geuen all thynges c. sayth not learne of me to make the world or to rayse the dead but to be hūble méeke O wholsome comfortable coūsaile O faithful doctour humble Doctour Lord and Maister of mankind He would not teach that he was not he would not commaund that he him selfe did not Consider this you which with ill shepheards by force and cruelty gouerne And he sate down and taught the people out of the shippe Christ euery where and alwayes sheweth him selfe a Sauiour and is set forth vnto vs in the Gospell preachyng diuers and sundry wayes Walkyng on the land sittyng in the shyp paynefully trauailyng by the way sittyng vpon the well in the Synagogues in the stréetes in houses in wildernes vpō hils He healed the sicke he comforted the afflicted Doth not wisedome crie doth not vnderstandyng put forth her voyce She stādeth in the top of high places by the way in the place of the pathes She crieth at the gates of Cities and at the entries of mens doores These thynges accordyng to the letter are best spokē of Christ which preached the Gospell publiquely not onely in Synagogues and temples but also in other places where the people assembled together Vpon the moūtaine he made that excellent and passing Sermon written in Mathew In his iorneys he oftentymes disputed with his aduersaries taught the multitude and his Disciples sundry excellēt matters confirmed his doctrine with wonderfull miracles At the gate of the Citie Naim hee shewed him selfe by raysing the widowes sonne In priuate houses when he sate at the table he gaue heauēly instructiō and would not suffer somuch as that tyme to passe without doyng good When hee was but xij yeares old he sate in the tēple among Doctours hearyng thē and posing them so that all men which heard him had him in maruailous admiration for his singular wisedome and passyng vnderstandyng He made many Sermons publikly and openly in the temple at Hierusalem When he was brought bounde to Caiphas and of him demaunded concernyng his Disciples and doctrine He aunswered I spake openly to the world I euer taught in the Sinagogue and in the temple whether all the Iewes resort and in secret haue I sayd nothyng c. Briefly in all places he graciously sought meanes to instruct the people He calleth all mē he excludeth no man They that were not entred in Musike and Geometrie were not admitted into Platoes schole but the mercyfull goodnesse of Christ Iesus admitteth all mē into his schoole not excludyng euen children He teacheth all men out of the shyp of what soeuer age sexe state or condition they be Hee instructed Nicodemus familiarly Most gently he entreated the Cēturion albeit a Heathen man. Hee behaued him selfe mildly towardes the woman of Samaria sittyng on the well Notable sinners he despised not What kinde of dissease did he euer cry fie vpon or turne his face from He turned his mercifull face to Leapers to men possessed with deuils afflicted with bloudy flixes disseased with palsie and many other daungerous maladies and cured thē all He commaunded infantes to be brought vnto him agaynst the will and minde of his Apostles He taught that yoūg man whiche demaunded what good thyng he should doe that hee might haue eternall lyfe He reiecteth not the weake in fayth but he inuiteth allureth desireth all to come to him You haue heard how wisedome in this place and in all places cryeth to all men And at this day she slacketh not to cry and to put forth her voyce in England and many other places by Preachers by holy Scripture by signes and wonders What maters Christ taught in this place I finde not expressed A learned man sayth Nefas est quaerere quae in sacris Scripturis non traduntur It is wickednesse to search those thynges which are not taught in scripture Thus much touchyng the letter Foure things come to be obserued in this mistery The sea Christ in the shyp the people on the shore the shyp it selfe The sea is an Image of the world Christ is an image of true and sincere teachers The people on the shore an image of hearers the shyp an image of the true Church Touchyng the first The sea hath his name of bitternes Isidorus sayth Propterea Mare appellatum quod eius aquae sunt amarae The sea hath his name Mare in Latin of the Latin worde Amarum which signifieth bitter because the waters therof are bitter The sea is very bitter notwithstandyng to fishes nourished in the same it sauoureth swéetelye Right so the world is very bitter yet to worldly men chiefly delighting in the same it sauoureth swéetely But woe be to them which make sowre swéete and swéete sowre which call euill good and good euill whiche make darkenes light and light darknes The sea is bitter the dealynges of the world are bitter Pride is bitter couetousnesse is bitter vsurie is bitter adulterie fornication cosenyng swearyng forswearyng deceitfull vilanie traiterous treacherie murther are bitter These horrible and hatefull vices with many moe ouerflow the world The world is bitter The sea is inconstāt it ebbeth and floweth The world is inconstant it chaūgeth euery day Some be borne and some dye Some be sicke some be whole Some grow toward mans estate Some drawe in age Sometymes commeth good tydynges some tymes heauy To day in fauour to morow quite out of credite To day a man to morow none The sea is full of daungers daungers of windes pirates Mermaidēs rockes quickesandes other daungers There are thynges creepyng innumerable both small great beasts There is that Leuiathan whom God hath made to play therein They that sayle ouer the sea tell of the perilles therof and whē we heare it with our eares we maruaile thereat They that go downe to the sea in shyps and occupy by the great waters they sée the wordes of the Lord and his wonders in the depe They sée as it were a thousand deathes In the sea no rest can be had The world is full of daūgers in the world a thousād deathes in the world no rest Daungers in the world more then in the sea The world hath tempestuous windes Pirates rockes waues Mermaidens quicke sandes and many moe daungers thē can be numbred Moe perishe in the world then in the sea The sea is tēpestuous the world is tempestuous If the sea seme neuer so calme yet looke for a tēpest If the world séeme neuer so prosperous it may looke for a tempest of aduersitye The world hath neuer long stode without stormes and tempestes The case is cleare and S. Ambrose calleth them Procellae mundi Tēpestes or stormes of the world The same wordes hath S. Cyprian and many other Here is tēpest of euil tongues tempest of lying tempest of slaunder tempest of aduersitye tempest of sicknes tempest of losse of frendes and good
men shaking and extreme tempest of death eternall tempest for the wicked in hell The sea is full of monsters the world is full of monsters the world is full of monstrous men not worthy the name of men Some haue their faces in their féete and their féet in their faces as all foolish Nabals and couetous carles But God gaue man a face to look vp to heauē which thing euen the heathen Poet knew Some haue many heads for that they serue many maisters pride couetousnes dronkēnes drowsines murther c such and so great vices raigne in them Therefore haue they as many heads maysters as they haue lustes and affections raigning in them Qui facit peccatū seruus est peccati Whosoeuer committeth sinne is the slaue of sinne Some haue two tongues as all flatterers and slaunderers Some haue swordes in their lips raylers ill tonged persons blasphemous wretches There is a generacion whose téeth are as swords and their chawes as knyues Of such the Prophet Dauid speaketh saying whose téeth are as speares and arrowes and their tongue as a sharpe sword Behold they speake with their mouth and swords are in their lips Proud mē couetous men vsurers drunkards hereticks blasphemers slaunderers are monsters The world therfore is full of monsters The sea casteth out her dead to the shore the world casteth out and banisheth those that are dead to the world and doe not the workes thereof S. Paule sayth we are made a gasing stocke to the worlde Truth sayth if ye were of the world the world would loue his owne howbeit because ye are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world Therfore the world hateth you truth farther sayth yf they haue persequted me they will also persecute you The seruaunt is not greater then the lord The world sayth let vs oppresse the poore righteous let vs not spare the widow nor old man let vs not regard the heads that are graye for age let the law of vnrighteousnes be our strength for the thing that is féeble is nothing worth Therefore let vs defraud the righteous why he is not for our profite nay he is cleane contrary to our doinges he checketh vs for offending agaynst the law Lactantius Firmianus speaking of th end of this world sayth Si qui erunt boni praedae ac ludibrio habebuntur If there remaine any good men at that tyme they shall be counted a pray a bootye and a iesting stock Canst thou not flatter canst thou not lye canst thou not play the hipocrite cāst thou not follow the facion and serue the stage no. Then thou art no méete man to lyue in this world Choose a few companions The sea is no place to make our continuall abode For no man sayleth on the sea to tarye stil on the sea but spedely to passe ouer This world is no place of continuall abode for we are straungers and pilgrimes Here haue we no continuing Citye but we séeke one to come Yet wee build stately as though it were the tower of Babel We ruffile monstrously in apparell as though our fraile bodyes should neuer turne to dust We lyue sensuallye as though there were no other heauē we gather gold and siluer gredely as though we should alwayes néede to vse the same By this dealing it should séeme wee are not straūgers and pilgrims The kinglye prophet Dauid saith I am a staunger with thée and a soiourner as all my fathers were S. August writing vpon that place hath these wordes Non ait sicut omnes homines sed sicut omnes patres mei Non omnium est fides infideles non possunt dicere se in terra peregrinos He sayth not as all men but as all my fathers for all men haue not fayth The faythles cannot say that they are straungers and pilgrims vpon earth Here then is their abode they are Citizens of Babylon not of the heauenlye Hierusalem Notwithstanding in another sense the faythlesse worldlings at the length shall finde that they were straungers and pilgrims when with the glotonous cormorant in the torments of hell they shall crye in vayne for mercye That riche man desired a drop which denyed a crome And there are rich men to whome now I speake they be all one with the other in name let them beware that they drinke not all of one cup with him In the sea are deuouring fishes and the great fishes deuoure the litle fishes In the world great men mighty men deuoure and vndoe poore mē Here might often tymes ouercommeth right Here many take their brethrē by the throte Here Anacharsis may sée Solons lawes lyke to cobwebs which held fast the litle flees and let the great flées breake thorow them Here Socrates may laugh to sée litle théeues trust vp at tiburne and great theeues without any punishment liuing still Here Heraclitus may wéepe to sée vertuous men despised and vitious men extolled ▪ Notwithstanding vertuous men be despised and deuoured of tyrānes yet they lyue as Ionas liued in the whales bellye As dying and behold wée liue sayth S. Paule You sée now how the sea is an Image of the world you sée the sea you sée the world To speake all in sūme The world is the kingdome courte of Sathan a denne of théeues a shop of lyes a Babylon of sectes a wildernes full of wild beastes an Inne full of cuttbrotes a cage of doltes a Sodom an Egypt A mother to the euil a Stepdame to the good Here is no place for godly men here deuouring fishes destroy all here all wicked crimes raigne no religion no fayth no charitye or very litle Therefore let vs not loue the world nor worldly thinges for he that loueth the world hath not the loue of God in him but let vs goe with Lot out of Sodome with Abraham out of Chaldée with the Israelites out of Egypt with Christ from the Iewes and with Paule from the Pharisies Christ taught out of the ship He performeth his office to the which he was sēt of his father into this world and because he had not a pulpet on the land and the people pressed vppon him he entred into a shippe and taught vpon the sea for the office of Christ was to teach He sent me to preach good tidinges vnto the poore By his example he teacheth vs to doe the dutyes of our vocations faythfully The type or figure declareth that the functiō of them which preach the worde of God is paynefull and full of perill The world hateth the light of veritye Woe be vnto me sayth S. Paul if I preach not the Gospell It is daungerous to be silent daungerous to speake if we speake wickedly or if we be silent foolishly wée offend god If we speake truely and reproue disobedience boldelye we become hatefull and odious to the most part of men Truely if euer the office of preaching hath bin subiect to
father Origen calleth all them brethren of the Phariseis which séeke to entrap men And Aretius a learned man sayth Diabolicum est quaerere quod carpas quod damnes It is deuilishe to séeke to taunt to carpe to condemne Some folowed him to sée as vaine curious persōs do now a dayes which come to Sermons to see and not to learne Domine volumus a te signū videre Maister we would sée a signe of thee but he aunswered and sayd vnto them this euill and adulterous generation séeketh a signe but there shall no signe be geuen to it saue the signe of the Prophet Ionas Some preasse to heare inuectiues Some to be more ready to contēd and a few alas to few for the loue of Gods holy worde as this company And yet not vnlike but that some of them afterward cried Tolle eū crucifige eū away with him crucifie him Such is the inconstācie of the vnconstant multitude To this tendeth the parable of the séede some fell by the hygh wayes side some vpō stony places some among thornes some fell into good groūd brought forth frute some an hūdred fold some sixtie and some thyrtie folde Thus much for that point By the word of God I vnderstād here the word of the Gospell that is that Iesus is the true Messias the sonne of the woman of whom it is sayd Conteret caput Serpentis he shall breake the Serpentes head and valiantly vanquish the power and puissance of Sathan That sonne of Abraham in whom all the nations of the earth shal be blessed The sonne of Dauid which in the house of Iacob shall raigne for euer That sonne to whom it is sayd aske of me I will giue thée the Heathen for thine inheritaunce sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemyes thy foote stole To be short that ladder of Iacob which reacheth to heauen Christ taught sometyme the law sometyme the Gospell Albeit the Sermon of Christ in the v. vj. vij Math. is a true interpretation of the law yet notwithstāding the law is not the thyng for preachyng whereof Christ was sent in to this world For as we read in Esay 61. 1. vers The spirit of the Lord is vpon me for the Lord hath annoynted me and sent me to preach good tidynges vnto the poore Christ came not as a law maker or a law teacher as Moyses came before Hereunto is added that the word of the law doth slea or kill as S. Paule teacheth but the word of Christ giueth life as he testifieth him selfe veryly veryly I say vnto you if a man kéepe my saying hee shall neuer sée death The law is a knowledge knowen by nature as the Apostle witnesseth The Gospel is not knowē by nature but published frō the secret determination of the Godhead by our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ Lex per Mosen data est gratia veritas per Iesum Christū facta est The law was geuen by Moyses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ And our Sauiour saith to his disciples To you it is geuen to know the secretes of the kingdome of god c. And also to Peter he sayth flesh bloud hath not opened that vnto thée but my father which is in heauē Read. 1. Cor. 2. 1. Cor. 4. 2 Cor. 5. Collos 4. 1. Tim. 3. Rom. 16. The law sheweth sinne The Gospell sheweth Christ the Sauiour of the world teachyng that sinnes are forgeuē to all that beleue in him that they are reconciled to god These thynges do the wisemen Prophetes Scribes specially teach which are sent from the sonne of God. The law requireth onely obedience and condēneth the guilty The Gospell giueth remission of sinnes freely in the name of Christ to the penitent relieueth and comforteth the troubled consciences with his sweete promises The promises of the law are conditionall ye shal kéepe my ordinaunces and my iudgementes which if a man do he shall liue in them the promises of the Gospell are certaine and free Come to the waters all ye that be thirsty and ye that haue no money come buy wyne and milke without any money or moneys worthe All haue sinned and haue néede of the glory of God but are iustified fréely by his grace through the redēption that is in Christ Iesus Therfore by fayth is the inheritaūce geuē that it might be by grace The law proposeth preceptes the Gospell hath promises The law is a rule of good workes the Gospell is a doctrine of the person and benefites of the Messias The law denounceth the wrath of God eternall malediction death and damnation to all men for sinne Maledictus omnis qui nō permāserit in omnibus his c Cursed be he that continueth not in all the woordes of this law to do them all the people shall say Amen The Gospell offereth remission of sinnes to all men To giue knowledge of saluation to his people for the remission of their sinnes The law iustifieth none saueth none deliuereth none from sinne but accuseth bewrayeth sinne condemneth all the Gospell of Christ is the power of God to saluation to all that beleue offeryng to all remission of sinnes rightuousnes eternall life To be short the law is to be terribly thundered to the wicked negligent and impenitent the Gospell is sweetely to be sounded to those that acknowledge their sinnes and hartily repent for the same The swéete proclamatiō of Christ teacheth the same Come vnto me all ye that labour sore and are laden and I will ease you c. Of this we haue example in the Prophet Nathan who by a similitude thundered the law agaynst kyng Dauid Dauid repenteth saying I haue sinned against the Lord Nathan pronounceth the Gospell The Lorde hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not dye The worde of God or doctrine of Christ is called the worde of God that is the doctrine which Christ him selfe reuealed to men Whereof the principall point is frée remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes by fayth in Christ Iesus The efficient cause of this Gospell is the whole Godhead the eternall Father eternall Sonne and eternall holy Ghost The mouyng cause is the excéedyng mercy of God and his passyng loue toward mākynd So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begottē sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him should not perish but haue euerlastyng lyfe The first instrumētall cause is the sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ An other instrumentall cause are the Prophetes Apostles Euangelistes other teachers of the doctrine of the Gospell Therfore the Apostle sayth Let men estéeme vs as the Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secrets of god We together are Gods labourers c. we are messengers for Christ euen as though God did beséech you through vs. The materiall cause is Christ with all his
benefites The formall cause is the gladsome message of free remission of sinnes purchased by Christ Iesus The finall cause is that mankynd beyng deliuered out of the handes of his enemies Death Sinne Hell Sathan should serue God in holynesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of his lyfe He that is of God heareth Gods word he loueth it beleueth it doth it These thyngs are included in the word Heare The word of God hath sūdry hearers some receiue it some receiue it not Note the parable of the seede The séede of the word of God when it was sowed fell some by the wayes side some vpon stones some vpō thornes and some in good ground c. but more strictly and briefly the word of God hath two sortes of heares Elect and Reprobate The elect say with Peter Domine ad quem ibimus verba vitae aeternae habes Maister to whom shal we goe thou hast the wordes of eternall lyfe The reprobate say Durus est hic sermo This is a hard saying who can heare it Can this mortalitie put on immortalitie Cā this corruption put on incorruption Can Christ be God and mā Can God beget a sonne as of late the deuill of Norwiche deuilishlye sayde yea worse then a deuill was he For the deuils in the former Chapter acknowledged Christ crying and saying Thou art Christ the sonne of God but this deuill denyed Christ The word of God is preached in vayne to many the hony is lost that is put into vessels of gall the fishe is cast away that is cast into dry pooles and the séede perisheth that is sowed vpon the sand S. Cypriā sayth Certe labor irritus est nullius effectus offerre lumen coeco sermonem surdo sapientiam bruto Cum nec sentire brutus possit nec coecus lumē admittere nec surdus audire Truly it is lost labor and to no purpose to offer light to a blind mā speach to a deafe mā wisedome to a grosse head seyng that a grosse head cannot perceiue a blinde man can not see a deafe man can not heare The auncient father Origen sayth Quāto melius esset nonnullis omnino non audire verbum Dei quam audire cum malitia vel audire cum hypocrisi melius autem dicimus ad comparationem malorum How much better were it to some not to heare the word of God at all thā to heare it with malice or to heare it with hypocrisie we say better in respect of euils Excellent is this word therefore ought we to heare it It differreth from ours manifoldly in truth for God is true yea truth it selfe man is false yea falshode it selfe Omnis homo mandax Euery mā is a lyer It differeth from ours in profit Lord to whom shall we go sayth Peter thou hast the wordes of eternall lyfe our wordes haue no profit they are wordes of eternall death It differeth in certaintie for very truth and certainty it selfe sayth that the most firme Elements of heauen earth shall passe but his word shall in no wise passe The Prophet Esay sayth Verbum Domini manet in aeternum The word of the Lord endureth for euer Mary hath chosē the good part which shall not be taken away from her our wordes are vncertaine as vnconstāt as the Weather-cocke We say and vnsay and vnsay and say againe That which liketh vs to day misliketh vs to morow It differeth in power as soone as hee had sayd to the band of men and officers of the hyghe Priestes I am he they went backewarde and fell to the grounde Note here the power of the word of God They came armed they came to take Iesus and after they heard his mightfull word they fell to the groūd Mathew sayth Docebat eos tāquam authoritatem habens He taught them as one hauyng power and not as the Scribes Our wordes are sinnefull corrupt and vnperfect It differeth in spirit The wordes that I speake vnto you are spirit and lyfe But our wordes are prophane and transitorie Christ sayth Qui de terra est terrenus est de terra loquitur He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth It differeth from our woordes in swéetnes The seruaunts of the Phariseis high Priestes which were sent to take Christ returned and said thus of the excellencie of his word Nunquam sic loquutus est homo Neuer mā spake as this mā doth Not Demosthenes out of whose mouth flowed fluddes of eloquence not Cicero the Father of eloquence not eloquent Pericles of whom it is written that he did thunder out his wordes But Christes Argumentes were so mighty and his woordes so swéete that a certaine woman hauyng great admiration therof lifted vp her voyce and sayd vnto him happy is the wombe that bare thée and the pappes which thou hast sucked To be brief this word differeth in perfection In his word all things endure Take away this perfect word what is man a brute beast Take the Sunne out of the world what remaineth Horrible darknes Lactantius sayth Lumen mētis humanae Deus est remoto Deo coelestique doctrina omnia erroribus plena sunt God is the light of mans soule If you set a side or put away from you God his heauenly word All thynges are ful of errours Take away this word what is a man a captiue of Sathan a pray of death a slaue of sinne a firebrand of hell Ignorantia Scripturarū Christi ignorantia est Ignoraūce of the Scriptures is ignoraunce of Christ As far as heauen is distant frō earth so farre ought heauenly thynges alwayes to be preferred before humane things yea incomparably ought they alwayes to be preferred It is cōpared to the Sunne whose office is by spreadyng of his radiant and bright beames to expell darknes and to dispose euery thyng to beare frute Right so the office of Gods word is with his bright shinyng beames of grace to expell the darknes of heresies errours to take away the cold frost of iniquitie and to dispose and frame euery man and womā to bring forth the frutes of pietie godlynes It is compared to fier for that it enflameth vs by loue The two Disciples whiche went to Emans sayd after that Christ had interpreted vnto them in all the Scriptures did not our hartes burne within vs while he talked with vs by the way and opened to vs the Scriptures and Christ sayth I am come to send fier on the earth and what is my desire but that it be already kindled It is likened to a glasse in this glasse euery man may sée whence he came what he is whether he goeth his sin his banishmēt his miserie S. Hierō geueth swéet coūsaile to a certain virgin Vtere lectione diuina vtere speculo vide speculū foeda corrigenda pulchra cōseruāda pulchra faciēda
fittest to offer sacrifice to their Gods to the great shame of Christiās now adayes which thinck the most abiect outcast good inough to take vpon him so high and holy a function The auntient Romaines through the instinct of nature thought so reuerently of religion that they sent their children yea euen the noblest men of Rome sent their sonnes into Hetruria to learne the seruice of god Nowadayes a meane gentleman thinketh his childe to good to learne and professe true religiō Hereby it is cleare and euident what care heathē men ignorant of the true worshipping of God haue had of Religiō Poets by their feyninges haue commended it Oratours haue exhorted vnto it Philosophers haue thought it necessary in a common wealth cōmon people haue sworne to defend it Noble men haue preferred it Kinges haue professed it There is no religion without the word of god We haue the vnderstanding of the will of God by his onely word For without the same our sight is blindnes our vnderstāding ignorance our wisedome foolishnes our deuotiō deuilishnes The profite fruite of this heauēly word is wonderfull All scripture geuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to reproue to correct to instruct in righteousnes that we may be patient and finde comfort S. August sayth In scripturis didicimus Christum in scripturis didicimus Ecclesiam In the scriptures we haue learned Christ in the scriptures we haue learned the church S. Basill sayth Verbum Dei ex quo solo noscitur deus regiam viā monstrat est lucerna pedum nostrorum The word of God by the which onely God is knowne sheweth the kinges highway and is the light of our feete We learne fayth in the scriptures S. Hilary sayth to the Emperour Constantinus Fidem Imperator quaeris audi eam nō de nouis chartulis sed de dei libris Doth your Maiestie séeke the fayth Heare it then not out of any new schrolles but out of the booke of God. S. Ambrose sayth Christus oritur in lectione scripturarum sol iusticiae In reading the scriptures Christ the sun of righteousnes riseth To be short S. August sayth verbo Dei docemur in omnibus By the word of God wée are instructed in all thinges All thinges necessary to saluation are cōtayned in the scripture for profe wherof because other matters call me awaye I leaue briefly these places Ioh 14. 25. vers 2. Timo 3. 15. Luc 14. 17. Math 22. 4. verse Esai 5. 4. verse This matter is proued out of the most auntient fathers Irenaeus and Tertullian read Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 1. and 4. Tertul. de praescript haeres As many as drincke of this heauenly fountayne shall receiue benefite of it the blind shall see the deaf shall heare the dumme shall speake the lame shall walke fooles shall be wise the sicke shal be whole the dead shall reuiue The drincking of this fountayne hath made many proud men humble many couetous misers mercifull many faythles faythfull many filthy fornicators chast many furious and wrathfull méeke and milde many slouthfull and drousie vigilant and watchfull many fearefull bold yea and euen contemners of Phalaris Bul many Saules many Paules manye manye children of darcknes the children of light God by his worde offereth to vs his mercifull hand by fayth we geue to God our hand and the sacraments are as a third hand which confirme and stablish the ioyning of the other two together If you feare the iudgement of sinne This most pretious worde offereth you righteousnes in Christ if you feare death it offereth lyfe If you feare the fire of hel it offereth the ioyes of heauen and breefely you haue in this word whence you may take both in lyfe recreation and in death preseruation Moyses hauing the word of God could diuide the sea The Apostles although poore fishermen with the worde of God ouercame the world The blinde which heard the voyce of Christ receiued sight The dombe speach wherewith they glorified God the lame strēgth which they applied to the seruice of God the deaf hearing whereby they became attentiue hearers of this gratious worde Christ sayd to the rulers daughter Mayde arise and she arose straight waye He sayd to the widowes sonne young man I say to thée arise and he that was dead sat vp and began to speake And to Lazarus he cryed with a lowd voyce Lazarus come forth he that was dead came forth bound hand and foote The tēpestnous windes heard his voyce and forthwith they were alayed the sea waues heard it they became calme men possessed with deuils heard it and they obeied yea the very deuils hearing his voyce humbled themselues O deaf and obstinat mindes of wicked men O you that lye groueling on the ground and haue no feeling of thinges aboue ▪ Christ crieth dayly Damsell arise young man I say to thee arise Lazarus come forth dead sinner embrace lyfe But all are in a deepe sléepe a sléepe of sinne and neglect to awake Yet these miserable men ought to remēber that the day will come the day wil come when wil they nil they they shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God comming in the cloudes with great power and maiestie Then shall they stand before his iudgement seate Then shall they heare to their endlesse smart the thūder of the law depart from me ye cursed into euerlastyng fier which is prepared for the deuils his angels Heare therefore the word of God while you haue tyme Consider the season it is now tyme to arise from sléepe It is now high tyme to heare You haue no colour of excuse What more could haue bene done for the vyneyard All thinges inuite moue and desire you to heare The clearenes of the holy Scriptures calleth you For the Scriptures generally are easie cleare So saith S. Paul If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost So sayth the Prophet Oseas The wayes of the Lord be straight but the wicked shall fall in them So sayeth the Prophet Dauid The Scriptures are a candle a guide to our féete So saith the old father Origene Clausum est negligent ibus iuuenitur quarētibus If is shut from the negligent but it is opened to them that séeke knock for it So sayth Clemens Alexandrinus Audite qui estis longe Audite qui prope nullis celatum est verbum lux est communis omnibus illucescit hominibus Nullus est in verbo Cimmerius festinemus ad salutem ad regenerationem Hearken ye that be far of hearken ye that be neare The worde of God is hid from no man It is a light common vnto all men There is no darknes in Gods word Let vs make hast to saluation to regeneration So Fulgentius In Scripturis diuinis abundat quod robustus comedat quod paruulus sugat In the Scriptures of God there is