here to runne to their owne houses that is as muche to sai as with al their wit and power they do satisfye their owne lustes seeke their pleasures hunt and gape for their own profit â–ª to enryche them selues buylde costly houses and laye lande too lande and neuer thinke they haue inough Woulde to God they whiche preache Christ were not gyltye in not buyldinge Gods house as they shoulde as well as others bee If it be taught of contencion ambicion or vayne glory Paule sayeth he is glad that Christ is preached but woo bee to him that teaches for suche causes and preaches not for pure loue and duety to his Lord God seekinge his own glorie All preachers must saye bee their giftes neuer so greate not vnto vs Lorde not vnto vs but to thy name geue all prayse and glorie And all the bearers muste saye wee do not beleue the worde because suche a man teaches it but because God spake it for the authoritie of the gospell hanges not on the messenger which bringes it but on gods maiestie whiche sendes it For as Peter and Ihon when thei had healed the blind begger and the people maruayled sayd why do ye wonder as though we had done this by our owne power and holines so 〈◊〉 all Preachers saye wonder not at vs 〈◊〉 prayse God whose messengers we be 〈◊〉 him whose spirit he hath geuen to speake in vs. For it is not we that speake when we speak any truth but it is the holy spirit of God that speaks in vs whose instrumeÌ„ts 〈◊〉 be Thus haue all partes ben giltie of 〈◊〉 building Gods house the Lord for 〈…〉 sake forgeue vs all that which 〈…〉 and styrre vp our mindes to do our 〈◊〉 more diligentlye frome hencefoorth 〈◊〉 we maye escape the plagues whiche â—â—â—lowe verse 10 Therefore the heauens 〈◊〉 shytte vp from geuing these dewe vpon you the earth is closed from yelding their fruite verse 11 And I will call a droughte vpon the earth and vpoÌ„ the hyls vpon the wheat vpon the new wyne vpon the 〈◊〉 and vppon whatsoeuer the earthe bringeth forthe vpon man and vppon beaste and vpon all the labour of youre handes Now folowes the other kynde of perswading which the Prophet vses that is of the great plages that hange ouer their heads yf they did continue in tâ—is stubbornes and would not build gods house For although they had suffered great thinges yet these were muche greater which were to come and God would not holde his haÌ„d vntill they went earnestly about to build his house as they were commaunded In the further verse he repeates the plages in other woordes whiche he spake of before and more playnlye toke the cause of all the scarcenes that was amonge them why of so great labour they had so litle fruite and encrease Here we may see how necessarie it is often to repeate and beate in one lessoÌ„ because we be so dul to learn And althoughe many be wearye to heare one thing often yet sainct Paule saieth to the Philippians I am not wâ—arye it is profitable for you to repeate one thiÌ„g ofteÌ„ The heaueÌ„s sayeth he haue ben locked vp from geuing any dew or rayn to you and the earth hath ben so harde drye by that meanes that no fruite coulde growe Maruayle not if the earthe be barren wheÌ„ moysture comes not from heauen for nothinge can multiply here except it be blessed from heauen And this is true not onely in worldely thinges but also in spiritual giftes of the soule to teache vs 〈◊〉 loke vp to heauen and from thence to 〈◊〉 and loke for all goodnes froÌ„ gods haÌ„dâ—â— What hast thou saieth sainct Paule which thou haste not receiued of God and sainct Iames saieth euery good gift and euery perfit gift is from aboue comming from the father of light For as the rayâ—â— and dewe from aboue watering the grâ—â—â— makes it fruitful so the grace of the holye Ghoste comminge frome God the father for his sonne Christes sake styrres vp 〈◊〉 myndes to al goodnes Thus by outwâ—â—â— blessinges God will teache vs to loke â—p to hym for all goodnes For as it is betwixt the earthe and the cloudes so 〈◊〉 betwixt God and oure heartes bothe 〈◊〉 vnfruitfull except they receyue blessinge from aboue But it had ben amonge them now 〈◊〉 it was in the time of Achab when Iesabel did so persecute the true Prophetes 〈◊〉 they were compelled to hyde them selues in Caues and DeÌ„nes of the earth Eliâ—â— tolde the kynge that there shoulde bee 〈◊〉 dewe nor rayne in all the countrye but at his woorde whan he sayde it should be for God had geuen that priuilege too the Prophete to set foorth his doctrine it rained not of three yeares and a halfe nor was any dewe but greate hunger famine and â—â—arcenes of all fruites in the countrye So nowe when Gods house laye vnbuilded the heauens did not water the earth but great barennes was of all thinges This is one of the plages that God threatens to sende on all countries for contemninge his woord sayinge I wil make heaâ—â—n as harde as brasse ouer youre heads 〈◊〉 ye shall not wringe out of it a droppe 〈◊〉 or rayne to comfort the earthe and I will make the earthe as harde as yron that it shall not geue her fruite and so for false worshippinge of God all countries haue ben diuers tymes thus punished Englande hath had many great droughtes and dearthes bothe in the time of Popâ—ri the gospell but if ye marke it well you shall finde greate diuersitie betwixte 〈◊〉 In the dearthes vnder the gospell it was not for wante of thinges that God 〈◊〉 not send them pleÌ„teously but through the wickednes of man whiche in so great plenty and blessinges of God made a neâ—â—â—es dearth For farmes were raised that farmers mighte not foorthe to sell 〈◊〉 they were wont Many thinges were gotten into few mens handes thei woulde sell as thei list not as thiÌ„gs were worth â–ª according to charitie beinge content with a reasonable gaines Corne was cariâ—â— out of the realme or solde through many handes or it came to the markets euery one woulde raise the price and haue sâ—me parte of gaines some woulde feede their Hogs with it els let it foist in their barnes be eateÌ„ with myse rather then they would bring it to the market to pull doâ—â— the price Men of honor worship were 〈◊〉 come shepemaisters and grasiers tyllâ—â—â— was turned into pastur and townes 〈◊〉 graunges all not to make thinges â—â—â—per whiche might haue suffered but â—â—â—rer which was is hurtful not tollerable But since the Pope was restored 〈◊〉 haue had vnseasonable weather bothe 〈◊〉 weate and droughte the earth hathe 〈◊〉 brought foorth her fruit strauÌ„gers 〈◊〉 deuoured much of that whiche ye had All your latin processions singing of gospelâ— vnder
anye beaste And it is not the onely with one creature or twoo that they disdayn to serue vs willingly but euery one as sainct Paul saith The creature is subiecte too vanitie not willingly but for his cause whiche hathe made it subiect vnder hope Here we see that no creatur would serue vs willingly but for Gods cause whoe hath soo pointed them to doe So that of them selues we can get no profite nor seruice of those that haue no life without muche laboure and taminge them by strengthe and violence which haue lyfe yet for the hope they both haue to be deliuered from this seruice for the tyme they doe obey vs accordinge too Gods ordinaunce Also in the destruction of these his creatures that they should not serue such euil men God declares him selfe not onely 〈◊〉 be the mighty Lorde in making and creatinge them but also a merciful god in blessinge them with fruitful encrease whan his people serued hym rightly and also a righteous iudge in taking them away for our sinnes when they be not so plentifull as they haue ben to vs. For as plenty of them is a token of his mercy and fauour that it is he onely which regardes loues feedes noorishes and increases the leaste creatures which he hath made So the taking them away or the baren vnfruitfulnes of them is a signe of his anger displeasur It is not as ye commonly say S. Antonie saue my Hogge saincte Loy my Horse sainct Blase my house saincte Appollony help in the tooth ache sainct Roche for the plage c. But he that made all saues all guides all rules all feedes all blesses all encreases all takes theÌ„ froÌ„ vs at his will and pleasure as Iob saieth the Lord gaue it the Lord toke it awai c. These were lessons that the Heathen people and we also might should haue learned by the making and ruling of the world that God did rule all thinges and because they did not they were iusty punished Shall then we Christian men thinke God to be weary of ruling his creatures put them to some Romish saincts handes that are more able and willing to rule theÌ„ better then he can and wil If this were true sainctes should be more merciful able willing to help then God him self which can do nothinge but loue hates nothing that he made but so to thinke were most horrible blasphemy against his maiesty for he should be an euil lord master if he so lightly regarded his seruaunts his creatures that he woulde put theym too other mens rulinge God hathe not left him self withoute witnesses saieth saincte Luke geuinge rayne and fruitefull times As these woorkes were sufficient witnesses to the Heathen of Gods goodnes and that he ruled all and that their iuste condempnation folowed if they didde not beleue So is vnseasonable weather with takinge awaye his fruites iust tokens of hys anger for oure sinnes Therefore where we haue thesame workes sufficient witnesses vnto vs bothe of his anger and good wil and also his wonderfull workes writen in the scriptâ—â—â—â— to teache vs what can we saye for oure selues if we do not worship him oure onely God sekinge helpe at his onely hande in whome onely it is to be founde and receyued God doth not onely make all things but ruleth theym also accordinge too his good will and pleasure he is not weary of well doinge but guydes euen the least of his creatures He makes grasse to growe on the hils and herbes to serue men he geueth meate to the cattell and to the younge rauens yea he fedes the byrdes of the ayre which worke not nor spynne sowe nor mowe reape nor cary into the barnes And briefly to speake all thinges doeth looke saieth Dauid that thou shouldest geue theÌ„ meat in due season if thou open thy hande and fede them they are full of goodnes but if thou withdrawe thy hande they fall vade awaye perish and turne into earth wheâ— of they were made Thus must al wheat wyne oyle fruites of the earth beastes perishe for the sinne of man and not buildinge Gods house but thei prosper and increase to theym whiche loue hym mayntayne his true religion and feare him The two last wordes where he saith Man and al handy labour shal be destroied also they be more notable in the Hebrue then can be well expressed in one woorde in English For where the Hebrue hathe diuers woordes to signifie a man as Isch and those be noblemen Aenosch and they be so called of their sorowes and infirmities they be subiect to Here is written Adam whiche betokens the common sort of people The woorde that here signifieth labour betokens not euery kinde of labour as that whiche is easye or for pleasur but it signifies that labour whiche the poore man doeth vntill he be weary eueÌ„ the vylest and sorest drudginge labour By the whiche bothe wee are taughte that God woulde not spare the simplest and basest man liuinge but as they hadde sinned in not buildinge his house so should they perishe least they shoulde thinke or saye we did not this faulte but oure rulers or we were not able to take it in hande or if thei had begon wee woulde haue folowed or suche like fonde excuses God requires his house to be buylded his woorde religioÌ„ to be kepte and maintained as well of the lowest as the hyghest and they whiche do not shall not escape vnpunished Therefore wicked is that saying vnder persecution let the Preacher stande too it what doeth it belong to me If the maister 〈◊〉 teache oughte not the scholer too learne â–ª Maye the scholer denye or dissemble wyth God and the maister must not What priuilege hays the scholer more too doe euill than the maister That is sinne to the one the other He that denies me afore meÌ„ says Christ I wil denie him afore my father Man hathe this generall name geuen him too bee called Adam of an other Hebrue woorde that signifieth the earthe Adama whiche woorde was placed afore when he said he woulde destroye all that the earthe bringeth foorthe in latine Man is also called Homo ex humo which allusion likenes in woordes we can not well speake in Englishe but it is as muche to saye Man is called earthe because he is made of earth as Ieremy saith Earth earthe earth heare the woorde of the Lorde And Abraham talkinge with the Aungel of God demaunding diuers questions said let not my Lord be greuâ—â— if I yet once again aske my lord seinge I am earth asshes This shoulde put vs in remembraunce that is as ofte as we hear this name AdaÌ„ that we are earth ashes â–ª and are come of the sinfull seede of Adam our first father who was made of the earth and for breaking Gods coÌ„maundemeÌ„t returned into earth againe from whence he came as we shal al at
is the spirite of truthe because he leades vs into all truth and putteth vs in remembraunce of all thinges whyche Christ him self caught before but no new doctrine he bringes of his owne And because our sauiour Christ is taken from vs in hys bodelye presence he promises vs that this spirite shall dwell with vs not for a tyme but too the ende and therefore wee shoulde not feare But is this a sufficient cause too perswade a man that he should not fear the power of kinges or worldly trouble because the spirite of God dwelles with hym yea truly For what spirite can preuayle against the holy spirit which is the power of God It is written of Gedeon whan he enterprised that venterous acte to fight againste Gods enemies that the spirite of the Lorde bid clothe and defend Gedeon as our clothes doe vs and so he obteined that noble victorie with so few agaiÌ„st so many And not to be afraide in suche trouble is the woorke of the holy Ghoste as Esaie called hym the spirite of boldnes strength and wisedom Peter whan he denied hys maister for the woordes of an handmaide after he receiued the holy Ghoste did and durste confesse hym too the deathe before princes and rulers So sayde oure sauiour Christe to hys Apostles when ye shal staÌ„d before Kyngs and rulers take no thought what or howe ye shall speake for in that houre it shal be geuen vnto you what you shall speake For it is not you that speake but the spirite of youre father which speaketh in you And although to worldly wisedome thys spirite seemes but a small thinge yet it is moste true that s â–ª Paule saith that which is folishnes before God is wyser then me and that whiche is weake before God is stronger then men And he that hath this spirite dwellinge in hym needes not too feare any power be it neuer so greate for if God be for vs who shall be againste vs and if he take his breath and spirite from the mightiest princes they are troubled vade awaye verse 6 For thus saieth the Lorde of hostes yet one litle time shal be and I will trouble the heauens and the earth the sea the lande verse 7 And I will trouble all people and the desire of all people shall come and I wil fyll thys house with glory saieth the Lorde of hostes ¶ The Prophete goeth on forth with this comforth to all people and promises not onely that God woulde be with theym in hys buyldinge whiche they shoulde finish in fewe yeares folowinge but intoâ— the temple also which thei did now build God woulde sende his sonne Christ Iesus to preache his fathers will whom all people looked for and desired hys comminge and he woulde fyll that house with glory that they shoulde not neede to care for the smalnes of it if they woulde onelye with courage woorke God woulde fulfill the rest And that they shoulde know him too be able to fulfyll hys promise he cals hym selfe by the glorious name of the Lorde of hostes so often here in these verses that they maye vnderstande all creatures too bee at hys commaundement that none coulde preuaile againste that whiche he woulde haue done as is saide before But this is a straunge kynde of comforte too tell theym of suche a trouble as shoulde trouble heauen and earth sea laÌ„d and all people and yet they should be glad of it and that it shoulde come not long after The tyme when this trouble chauÌ„ced was about .500 yeares after that this prophete had thus spoken and yet he cals it but one litle time And this maye well bee called a litle tyme in respecte of God with whome all thinges are present before hys sighte withoute tyme and a .1000 â–ª yeares with hym is as yesterdaye which is paste and he hym selfe is before all times not coÌ„teyned in tyme but liuing for euer wythout tyme. Or els it is called a little tyme in respect of that longe time wherin their fathers had so long looked for the coÌ„ming of Christ and so muche desired hym and yet see hym not It was now aboue 3000. yeare since he was promised to AdaÌ„ about 2000. since he was so often spoken of too Abraham and .1000 since it was renued to Moyses and after to all the Prophetes from tyme too tyme in respecte of whiche 500. maye well be called a litle tyme. This trouble whiche he sayeth shoulde trouble heauen earthe sea lande and all people is described by these mightie wordes to set out the greatnesse of the trouble by the figure called Hyperbole and not the trouble was suche that heauen earth sea and lande shoulde feele it be troubled therewith whiche are insensible creatures and can feele nothinge that troubles them but thus by these woordes the scripture vses too tell the greatnes of any thinge that it speakes of Moyses and Esaye because the people were harde hearted and woulde not heare their sayinges to set foorthe theyr hardnes of heart and the greatnes of that message which they had froÌ„ God to speake saye thus â–ª Heare ye heaueÌ„s and geue care thou earth c. Sainct Paule saieth by the like figure euery creature grones and trauayles lookinge for the laste daye wherin they shall be deliuered froÌ„ this vayn corruptioÌ„ wherin they serue not because deade creatures can grone or trauayle but for the great desire that they haue to see that day of oure redeÌ„ption fulfilled as the woman whiche trauels grones desires too be deliuered out of her payn to be restored to her former quietnes or els it may be taken that all creatures in all these places should be troubled But if this trouble shoulde be so great how can it be a promise of ioye and comfort Who can be merye to hear tel of such a greate trouble Surelye this is not promised to the euil but to the good For as our Lord maister Christ saieth speaking of the trouble that should be in the destructioÌ„ of Ierusalem the latter ende of the world woo be to theÌ„ that be with chyld geue sucke in those daies the wicked shall wish the hyls to fal on theÌ„ hide theÌ„ â–ª thei shuld seke for death â–ª it shuld flee froÌ„ theÌ„ So he saith to the good in the midst of all the desperat â—orow wherin the euil man caÌ„not tel what to Lifte ye vp your heades and bee merye for your redemption and deliueraunce is at hande So after this shorte time that he speaketh of this greate trouble whiche shall be at the byrthe preachinge miracles and deathe of oure sauioure Christe shoulde be but onely to the wicked For the good men shoulde as muche and more reioyce because of that daye of saluation and redemption was comen he whome all people looked for had now appeared to the comfort of all good men And thys trouble shoulde not be so
Mary when the Aungel saluted her wōdred that God would cal such a poore mayden virgyn to be the mother of his sonne But euer he that thinks him self vnworthy God takes him as worthy those that thinke so highly of thē selues that they be worthy God refuses makes vnworthy Therefore let euery man that feeles him self in consciēce withdrawē frō doing his duty to god by any kynd of sin say thus to him self Is it tyme for thee to delite thy self in this or y◠kynd of synne gods house vnbylt Think y◠god hath left this in writing to rebuke hī styrre him vp to be more diligēt in repairīg his house wherin god dwels And let eueri mā cōfort him self that god not onli requires but takes in good part the least seruice that the poorest mā liuing cā do And as he saide afore in the seconde verse this people sayeth it is not tyme to buylde c. nothinge the vnkyndenes of that people to whome he had so often and longe ben so louinge a Lorde and maister So he sayeth now this house lyes waste to set out before them y◠greatnes of theyr disobedience that they did not neglect and leaue vnbuylt a common house a Bishop◠palaice or an Abby but that house wherin God him selfe sayde he woulde dwell where onely they shoulde offer their sacrifices whiche onely not oute of the whole worlde but amonge the places townes cytyes in all Iewry he chose by name too be worshipped in in whiche onely he was moste delited and made promys to Salomon in the dedicacion of thesame that he woulde heare the prayers of the that there called vpon hym in faith That house thei did not onely suffer it to decaye but were so forgetful of it that they let it lye waste desolate layde no hande to it as thought it belonged not to them nor it were theyr duety they hadde so farre forgotten God whiche willed them so straightely to do it The Lord for his mercy sake graunt that thesame vnkyndnes maye not be layde iustly against vs whiche leaue that house vnhuylt yea treade vnder oure feete like filthy swyne wherin not the sacrifices of Moyses are offered but for the saluation of whiche Christ offered his bodye a sacrifice to be kylled and his bloude shed and in whiche his holy spirite dwelles if thorough vnthankefulnes we driue him not awaye This house is the holy churche of Christe generally and oure owne bodyes and soules particulerly which be not only membres and partes of his misticall body but the temple and house where the holye Ghoste dwelles where in he wil chiefly be worshipped verse 5 And now thus sayth the Lord of hostes cōsider in your harts your owne waies verse 6 You haue sowen muche and broughte in but litle ye haue eaten and not ben satisfied ye haue dronke and not ben filled with drinke ye haue ben clothed and not kept warme ye haue wrought for wage put your wages in a purse with a hole in the botome ¶ Although ye haue lien lōg without consideratiō of your duty toward God hys house buylding haue ben sore punished of god not knowē the cause of it haue sought your pleasur profit but not obtained them being so blinded in fulfillinge your worldly lustes yet now the mightye Lord of hostes power whome all other creaturs except you obey giues you warning now to cōsider better in youre heart your tyme past not so negligētly wey the working of god with you for he hath lōg punished you to haue had you to amend ye regard it not at all Synne of it self is darkenes whosoeuer walkes in sinne ▪ walkes in darkenes knowes not what he doeth if a man geue him self to be ruled by sin it makes of fooles mad men darkenes so the reasō that it knowes not what to do or saye They had thus many yeares ben plaged knew not the cause why but layd it on some other chaūce then not building gods house which was the chief cause or els like insensible beastes without the feare of God regarded it not as though it had come of some natural cause god had not plaged their sinne But as his disease is most perillous which lies sicke feeles not his sickenes nor can not cōplayne of one parte more than an other for thā the disease hathe equally troubled the whole body so they which lye walowing in syn so forgetting God al goodnes that thei fel◠no remorse of consciēce are desperate almost past all recouery yet God most mercifully dealing with this people sendes his Prophet to warne them sturre thē oute of their slepe that their thei should no longer so lightly wey Gods displeasure towardes them but depely wey why and wherfore these plages were thus poured vpō them The scholemaister correctes not his scoler nor the father his child but for some fauts for their amendment no more hath God sent these plages to you so many yeares but to remēber you of your disobediēce towards him that ye should turn to hym But if the leude scoler or vnthrifty sonne do not regarde the correction laid vpō him nor cōsider not the greatnes of his faulte nor the displeasure of his father or scholemaster ther is no goodnes to be hoped for of him so is it w e you if ye thus lightly or els not at all cōsider your lyfe paste Gods dealing with you how euil things haue prospered with you all the time ye thus haue disobeyed god Whē the life of mā pleases god saies Salomō all things prosper go forwards with him but whā he offendes his god all creaturs turn to his hurt hinderaunce If thou heare the voyce of the Lord thy God saith Moyses and kepe all the commaundementes which I teache thee the Lorde wil make thee greater than al other people thou shalt be blessed in the citie and in the fielde thy chyldren the fruit◠of the earth and all thy cattel thy shep◠▪ Oxen shal be blessed and increase but yf thou heare not the voyce of the Lorde thy God and kepe his cōmaundements thou shalt be cursed in the towne in the field◠thy chyldren shal be cursed and the fruit◠of the earth and the fruit of thy cattel thy sheepe and thy Oxen the Lord will sende vpon thee nede and trouble and destructiō on euery thinge thou goest aboute vntyll he destroye thee c. These plagues when they fall in any country are not lightlye to be considered But as the Phisicion seing in a glasse by the water the disease within the body by the learninge searches out the cause of the disease and ministers good things for thesame so in lokinge in the glasse of gods worde the diseases and sinnes which are in common wealthes we shall soone perceyue the cause of these plagues wholsomely minister some