refuse to heare it reade it followe it if the seede of God doe not fructifie in our hearts if the peace wee haue with God bring not foorth pietie if our ciuill peace bring foorth no better fruite than beastly securitie if plentie worke nothing in vs but pride if with Adam in our presumption wee disobey the Lorde if with Sodome when we are ful our care be onely to satisfie our lust if we neglect the poore and deride the iust if with Israel we lust after flesh and despise Angels foode if we hunger after poperie and thirst not after the water of life if wee fall away from God and fall downe to creatures if wee runne a whoring and defile the flesh and prophane the temple of God if we tempt God being wearie of our profession hauing wauering mindes and backesliding hearts if we despise gouernement and speake euil of them that be in authoritie if wee mutter and murmure against the principalitie of Moses and Aaron if wee loath the present state and seeke after alterations then shall all these godlie blessings of God turne into cursings the message of life shall be vnto vs a fauour of death the words of the sonne of God spoken vnto vs for our saluation shall beare witnesse against vs and condemne vs our vineyard shall be laide wast wee shall be made a byword and a woonder to the world and for a iust reward of this our wickednesse our former benefites shall but adde a greater waight vnto our woe But this be farre from vs and from our children for euermore Wherefore to returne and to conclude this part when we shall behold the great mercies of God so plentifully powred vpon vs howe hee hath regarded his vineyard blessed and inriched this his Church with so great gifts and so maruellous treasures you see how truely we may say Vinea nostra floruit Our vine hath flourished This is the goodnes of God towards vs. 13 Let vs nowe cast our eyes another way and see how men haue dealt with the Lords vineyard Great hath beene the fauor of God towards it and great also hath beene the malice of Satan and the ingratitude of man in labouring by all meanes to lay it wast These enemies of the vineyard are termed foxes vnder which name be comprised all heretikes all Schismatikes all hypocrites Atheists Epicures Conspirators Persecutors with all the rable of the wicked They are termed litle foxes either for that they are more rash more wilfull and more hurtfull to the vineyard than the olde foxes because they shunne no peril or else they are so called in contempt For although they seeme mightie strong and fierce yet when God shal arme himselfe against them then they wil appeare sillie weake cubbes not able to kicke against the pricke There is no wilinesse no force no power no counsell against our God If Christ say It is I all his enemies doe stagger and fall flat to the ground The litle cubbes perhaps are animated by reason of their wilinesse and because they know they are many in number It is true The children of this worlde are wise in their generation subtile they are as serpents But God confoundeth the counsels of all craftie Achitophels and taketh foxes in the snares they set for others The number is great and as the maner is of euil weedes it groweth apace they are tenne for one But one Dauid is worth not onely tenne but tenne thousand Philistines because he commeth in the name of the Lord. He that fighteth vnder Christs banner and is protected vnder the shadowe of the wings of the almightie he is safe be he in neuer so great perils Gedeon with three hundred crying The sworde of the Lorde and Gedeon slewe and put to flight an infinite number the huge armie of the Madianites It is all one with God to ouercome with fewe or many So the enemies then of God the enemies of the Church they are but sillie weake cubbes be they neuer so wilie neuer so many 14 But the enemies of Gods vineyard are therefore chiefly called foxes because they are of like condition vnto foxes whom they singularly resemble in foure peculiar properties The foxe is rauenous greedie on his pray And these cubbes enemies to the crosse of Christ haue vnder pretense of long praier deuoured widowes houses spared no estate or conditon of men beguiled Princes of their possessions gotten to themselues the riches and wealth of the whole worlde with false merchaundise selling that for bread which is no bread making their gaine of masses merites pardons and such like stuffe Vnsatiable dogges they are euer barking and neuer satisfied The olde gray foxe is become the Lord of the whole earth the king of kings his Cardinals Abbots and Bishops great Princes and Lordes of whole Countries the litle foxes as Monkes Fryers Massing priests what with singing and what with begging haue raked no small heapes together 15 Foxes doe feede on bloud in desire whereof they kil more than they can deuoure Christ calleth Herod Foxe partly for his sauage and cruel murthering of Infants What thousands of the children and lambes of God these Herodians these Romanists these rauening wolues and bloudie foxes haue deuoured looke into the histories of all times you shall woonder at it and abhorre them Doubtlesse the righteous bloud which they haue shed vpon the earth shall come vpon them the bloud of the Saintes whom they haue cruelly butchered crieth vnto the Lord against them for reuenge and the Lord wil heare it Whomsoeuer thou shalt see take delight in the bloud of persecution he is a Foxe 16 As they liuely resemble foxes in greedinesse and crueltie so in wilinesse also they are like vnto them craftie they are subtile as false as a foxe The foxe will not woorry neere his bele but raungeth farre abroade least he be espied So these subtile deceiuers goe farre off they compasse sea and land to make a proselite of their owne profession they shut themselues vp in their beles in the day time they dare not abide the light but seeke lurking holes and corners disguising themselues in strange apparell least their woonted attire should bewray them wilie foxes deepe dissemblers double hearted double tongued double faced speaking them full faire whom they hate full deadly promising and not performing shifting off and seeking time nowe humble as sheepe but when time serueth as fierce as Lyons By subtile slightes and breache of faith they brought Iohn Hus to the Councel at Constance and there cruelly murthered him they promised him a Safe-conduct to come and to goe but those holie Fathers agreed vpon a newe point of religion that Promise is not to be kept with heretikes and so cruelly and treacherously consumed with fire the Saint of God These faithbreakers be no more to be trusted than foxes 17 The last propertie that I note in the foxe is that hee casteth an euil sauour I will not
and their prayer tooke away the force of the fire The scriptures are full of examples of all sorts Kings Prophets Apostles faithfull Christians haue called vpon the Lord in the time of their troubles hee hath heard them graunted their requests and deliuered them from their distresses Wherefore before all things the Apostle heere exhorteth vs vnto praier 10 But for whom First generally for all men then specially for kings and them that are placed in authoritie It seemeth some were of opinion that praiers should be made onely for the faithfull for the brethren for Christians and not for Infidels Paul to meete with this vncharitable error saith Let supplications be made for all men S Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle seemeth to make exception against this generall doctrine There is a sinne vnto death I say not that thou shouldest praie for it This is that sinne which Christ calleth sinne against the holy Ghost which neuer shall be remitted and therefore is not to be praied for But because it is hard for vs to discerne who sinne vnto eternall death Christian charitie wil that we hope wel of all and obserue the generall rule to praie for all There were secrets reuealed to the Apostles of Christ which are hidden from vs they had the gift of prophecying and discerning of spirits to foresee and knowe which gifts these times haue not Paul rapt into the third heauen learned secrets not to be reuealed hee knewe that Himenaeus and Alexander were reprobates We may not so iudge of others Who art thou that iudgest an other mans seruaunt In outward shewe after the iudgement of man Paul being a violent persecuter of Christ sinned vnto death yet was hee the elect vessell and glorious instrument of God Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world he wil haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth We must therefore haue a charitable meaning towards all and pray for all as he hath died for all Praie euen for your enemies for them that persecute and slander you Blesse them that curse you Wish well to them that doe ill to you For God suffereth his raine to fall and his light to shine both vpon good and bad Abraham praied for Abimeleck Moses for Idolaters Samuel for Saul Stephen for them that stoned him and Christ for them that cruelly put him to shamefull death Let vs imitate these holie paternes 11 As we should praie for all men so chiefely for kings and such as are in authoritie because they chiefly neede it In Pauls time the kings and rulers of the people were Ethnickes tyrants enemies to Christ and cruel persecuters of the Gospel wherevpon some thought it not conuenient for the Church to pray for them who sought to destroie it S. Paul abateth this opinion teaching them that they should chiefly praie for such as for men in greatest daunger and most needing the helpe of their praier Praie for him that praieth not for himselfe The prophet Ieremie requireth the Israelites to praie for the cruel persecutor of Gods people Nabuchadnetzar For God in his mercie giueth good princes and in his ire he giueth wantons as Esay saith and hypocrites as Iob writeth Both euill and good are the ordinaunce of God We must praie for ill princes because the kings heart is in Gods hand that he may turne their mindes and staie their persecutions of euil make them good and of strangers from the common wealth of his Saints make them pillers and staies vnto the Church For good princes we ought heartily to praise the Lord for them especially to pray as the prophet did for Salomon Giue thy iudgements to the King O God and thy righteousnesse to the Kings Sonne For it is the singular gift of God not onely to set vp rightfull gouernement in the world but also to cherishe and preserue the same Euen they whom he hath furnished with the spirite of righteousnesse and of iudgement are vnable furtherfoorth to execute their charge than they be specially directed by the hande of God and assisted from heauen with all helpes necessary for their calling If the Christians did praie for the wealth and prosperitie of those princes which bent all their force and power against the kingdome of Christ surely for such as are defenders of the faith and zealous patrones of Gods people wee ought daily and hourely to powre out supplications that God would grant them a long life a safe gouernementt a sure dwelling valiant souldiers faithfull counsellers a good people a quiet world and whatsoeuer the hearts of men or kings doe desire And let all such as wil not say Amen to those praiers assure themselues that they are neither duetifull Christians nor faithfull subiects but disloyall contemners of Gods ordinance and rebellious despisers of his commaundement who spake by the mouth of his Apostle saying Praie for Kings and all such as be in authoritie 12 If any Church any people any nation in the world haue cause to praise the Lord for their prince this Lande hath more than any in respect of the wonderfull blessings wherewith God by the ministerie of his handmaide hath enriched vs far beyond all that we are possibly able to conceiue Israell was well apaide with the good gouernement of Debora Iudith and Hester But they thought themselues twise happie when God gaue them Moses Samuel Dauid Salomon Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosias to gouerne them England liked well and tooke it for no small blessing of God when Henrie the first H. the second Edward the first Edward the third Edward the fourth H. the fift H. the sixt H. the seuenth H. the eight Edward the sixt bare rule ouer it But did God euer blesse the throne of any man as hee hath doone the royall seate of his annointed at this day Hath the like euer beene heard of in any nation to that which in ours is seene Our Debora hath mightily repressed the rebel Iaben our Iudith hath beheaded Holophernes the sworne enemie of Christianitie our Hester hath hanged vp that Haman which sought to bring both vs and our children into miserable seruitude And if we may compare with the ancients of Israel Moses was not more milde nor Samuel more iust nor Dauid more faithful nor Salomon more peacefull nor Iehosaphat more readie to assist his neighbours nor Ezechias more carefull for Gods cause nor Iozias more zealous to restore syncere religion If yee make the comparison betweene her owne predecessors neither was Henrie the first better learned nor Henrie the second more easie to forgiue and put vp iniuries nor Ed. the first more chast nor Ed. the third more loath to accept of forrein dominion being offred nor Ed. the fourth more iust in yeelding all men their owne nor H. the fift more happie nor H. the sixt more holie nor H. the seuenth more prudent nor H. the eight more valiant in quelling the Pope nor
compassion vpon the poore Let vs seeke vp Christ and prouide for him He sought vs and found vs when we were robbed spoiled and deadly wounded let not vs turne away our faces from him seeking crauing so small help at our hands He became poore to make vs riche let vs out of the aboundance of our riches spare somewhat nowe to the reliefe of his pouertie He will well requite it It is not lost which is bestowed vpon him in his poore afflicted members that which wee put in the handes of the poore we lay it vp in the Lords bosome where neither dice nor cards hawkes nor hounds horses nor harlots can consume it rust and canker can not eate it theeues can not robbe and bereaue vs of it Vnwoorthie we are to be called Christians if wee suffer our head Christ Iesus to be naked and cloath him not if we see him hungrie and giue him no bread Woorse wee are than Iewes if we suffer this ignominie to bee doone vnto Christ this ingratitude to be shewed to so gratious a God O let vs be mercifull that as children we may resemble our heauenly father for he is mercifull Vnto this mercifull God the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost be honour glorie and praise nowe and euer Amen The ninth Sermon A Sermon made in Pauls at the solemnization of CHARLES the 9. the French Kings funerall IOB 14. 14 All the daies of this my warrefare doe I waite till my changing come THE custome of funerals as it is auncient so is it commendable Abraham the father of our faith purchased a peece of ground to burie his dead in And in that place he himselfe Sara Isaak Iacob and Ioseph were buried with great solemnitie much mourning Tobias is commended for burying the dead So is Marie Magdalene for preparing of ointment for the burying of our Sauiour So is Ioseph and also Nicodemus for the care that they had about Christs funerall 2 Causes of funerals S. Augustine giueth three First it is the office of humanitie the duetie of charitie decently to commit the dead corps to the earth out of which they came This charitable dutie is commended in Toby and others whose names I mentioned before and was of the verie Heathen religiously obserued Secondly it is a thing verie seemely and conuenient with reuerence to laie the corps in graue because our bodies are the temples of the holie Ghost wherein by which as by liuely instruments both God hath beene glorified and his people haue receiued good Knowe yee not that your bodie is the temple of the holie Ghost which is in you That which hath beene so notable an instrument would not be vnreuerently entreated though dead Thirdly our faith is hereby confirmed touching the article of our resurrection For we laie downe the bodie in the earth vnder hope that This mortall must put on immortalitie as confessing with Iob I beleeue that my redeemer liueth and that I shall see God in my fleshe mine eyes shall behold him and none other But the Christian Church doeth not neither ought to vse funerals thereby to relieue or benefite the dead All these things saith S. Augustine furniture of funerals order of burying and the pompe of exequies are rather comforts to the liuing than helps to the dead The glutton of whom S. Luke speaketh in the Gospell was buried no doubt with pompe ynough yet his wicked soule was plunged into hell There commeth therefore no part of blessednesse to the dead by funerals but Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Lazarus wanted as it is to be thought his funerall but the want thereof bereaued him not of his happie estate he died in the Lord and so was blessed 3 Sith therefore death bringeth with it our particular iudgement sith he that beleeueth on the sonne hath euerlasting life but he that beleeueth not on the sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Let vs liue as we will die and die as they that hope to rise againe and liue with Christ hereafter As euerie man departeth hence so shall he be iudged at the last daie And Euerie man shall sleepe with his owne cause and with his owne cause rise againe At our particular death is our particular iudgement at the glorious comming of Christ shall bee the generall reuelation of the iudgement of the whole world After this life there is no helpe remaining to the dead to the liuing there is mercie offered to the deade there remaineth onely iudgement He that is not purged heere shall be iudged as filthie there 4 Vaine therefore and dangerous is the opinion of Purgatorie Vaine because it hath no foundation at all in Gods woord Moses prescribing all kindes of sacrifices in the old Lawe maketh no mention either of sacrificing or praying for the dead Paul instructing the Thessalonians what they ought to doe in funerals neither doeth remember vnto them sacrifice nor praier Iust Simeon neuer dreamed of Purgatorie when as he saide Lorde now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Small peace is there in Purgatorie as Papists report It neuer came into Saint Pauls minde when he said I desire to depart hence and to be with Christ. It was not reuealed to the Angell when he said Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their labours There is no rest but intollerable paine imagined in Purgatorie euen to them which die in the Lord. Neither Lazarus not the rich man were acquainted with it the one was immediately caried into heauen the other cast into hel He which said to theefe This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise knewe onely two waies the straite way to heauen the broade way to hell hee who knewe all things was ignorant of this third way For there is no such waie to knowe This opinion is perilous The hope of helpe in Purgatorie hath sent many deceiued soules into hell This opinion is iniurious to the bloud of Christ. For if any sinne remaine to bee purged by these after paines then The bloud of Christ doth not cleanse vs from all sinne and then â—e make God a lyer It destroieth repentance without which there is no remission of sinnes here and with which satisfaction for sins afterward cannot stand For faith and repentance cease with this life He that hath not his pardon heere deceiueth himselfe if he hope to haue it hereafter elsewhere Euery man after life shal beare his owne burthen as euerie man hath wrought in his bodie There commeth nothing to the spirits of them that bee dead but that which they wrought while they were aliue Worke thou righteousnesse before thy death for in the graue it is too late And thus it doth appeare that although the vse of funerals be auncient and that for good causes they are
daily looke for our change Let vs expect the comming of Christ. Hee commeth in post the forewarnings are fulfilled Iniquitie aboundeth Christian charitie is frosen the Gospell is preached Then is the ende Let vs not slumber in securitie or driue off to returne vnto our God For it is hard for the buried in sinne to rise Man often is sodainely smitten that he hath no time to repent In his last daie he is disquieted by sickenesse by Satan yea by his friendes yea by his owne conscience Let vs liue in reuerent expectation of the Lord with our loines girt and with our lampes light and let the trumpet of iudgement euer sound in our eares it will wel stirre vp our hearts Let vs liue these fewe daies that remaine vnto the Lord whom we ought to haue serued all our daies And lastly recounting the vanitie of the worlde the miserable state of this life and the inestimable blessednesse of the life to come let vs with Iohn Paul Elias the blessed seruants and Saints of God looke for the appearance of the comming of Christ Iesus who will place vs vpon the right hand of his father and giue vs possession of our inheritance that we may haue the perfect fruition of all the treasures prepared for vs by our God in heauen To him euen the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost three persons and one God of eternall maiestie be all honour c. The tenth Sermon A Sermon preached at his first comming to Yorke Lvc. 1. 74 That being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies we may serue him without feare 75 In holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life THE greater and better part of holie Scripture either setteth foorth Gods goodnesse towards vs or our duetie towards him In these fewe but most pithie woords of Zacharie both are comprehended The great benefite we receiue from God is our redemption in Christ. The dutie which wee owe to him againe is in holinesse and righteousnesse of life continually to serue him He toucheth our redemption in one word but in many words explicateth the dutie which we owe for it vnto our redeemer giuing vs hereby secretly to vnderstand that men are easilie taught to knowe but hardly brought to doe their masters wil. We are rich in al speech and vnderstanding but in deedes ful poore and barren We know much but litle doe we although amongst other things knowne this be one that He which knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes and this another that Not euerie one that saith Lord Lord but he which doth the will of the father shall enter into the kingdome of heauen Wee are for all this such as those Pharisees were whom Christ reprooueth because they saide and did not Euen such we are become as Iude doth describe Wels without water Clowdes without raine Trees without fruite dead though not as yet pulled vp by the rootes Wee are hearers of the woord and yet skantly that but workers of the woord we are not God graunt that the woord wherein wee nowe glorie bee not one day to our shame that the Gospel of saluation beare not witnesse against vs and condemne vs that the words which Christ hath spoken vnto vs heape not iudgement vpon our heads that this be not our condemnation also that light beeing come into the worlde wee loue darkenesse more than light Surely if wee continue to professe in woords and denie in deedes to crucifie to our selues our Sauiour Christ afresh to feede vpon our vomit and to welter in the lothsome myre of our filthie sinne wee shall make our selues vnwoorthie of the kingdome of God wee cannot claime the benefite of Christs merits neither bee partakers of that glorious redemption which Zacharie heere remembreth vnto vs but the bloud of Christ shall be vpon our heads and wee shall perish in our sinne as being guiltie of our owne damnation Thy destruction O Israel is of thy selfe 2 Wherefore to auoide Gods perpetual indignation and our perpetuall confusion let vs followe the counsel of Zacharie who instructed by the spirit of wisedome teacheth vs First that wee are redeemed secondly that the ende of our redemption is that we may serue him that hath redeemed vs thirdly after what sort we should serue him Where he saith that wee are deliuered out of the hands of our enemies it argueth that we once were in their hands We are freed therefore we were bond And in this point we haue to consider First our bondage then the meane of our deliuerance and lastly the cause by which we were deliuered 3 Adam through his rebellion lost his freedome and became a bondman and all we through him and in him are bond conceiued and borne in sinne the children of wrath bond vnto Satan and seruaunts vnto wickednesse the deserued reward whereof is death euen double death this our present mortalitie and euerlasting damnation As by one man sinne entred into the world and by sinne death so death went ouer all men in asmuch as all men sinned With Adam we lost Gods first fauour and protection with him the gratious image of God was blotted out in vs also with him we were expelled out of paradise cast vpon the face of the cursed earth throwen into the hands of our cruell enemie whose liuerie wee did put on and vnder whose miserable thraldome wee liued In this fall from God we lost our immortalitie we lost our freewill wee lost our wisedome our vertue our light our glorie our ioie our heauen our God Our peruerse heart became prone to all euill and full of all sinnefulnesse we became vnwise in our iudgement disobedient to our God deceiued and deceiuing seruing lusts and deadly pleasures liuing in malitiousnesse and enuie hatefull and hating one another We were without hope and without God in this present world all blinded in ignorance and wrapped in all sinne For as we changed our master so changed we our mindes and maners also and for Christ we serued Antichrist we threwe away the loue of Gods eternall truth and according to the ignorance of our blinded hearts hungerly fed vpon all poisoned error and plunged our selues into all wickednesse This was our most miserable estate thus we were thus we are by nature This was the pitifull condition of all humane flesh 4 Let vs now see the meane of this our deliuerance from this deadly captiuitie Wee are ransomed out of the handes of our enemies pulled out of the iawes of Satan freed from the seruitude of Antichrist of ignorance and of sinne onely by the mediation of our redeemer Iesus Christ. He is the Lyon of the tribe of Iuda which alone hath trodden the winepresse alone hath fought the battell in fighting atchieued the victorie and by vanquishing brought our enemie Satan vnder our feete for euer On the crosse with his bloud hee
For he is our God not whom we professe but in whom we repose our trust and whom we serue and obey When the Lord commaundeth one thing and his monie perswades an other will not his obedience declare whom he maketh his God God saith Lend freely and looke for no gaine But wil the vsurer whose monie is his God remit his interest because of this because the Lord hath so charged him No he will not so let goe his tenne or twentie or thirtie in the hundred To him the glorie of God yea and his owne soule is vile nothing is pretious but onely money What the Prophet speaketh of putting foorth monie to vsurie he full litle regardeth but feedeth still vpon his mast and blesseth himselfe when hee waxeth fat not perceiuing that God hath alreadie plagued him with a plague of all plagues the obduration of his heart And although that God hath giuen him ouer into a dull and senselesse minde his eares beeing so dammed vp that nothing can haue entraunce to mooue or touche his hard heart yet he still blesseth himselfe and his accursed soule Thou vsurer thou idolater that doest glorie in thy shame in thy euill gotten golde doest thou not knowe that thy wealth shall melt like snow before the sunne thinkest thou still to holde it O foole this night shall they tâ—ke away thy soule perhaps this instant and then whose is all this After that Zacheus fell to the seruice of Christ and that Christ entred into his house hee presently forsooke the seruice of Mammon made a large restitution of that which he had gained by such vnlawfull meanes and then began to bee liberall not onely to lend freely but to giue for nothing he gaue the one halfe of all his goods to the poore If God would at this day work thus in the heart of one Zacheus a rich vsurer how many poore might be relieued by such a restitution He might mainteine many a needie man and saue his owne soule Well this one thing we knowe This woord that proceedeth out of Gods mouth against vsurie shall not returne in vaine if it cannot worke reformation it wil worke confusion 11 As these serue their monie so there are some Domino non seruientes sed suo ventri seruaunts to the bellie and not to the Lord. He serueth the bellie who frameth himselfe to be of any religion so that in this world he may liue by it when poperie hath the vpper hand then a papist when the Gospell is in due estimation a protestant all things to all men that somewhat may be gained or saued to himselfe Hee maketh no difference betweene the Masse and the Communion Christ and Beliall but for his bellie sake wil halt on both sides serue all times and turnes Such a one was Leontius Bishop of Antioch who being in heart an Arrian couered his religion and ioined with the counsell of Nice in outward profession of the trueth So his soule was led by the diuel and his bodie by the world 12 Some and those many are seruauntes of men as those which in matters of religion wholly hang their soules vpon humane authorities and iudgements So did the Corinthians I hold of Paul I of Cephas and I of Apollos So doe al the Popes fauorites And so doe those that choose to themselues newe masters newe teachers according to their itching and wandering â—ares esteeming such and despising others So doe they which praise and flatter men in their follie thereby to winne themselues estimation with them which haue mens persons in admiration for gaines sake Finally so doe they which repose their trust in the merits of men that seeke iustification or remission of sinnes eyther by their owne woorkes or by the desertes of others For to knowe that hee is our redemption sanctification and iustice is no small part of Gods seruice to giue this to any other is to take it from him which who so doeth is not woorthie to bee named his seruaunt He that serueth him must serue him alone 13 Not him and the worlde For the worlde is wholly set on vanitie and mischiefe it hateâ—h him and therefore wee must hate it If ye be his seruaunts let not sinne beare rule in your bodies or haue dominion ouer you We must die vnto sinne that we may liue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. He that doth sinne is the seruaunt of the diuell the diuel is but a bad master to serue he is a lier a theefe and a murtherer And hee entertaineth no seruants but such as be like himselfe whose wages are fire cheines brimstone darkenesse wailing howling and gnashing of teeth in a word euerlasting death and damnation Wee are nor ransomed out of the hands of our enemies to serue these masters mammon the bellie men sinne the world or the diuell But wee are redeemed to serue him onely to serue our Christ our redeemer that hath full deerely bought vs. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue 14 Him we must serue without feare In the Psalme it is saide Serue the Lord with feare and reioice vnto him with reuerence And here wee are taught to serue him without feare As there is but one God so the scripture is alwaies one There is a feare which children haue towards their parents and a feare of seruants towards their masters God will be feared of vs as children but not as seruaunts or if as seruaunts not as slaues The beleeuing Christian the regenerate childe of God who through faith in Christ is certaine of his deliuerance from the diuell and from hell assured of remission of sinnes and of life euerlasting in the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ our Sauiour he serueth in the reuerent feare of loue and not in that dreadfull feare of death and euerlasting damnation wherewith the reprobate minde is daunted He feareth not death for hee is sure of life hee feareth not damnation for he is assured of saluation he beleeueth that which Christ hath promised and doubteth nothing of the obteining of that which Christ hath procured for him He is surely perswaded with S. Paul that neither death nor life nor tribulation nor affliction nor any thing present or to come shall separate him from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Hee feareth therefore neither the sting of death nor the power of Satan But this certaintie of Gods loue towards him in Christ and the testimonie of his loue towards God againe casteth out all feare of eternall punishment For ye haue not saith the Apostle receiued againe the spirite of bondage vnto feare but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption by which wee crie Abba father This spirit testifieth with our spirit that God is our gratious father and if he our father wee his children and if his children heires of his glorious kingdome The preaching of the Lawe letteth vs see
not to feare it at all but rather to take delight and pleasure in it to commit it as the Apostle saith with a kinde of greedinesse to count sinne no sinne to swallowe it down without any remorse or contradiction Their case is lamentable which are thus fallen asleepe and for the most part their end miserable Such was the sleepe of that riche man who hauing filled his barnes and prouided store for many yeeres incouraged himselfe to sensualitie Soule take thy rest You that loue the rest of your soules in deede keepe your soules waking and doe not suffer them to take rest Awake thou that sleepest and takest thy rest stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light It is time to awake we haue slept too long God would not haue vs to sleepe vnto death but to awake vnto life for he wil not the death of a sinner his desire is rather that we should repent Now is the time nowe Christ calleth thee nowe he stretcheth out his armes nowe he offereth mercie come vnto him and thou shalt finde true rest for thy wearied soule Long hath beene thy sleepe great hath beene thy sinne but God is full of compassion prest and readie not onely to graunt but to offer pardon If nowe wee refuse it offering it selfe to vs it will refuse vs hereafter when wee offer our selues to it 24 Of this we are not afraide because we sleepe as well in securitie as in sinne We must therefore be raised out of this sleepe also Mans life is a warfare and men are souldiers we must keepe our standing and watche least we be vnawares both assaulted and surprised We haue both many and mightie and fierce aduersaries The diuell who is violently and greedily set as an hungrie Lyon that roareth for his pray The worlde which hath infinite slights to deceiue vs The flesh which mightily striueth wrastleth against the spirite There is no place of securitie left for a Christian souldiers there being so many great dangers There is no where any place wherein it is safe to be secure Not in heauen saith Bernard nor in Paradise much lesse in the world In heauen the Angels fel from the verie presence of the Godhead Adam fel in Paradise from the place of pleasure and Iudas in the world from the schoole of our Sauiour In the time of Noe they liued in great securitie and the floud sodainely ouerwhelmed them In the time of Lot the Sodomites liued in as great securitie and were as soudainely consumed with fire Thus with fire and water securitie hath beene plagued God hath armed the verie elements against that thing wherein notwithstanding we continue as if we would trie whether hee which wakened them by sending water vpon the one and fire vpon the other would waken vs by causing the earth to swallowe vs vp What we should looke for GOD doth best knowe our securitie being the same with theirs can denounce no lesse to vs than it brought to them Wee crie peace peace what more euident token can there bee that our sodaine destruction is at hand Men are commonly neerest vnto perill both corporall and spirituall when their mindes are furthest from thinking of preuenting it It is written of the people which were in Laish that because they had no businesse with any bodie nor any bodie with them no man raised any tumult or vsurped any dominion in their Land and the place which they inhabited was good and lacked nothing therefore they dwelt carelesse quiet and sure Which when the spials sent foorth from the children of Dan had once perceiued they made no doubt of conquering the Land but encouraged their brethren and set them forward Be not slouthfull to goe and enter to possesse the Land If yee will goe ye shall come vnto a carelesse people the countrie is large surely GOD hath giuen it into your hands They went vp being onely sixe hundred men came to Laish found the people without all mistrust of danger put them to the sword and burnt vp their citie Their peace bred plentie their plentie securitie their securitie their destruction And as in daungers of the bodie so likewise or rather much more in perils which beset the soule we shal find those temptations most grieuous which assault vs at vnawares For this cause we are in scriptures so often called vpon to be watchefull Watche and praie saith our Sauiour that ye fall not into temptation Hee that falleth into temptation asleepe hardly riseth out of temptation aliue For if they that watch continually be not conquerors but with much adoe what shall become of them vpon whom Satan then laieth hands when beeing lustie and strong hauing whatsoeuer their hearts can wish they are at peace take their rest and because they haue no change therefore feare not GOD Surely their destruction is as the swelling of an high wall it commeth sodainely downe and they are fearefully consumed Watch therefore and sleepe not in securitie Blessed is he that watcheth 25 Our saluation is neerer than when we beleeued This is the second reason why we should cast away the workes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light We haue entred our names into the profession of Christianitie in our Baptisme we haue receiued the trueth by it wee seeke saluation wee haue beene long scholers we ought nowe to growe to some good perfection we draw now neere vnto the end therfore we shold amend our pace in this our course The neerer we come to the end of our race the faster we should run if we desired to get the reward we runne for Let vs doe so And seeing the race that we haue to run is euen in a maner finished and the crowne we run for is immortall let vs be earnest in the cause let vs cast off all hinderaunces and striue industriously vnto that saluation which is set before vs. Nowe that wee are almost as it were within the reache of the crowne of glorie let vs take strength vnto vs let vs double our courage encrease our zeale adde more and more vnto euerie good and perfect gift which wee haue receined from the father of light This the neerenesse of our saluation doth now especially require 26 Let them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death sleepe on But vnto vs the night is past Night in the scriptures is taken for ignorance the times whereof are now past The day starre is risen and hath appeared vnto vs. Christ the true light is come into the world he that nowe will walke in darknesse is not blinde but wilfull and runneth with open eyes to his owne damnation If the light had not come into the world if I had not spoken vnto them saith Christ they might haue pleaded ignorance but I haue tolde them the trueth therefore they are left without excuse Christ that light of the worlde hath appeared his crosse is painted out before our eyes If our
with his father and beeing in the forme of God he made himselfe of no reputation All to lift vs vp that were cast downe to hel and to rid vs from the bondage of Satan and his Angels to whom we were enthralled For that is imported by the peace mentioned in the woords that followe God preached by him He sent me to preache the Gospell to the poore saith Christ himselfe in Esay To preache the Gospel euen the Gospel of peace not to preache warre betweene GOD and man but to preach peace For the word of the Gospel is the word of reconciliation 37 And here by Christ example all messengers of God and ministers of his woord are taught by the way that before they meddle with dooing this office they must be lawfully sent thereto Such as denie their lawfull sending doe also denie their lawfull preaching For howe shall they preache vnlesse they be sent saith S. Paul The prophet complaineth of such runners as bee not sent I haue not sent these prophets saith the Lord yet they run Such are sent as are framed thereunto by the holie Ghost whom the holie Ghost hath furnished with gifts fit for that office which doe not vsurpe it but stay till they be lawfully called as was Aaron 38 Christ was not onely sent to preache peace but also to be our peace-maker for through him we haue peace with God and in him wee should seeke peace with men too as farre as lyeth in vs. For the Gospel is the word of peace not of contention tumult and rebellion as our aduersaries terme it of it owne nature it is the word of peace it commeth otherwhence that cōtention doth followe it for as soone as the Gospel beginneth to be preached Satan maketh a sturre and laboureth to suppresse it As soone as the wise men asked after Christ Herode was troubled As soone as Christ entred into Ierusalem to preache all the citie was mooued The truth hath many enemies The light is hated of euill doers the Gospel wil euer be persecuted And in this sense is that of Christ verified I came not to sende peace but the swoord Christ was sent to preache peace He preached peace and made peace betweene Iewes and Gentiles or rather betweene them both and the Lord. For hee is peace which hath made of both one and hath broken the stoppe of the partition-wall Other sheepe I haue saith Christ to the Iewes which are not of this folde Them must I bring also and they shall heare my voice and there shall be one sheepefold and one sheepeheard He preached peace amongst men and brought peace into the world At the time of his natiuitie as appeareth in histories there was peace amongst all nations and people throughout all the whole worlde to shewe vnto the world that the Lord of peace was come into the world Peace is the badge that God giueth to discerne his from others Loue is Christs Liuery-coate By this shall all men knowe that ye are my Disciples if ye loue one another He cannot bee at peace with God that is at warre with his neighbour He cannot haue concord with Christ that nourisheth discord with a Christian. God hath made vs one Let not the diuell sunder vs into many Pride is a peace-breaker humble and milde hearts are not contentious but labour to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace God hath giuen vs Christ the prince of peace he hath giuen vs the gospel the word of peace he hath giuen vs a peacefull Queene the Lord blesse her and common peace in our countrie let vs bee thankefull to the Lord for it and woe to him that shall breake it Be of one minde liue in peace and the Lord of loue and peace shall be with you He preached peace peace betweene God and man Sinne made diuision betweene God and vs as it is written in Esay Your iniquities haue separated betweene you and your God So that Gods fauour descended not to vs neither could our praiers ascend vnto him But Christ hath remooued this wall of diuision he hath taken away this stoppage hee hath cancelled on the crosse this writing that was against vs hee hath made vs a free accesse vnto God By him we are reconciled vnto God the father Hee hath laide our sinnes vpon his owne shoulders hee hath borne the pese of his fathers heauie wrath and indignation he hath satisfied Gods iustice and pacified his anger and made a perfect peace betweene God and vs. Mans conscience can neuer rest nor be at peace vntil it be setled in the ful perswasion of remission of sinnes in the death and resurrection of Christ Iesus whereby God receiueth vs into his fauour and is at one with vs through him This is that ioiefull tidings of peace with God which Christ was sent to preache vnto the world This is that peace which passeth all vnderstanding He that with patience resteth in this peace doth suffer all things he reioiceth in the midst of troubles and afflictions he is not ouercome with the feare of mans malice but will cheerefully and boldly say with S. Paul If God be with vs who can be against vs And with the prophet I will lay me downe and sleepe in peace for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safetie This is that peace which Christ preached and promised to leaue with his elect peace I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you not as the world giueth giue I vnto you Let not your heart be troubled nor feare This peace is farre from the vngodlie there is no peace saith my God to the wicked They are euer restlesse the biting worme neuer ceaseth to gnawe and grate in their combred consciences 39 Christ preached peace when the Lord sent him Hee was not negligent in his office he aunswered his calling carefully He went about dooing good and healing all that were oppressed of the diuell He was not rechelesse in Gods matters He was no dumbe dogge no idle idol He crept not into a corner he hid not himselfe But he walked he went abroade he saide to his Disciples Goe ye Preacheye he gaue the example himselfe he lay not out of his Diocese he was resident vpon his charge and looked to euery part of it he made not his continual abode at Ierusalem nor at Iericho nor at Capernaum nor in any one citie towne or village but he went through all Iurie and Galilie Not to poll and pill to extort and wring out of the people what he could but it was to doe good and to heale such as were oppressed of the diuell to preache the woord and to worke miracles Hee preached throughout his whole charge For I came out saith he for that purpose Nor onely did he gladly teache such as came vnto him but he inuited also and prouoked al that were
If a prince giue out his letters patent of a gift so long as the seale is not put to the gift is not fullie ratified and the partie to whom it is giuen thinketh not him selfe sufficientlie assured of it Gods gift without sealing is sure as hee himselfe is al one without changing yet to beare with our infirmitie and to make vs more secure of his promise to his writing woord he added these outward signes and seales to establish our faith and to certifie vs that his promise is most certain He giueth vs therfore these holie and visible signes of bread wine saith Take and eate this is my bodie and blood giuing vnto the signes the names which are proper to the things signified by them as we vse to doe euen in cōmon speach when the signe is a liuelie representation and image of the thing 13 Let vs therefore bee thankefull vnto our redeemer Christ for these his great benefites and so vnspeakeable and vndeserued mercies and let vs receiue this holie sacrament as a sure pledge that the vertue of his death and passion is imputed vnto vs for iustice euen as though we had suffered the same which hee did in our owne naturall bodies Let vs not be so peruerse as to drawe backe when Iesus Christ calleth vs so louingly to this royall feast but with good consideration of the woorthinesse of this gift present we our selues with a feruent zeale that we may come woorthily to this holy table Let eche man trie himselfe and so eate saith the Apostle Let vs enter into our selues therefore and examine the estate of our hearts and soules and consider in what case we stand If we be not of the sanctified houshold of God not Christs seruaunts and faithfull Disciples shall we dare presume to presse in being aliens and strangers to the Lords as most comfortable so also most dreadfull table No let no impenitent blasphemer of God no whoremonger or vile and vnrepented sinner presume to touch or tast this foode for such shall not feede vpon Christ and his merits but they receiue their owne damnation But such as wil woorthily feede at this blessed feast must earnestly and truly mourne for their sinnes past in a setled purpose and resolution neuer willingly to defile themselues againe And such as will be partakers of this bread that came from heauen Iesus Christ our one and onely Sauiour must also be as one bread or loafe and as one bodie ioined together in brotherly loue and all other offices of godlie and Christian charitie For if thou come to this banket without this vesture of loue it shall be saide vnto thee Friend howe camest thou hither not hauing on thy wedding garment A wofull speeche and an ende most miserable Let this suffice for the first point which is the blessed Apostles exhortation not to receiue the grace of God in vaine 14 Concerning the second member wherein wee are put in mind that this is the time to shewe our selues woorthie receiuers of grace he applieth to his purpose the words of the Prophet Esay who speaking vnto Christ as in the person of his father saith In an acceptable time haue I heard thee and in a day of saluation haue I helped thee The acceptable time is that whereof S. Paul speaketh When the fulnesse of time came God sent his sonne made of a woman It was indeede an acceptable time and full of grace wherein the sacrifice of Christ was so gratiously accepted and his praiers heard of God And it may well be called a day of saluation wherein his father gaue him a triumphant victorie ouer those so bitter torments of death An acceptable time was it a day of saluation not so much in respect of him who at all times was accepted as of vs who without him and his death had beene refused For in that day was your redemption wrought by our redeemer and sinners saued by his passion who had no sinne And as hee died and rose so he praied and was heard for vs. I pray for them I pray not for the world I pray for them whom thou hast giuen me saith our Sauiour Nowe the acceptable time and day of saluation which Esay spake of S. Paul doth very aptly and effectually applie to his present occasion Beholde nowe is the acceptable time beholde nowe is the day of saluation For the Fathers liued in hope of this acceptable day of grace and fauour to come but the verie time beginneth from the suffering of Christ Iesus and continueth euen to the worlds end And vnto euerie one of vs so much of this acceptable time is granted as we haue time granted here to liue Which being not long because our life is but as it were a span it may fitly be called a day or rather an houre of saluation This day therefore grace is offered vs of God Against whose maiestie forasmuch as all haue sinned and by sinne are depriued of his glorie wee must needes acknowledge that for the recouering of our losse wee stand all in present neede of his grace Nowe is the time wherein our soules doe groane to be releeued with grace and mercie For who can say My heart is sound I neede no Physitian What one man is there amongst vs all who hath loued God as he ought to doe or tendered his neighbours case as he would his owne We may dallie with our selues and thinke that we suffer not for our owne transgressions that we are not cause of that great plague calamitie which presently is come vpon our countrie Beloued do not deceiue your selues Our God is a righteous iudge who blesseth the innocent and heapeth punishment vpon the offending soule For truly if we searche our selues as we ought to doe with a single eye if we examine out thoughts take a reckoning of our words and peise our deedes and waies in an equall ballance aske our hearts and they wil tell vs enquire of our conscience it wil declare vnto vs that euerie one of vs hath wel deserued more than hath happened vnto any of vs Yea wee shall finde that all haue not suffered halfe so much as euerie one hath deserued Our first parents for tasting the fruit that was forbidden them were themselues cast out of their pleasaunt habitation and punished in all their posteritie to come for euer Haue wee being terrefied by the horror of their example withheld our hands and bridled our affections from euerie vnlawful and forbidden thing Corah Dathan and Abiram with their fauourites and confederates were swallowed vp of the earth for whispering against Moses and against Aaron Did we neuer once mutter against our good and lawfull magistrates against our iudges and against the Lordes ministers Dauid for numbring of his people procured such a plague that 70. thousand were consumed with it and are wee so vnspotted that we haue not in as heinous a matter as this offended God would
the moone shall be abashed the sunne ashamed when the Lorde of hostes shal raigne in mount Sion The like we read in Ezechiel threatning destruction and desolation to Egypt I will couer the heauen and make the starres thereof darke I will couer the sunne with a cloude and the moone shall not giue hir light all the lightes of heauen will I make darke for thee and bring darkenes vpon thy lande sayth the Lorde I might alledge the like out of Ioel Ieremie Amos and Micheas but the matter is cleare inough needeth rather to be considered thaÌ„ prooued 19 The wordes being literally thus vnderstoode may be morally applied not without great fruite vnto the vnderstanding and wise hearer which can discerne betweene interpretation of scripture application thereof In the one we giue you the bare sense of the scripture in the other we teach you the profitable vse of it For the vse of scripture may be very well shewed not only by such collectioÌ„s as do probably gather or necessarily coÌ„clude one thing out of another but also by those allegoricall comparisons which shewe how in one thing another is shadowed a spirituall thing resembled in a corporall As for example if heere we refer the sun to Christ that sunne of righteousnes the moone to the Church and the starres to the pastors and doctors of the Church 20 The sunne in this sence is most euidently in this our age darkned Christ is obscured by that great enimie Antichrist the man of sinne who hath set himselfe in Christs peculiar place and will be exalted aboue all that is called God To make any other mediator betwene God and man sauing only Christ Iesus which is not onely man but also God To seeke else where remission of sinnes iustification redemption sanctification or saluation than only in this Iesus in him crucified doth darken make dimme both him and his merites And of this treason the Romish Antichristian Church which they terme Catholike is founde guiltie For the children of this harlot labour by al meanes to obscure the sonne of God to robbe him of the glorie of his desertes in our saluation I would neuer haue beleeued that any professing learning or hauing had but a glimse of the course of the woorde of God could haue beene so grosse in such sort to haue eclipsed the brightnesse of Christ Iesus by giuing his glorie vnto earthly creatures if of late I had not to my great greefe and their great shame heard their owne blasphemous conâ—essions therof Surely the Romish strumpet hath rubbed hir forehead hir children are become altogether shamelesse whatsoeuer shee determineth they make it equiualent with the written word of God There is no absurditie in poperie in which there are ful many and full grosse which they doe not defende to be right good and Catholike The Popes pardons purgatorie masses merites praiers both for to y e dead pilgrimages images reliques yea holy water and holy bread All these they will haue some one way and some another to bee forcible remedies against sinne and death This is their religion and seruing of God thus they honour the Lambe that was slaine for the sinnes of all the worlde If this doe not derogate from him and stoppe the brightnesse of his glorie who is the only once offered propitiation for all our sinnes by whose bloud we are only purged whose death only hath made vs free from death if this doe not obscure the glorious beautie of Christ Iesus if this doe not deface the woorthinesse of his merites what doeth or what can do Hath the glorious sonne of God sacrificed his precious life for our sakes vpon the crosse that Thomas of Caunterburies bloud powred out in an earthly quarrell should make passage to heauen for vs Is there any man in whose heart the light of the glorie of God hath shined which seeth not how this fogge doth darken this blessed sunne 21 Againe this sonne is obscured when as we professe that in our woordes which in our liues and deedes we doe denie After that king Dauid had committed adulterie Nathan the phophet charged him therewith in these words Thou hast caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme When men professe wel liue ill their life is not tolerated for their profession but their profession is slandered by their conuersation When the Iewes which professed the Law did not practise it the Law which they professed heard euill thereby For a bad professor of a good thing is a staine to that thing which he doth professe This is the speciall fault of our wicked dayes these our times are clowdie and full of this darkenesse our light doth not shine to glorifie God but our darkenes doth abounde to the obscuring of his Christ. The mercilesse rich men which wring and oppresse by deceitfull and iniurious dealing which neglect and despise their afflicted brethren the needie members of Christ doe not they blaspheme the woorthie name wherewith both they and we are named It were a great deale better neuer to haue professed then not to practise neuer to haue receaued then not to obserue neuer to haue knowne then not to obey the word of truth Vnto them which heare the word and keepe it being heard a blessing is promised but vnto theÌ„ of whom it is written Dicunt non faciunt They say do not woes againe and againe are denounced This knowe sayth the Apostle that in the last dayes shall come perillous times For men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proude cursed speakers disobedient to parentes vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers intemperate fierce despisers of them which are good traitours headie high minded louers of pleasure more than louers of God hauing a shewe of godlinesse but hauing denied the power thereof Let all the worlde iudge whether these be not the cloudes which haue darkned the sunne of our dayes 22 Now as the sun reseÌ„bleth Christ so the moone his Church For as the moone hath hir light from the sun so the Church hirs from Christ. And as the sunne being vnchangeable is at all times exceeding bright and glorious but the moone doth change and some times is at the full sometimes at the wane hir light to the eye of the worlde now encreasing and nowe diminishing nowe filling the whole globe and now in no part thereof appearing so Christ and his Church Christs glorie is alwaies great and alwaies one His Church vpon earth doth varie nowe she flowrisheth and nowe is blacke sometimes shee ouer spreadeth the face of the whole earth at other times she is brought to so narrowe streightes that mortall eye is vnable to espie hir When the Church of Christ is persecuted as it was in the dayes of those cruell Emperours which were of olde and as it is at this daie vnder Antichrist and Antichristian Princes this is as it were the chaunging