meaning to set before them as in a glasse their estate by nature and wherevnto he had brought them sayeth thy father was an Amorite and thy mother an Hittite I found thée in the wast and roaring wildernesse and led thée about and taughte thée and kept thée as the apple of myne eye As the Eagle stirreth vp hir neast flootereth ouer hir birds stretcheth out hir winges taketh them and beareth them on hir winges so I alone led thee saieth the Lord All which being sette downe in earthly tearmes vnto them as was his manner for their instruction are more plainely exhibited vnto vs which are in effect thus much Wée are conceiued and borne in sinne by nature the children of wrath the bondslaues of Sathan and hejres of Hell which state of ours the mercifull father of heauen pittiyng rather then we should perish hath sent his deare and only son Iesus to take on him our nature to suffer y e paine that we haue deserued and thereby not only hath fréed vs from condemnation but purchased for vs eternall saluation in the kingdome of heauen whereby in the meane whyle all that we doe which of it selfe is stincking in the nostrills of the Lord is accepted being in any measure good and his creatures which before were accursed vnto vs and for vs are blessed sanctified to our comforte The which so oft as we consider it must make vs very carefull to shew our selues thanckefull vnto our good and mercifull God and carefullye to glorifie him with that obedience that he hath prescribed vnto vs in his holy blessed worde Unto which the holy ghost doth often times take occasion to exhort vs I beséech you bretheren by the mercyes of God that you giue vp your bodies a liuely sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God and fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be you changed in your shape by the renewing of your minds And in an other place I pray you that ye walke worthy of that vocation where vnto ye are called for ye were darkenes but nowe ye are light in the Lord walke as it becommeth the children of lighte being a chosen generation a royall priesthood an holy nation a veculiar people that ye should shewe forth the vertue of him that hath called you out of darkenesse into his marueylous light considering that for this ende we are deliuered from the hands of our enimies that we might serue him without feare all the dayes of our life in holinesse and righteousnes before him contrariwise if we haue not this care and doe not thus indeuour to serue him what doe we surely no better then did the Phariseis that persecuted Christ and Iudas that betraied him and the souldiours that nailed him on the crosse for we crucifie him againe and make a mocke of him The which thing I would to God y ◠all they would consider that haue no care but how to excell in sinne no study but how so defraud no delight but how to become the most singular and notorious sinners as extortioners vsurers ruffians blasphemers and such like whose whole ioy is in this that their most mischeuous practises may take place for the satisfiing of their owne most diuelish desires without either respect of God or the Deuil yea and all they likewise that séeme to be of a better stampe seruing the Lord with the fancies of their owne braine and caruing oute for him so much as they thinke good without any regard or eye vnto his will and commādement whose gold will proue copper and their siluer wil be tryed to be drosse when they shalbe fined in the fornace of Gods iudgementes Thirdly the consideration of our calling is also in y ◠word of God set downe as a reason to induce vs to godlinesse And what is it Truly if we be of the number of Gods children we are citizens with the Saincts and of the houshold of God and we knowe y e whosoeuer will not obey y ◠will of a gouernour of a house in this world he turneth him out at y e dores as an vnfit persō to abide in y e societie of seruāts dare we professe to be the houshold seruantes of God disobey him not scaring that he wil cast vs out of his family We are not called to vncleannesse but to holines so if our life be vnpure we deny our calling shut our selues from among Gods children we are said to be temples for God to dwel in wil God dwel with sinfullnesse can he abide to be in an vncleane and vnholy habitation no God is light and in him is no darknesse God is pure and cannot match with the polluted heart And therefore let vs assure our selues y ◠without reformation of life we haue not y ◠spirit of Christ. Whosoeuer hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his but is a reprobate and cast away ready to be throwne into the fire of condemnatiō Fourthly our baptisme must moue vs to godlinesse for by it we brag our selues to be Christians but all that are baptised with the outward baptisme haue not put on Christ but they onely y e are baptised with him into his death that as he died rose againe vnto righteousnes so should we dye vnto sinne rise againe vnto newnesse of life For if we he graffed with him into the similitude of his death euen so shall we be to the similitude of his resurrection knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne may be destroyed that hence forth we should not serue sinne Read the whole sixte to the Romans and consider of it and if you finde not the same worke in you at the least in some measure that is there set downe assure your selues you haue not yet learned Christ aright neither do expresse the fruite of your baptisme in your conuersation but rather haue gotten an outward shewe of godlinesse and deny the power thereof from which all true Christians are commanded to turn away Lastly the Lord who in iustice might compell vs and giue vs nothing hath set downe vnto them that liue godly a reward that whatsoeuer we doe in his name that is in a true faithe with care to obey him and set forth his praise though it be worth nothing in it selfe to deserue any thing yet wée shall haue our reward which is increase and augmentation of our ioyes in the kingdome of heauen and therefore the Lord saith by the mouth of the Prophet that they which be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament but they that turne many vnto righteousnesse shall shine as the starres A doctrine very néedfull to be vrged because of the lazines of Christians in practise of their profession And as this is true in the godly that the greater obedience they shewe the greater shall be their glory So on the other side in the
so we incurre the danger of the seuere denunciation following in the same place where it said that such heap vp wrath against the day of wrath For we must know that as God is mercifull to all penitent sinners so is he iust to all carelesse and loose people that withhold the truth of God in vnrighteousnes therefore let vs not be so abused by Satā to think y ◠God hath mercy in store for him that goeth on stil in his wickednesse But let vs try our selues by y e touch stone of Gods word how the consideration of Gods great mercy worketh in vs. Besides this we sée that when or wheresoeuer the word of God hath béene preached it hath wrought either to their conuersiō comfort or hardning and condemnation it was to Noe a safegard because he beléeued to y e worldes ouerthrow for y ◠they harkned not to the Israelites deliuerance to the Egiptians destruction to the apostles saluation to the Scribes and Phareseis condemnatō The due consideration of this must bring vs to sorow for sin for thus we must reason w t our selues we haue the word preached out of which y t iudgements of God are threatned to fall on the wicked contrarywise his promises to be performed to the godly of which sort am I if of the godly then the word preached hath moued me to amēdment cōtinuall griefe of heart y ◠I can amend no better if I be not thus moued thereby surely thē I am of the worst sort to whom the gospel is folishnes and in whom it sauoureth to death Thē I may not abide in sin thus but by sorow for the same I must conceiue a loathing of al iniquitie And to the end that this remorse may take déeper holde in me I must enter into a vew of my former conuersatiō and that by the candle of Gods lawe whereby I cannot choose but sée the vgly deformities of mine owne heart the corrupt desires of my mind the fruitelesse if not blasphemous speaches of my tounge the god lesse actions of my conuersation all which heretofore euery one of vs haue taken pleasure in and estéemed them as our great felicitie and this being truely viewed and withall the reward thereof in his owne nature considered must if any sparke of grace be in vs not only pinch vs at the very hearte but also make vs say with the Apostle that it is sufficient that we haue spente the time past after the will of the fleshe And so much the rather for that our time is very short and a great parte thereof already mispense and therefore we may not differre any longer to beginne the seruice of our God in gloryffyng his holy name in these our mortall bodyes Neither may this be a remisse or slacke sorrowe which is ordinarily almost in al men for if y ◠would serue then should al or the greatest number be saued and yet we sée both by the course of Gods worde and also euident sentences of the same that the least number are accepted of God for where eyght were saued thousandes were drowned Where Abraham and his family were there was the Church the Israelites were the peculiar people of God a small handfull in respecte of the worlde so it was in the time of Christ and his Apostles and yet euen of them that were outwardly of the number many were hipocrites and dissemblers So true is that saying vttered by the month of Christ Iesus our Sauiour Straighte is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that finde it And wide is the gate and broade is the way that leadeth to distruction and many goe that way And therefore this same vsuall and ordinary saying I am sory and it grieueth me when yet they amend not cannot be the sorrowe to repentance which is not to be sorrowed for seing besides that the pangs of death shall try whether we haue sorrowed vnfainedly or no. Iesus Christ who séeth the darkest corner of our hearts shal be the Iudge and will giue sentence of euery one as they are and not as they séeme to the world to be And lastly eternall torments are prouided both for hipocrites and hard hearted persons Let vs not deceiue our selues with an outward shewe of religion let vs not like glowormes make boast of that we are not But all pleasures and vanities set a side let vs beginne to rippe vp our owne heartes returne to the Lord our God with earnest and hearty sorow for our former transgressions with ful purpose of taking a better course then yet we haue done I know that as this is the entrance vnto God and so the first slip that we giue vnto Sathan so he lacketh not his perswasions glorious baits to trump in our way whereby our eyes may be turned and our hearts alienated from this course For sayeth he doest thou beléeue y ◠there be so many torments prouided for them that take their pleasure in y ◠things of this world will God be so seuere as so will he marke so diligentlie what is done amisse Is there such knowledge in the most highest No no it is but the cholerick rayling of these precise and wayward preachers that loue to be alwayes chiding God is mercifull he knoweth man cannot kéepe his Lawes in all pointes and therefore he will beare with him Doest thou not sée and beholde greate men yea and learned men they beleeue no such matter and they be wiser then thou arte being a simple man for they take all the delighte and pleasure that canne be Thou haste taken greate delighte in sinnne and wickednesse thus longe and if thou shouldest doe as they say it were euen to make a metamorphosis of thy selfe and thou haddest better be out of the worlde then to leaue thy former companions thy delectable past-times and merrimentes Thus oulde thou art and thus many yeares thou hast liued at thy pleasure what hath hapned vnto thée for it if it were such a grieuous thinge in the sight of God thou shouldest neuer haue enioyed it so longe without punishement for behold there be no men vnder the Sunne more void of calamities then they be y ◠are not so precise but follow their owne desires And though it did offend the Almightie which is to be doubted yet thou mayest returne vnto him many yeares hence he wil receyue thée at any time yea if thou doe but cry Lord haue mercy vpon me when thou liest sicke and séest no other way but death it will serue Were it not greate pitty that thou being a gallant young and comelie person shouldest be abandoned from the pleasures that thine estate both require Yes doubtles These with infinite such like motions doeth Sathan put into the heades and heartes of naturall men which are so fitte to their nature and so agreable to their complexion that they quickly assente and
these wordes We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the works of the law The prophet also sayeth that a iust man liueth by his faith The reasons that the Apostle vseth to proue this are many I will onelie set downe three of them which are most apparant and euident The first is this by the testimonie of the old testament it is proued that al men haue erred and done amisse there is none that doth good no not one so that al hauing sinned and be that hath sinned in one is guiltie in all it muste needes follow that none can be saued by their workes and therefore either by faith or not at all The second is by the sentence and promise of the Lawe This doe and thou shalt liue but curssed is he that abideth not in all these commandementes to doe them but none is able to doe so for then Christe dyed in vaine and his death had béene to no purpose therefore al men beyng by nature vnder the cursse and not able to redéeme themselues it followeth that he who was without sin Iesus Christ must be their redemption and applied vnto them by faith Thirdly by the nature of the promise made to our father Abraham thus The same way that Abraham was iustified and acquited from sinne the same way are all his children iustified but he was iustified by faith for he beléeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse and therefore must all the godly for euer be iustified by faith so that this must stand for an vndoubted truth that he which séeketh any other way to haue his sinnes put away whether it be by pardons merits or any way else then onely by faith apprehending the merites of Christ cannot be comforted in his soule by certaine persuasion but must néeds stagger and wauer continually The second inward fruite of faith is the loue of God the father which commeth vnto vs when our sinnes are forgiuen for as man is separated from God by reason of sinne and iniquitie so the same being remoued and taken away God and Man are made one and be reconciled togither againe by which reconciliation the loue of God is precured by the reconciler Iesus Christ to haue his full course and passage vnto man The which our Sauiour ment when he saied the father loueth you because ye haue loued mée and beleued in me which thinge S. Iohn also ment when he said that y e effecte of the Gospell is that we mighte haue fellowshippe with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christe Of which thing whosoeuer is truly perswaded he shall haue in his soule and conscience an vnspeakable comforte for as there is nothing more grieuous vnto man if he cōsider it well then to haue the heauie hād of God vpon him and his seuere countenance against him so nothing can bée more swéete and comfortable then to bée perswaded of his fauour and fatherlye loue towardes him Out of which ariseth to the godly that peace of conscience and ioy in soule that passeth all vnderstanding which thing our Sauiour ment whē he said to his disciples peace I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you not as the worlde giue giue I vnto you Let not your heartes be troubled nor feare which also S. Paule ment when he said being iustified by faith we haue peace toward God and in another place peace is reckened vp among the fruites of the spirit Examples whereof we haue in the scriptures the Eunuch of Ethiopia being instructed in the faith and baptised by Phillip the Euangelist it is saide that he went on his way reioycing The same is reported of the Iayler that was conuerted by the preaching of Paule that he reioyced because that he with all his houshold beléeued in God Marie likewise ieioyced not so much in that she was the mother of Christ but in God hir Sauiour So that this being by the word of God proued to be one of the fruites of a true faith it resteth that euery one of vs doe wey our selues examining our hearts how great we finde this ioy in vs the which although I doubt not it is found in great measure in the heartes of some yet I feare in the most it is very little or nothing at all For if we may iudge the trée by the fruites some haue so so great pleasure and delighte in scraping worldly pelfe togither other in banquetting and dronkennesse and many in chambering and wantonnesse y ◠it is hard to finde that man or woman that sheweth forth vnto the worlde the signes of ioy in the holy ghost which argueth vs to be carnal and fleshly minded not sauouring of the spirit of God The third inward fruite is a promise that God hath made vnto vs that he will heare our praiers and graunt our requests which thing is promysed by the mouth of Christ Iesus vnto al beléeuers saying verely verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye aske the father in my name he will giue it you which thing wée sée veryfied vnto the Centurion to whome it was said as thou haste beléeued so bée it vnto thée and his seruaunt was made hole the same houre And likwise to the two blind men who cried sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon vs to whome he aunswered according to your faith be it vnto you Which doctrine must néedes be vnto the faithfull an exceading comfort for we sée the manifold daungers wherevnto we be subiect the diuerse temptations wherewithall Satan laboreth to ouerthrow our soules and the manifold tribulations that doe dayly befal to the bodye as the slaunders and iniuries done vnto vs by the wicked the sicknesse pouerty and néede that lay hold vpon vs against all which we haue no shield nor defence but only to fly vnto the Lord by humble and hearty praier the which if he should not regard our state were miserable and we of all other most wretched if wee shold not be heard of him for whose sake we hazzard all our liberties in the world and oppose our selues against his soes then could we looke for nothing but vtter confusion both of body and soule but in that he hath promised that if we call vpon him in y ◠day of our trouble he wil heare and deliuer vs we gather thereby an vndoubted comfort against al afflictions that either the Lord will remoue them from vs or else graunte vs suche strength and patience that we shall not onely sustaine and beare them but also triumph ouer them to his greate glory and our owne exceading comfort where vpon we resting as vpon an anchor both sound and stedfast doe most willinglye lay downe our neckes vnder the yoke of Gods correction being certainely persuaded that all things shall fall out for the best vnto vs if we doe vnfainedly feare him Yet this doctrine giueth no warrāt to the carnall and fleshly praiers of naturall men who when