was the meere grace and mercy of god Of his meere grace he promysed Christ and of his meere grace he performed his promise by sending of Christ the law and the workes of the law neuer deserued it For you see here that God promised this blessing to the Patriarch Abraham 430. yeares before the law was giuen to Moses which he did least man should attribute some thing in the worke of lyfe and saluation to him selfe and so glory in his owne merites for grace is not mingled with works it is without all our deseruing and before all our good workes Thirdly for as much as God would lay the cause of his blessing and grace which we receaue vpon Christ through him wil onely blesse whome he doth blesse It necessarily followeth that without Christ there is neither blessing righteousnes lyfe nor health and that all that are without Christ be accursed because they remaine in sinne death and damnation We may well thinke there was some weightye cause that moued our gratious immortall high God to speake a thing of such weight a thing which is so full of cōsolation where in he bindeth himself with an oth that he would through this seede geue vs his blessing and life euerlasting Ought not I pray you the whole company of Angels with all kinde of men all sorts of creatures both in heauen and earth with great reuerence holines pietye and with vnspeakeable and infinite ioye heare their Lord God speaking these wordes and promising such precious giftes Paule sayth God willing more aboundantly to shew vnto the heires of promise the stablenes of his counsaile bound him selfe with an oth And do you not here see that he both promiseth and also sweareth but if then any could obtayne this blessing that is life and saluatiō without Christ why hath God promised the blessing in Christ so earnestly yea and that with an oth Wherfore I see not why any should thinke he can beleue in God and yet is not in the Christian faith No in deede there is no trew faith but the Christiā fayth All other opiniōs be errors God will take none for his vnlesse he be in this seede Christ that is if he be not a Christian if he beleue not in Christ Nether in deede shall we euer any where finde the fauour of God true innocencye righteousnes satisfaction for our sinnes helpe counsaile life and saluation but only in this Christ The Fathers beleued in him before he was made man and were saued In him also beleue wee and are saued And in this promise also is proued the humain birth death resurrection and eternall kingdome of Christ which all belong to this blessing in which all happines is promised For this benediction in the seede of Abraham is libertie and absolution from sinne and deliuerance from death and euerlasting damnation and on the other side it is pure innocencye righteousnes fulfilling of the lawe and renuing of the image of God in vs with securitye ioy peace and life euerlasting What more can you desire In this Christ is all righteousnes included and all kinde of cursednes excluded And therefore the Apostles diligētly vrge this promise and euery foote recite and repeate it But the deliuerance from this curse is marueilously wrought to wit by the infamy and slaunder of the crosse For so sayth Paule Christ redeemed vs from the curse of the law whē he was made a curse for vs. This was done on good fridaye when he hong on the crosse before the Iewes and the gentiles as if he had bene forsaken of God and all his creatures He bore our sinnes in his body vpon the tree of the crosse that we being deliuered from sinne might liue in righteousnes For it is written in Deut. in Ebrew that holy tongue The curse of God is on him that is hanged For so doth the Ebrew word signifye The 70 interpreters did translate it He is accursed that hangeth on tree that is He is a stumbling blocke to the Iewes and folishnes to the Gentiles but euen this Christ to the Iewes and also to the Gentiles which are called is the power and wisedome of God. Nothing appeareth more foolish and fond vnto naturall reason then that it is sayd god would in mans nature suffer this shame but so it seemeth good to God as Paule witnesseth For seing by wisedome we know not God in the wisdome of God it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleue If the mightiest God so abased him selfe for vs most vnthankful sinners that he vouchsafed to descend into the lowest partes of the earth and to suffer the greatest shame that could be for vs consider and way I pray you how greuous hainous great and monsterous our sinnes are and how patiently moderatly and in good part we ought to take the affliction and crosse which is layd vppon vs for them seing through Christ the cursse is to vs now turned into a blessing This seede Christ which was first promised to Adam and then to Abraham did God oftē renew afterward to other also of the fathers after Abraham For he promised it to Isaak and then to Iacob and the promise of Christ was againe renued in the 49. of Genn to the Patriark Iacob who a little before his death did thus prophecy of Christ The scepter shall not be taken from Iuda nor a law geuer from his feete till Siloch or he that must be sent come And he shall be the expectation of the Gentiles and the people shal be gathered vnto him In this promise is notably and playnely declared and described the tyme when Christ should be looked for as also what his state and condition should be or what a kinde of kingdome he should haue ¶ Anna. I pray you teach me playnely to vnderstād this promise made to Iacob ☞ Vrb. This worde Schebet or scepter signifieth as you know princely or kingly power or gouermēt The Caldes bible vseth this worde Schultan that is empire or power God did so ordayne among the Iewes
causes then all the kingdomes empires powers honors wealthes and riches of this world to wit to destroy the workes of Sathan with the kingdome of sinne and death and to establish his kingdome of righteousnes and euerlasting life But carnall men do carnally expound the promises of the Lord vntill they receaue the holy ghost the true Doctour and teacher of the truth It is the spirite of God which at the last doth trulye open the eyes of the hart that the truth of God may be seene perceaued and vnderstode The Euangelists vse so to speake of the person of Christs as though we may take thē some tyme to speak of the Godhead and glory of Christ and sometyme of his humilitye submission affliction miserye and contemptible state in the eyes of the world euen as occasion and place serue You haue heard before how Esay prophesied that the onely begotten sonne of God Iesus Christ who was spoken of before by the prophets should come into this world euen in his own person But Esay now in this 35. chap. telleth what he should doe and performe at his cōming in the fleshe to wit that he should be our seruaunt And the Father calleth him his seruaunt in respect of his office because he is to helpe vs obediēt to his Father euen vnto the death the death of the crosse and because he humbleth himselfe beneath all men and is a very abiect and lowlye seruant to all men that thereby he may exalt all men The Prophet also sheweth that Christ after this his humilitye should be exalted vnto the most highest state of honor and glorye ¶ Anna. I pray you then tell me how shall Christ obay and how shall he rule ☞ Vrba Very wisely For he will so rule and gouerne the misterye which his Father committed vnto him that no man can euer sufficiently commende him For though it may seeme absurde and foolish vnto reason that Christ should promise to deliuer other mē from death whē he himselfe dyed and to bring all that beleeue into eternall glorye when he himselfe came to eternall shame and ignominye yet this was the best and fastest way to worke such a notable worke For how can the euerlasting wisedome of the Father doe anye thing that should not in euery respect be most excellently done And Iaskaet may be thus translated He will geue wisedome and vnderstanding or he will make men wise and skilfull For Christian beleuers teach true and perfect wisedome in the schoole of Christ which wisdome no worldling can vnderstād The children of this world by the wisedome of the flesh can search after and get nothing but the fraile and transitory goodes of this world But faythfull Christians are much wiser they vse this world and the treasures thereof as the stranger vseth his inery they after the true eternall treasures of their heuenly cuntrye But we must note that this seruice of Christ was not of long continuaunce and that after it should follow true and perfect glory with euerlasting honor And therfore sayth Esay he shal be exalted extolled hiely estemed And this thing shal be so that many may wonder and be offended at his great and extreame humilitie which thing hapned in the Iewes who abhorre and thinke it detestable great wickednes to say that Messias which is promised in the prophets should be constrained to suffer a most vile and ignominious death whereupon they call Christ Thalui that is hanged vp blaspheming him most horribly wickdly and detestably The cause why they are offended at the crosse of Christ is because they seeke in Messias the corporall goodes and temporall honors and dignities of this world They thinke it wickedly and impiously spoken to say that so great a king of Israell should hang among theues as though he himselfe had bene a most hainous and wicked offender But if so be that the sight of him should be so miserable so vncomely so vile so foule that he should not seeme in the eyes of the world to be the man that could deliuer others and bring them vnto honor and glory and this is the cause that he is the stone of offence how could his kingdome be worldly Worldly princes must so set forth their brauerye dignitye and maiestye that men may euen be amased to looke on them A worldly kingdome cannot stand vnlesse there be in it both power and reuerence where the prince is poore and dispised and oppressed by the violence or tyrannye of the enimies and doth neither in power nor riches excell his aduersaryes there must needes the kingdome come to ruine But this our king wil doe more by his humility then all the princes and kings in this earth can doe with all their pompe power and riches What will he then doe The prophet saith He wil sprinkle many nations This is an Hebrue phrase This word Iaseh doth properly signify to disparce abroad hether and thether euen as drops of water are sprinkled here and there This sprinkling therfore of the Gentils betokeneth nothing els in this place but to teach and preach gods word amongst them and this was fulfilled when the Apostles by the holy ghost instructed the gentils through the holy word opened vnto them this welspring of Gods grace in christ Iesus and dispersed the same euen as the fertil rayn which falleth in May that therby the fruit of Gods knowledge might grow and increase in al places they preuailed so much through the preaching of Gods word that euen mighty Emperors and Princes did worship adore and feare Christ Iesus and held their tongues and were astonyed And among the gentils and other places where before the scriptures were not known and the gospell not heard of there did they so teach the great misteries of the gospel that they were vnderstood Seeing then in Christ such great maruels and wonders are wrought to wit that God becommeth man humbleth him self very lowly and in his blessed and most innocent humanity I cal his humanity that humain nature which he tooke vpon him suffereth so great shame greef and calamity and that of his own people whom he had blessed with so great and infinite benefits both of body and soule and seeing he must by this his ignominious death be exalted vnto honor and so begin his spirituall kingdome but must first as the king therof labour vnder his crosse and suffer all kind of calamity and shame and yet by the self same crosse be in deed exalted to honor and crowned with eternall glory seeing I say these wonderful things which are contrary to mans reason are done in Christ and his kingdome the world wil not beleeue them when it shal heare them And this thing the prophet saw in spirite when he sayd who wil beleue our saying that is our preching or doctrine They are so great incredible that reason cannot be perswaded that such wonders either are or could be done How did
Paul calleth this righteousnes the righteousnes of faith which standeth not on our merits but on the merits of christ He therfore that knoweth Christ and beleeueth that he is the true purger of sinnes and the destroyer of death and apprehendeth him in his hart by true faith and taketh him for his only treasure of life that man is iustyfyed and saued But he which doth not beleeue is already condemned for the Lord hath decreed this thing and told it vs by his law prophetes and euangelists that he wil haue mercy on vs for nothing neither in heauen nor earth but by Christ and for Christ for whose cause he wil pardon our sinnes and geue vs euerlasting life if we will beleeue in him Act. 4.13 Rom. 3. Gal. 23. And therefore not without a cause sayth the prophet he shall beare their sinnes seing that there is no other neither in heauē nor earth who can beare or purg our sinnes but euen that Messias It followeth therfore vndoubtedly that no man can be iustified saued and deliuered from his sinnes vnles he beleue in this onely sauiour Iesus Christ Now then you heare that Christ is the seruaunt of God in the worke of our redemption and that hee is therefore worthely called righteous because he onely is iust iustifieth others as S. Steuen calleth him He iustifieth vs in his owne knowledge and vnderstanding that is he iustifieth vs when we heare in the gospell that he onely and none other hath borne our sinnes and when by sure fayth we retayne it and put all our trust in him both in our lyfe and death and saye both with hart mouth Christ onely hath borne our wickednes and died for our sinnes and onely is our righteousnes before God and this righteousnes which we get thus by fayth because it is founded built on Christ stādeth fast and firme agaynst the gats of hell ¶ Anna. As far then as I can heare if I should be asked how it commeth to passe that I being a sinner am become righteous thus I ought to annswere I am not righteous because I haue not sinned or because I haue done many good deedes or for that I haue satisfied for my sinnes but I am righteous because Christ hath borne my sinnes in whome I beleue and in whome I repose all my trust Vrba You aunswere well and soundly and so haue all the patriarks prophets apostles and true Christians from the beginning of the world to this day beleued neither is there any other beliefe auailable before god He that beleueth not as you haue said isdāned neither can there be any waye found to saue him though he were couered with all the cowles of all the monks in the world and had all the good workes merites crosses sufferinges and penants in himselfe alone that is in the whole world For they all cannot auaile him or healpe him but he must needes be a firebrande of hell there to burne for euer if he doe not beleue as you say Well let vs hold one The prophet furthermore speaketh here of the fruit and reward of Christs passion And he sayth it is an eternall triumph or victory ouer sinne death the world and the deuill For Christ hath ouercome these cruell and bloudy enemies and hath deliuered his elected from them and so hath receaued through the whole world generally for his inheritaunce a great and glorious people or a most beutifull church which is his spirituall kingdome And this hath that the ignominious death of Christ don because he bore our sinnes and suffered himselfe to be hanged betwene ij theeues and prayed for transgressours and sinners as Paule sayth to the Hebrues Christ in the dayes of his flesh did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which he feared and though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the thinges which he suffered and being consecrate was made the author of eternall saluation vnto all them that obay him and is called of god an highe priest after the order of Melchisidech ¶ Anna. What sayth Esaias of Christ in the 54. chap ☞ Vrb. In that chapter he describeth the kingdome of Christ in fayth that is to say the catholick Church which in this word is vnder the crosse poore miserable helplesse and base to behold But he comforteth it promising to helpe it and enrich it so that it shall become most populous with men of all sortes from ech side presing into it in so much that it shall bring forth an infinite multitude of Children of grace and haue many moe sonnes then the malipert synagoge though she seemed neuer so fruitfull and in deede she seemed fruitfull for she had the law and many good workes and worke mongers or worketeachers with all kind of merites these be the prophets wordes Reioyce thou barren that bearest not burst out and sing thou that trauailest not because the desolate hath more Children then the maryed sayth the Lord. This comfort must also be well obserued least taking offence at the smale number of Christians we be dismayd and fall from the fayth For the dayes will come when the number of the faythfull shal be great and populus Thus was Sara barren but our God so blessed her that she became the mother of many Childrē and a great people To be short Abraham must needes according to Gods promise in Genesis and according to the Etimologie and signification of his name be made a father of many people heyre of the earth For his blessed seede with all his blessinges was also promised to the gentiles The prophet moreouer vseth certayne similies taken of tentes which are set vp and spread in the fieldes so largely that many may dwell in them Whereby he geueth vs to vnderstand that the church should be spread all abroad through the whole world and that the day should come that the Gospell should be preached in all landes and that they should receaue Christ These be his wordes Enlarge the place of thy tents and stretch out thy cords make fast thy stakes for thou shalt increase on the right hand on the left He promiseth moreouer to the church Gentiles for inheritaunce But not so that the Churche should inherite the Gentiles after a worldly manner of inheriting as kinges of the earth inherite and haue their people in subiection For Christes kingdome is not of this world It is a spirituall inheritaunce which the Church by the Gospell getteth and it shall dwell there where before through ignoraūce and incredulitye was a deserte and wilde wildernes as it was at Athēs where before the Gospell came they vnderstod nothing of God aright But S. Paule conuerted many at that place and tought them which came and beleeued the Gospell the right fayth And therefore sayth the prophet thy seed shall possesse the Gentiles and dwell in the desolate cities
Christ and being sent vnto thē on whitsōday taught thē put them in remembrance of all thinges which were written of Christ which Christ before his death with his own tongue had taught them And looke what soeuer the Holy Ghost taught them it tended only to this end That they might know Christ and by Christ know the Father and through this knowledge be iustifyed and saued ¶ Anna. It is possible then as far as I perceiue to know what that Sermon was which Christ made to those two Discyples as they went to Emaus wherewith he made their harts so burne within them But if I also might come to the hearing of that Sermon Oh I would desire nothing in comparyson of it nay I had rather heare that sweet Sermon then haue all the pleasures in the earth and ioyes of the world ☞ Vrb. You may easily coniecture what that Sermon was seeing he expounded all the Prophets beginning at Moyses Doth not Luke I pray you eloquently and plainly testifie that he expounded to thē all that is writen of him in the wholl Scripture It was the Prophesies therfore which are writen in the Scripture of Christ which he interpreted vnto them which is nothing els but euen the very Gospel it self which he commaunded his Discyples to preach and spread euen to the worlds end For this Gospel is the doctrine of Christ the Sonne of God which telleth why he was made man and declareth to vs the eternall counsell of God the Father and his great good wil to vs in promising so redely that he wil be our Father and in imbrasing vs with more then a Fatherly affection and in vouchsafeing to knowledge vs for his deere Sonnes but onlye through his onlye begotten Sonne Christ This Gospel teacheth vs also that the Father so ordained that when the fulnes of time was come Christ should be born true man of the seed of Dauid and that he should dye on the Crosse and rise againe from the dead to the end he might purge mannes sinnes pay the raunsom for them destroy and take away death bring vs to euerlasting life reconcile his Father to vs and ascend into heauen and sitting there at the right hand of his Father begin his true and euerlasting kingdome where we shal raign and reioyce with him for euer Into this glory would his father haue him to enter by his own payn passion and opprobrious death of the Crosse That by this meanes he might deserue the same glory for vs This was done at Ierusalem vnder Herod Pontius Pilat and Caiphas when Tiberius Caesar was Emperor and so were the Prophesies fulfilled which are written of him Now he sitteth at the right hand of Gods Maiesty and being Lord of all he defendeth and gouerneth his Church that is to say all godly and truely beleeuing men by the holy Ghost and in the last day he shall come in his Maiesty to iudge the quick and the dead and shall geue euerlasting Life to those that beleeue But he shall throw hedlong down into hel amongst the multitude of Deuils all those that at that day shall not haue beleeued the Gospell And he doth by his Ministers dayly declare vnto vs these his Merits Works precious Passion Resurrection and Ascention into Heauen That those which beleeue of Christ the sonne of God as the scriptures do speake of him might be deliuered from the burthen of their sinnes be reconcyled to God the Father and liue with him for euer in the glory of Christ And for this cause especially doth the gospel moue vs and cal vs to repentaunce to the end that we may be hartely sory for our sinnes that we may abhor and detest our sinnes and with al our indeuour fly al things that might moue vs to sinne seeing our sinnes could be taken away by no other Sacrifice but only by the most precious bloud of Christ which he shed for vs that he might cleanse vs and delyuer vs from sinne death and hel And furthermore the Gospel promiseth remission of sinnes and euerlasting life to all that beleeue in Christ and refuse not this Gospel but with all their hart faithfully receiue the same vsing it reuerently and holyly And thus of meere grace without all our deserts only for the works and merits of Christ if we beleeue in him are we washed from our sinne beutefyed with the holy Ghost and are iustifyed sanctifyed saued and made heyres with God and coheyres with Christ in his kingdome and liue for euer We also heare the Gospell with a godly deuotion we trust in Christ and we beleeue him to be the only Sauyour of the world And then also are we angry with our sinnes and detest and abhor them we repent vs and are sory that through our sinnes we haue offended God we begin better to frame our liues and we loue God with all our harts which hath bestowed his great and wonderful mercy and his vnspeakable and infinite goodnes in Christ Iesu his Sonne vpon vs we loue also our neighbours euen as Christ loued vs and we doe our diligence that we may as becometh holy children lead a chast holy modest sober and innocent life after Christes example and so for the loue of righteousnes and godlynes we doe all good works sauing that while we are in this flesh we haue not the full feeling of our frailtye and sinne and that our faith and knowledge of Christ that is of the great and incomprehensible mercy loue care grace and benefits which in Christ and for Christ are freely geuen and bestowed vpon vs is not full perfect and pure in this life but while we liue doth stil grow and increase And we must also fight and striue continually while we liue with the flesh and mortefie renue and reforme our old Adam vntil the Image of God be renued again in vs and vntil we shall haue put on that most beutiful and holy Image of Christ like as before our receiuing of faith and regeneration we did beare that euil fauoured and horrible Image of the old Adam Now you haue heard what Christ taught his two Disciples And without doubt the Apostls afterward taught the same things which Christ did teach and confirmed the doctrine of Christ after the same sort by the Prophets wrytings For the holy Ghost had sufficyently instructed them therto as plainly appeareth in the Actes of the Apostles ¶ Anna. As far then as I perceiue Christ preached nothing to those two Discyples out of the prophesies but the very pure doctrine of the Gospel wherby they might learn what Christ was for what cause he was sent into this world what he did what he suffered what he meryted by his suffering and how we might haue benefit by his Merits and what was to be hoped and looked for of him This then no doubt was it that comforted them so made their harts so glad ☞ Vrb. And haue not these thinges I pray you sufficient matter inough to make
virgin Mary For Christ in deed is that stone which without handes that is without the seed or helpe of man was taken out of the pure body of Mary For so the holy and godly doctors of the primatiue church as Didimus Ambrosius Hierom Augustine and Irenaeus tooke it And so doth the holy church now take it consenting and agreeing with these godly doctors Now where as the sonne of this virgin is called Emanuel or Immanuel it ministreth great and infinite comfort to the godly For Immanu doth signifie with vs and El signifieth God because God is now with vs and amongst vs not onely thorow his grace as he is alwayes in euery place as he was in tymes past with our fathers but he is with vs otherwise after a new and singuler maner to wit in a bodily presence or in his present body For God is become man And as Paul sayth In Christ dwelleth all fulnesse of the Godhead bodily That is God is not only in Christ in power and grace as he is in all other holy and godly men But very God himselfe dwelleth in the holy manhood of Christ euen as in his temple so that both God and mā is in Christ one person And as Athanasius saith in his Creede As the reasonable soule and flesh is one man so God man is one Christ ▪ That is as Augustine sayeth Of things which God made this is the most gracious that man is ioyned with God in vnitie of person in heauēly things the highest truth is rightly attributed to the word of God. What greater honor and more excellent dignity could our humaine nature haue then to haue God himselfe descend from heauen out of his high maiesty and glory and come into the earth and take into vnity of person not angels nature but mans nature euen the seed of Abraham and so become true man that by that meanes he might bring our nature to the glory of the blessed euerlasting life and as it were hauing now laid apart his power wisdome and dietie shewe himselfe altogether as myld meeke lowly louing tractable duetifull to vs as if he were our seruant and bondeman bought with our mony For as Paul to the Phil. saith When he was in forme of God he thought it no robbery to be equall with God but he made himselfe of no reputation and tooke on him the forme of a Seruant and was made like vnto men and was found in shape as a man He humbled himselfe and became obedient to the death euē the death of the crosse And to Titus he sayth that the goodnes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is loue towardes men of God our Sauiour appeared Truly that was an infinite great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For how could he by any means set forth the flagrant affection of his loue towardes vs more then both sweetely and louingly to imbrace our miserable and humaine nature and also earnestly seeking our saluation vouchsafe to be made man. Be not these I pray you especiall arguments and sure signes of his great mercifulnes good will loue infinite affection towards mankind Surely he would not haue become man for any other cause but only that he might plentifully poure vpon vs vnworthy wretches his vnmesurable incomprehensible vnsearcheable treasures with the infinite riches of his abundant goodnes and grace Verily we may now truely say Immanuell God is with vs seeyng he is not onely graciously with vs and amongst vs as a creator and gouernor with his creatures mouing renuing nourishing and preseruing all things by his power But also in that he is man and for our cause only to the ende he may make vs partakers of his kingdome and lyfe euerlasting and so is with vs after a new and peculiar maner Afore tyme he dwelt with his creatures only as God But now he is with vs men as man yea he is a heauenly man and a humaine god What sounder greater truer or fruitfuller comfort can there be in all affliction and calamitie then that God in this sort is with vs who now as Paul boldly sayth can be against vs If God after this admirable vnspeakable incomprehensible and maruelous maner of his manhood had not bene with vs we needed not haue looked for lyfe For there had bene neither hope nor helpe counsayle nor comfort left for man to looke for who by reason of sinne is in so great and horrible danger of eternall death But we may now in the Lord alway reioyce we ought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 always to giue thanks to Christ our God for this great mistery of his holy and sauing incarnation For now our mortall nature hath a certayne and sure hope nay it hath so sufficient and precious a pledge of lyfe that it cannot wauer or doubt But that together with Christ it shall liue for euer For as Athanasius that godly and auncient Doctor saith touching this matter in his booke of the passion of Christ the mortall body was ioyned to the immortall and corruptible man was coupled with the incorruptible worde Wherefore death by the worde which discended from heauen in Christ is abolished euen as stubble is of the fire consumed ¶ Anna. Blessed be that Haalmah for euer amongst all women and blessed bee the fruite of her wombe our true Emanuel world without ende ☞ Vrb. Amen ¶ Anna. You promised to expound me the name of Christ and to open the prophesies in the scriptures which spake of it long before Of Christes Name Vrbane CHrist in the holy scriptures hath many names and all of them most sweete and comfortable as is this Emanuel of which you heard euen now out of the seuenth of Esay But there be two especial chief names which the scripture giueth him which we wil first hādle The former of them is Iesus a name most proper and agreeing with him and most comfortable to vs This name is an Hebrue word for the Hebrues say that Ieschuah or Iehoschuah is as much to say as health a sauiour or keeper and it cōmeth of the worde Iascha which is saued or deliuered or els it may come of Hoschia that is he hath saued kept or deliuered This roiall or glorious name agreeth not with any so truely fitly as with Christ He iustly in deed and by good desert is honoured and called by this name for he onely it is that deliuereth and saueth vs from all calamities both temporall and eternall And thus doth the Angell interprete this name in Mathew where he sayeth to Ioseph Ioseph thou sonne of Dauid feare not to take Mary for thy wyfe for that which is conceiued in her is of the holy ghost she shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shal saue his people from their sinnes And whē Hanna the high priest and Caiphas and Ioanne and Alexander and as many as were of the kindred
daughter Ierusalem behold thy king commeth vnto thee he is iust and saued poore ryding vpon an asse and vpon a colt the fole of an asse I wil cut of the chariots frō Ephraim and the horse from Ierusalem the bow of the battaile shal be broken and he shall speake peace vnto the Heathen and his dominion shall be from sea and from the riuer vnto the ende of the lande Thou also shalt be saued through the bloud of the couenant I haue loosed thy prisoners out of the pit where in is no water Note here first and formost that the holy ghost by the prophet in this text sheweth vs an inestimable and infinite ioy to wit that Messias our onely helpe in all our distresse and the saluatiō of our soules which was promised vs so long before should come vnto vs And therfore to the ende to awake vs and that we should shake of our sleepe and attentiuely and diligently consider what and how great a thing he doth here handle how worthy a thing it is which is here foreshewed to come to passe He sayth Reioyce reioyce greatly thou daughter Sion and shoute forth O daughter Ierusalem c. By daughter Sion and Ierusalem he doth vnderstand the people of Ierusalem but seyng that Sion Ierusalem were a figure of the catholike church and seyng that not only the Iewes but euen the Gentiles also should be partakers of this great and infinite ioy I will apply these wordes to the whole church which consist both of Iewes and Gentils He sayth lift vp thy voyce and reioyce Here must needes some passing and wonderfull matter be vnderstood in that that holy ghost prouoketh vs so earnestly to shoute out and reioyce Behold that is to say awake awake take heed ye sleep not or play the slouthfull sluggardes Looke you leese not or despise not this opportunity offred you Awake take good heed what I tel you giue eare giue eare the state of your soule and saluation is here in hande giue eare Thy king commeth to thee This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause of this great ioy Our king cōmeth to vs seking his lost people which were led captiue by the wicked spirit and horrible tirant into the kingdom of hel and euerlasting darkenes to perish for euer In which deadly daunger grieuous perill and great calamitie man was so blynded so farre past vnderstanding and so ignorant that he would not acknowledge his misery and wretched state neither see the present daunger of euerlasting death nor yet desire helpe counsayle or remedy But would such was his madnes securitie blindnes haue taried bondslaue in the tiranny of Satan and died captiue to the deuil if this our king being moued with mercy towardes his people standing in such danger had not presently helped vs He saw that we could not deliuer our selues out of this kingdome of sinne neither shake of that cruell tiranny of sathan and that the deuill through his great might strength would haue ouercommed vs and so haue possessed his palace in peace because that in man there was no such strength no such force no such subtletie neyther any such deuise that he could wynd himselfe out of the misery wherin he was wrapped Wherfore Christ seyng this taking compassion of this our miserable state came downe to vs that he might deliuer vs out of this bondage and thraldome and set vs at liberty We neuer desired nor required him neither did our deserts moue him What say I did we moue or desire him to come nay our hartes could not once thinke of him nor desire his helpe or comfort such was the blindnes wherin we were drowned We came not we fled not for helpe to him of our selues for nothing was so farre past our reach We could do nothing lesse it was not in our abilitie such was the corruption of our nature such so darke and so dimme cloudes of deprauation possessed our myndes No no this our king came to vs for we neither could nor would go to him The cause why he came and what he doth with vs what profite he brought vs and how nedefull it was that he should come to vs the Prophet addeth saying He cōmeth to the iust and saued or he commeth vnto the iust and a sauiour This is that great ioy this is the cause of our reioycing and triumphing We were through our sinnes wicked and guilty of all iniquity and defiled with all kinde of vice wickednes and impiety and ordayned to euerlasting death and adiudged to eternall damnation and yet could we not helpe or quite our selues from it But Christ our king commeth to vs he bringeth vs saluation and he iustifieth and deliuereth vs from all dangers This our king was not only iust innocent and free from all offence and spot for and concerning himselfe onely but he giueth also his righteousnes and innocency to vs In so much that through him we are coūted righteous before God if we beleue in him as Paul sayth he onely is iust and iustifieth others This word iust must not here be vnderstoode to be that exact and perfect iustice by which God iudgeth the wicked and punisheth the hard harted For this seuere iustice doth sore afray vs poore sinners and offenders against god Yea it bringeth heuines vexatiō of hart driueth vs to desperatiō neither doth it any thing lesse thē worke ioy gladnes and reioycing in vs But the Scripture vseth for comforte sake to call Christ iust or righteous as well in the olde as new testament For he only among all the sonnes of men is iust and righteous and so iust and righteous that thorough him alone we are counted before God iust innocent and righteous God the father calleth Christ by this name and saith in Esay My seruant is righteous And so saith Zachary Steuen and Iohn And S. Paul sayth the same to the Rom. in these wordes For as by the disobedience of one man that was Adam many were made sinners euē so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous We could not of our selues or by our works iustify or redeme our selues but we are made righteous by the only grace of Christ and fayth in him which in holy scripture is called the righteousnes of God that is by which we are accounted righteous before God. Which righteousnes he himselfe doth worke in vs when by his holy spirit he doth make vs righteous and without blame The prophet also calleth Christ our sauiour and that rightly for first he iustifieth vs and whom he iustifieth he both saueth and giueth thē euerlasting lyfe And this is the maner of his worke in vs By his gospell he calleth vs iustifieth vs and then saueth vs The Iewes do here in this prophesie obiect the Hebrew word Noscha which our translator calleth a Sauiour and they say it signifieth saued or deliuered passiuely But this neede not trouble the godly
saue and deliuer thee For to this end God the father sent hym Beleue in him for his sake all thy sinnes shal be forgiuen thee For he tooke thy sinnes vpon him he suffred and satisfied for them When thou hast thus done then is thy conscience mery pacified and quieted Because it hath thorow fayth taken holde of Christ who hath taken away the hand writing of an euill conscience which was altogether against vs miserably tormented vs greuously vexed vs daily disturbed our peace and hath blotted it out nayled it to his crosse so that there is no cause why the man that beleueth in Christ should quake tremble or feare for his sinnes or should flie from God as a seuere iudge For God is now become fauourable vnto him and hath forgiuen him all his sinnes for Christ his sake in whom he beleueth And this faith in Christ bringeth present helpe and consolation to the penitent hart it comforteth and strengtheneth the man that before was dismayed so that now he may plainly know that God for Christs sake wil not herafter be a seuere fearful iudge vnto him but a louing mercyful and tender Father And this is the true and perfect binding vp and healing and curing of sick wounded and feeble harts For the hart neuer findeth true and sound comfort grace and life but in Christ Iesu It followeth That I should preach to the bond liberty By disobedience we were made seruants and bondslaues of Sathan and so should haue remayned for euer if Christ had not delyuered vs But he became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price of our redemptiō he by his death deliuered vs from that captiuity of Sathan as Dauid sayeth He went vp on high and led captiuity captiue And hath spoyled the principalities and powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath tryumphed ouer them in the same crosse That is Christ ouercame those Princes powers of darcknes which had thrown down man into the kingdome of sinne death and damnation and by his own power he hath spoyled them of their pray as Saint Luke sayth The stronger ouercame the strong man being armed and keeping his palace and toke away all his armore That is Christ delyuered mankind and tooke his seruants out of the power of darcknes and brought them into his kingdome of light as you haue heard before out of Zachary and Esay This pardon redemption or remission hath Christ himself geuen forth and preached in his gospel and he hath commaunded his Apostles and all the Preachers of the gospel to teach the same euen vnto the end of the world For what els is the Gospel but such a Sermon of Christ as telleth vs that he did fight a combate hand to hand with Sathan and hath in the same open combate not fraudulently and deceitfully but valiantly and with a deuine force subdued ouercome and cōquered the deuill by that victory hath so deliuered iustified for euer saued vs which were once his captiues bound vnder sinne and death that we may now haue peace with God and being deliuered from that tyrant be brought to heauē and raygne with God our heauēly father as blessed Children for euer It followeth To the captiues freedome By the word of God it is playne that we are sinners and that we are as it were cast into a prison or iaile from whence nether by the force of nature nor by all the good workes in the world we can deliuer and saue our selues We ought in deede to leade pure and vnspotted lyues and still to be doing good and flye from euill and the law requireth the same at our hands but our sinful nature is slow to good and farre from fulfilling the law and maketh vs liue according to our carnall desires and concupiscens which euen from our youth vp is al wayes bent and ready to euell Whereupon it commeth that the law is more vrgent vpon vs and still enforceth compelleth commaundeth vs to doe good and threateneth death and destructiō to them that doe euill and so it happeneth to vs as Paule sayd to the Galathians Before fayth came we were kept vnder the law and shut vp vnto the fayth which should afterward be reuealed When we looke into our hartes and diligently consider how disobedient stubborne and repugnaunt we are by nature to the law of God then we playnely see that the sacred law is nothing els to all vs which are vnder the law and as yet not iustified by fayth but a prison in which for all our striuing and wrastling wil we nil we we are imprisoned shut vp For how soeuer we professe and make a shewe of holines and grauitye in our selues with sober discrete manners in the eyes of men euen as though we kept the law yet in deede and from the hart we doe nothing so playnely so obediently and so cherefully as we ought but we as men enforced and constrayned do hipocritically all that we doe with vncleane and filthy hartes For the law by threats restrayneth vs from open crimes offences and it vrgeth bindeth and restraineth vs very extremely so that we doe not steale commit adulterye murther slaunder blaspheme nor curse any body but yet in the hart where the well spring and cheefe roote of all our workes are doth fleshly concupiscens boyle fome wrastle striue to burst out into il deedes and the more we bridle it and wrastle agaynst it the more it rageth and boyleth and becōmeth more violēt strong heddy rash vnruly and stubborne And as it happeneth in great fluds whose force and course we see by stopping and staying with rāpires waxe greater and more vehement so that they will not suffer thē selues to be stayd or stopt but at the last with great force and violence breake vp the rayles rampires and water work and flowe forth a mayne so it happeneth here For whē the law bindeth keepeth in the lusts fleshly desires of the hart with feare of punishmēt that they dare not discouer or shewe themselues then fretteth the flesh inwardly abhorreth the law as it were a prison desiring to be set free and at libertie from it When therfore the law of God hath done his office in man then seeth he in what danger he stādeth This misery and wickednes of mans nature in as much as it is not only not able to keepe the law of god but also doth vtterly euen abhorre it can not well according to the greatnes thereof be ether spokē in word or conceiued in minde Wel then the confession of such our wickednes malice and blindnes breedeth in vs humilitie whē we see our selues in great dāger whē we see our selues to be no body whē we see that we are not able to keep gods holy law whē we see such filthy vncleane works spring frō that pestilēt filthy stincking podle to wit the hart which is a rebel
this child had not bene borne for vs we had all vtterly perished for he was borne for the helpe helth and deliuerance of vs all Wherefore most swete Iesu Christ our child most comfortable which for our sakes humbled thy selfe vouchsafed to be made man we beseech thee to deliuer and defend vs from the tiranny of the deuill This is the meaning of this Germains song which I here recite because it containeth expresseth the effect of this prophesie in ful graue and plaine words because it sheweth the piety of our forefathers and their true faith in Christ First here the holy church saith that a child was borne for a special comfort for all mortal mē And furthermore it saith that for vs and for our sakes he was borne For he had no neede neither was there any cause why he should be born for himself For what nede standeth god of any creature Secondly the church here declareth setteth forth the fruit vse of Christes natiuity to wit our saluation For vnles this child had bene borne for vs we had abidden still in our sinnes neither could we haue deliuered our selues but had all died eternally Thirdly the church confesseth that this sauior or saluation happened to all which thing Simeon confesseth in Luke saying Mine eyes haue seene thy saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people to be a light to lightē the Gentils to be the glory of thy people Israel And Paul saith Christ Iesus gaue himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransome for all men Fourthly the church speaking of the kingdom and power of Christ confesseth the true manhood and godhead of the child Iesus beseching him and desiring him for his names sake which is Iesus that is our sauiour or deliuerer that he would preserue and kepe vs from eternal deth By which song the church confesseth this childe to be king and most mighty lord ouer sinne death and hell Which seing it is true it must needes follow that he is true God and that our health and saluation is in his hand and power and that he onely can and will saue deliuer vs from hell fire ¶ Anna. What meaneth this which this prophet Esay sayth his gouernement or kingdome is on his shoulders ☞ Vrb. Did you neuer see the image of the child Iesus painted as if he went downe from heauen vnto Mary bearing the crosse vpon his shoulders ¶ Anna. I haue seene it often but that signifieth his passion What other thing did he beare in his crosse but vs miserable and wretched sinners the heuy burthen of our sinnes Iohn saith This is the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world He is the good shepeherd which sought the lost and wandring shepe and hauing found it caried it home vpō his shoulders We also are the kingdom or principalitie of Christ For Peter calleth vs a royal priesthood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a people redemed or peculiar vnto Christ Christ is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefe corner stone or to be placed in the chiefe corner vpon whom all the other stones the spirituall building to wit the whole church standeth leaneth For the church is builded on Christ as on a most soūd and sure rocke The Calde text is in this place of Esay thus Hee that is this child shall take vpon him the law that he may fulfill and kepe it This text out of doubt hath in it notable comfort For our corrupt and sinfull nature could not with all her strength keepe the law of god For it is a law that cōmaundeth such high great things as homo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the natural man cannot perform And therfore God sent his derely beloued sonne Christ Iesus that he might fulfil the law be the fulfilling thereof to all that truly beleue in him who although they should be most miserable sinners yet for Christes sake should they be accounted as righteous before God as if they themselues by their own righteousnes had fulfilled it and that he might deserue for vs and geue vs the holy ghost which might heale reforme restore our wounded decaied and corrupted nature so that euen our nature also might by the spirit of Christ keep the law without which it could neuer haue done it Now followeth vi most notable worthy names or titles of the child Iesus vsed in this prophesie First he is called Pele that is admirable wōderfull merueilous or doing merueilous things he is in deed marueilous in hys person merueilous in hys doyngs and his kingdom is merueilous and he defendeth and gouerneth it merueilously His person is meruelous because he is true man and yet neuertheles holy euerlasting God borne after a strange maner to wit of that virgin without mans seed all hys works are merueilous for being a child of xij yeres old he disputed with the learned and great doctors in the temple at Ierusalem But after when he came to mans state he wrought such wonders strange things as no other man could euer do as Nichodemus witnesseth in the iij. of Iohn Hee gaue sight to the blind and made the deafe to heare he droue wicked spirits out of the possessed he clensed the leprous he healed all maner of sicknes and diseases he raised the dead to lyfe he fed many thousandes with a few loues hee commaunded the sea to be quiet and straight way it waxed calm he forgaue sins he restored men both body and soule to lyfe and health and whē of his own free will he had for our sakes suffered death he by his own power rose agayn from death But look I pray you by how strāge a way it pleased hym to deliuer vs from Sathan and to bring vs into hys kingdom When he would deliuer man from death geue hym euerlasting lyfe he became man hymselfe he yelded himself to death and was buried and taryed in the graue vnto the third day Was not this a very marueilous thing what can bee more marueilous it is hee thorough whom we shall haue euerlasting life whereunto the Prophetes and the Gospell beare witnesse And Paule calleth the Gospell the promise of lyfe in Christ Now consider with your selfe how wonderfull all things be whether it is merueilous or no that our King about to erect hys kingdome redeme hys seruants deliuer vs from all euill casteth hymselfe into extreme misery yeldeth himself to be crossed afflicted reuiled and opprobriously killed He becommeth poore to enrich vs he becommeth shamefull ignominious and suffreth vpon the crosse to exalt vs to honor glory And he promiseth to giue vs power and strength against our enemies where he himselfe vsed no power nor force against his foes but was of thē taken bound whipped crouned with thornes crucified and killed To be briefe he promised to helpe vs when he himself vpon the crosse
calling for helpe cryeth as one helpeles My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And where as he had sayd that who so beleued in him should not see death for euer yet he himself both suffered death and was buryed in the sepulcher Here if we were led by humayne reason we should with Cleophas and his companion say Wee hoped that he had bene the redemer of Israell whiche should haue saued vs all but now he himself is dead Howe shal a dead man saue vs and how can he which is slain haue an euerlasting kingdom You see howe this name Pele was not without special cause geuen to this child whō it doth by that name of sauiour represēt For so he is in deed the true sauior redemer which deliuereth vs from all our sinnes and miseries And so it pleased him by hys pouerty to blesse vs with spirituall riches by the tauntes and checkes which he suffred to deliuer vs from euerlasting shame by his crosse to bring vs to eternall honour and glory by his weaknesse to giue vs eternall strength and by his death to giue vs a flourishyng lyfe and to abolish our death by dying hymselfe All these he hath done and daily doth in vs when he maketh vs like himself that is to say weake in body but strong in spirite base lowe and contemptible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very ofscouringes before the world but the vessels and instruments of glory in the sight of god And thus he suffereth vs to dye that the Infidels may thinke there is no difference betwene a Christian and no Christian as Turke or iewe But yet our death is precious in the sight of the lord neither doth he suffer vs to abide in death All these things are great meruelous wonderful and far passing our reason and vnderstāding yea far exceding all the strength power effect working of our nature An other name is Ioetz that is councel For though this Pele doth lead and gouerne vs thus wonderfully by his crosse ignominy maketh vs glorious yet are we ignorant rude fayntharted fearfull and therfore is it necessary that he merueilously prouide for coūsail and help vs For it is not in our power and strēgth to endure and stand in trouble and persecutiō But what counsel geueth he verely cleane contrary to the world The world willeth vs to beware flie and eschue the cros affliction to reuenge our selues But Christ casteth hys seruantes into trouble and vexations and therein trieth them as gold is tryed in the fire furnace But yet so that he comforteth them alwayes most louingly as it appereth in Ioh. where he saith vnto the Apostles Be of good chere I haue ouercome the world And a little before he sayth Ye shall weep and lament the world shall reioyce ye shall sorrow but your sorrow shal be turned to ioy and your ioy shal no man take from you What els I pray you is the whole sacred scripture but a plentifull and rich Pharmacopole whence wee may fetch present help and most fruitfull and sound comfort for all sicknes calamities and euils as Paule witnesseth saying what soeuer things be writtē afore tyme are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might haue hope For hee whiche speaketh in the scriptures is almighty and both can will help vs alway His word is not spoke in vayne but al things are done which he hath promised Yea the holy ghost himselfe whiche is the spirit of truth is our comfort and help For thus we read in the book of wisdome O Lord neyther herbe nor plaister healed thē but thy word which healeth all things hath made vs safe And Ionathas the high priest saith vnto the Spartanes We Iewes stand no nede of the societie and friendship of the Gentiles hauing the holy bookes which are in our hands for our cōfort And now I pray you what trouble what affliction what calamity or what dāger in al this world cā be so great how great so euer it be against which the word of god that most holesome and holy gospel cannot minister giue most holesom plētiful perfect sound consolation and comfort seeyng that it promiseth not only corporal but heauenly help And the promises therof are by Christ confirmed established and sure yea and Amen If you read better read all the workes of the Heathen philosophers you shal find nothing in them and yet their whole study trauel was to find some comfort against death wherin you may take true cōfort All their arte al their knowledge all their wisdom and all the remedies that euer they found are nothing if thei be compared but with these two comfortable sentences in Mat. The first is Feare not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule Here you see the immortalitie of the soule of which the Ethnikes speake euen as blynde men of coulors But the words folowing which is the second are not vttred by any philosopher but by Christ himself the euerlasting truth and very true lyfe Euery one sayth he that beleueth in the sonne of God hath euerlastyng lyfe and I wil raise him vp in the last day Here you haue the resurrection or rising againe of the flesh of which the Gentils and the whole world with all their wisdome had no knowledge Go to then if any be in the agony of death or assailed with the tempests of persecution afflictiō either els vexed pinched with the bitter dolors terrors of conscience for his sinnes as soone as he shal lay hold on these two sentences by faith lay them vp in his hart he shall find comfort haue true and plenteous consolation For he hath forgiuenes of his sins sure hope of euerlasting life nay rather he hath life alredy because he is in Christ Christ in hym This in dede is true counsell For all mens counsels consolations are vaine momentany cannot help deliuer vs in extremity peril danger but the counsel of the lord doth abide continue for euer God the father commaunds vs to heare this counsailor saying Heare him The 70. interpreters haue expounded this word Ioetz the angel of the great counsail beautifiyng Christ with the notable and apt epitheton giuing him the proper title For Christ is the legate angel of the great counsail of the triple vnitie and most holy trinity and is also the eternal wisdom of the father The third epitheton or name of the child is El it signifieth strēgth fortitude or God as the 70. interpreters haue translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the mighty god This name conteineth a singuler cōfort For it telleth vs that Christ doth not only prouide for vs by the word of his gospel but also is presēt with vs doth mightily help vs faithfully perform to vs those
lyue and are remaining in the comming of the Lord shal not preuent them which sleepe For the Lord himselfe shal descend from heauen with a shout and with the voice of the Archangel with the trump of God the dead in Christ shal rise first Thē shal we which liue and remain be caught vp with them al in the clouds to mete the Lord in the ayre and so shall we euer be with the Lord wherfore comfort your selues one another with these wordes An. I haue oftentimes bene tēpted about our resurrectiō these cogitatiōs greuously vexe me Christ did rise in his owne power strength as true God but how shal we poore wretches rise which cannot remooue or driue away from vs euen the lest sicknes that hapneth to vs wherfore I besech you tell me how Christes resurrection maketh vs to rise Vrb. Whose sinnes were they which Christ did beare An. It is manifest certain that he bare our sinnes Vrb. What maner of nature was it which Christ tooke vpon him An. It was our nature For we beleue that he toke vpon him our very humaine nature Vrb. Wherfore did the son of God take vpon hym our nature in the vniō of his deuine euerlasting person why did he take vpon him our sinnes An. He became true man for our sakes toke vpō him our sins that he might be a true oblation and sacrifice for them on the crosse and wipe them away and reconcile God the father vnto vs. Vrb. I heare you say that our sinnes were the cause of Christes death but what hurt did sinne vnto vs men An. It brought vpon vs an horrible destruction decay of al mans strength as wel of body as soule together with euerlasting death and condemnation Vrb. Seyng then that Christ by his death satisfied for our sinnes and suffered death for them that he might put them away it is not to be doubted but that he also abolished and destroyed death which had rule dominion ouer vs But if he destroyed death in vs as I say he did it followeth well that we shall rise agayne to lyfe For he did not these most worthy workes to wit that he suffred that he dyed that he rose again for himself or for his own cause for he is innocent free frō all sin so that he had no nede to do any of al these for himself nay there was no cause why he should do these things in respect of himself or in his owne behalfe but for vs Yea whatsoeuer he did or suffred he did it suffred it al for our sakes profit he gaue vs that his victory ouer deth This therfore is a good consequēt Christ died for our sins rose again for our iustificatiō Therfore shal we also rise in our flesh otherwise should we deny the vertue operation of Christs passion resurrection in our nature and be worse and more wicked thē Turks or Ethnikes which deny Christ An. Now you bring into my remembrance the 15. cha of the first to the Corrinthians which you do so highly and often commend vnto me wherin you say that Paule hath so coupled and ioyned Christes and our resurrection together that they can in no wise be seperated ☞ Vrb. That chap. hath such and so much sweete and sound comfort in it that I wish all christians in the worlde would wel faithfully remember it Paul in that cha reasoneth thus Christ is risen from the dead therefore shal we also rise againe from the dead because he dyed and rose againe only for our sakes for our saluation If we should stil abide in death then the death and resurrection of Christ had nothing profited vs neyther had they wrought any alteration in our nature but we had still bene should so haue continued in death euen as in our earthly father Adam we were borne to die But god forbid it were so our hope is sure For as it is certaine that Christ rose from death sitteth at the right hand of God so certain is it that we shal rise again because Christ is our head our bridegrome our redeemer our life And therfore wheresoeuer Christ remaineth and is there must nedes we also be abide for euer There is no cause why you should dout left Christ our head should leaue vs his beloued members spirituall body here behynde him in earth Marke what Paul teacheth vs in the 5. to the Eph. Note how he bindeth vs tieth vs to Christ We are saith he the members of his body of his flesh and of his bones ¶ Anna. Blessed be God our louing fauorable and heauenly father for euer euer for these infinite riches of his grace These wordes of Paul do greatly comfort ioy vs for if we be the members of Christ of his flesh surely there is no doubt but as Christ did rise again in his owne body euen so shal we also rise agayne in our bodies vnto euerlasting life by the power of the glorious resurrection of Christ Vrb. This is as certaine as you see now your selfe and heare your selfe speake ¶ Anna. But the condicion state of our bodies shal not then be such as they be now for now our bodies eate drinke slepe are subiect to wearines We eate disgest and waxe hungry and they that do not eate and drink must nedes decay and die But though we do eate and drinke yet can not these earthly meates or drinkes maintayne our lyfe here for euer For when we be olde and sickly and when our stomacks leese their naturall heate and disgesture then can neither meat nor drinke help preserue or prolong our life But when the natural helth strength is gone we end our dayes and die It must nedes therfore be a strange kinde of meate which we shal eate in the world to come which maketh vs liue for euer And the condicion and state of our body which shal be then must nedes be far differing from this and much better more excellent happy and blessed thē either hart can thinke or we desire ☞ Vrb. Paul hath taught this euidently plainly manifestly in his epistle to the Phil. where he saith Christ in the last day shal change our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodye according to the working wherby he is able euen to subdue al things vnto himself Lo both in this place to the Cor. he saith the our bodies in the last resurrection shal be pure cleare and vnspotted like the stars of the firmament and lyke the sunne moone And among other things he saith that this body of ours is as a graine of corne sowen in the earth in corruption and is raised in incorruption it is sowne in dishonour and raysed in glory it is sowen in weaknes and is raised in power it is sowen a natural body is raised a spiritual body that is to say
and ascend into that euerlasting and glorious kingdō of heauen and so could not be kept in death He must also of necessity haue some people ouer whō he myght be Lord and king and whom he might rule gouern Wherefore his people also can not abide in death but must with their eternall king liue for euer I would haue you make much of this Psalme For I tell you this is a notable Psalm and most comfortable of al other psalmes Agayne in the 69. psalme the prophet doth plainly and manifestly speake of Christes passion the fruit therof saying thus in the person of Christ They haue hated me without a cause I restored that which I toke not The rebukes of them that rebuked thee are fallen vpon me They gaue me gall in my meate and in my thirst they gaue me vineger to drinke Here is set downe the ende of Christes passion and cause why he would suffer to wit that he might paye our debtes and beare our sinnes vpon the crosse He was our pledge and surety and when we coulde not performe and pay that which we ought he payed our debtes for vs If we should haue paid our debtes our selues that is if we should haue borne our owne sins we should al haue bene cast downe into the depe pit of hel and perished euerlastingly You heare it also in this place foretold how the tormentors should crucifie and handle him and how they should giue him gall and vineger to hasten his death or rather to increase his payne and tormentes Which thing plainely appeareth in the Gospell in Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn And Dauid prophesieth in the 41. psalme how Iudas should betray Christ saying My familiar frend whō I trusted which did eate of my bread hath lifted vp hys heele against me And Iohn citeth this prophesie where he speaketh of Iudas his treasō And in the same psalm hard after Christ requireth of his heauenly father that he might rise agayne and ascend into heauen and that after his resurrection he might be exalted vnto the right hand of his father saying Therfore lord haue mercy vpō me and raise me vp so shal I reward them Place me in thy sight for euer And in the 40. Psalme Dauid prophesieth of the destroying and abrogating of the Iewes sacrifice and he speaketh of the true sacrifice of Christ by which he reconciled God vnto vs and fulfilled all his fathers will and satisfied the law These are the wordes of the prophet in Christes person Sacrifices and burnt offrings thou didst not desire for thou hast prepared myne eares burnt offerings and sinne offrings hast thou not required Then said I that is Christ Loe I come For in the rolle of the booke that is in Moses and the prophetes It is writen of me I desired to do thy good wil O my god Yea thy law is within my hart I haue declared thy righteousnes in the great congregation And afterward he prayeth his father that he would not forsake hym in his crosse affliction saying Withdraw not thou thy tender mercy from me O Lord let thy mercy and thy truth alway preserue me for innumerable troubles haue compassed me And a little after he calleth our sinnes his sinnes Not for that he did euer sinne but because he tooke our offences vpon him that hee might purge them and suffer for them euen as if they had bene his owne And this verily is a wonderfull and vnspeakeable kind of mercy and goodnes These are his words My sinnes haue taken such hold me that I am not able to loke vp yea they are more in number then the heares of my head Therefore my harte hath fayled me O GOD let it please thee to deliuer me O Lorde make haste to helpe me And in the 118. Psalme Dauid prophecieth excellently and notably of Christ telling vs how the Iewes should reiect him and especially those amongest them which would be counted most lerned and holy to wit the Scribes and Pharises And yet neuertheles should he attaine to excellent honor and gather together both the Iewes and Gentiles into one spirituall building of the catholike church These be the wordes The stone which the builders refused is the head of the corner This was the lordes doyng and it is meruailous in our eyes this is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad in it The Apostles and Euangelists do diligētly expound this prophesie and they cite it of Christ in many places saying that Christ alone is the rocke and corner stone on whom when we are builded by fayth we may strongly stande against all euils stormes and tempests that rise against vs The Iewes when they had sealed vp the graue stone thought that Christ had bene vtterly extinguished and the two disciples also which went to Emaus doubted the same but Peter thinketh and preacheth farre otherwise saying Let therfore the whole house of Israel know for a surety that God hath made him both Lord Christ This Iesus I say whom you haue crucified Agayne he sayth to these folish builders The God of our fathers hath raised vp Iesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree him hath God lift vp with his right hand to be a prince and a sauiour c. But now ye shall heare what worthy and notable things Dauid prophesieth of Christes glory in the 18. Psalme where Christ sayth Thou hast deliuered me frō the contentions of the people Thou hast made mee the head of the heathen A people whom I haue not knowen shall serue me Out of all doubt the spirit of God speaketh here especially of Christ against whom his owne proper people did kicke in that they would not haue hym to be their king And therfore are they forsaken and Christ is made the king and head of all nations in the world Which came to passe after the resurrection ascension of Christ where he was by the preaching teaching of the gospel published and preached through the whole worlde and became famous and was acknowledged for a king Dauid in the 21. psalme speaketh of the eternall and spirituall kingdom of Christ and of his great princely honour telleth how miserably his enemies should ende saying The king shall reioyce in thy strength O Lord yea how greatly shall he reioyce in thy saluation Thou hast giuen him his hartes desire and hast not denied hym the request of his lippes Selah For thou didst preuent him with liberall blessings and didst set a crowne of pure gold on his hed He asked life of thee and thou gauest him a long lyfe for euer and euer His glory is great in thy saluation dignity and honour hast thou layd vpon him For thou hast set him as blessinges for euer Thou hast made him glad with the ioy of thy countenaunce because the king trusted in the Lord in the mercy of the most high he shall
with the church Wheras men which are without knowledge of God being in heresies superstition idolatry exercised and blinded are by that euil destroying and disturbing spirit dispersed and the heritage deuided Cōtrarily Christes faithfull are by the gospell and doctrine of the church gathered together into the vnity of faith which iustifyeth ¶ Anna. But what saith the church to them which yet beleeue not ☞ Vrb. It saith that which Esay speaketh of here saying Goe forth and shew your selues as if he should haue sayd ye sit in Sathans prison in darknes of vnbeleef but if you abide in that pryson and darknes you shall die for euer And therfore arise and come out and fly speedely out of sathans kingdome repent amend your selues and beleeue the gospel and then shal your harts be lighted with knowledge then shall you both learn to know your selues you shall also receiue true holynes be saued In the kingdome and dungeon of sathā is nothing els but euerlasting hunger penury of al things but in the church which is the kingdome of Christ are most delectable pleasant pastures For the gospel is a most ioyful messenger and comfortable word of life which floweth with al delites comforts ioyes in which we finde and haue plenty and ful store of al pleasure goodnes to wit forgeuenes of sinnes true holynes peace with God ioy of spirite and peace of conscience and life yea true and perfect consolation And this is the meaning of these strange words of the prophet where he saith They shal feed in the wayes and their pastures shal be in the plaines or in al the tops of hils they shal neither be hungry nor thirsty and the heat of the day shal not touch them But whence haue they such delights and pleasures The prophet answereth because their deliuerer wil rule gouern thē They are as you here in the kingdome of mercy Christ conducteth thē by his word spirit These three to wit the word the sacraments and the holy spirit are the welsprings and flouds by which only this spirituall thirst may in all places and for euer be quenched And least this spirituall thirst shold not be quenched or these pastures of life be hid and not easely found the Lord wil make all the mountaines into a way that is there shal be in all congregations or companies of Christians place that euē easely with no troble mē may come vnto him There shal be a very broad frequented way redy and easy to be found so that no man shall haue need to aske which is the way lest therby the free acces to Christ might be hindered For in what kind and state of life so euer any man shal be so that it be not quite cōtrary to gods word if he beleeue in Christ doubtles he shall both haue forgeuenes of sinnes and be inheritor of euerlasting life whether he be Iew or Gentil master or seruant mistres or mayd maiestrate or subiect and they shal come from far Before the people of god was in the litle land of Chanaan and the church of God was straitly laced hēmed in but now it shal be let lose through the wholl world and as Christ saith in Luke they shal come frō the East and from the West and from the North and from the South and shall sit in the kingdome of God. Then the prophet biddeth all creatures reioyce and be glad for al creatures which are are in two places to wit in heauē earth now the occasion cause why they ought to triumph and reioyce is this First because God the father hath sent his sonne into this earth geuen vs his gospel from heauen which is a messuage of reconciliation betwixt God man and the word of grace remission of sinnes Secondly because that now the people of God faithful christians are out of al danger and in a happy ease for death is subdued But he calleth the good christians poore or afflicted because while they liue in this earth they are heauy troubled inwardly with feare terror of death and gods iudgement and outwardly they are shaken with persecutions and all kinds of calamities But this is our consolation that god calleth vs his people for if we be his people he our comforter protector thē may we in deed reioyce For if God be with vs who can be against vs what hurt can the creature doe vs how cā it dismay vs seeing the creator himself doth comfort help vs the flesh is very weak and when the tempest thick mistes of aduersitie and tribulations come vpon vs when we are ouerwhelmed with vehement crosses when we are something sharply assaulted with sorowes feares and temptations then doe these comfortable promises of gods grace and help vanish away and fly out of our sight in so much that we think God hath forsaken vs and that he is angry and so plagueth vs because he intendeth to destroy vs For thus saith Sion to wit the miserable afflicted godly in their infirmities and greeuous temtations The Lord hath forsaken me the Lord hath forgotten me my sinnes O Lord are haynous great greeuous and to heauy for me to beare What shal become of me O wretch that I am what shall I doe how shal I escape euerlasting death and the wrath of God ¶ An. Truely husband it is oftentimes so with me for I am many times so afflicted and am in such heuynes feares and temtations that I thinke God careth not for me and that he will euē in these trobles feares afflictions and temtations leaue and destroy me most miserable woman ☞ Vrb. Our weake fearfull flesh cannot alwayes expel such feares cogitations For though the promises of God be neuer so plentiful manifold though god euery foot help vs yea and that so manifestly and redely that we may euen grope and feel him yet whē troble and greef come again we are so vnmindful of al the former helps which we haue had and we are so trobled soroful as if the lord could forget or forsake vs which in deed he can neuer doe For he hath promised both to help comfort vs and surely he will performe his promise for he is true therfore he wil doe it he is of such might that whatsoeuer he saith he can perform it Wherfore Esay addeth to this complaint of the godly which mourn vnder the cros a most ioyfull comfortable consolation by which we may help this our dastardly weaknes and desperation and comfort our heuy harts thus wrastling vnder the cros pressed down with aduersitie desperatiō And to doe it the liuelier he boroweth a similitude of nature which is commōly knowen amongst all men to wit the louing and motherly affection of women which of all other are most naturall to their children We know that God hath planted in the
that sinnes can be done away by works and penance and therfore monasteries and other buildings and els whatsoeuer was founded of that intent end and purpose that therby they might put away sinnes deserue forgeuenes and obtayn euer lasting life What thing soeuer I say was or are done for this intent they are most foule and filthy sects and horible errors therby the state of our saluatiō is gretly hasarded And looke you mark this third note wel Fourthly learn here a true comfort If Christ beare our sinnes and offences then the passion of Christ is oures and only proper vnto vs and all his deserts are oures wherfore our sinnes if the prophet be to be beleued can neuer condemne vs For this was the cause why he tooke them vpon him that he might quite blot them all out for euer so that afterward they should not at any time hurt vs And thus the passion of Christ is become our satisfaction for sinnes and so we are delyuered from al our sinnes by the death of Christ to whō be honor and glory for euer Amen ¶ Anna. Our munks and nunnes beleeue not this for they boast and brag that they deserue forgeuenes of our sinnes and that they beare our offences ☞ Vrb. If monasteryes or munkes beleue not this prophecy but by other works and meanes then by Christes merites and passion seeke saluation and promise it to other their monasteries are very theeuish dens and butcheries of soules and are filled ful of horrible blasphemies euen from the foundation vp to the roofe and are as much to be detested and abhorred as the gates of hel ¶ Anna. What meaneth Esay where he saith we iudged him as plagued and smitten of God ☞ Vrb. Read the history of Christ his passion set down by the Euangelistes and then shalt thou easely see the meaning of it The Iewes falsly accused Christ saying that he was a seducer of men a deceauer of the people an author of sedition and an enemy to the law and a blasphemer of god For in Iohn they sayd vnto Pilat If he were not an euil doer we would not haue delyuered him vnto thee And therfore he was thought to haue sinned and so to haue been punished and smitten of God for his sinnes and offences committed against god It is against all reason that there should be such a law that he which hath not offended should be punished and suffer for another offender Mannes reason saith let the offender suffer for his offence But here by the good grace and bountiful mercy of our God it is otherwise We had offended and therefore by good desert we ought to haue bin eternally punished But christ was without fault gilty in no point and defyled with no spot yet euen of his great mercy and ardent good wil he put himself in our stead and for our sakes suffered that punishment which he neuer deserued And here agayn you haue the true manhood of Christ because you see in very deede he suffered for vs and tooke our sinnes vpon him on the cros Therfore Esay saith God punyshed him not for his own sinnes but for our sinnes and iniquities It was conuenient that he should be that true pascall Lambe which is innocent it self and without blot but beareth the offences of others of the world and by this prophecy Paul taketh occasion to say to the Romanes that Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes And so that punishment which we had deserued was layd on Christ by the meere mercy and goodnes of God that we might haue peace If he had not taken the punishment of our sinnes vpon him we had neuer bin at one with God nor the wrath of God had neuer bin appeased towards vs We were deadly wounded euen to euerlasting death neither could any other heal vs but the woūds of Christ which gushed forth of his most precious bloud No man is here excepted For all mankind yea the whole stock of mankind was by the deadly poyson of sinne miserably wounded and infected in euery part There is none that doth good no not one as the Psalme witnesseth We had all gone frō thy right way of truth and innocency into the troblesome rough rugged and erroneous wayes of falshood and wickednes like wandring and straying sheep We all lay euen as the half dead wounded man which fell into the theeues handes as he went between Ierusalem and Iericho We had all of vs need of the phisition delyuerer and pastor to seek for vs sheep gone astray to bring vs into the way and to help vs and deliuer vs But there was none other that either could or should doe this for vs but Iesus Christ by the mercyful and free promise which God made to vs of his sonne in the law and the prophets For he was ordayned as Peter sayth for this end to delyuer vs And therfore saith Esay The Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquity of vs al. This is our gospel and what more ioyful and comfortable or better newes can the woūded and sorrowfull sinner hear then that his sinnes are layd on Christ If they be layd on him he wil beare them wipe them away and blot them out For it is certayn that he dyed and rose agayn to saue vs sinners And this obedience of Christ in that it pleased him euen as a Lamb to be sacrifised for our sinnes and in that he suffered that bitter death for vs and all euen of his own good will freely with great patience is so thankful and acceptable a sacrifice to God yea a sacrifice of such infinite merite worthynes before the face of God that he neither can nor wil in any wise condemne vs so we beleue and trust in Christ And therfore God the father layd al our sins vpon his only begotten Sonne Christ least they shold condemne vs. This loue of God is so great towards vs that no hart is able to consider it and this offering or sacrifice for our sinnes is so excellent and precious that there can be no sinne where this sacrifice is offered But how behaued Christ himself when he suffered he was as meek as a sheep brought to the slaughter for the Prophet sayth He shal be brought euen as a sheep to be slain He calleth Christ a sheep because he was sent of his father that he might beare our offences and be offered vp for our sakes and sinnes as sheep were offered in the law of Moyses which offering was onely a figure of Christ ¶ Anna. How was he taken out of prison and from iudgement ☞ Vrb. Here Esay doth prophecie of that glory into which by his passiō he entred For Christ did not dye that he should remayn in death but that he might swallow vp death and rise agayn from death He was for three dayes space in iudgement and tribulation or pryson when he suffered himself by Pilate to be iudgeed
be named a Citye sought out and nōt forsaken In these wordes the prophet commaundeth that the word of the Gospell should be diligently painefully and continually tought in all places where men be to heare it The gates of the Church doe stand alway open all thinges are now ready there lacketh nothing but that you diligently vrge and beleue the doctrine of the word and that ye remoue take vp and sweepe away all thinges whatsoeuer hinder the crosse and increase of the Gospell that it may haue better successe Preach you Christ crucified and he shall by his spirite gather and draw all men vnto him To be short the Gospell ought to be published and preached through all the world Tell the daughter Sion that is you must declare to all the electe both Iewes and Gentiles that their Sauiour Christ Iesus is at hand and whatsoeuer he promiseth or enterpriseth for the sauing of his people that is to say the spiritual Sion the same he mightely performeth For the captiuitye wherein he was and the passion which he suffered is our redemption and saluation and his death is our lyfe And though Sion that is the Church be counted but base and vile in the eyes of the world yet shall it be glorious famous of great dignity before God and it shall haue this worthy name and title to be called the holy people of God whom God himself in mannes nature which hee tooke vpon him hath redeemed And although the world supposeth that God hath reiected and forsaken the church and that God himself is sore displeased with it because they see it in misery calamity and vnder the cros yet neuertheles shall it both be called and in deed be found that perfect citye of God which God in no case can forsake And here you see the articles of the creed I beleeue the holy Catholick church the communyon of saints For he that beleeueth in Christ is a citizen in this Citie and a saint in Christ which forgeueth our sinnes and sanctyfieth the church by his word and holy spirit Now then if you wil not haue this work of Christ our Sauiour to be fruitles it is necessary that the gospel should be preached in all the world and that there should be in all places faithful beleeuers in Christ and that the same beleeuers be delyuered from death to the end the church may be made this beutifull citie fayre dwelling or house of god which he cānot forsake Here also it is euydent that it behoued Christ to rise again from death to the end this citie might be builded in all the world and that the faithfull in Christ may be delyuered from all their calamities sinne death and damnation This did not Cleophas and his companion while they were on their way to Emaus vnderstād and that was the cause that they were so sad But let vs now goe to the 63. chapter of Esay in which the magnificall and glorious tryumph of Christ is descrybed to wit how by his cros bloudsheding he marueilously ouercame his and the churches enemies namely sinne death Sathan and the sinagogue of the vnbeleeuing Iewes and valiantly vanquished them by his own strength and vertue Esay in this chapter also vseth after his maner a figuratiue speech saying Who is this that commeth from Edom with red garments from Bosrah He is glorious in his apparrell and walketh in his great strength Here the prophet wondering at the passion of christ vseth an interrogatiue speech Edom signifyeth red ruddy or redly colored Bosrah signifyeth a vine branch from whence the clusters of grapes be gathered which are troaden and prest in the wine pres He calleth the Sinagogue of the Iewes Edom or red because they all bestayned and defyled them selues with the bloud of the prophets and Christ when they sayd his bloud be vpon vs and our children The prophet therfore saw in the spirite how that bloudy Sinagogue tormented afflicted Christ all be slubbered and berayd him in blod as we see the grape treders are besprinkled bestaind with the wine in the vintage He saw also in the same place by the spirit what Christ by his blodsheding hath wrought and done to wit how he hath by his own strength and vertue without the help and ayd of any other ouercome and vanquyshed his enemyes admirably tryumphed as a most fortunat and worthy warryar in his triumphes conquest and signes of victory worthy to be beholden of all men For when the Iewes thought verely he had been dispatched and deead in deed then rose he again from death and began his kingdome and declared him selfe to be a valyaunt vanquisher of sinne death and all the kingdome of darcknes and punished with the horrible plague of captiuity hardnes of hart and apostacy the Iewes in all the world whersoeuer they be for this horrible and cruel fact of sheding of innocent bloud Vnto this interrogatiō of the prophet doth the Messias answere saying I speake in righteousnes and am mighty to saue That is to say why marueilest thou what I am I am he whom God hath sent to teache righteousnes nay euen to help that is to say iustifye and saue of mine own hability But by and by the prophet addeth another interrogation If thou be the true Sauyour which shalt help and geue life in deede wherfore then is thy apparrell red and thy garmentes like his that treadeth in the wine pres How doth this agree and stand with thy promyses wherin thou takest vpon thee to help and saue vs To this Christ answereth I haue troaden the wine pres alone and of all people there was none with me for I will tread them in mine anger and tread them vnder foot in my wrath and their bloud shal be sprinkled vpon my garments and I wil stayn all my rayment For the day of vengeance is in my hart and the yeare of my redeemed is come and I looked and there was none to help and I wondered that there was none to vphold Therefore mine own harme helped me and my wrath it self sustayned me Therfore I wil tread down the people in my wrath and make them dronken in mine indignation and will bring down their strength to the earth In this answere of Christ we see how he would by his passion enter into his glory and thorowly delyuer vs for euer He sayth thou shalt not maruail to see my rayment red For this is the true and redyest way and meanes to saue the world God hath so ordayned it I haue troadē the wine pres alone that is to say I alone haue born the sinnes of the world vpon the crosse No man els was able to satisfy God for the sinnes of the world but I alone It was my bloud only that both could and ought to doe it and nothing els There was no other meanes nor way to saue you from your sins And in that my infirmity I shewed great strength and I
Col. 1.16 Heb. 1.2 Tit. 3.4 Christes eternitie Ioh. 1.3 Gen. 1.1 The godhead of Christ Ioh. 1.14 Ioh. 1.1 The difference of the belief in heauenly and worldly things Esay 7.9 The godhead of Christ Christ the second person in godhead Deut. 6.4 Ioh. 1.14 Ioh. 8.25 Ioh. 1.3 Christ is God without beginning vncreated Reason is to be abandoned in deuinitie Psal. 45.6 Hebr. 1.8 Psal. 22.22 Rom. 8.29 Christes rod or scepter Psal. 8. 1. King. 2. Esa. 42.8 The godhead of Christ Tit. 3.5 Heb. 1.5 Heb. 1.2 Kin. 7.14 or of Samuel Ioh. 1.12 Psal. 97.7 Hebr. 6. Reue. 19.10 Hebr. 1.10 Psal. 10. X. names of God. Gen. 17.1 Esay 42.8 The etymologie of Iehouah Exod. 3.13 Zach. 14.5 Mat. 25.31 Zach. 14.17 Psal. 46.5 Psal. 68.4 Eph. 4.8 Esa. 33.21 Psal. 2.12 Eze. 36.26 2. Cor. 3.3 Ier. 31.33 Esa. 54.4 Eph. 5.23 Esa. 25.9 1. Tim. 1.15 Act. 15.11 Esa. 35.4 Cypr. 2. li. cap. 6 Who be the poore in spirit Mat. 1.25 Ier. 23. Phil. 3.7 Note that Paul here flieth to the faith refuseth his own righteousnes merites Christ the God of our righteousnes is a cōfortable iuell Learn here what to do in temptation and the danger of desperation Christ our righteousnes 1. Cor. 1.30 Christ our propitiatory Rom. 8.31 The death of the godly is but a slepe Rom. 20.4 1. Cor. 15.55 Ier. 23.6 1. Cor. 1.30 Esa. 9.6 Esa. 7.14 Mat. 1.23 Esa. 7. 9. Christ called an angel Esa 9. Esa. 43.11 Ier. 17.5 Rom. 9.33 Ioh. 3.18 Ioh. 5.21 Esa. 11.10 Ioh. 5.21 Ioh. 5.19 Iohn 11.25 Iohn 10.18 Phil. 3.21 Zach. 12 10. Iohn 19.34 1. Cor. 2.8 Whole christe suffered Act. 20.28 Iohn 1.34 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 3.16 Iohn 10.29 Ioh. 20.28 Rom. 1.2 Rom. 9.5 Tit. 2.13 Phil. 2.6 Col. 2.9 ◠Ioh. 2.20 A necessary point of fayth Satan goeth chiefly about to deceiue vs in the vnity of Christes person He that seketh God without Christ findeth him not in mercy The deuils chief desire Christes second natiuity That Christ and all that Christ is ours The christmas caroll at Geneua Luke 2.30 1. Tim. 2.6 1. Pet. 2.14 Ioh. 1.29 Luk. 15.4 1. Pet. 2.9 Mat. 2.42 Psal. 118.22 Eph. 2.20 Rom. 8.3 6. comfortable names of Christ 1. Pele that is wonderful A strange way of our deliuerance 1. Tim. 1. 2. Ioetz that is counsail Christ coūselleth contrary to the world Iohn 16.33 That is a poticaries shop Rom. 15.4 Wisd 16.12 1. Mach. 12 9. Mat. 10.28 1. Comfort against death 2. Comfort against death Ioh. 6.40 Mat. 17.5 3. name is El strength Psal. 18.6 Phil. 4.13 4. is Gibbor that is Giant Iob 4.24.25 Luk. 11.21 Col. 1.13 Psal. 19.5 Phil. 2.10 Rom. 24.9 Ioh. 3.8 Collos 2.15 Rom. 7.14 2. Timo. 2.26 Ioh. 8.36 5. name is Abiad father In Christ nothing but loue Abiad a cōfort in the houre of death Phil. 1.21 6 name is Sarscholam Collos 2.14 Rom. 5.1 Rom. 5.10 Eph. 2.13 Rom. 8.31 Psal. 121.4 Iohn 16.33 Ioh. 14.27 Ioh. 17.24 Luk. 2.10 Hos 11.1 Mat. 2.19 Psal. 6.7 Psal. 72.1 Psal 89.27 Esa. 33.22 Ezec. 37.24 Eze. 14.16 Iohn 2.23 Christ the doctor Math. 23.8 Rom. 3.22 Rom. 4.3 Gen. 15.6 Luk. 4.43 Ioh. 4.25 Deu. 18.15 Esa. 49.2 Ioh. 18.37 Zach. 9.10 Esa. 9.6 Christ we true shepeherd Math. 17.5 Psal. 110.4 Heb. 2.17 Hebr. 4.14 Hebr. 5.6 Ioh. 17.9 Hebr. 7.23 Hebr. 9.15 Heb. 9.1 Christ on hie priest that pleaseth God. 1. Tim. 2.5 1. Ioh. 2.1 Eph. 2.8 Eph. 3.12 Ioh. 16.23 Hebr. 13.75 Acts. 4.12 Christ our sauiour Psal. 98.3 Psa 119.81 Christ was the hope of the Prophets Esay 51.5 Esa. 52.10 Esay 43.11 Esa. 54.5 Esay 59.22 Rom. 11.26 Ose 13.14 1. Col. 1.30 Gal. 1.4 Eph. 1.7 Col. 1 1. thes 1.10 Tit. 2.13 Luk. 2.11 Christ our sheepehed Psal. 95.7 Psal. 95.6 Psal. 100.3 Esay 40.11 Iohn 10.28 Luk. 15.4 Hiere 31.10 Zach. 13.7 Mat. 26.13 Ezech. 34.11 Eze. 34.23 Ezec. 37.23 Hebr. 13.20 1. Pet. 5.4 Christ a Iudge Iohn 5.22 2. Cor. 5.10 Rom. 14.9 Act. 10.42 Christ the Iudge Iohn 5.22 Act. 10.42 Psal. 9.7 Psal. 50.1 Mat. 25.31 Esa. 53.7 1. Thes 4.17 Such a shout as sailers make Mat. 25.31 Psal. 72.1 Psal. 97.1 Psal. 96.13 Esa. 66.15 Zach. 14.3 Christ is a iudge but of the wickod 2. thes 1.10 1. thes 1.16 1. thes 4.17 Esa. 35.4 Mat. 4.23 Mat. 11.4 Math. 8.3 Math. 9.6 Esa. 25.8 Mat. 9.25 Luk. 7.25 Ioh. 11.44 Psal. 8.4 Psal. 8.5 Mat. 26.23 Heb. 2.8 Eph. 1.17 Christes strange gouernment Phil. 2.8 The fruite of Christes death and resurrection Rom. 4.25 Rom. 5.8 1. Cor. 1.30 2. Cor. 5.15 Gal. 1.4 Gal. 3.13 Eph. 1.7 Eph. 2.13 Eph. 5.2 Col. 1.20 Colos 2 1◠1. thes 4.13 1. Tim. 1 15 1. Tim. 2.5 2. Tim. 1.9 Gods purpose and grace not our workes the cause of our saluation Tit. 2.11 Heb. 2.14 Hebr. 2.9 1. Pet. 1.3 1. Pet. 2.24 1. Pet. 3.18 1. Ioh. 1.7 1. Ioh. 2.1 1. Ioh. 3.8 1. Ioh. 4.9 Act. 4.10 1. Cor. 15.3 Lib. 4. de trinit lib. 3 Mans resurrection twofold Ioh. 5.28 Ioh. 5.28 1. thes 4.14 Christes resurrectiō raiseth vs. Eph. 5.30 Phil. 3.21 Our state after the resurrection 1. Cor. 15. The dishonor which sinne bringeth neyther haue the godly any other after this life but onely this Christes kingdome An hypocrite Sathans kingdom Eph. 2.1 Ioh. 14 30 2. Cor. 4.4 Luk. 11.21 2. Tim. 22.6 Christ defendeth his church Christes kingdome Psal. 14.7 Psal. 16.10 Act. 2.31 1. Cor. 15.20 Ioh. 20.5 Psal. 30.2 Psal. 49.15 Psal. 71.20 Psal. 86.13 Psal. 22.1 Psa 22.22 A spirituall eating Ioh. 6.51 Psal. 22.27 Eph. 2. Psal 22.30 Psal. 22. Psal. 69.4 Christ our surely Mat. 27. Mar. 15. Luk. 23. Iohn 19. Psa 41.9 Iohn 13.28 Psal. 41.10 Psal. 40.6 Our sinnes Christes sinnes Psa 118.22 Act. 4.11 1. Pet. 2.4 Mat. 21. Eph. 2.20 Acts. 2.36 Acts. 5.30 Psal. 18.43 The calling of vs Gentils Psal. 21.1 Mat. 15.14 Psal. 24.7 Psal. 29.10 Esay 9.7 Psa 72.1 Hebr. 1.8 Psal. 47.1 Eph. 4.8 Psal. 93.1 Mat. 21.44 Psal 99.1 The vngodly cannot hurt the godly Psal. 102.15 Luk. 10.23 Psal. 110.1 What it is to sit at the right hand of God. God sweareth Hebr. 5. Christ Dauids lord yet his son Christ the true Melchizedech Mat. 22.43 Psa 103.29 Psal. 146.10 Psa 103.29 Psa 145.10 2. Kin. 7.12 Psal. 89.1 Though we sinne often yet wil not god destroy vs but fatherly correct vs. Psal. 111.9 1. Cor. 1.3 Exod. 15.1 The Paschall lambe a figure of Christ Psal. 147.1 Psal. 103.7 False prophesie of Christ and his passion c. Esa. 2.2 Esa. 64.4 Hebr. 12.22 Mount Sion Luk. 24.7 The peace of christiās and to be thus affected is a signe of gods child Esay 2.4 Mich. 4.4 Hos 2.18 Zach. 9.10 Esay 2.5 Esay 4. ◠Eph. 5.26 1. Ioh. 1.7 Exo. 13.21 Christ the bud of the lord and the fruit of the earth that is God and man Gen. 2.7 Luk. 24.16 Esay 8.1 Reue. 5.5 Esa. 8.13