for y t theâ— haue light to direct them by so they that direcâ— theÌ„ selues in their calling by the light of y e worâ— goe aright and vpright because God doth giue them Therefore it is sometimes vsed for knowâ—ledge gotten by reading and hearing the worâ— preached Thirdly the day of the Lorde shall noâ— come soudenly and vnlooked for vppon the chilâ—dren of light stealing vppon them as it were theefe in y e night for y t they be endued with godâ—ly knowledge and therefore liue in continuaâ— expectation of his comming and watch lookinâ— for it Lastly we are to exhort one another whilâ— it is called to daye and also to obey them 〈◊〉 whome God doth speake to day both because 〈◊〉 knowe not whether hee will speake to vs any more and also least we be excluded out of his 〈◊〉 as our Fathers were Darknesse THe Darknesse of dongeons in prisons where prisoners are voide and destitute of all comfort doth shadowe vnto vs the terriblenesse and fearfulnesse of Hell The workes of darknesse are so called either of ignoraunce of the doer which the Darknesse of the minde causeth or because they are commonly done in the night or closely out of sight or else because the dooers of them dare not and loue not to come to try their doings by the light of the Word or else because the rulers of the Darknesse of this worlde worke them in the reprobate Darknesse should make vs remember what we somtime were and what we be now called vnto and how we should therefore walke and lead our liues leaste wee declare our selues to be vnfaithfull and shewe that wee loue Darknesse better then light which is flat damnation Dawbers AS Dawbers that dawbe Walles with Morter which was neuer tempered cannot make those walles continue for that the morter crumbleth away So false and lying Prophetes that speake in the name of the Lord that which he neuer commaunded them can not make their wordes true or to come to passe as they haue promised Death THe death of all men doth admonish vs of the trueth and constancie of gods worde and how certayne that is which he once hath vttered The Death of the godly which yeelde their soules to god ioyfully shoulde make vs consider y t though death be the last enimy that shall be destroyed that is to say abolished yet he is already swallowed vp by our Sauiour Christe in victory and his sting taken away and so after a sort for euer destroyed because his power of hurting and harming Gods people is taken from him When righteous and mercifull men dye and are taken of the earth It is time for vs to looke for euilles which God will sende vppon vs for our sinnes from the sight and greefe of which God hath taken them away By this that all men dye wee are taught that all men are sinners When we see howe harde a thing it is for a man bee hee neuer so good or so welbeloued to finde another man to suffer Death for him We are to consider the vnmeasurablenesse of the loue of Christe who died for vs not onely when we were moste sinfull wretches but also moste spitefull enemies to him Further death shoulde teache vs to dye to sinne As the bandes of matrimony are set free by the Death of one of the married couple So are we by Christe made deade to the Law and freeed from the yoke seruitude and bondage of it When wee see God plague vs with the sicknesse and Death of greate numbers Then are we to enter into our selues diligently to spie the cause thereof And especially to looke whether our grosse contempt of the Worde and vnreuerent abusing of the sacrament haue not procured the same Deade men can doe nothing that liuing men should doe So when we are deade in sinne wee coulde doe none of those thinges which declare and shewe foorth our life in Christe As great a myracle therefore as it is for deade men to bee raised againe So is the chaunge that Christe hath made in those that be his Christe by dying not onely ouercame death but also him that had Lordshippe ouer Death that is the Diuell and that to this ende that Death now shoulde be no more fearefull and terrible to vs. Defence ALl outwarde means of Defence when men passing by God put their confidence in them are but vaine As Siluer Golde Horses Charriots high Towres strong Walles victualles â—trong men valiant captayns honorable persons â—age graue couneellers c. Put not therefore â—our trust in princes nor in y e sonnes of men for â—n theÌ„ ther is no help But know y t he is accursed that maketh flesh his arme Therefore though some trust in Chariots and others in Horses yet the people of God aduaunce their standerdes in the name of the Lorde And when their mighty enemies are brought downe and fallen they rise and stande vpright Dewe AS the morning Dewe soone after the sonne rising vanisheth away So the strength glory prosperity and pride of the Idolaters is by God soone brought to naught Debters IF we when we haue poore and needy debters pitying their pouerty do forgiue their debtes and then thinke that by good right we may challenge loue and the more loue where we haue moste forgiuen then are wee to thinke howe much and how deepely we are bounde to loue Christ by whom so manye and so great thinges are forgiuen vs. Dearth DEarth is procured to countries and nations by their great and grieuous offences especially by Idolatry whereof we haue example in the dayes of king Achab next by periury as appeared in the dayes of King Dauid three and ready to kicke against their keepers so is it with very manye men the more temporall blessinges and worldly commodities God heapeth vppon them the more they kicke againste him and will be the lesse ruled by his Ministers and Word Father THe naturall pietie and compassion that Fathers and mothers haue towardes their infants doth teach vs how much greater the compassion of our heauenly Father is towardes vs his children And if our Parents are ready to giue their infantes good thinges when they begge or craue then much rather we shall be denyed nothing if we in faith do begge and craue of God And if Parents be carefull according to their abilitie to prouide thinges needfull for their children how can we want any thing at the handes of our GOD which he knoweth to be good and needfull for vs Also Christe hath therefore in praying taught vs to to call him father that we might be admonished to come with such reuerence as Children owe vnto their Fathers that we come not in confidence of our selues or anye thing in vs but in confidence of his mediation by whom in whom we are made the
Christ preached in the worde is the true Light which lightneth all that come into the worlde that are lightned The benefite that wee receiue by light setteth out the benefite of the knowledge of Christe And as they that loue it hide their doings in the dark it is a manifest token that their owne consciences beareth them witnesse that their doings bee naught So they that loue and choose rather ignoraunce then the knowledge of Christ It is a manifest token that they loath to see the filthinesse of theire owne workes Moreouer it is a manifest token of condemnation when they shut their eyes againste the trueth As Light endureth not alwayes but darknesse succeedeth so the times and means to get knowledge endureth not alwayes but wee are to vse them whilste God doth giue them Otherwise as he that goeth in the darke catcheth a shrewde turne afore he wotteth of it so he that walketh in ignoraunce runneth headlong to destruction when hee least thinketh of it Whosoeuer thinke that they beleeue in Christe and yet abide in their olde ignoraunce and care not for knowledge deceiue themselues The light that shineth vnto vs out of darknesse is the knowledge of the glory of God in Christe And those which are endued with this knowledge are nowe light in the Lord whatsoeuer they haue bene ought carefully to walk as is comely for the children of light For many things which whilste they were in darknes ignoraunce seemed not were not thought of them to be faults vices are discouered made manifest by y e light of knowlege and therfore to be diligently auoided and eschued of theÌ„ which willingly wilfully wil not continue in wickednes For it is a vain perswasion for meÌ„ to thinke that they haue fellowshippe with God who is light and in whom is no darknes and yet walk in darknes still Also they are fowly deceiued that think themselues to be in the light yet hate their brethren Lilly AS the lilly doth florish and spring in the feeld or garden so God doth make the penitent whose sinnes he forgiueth pardoneth to growe and â—lorish The lilly of the feeld whose beauty exceedeth the glory of the richest raiment that euer any king or potentate in the worlde ware declareth what God is able to doe for those that rest and repose themselues vpon his prouidence when ordinary means faile Lion GOd killeth vp them y t disobey the voice of his words by the cruelty of raging of lions So was the Prophet that prophecied against Ieroboams calfes for eating in Bethel contrary to the precept of the Lord destroyed and slaine by a lion So were the Samaritans newly planted by y e king of Ashur in the land of Israel for not fearing the Lord destroied by lions But God can shut vp the lions mouths make them calme and meeke to them which fear and serue him As lions rage and roare when they seeke after their pray so doe wicked men when they seeke to destroy them that feare God So fearfull as the roaring of a lion is so terrible is the wrath of a king And as the lion and lions whelps fiercely rageth on his pray so shall God on the enimies of his Church when he riseth vp to defend it Rauening lions expresse the nature of tyrants that make hauock of the people committed to them The lion caught in a net or pitfall expresseth the miserable estate of a king taken captiue and held in captiuity As a raging lion spoileth and deuoureth all that hee can catch or come by so the Lorde deuoureth and spoileth the wicked that fall from him and exerciseth all maner of cruelty vpon them As when y e lion roareth whosoeuer is within his danger can not choose but be afraid so when the Lord speaketh what prophet or preacher of his can holde his peace Leopard AS impossible as it is for a black-more to cast awaye his Skinne and to become White and for a Leoparde to put awaye his spottes So impossible it is for them that noosell themselues and accustome them selues continuallye with euill doing to chaunge their custome and to endeauour to doe well The swiftnesse of the Leopard is not comparable or equall to the pace of their horses whom God stirreth vp to plague the wickednes of them that that prouoke him to wrath or anger Leauen A little leauen hidden in a greate lumpe of Doughe by little and little leaueneth all which teacheth vs not to be amazed or astonished at the small and vnlikely beginnings of the gospell but patiently to waite and abide Gods leasure till the fruite and encrease thereof be made apparant And as sweete Dough is made sowre by a little leauen So is the sweetenesse and comfort of the doctrine of trueth corrupted if it be neuer so little entermedled with humane doctrine or mans traditions The like is to bee seene in our conuersation If the leauen of malitiousnesse and wickednesse remayne in vs. We must take heede therefore of suffering a little euill and fostering a fewe wicked personnes amongest vs. For it doth quickly corrupt much and many the beginnings therefore of wickednesse are to be refrained Life AS that is counted the life of men wherein they most delight and reioice So that is a good ministers life to see his flock stand fast in y e Lord. God gaue vnto his people stacutes and declared his iudgements vnto them which whosoeuer doth shall liue in them But this life all men lost death preuailed in all because all men sinned that is to say transgressed the law But God of his mere mercy fauor and goodnes hath giuen vs life eternal in Christ and when we were deade in sinne hath quickened and raised vs againe in Christ hath reuealed it to vs by the preaching of the Gospell to the ende that all that beleeue should not perish but be partakers of life euerlasting Man WHen we see any possession kept by strength force of armed men which cannot bee remooued but by greater strength force then also we are to remember that eueÌ„ so we were kept by y e prince of this world whose possessioÌ„ we were and whose force could be by no means remoued but by the might of our God shewed in his sonne Christ that victorious lion of the tribe of Iudah by whome the prince of this world was cast out of dores When we see a man robbed or woundded or in any other kind of necessity then are we to remember that he is that mans neerest neighbour that dealeth moste neighbourlie by him giueth him most and best comfort how farre soeuer hee dwell from him or whatsoeuer enimity or strangenesse haue beene betweene them Mariage AS often as wee are present at any mariage and see man and wife coupled together in holy
corruptions corrected and amended by Christ and his spirite working in vs that we may better taste to God Grapes AS euery man that eateth sower Grapes his owne teeth shall bee set on edge So shall euery one that committeth iniquity dye not for others but for his own sin When Grapes be full ready for the presse who knoweth not that vintage is at hande So when wickednesse aboundeth Gods vengeaunce cannot be farre of Grasse THough the wicked flourish like the grasse or greene hearbe yet quickly shall hee bee cut downe and wither away Hee shall bee like the grasse on the house toppe which for lack of roote withereth afore it can growe vp to be mowed or to any other good vse So is also the flourishing prosperity of such cities lands as by manifolde wickednesse prouoke Gods wrath and indignation against them The godly therefore are to be of good comfort and not to feare any mortall men for as withered grasse so shall they bee shortly Graues GRaues vpon which lye fayre stones costlye engrauen with imagery and hauing inscriptions in brasse and the armes of them that lie in them faire set forth and blazed by heraulds cunning hauing within them nothing but a rotten stincking carrion doth plainly set out hypocrisy before our eyes which outwardly beareth a glorious shew and inwardly is most foule filthy and loathsom The graue alwayes crauing for more and neuer satisfied is an euident and a plain patterne of the vnsatiablenesse of the throtes of the wicked Grashopper GRashoppers shoulde make vs fearefull obstinately and stubbernly to withstand God as Pharaoh did least by Grashoppers he consume all the greene things that the earth bringeth foorth for our necessary sustenaunce Further the great and mighty vpon the earth are in comparison of him but as Grashoppers Greefe WIsedome is not gotten without griefe neyther can knowledge bee encreased without labour and sorrow Ground A Waste Grounde broken vp and rid of those thinges wherewith it was ouergrown and the fruitefulnesse thereof hindered and by good husbandry brought to florish and to be fruitefull expresseth the state of the Churche when after persecution it pleaseth God to sende peace and prosperity thereto Guestes BY Guestes which when they bee bidden to a banquet refuse to come or euill entreat the messēgers that are sent for them so make them selues vnworthy of the good cheere which was prouided for them we vnderstād how iustly God hath depriued the Iewes of the knowledge of his trueth and how deseruedly all frowarde refusers of his graces offered are by him reiected and cast off As it is honesty for a man when he is bidden to a feast to be remooued hier then hee proffereth to sitte rather then to be remooued lower So humility in our dealinges bringeth honour and estimation Also when wee bid Guests wee are to bid them that can not recompence vs againe if wee will haue recompence at the hand of the hiest Giftes GIftes great and liberall or rather magnificent which great princes in their triumphs after conquestes are wont to bestowe vpon their captaines and seruitors shoulde make vs thankfully to recorde the liberality of Christe in his glorious and triumphant ascention not onely in all other spiritual heauenly gifts but especially in furnishing his church with teachers Gifts giuen in secrete pacifieth anger seasonablie they stoppe and cease greate wrath But the receyuer had neede to take heede for Giftes blindeth the eyes of the Wife and peruerteth the wordes of the righteous And he that loueth gifts hunteth after rewardes is nexte Coosen to a theefe Haile AS a mighty tempest and storm of great hailstones where they fail doe beate downe and destroy all the fruites of the earth so the armies and hostes of men which God stirreth vp to plague any people withall doe beare downe and destroy all before them Hammer WHen we see smithes with their Hammers beat out the yron and steele and frame it to that fashion that they will haue it and again when we see y e freemasons do the like vpon hard stones Then are we to remember of howe much greater force they be whome God vseth as his hammers to breake down and to destroy kingdoms and nations withall Further we are to consider the almighty power of God who can also break downe and destroy them that haue beene hammers to the whole world Hande THe breadth of our hand shoulde teach vs the shortnesse of our dayes Our hands are weakned and our hearts melt within vs when God will haue vs ouercome of our enimies example hereof haue we in them of Iericho when the spies which Ioshua sent came thither Friendes and other commodities earthly though they bee as necessary and can as hardly bee spared as our hands yet if they hinder and stop vs in our right course to life eternall or allure or entise vs into the snares of death and hell are to be renounced forsaken and cast off Harpe HArpes other instruments of musick which God of his greate liberality hath giuen vs to recreate our spirites by ought to be vsed to set out the praises of our God The harpe if it make a confused noise and giueth no distinct sounde it delighteth not it recreateth not because no man can tell what it is that is plaide so he that speaketh in the Churche in a language which other men vnderstand not cannot edify because men vnderstand not what he speaketh Haruest WHen we see men that haue great Haruests seeke carefully for laborers and many times want then we are to remember how much greater Gods haruest is and what wonderfull want of labourers is therein and therefore we ought earnestly to pray to the Lorde of the haruest who alone can remedye that matter to thrust our Labourers into his Haruest Further Haruest shoulde make vs remember howe greate a blessing of GDD it is to ministers when GOD hath made the people ripe and ready to be reaped and carryed into the barne and howe great an ease it is for vs by God to be called to those places wherein others before vs haue faithfully and fruitfully laboured Hatred WHosoeuer hateth his Brother is a murderer Yea the foole fretteth him selfe to death through enuy Wherefore hate not thy Brother in thy heart but plainelye rebuke thy neighbour and suffer him not to sinne For thogh thou thinkest thy selfe to be in the light and hatest thy brother yet art thou in darknesse walkest in darknesse thou wottest not whither because darknesse hath blinded thine eyes Further hatred stirreth vp contentions and therefore it is not lawfull for them who ought to seek to be at peace with all men to hate their mortall enemies yet it is lawfull for vs to hate and that with perfect hatred the enemies of God
how euill a ring or Iewell of golde becommeth the filthy snowt of a swine that is alwayes rooting in the durt and mier so vncomely is beauty to a woman that hath not wit nor discretion to behaue her selfe Iron AS with Iron tooles sharpe Weapons are made of Iron so doth one Friend helpe to sharpen encourage and enbolden the face of an other King IT is folly for a king to put his trust in the multitude of his host and army The death of kinges and Princes sheweth vs how vaine a thing it is for vs to put our trust in men or in the sonnes of men for there is none helpe in them for their breath departeth they dye and tourne againe to their earth and then their thoughts perish If a King will see euill and wickednesse driuen and chased away out of his realme and land he must seuerely punish the wicked Yet he must mingle mercy with iustice for mercy shall establishe his throne He must also haue an especiall care to defend the poore in truth for that is an other mean to vphold him in his kingdom He must abstaine from the loue of giftes for otherwise he shall destroy his countrye He must meruailously take heede of giuing eare to vntruthes otherwise he shall be sure to haue wicked seruauntes When drosse is taken away from Siluer there proceedeth a vessell for the finer so take away the wicked from the king and his throne shall be established in righteousnesse As the height of heauens and the deepnesse of earth so the kings heart is vnsearcheable Yet his heart is in the hande of God he turneth it which way so euer it pleaseth him A poore childe that is wise is better then an old foolishe king that can not abide to be admonished or counselled For out of prison he commeth foorth to raigne when he that is borne in a kingdome commeth to pouerty and misery Woe to the land where the king is as a child without wisdome and where the Princes and Rulers giue them selues altogeather to voluptuousnesse and pleasures But happy is that land whose king God hath endued with celestiall wisedome and all graces meet for gouernment We must beware of speaking euill or thinking euill of princes For though we doe it neuer so secreatly it cannot be kept close So necessary as breath and life is for the body so be good kinges and Princes for their people and common wealth Thogh kinges and princes sometimes conspire against Christ to destroy the Church and to quench the light of the Gospell yet we are assured that all they can do nothing but whatsoeuer Gods hande and counsell had afore hande determined to bee done The king is the minister of God to take vengeaunce on them that doe euill Therefore let euill doers be afrayde of him for he beareth not the swoorde for naught Finally the king must haue Gods booke continually with him therein for his continuall direction he must read all the dayes of his life Labourers WHen we see painfull lâ—bourers if we bee ministers we shoulde by their example learne what paines we ought to bestowe vppon Gods flock if we be common persons wee are in them to viewe the care and paine that vigilant pastors take for vs and to consider howe worthy they are of their reward Againe when wee see eyther for want of labourers or by negligence of those which are set on work thinges doe perishe and be lost then we shoulde consider howe many thousands of soules are in daunger of perishing for want of painefull and carefull ministers and should earnestly call vpon God to thrust out laborers into his haruest Further the viewe of labourers sweating toyling and taking paines shoulde put vs in minde whereunto we are borne and also that that there is a penalty laid vpon men by God in the sweat of their browes to eate their bread To the painfull labourer sleepe is sweete whether hee eateth much or little Hee that for neede stole let him steal no more but let him labour with his hands the thing which is good that he may both eate his owne bread and also be able to giue to him that needeth Lambe WIth such patience and meeknes as a lamb is carried to the slaughter with such are the Prophets and preachers of God brought by the wicked to most cruell death For his meeknesse and innocency wherein a lambe resembleth him Christe is called the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde And because that as a lamb is dumbe before his shearer so hee was led to the slaughter not opening his mouth Lying AS vncomely as magnificall talke is for a poore foole so vnmeeete is lying and vntrue talke for a Prince As the deuil is the father of lies so lying is an euident token of his Children The grosse and apparant lies commonly beleeued and receiued in Popery is a manifest token of Gods iust vengeaunce vppon them to their damnation that they are giuen ouer to beleeue lies because they receiued not the loue of the trueth which punishment wee see howe it lighted vpon the Iewes whose Prophetes preached lies and the people delighted therein Who soeuer loueth or maketh lies shall neuer enter into the gates of the Heauenlye and Celestiall Ierusalem but shall haue their part and portion in the Lake which burneth with fier and Brimstome Yet wee may complaine with Dauid that there is not a godly man left and that the faythfull doe fayle from amongest the children of men Lyar. THe eares of the wicked are alwaies open to the lippes of liars and Liars are glad to hearken to the tongues of them that are accustomed to lies yet we are commaunded to flie from lying because it is amongest the things that God abhorreth Therefore we are earnestly to request at Gods handes to remooue farre from vs vanities and lies and to teach vs to speak the trueth euery man to his neighbour Lightning SO quicklye as the Lightning in the East is seene vnto the Weste so sodainely shall Christe appeare vnto the whole worlde at his second comming Light AS a dark or dimme light which a man can not discerne any thing by nor vse to his benefite but is ready so soone as it is stirred to goe quite out so is the prosperity of the wicked but God is the light of his and giueth them eyes and wisedome to eschue all the perilles and dangers of their spirituall enimies As men in the night because of the darknesse vse Lanterne and Lights that they may see their way so we ought in this blinde darke and ignoraunt world to vse the Worde as a Lanterne vnto our feete and a light to our steppes that wee may walke in those wayes that God hath prouided for vs to walke in For
if they be compared with Christe seeing as they are not worthy so much as to vnbuckle his shoes Sicknesse WHen we are grieuouslie sicke we are to call to minde the greatnesse of our sinnes For if there be nothing sound in our fleshe it is because of Gods anger And when there is no rest in our bones it is because of our sinnes Yet we are with this to comfort our selues that it is Gods louing chastisement to the ende that we should not be damned with the worlde Therefore though sinne be the cause of our affliction and sicknesse and though we be brought euen vnto deathes doore yet let vs with true and vnfained repentaunce crye vnto the Lorde he will heale vs and deliuer vs from our griefes And let vs looke about that our vnreuerent abusing of the holy misteries of Christes body and bloud be not a cause that many be sicke and many dye amongest vs. Siluer AS pure as Siluer is beeing seuen tymes tryed and fined so pure is the worde of GOD. With such labour and diligence as we would seeke for Siluer and search for treasure with the like we shoulde studye for the knowledge of God in his Worde For the wisedome therein learned is more worth then Siluer more gainefull then Gold more precious then pearles and without all comparison to be preferred before any thing which we can desire He that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied with siluer and he that loueth ritches shall be without the fruit thereof Though wicked couetous men do heape siluer togeather as dust and gold as the mier of the streats yet the Lord shall spoyle thē Further the sight of siluer and golde and such like as passing throgh the fier consume not shold admonish vs to endeuour that our workes maye be such as maye abyde the touch-stone of the Word and the fier of Gods examination Moreouer it was neither siluer nor golde neither anye other earthly thing how precious soeuer it was that could redeeme vs but onely the bloud of the immaculate and vnspotted lambe Iesus Christ. Schoole-maister AS a Schoolemaister serueth not for his scholler continuallye but till such time as the scholler may grow to some good abilitie to goe forward at his booke by his owne study So the Lorde feareth his people with his lawe not alwayes but till such time as they haue sufficiently learned to know them selues and therefore to flie from them selues to Christ Iesu who freeth them from the cursse and condemnation of the law Sleepe AS often as we rise from sleepe hauing our weary limmes refreshed and as it were reuiued so that we feele our selues in better case and abilitie to do anye maner thing then before so often we should remember that death vnto the godly is but a resting of their weary bodyes and bones till they rise againe exceedingly bettered by immortalitie and glory and therefore termed by the name of sleepe But loue not sleepe least thou come to pouerty Open thine eyes and thou shalt be satisfied with bread Sleepe is sweete to him that trauayleth and taketh paines whether he eat little or much Silence SIlence in open places is to be obserued of women as a token of their dutifull subiection where vnder God hath put them Men also ought to be swift to heare and slow to speake for in much speaking sinne cannot be wanting Smoake AS Smoake vanisheth and commeth to nothing so the wicked and vngodly perish at the presence of God As smoake vanisheth and passeth away so heauen and earth and all that in them is shal vanish and passe away Sparrow IN time of persecution when we cannot be suffered to frequent the assemblies of those which truly serue the Lord. The state of the poore sparrow or swallow which are there suffered to build their nestes and haue their young seeme to vs more happy then our owne so great a desire haue we if we be godly to be with them among whō or at whose meeting Christ hath bound himselfe by his promise to be present The sale of sparrowes and such other small birdes in markets or other places shoulde bring to minde that seeing these fell not nor were caught without the prouidence of God it can not be but that he whose prouidence extendeth and stretcheth to such smal thinges should also haue a speciall care regarde and eye to those that are his Speaking AS it were a madnes or at the least a great folly for one man in communication with an other to speake in a tongue which the other vnderstandeth not so is it much more for a man to speake to a multitude or a whole congregation in that sort or order And where God graunteth not to people to haue his word so spoken and preached vnto them that they may vnderstand it is a manifest token of his anger and wrath against them for their vnbeliefe Spottes AS spottes deface the things they light on which ought to be cleane so false prophets and false brethren defile and staine the societye and felowship of Christians Snaile AS a Snaile melteth and consumeth to slime and earth so shal God consume the wicked and bring them to naught Snares WHen we see diuers and sundry snares and engines set for beastes vermine and foules and we see those that haue escaped diuers in the ende to be trapped in one or other then are we to remember that though some wicked doe at times seeme to escape the heauie iudgements of God yet in the end they shall be snarled Sodome WHen we here read or by any means remember the heauy fearefull and terrible iudgements of God vpon Sodome and Gomorrha and the places adioyning which God destroyed with fier and brimstone from heauen Then are we to looke about and to consider what and how much more intollerable estate and condition remayneth for vs if we continue contemptuous refusing and misusing the messengers of God now sent to vs. Sunne WHen we see the sunne shine in his full brightnesse and beauty then we are to remember that that light is but for a season But that God which is for euer and euer is the euerlasting light of his Church But in the meane season the constant course of the Sunne accordinge to the appointmente of God in the beginning teacheth vs our obedience to our creator That the Sunne staide his course in the dayes of Ioshua that it returned backwarde in the dayes of Ezechias and that it withdrewe his lighte at noone daies in the death and passion of our Lord and sauiour sheweth the glory and omnipotency of God who canne whensoeuer it pleaseth him chaunge the whole course of nature and make it serue whatsoeuer turn pleaseth him Souldier A Souldier taketh wages of them for whome he fighteth and goeth on warfare Therefore a minister of the gospell may lawfullye