estéemed the most precious iewel that can be hid in our mind and the swéetest ambassage that euer was sent vnto mankinde for the great accusation that was layde agaynst vs is nowe pacified and God is at peace with vs. An other benefite we gather out of the word of God which is consolation Consolation that is to say the comforte ioye and delight of the minde and the lifting vp of the heart from the oppressing cares the burden of sinne and tormentes of this miserable lyfe The Prophet Dauid being plunged in many miseries and broyles sayde In the woorde of the Lorde will I reioyce in the worde of the Lord will I comforte mée Psal 119.92 Also in the .119 Psalm Except thy law had been my delight I should nowe haue perished in mine afliction And againe in the same Psalme .111 verse Thy testimonies haue I taken as an heritage for euer for they are the ioy of my heart And so vndoubtedly in our extreame miserie in our banishment in our sicknes and article of death when affection is quite deade and naturall appetite and digestion gone yet the worde of God being reade or hearde is a great comforte and consolation vnto the minde The third meane in Christ to vanquish the force of sinne 3. Meane Prayer The thirde meane to vanquish the force of sinne is humble hartie prayers not such as procéedeth a primoribus laboris From the téeth forward but suche as commeth from the very heart stringes and féeling of the conscience which is the same that pearceth the gates of heauen and knocketh in the eares of the Lord and wheras some haue called it the messenger betwéene God and man Ang. see 26 de tempore Chris sup 22. Nath. some the keye of heauen and some the strength of man Yet for mine owne experience I acknowledge this definition Prayer is the acknowledging of sin the feeling of the burthen of conscience the vertue of mās helples trust the appealing to gods mercy By the which I sée myne owne weakenesse I confesse myne owne necessitie and I flye vnto hym that is the onely helpe but the manner howe we all shoulde flée vnto hym is that as he is a spirite him selfe so in spirite we should come vnto him we vse not to haue a Clowne of the Countrie or an Husbandmā to be our atturney in the common lawes of this realme but a Lawyer and such a one as may lawfully haue accesse to the pleading place euen so in spirite and soule which is the seate of knowledge we shoulde come vnto the Lorde for the soule is that part of man that séeth knoweth and affecteth the best Psal 25.1 Dauid when he prayed vnto the Lorde sayde Vnto thee O Lorde will will I lyft vp my soule and the Virgin Mary sayde My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirite hath reioysed in God my sauiour So that the spirite must labor the conscience must feele and the heart must flée vnto the almighty and none other A good example was shewed in Dauid whē he sayd Psal 86.4 Comfort the soule of thy seruaunt for vnto thée O Lord do I lift vp vp my soule Likewyse in an other place he sayth O let me heare thy louing kindnesse betymes in the morning for in thee is my trust shewe thou me the way that I shoulde walke in for I lift vp my soule vnto thée and this is not to be vsed only for necessities sake when any occasion or extremitie doth vrge vs but continually as our Sauiour Christ doth warne vs Luke 21 36 saying Watche therefore and pray continually that ye may be accompted worthie to escape all these thinges that shall come to passe Rom. 12.12 Likewyse Saint Paul to the Romans sayth Reioycing in hope patient in tribulation continuing in praier Ephe. 6.18 Also in the .vi. to the Ephesians Pray alwaies with all maner prayer and supplication in the spirite by reason whereof as long as we are in the fleshe subiect to miserie and sinne and as longe as Sathan and the flesh continueth alwaies to stirre or prouoke vs to sin so long should we be carefull and diligent to continue in prayer So that nowe to knowe what prayer is is necessary and howe to vse it is more requisite and what is got by it and what effect it worketh We may sée by good examples in many places in scripture The effect of prayer The Lorde sayth by the Prophete Dauid Psal 50.15 1. Kin. 18.45 1. Sam. 1.20 Call vpon me in the dayes of thy trouble and I will deliuer thée Eliah prayed for rayne and it was obtayned Hannah being barren prayed vnto the Lorde for a child and she conceiued and bare a sonne whom she named Samuell Iehoahaz being deliuered into the hands of the Sirians for his wickednesse was by prayer deliuered agayne from the King of Aram. Salomon prayed 2. Kin. 13.4 and obtayned wisedome When all Bethulia with the elders therein coulde by no meanes remooue the siege of Holophernes with his mightie host By Iudithes prayer her hand was strengthened and obtained the victory Nu. 16.14.18 Aaron in the time of Plague prayed for the people and the Plague seased When Iosua fought agayng the Amellekites he did vanquish them not so much by his owne might and policy as by the continuall prayer of Moses Exo. 12. who as long as he helde vp his handes vnto god so long did Israel preuaile but whē he faynted let downe his hands then did Ameleck and his people preuaile In so much that Aron and Hur stayed vp his handes till the going downe of the sonne otherwise they had béen put to flight discōfited Iosua 10. Iosua caused the sonne to staye hys course one whole day At the beséeging of Gibeon when he made his prayer to almightie God Thus we sée prayer to be a messenger from man vnto God and worketh most effectually in the faythfull and humble minded man 4. meane To forsake the world the flesh as it hath appeared in these places and in manye moe expressed in the holy scriptures The fourth meane in Christ to vanquish the force of sinne An other meane for vs to vse that sinne may with lesse force take hold in vs is to forsake the worlde the flesh and the Diuell according vnto our first promise made vnto God in Baptisme for so mightie are those enimies in mans inclination that they remoue his good affections and leade hym to a kinde of vayne delite wicked affection so mightie is this world especially with his contentes and the fleshe with her desires that hardly can a man looke vpward whose eyes are fixed downeward and scarce can a man bée of God whose felicitie is set eyther in the flesh or in the world An innumerable offences it doth cause to be prouoked and many vertues and honest actions therby are quite extinguished and because I haue spoken heretofore of Sathan and
Which ioyes as S. Paul sayeth although our hartes cannot conceiue yet let our harts beléeue those vnspeakeable ioyes and although the worthinesse and excellency of the place be such as we may dispayre of in our owne iudgement because of our great vnworthines and the multitude of sinnes yet if we beléeue that Christ is that sonne of the liuing God and that he hath payed the ransome for our sinnes and that he hath nayled our sinnes to his crosse also if we turne vnto him loue him and obey him with all our hart with all our minde and with all our soule then will he assuredly bring vs vnto that place of consolation as he sayeth in Iohn And though I goe to prepare a place for you Iohn 14 3 I will come agayne and receyue you vnto my selfe that where I am there might ye be also Ma. 19.28.29 Also the Euangelist Mathewe sayth And Iesus sayde vnto them verely I say vnto you that when the sonne of man shal sit in the throne of his maiesty ye which followed me in the regeneration shall sit also vpon the twelue thrones and iudge the twelue tribes of Israell And who so euer shall forsake houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or childreÌ„ or laÌ„ds for my names sake he shall receiue an hundred folde more and shall inherite euerlasting life These wordes are not spoken by a mortall man who may lye and deceyue but they are spoken by the very sonne of God hym selfe whose word shal stand and endure for euer tyme shall not chaunge it nor age shall not weare it out And furthermore forasmuch as the nature of maÌ„ is desirous to be resolued whether wée shall know one another after this lyfe I thought good to answere briefely that as our state shal be farre better so shall also our knowledge be farre clearer for in this world we are the more ignoraunt our sences deceyued by reasoÌ„ of a corruption But in the world to come when we shal be chaunged into an incorruptible estate then our sences shal be much more clearer and we shall know farre the better and let vs be thus perswaded that that worlde is a world of knowledge not of ignoraunce as our sauiour Christ him selfe sayth vnto the chiefe priest that would knowe whether he were Christ the soÌ„ne of God or no He answeared thou haste sayde it neuerthelesse I say vnto you hereafter shall ye sée the sonne of man sitting at the right hand of the power of God Mat. 26 24. and comming in the cloudes of heauen which is to no purpose that they sée his sitting and his comming vnlesse they know it and yet he speaketh this vnto the wicked Iewes that did crucifie him that they should sée it know it Much more assuredly shall the righteous sée him and knowe him The Apostle Paul touching this matter sayth 1. Cor. 13.12 Nowe we sée through a glasse darkely but then shal we sée face to face Now I knowe in part but then shall I know euen as I am knowen So that now what remayneth more comfortable to the godly and to them that thirst after Christ Iesu then to go to a place after this life replenished with all ioye comforte consolation and euerlasting lyfe vnto the which also our sauiour christ Iesus shall conducte vs by his mightie power and in the which is all fulnes of knowledge perfection of a blessed state The God of all blessing and comforte for his sonne Christ Iesus his sake spéedely bring vs vnto that celestiall ioye peaceable estate To whome both with the holy ghost be all glory dominion and power now and for euer So be it A Prayer O Mercifull God the king of all creatures and gouernour of all thinges which of thy mercy and goodnes didest bring thy people out of Egipt from the bondage of Pharo and didest conducte them through the red sea into the comfortable land of CanaaÌ„ we beseech thee of thy accustomed mercy deliuer vs froÌ„ the bondage of sinne the tiranny of Sathan and the persecution of the world and conduct vs vnto the heauenly Ierusalem the onely Canaan of our euerlasting inheritaunce where we may raigne in eternall felicitie with thee and the sonne Iesus Christ to whome both with the holy Ghost be all honour and glory now and for euer Amen FINIS A Christian exercise for priuate Housholders Question WHat doo you chiefely professe Aunswere Christianitie Question What is the badge of a Christian Aunswere Fayth Question VVhat is fayth Aunswere The verye same thing that cannot playnely be expressed in wordes for it is aboue the reach of man and therfore not vnder the reason of man Howe beit we may giue eche to other intelligence of it by wordes out of the Scripture and by the deedes of the godly which is that it is the séede of assured reconciliation sowen by God in our heartes for his sonne Iesus Christ his sake to stirre vs to comfort and to bind vs to obedience to giue vs a true certificate in our consciences that we are called againe to be the children of God and that we are ingraffed into the body of his sonne Iesus Christ and to be his members So that although fayth be such a thing as is giuen â—â—om aboue as a seale of gods mercy Yet it is required here be low of vs as a talent of assuraunce and knowledge Luke 19. receiued of him to be increased by vs. Question What doth fayth woorke in vs Aunswere The knowledge of God the assuraunce of our redemption and the consolation of conscience through the holy Ghost Question Let me vnderstand at large your meaning by this Aunswere By the knowledge of God we learne that he is our creator our gouernour and defender in all necessities daungers And as he hath a speciall care daylie to prouide for our bodies in giuing the plentifulnesse of the earth so are we perswaded that he hath a more care for our soules to preserue them to be honorable ornaments in his heauenly mansion Furthermore by this knowledge we confesse hym to be the Almightie God to whom all honour ought to be attributed of thinges in heauen and thinges in earth whereby we abandon all Idolatrie and superstition as meere inuention of man and as perswasions of Sathan to delude men and deface the knowledge of the high and mightie God whom we worship as our maker and acknowledge to be our defendour in all euilles ghostly and bodyly By the assuraunce of our redemption we are perswaded that Christ Iesus hath payed the ransome of our sins and is the sufficient sacrifice to appease gods wrath and hath for all the church fulfilled the whole lawe hath vanquished death sinne and hel and hath don all that for vs which is required of vs so that in hym God is well pleased and by hym the gats of heauen are opened and euerlasting life is promised By the consolation of the conscience through
force then the blood of Christ The Apostle would not haue vs to praye for them that be a liue 1. Io. 5.16 which do sinne vnto death much lesse for them that be deade For whose sinnes sake they are rewarded with vnbaylable death Question But some in saying Lord haue mercie vppon him or God take him to his mercie when their freind is deade do say that it hurteth not but is a word of charitie Aunswere It hurteth in that it continueth ignorance in the speaker giueth a boldnes yl example to the weaker who in their ignorāce taketh euery thing for a president that is agréeable to their owne mind neyther can it be a woord of charity because it is fruitlesse for charitie ought to haue eyther pittie remorse ayde or good assistant action as féeding the hungrie clothing the naked assisting them that want or such lyke but this worde helpeth not neyther assisteth any thyng at all therefore no charitie Question How shall we vse the Sacraments Aunswere Reuerently penitently and faythfully according to gods institution set foorth in his holy word Question vvhat is a Sacrament Aunswere A Sacrament is the pledge of gods mercy and loue towards vs which being receyued and vsed of vs reuerently and worthely is as a comely and decent ornament to fashion and shape vs to the forme of Christ Iesus Question How many Sacraments be there Aunswere Two Question vvhich be they Aunswere Baptisme and the Lords Supper Question vvhat is Baptisme Aunswere It is a signe of our newe byrth and regeneration that as we were conceyued and borne in sinne by Adam and continue the course of our nature vnto the full age of man so are we new shaped in Christ and continue to growe vnto the full age of Christ in righteousnesse and holynesse not that the water in Baptisme hath the force to do it but as with water we wash away the spots and filth of our garment so by the holy Ghost whose figure the water is we washe our inwarde man from all the corruption of Adam as appartayning to death and put on the fresh and cleane garment of holinesse and newe conuersation by the which as God hath made a perpetuall league and couenaunt of his mercy with man vnder the figure of Circumsition which represented Baptisme so is there a couenaunt in man in the which is required fayth newe obedience and newe conuersation and the putting off of the olde man and putting on of the newe which is shaped in true holinesse and righteousnesse Question vvhat benefite haue we by Baptisme Aunswere First remission of our sinnes secondly the planting of gods grace and all good vertues in vs thirdely the vniting of vs into Christ and fourthly our saluation as appeareth by these testimonies of scripture following Acts. 2.38 Amend your liues and be Baptized euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receyue the gift of the holye Ghost Rom. 5.2 By whome also wee haue accesse through fayth vnto this grace wherein we stand By one spirite are we all Baptized into one bodie 1. Cor. 12.13 whether we be Iewes or Grecians Goe ye into all the worlde Mark 1.6.6 and preach the Gospell to euery creature and he that shall beleeue and be Baptized shall be saued Question Is there nothing required of vs in baptisme Aunswere Yes fayth for it is sayde whosoeuer beléeueth and is baptized shal be saued and agayne Saint Paul sayth Knowe that a man is not iustified by the works of the lawe Gal. 2.16 but by fayth in Iesus Christ Question vvhie then are Infants Baptized in whom there can be no faith because they haue not heard the word of God Aunswere It is necessary that Infants shoulde be Baptised assoone as they are borne because at their first entrance they shoulde take possession of the Lordes couenaunte which he graunted to our forefathers and to all the posteritie yet vnborne when he gaue the signe of Circumsition Deut. 29.13 which is the signe of Baptisme vnder which league and couenaunt all Infantes are enclined and as they dyd in circumsition circumcise Infantes So in Baptisme ought we to Baptize Infantes To whome as vnto the posteritie of our forefathers this couenaunt extended And as touching their fayth Saint Paul calleth the same the seake of righteousnesse of fayth The fayth of Infants which is as muche to say that the same signe of Circumsition which was a figure of Baptisme Rom. 4.11 and nowe Baptisme it selfe was that couenaunt wherein was sealed the righteousnesse of fayth which in déede worketh from the beginning by grace In the electe secretely and in ryper yéeres apparauntly otherwise it should be thought that fayth sprang from our selues whiche cannot be least there myght followe an error that we Iustifie our selues because fayth iustifieth Howe be it in our selues we take the better holde thereof because it is the better strength of lyfe like good children which estéeme the best thinges and leaue the worst and direct our selues according vnto the same Besides all this in the innocencie of our infancie we must beléeue touching the very ceremonie it selfe that the beléeuing parent sanctifieth the childe which is as much to say that God hath blessed the posteritie of the faythfull with fayth 1. Pet. 3.21 by giuing that figure of saluatiō which to all the godly generation 1. Cor. 12.15 is called the figure of fayth and if among them any be reprobated as some of the godly affirmeth that is not vnto vs but we must leaue it vnto God who hath reserued his secret iudgemēt to him selfe not acquainting man with it and yet hath left Christ to be the swéete sauour of life to them that are saued Rom. 3.22 and the sauour of death vnto death For as in the elected Christ hym selfe is for them faythfull and by his fayth God hath shewed his righteousnesse vnto all and vpon all so is he vnto the reprobate and wicked the sauour and taste of death vnto death Question Then Baptisme is nothing worth but vnto the faithfull Aunswere No for Symon the sorcerer was Baptised Acts. 8.21 but because he receiued not the holy Ghost which was for lacke of fayth he was damned Question VVhat is the Lordes Supper Aunswere It is a gage of our resurrection and a mainteynaunce of that lyfe which is begun in Baptisme whereby we féeding by fayth on the bodie and bloud of Christe receyue a strong nourishment to eternill lyfe Or it is the sound ioyning togeather of the Churche into the body of Christ spiritually whereby the head and members may be knit togeather in vnitie And this supper of the Lorde cannot be a perfect Sacrament without two speciall meanes whereof the one is the holy Ghost working in vs effectually and opening our mindes to sée the trueth and féele the consolatiō of the participation of Christ his death and passion The other is the
clogging accusing pressing down as a heauy lump of lead shaming at condemning our own reasons and wils for giuing entertainmeÌ„t vnto sin in asmuch as sometimes ye shal find the tormeÌ„ts gréeues of conscieÌ„ce to worke greater sorrow care in our minds theÌ„ if we were either in prison or ready to goe to execution and although there bée 2. consciences the good and the bad Two consciences forasmuch as I write vnto the good people of God I will haue to doo but with the conscience of the good referring the other to his continual hardnes And although oftentimes we sée not the conscience of the good by their wickednes of sin for that they are not yet called yet if theyr consciences do not shew her force of accusation no doubt it is imprisoned and so hid in the great heape of corruptioÌ„ that though it cannot now speake in the end wil breake foorth that we sée in many disordered personnes in these daies which in the hardnesse of their hartes haue contynued in theyr sinne a long tyme vntouched or vndisclosed Yet in the ende when God wyll call them or sathan bring them to shame or wheÌ„ no man can iustly accuse them how be it suspect them of euill liuing being called to examinacion before any magistrate then who can better accuse then the conscience who doth first condemn and then strike a great feare in the ende produceth two witnesses that is eyther the stammering tongue or els the blushing face to accuse the guilty wyth hys owne mouth and make him speake although he sée eyther shame to discredite him or the magistrate to punish hym or the Gallowes to confound him Therefore is the conscience called Mille testes a thousand witnesses because it dooth more euidently know that which is hid in him then a thousand men and dooth boyle and burne in the harts of wicked men like a fire As Tully sayth Nolite putare quemadmodum in fabulis sepenumero videtis In oratione pro Roscio eos qui aliquid impie scelera te que commiserunt agitari perterreri taedis ardentibus sua quemque fraus suus terror maxime vexat suum quemque scelus exagitat amentiaque afficit suae malae cogitationes conscientiaeque animi terrent c. Thinke not as Poets haue fayned that they that haue committed something vngodly or wickedly are vexed and scourged with burning Torches it is our owne guile and our owne feare doth most trouble vs it is our owne wickednes doth torment vs and amaze vs our owne wicked thoughts and consciences that dooth affright vs c. There is a great accusation of the conscience in the hart of the sinner as when the Scribes and Pharisies had taken a woman in adultery they brought her to Christ to sée what sentence he woulde gyue against her because they hadde found in Moses Lawe that such a one should be stoned to death but they dyd it not for Iustice but to tempt him Then he writ wyth hys finger on the ground and said béeing vrged by them for his sentence Let him that is among you without sinne cast the first stone at her And when they heard it Ioh. 8.7.9 being accused by their owne consciences they went out one by one beginning at the eldest euen vnto the last It is most true that Iuuenall sayth â—â—t 13 Euasisse putes quos diri conscia facti Mens reddit attonitos et surdo verbere caedit Doost thou thinke he can escape whoÌ„ the conscience of a moste horrible facte maketh amazed and whippeth with a deafe scourge And as the same Iuuenall saith in an other place Nocte dieque suum gestat in pectore testem But day and night where that he goe or rest hee â—till doth beare a witnes in his brest Conscientia S. Paule speaking of the Gentiles sheweth that they haue the effect of the Lawe written in their harts their consciences bearing witnes Rom 2 15 and as long as we liue in this worlde God graunt that this witnes may alwayes stirre and sting vs till we be ashamed of sin vnlesse after this life it be opened as in an inditement to accuse at the iudgment seate Reu. 20 12 as Iohn maketh mention And I saw the dead both great small stand before God and the (a) That is their consciences bookes were opened and an other booke was opened which is the booke of life the dead were iudged of those thinges which were written in the bookes according to their works Thus we may sée the conscience in thys world that accuseth and the conscience in the worlde to come that condemneth God grant the we may in this worlde so behaue our selues as with Horace to say Hic murus ahaeneus esto This is a brasen wall when a man may knock his breste and say I knowe nothing héere that maketh me ashamed or a feard Miscellan prelect sepâ— time Toâ— primi He that wyll sée more of the conscience let him looke in the Bishoppe of Exceter hys booke Not in Ally though indéede he wryte of conscience at large But D. Wolton that is now Bishop who wryte larger in his booke called the Conscience dedicated to a godly zealous knight S. Iohn Gilbert mine olde good master louing fréend a fit Patrone for such a booke and title there he shal find inough touching the conscience The third enemy vâ— to sinne An other most terrible enemy vnto mankind for sinnes sake is death who by reason that our bodye is all spotted corrputed with sinne hath his lawfull accesse vnto mankind and foloweth him step by step from place to place of what estate or degrée soeuer he bée either King Prince Duke Marques Earle lord baron knight or whether he be rich or mighty wise or politike tyll at last he plucketh him downe and depriueth him of life wife children houses lands goods and all those thinges in the world wherin he setled his hart The cause of this his power is that man beeing corrupted wyth sin is rewarded with death a certaine appoyntment of God in our first parent for his sin and disobedience â—n 2.17 As appeareth in Genesis 2. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death In that he dyd eate he disobeyed and so sinned which sinne hath runne into all hys posterity by discent hetherto â—m 5 12 and shall vnto the worlds ende and that is the cause that Death triuÌ„pheth ouer vs in this world in ouerthrowing vs. S. Paul sayth Stipendium peccati mors â—om 6 23 The rewarde of sinne is death Likewise the Apostle Iames sayth â—m 1.15 When lust hath conceaued it bringeth forth sinne and sin wheÌ„ it is finished bringeth foorth death So that there is no doubt among men but by reason of sinne death hath taken hold in them â—om 5.12 and as sin is entred into all the worlde as the Apostle sayth euen so death
obedience because it procéedeth from so good a fountaine Also the prophet Dauid called it a Lanterne A Lanterne or Lyght Psa 119 105 saying Thy word O Lorde is a Lanterne vnto my feete and a light vnto my pathes that forasmuch as wee walke in a darke sinfull world by the word of God we should be directed how to goe and which waies least we knock our selues in euery blocke of sinne our sauiour Christ by the same light giueth light to them that sit in darknes Luk 2 and in the shadowe of death and to guyde our féete into the way of peace What greater comfort vnto trauellers then the day light and what greater discomforte to wayfaring men then the darke night God be thanked that hath giuen vs the light of hys holy worde therefore while it is day let vs not harden our hartes as in the prouocation Power of GOD. Rom 1 16 and in the day of temtation Likewise S. Paule dooth call the word of God the power of God to saluation to euery one that beléeueth hée saith not that it is a secrete reuelation or the Hystorye of prophane matters but that it is the same wherein the vertue and power of God is hidden to helpe succoure defende and comforte the beléeuers Also it is called a mighty worker as S. Paule sayth A mighty worker Hebr. 4 12 The worde of God is louely and mighty in operation and sharper then any two edged sworde and entereth through euen to the deuiding a sunder of the soule and the spirite and of the ioynts and the marowe and is a discerner of the thoughtes and the intentes of the hart so that as we haue many maladies sores byles aches and inwarde diseases Euen so God hath ordeined such an excellent oyntment euen the oyntment of his holy word to pearce through euery artery ioynt sinewe and bone to purge vs ease vs and cure vs. So that nowe what greater comfort then wysedome to our knowledges light vnto our darke pathes defence for our poore vnshielded bodies and health for our sicke soules which the Lord of his mercy hath imparted vnto vs by in his holy word Now it reasteth howe we heare the word of God and vse it First we must consider that we vse all diligence and humility in hearing the word of God and put of all phantasies cares heauines and worldly imaginations and that wée put on true vnderstandinge and knowledge as it is sayde Hée that receyueth the séede which is Gods worde in good ground Mat 13 23 is hée that heareth the word and vnderstandeth it Otherwise if we endeuour not to vnderstand if the Trumpet sounde an vncertaine sounde 1 Cor. 14 ◠who can prepare himselfe to the battell there may be a fault in the Trumpettor there may be a fault in the hearer therefore let the one be diligent to teache truly and sincerely let the other heare attentiuely and vnderstand fruitfully and when we haue so doone it is not inough to learne and to leaue off but to followe the rule of Moses in Deutronomy who sayth These wordes which I commaund thée thys day Deu. 6 6 shal be in thy hart thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou tarriest in thy house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou rysest vppe and thou shalt bynde them for a signe vppon thyne hande and they shall bée as frontlets betwéene thyne eyes also thou shalt write them vppon the postes of thy house and vppon thy gates It is not inough to heare the worde of GOD but to exercise it to the building vppe of the menne of GOD and for the preseruation of hys Temple in safety The Euangelist saith Whosoeuer heareth the worde of God Math. 7 24 and doth the same I will liken him to a wise man which hath builded his house on a rocke But now because there are many doubtes and repugnances in scripture that it séemeth to be harde and obscure which wyll lothe many a man to the reading or hearing of it It followeth not that therefore he should be wearie or shrinke backe for he is wylled to séeke and shall find to knocke and it shall be opened and againe on the other side the Lord wyll not leaue his church desolate and comfortles for he willed Phillip to ioyne vnto the Eunuch that was doubtfull he caused all his Apostles to goe preach in all the worlde and sayth that he wyll rayse vp prophets vnto hys people yea and hath truely sayde him selfe Ero vobiscum I wyll be wyth you vnto the worlds ende Last of all we must consider what is to be gathered out of the worde of GOD which is the fruite and benefite that wée receiue by it Whereof the firste is knowledge by the which wee may discerne thynges and knowe our creator Knowledge and what he hath and dooth for vs and also our owne duty how we should behaue our selues in his seruice this knowledge did Saint Paul wishe and pray to be increased in the Collosians Col. 1.10 When he sayd For this cause we also since the day we heard of it cease not to pray for you and to desire that ye might be fulfilled which knowledge of his will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding Likewise the prophete Hosea sayth I desired mercy Hos 6 6. and not sacrifice and the knowledge of God more then burnt offeringe The second benefite is fayth by the which we are assured of the promises of God Fayth and eternall saluation in his sonne Christ Iesus Heb. 11.1 Saint Paul dooth call it the ground of thinges which are hoped for and the euidence of thinges which are not séene which is as muche to say as the certaintie of those things to come That is acceptation redemption sanctification euerlasting life and the kingdome of heauen which things we do expecte and it is the writing or euidence of the same hold and we are perswaded that though we are vnworthie of our selues of those heauenly riches and graces to be bestowed vpon vs yet by the death of Christe Iesus and by his onely sacrifice we shall enioy them which writing an euidence of fayth he hath written in our hearts and sealed with his owne blood so that as in euery euidence or indenture hold the tenant oweth due loyalty vnto his Lorde and consenteth vnto and obeyeth all couenaunts comprised in the same writinges so we should obeye serue and assent vnto the Lorde and his statutes and couenauntes For so is the nature of fayth according vnto the Gréeke word to assent vnto the word of God and to haue a sure truste in God that he will of his owne mercy perfourme all those thinges that are written in the word of God so that to haue fayth or to be faythfull is spoken by correlation that is that God simply and absolutely offereth not his mercy and grace vnto