to Scripture for the Lord wyl in no case like that you shoulde be troubled about many matters with Martha but wyll haue you without all excuse to choose the best part with Marie because that in deede is y e most excellent thing you can desire I meane the hearing of his voyce continually as Marie did that so you may haue all his most gracious words printed in your hart as Moses speaketh And why so Euen to the intent you may be able to rehearse them continually vnto your chyldren and that so you may be able to teach them and your selfe to knowe aright how that he IEHOVAH your God is one and that there is none but he according as he requireth in that first great Commaundement saying Heare O Israel IEHOVAH thy God IEHOVAH is one Therefore yf you holde them happie as happie blessed they are whose God this Iehouah is and that your selfe woulde be of this happie sort you must learne to know him aright that is you must learne to know according to the Scriptures how that vnder this name and nature there be three the Father the Worde and the holy Ghost and that these three are but one God for the Worde is the Sonne and yet he is IEHOVAH as S. Iohn in his twelfth teacheth you out of Esai the sixth And the holy Ghost is IEHOVAH as S. Paule in the Actes 28. teacheth you out of the same text of Esai And how this name IEHOVAH is opened S. Iohn in Apocalips the first sheweth you in this sort I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ende sayth the Lord euen he who was who is and who will be The knowing of this true God who is but one as also that the seconde person in this Trinitie was to take the nature of man that so he might suffer to the intent that in death he might destroy him that had the power thereof and so geue lyfe vnto the worlde The knowing of this I say according to the Scripture the which in all ages most playnely hath been manifested is the chiefest thing the Lorde requireth at your handes therefore you are to vnderstande that the holy Prophetes and Apostles did euer first and most chiefly labour to set foorth this and afterwardes exhorted men to walke according to their dueties layde downe in the seconde Table For you are not to thinke that when Iohn the Baptist came preaching in y e wildernes that his only drift was to bring the people to a more perfection of workes although after their demaunde he tell them that thus and thus they were to do but you are to vnderstande that most chiefly his drift was to bring them to a change of iudgement and to a more perfection of this knowledge and to a repentaunce of their former ignoraunces and a beleefe in Iesus Christ. For you see he telleth them playnely that the kingdome of God was euen now at hand and that a stronger then he came presently after him who in deede was before him and that him selfe was not worthy to stoope downe and vnlose the latchet of his Shoes and that although he baptised but with water yet he that came after him woulde baptise with the holy Ghost and with Fire and that he would come with his Fanne in his hand to make cleane his floore and to gather his Wheate into his Garner and to burne vp the Chasse with vnquenchable Fire And therefore vnles they did beleeue in him which shoulde come after him that is in Christ Iesus they woulde prooue to be this chasse Wherfore he telleth his kinsmen the Iewes that notwithstanding they for their partes began to say within them selues We haue Abraham to our Father and therefore we are the onely people because the couenauntes and promises of God belong onely vnto vs and also for that the Oracles of God were committed chiefly vnto vs and also because we are the Circumcision whereby we are separated from the sinners of the Gentiles I say notwithstandyng they beganne to bragge in this sort of all these outwarde thynges yet he telleth them that vnles they did beleeue in him of whom all the Prophetes before had spoken and was now come into the worlde they shoulde finde them selues to be this Chasse here spoken of and not the good Seede of the woman and of faythfull Abraham but euen the naturall seede of that olde Serpent their father the Deuill and that God was able to rayse vp sonnes vnto Abraham in steade of them euen of the very stones Whereby is meant that whereas the Gentiles vnto that time had hartes as hard as stones for asmuch as they regarded not to knowe the Lorde aright and therfore he regarded not the time of this their ignorance but suffered them to runne on in the hardnes of their hartes euen to their owne destruction Yet now he admonisheth all men eâ—…ery where to repent them of their former ignorance and beleeue the Gospell Yea now Iohn telleth them that the axe is put euen to the very roote of the trees and therefore yf these Gentiles woulde repent them of their former ignorances and beleeue in Christ as faythfull Abraham did then shoulde they be counted the sonnes of Abraham and the other shoulde be cut off euen according as the Apostle sayth Those which are of fayth are the chyldren of Abraham And againe He is not a Iew which is one outwardly neyther is that circumcision which is outwarde in the fleshe but he is a right Iew which is one within and whose hart is filled so full with the knowledge of God that he can alwayes prayse the Lorde aright and likewyse that is true circumcision which is of the hart and in the spirit and not in the letter and therefore yf these Gentiles woulde be such they shoulde then be the true circumcision in deede yea they should then be the true seede of Abraham and also the right Iewes and so their praise shoulde be of God and not of men Agayne whereas the Apostle vrgeth the Hebrewes to be led forward vnto perfection you are not to thinke he meaneth it of workes although no man will be so madde as to thinke otherwyse but that by those that haue knowledge a perfection of workes must also be practised for otherwyse because you shall not mistake me I tell you still your knowledge is in vayne For what hast thou to do with my couenant in thy mouth sayth the Lorde if thou hatest to be reformed And therfore as we are to grow vp in knowledge so are we also as the Apostle saith to grow vp in holines but in this place you are to vnderstande that the Apostle meaneth it of the perfection of knowledge which not onely y â— Hebrewes but also all others ought to attayne vnto that so they might see how Christ was answerable to all the former types figures shadowes and ceremonies in
you not vnderstand that the sayinges of the prophets might be fulfilled Now if you aske me in what sort the prophets before time had testified of Christ whereby they might haue knowen him to be that Messias that should come into the worlde the answere is very plentifull and very plaine and many of them did knowe that then was the time that the kingdome of God was to appeare and all the sort of them might haue knowne as well if they had considered well of the ninth of Daniel for there doth the angel Gabriel tell Daniel when Christ the king should be killed euen to the very houre of the day wherin he dyed Likewise they had Moses and all the prophetes euen vnto Iohn to lead them as it were by the hand vnto Christ and that at sundrie times and in diuers manners so that it will not be amisse to run briefly them ouer to shew you in what sort as I neere as I can he was described vnto them First then where as Adam by his disobedience brought not onely death vpon himselfe but also vppon all his posteritie and withall lost that dominion and Lordship he had ouer the creatures of God euen the very day of his creation the verie same day was Christ proclaymed heire of the world and a ful conquerour of Satan in these wordes I will put enmitie sayth the Lord vnto Satan betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seede and her seede thy seede shal bruise the heele of the seede of the woman but her seede euen hee that speciall seede meaning Christ shal breake thy head the which came so to passe when as the fulnesse of time was come that is when as our sauiour tooke the nature of man vpon hym and so through death destroyed him who had the power thereof that is to say the deuill this olde serpent The which seede of the woman was also sayd by Noe to be the blessed God of Sem whom also Sem resembled Hee was also sayde by the Lord himselfe to be that special one seede of Abraham Isaake and Iacob in whome all the nations of the earth shoulde be blessed Likewise he was spoken of by Iacob to be that special childe Shillo the Lyon of y â— tribe of Iuda who if he did but lye downe and couch none durst stirre him vp and that vnto hym the people should be gathered the which Lyon of the tribe of Iuda that holy man Iob saw to be his redeemer and was most assured to see him one day with his owne eyes and none other for him although wormes should destroy that body He was also sayd by the Lord himselfe to be that angel of the couenant that kept their fathers in the way and brought them into the land of Canaan as also that star of Iacob whome Balam prophet false though he were sawe to strike the costes of Moab and to subdue all the sonnes of Seth. He was also said by Moses to be that great prophet whome the Lord would rayse like vnto him vnto whom all the world should hearken as also by the Lord himselfe that he should build an house vnto his name and that he would establish the throne of his kingdome for euer and that he would say vnto him I will be thy father and thou shalt be my sonne Likewise it was sayd of Christ by the prophet Dauid that the Lord sayd vnto him Thou art my sonne this day begat I thee that forasmuch as the Lord delighted not in sacrifices he should come to doe the will of God That in his heart his whole law should fully rest That he would not conceale the righteousnes thereof but declare it in the great congregation euen in the middest of the congregation would hee declare the name of the Lord amongest his brethren and how that notwithstanding that yet would the kinges and princes of the earth assemble themselues together agaynst hym That they woulde make him the contempt of the people haue hym in derision mocke hym and nod their heades at him That they would hit him in the teeth with the trust he had in the Lord as though hys hope therein had bene frustrate That they would like bulls of Bashan nay like dogges compasse hym about pearce hys handes and feete giue him vineger to drinke cast lottes vppon his garmentes and part them amongest them and yet notwithstanding all this their spight the Prophet sheweth that the Lorde would laugh them to skorne and breake them to peeces like a potters vessell That he would set Christ as king vpon y â— holy hill of Sion and deliuer hym from the contentions of the people That hee would grant him the heathen for his inheritance and the vttermost partes of the earth for his possession That he should be the head therof and that a people whom he had not knowne should serue hym euen such as were the kinges of Tarshish and of the Iles who should bring hym presentes and also such as were the kinges of Sheba and Seba who should bring hym giftes yea and that all kings vpon earth should worship him and all nations serue hym and that as soone as they should heare hym they should obey hym and be in subiection to hym and that whosoeuer would not kisse the sonne should be sure to perish but those that would put their trust in hym should be blessed for euermore Againe it was sayd of hym by the same prophet that hee would so loue righteousnesse and hate iniquitie and be so carefull for the house of the Lord that the zeale he would haue thereof would euen eate hym vp and that the Lord woulde therefore annoynt hym with the oyle of gladnesse aboue hys fellowes That hee would cause hys name to be remembred throughout all generations euen hys glorious name for euer and euer And that all nations should blesse hym and be blessed in hym and giue thankes vnto hym worlde without end And that notwithstanding all the râ—…ge of the deuill and his ministers yet should none euill come neere vnto hym for the Lord would giue hys Angels charge ouer hym to keepe him in all his wayes that hee should not hurt hys foote agaynst a stone And that notwithstanding himselfe should be that stone which the builders would refuse yet should hee be made the head of the corner Moreouer this holy Prophet sheweth that the Lorde woulde not leaue the soule of Christ in graue neyther suffer hym his holy one to see corruption That he would rayse him vp from death to life and crowne him with glory and honour That hee should ascend on high and leade captiuitie captiue That he shoulde sit at the right hande of God vntil he had made his enimies his fotestoole And lastly that he shoulde continue there a Sacrificer for euer after the order of
if he spared not the Iewes which were the naturall branches but hath cut them off euen from theyr natural roote from whence they should haue had theyr life and y ◠through theyr vnbeliefe which vnbeliefe befell them through the hardnesse of theyr owne heartes and the hardnesse of theyr heartes through the contempt of the word of God much more then will he not spare vs if we harden our heartes agaynst the delight we should take therein because that we by nature are but as a wilde Oliue tree and are but graft vppon theyr stocke and therefore let vs take heede in what case wee stand for feare least we also fal by the like example of disobedience and so bring the wrath of God vpon vs as the former haue done vpon thē For you must not be ignorant of this one thing in anie wise that is that the Lord will be slacke concerning his threatnings as some men count slackenesse but that he is patient toward vs and would haue no man to perishe but woulde that all men shoulde come to repentance because he is a mercifull God and full of compassion And to assure men that he is so he hath giuē his most holy word vnto them whereby they may perceiue that hee greatly loueth them because therby he offereth eternall life vnto them so that if they will imbrace that they may finde eternall life but if not they shall be sure to finde eternall death because they can not see without that in what sort to walke as to please the Lord therwith neyther can they without that see the loue wherewith the Lord loueth them that is without that they cānot see how that God so loued the world that he gaue hys onely begotten so◅ to suffer for their sinnes To the intent that if they would beleeue in hym they shoulde not perishe but haue eternall life Therfore al those that haue delighted in hys most holy word and layd hold on his promises therein contayned and by faith imbraced hys couenantes concerning Christ and thought vpon hys commaundementes to indeuour to doe them he hath neuer fayled to thousandes of generations For when as our first parents had brought vpō themselues swift damnation by reason of their owne disobedience yet neuertheles imbracing the holy worde of couenant wherein all grace consisted by fayth receiued life againe In this fayth Abell offered vnto God a greater sacrifice then Kaine by the which he obtained witnes that he was righeous God testifiyng of his gifts by the which faith also he being dead yet speaketh In this fayth was Enoch taken away that he should not see death being a figure of y e resurrection by the which fayth he was reported of to haue pleased God In this fayth Noe being warned of God of the thinges whiche were as yet not seene being moued with reurence prepared the Arke to the sauing of his houshold through the whiche Arke hee condemned the world and was made heyre of the righteousnesse which is by fayth In this fayth Abram when he was called obeyed God to goe into a place which afterwardes hee shoulde receiue for inheritance and he went out not knowing whether he went and in this faith he abode in the land of promise as in a strange country as one that dwelt in tentes with Isaak and ◅acob heyres with hym of the same promise and looked for a City hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God In this fayth also Sara receiued strength to conceiue seede and was deliuered of a childe when she was past age because she iudged him faythful which had promised therfore sprang thereof one euen of one which was dead so many as the stars of the skye in multitude and as the sand of the sea shore which is innumerable In this fayth Abraham offered vp Isaak when he was tryed and he that had receiued the promise offered his onely begotten sonne to whome it was sayd in Isaak Shall thy seed be called for he considered that God was able to rayse hym vp euen from the dead from whence also after a sort he had receiued hym In this fayth Isaak blessed Iacob Esau concerning things to come In this fayth Iacob when he was a dying blessed both the sons of Ioseph In this faith Ioseph when he died made mention of the departing of the children of Israel out of y ◠land of Egypt In this fayth Moses whē he came to age refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohes daughter and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to inioy the pleasures of sinne for a season esteeming the rebukes of Christ greater riches then all the creasures of Egypt for he had respect vnto the recompence of the reward And in this fayth he forsooke Egypt and feared not the kings fiercenesse for he indured as he that saw him which is inuisible and in this fayth he ordayned the passeouer and the effusion of bloud least hee that destroyed the first borne should touch them In this fayth they passed through the red Sea as on drie land which when the Egyptians assayed to doe they were drowned In this fayth Ioshua or Iesus brought in the people of God into the land of promise and in this fayth he conquered one and thirtie kinges In this faith the walles of Iericho beyng compassed about seuen dayes fell downe In this fayth Rahab the harlot perished not with them which obeyed not when she had receiued the spyes peaceably In this fayth Gedeon Barac Samp◅on Iephte Dauid Samuel and all the prophetes subdued kindgdomes wrought righteousnesse obtained the promises and stopped the mouthes of Lyons In this fayth Shadrach Meshach and Abednego quenched the heate of fire And in this fayth Daniel refused the glory of Babell and Paras by the which faith he abode constant in the true worship of his God though amongest the Lyons hee should be cast In this fayth many that were weake in the dayes of Antiochus were made strong and waxed valiant in battell and turned to flight the armies of the allients In this fayth women receiued theyr dead raised to lyfe and others also were racked and would not be deliuered because they looked for a better resurrection In this fayth o◅hers haue bene tryed by mockinges and scourginges yea moreouer by bondes and imprisonmentes they were staned and hewen asunder and were tempted and slaine with the sword and wandered vp and downe in sheepes skinnes and in goat skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented whom the world was not worthy of they wandered in wildernes mountaynes and dennes and caues of the earth And these all through fayth obtayned good report and receiued not the promise God prouiding a better thing for vs that they without vs should not be perfit Yet al these dyed in fayth and saw the promises a farre off and receiued them thankefully and