for his owne glorie then for the benefite of man Of the waters God created the great Whales euery thing liuing and mouing which the waters brought forth in abundāce according to their kinde euery fethered foule according to his kinde God saw al that he had made and lo it was very good and al these things were made as good for the necessitie of man God made these creatures for man yea he made them blissed for man saying bring forth fruite multiplie Now when God had thus prouided all things to mans hand set them in so blissed estate then came the course of our creation then he said let vs make man how after what forme in what moulde was he cast In our Image saith the almightie according to our owne likenesse not as other his creatures therfore that this high point of Gods loue might with the déeper consideration enter our harts Moyses repeateth it double Thus God created man in his image in the image of God created he him neyther did he make him sole and comfortlesse but male and female created he them neither when he had made man straight he cast him of set him as it wer a grasing with other his creatures so taking no further care of him but without long delay he gaue him his heauenly blessing he made him a souereigne and a ruler ouer all other his creatures and streight gaue him possession of them God blessed them and sayd bring forth fruite and multiply and fil the earth and subdue it and rule ouer the fish of the sea and ouer the foule of the heauē and ouer euery beast that moueth on the earth Now beholde the loue of God towardes man in his firste creation God viewed all the glorious workes of his fingers and they were all pleasant in his sight but he did moste glorie in man as the perfection of all his workes wherefore hée coulde not but delight in him while he kepte himselfe in that estate man was nowe a blessed man when God had blessed him and blessed euery thing about him wherefore Dauid rauished in manner with the consideration hereof bursteth out in vehemencie of spirite and sayth what is man O Lorde that thou art mindfull of him or what is the sonne of man that thou visitest him for thou hast made him a little lower than God thou haste crouned him with glorie and worship thou makest him to haue dominion ouer the workes of thy handes thou hast put all thinges vnder his féete all shéepe and Oxen yea and the beastes of the field the foules of the aire and the fish of the Sea and that which passeth through the pathes of the Seas besides all this he made him a Prince of Paradise and placed him in a garden of pleasure where he turned him on no side but euery eye was full of the blessing and loue of God. The fifth Chapter ¶ The fall of Adam and his miserable estate by occasion thereof THus God loued the worlde euen in his first foundatiō wherin he shewed manifolde tokens of a fatherlye fauour towardes man but this was not that speciall loue here meante there was yet no néede of that loue let vs therefore nowe consider the occasion of this our necessitie why God shoulde so shewe his mercie towardes vs as is here mentioned let vs search the sore so shall the salue séeme more precious He that can not in himselfe finde what he is of himselfe let him loke vpon Adam as the childe on the father and the true image of vs all so iustly valewing our selues what we are whom God so loueth we shall haue occasion to set the greater price on that loue and it may be as a spur vnto vs stirring vs vnto a further thankefulnesse Nowe therefore when God had so mercifully dealte with Adam settling him in that place of pleasure giuing him such libertie as these wordes do import Thou shalte eate freely of euery tree of the Garden yet leaste the pot might set vp himselfe against the potter least by presumption man shoulde aduance and equall himselfe with his creator it was the good pleasure of the almightie God to giue him this brydle to byte on and to kepe down that stomacke which he foresawe woulde shortly swell with pride so to restraine his libertie as in those wordes is expressed But as touching the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalte not eate of it for whensoeuer thou eatest thereof thou shalte dye the death This was the holy commaundement of our heauenly father whiche it had bene the parte of man willingly to haue obeyed alwayes to haue obserued neuer to haue resisted so might he haue kept his possession in Paradise For all the benefites which God had moste plentifully bestowed vppon man he desired but this one thing that is obedience to his will. This was a sacrifice wherewith he woulde be pleased he hath alwayes cryed for obedience euen from the firste man hither vnto but he could neuer get it at any mans handes excepting Christe the righteous For Adam how did he behaue himselfe what obedience shewed he he stopped his eare at the voice of the liuing God his louing Lorde who dealte so mercifully and liberally with him it was forgotten whiche God sayde thou shalte dye and that voyce of the serpent ye shal not dye howe soone did that enter the eare For the man he gaue eare to the Woman the Woman to the Serpent they brake the commaundement they eat of the excepted trée so the blinde led the blinde and they fel togither into the ditch they became subiecte to the curse of God who called them to accompt for their disobedience and gaue to euery one his seueral curse here is the point here lieth the matter a bleeding this is the olde sore as they say bred in the bone that will neuer be gotten out of the fleshe passing mans cunning to cure without a speciall remedie prouided of god O Adam how wert thou bewitched thou wert once in an highe and heauenly estate but thou arte falne flat to the earthe thou werte sure in Paradise but now thou art endaungered to become a firebrand of hell it was swéete meat perchance thou tastedst but thou shouldest haue remembred the sowre sause that followed Coulde not these blessings and manifolde benefites receyued of thy creator coole thy presumptuous courage coulde not the feare of falling into the contrarie plagues and calamities stay thy wilfull appetite O howe didst thou forget that threatning thou shalt dye the death that double deathe the due rewarde of thy sinne But thou shouldest haue bene obedient obedience had bene the waye to haue kepte thee vpright but nowe thou hast receiued thy wages the wages for sinne is death Whilest thou keptst thy selfe within the bounds which thy louing Lorde hadde appoynted for thée then waste thou an happie Adam O thanke God for that nowe arte thou vnhappie and in miserie thanke thy selfe
enimies and at vtter defiance with God. The sixt Chapter ¶ That all Adams posteritie are ioyned with him in the same guiltinesse of sinne and so stand in the same miserable estate NOw the matter standing at this stay if God did so stretch his mercie as that he woulde voutsafe to take vs into his fauour againe to make attonement with vs if we maye perceiue him notwithstanding our frowardnesse to receiue vs as his children then if we did not worthily estéeme that loue we were worthy double damnation But let euery man be thus minded that he standeth in case like with Adam Let euery one consider his necessitie and search his wounde and sée what néede he hath of suche a medicine for some peraduenture there be hauing so little taste of the truthe that they will say what tell ye me of Adam what haue I to doe with him Other not considering their owne infirmitie in whome the inposthume of sinne lyeth so hidden that they will beare themselues as whole and sounde whereas within like painted Sepulchers they are full of corruption hauing nothing in them to shewe when they shall come to be opened but rustie and rotten bones and suche sayings procéede from them as doe declare their hollowe heartes puffed vp with painted hipocrisie and double dissimulation These men will say I am not like Adam or if I had bene in Adams case I would haue looked better before I had made so rashe a leape But O thou man dissemble not with God iudge thy selfe leaste thou be iudged of the Lorde searche the bottome of thy conscience take thy glasse in thine hande is it a true glasse what then findest thou there but the very face of Adam be it neuer so well coloured It is true it is to true euery one of vs are falne we haue sinned euery mothers childe as truely as we are the séede of sinfull Euē it is but vaine to say this if I had bene in Adams coate for we haue each one of vs in our coates cloathed a sinfull Adam or to say if I hadde bene in his case for euery mans skinne is the case of a sinner Nay we maye not so ridde our handes we can not washe our fingers so cleane but that pitche of sinne will sticke faste what soeuer face be set on the mater O thou man that yet knowest not thy selfe that art so benummed of thy senses that thou féelest not the serpent whiche lyeth gnawing at thy héele whiche sléepest in a deade slumber and féelest not the sting of deathe fast fired in thy fleshe whyche bréedest in thy breste the consuming worme of sinne awake out of thy slumber stande vp and hearken to the cry of Esdras in his disputation wyth the Aungell O Adam saythe he what haste thou done for in that thou haste sinned thou arte not fallen alone but thy fall also redoundeth vnto vs that come of thée and so saith the Apostle that by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so went death ouer all men for as much as al men haue sinned this floude of sinne it goeth with a higher streame thā the floud of Noe that went euen ouer the top of the Arke for so saith S. Iohn the whole world is set on wickednesse Thus do they say of vs and we can make no better of oure selues we are lost euery one of vs haue gone astray we haue lost our selues in the wilde wood of worldly wickednesse following that blinde guide our owne wilfull appetite Adam he gaue the first onset and we brake not the araye he brake the yce and we are lept into the ditch we are all hong on one hooke like fishe taken with the baite for we haue tasted of the cup of short swéete concupiscence and as Esdras saith we and our fathers haue all one disease meaning sinne that shrewe amongst the shepe of Gods pasture we are al sicke of sinne that is the griefe that Esdras complaineth of Ieremie 31. The fathers haue eaten a sowre grape and the childrens téeth are sette on edge withall This Prouerbe did the people vse in the time of Ieremie murmuring againste God as though they were punished for the offence of their fathers But thus saith the Lord euery one shall die for his owne iniquitie euery man that eateth the soure grape his téeth shall be set on edge Now what father what childe is it that hath not tasted of the sowre grape of sinne Dauid maketh thy confession we haue sinned we haue done wickedly wyth oure fathers recken al the children to the last all the fathers to the firste who is it that hath not eaten with Adam the Apple that grape it sticketh yet in our teeth we are all choked with the core of carnall cōcupiscence that subtil counsell of the Serpent which deceyued the first man it will also deceiue the laste that venime hath infected the whole race the whole broode of Adams birdes Dauid he thus saythe of no worse man than himselfe I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceyued me Beholde no sooner conceiued in Eue but as soone deceyued of the Serpent and this hath God to lay against vs as he doth againste the Israelites Thy first father hath sinned and thy teachers haue transgressed against me Séeing then we haue tasted one meate seeing that we haue sucked sinne of the forbidden fruite what maye we looke for but to be serued of the same sauce euen that bitter gall the dreadfull curse of God to turne to duste and to dye the death In this state stande we vnlesse God take pitie on vs we are falne we lie flatte on our faces we are become dustie deadly we can not helpe our selues but as the byrd taken in the nette we lie fast fettered our owne eyes not seruing vs to espie any way to winde out we are not able to moue our féeble legs nor to stretch forth our wearie handes our soules are sicke our hearts are faint we must néeds yéelde to our enimie and be taken as prisoners of Satan that fierce Serpent and fierie Dragon The seuenth Chapter ¶ That the sinne wherewith God may charge euery one of vs can neyther be bidden by vs nor excused by blaming any other NOwe by this we maye consider our fall that we are loste without some special remedie and that we haue no part in Paradise we are in darkenesse wythout light sick for sinne panting for breth and bléeding to death But yet before we despaire let vs looke about vs see whither we can espie any hooke to hang oure hope on let vs conferre and take counsel with our father Adam what is to be done if there appeare any staffe to stay on lette vs there catch holde if we haue any thing to say for our selues it is good to speak in time What then shall we say how shall we begin with God let him that thinketh himself best speak first wil he say
thy selfe will sinne for that Thou waste once in the fauoure of God he shewed hymselfe a moste fauourable father vnto thée whilest thou behauedst thy selfe as an obedient childe but nowe hath he iustly turned thée of Thou wast once the frée friende of God but nowe art become the sworne seruant of sinne and bondslaue of Sathan this is spoken as by the mouth of God. Then are you my friendes if you doe what I commaunde you nowe therefore arte thou an enimie vnto God bycause thou hast neglected his holy commaundement whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruaunt of sinne therefore arte thou Adam out of Gods seruice he that sinneth is of the Deuill thou haste sinned Adam therefore arte thou not of god Thou didst once receiue a blessing at Gods hande thou didst féele no part of paine God cared altogyther for thée thou tookest no care for thy selfe thou wast warme without clothes naked without shame satisfied without trauel thy meat was put into thy mouth God hadde so blessed euery thing for thée that the earth the herbes the trées the cattell the foules the fishe they gaue thée their fruite and yelded their encrease of their owne accorde in the meane while mightest thou take thy pleasure in thy garden but now thou haste sinned Adam therefore must thou harden thy handes to labour thou must set thy shoulders to heauie burthens thou must buie thy breade dearely with the sweate of thy face this might haue bene foreséene hadst thou not sinned thou néedest not haue sweated but there is no remedie that man may finde Thou art sicke Adam thou art sicke vnto deathe thou hast prouoked the wrath of God thou hast caused him to poure out his vengeance and to open his cup of curses O beholde howe the wrath of God being once kindled ouerrunneth the whole worlde for the disobedience of man sée what a flame riseth of the burning sparke of sinne As before in obedience man was blessed so in disobedience of the iustice of God muste he néedes be cursed harken therefore vnto the dreadfull iudgement and hard sentence pronounced vpon disobedience Adam thus sayth the Lorde bycause thou hast eaten of the tree whiche I commaunded thée thou shouldest not eate of Cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorowe shalte thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life thornes also and thistles shall it bring forthe vnto thee in the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate breade till thou returne to the earth thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne againe O lamentable fall O pitifull case wherin thou nowe standest Adam so cladde and clogged with the intollerable burthen of sinne so ouerwhelmed with the bloudie floudes of Gods vengeance and curses so pitifully and plentifully poured out vpon thy heade and besides this he may no longen enioye his paradise he is dispossessed thereof he is banished he is turned abrode into the wide worlde whereas nowe he might not so much as come neare the trée of knowledge of good and euill for the which he ventred so far neyther might any longer enioy any part of that libertie as to eate of all other the trees and fruites of the garden lost also the fight of the trée of life These are the wages of sinne payde as debte due vnto a sinfull and disobedient man Let vs therfore by this knowe our selues what we are What is Adam he is but dust he is hated of GOD he is ashamed of himselfe he is cursed he is sicke with sinne he is deade he is twice deade subiecte to mortalitie and subiecte to eternall damnation Crie out then Adam giue thy Children warning that they maye knowe themselues tell them in what case thou standest and what an inheritance thou hast purchased for them Thus sayth your father O children of men he that hath cares to heare let him heare I was once a man a frée man a blessed man full of life as God had breathed into me the light shining rounde aboute me the mercie of God embrasing me on euery side if I behelde the earth there was blessing for me ingraued as it were in the herbs the flowrs the fruits thereof turning me to the firmamēt ther I sawe the sunne the moone the stars in them was God to be séene a blessed God likewise in the waters there were innumerable tokens of Gods tender mercie towards me so far was I in the fauor of my creator I might stand in his presence enioying his ioyfull countenance yea he made me like vnto his own Image But alas wretch that I am whē I was in honor knew not my self forgot my duetie became far vnlike to my God not like to my selfe but altogither like vnto a beast yea rather worse thā a beast for behold the dul ore he knoweth his owner the simple Asse he knoweth his masters crib but I man nay the shadowe of man a very worm no mā I could not bear the yoke of my creator I would not herken vnto his voice I denied him my seruice I haue sinned I haue sinned therfore I am worthily rewarded I presumed am therfore brought low I aduanced my self therefore I am throwne downe I haue eaten without néed therefore I am subiect to hunger I pine away for desire of the fruit of that pleasant garden I thirste as the Harte after the waters of those swéete rūning riuers I am become of the sonne of God the childe of wrath I am cleane altered I haue lost the light I walke in darknesse of a blessed creature I am become a cursed caitife Where may I rest myselfe I haue sinned and my sinne is euer before me against thée alone against thée Lord haue I sinned I dare not present my selfe in thy presence I tremble at thy voyce I am ashamed of my selfe Whither then may I flée what stay may I finde I sinke in sinne O that sting of death howe it pierceth me O death O graue yours is the victorie and thou Sathan mine enimie how ruefully thou roarest thou standest with open mouth readie to deuour me I finde yet no defense Thou subtill serpent that drewest me into this net how thou spettest thy poyson howe busie art thou about my héele how faste hangest thou howe suckest thou my bloude O that I coulde shake thée of or that I might bruse thy heade And thou Eue which shouldest be my comfort thou hast as muche néede of comfort thy selfe thou shouldest haue comforted me but thou hast deceiued me and thy selfe also we are become a cursed couple and with my creator I finde this comfort thou shalt die the death verily it had bene better for me neuer to haue bene made than so to haue falne into the handes of the liuing god This might be a true confession of Adams follye and the description of his estate after his fall wherein we haue to consider what we are of our selues without Christe euen as it were sworne
where was his sword now wher was his heart when the maid moued him this questioÌ„ art not thou one of this mans disciples what had he then to answer he made then a flat deniall of hys maister he was none of his disciples he knewe no suche man as Christe was and nowe was it tyme for the cocke to crowe for Peter to fall a weeping and a howling there was Christe left alone and giuen ouer on euery side for the shéepe they were all dispersed Now that guiltlesse Lambe with what a sorte of wicked wolues was he beset There was Annas the fyrste Caiphas the high Prieste Pilate the president there was the assembly of Scribes the â—ocke of Pharisies but thankes be to God the heauenly father his Christe had pacience ynough for them all There was in that Lambe bloude ynough for those greedy wolues the rulers and gouernors there were bones ynough for those hungrie dogges the Scribes and fleshe to satisfie that swarme of adders the Pharisies for all those there was pacience ynough with our suffring sauiour being ready to beare what soeuer burthen they might deuise to oppresse him wythall for they bounde him they made a scorne and a mock of him turning him into a strange disguised apparell platting a crowne of thornes vpon his heade adding thereto thorny and gauling wordes beyng haled and tossed to and fro betwixt Pilate the Priestes and the people one crying on this side beholde the man in dispite of his omnipotent godheade on the other syde another company crying hayle Kyng of the Iewes in contempt of this eternall kingdome and yet for further tryall of his pacience some blindfelded hym some buffetted him some moste shamefullye spued theyr spettle on his face then was hée tormented also wyth Pylates bitter scourge yet no resistance made Christ remedie was pacience but that was not thought ynoughe neyther scourging woulde not serue therefore he muste bée committed againe to the handes of Pylate hée muste be examined witnesse is sought and false witnesse is brought in agaynst the truth it selfe yea although Pylate himselfe coulde not but thus depose for his innocencie saying and repeating it often I finde no fault in hym wherefore yet thys friendship was shewed of Pylate that the people contented he shoulde bée let loose according to the custome of the Iewes This was the greatest curtesie that Christe founde he was set agaynste Barrabas an holy God compared wyth a wicked murtherer for so did Pylate put it to the peoples choyse saying Wil ye that I let loose vnto you Barrabas or Iesus whiche is called Christ naye if Christ should haue nowe bene let at libertie then had the Priestes his enimies froÌ„ the beginning lost al their labor wherfore Mathewe reporteth that they counselled the people to quite Barrabas and to aske Christ to be crucified wherefore the sauing and condemnation being referred vnto them when they cried for Barrabas that he might be saued then Pylate speaking somwhat fauourably as he durst on Christes part sayd what shall I do then with Iesus the answere was let him be crucified And Pylate demaunding again what euill hath he done That question might not be heard bycause it coulde not be aunswered but the more they cryed away with him crucifie him This was that rufull crie that Christe was content to heare for all the loue of God that was and shoulde be declared by him towardes the worlde he had this rewarde crucifie him nothing but crucifie him After this hard sentence as a lamb to the slaughter so was our Sauioure led out of the Citie to the place of his executioÌ„ hauing the coÌ„panie of his Crosse and bearing it part of the way himselfe Now must our Sauiour be serued as the Serpent in the wyldernesse he must be lifte vp to the crosse beholde he drinketh the cup of that curse Cursed is he that hangeth on the trée This is the true represented Isaacke that humbleth himselfe to the aultar a sacrifice for sinne and the Lorde suffereth that bloudy knife withdrawn froÌ„ Isaack to fall vpon his onely begotten sonne and to pierce his precious bowelles that the water mought runne out whiche shoulde washe away the sinnes of his people O Christians O men and brethreÌ„ this was ours by right but Christe is contented to beare our burthen he is contented to dye to dye the death the shamefull deathe the cursed death of the bitter crosse Nowe beholde the Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde O thou sonne of man sée what the sonne of God suffereth for thy sake sée how he is tormented let his panges enter a little into thy hart that thou mayste consider the loue of God towardes thee lette that pitifull scricke of our Sauiour alwayes ring in thyne eare as when he cryed my God my God why hast thou forsaken me for so did the sorrowes of death gripe him as thoughe he had indéede bene forsaken of his father wherefore he suffered him to be layde in the graue also that he might tast of al our infirmities as well vnder the earth as aboue howbeit nowe was it time for the Lord God to gloryfie his sonne in the heauens which had glorified him on the earth wherefore he might not leaue the soule of his dearely beloued in the graue nor suffer his holye one to sée corruption but hath raysed him vp to his ryght hande there to reigne with glorie vntil he make his enimies and our enimies if we be true Christians his footestoole and thus with the glorie of Christe doth the loue of God fully appeare towardes vs for in all this hath God and his Chryste sought our saluation for the sonne of man came for no other purpose but to saue that which was loste and by these meanes in summe hathe he atchieued the ende of his message he was deliuered to deathe for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification The tvvelfth Chapter ¶ How only faith wrought in vs by the spirit of God and grounded vpon the word of God maketh vs partakers of the fruit of Christes death THus is that worthy worke finished Nowe may Abraham reioyce with ful ioy for his promised séede is performed and he hath poured out his blessing moste plentifully vpon his faithfull children now is Adam truly made vp a new creature thus far is he in the fauor of God that he hath sent his only begotten son to purchase him his pardon God said in his indignation thou shalt die the death but so hath the sonne pleased him that he nowe cryeth thou shalt not perishe but haue life euerlasting Nowe shalte thou liue for so God loueth thée that Christ hath dyed in thy stead now mayst thou stand vpright for so God loueth thée that his Chryste hath falne for thee Chryste is rysen and beholde he so loueth thée that he offereth his gentle hande to rayse thée togyther with himselfe he hath deceyued the serpent
so he himselfe maketh comparison I am the breade of life your fathers did eate Manna in the wildernesse and are deade I am the liuing bread whiche came downe from heauen if any maÌ„ eate of this breade he shall liue for euer finally that God by the hande of his seruant Iosua conducted his people and sette them safe in the possession of CanaaÌ„ that lande so long looked for so commended that it should flow with milke and hony therein did he shew himselfe as a mightie so a most mercyfull God but blessed be the father of our Lord Iesus Christ whiche according to his abundant mercy hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrectioÌ„ of our Lorde Iesus Christ from the deade to an inheritance immortall and vndefiled and that fadeth not away This is that eternal possession whiche Christ hath purchased for vs with the price of his precious bloude euen the eternall and glorious kingdome of his heauenly father O blessed Bées that may be so happy as to swarme about Christ and to suck the swéete hony flowing from the floures of that Canaan verily there is heauenly hony eueÌ„ such as the eye hath not séen the eare hath not heard neyther yet hath euer entred into the heart of man that is it which God hath prouided for his beloued it was vndoubtedly a great losse which we had in Adam But thankes be vnto God we haue founde more in Christ than we enioyed before So saint Paule maketh conference of both estates for if by the offence of one death reigned through one much more shall they which receyue the aboundance of grace and of the gifte of righteousnesse reigne in life through one that is Iesus Christe O Lorde what is man that thou shouldest be so mindfull of him But herein is loue that Christe hath purchased vs a newe Paradise is gone to prouide vs a kingdome euen of his own kingdome doth he make vs fellow heires he rayseth vs togyther with him to the heaueÌ„ly places and with his crowne of thornes he hath gotten vs the crowne of glorie that euer florisheth and neuer fadeth although we eate not the fruite of the trée of the knowledge of good and badde yet may we be sure to auoyd the châ—king peare I meane to perish althogh we meete not with the trée of life which stood in the old Paradise yet in the high pillar of the Almightie God comming to Christe his heauenly table we shal not misse the worthy fruit to haue life euerlasting The fiftenth Chapter ¶ The assurance of such as take holde of Gods mercie freely offred in Christe THus haue we looked on and ouerlooked the beautifull worke of God concerning our regeneration in Chryste Iesus our Lorde we haue assayed to drawe vp that which was layd abrode now therfore to knit vp the knot and to make a through styche let vs cast asyde all selfe loue and sticke onely to the loue of the liuing God the true fountaine and wel of the water of life bearing still in mynde the saying of S. Iohn God so loueth the worlde and that he saithe herein is loue not that we loued him and that oure loue is but a fruite of the roote for so he saith therefore we loue him bicause he loued vs first let vs therefore begin to recken there where we haue to fetch all good things whether it be loue light or life eueÌ„ from that first fountaine whiche S. Iohn hath so set abâ—och before vs saying he loued vs first remeÌ„ber what he saith in whom God sheweth all his mercie without me ye can do nothing and what he saith to them that take parte with him to you nothing shall be vnpossible and aboue all things let vs consider the conditioÌ„ vnder which that deede of gifte passeth God hath giuen his sonne that whoso beleueth in him he should haue loue and life with God So doth God drawe vs vnto Christe as he pronounced by his Prophet he that beléeueth on him shall not be ashamed And Christe calleth vs vnto him come vnto me al ye that are heauy laden how may we come but by the foote of faith for whom he calleth theÌ„ he iustifieth and we being iustified by fayth haue peace towardes God through oure Lorde Iesus Christe by whome also we haue accesse through faythe sayth the Apostle vnto this grace wherein we stand for want of fayth it was that Christe was not receiued of his owne but the beloued beleeuers they receiued him to them he gaue the power to be the sonnes of God they are knit fast to Christe they are the body and he is the heade they are frée by him they are frends in one house felowes in one inheritance and sonnes of one father with our Lorde Iesus O how happy are we if we haue faithe for then are we chosen we are called we are iustified we are glorified God is on our side who may stand against vs what shall we now dout to obtaine at Gods hands for he that spared not his sonne but gaue him for vs al howe shall he not with him giue vs all things also we are Gods chosen who shall lay any thing to our charge Christ is dead he is rysen euen he to whome all iudgement is committed he maketh earnest sute and continuall request he pleadeth for vs who shal then condemne vs who shal separate vs now from the loue of Chryst Shall tribulation or anguishe or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword in all these things sayth S. Paule we are more than conquerors through him that loued vs And vpon this is he so bold that he sayth I am persuaded that neyther death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things presente nor things to come nor heigth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde O let vs set this example of faithfull Paule before vs let vs holde fast the loue of God with him howe came he by that bolde and mightie spirite by the grace of God I am that I am sayth he againe we haue boldnesse and entrance by fayth in him that is in Christ Iesus wherefore his exhortation shall be moste necessarie at al tymes watch ye saith he stand fast in the faith quit you like men be strong let vs put on the armor of God let vs not feare to enter the fielde hauing Christ our Captaine aboue al let vs be sure to take with vs the shielde of faithe that hath S. Iohns warrant that therewith we may conquer the world as Christ hath done and S. Paules that therewith we maye quenche the fierie dartes of the wicked and S. Peters also that with the mightie force of faith we may mousell vp the bloudy mouth of that roring Lyon so we being armed and fortified with fayth we maye walke free without all feare now we