maye deuoure The seconde is Synne wherin Adam by the enticynge of the deuel dyd fall the whych is cropen in al mākynde from Adam whereby also they be prouoked vnto all maner of wyckednesse The thyrde enemye are Affliccions Death and Hell These are the mooste haynouse enemyes y t can be Nother is it to be thought that these enemyes although they do enuy mē in dede yet are they farre from them but it is to be marked that these enemyes haue mē wholy in theyr clawes For naturally are we the chyldren of wrath that is the deuels owne borne in synne and by reason of synne we be in daunger of troubles of thys worlde bodyly death also hell These enemyes hath Christ so ouercome though they somtime do repyne and gnash threatnynge men many thynges that they can in no wyse hurt them that beleue in Christe Iesu Moreouer Christe hath not restored hys people vnto such surenesse and tranquillite wherin they myght vse at Ierusalem theyr seruyce prescribed vnto them in the thyrde boke of Moses called Leuiticus for that seruyce as it was to be obserued and kept for a season only as the lawe wytnesseth euen so was it only an introduccion and ciuile holynesse to Christwarde but he forgaue them theyr sinnes By the which knowlege the conscience is so quieted by fayth that she nowe feareth nother the deuell death nor hel And because that the holy goost is geuen by faythe therfore whosoeuer hath the forgeuenesse of synnes by fayth the same serueth the LORDE quyetly at all tymes in suche holynesse and ryghteousnesse as he can wythout ony fear of the cruell enemyes death or hell Wherfore as the promyses made vnto Abraham and Dauid are to be vnderstande of the spirituall enemyes and of the true and spirituall holynesse the whych we haue by Christ euen so is thys songe of Zachary also to be vnderstande spiritually and of the inwarde victory by the fayth of Iesus Christe oure LORDE For to possesse the gates of the enemyes is to be lorde of all thynges wyth Christ the whych shall begyn by fayth shal finysh whan Christes kyngdome shall ende the whych shal neuer be for seynge Christes kyngdome is euerlastynge and he eternall therfore shall we raygne and reioyce euerlastyngly wyth hym in hys kyngdome That God than dyd promyse vnto Abraham and Dauid that he dyd confirme stablyshe wyth an oth namely to remēbre hys cōuenaūt to shewe y e mercy promysed vnto the fathers y e we shulde be delyuered of our enemyes from the hāde of all such as hate vs so we delyuered from the hādes of our enemyes maye serue hym wythout feare that sayeth Zachary that God hath done very wel whan he sent Christ hys sonne in the flesh The whych as he shall clense vs from all our synnes and reconcyle vs agayne to God the father euē so shall he also cōmaūde that we do becomme holy and ryghteous before God by the fayth in hym and be endued wyth the holy goost that so we do obeye hys callynge by fayth wyth great rest and peace of conscience Holynesse signifyeth the clennesse from al synne ryghteousnesse a cōlynesse of all y e lyfe a seruiable loue vnto all men Wyth these is God truly serued so doynge we do him an hygh pleasure representyng hys image lykenesse the whyche is moost cleanest from all euell and the moost beneficial and weldoynge vnto all thynges Thys seruice worship only doeth he alowe therfore sayeth he As is accept before hym For he dyd requyre it of hys people whā he brought thē out of Egipte sayenge Be ye holy for I am holy Moreouer because it is not truly good that taketh an ende therfore sayeth he also All the dayes of our lyfe For it is no godlynesse y e hath an ende God is eternall is not chaunged whom who so knoweth truly can neuer be drawen from hys seruice for he shall fynde nothynge better than him Thys is now the fyrste parte of the songe wherin the truth of God is cōmended wherby the promyses of Christe are kepte where by also we be admonished of those benefytes that are happened vnto vs by Christ Now followeth the other parte And thou chylde shalt be called a prophete of the Hyghest for thou shalte go before the LORD to prepare hys vvayes And to geue knovvlege of saluacion vnto hys people for the remissiō of theyr synnes Thorovv the tēder mercy of our God vvherby the daye sprynge from on hygh hath visited vs. That he myght geue lyght vnto them that sytte in darkenesse and shadovve of death and to gyde our fete in to the vvay of peace In thys other parte of the songe is declared and set forth the offyce of Ihon baptiste Nother is it declared wyth vayne dreames but wyth the wordes that the prophete Malachy and the angell that appeared vnto Zachary dyd testifye of hym Thou sayeth he chylde shalte be called a prophete of the Hyghest That is thou shalte be the chefe preacher in Gods church or congregacion for of the hath Malachy prophecyed on this wyse Beholde I sende my messaunger before thy face whych shall prepare thy waye before the. And agayne He shall turne y e hartes of the fathers vnto the chyldren and the harte of the chyldren vnto the fathers for thys cause shalt thou go before the LORDE that is before that Christ do openly begyn hys offyce thou shalte do thyne appointed busynesse For what intent Fyrst that thou prepare the waye vnto Christ Nowe hath Ihon prepared the waye vnto Christe as is sayd aboue not only in that he rebuked the people of theyr synnes but rather because he declared opēly that thys is the true Christe and sente hys disciples vnto the same Christe sayenge Beholde the lambe of God whych taketh awaye the synnes of the worlde Secondely that thou geue knovvlege of saluacion vnto hys people for the remission of theyr synnes That is that thou wyth thy doctrine shewe vnto the people the true waye and maner where by they maye obtayne saluacion the whych consysteth not in the delyueraunce from the tyranny of the Romanes nother in the felicite or happynesse of thys worlde but in the remyssion of synnes Though thou warest rydde of all tyrauntes and enemyes in this worlde and hast obtayned all the felicite of thys worlde yet arte thou in the deuels daūger an enemye moost cruell and not onely hys but also of Death and Hell whyche are vtter destructions Thou arte in daunger of them by reason of synne for Paule sayeth vnto the Romaynes the .v. Chapter that by one man synne entred in to y e world and death by the meanes of synne euen so wente death also ouer all men in so muche as they all haue synned Wherfore that we maye be delyuered from the cruelte of the deuel and from the power of death and hel it is requyred that we be delyuered fyrste of all from synne Ihon was the fyrst
wyll departe in peace To departe wyth ioye or dye in peace is a goodly worde in y e eares of hym that can so do But where of hath he such a pleasaunt death Euen of the chylde Who hath euer sene suche lyke death But all they that put theyr truste in ony other saue in thys chylde the Saueoure whan they shall dye they tremble and quake and are very sorowfull at the harte chaūge theyr coloure theyr wytte reason vnderstādynge and all theyr strength faydeth euen awaye death ouercōmeth them Yee though all the kynges princes powers of y e world were by wyth theyr horses armes to helpe them and the feare of death came vpon thē they shulde stande as styffe as a stake before death But the good Simeon reioyceth y t he wyll departe in peace as though ther were no death He calleth not y e passynge a death he disdayneth to honoure it so much He sayeth LORD novv lettest thou thy seruaūt departe in peace not thou lettest me dye He calleth the passynge a swete easy slepe From whence hath he the connyng that he feareth not death but counteth it a swete slepe for the whych not wythstandynge all the worlde is afrayed Euen frō thence that synne the law and death were banyshed out of hys harte he dyd not regarde them For where the lawe is there is also a conscience of synne but where she is not there is nothynge saue ryghteousnesse and Moses is exiled and so wholy out of syghte that hys sepulture is not sene nor knowen where it is Where Moses is gone frō thence is synne taken awaye also and so becommeth death a louely slepe But whereby getteth he that Veryly not by hys deseruynges workes but onely by the beholdynge of the saueoure For he sayeth Myne eyen haue sene thy Saueour He maketh no mencion nor is once thynkynge that he hath done or procured it wyth hys handes but hath sene it wyth hys eyen though the outwarde syght wythout the inwarde do auayle so lytle as the handes They are two poyntes to se and the Saueoure To se Christ perteyneth vnto a quiete and peaceable death Yf we se hym than can we dye merely but yf we se hym not thā is he there in vayne vnto vs. Many haue sene hym in the temple but not aryght Ioseph Marye Anna and Simeon haue sene hym aryghte but all the other that behelde hym not lykewyse they haue not sene Christ nor the Saueoure Caiphas Annas Pilate Herode dyd beholde hym in dede but they sawe not that he was the Saueoure But where in is the faute that they can not se hym In the eyen of the harte they must be cleare that they may beholde y e yonge LORDE that is entred in to the wynepresse for vs and hath suffred wronge for vs settynge vs at lyberte not for our merytes or deseruynges but for hys truth and loues sake Who so beholdeth him after thys maner the same hath ouercome the law synne death despysynge all theyr assaultes The true seynge consisteth not in the bodely eyen for many haue sene hym after that maner which were neuer the better for it but in fayth in the harte It maye well be that they haue sene hym wyth bodyly eyen but yet not beleued that he was the Saueoure thynkynge on thys wyse Shulde thys chylde be he it is scarce syxe wekes olde nother can it lyfte vp the heade The true Saueoure thought they shal come wyth an armye wyth horses and al maner of weapens But the good Simeon hath sene hym other wyse He was warned in hys hart a worde was geuen hym sayenge The same is he ▪ He had another lyght and another syghte Euen so muste we also not onely heare at Christes mouth but also beleue in the harte thorowe the holy goost and so must y e harte be illumined by the holy goost for it is naturally stony hardened and darkened so sore that it can not knowlege such saluacyon and se such lyghte Nother is it ynough that Mary Ioseph Simeō and other haue sene hym I muste se hym also I muste knowlege hym also I muste knowe also that he is the true Messias Simeon myght wyth few wordes haue vttered the cause of hys ioy and sayd Therfore lettest thou me depart in peace because I haue sene Christe But that he myght declare the maiesty of Christe more clearelye he leaueth the name of Christ and in steade therof he setteth thre tytles wherewyth Christ is set forth moost playnly and his vse is shewed moost manyfestly The fyrst tytle that Christ is declared wyth is Saueoure sayenge Myne eyen haue sene thy Saueoure vvhome thou hast prepared before all people Thys sayenge semeth Simeon to haue taken out of the .lii. Chapter of Esaye where he sayeth The LORDE wyll make bare hys holy arme shewe it forth in the syght of all the Gentyles and all the endes of the earth shall se the sauynge health of oure God That Esaye doth prophecy for to come that sayeth Simeon to be now fulfyllynge That is that our LORDE Christ whych as the true Saueoure is shewed in y e fleshe and set vp therfore that he myghte be shewed vnto al nacions both the Iewes and Gentyles Yf the synnes do racke oure consciences and cast them to the euerlastynge damnacyon than is Christ oure Saueoure the wholsome playster whyche layed to the sores of our synnes doth so drye vp clense heale the etter of them that although he fele hymselfe greued wyth synnes and yet do beleue in Christe yeldynge hymselfe wholy to hys cure yet is he for all that rekened clene from all synne ryghteous and holy And yf Christe be wholsome to clense and heale synnes it followeth also that he is wholsome in al aduersites troubles grefes and paynes of death and hell For yf ony man be payned or greued than is Christe wholsome vnto hym For in forgeuynge synnes he maketh the same grefe to be no instrumēt or accasion of misery vnto hym Yf ony mā be cast before death and hell in hys cōscience Christ is a Seueoure vnto hym the whych seynge he hath satisfyed hys father for our sinnes he chaungeth the feare of death and hell in a waye not vnto perditiō but vnto lyfe euer lastynge saluacion Let vs therfore embrace thys Saueoure of God the whych Simeon dyd beare in hys armes and let vs lykewyse beare hym by fayth that we maye be letten go in peace lykewyse The seconde tytle that Simeō decketh Christ wyth is the lyght For he sayeth A lyght for the lyghtenynge of the Heythē he shall not onely be a Saueoure but also a lyghte to lyghten the Heythen that is He is a lyght that shall not only shyne amonge the Iewes but also amonge the Gentyles and lyghten them that they also maye come to the eternall blesse oute of the darkenesse of death and hel Thys part of y e songe semeth to be taken out of the
thou also wylt kepe the worde of God and defende or requyre agayne thesame goodes both wyth body and lyfe orels to forbeare them or let them go agaynste thy wyll Were not thys a ioly visure Yf thou wylt therfore do well in thys behalfe thou mayest not runne headlynges after thyne owne brayne But howe shall I do than ye shall feare God and saye on thys wyse LORD they be good thynges and thy gyftes as thyne owne worde and y e scripture do wytnesse Neuerthelesse I doue whether thou doest enuye me them Yf I knewe I shulde not vse them I wolde not bestowe one heare vpon the hauynge agayn of them but yf I knewe thou woldest them to be in my power I wolde obeynge thy wyll bestowe both body and goodes to haue them agayne But seynge nowe I stande in doute of ether of these thy wylles and I se what now is don namely that thou suffrest them to be taken from me I commytte the matter vnto the and wyll wayte vpon thy pleasure in thys behalfe redy ether to kepe them or to forgo them Thys lo is a faythfull soule and fearynge God by whome is mercy as the mother of God syngeth of And here by maye it be euident of what fundament and sprete Abraham Dauid and all Israel dyd warre and slaye so many in tymes past For they toke the matter in hande at the commaundement and wyll of God and wyth feare not fyghtynge for ryches but because God dyd requyre it of them shewynge otherwhyles the commaundement of God in that behalfe as the holy scripture maketh mencion somtyme Now maye ye se that the truth is not denyed whych sayeth y t these be good creatures Yee the same truth also doth saye and teach that thou do forsake and ready at all tyme to forgo the same goodes yf it please God and so hange onely vpon God The truth doth not compell the to requyre the goodes agayne in that she sayeth they be good nother doth she constrayne the to saye they be not good but renouncynge the same saye that they be not euell Lykewyse must be done wyth the lawe and all maner of goodes ether of wytte or reason Iustice is a good thynge geuen of God who douteth therin Gods worde it selfe doth confesse that the lawe is good Nother maye ony man saye that hys ryghteous cause is euell but shall rather dye the death and forgo al that is not God For that were to denye God and hys worde the whych testifyeth that the lawe is not euell but good Wylte thou therfore crye out rage playe y e madde man and kyll all the worlde because suche ryghte or lawe is taken from the As some do whyche lyfte vp theyre voyce vntyll heauen causynge great mysery waystyng people and contryes fyllynge y e world wyth warre and bloudsheddynge What knowest thou whether God wyl leaue those gyftes and ryghte to thy gouernaunce they be hys he can take them from the ether to day or to morowe he cā depriue the of them and restore the to thesame agayne whan it shall please hym by frendes or enemyes euen as it pleaseth him He doth proue whether thou wylte lose thy ryghte for hys loue suffre wronge and iniurye suffre rebuke for hys name and cleue only to hym Yf thou than arte dredynge God and sayeste thus within the LORDE it is thyne I wyll not haue it in my power subiection wythout I know that thou do wysh it me than shal this verse haue rowme And hys mercy endureth thorovv out all generacions vpon them that feare hym which wyll worke nought but it be accordynge to hys wylle Here lo is the worde of God kepte on both partes fyrste that thou grauntest thy ryght reason vnderstandynge wysdom and all thyne opinion to be good and iuste the which euen the worde of God doth also say Secondlye that thou arte contente to forbeare such gyfte for the loue of God to be wrongefully condemned yee to be a mockage and a gasynge stocke to the worlde the which Gods worde also doth teache Ther be .ii. thynges to confesse the thynge that is iuste and good and to obtayne or ouercome It is ynough for the to knowlege and confesse that thou hast a good cause Yf thou canste not ouercome committe the matter vnto God It is thy parte to knowlege to ouercome hath God reserued vnto hymselfe Yf he wyll haue the to ouercome he shall do it ether shall he so brynge the thynge to pas wythout thy counsell or thoughte that thou muste nedes take the matter in hande and ouercome and that after such fashiō as thou neuer woldeste haue thought or desyred Yf he wyll not let hys mercy suffyse the. Yf the victory of thy ryghteousnesse be taken from the yet can not the knowlegynge of thesame be taken from the. Lo here muste we stande backe not from the goodes of God but from the wycked and euell geuynge of to muche mynde to thesame that we can ryght well both vse and forgo them so that in all chaunces that befall we cleue only to God Wolde God all princes and powers as theyr duety is were not ignoraūte of thys whiche be not contente to confesse that they haue ryghte but wyll nedes ouercome and wynne settynge asyde all feare of God and fyllynge the worlde wyth bloude and mysery thynkynge they do ryght therin seynge they haue a ryghtfull cause a true matter and a ryghteous quarell or at the leest suppose it to be so What is that els saue the proude and hyghmynded Moab whiche counteth and maketh hymselfe worthy of the noble and bewtyfull possession of Gods gyfte namely the Law where as he yf he beholde hymselfe well in the syghte of God is not worthy that the grounde do beare hym and that he do eate the crustes of breade because of the vnclēnesse of hys synnes O blyndnesse blyndnesse who is worthy of the leeste creature of God yet wyll we not only haue the chefe creatures as iustice and wysedome and theyr honour but also wyth outragious sheddyng of bloud and wyth all misfortune do procure endeuoure to kepe the same and forthwyth we go praye faste heare masse founde churches wyth so bloudy and ragynge mynde that it were no wonder though the stones shulde leape in oure faces Her◠ryseth now agayne a question namely Shall not a prince than defende hys lande and people from iniury Shall he syttynge styll and restynge suffre all thynges be taken from hym What shulde become in the worlde of thys at the laste Here vpon wyll I brefely shew my mynde The power of the swearde or superiorite must nedeth to defende hys subiectes as I haue oftymes sayd For that cause beareth he the swearde that suche as receaue the worde and admonicion of God and do not obey the same be retayned in feare that so they maye let other be in rest and peace And here in ought he not to seke hys owne auaūtage but of other and the honoure
thou thy seruaunte departe in peace accordynge to thy promyse For myne eyes haue sene thy Saueoure vvhome thou hast prepared before all people A lyght for the lyghtenynge of the Heythen and for the prayse of the people of Israel THis songe hath .iii. verses it was songe what tyme Christ was borne to the consolaciō of Mary and Ioseph wyth diuerse other electe Moreouer lyke as Zachary and Mary and before them Moses Debora Anna the mother of Samuel Dauid diuerse other dyd vtter theyr thankefulnes towarde God wyth songes nor coulde fynde more pleasynge thynge to thanke hym for hys benefites than such open prayses wherein the glory of Gods name is recyted Euē so doth here Simeon by the holy goost bruste out in a songe wherewyth he declareth hys thanke full mynde towarde the goodnes of God He setteth forth Christe in thys songe decketh hym with great prayses goodly tytels He teacheth also by hys owne ensample wherof the true peace of conscience doh cōme and whereby it cōmeth that we loke readely and gladly for death yee euen ouercōme death Novv sayeth he LORD lettest thou thy seruaūt departe in peace accordynge to thy promyse That is I haue nought in me wherof I may boast at thy iudgemēt saue only thys that thou arte my LORD I thy seruaunte not suche one that haue done all thy wyl but such one as seynge I haue not done thy wyll ought therfore worthely to haue ben condemned yet neuerthelesse am graciously saued of the. It was veryly a feruent prayer and desyre that the ryghteous dredynge God sage Simeon praysed God with as he sawe the LORDE in the temple and toke hym in hys armes The harte of y e aged man reioyced so sore at that tyme y t he could kepe the prayse of God no longer hyd in hys harte yee yf it had ben possible y e harte wold haue brusten for ioye sayeng LORD novv lettest thy seruaunt departe in peace accordynge to thy promyse As though he wolde saye Let me now departe I ame now glad to dye death shalbe now acceptable vnto me for it is fulfylled y t was promysed vnto me It myght also be vnderstāde y t Simeons desyre was not only to be delyuered of y e bodyly death but also frō all pynyng and vnquietnesse of conscience the which can be apeaced with no workes before we haue sene the anoynted of the LORDE that is before that our conscience knoweth Christ aryght For thā waxeth a man fyrst mery thā dyeth a man gladly and than dryueth y e holy goost awaye all grefe of conscience also whyche maketh a man restlesse God geueth some men a greate peace inwardly at the fyrste as Mary brought forth hir sonne with great ioye But such must suffre greatly afterward as Mary dyd also afterward Some suffreth God to haue grefe and pynyng of consciēce vntyll theyr bodely death as he dyd thys Simeon but than are they contented with auauntage for all that they dyd forgo so lōge y e which is a paynful lyfe but very precious Nother were it possible for a man to endure yf Gods worde dyd not sustayne hym whervpon he wayteth vntyll that tyme that God hath chosen to thesame Now whan God veryfyeth the promyse than is it aboue measure swete vnto man and so thanketh prayseth God for it For he learneth than by true experience that God doth veryfy hys pro myses howe longe so euer he differreth it Than is the goodnesse of the LORDE yee the LORDE hymselfe very swete and he hymselfe is very wyllynge to dye In that Simeon calleth hymselfe the seruaunte of the LORDE he fyrste prayseth y e goodnesse of God that seyng he myght haue destroyed hym for his wyckednesses yet hath he wyte safe to spare hym mercyfully Secondly he confesseth hys extreme vilenesse and lowlynesse so that he haue nought in hymself that is ought worth in the syght of God but that God hath all power ouer hym ether to slay or saue and that he be vnworthy to be counted for a man before God Ther is nothyng more stronger to steare God to mercy than so to knowlege before God and to submitte thēselues to hym callyng vpō hym by fayth Wherfore Dauid stearynge God to shewe mercy doth so ofte repete the name seruaūt as though he wolde saye Lyke as he that is taken in battayll or in tyme of warre and so beynge solde is a bondman and seruaunt vnto hym that bought hym Euen so I also beynge redymed by thy precious bloude from the daūger of the deuel death and hell am euen altogether thyne owne thy seruaūt thy bondman hauynge no ryght to my selfe Moreouer that Simeon sayeth accordynge to thy promyse therein doth he prayse and commende the truth of Gods promyses For the worde or promyse made vnto Simeon was that he shulde not se death before he had sene the LORDES Christ Now though ther appeared many thynges contrary to thys worde or promyse and though it semed to haue ben a vayne and fayned tayle neuerthelesse seynge all men are lyars but thou LORDE my God arte true thou fulfyllest it at the fullest that thou hast promysed and lettest me now go in peace Hether to haue I carefully abyden thy commynge and that thys many yeares and what mystrustynge dyd not the fleshe in the meane season steare me vnto What infidelite dyd not Satan inspire me wyth And because thou dyddest differre thy promyse of seynge Christ therfore was I nearehande caused to thynke that all thy promyses were vayne And good LORDE what rumoure or vproure dyd than ryse in my conscience With what engins dyd Satā assaulte my mynde layenge now my synnes before me than she wynge me an hougle image of death somtyme kyndlynge the horrible fyre of hell in myne entrayles wherewyth I was so dismade that I was nearhāde in despayre But nowe thou makeste me an happye aged man LORDE and lettest thy seruaunt departe in peace accordynge to thy promyse Now doest thou set my consciēce at rest now shall I carelesse wayte for the bodyly death I wil now dye gladly But what is happened vnto the good father that thou arte so sodenly chaunged and where afore thou werest so sorowfull that thou arte now euē filled with so great ioye For what cause doest thou now so leape for ioye as though thou werest reuyued which afore semedest to haue ben more than dead Surely hys ioye is not for nought Let vs therfore heare hymselfe For thys sayeth he to be the cause of hys myrth and gladnesse namely For myne eyen haue sene thy Saueoure vvhome thou hast prepared before all people Thys is the treasure y e reioyceth me maketh death acceptable to me namely That I se hym y t was vnder the law knowe hym for such one as helpeth me it can not be but I must reioyce and not be afeared for death Behold now what is hyd in the harte of the olde grayheaded father that he wyll nowe dye and