4. there at length by the Apostles the church beganne to be gathered and the worde of the Lord comming out of Sion in a very shorte space spread ouer the whole world Saluation only to be had in the church We are admonished here that saluation is to be fofid only alone in the church a type figure wherof in times past was Ierusalē which was situate vpō moūt Siō famous renowned through the temple of the Lord for that these thinges are not to bee taken litterally or according to the sense of the letter that we should tye the grace of God and our saluation to the terrestriall Sion and Hierusalem it appeareth abundantly by this that Christ called the same citie afterward a denne of theeues and threatened vēgeance vnto it Math. 21.23.24 such as was neuer shewed the like since the foundation of the world These promises therefore ought to be extended to the church in the bosome wherof doe lye safe Luke 19. Psal 48. Psal 84. as many as shall haue recourse vnto it For there the Sparrowes finde a nest and there the Swallowes laye their yong ones because there florisheth the merit of Iesus Christ who offering himselfe on mount Sion for our sinnes hath pacified God his father toward vs. This Church shall alwayes endure howsoeuer the world storme and rage For why it can by no meanes reele or stagger because it is grounded vpon Christ which is the rocke against whom the gates of hell shall neuer preuayle Matt 16. 28. and who hath promised himselfe to be present with vs euen vnto the end of the worlde It behoueth vs therfore to haue an eye vnto these promises if at any time we be tempted and not to measure the stabilitie of the Church or the certaintie of our saluation after the attempts and enterprises of this worlde Saluation belongeth to the elect But wee haue to marke with singular diligence vnto whom that saluation belongeth that God hath prepared in Sion Namely to the remnāts whom the Lord shall call He nameth these expressely to intent he might exclude hypocrites which trust in the merites of their owne workes and to the end he might shewe vnto vs the foundation of saluation only and alone in the grace and fauour of God For wee haue beene all of vs subiect vnto sinne and by reason of sinne to euerlasting damnation Rom. 3. and haue beene destitute of the glory of God in so muche that if the Lorde had not reserued vnto vs certayne small remnants we shoulde haue beene as Sodome and shoulde haue beene like vnto Gomorrha Esay 1. These remnantes hee hath chosen by his euerlasting purpose before this worlde was made and the same moreouer Epes 8. when it pleaseth him hee calleth and being called iustifieth them Rom. 8. and beeing iustified glorifieth them as Paule teacheth To these Dauid consenteth Psa 65. who comprizing the whole order of our saluation in the selfesame heades sayth Wicked deeds haue preuailed agaynst vs But thou wilt be mercifull vnto our transgressions Blessed is hee whom thou choosest and causest to come to thee hee shall dwell in thy courtes and shal be satisfied with the pleasures of thine house euen of thy holy temple For so much therefore as out of the corrupt masse of mankind some are saued that is onely of meere grace by the which wee are elected in Christ and by this it commeth to passe that like as in tunes past when the Tyrant of the Assyrians wasted destroyed all that euer was both far neere God saued his people in Hierusalē euen so in all ages hee deliuereth his out of the snares of the Diuel by the preaching of the Gospel calleth thē into the felowship of his church maketh them partakers of saluatiō in Christ In the meane season the wordes of remnantes reliques betokē the fewenesse of beleeuers which if they be compared with the multitude of the vngodly The fewnesse of the faythful beleeuers may be accounted very few as we are admonished euery where in the scriptures Christ verily calleth his a little flocke he saith that many are indeed called but few chosen which doe passe by the strait gate into the kingdōe of God Luke 12. Math. 20. 22. 7. There is no cause therfore why we should be mooued at this day with the slanders of such as do cast in our teeth the fewnes of thē that beleeue the Gospel gloriously vaūt of the gay shew of their owne party Neither also let vs hearkē vnto those that contēd auouch that euery man may be saued in by his own religiō For in the church onely saluation betideth vnto the elect chosen who being called by the gospel apprehēd embrace Christ Iesus Actes 2. without whō there is no name wherein men may be saued To him therfore be giuen blessing honour glory and dominion for euer and euer Amen Chap. 3. Of the iudgments of God agaynst the enemies of his people Sermon 12. 1 FOr behold in those daies and in that time when I shal bring again the captiuitie of Iuda and Hierusalem 2 I wil also gather al nations and wil bring thē down into the valley of Iehosophat will pleade with thē there for my people and for my heritage Israel whom they haue scattered amōg the nations parted my land 3 And they haue cast lottes for my people and haue giuen the childe for the harlot sold the damosell for wine that they might drinke 4 Yea what haue you to doe with me O Tyrus Sidon al the coastes of Palestina wil ye render me a recōpence if ye recompēce me I wil swiftly and speedily render your recompence vpon your heade 5 For ye haue takē my siluer my gold and haue caried into your Temples my goodly and pleasant thinges 6 The children also of Iuda and the children of Hierusalem haue you sold vnto the Grecians that yee might send thē farre from their borders The argumēt vse of this present place THe Prophet Ioel hath with many argumentes and perswasions comforted the people of his time against the terrours of the Assyrian warre and amongest other thinges he enterlaced a prophesie of Christes kingdome to the end they might vnderstand that God can by no meanes neglect that nation of whom it behooued the promised redeemer of mankinde to be borne who shoulde spreade abroade his kingdome through the whole world And vpon that occasion he entreated of the most perillous estate of the latter time and withall instructed the godly with holesome counsell vnto whom hee promised a most sure hauen refuge of saluatiō in the Church But whilest he propounded these thinges the faith of a number was not a little tempted when they saw the power of the Assyrians to be in a manner inuincible that the neere natiōs had either cōspired or otherwise taken part
vs because they suppose wee are neither regarded of God nor men But in the meane season they inuade and make hauocke of Gods people and of Gods inheritance then the which the whole vniuersall worlde hath nothing inâ—tâ—more excellent and glorious For why God maketh so great account of his elect and chosen 1. Pet. 1. Act. 20. that hee woulde purchase them vnto himselfe with the blood of his onely begotten sonne because there coulde no where bee founde any other price sufficient and further hauing purchased them Psal 2. Ephes 5. hee allotted them vnto his sonne for an inheritance yea he would haue them to be his spouse which he might make partaker of his heauenly kingdom of euerlasting happines They are iniurious therefore not against men but against God himselfe as many as lay violent handes vpon his Church and they shall vndoubtedly feele him to bee their iudge reueÌ„ger For the threatning of God is wel knowen speaking by Zachary Zach. 1. He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eyet the saying of Christ Saule Saul why persecutest thou mee Act. 9. Which as they strike a terrour vnto the wicked so are they a comfort to the godly when they vnderstand that God will bee a reuenger of their cause He declareth the causes of the punishments But least God might seeme to haue taken any thing rashly in hande hee rehearseth in order what they had done against his people and against his inheritance First they haue scattered them among all nations For they had both led away the people and dispearsed them throughout their prouinces and also had brought of their own nation into the land of Israel to inhabite according as the sacred historie euidently testifieth of Salmanazar 2. King 17. and that Sennacherib the tyrant attempted the like it may appeare by the wordes of Rabsaketh wherewith hee sollicited them of Ierusalem to surrender their Citie Esay 36. And this doeth the Lorde obiect vnto them as a great and heynous crime when yet notwithstanding Sennacherib chiefly glorifieth heerein Esa 10. Act. 17. Deut. 32. that hee had remoued the boundes of kingdomes and nations And because it is plaine that God hath appointed to euery people their seuerall limites and borders they sin in like maner whosoeuer without great and vrgent cause inuade the countries and dominions of other Albeit the Prophete doth not heere onely accuse this kinde of iniustice and crueltie but also the vngodlines wherby they both prophaned the people consecrated vnto God and also the lande that was the seate of his worship Which selfe same thing in effect doe the persecutors in these dayes when as they compell the professours of Christe to deny the faith to set vp idolatrie in those places where the Gospel was taught before Moreouer they haue cast lottes for my people And so he betokeneth an extreeme contempt and that they accounted them for most vile whomsoeuer that tooke in that battaile Hee addeth And they haue giuen the childe for the harlot and haue solde the damosell for wine The former member may be taken two waies that wee may vnderstande them either to haue abused the children to their abhominable lust or els to haue giuen them for gifces to their harlots But in the latter member hee reprooueth their practise of gluttonie and drunkennesse and withall putteth the Iewes in minde howe iustly they had hitherto suffered extremities that had so carelesly neglected Gods glory For doubtlesse a fearefull thing it is if we coÌ„sider that these things hapned to gods people and inheritance and euen then happened too when God yet acknowledged theÌ„ for his owne people But the like thinges intimes past the Christians also suffered at this day in some places they are faine to suffer the selfe same Wee ought not therfore to bee offended but rather to consider of the faultes and corruptions of the Church which it behoueth by this meanes to bee corrected and resereined In the meane time heere also are expressed the maners and practises of the enemies and persecutors of the Church The maners and conditioÌ„s of the enimies of the church They will seeme as though they handled gods cause were desirous to preserue defend religion when commonly beeing giuen to most foule and filthie pleasures they run headlong through a desperate and insatiable libertie into all kinde of lust and villauie Such wee reade were in times past the Herodes the Neroes the Domitians and many other Such also in these dayes are seene to be the Romish Bishops togeather with their protectors and defenders and the whole rabble in a maner of the anointed and shauen crewe who when they burne with an vnquenchable practise of dice play venerie and gluttonie and are not eshamed of any enormitie whatsoeuer yet forsooth will bee counted the onely patrons and defenders of Gods glory and religion But euen they also shall feele at the length what it is to mocke God and the Church of Christe And these things bee spoken as touching the outwarde enemies He thretneth punishments to their domesticall and neighborlike enemies He passeth now to the neighbour nations of the Iewes which in the time of the Assyrian warre ioyned themselues with their enemies wheÌ„ before they were either their subiects or els by leagues lawes of friendship bound and vnited vnto them For it is euident that the Philistines were subdued by Dauid and that the Tyrians were confederate with Dauid and Salomon And they forsooth namely the Philistines thought they had nowe occasion giuen them wherby they mought reuenge their olde wronges but these other I meane the Tyrians be wrayed the lightnesse and inconstancy of their minds when as they became enimies vnto them in aduersitie whose partes they had taken before in prosperitie But they are an example or figure of the domestical home-bredde enemies of the Church who either against their willes or allured by the successe of happy conclusions doe for a time counterfet the loue of true religion but at last assoone as occasion is giuen bewray the priuie poyson of their stomackes Of which sort seeing there is nowe euery where a huge nuÌ„ber that ought diligently to bee marked that the Lorde denounceth heere vnto these Yea and what haue you to doe with mee saith hee O Tyre Sidon and all the coastes of Palestina As though hee shoulde say Goe to admit the Assyrians had some cause of warre against mee or at least coulde pretende some excuse that they beeing farre off from my lande were also voide and destitute of the knowledge of my lawes maner of my true worship But tell me what moued you to ioyne your selues vnto these and to bee drawen into the societie of the battaile What will yee render mee a recompence that is to say haue yee suffered any iniurie by me that might deserue such a recompence Certainely you can alleddge no such matter when rather yee owe thankes vnto
that hath not alreadye conceyued an vndoubted hope and assurance of his wil and power This the Prophet meaneth when as hee plainely expresseth the maner of inuocation For why he doeth not simply require them to call vpon the Lord him selfe but vpon the name of the Lord teaching thereby The maner confidence of praying what the true maner of praying is and whence the confidēce of prayer ought to be conceiued for in very deede God hath no name whereby his nature may be comprehended or declared In consideration whereof to Iacob in times past enquiring after his name hee sayde Why askest thou for my name Genes 32. And to Moses demaunding the same question hee answered I am that I am Exod. 3. Wherefore the Scripture speaking of God after the fashion of men calleth all that his name whereby he may be knowne as namely his goodnes mercy truth wisedome omnipotencie iustice and if there be any other titles like vnto these which are partely gathered out of his word and partly out of his workes This thing God himself teacheth whē as to Moses desirous to see him he heapeth vp a sort of words whereby hee described his owne nature saying The Lord the Lord Exod. 34. strong merciful and gratious slow to anger and abundant in goodnes and truth reseruing mercy for thousandes forgiuing iniquitie transgression sinne and not making the wicked innocent visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children vpon childrens children c. But for as much as all these thinges are found especially in the sonne of God Heb. 1. Iesus Christ who is therfore called the brightnes of his glory and the expresse image of his substance the same also is the verye true name of GOD in and by which inuocation ought to be made Of this thing God himselfe admonisheth when as he witnesseth of him from heauen Mat. 3.17 That he is his dearely beloued sonne in whom he is well pleased And he himselfe in the Gospell when he had sayd that he was the way by whiche wee come vnto the father immediately addeth Ioan. 14.16 Verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye shall aske the father in my name he will giue it vnto you Heb. 14.4 For which cause Paul affirmeth the same to be our altar by whom we may offer vp the sacrifice of praise yea and he testifieth that by him we haue accesse and entrance to the throne of grace Wherupon also that most ancient vsage of the Church preuailed whereby prayers for the most part are ended in the name of Christ Whilest therefore the prophet willeth vs to cal vpon the name of the Lord he inioyneth no other thing thē fayth in Christ which both commendeth vs vnto God and also maketh our prayers graceful and acceptable vnto him But he expresseth this fayth by the name of inuocation least we should imagine a dumbe and ydle faith These thinges serue for our consolation doe meruellously confirme our confidence in praying For albeit we are vnwoorthie as we must needes confesse that God should heare vs yet cannot he passe ouer our praiers with deafe eare when wee bring before hun his sonne Christ 1. Corin. 1. which of him is made vnto vs righteousnes and satisfaction The fruite of the inuocatiō of fayth This confidence is encreased by the fruit of inuocation which the Prophet addeth in the thirde place For hee sayeth Whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lorde shall be saued or deliuered Hee vseth the word of sauing or deliuering to the end he might shew that saluation should happen euen vnto those also that seemed alreadie to be vtterly perished yea and quite fallen frō al hope There are many exāples of this sort to be found For hither belongeth that which is written of the children of Israel trying out at the redde Sea with infinite thinges beside Exod. 14. that happened vnto them whilest they were in the wildernes And in the time of the Iudges wee reads that they were heard and deliuered as ofte as they cryed vnto the Lorde Psal 107. Dauid in like manner as hee confesseth himselfe to be hearde oftentimes so heapeth hee togither very many examples of them whome God deliuered when they called for his ayde But especially this ought to be transferred to the safetie and prefernation of soules the certainetie whereof is here proued and declared for they that faithfully call vpon God through Christ receiue in him remission of their sinnes But where sinnes ceasse or bee abolished there the wrath and punishmentes of God which flowe from sinnes must of necessitie ceasse likewise Whereupon true and perfect safetie followeth which hath no maner of neede of any thing to be added to it These thinges teach vs what we ought to doe at this day The tokens of Gods wrath doe euery where appeare and all sortes of calamities breake in on euery side which Christ and the Apostles foretolde should come to passe in the last time Many there be that acknowledge these things and consult by what meanes the dangers may be auoyded But how vayne their consultations are which chalenge to thēselues the chiefe prayse of wisdome the euent and successe of thinges doeth abundantlye prooue Let vs therefore omitting our owne reasons and deuices goe that waye to woorke whiche the holy Ghoste prescribeth in this place For in as muche as it leaneth vppon the promise of GOD who is the truth it selfe wee can by no meanes erre or goe astraye Let vs acknowledge our sinnes and casting away all confidence of our owne woorkes let vs implore and call for the grace of God alone through Christ Iesus who as he hath reconciled his father vnto vs so also woorketh hee true repentance in those whome hee regenerateth by his spirit c. A confirmation of the promise comprehending the whole order of saluation But he maketh a further confirmation of that which he sayd when he addeth For in mount Sion and in Hierusalem shal be deliuerance as the Lord hath sayd that is to say albeit the church may seeme euen now to be vtterly perished yet in Siō shall saluation be had there agayne shal bee gathered togither the remnantes whiche the Lord hauing chosen from euerlasting shall call by his Gospell as he hath promised And these promises are euery where extant in the prophets God doubtlesse had sayd to Dauid as touching Hierusalem that the same should be his rest Psal 123. Esay 10. concerning the remnantes to be saued Esay expressely speaketh And to these certes the histories agree very well For this war of the Assyrians being ended the church vnder Ezechias florished notably by the space of fifteen yeres together Further albeit the people falling againe vnto wickednes their citie was of the Chaldeans together with their temple vtterly burned and consumed yet after they they were returned from Babilon they builded agayn and reedified their citie and temple Esay 2. Mich.