the vertue of Christ his resurrection and also the righteousnes which he shoulde haue by him because it is not the workes that maketh the man good but the man that maketh the workes good For you must well know that yf Abraham had not beleeued the Lord he had not been counted righteous for although he were iustified by workes in the sight of men and thereby had somwhat wherin to reioyce yet had he not so in no respect with God For what sayth the Scripture doth it not tell you how that Abraham beleeued the Lorde and he counted that vnto him for righteousnes So that y e workes which he did had been but as dead workes and rotten in the sight of God had he not beleeued the promyse of God concerning the Seede that shoulde come of him Agayne you must as well knowe that Israel obteyned not that which they sought through workes but the election obteyned it neither were they elected vnto saluation because of the workes which in tyme they woulde do but they were elected through the grace of God in Christ Iesus accordyng as the Apostle also testeth the phesians they were saying By grace are ye also saued through faith in Iesus Christ and not of workes sayth he least any man shoulde boast him selfe and therefore the Scripâ—…ure hath concluded all vnder sinne that so men might see playnely how they are iustified freely by the grace of God and not through workes for yf it were of workes then were it not of grace but since it is of grace it can not be of workes as sayth the Apostle Therefore we conclude sayth he that a man is iustified freely through fayth in Iesus Christe and not through workes for to him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt but to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his fayth is counted for righteousnes euen as Dauid declareth the blessednes of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnes without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered blessed is that man to whom the Lorde imputeth not sinne And good cause the holy Prophet had so to say fâ—…r yf men shoulde be rewarded according to their workes or desartes they should be rewarded with euerlasting death because the wages of sinne is death and there is no man but he hath sinned and gon a stray therefore no man but he deserueth the wages of hell and death But yf men do looke for eternall lyfe they must know it commeth as a free gyft of God through fayth in Christe and not in any respect as a due debt vnto them because of their workes For as Abraham receyued not the promise concerning the heireship of the worlde through the fulfilling of the Law but through the righteousnes of fayth no more doth any man receiue the promise of the heireshyp of eternall lyfe through the workes which he can do but through the fayth which he hath in Iesus Christ. What shall we say then concerning good workes Shall we vtterly exclude them No in no wyse for God hath ordeyned them also euen to the ende that those whom he hath elected in Christ shoulde walke in them but not in any respect for men to thinke that they shoulde be the cause of their election neyther that they shoulde thinke the free gift of eternall lyfe commeth as a due debt for them But in deede they are as most excellent fruites which shoulde alwayes floorysh from those whom God hath elected according as the Apostle sayth God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the worlde to the ende that we shoulde be holy and without blame before him in loue So then y e fruites not being the cause of the goodnes of the tree but the tree the cause of the goodnes of the fruites it had ben in vayne I say for the Apostles to looke for good fruites to come from men yf they had not first taken care for the sounde plantyng of the tree that is If they had not first taught men the sounde knowledge of Christ wherby they might see plainely wherein their goodnes stoode it had profited their hearers nothing at all no although they shoulde haue done all the good workes in the worlde or haue mortified them selues neuer so much in the sight of men because without the sounde knowledge of Christ the soule can not be good For I pray you had not the Apostle Paule as great cause to reioyce in the fleshe as any man in the worlde yf by suche thinges God woulde haue been pleased Yes in deede had he for you see he was circumcised the eight day of the kinred of Israel and of the trybe of Beniamin and an Hebrew of Heber and by the Law of the strictest sect euen a Pharisee and also as concerning zeale no man more feruent then he yea and as touchyng the righteousnes which is by the Law euen vnrebukeable and yet you may see that he counteth all these thinges but as dung drosse in respect of y e excellent knowledge sake which he had founde in Christe by the which knowledge he was made to see that notwithstanding all his former righteousnes by the Law yet had he gon to eternall destruction had he not founde the righteousnes which is through fayth in Christ and therefore no maruell was it though he made small accompt of his former righteousnes in respect of the knowledge he had now of Christ. Wherefore in any wyse see that you alwayes desire the same thing for assure your selfe that is more worth in the syght of God then all the burnt offeringes or sacrifices in the worlde for so the Lorde him selfe doth tel you Therefore blame me not I beseech you though somewhat longer I stande vpon this poynt euen vpon this that the sounde knowledge of Christe for vs to haue is more accepted in the syght of God then all the workes which we call good in the worlde For I pray you further was not Cornelius the Captayne that heathen man a godly man as well as Paule Yes euen one whom the holy ghost commendeth to be very deuout to haue the feare of God before his eyes to pray vnto him continually to haue care to teache his whole householde the like and besides all this to be one that gaue much Almes vnto the people and yet you see he was not in that case as he ought to be vntyll such time as Peter had made knowne vnto him the Lorde IESVS that so he myght know that by his death and resurrection came remission of sinnes and onely vnto those that woulde beleeue in his name so that notwithstanding all his former righteousnes yet was he to be counted a most greeuous sinner vntyll such tyme as he apprehended Christ by fayth and therefore is it that the Apostles say so sone as they
the booke of God whether this my vnskilfull draught woulde drawe you I shall thinke my laboure well bestowed and you your selfe shall remayne no longer as that lytle Syster which hath no brestes but you shall be lyke that flocke of Sheepe where not one is barren amongst them and as that florishyng Tree fast planted by the Riuer side whose leafe shall euer shew it selfe most fresh and greene euen to the bringing foorth of fruite in great abundance And moreouer you shall be then as a Pillar in the house of the Lorde your God and also as the Towre of Dauid most strongly buylt for your owne defence and shall continually remayne in the eyes of this Salomon as one that findeth peace The which peace the Lord graunt you may speedely inioy Amen Yours in the Lorde R. C. The reason why all Creatures ought to prayse the LORD and why Man ought so to do aboue the rest WHereas the holy Prophet prouoketh the Heauens and all thinges therein the Earth and Sea also with all thinges therein to prayse the Lorde he yeeldeth a reason why they ought so to doo and that is for that he spake the worde and they were created he commaunded and they were made And therfore because that all creatures haue their breath and beeing by him as the Apostle sayth the Prophet calleth them all to sounde foorth the prayse and glory of their Creator but especially he vrgeth Man to aduance the same aboue the rest because that he most chiefly aboue all others was thereunto appoynted For the Lorde speaking of his chosen Israel sayth This people haue I formed for my selfe and therefore sayth he They shall shew foorth my prayse and glory as also Moses taught them that vnto that ende and purpose they were chosen And lykewyse the Lorde speaking of the callyng of the Heathen from all quarters of the earth to be his Sonnes and Daughters in Christ Them also saith he haue I created for my glory and to none other ende but that they shoulde shew foorth his prayse amongst the rest as in diuers places of scripture may be seene So that for this cause were all the holy Prophetes and Apostles so much moued to call vpon Man to set foorth the prayse and glory of God and not onely because he was thereunto appoynted but also so much the more for that he hath done for him such wonderful and excellent thynges as first to elect him in Christ vnto saluation before the foundation of the worlde was layde Secondly to create him in so glorious an estate euen after his owne image and lykenes and as Lorde and King ouer all his creatures Thirdly to redeeme his soule from the iawes of Satan with the precions blood of Christ his Sonne as of a Lambe without spot and vndefiled Fourthly to exalt his horne on high euen to syt with his Sonne in the heauenly and highest places Fifthly to sanctifie and to endue him with his holy spirite whereby he may be led into all trueth Sixthly to lade him dayly with his manifolde and gratious benefites And seuenthly to sanctifie one day of seauen for his owne glory and to the ende that man shoulde rest from his owne workes and be workefull vnto God in geuing due prayse and thankes vnto him for the former benefites receyued And therefore as the holy Prophet sayth Let all them that seeke the Lord reioyce and be glad in him and let them that loue his saluation alwayes say The Lord be praysed Man ought dayly to consider for what cause the Lord shoulde so bountifully deale with him and beholding the Heauens be driuen thereby to confesse his owne duetie SEeing that the Lorde hath created Man to none other ende but to shew foorth his prayse and glory and seeing that he ladeth him dayly with his gratious benefites to the ende to induce him therunto O that men woulde therefore enter into deepe meditation with the holy Prophet and so consider with them selues yea and consider agayne and agayne that when they beholde the Heauens euen the workes of Gods fingers the Sunne the Moone and Stars which he hath ordeyned what man shoulde be that he shoulde be so mindfull of him yea or what sonne of Adam he shoulde be that he shoulde thus consider of for he hath made some one to haue dominion ouer the workes of his handes and hath put all thinges in subiection vnder his feete Surely therefore I wyll seeke him out to whom this glory doth belong and I wyll also seeke the cause why the Lord hath thus aduaunced me For he hath geuen me the vse of all these his goodly creatures and therefore once agayne say I What is man O Lorde that thou shouldest deale in this sort with him Surely thou hast thus aduaunced him for some great purpose and I can see none other ende but to aduaunce thy prayse and glory and that in the highest degree for when as I behold the Heauens I see that they haue neither toonge nor voyce and yet I see that they declare thy glory and the Firmament doth shew forth the workes of thy handes Day vnto day vttereth the same thing and nyght vnto nyght teacheth such knowledge there is no speach nor language where their sounde is not heard and surely to none other intent but that men shoulde be without excuse Wherefore I for my part wyll dayly say as the holy Prophet did My soule prayse thou the Lord and al that is within me prayse his holy name My soule prayse thou the Lord and forget not all his benefites Yea and I wyll also call and say Let all the nations prayse the Lorde and let all the people shew foorth the glory of God euen their saluation If man be styrred vp by all the workes of God to consider his owne duetie which is to prayse the Lord it must not be according to his owne fantasie but according to the rule of Gods worde NOW we haue considered that all the workes of God do set foorth his prayse and glory and that man is bounde thereunto aboue the rest we must consider one thing farther with the holy Prophet which is this My lippes sayth he shall speake thy prayse when thou hast taught me thy Statutes Therefore when you haue learned them then may you set foorth the prayse and glory of God in such sort as he shall like of but otherwyse it is vnpossible you should for notwithstanding Moses was brought vp in all the learning of the Egyptians yet he confesseth him selfe to be ignorant concerning the worshyp of the Lord vntyll such time as he shoulde be directed by his owne most perfect worde How much more then ought we to confesse great ignorance therein vntil such time as we also shal be directed by the same Moreouer for as much as no prayse or worshyp is accepted in the sight of the Lord but such as
appeareth to Ioshua in the forme of a man to shew that in time he so would be and therefore doth Ioshua doe worshippe vnto him as acknowledging him to be his only God sauiour Christ. So that by this they might well knowe it was not Iesus the captaine sonne of Nun that conquered the lande for them but Iesus the sonne of God euen that noble captaine of the Lords host who not onely setled them in the rest of that earthly Canaan but also in the heauenly So that if the sixe hundreth thousand in the wildernesse and all the other for the space of three hundreth and fiftie yeares in the land had but considered well of these fewe sermons of Christ which I haue heere layd downe amongest many more their carkeises had escaped the wrath of God and they had entered into the rest of Canaan which through vnbeliefe they did not and also the other in the land had remained as Lordes ouer their enimies where as nowe they became Lordes ouer them and therefore in any wise see that you alwayes remember the louing kindnesse and the seueritie of the Lord and the chiefe cause of both The iudgements of God vpon the house of Israel and Iuda for the time of seuentie seuens of yeares that is from the time of Samuel and Saul to the captiuitie of Babilon THe Lord nowe being full of compassion and not willing to hide the light of hys countenance ouer long from his people causeth such horrible plagues to befall the Philistians while y ◠Ark was amongst them which was seuen monthes as that full glad are they to be rid therof For as there can be no agreement betwixt God and Belyall no more could there be betwixt the Arke of Gods presence and Dagon the God of the Philistians So that home againe doe they send it by a couple of milch kyne who haue more wit to shew the cause of all those plagues that befell them then all the priestes of Dagon had by these two kyne then to Bethshemesh the Ark of God is brought Where you haue a most notable example of foolish zeale running before wit punished for there doth the Lord kill euen of his owne people fiftie thousand threescore and ten men because they had looked into the Arke which was not lawfull for them to do So that euen at this first entrance of Gods presence againe amongest them they had a good warning a man would thinke to take better heed vnto the booke of God then before they had done that so they might heare his voyce and in hearing learn therby to doe that which he commandeth and no more yet neuerthelesse they rebelled still against the Lord euen as they had done euer since he brought them from the land of Egypt For notwithstanding all the great thyngs the Lorde had done for them as styll to rayse vp deliuerers to deliuer them from the crueltie of their oppressours which through their owne idolatrie befell them Notwithstanding all this I say and many other his great benefites bestowed vpon them they continued still in that great sinne of infidelitie and mistrust of the Lorde his goodnes Although he had often told them that so long as they did worship him according to his holy wil layd downe in his word he would defend them from all their enimies round about yet no sooner commeth Nahash the king of the children of Ammon against them but they cry out vpon Samuel that they might haue a king forsooth yea a king to reigne ouer them as al other nations had when as yet the Lord Iehouah of hoastes was their king So that their wickednes as y e holy ghost recordeth was maruellous great herin for they cast not away only Samuel such other iudges or deliuerers but also the Lorde himselfe that he shoulde not reigne ouer them wherefore his wrath for this was so kindled against them that he gaue thē a king indeed euen according to their desire but out of all doubt in his verie great anger and therefore tooke him away in his sore displeasure and so establisheth his couenant with Dauid vnto whom the crowne and kingdome did belong as being a figure of Christ their king euen that true Dauid who should raigne ouer them for euermore Yet notwithstanding al this and although rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednesse and idolatrie in the dayes of Rehoboam ten of the tribes despise this sonne of Ieshai of the tribe of Iuda from whence theyr glory was to arise and so became children of fornication in following the wayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat who erected two calues and set the one in Dan and the other in Bethel and made the people to confesse that those were their Gods that brought them out of y ◠land of Egypt And thus Ephraim vnder whom is named the ten tribes ioyned themselues vnto Idols and so became children of fornication euen worse then an harlot committing whoredome with all the chosen men of Ashur and with all on whome they doted neyther left they their fornications learned of the Egyptians for in their youth they lay with them and they brused the brestes of their virginitie Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was so greatly stirred vp against them that hee gaue them into the handes of the kinges of Ashur as vnto Pull-ashur Tiglath Pilesser and Salmanesar euen into the hands I say of the kinges of Ashur vpon whom they doted and they discouered their shame and tooke away their sonnes and daughters and slew them with the sword and why because they would not obey the voyce of the Lord their God but transgressed his couenant that is all that Moses the seruant of the Lord had commanded them and woulde neither obey them nor doe them And therefore Ephraim became vnto the Lord as an abhominable branch and he vnto them as a moth and as a very Lyon yea they became vnto him Loammy that is not his people therefore would not he be their God For when he saw that this rebellious Israel euen Aholah which is Samaria had played the harlot when she was his he cast her away and gaue her a bill of diuorcement And yet for all this was not her rebellious sister Iudah afrayd but she went and played the harlot likewise euen Ierusalem which is a holy bath the other two tribes Iuda and Beniamen euen they his pleasant plant defiled themselues with inordinate loue more then the other and with their fornications more then the other with their fornications for according to y e number of their Cities were their Gods and according to the number of the streetes of Ierusalem did they set vp altars of confusion euen altars to burne incense vnto Baal and also committed their abhominations in the house of the Lord whereupon his name was called to defile