briefe they are true Israelites in whō there is no deceit or fraude because Christ their king blesseth and gouerneth them by his holy spirite and renueth regenerateth them maketh them which were bloud-thirsty and enuious very myld men and patient sufferers of all harmes that happen so that beyng hurt they hurt not agayne nay they wish well vnto their enemies they blesse them that curse them and doe good to them that hurt them Forasmuch then as appertayneth vnto themselues they neede no swords but only for the infidels and wicked which must be ruled restrayned by the sword and by force least that the godly and good liuers be oppressed hurt by them As Esay sayth of the kingdom of Christ They shall do no hurt neither do any iniury in my holy hill because the earth shal be filled with the knowledge of God euen as the sea with flowing waters And Micheas prophecieth of the peace which shall be in the kingdom of Christ saying But they shall sit euery man vnder his vine and vnder his fig tree and none shall make them afrayde And Hose sayth I will make a couenaunt for them in that day that is when Messias shall rule with the wild beastes and with the foules of the heauen and with that that creepeth vpon the earth and I will breake the bow and the sword and the battail out of the earth and will make thē to sleep safely And Zachary saith I will cut of the chariots from Ephraim and the horse from Ierusalem the bowe of the battail shall be broken and he shall speake peace vnto the heathen These things are not to be vnderstood corporally and grosly as the blinded Iewes and Chiliastes did dreame but spiritually of the heauenly peace in the spirituall kingdom of Christ If therfore the Gentiles through all the world according to this prophesie ought to run vnto the Lord into the church or christian religion and receiue the doctrine therof and be partakers of that true peace it was needefull that Christ should rise agayne that he might erect restore and establish that great kingdom which consisteth of the Iewes and Gentils For as yet the Gentils when he dyed knew not who he was Nay the very Iewes themselues could not abide this their king wherupon the prophet warneth euen the Iewes in the ende of his prophesie saying O house of Iacob come ye and let vs walke in the light of the lord that is in his gospell in the fayth of Christ And Esay comforteth the people of the Iewes prophesieng vnto them that although the Iewes should suffer a great destruction and haue a miserable fall yet many of the Israelites should escape all those euils obtaine that euerlasting ioy and incomparable comfort which God promised saying In that day shall the bud of the Lord be beautifull and glorious and the fruite of the earth shall be excellent and pleasaunt for them that are escaped of Israel Then he that shal be lost in Sion and he that shall remayne in Ierusalem shal be called holy and euery one shall be written among the liuyng in Ierusalem when the Lord shall wash the filthines of the daughter of Sion and purge the bloud of Ierusalem out of the midst therof by the spirit of burning In these wordes the prophet foretelleth how glorious and honorable this kingdome of Messias should be And he speaketh properly of the tymes of the new Testament wherein Christ adourned hys kyngdome his Church with beauty aboue measure and with all the giftes of the holy ghost For he washeth cleanseth and sanctifieth his daughter Sion that is the church with holy baptisme by his bloude Hee mortifieth the olde Adam by the spirite of iudgement and of fire And seeing that the churche her selfe must fight here in the fleshe against most wicked and vile enemies and seing that she is here on earth in great daunger Christ her almighty king doth promise her comfort defence ayde and helpe in all aduersities and calamities that she may bee safe vnder the protection of the most high For hee shall be a cloude for his church in the day tyme and a fire lightnyng it in the night as hee visibly deliuered his people out of the house of bondage as we read in Exodus where it is sayd And the Lord went before them by day in a piller of a cloude to leade them the way and by night in a piller of fire to geue them light that they might goe both by day and by night hee tooke not away the piller of the cloud by day nor the piller of fire by night frō before the people Note here that the prophet calleth our Lord Christ the budde or blossom of God and the fruit of the earth because Christ is the sonne of God naturally and also the true sonne of man to wit of the perpetuall and pure Virgin Mary of the tribe of Dauid He is called the fruite of the earth because he tooke his holy humanitie of the daughter of Adam which Adam was made of earth This prophesie the Iewes vnderstood both in Babilon and afterward also of Christ For Thargum Ionathan sayth At this tyme the Messias of the lord shal be our ioy and glory ¶ Anna. Cleophas and his companion by this prophesie might easily haue vnderstood that Israel should not quite perish because Christ died For if it was meet that he should bee the fruite of the earth that is to say naturall man what meruaile is it then if he died But in that he was the budde of the Lord it was not possible that he should abide in death For then should God himselfe haue remayned in death which thing is vnpossible Wherfore he was able both to raise vp and deliuer hymself and other from death Moreouer seyng that not all which were in Ierusalem and in Sion but the remnant only should be holy and numbred amongest the elect it must needes be that there were some wicked men in Ierusalem and so consequently enemies to Christ For holines and wickednes cannot agree What maruayle was it then that these prophayne and wicked bishops and princes deliuered Christ to death But yet for all that he was able to deliuer Israell yea death it selfe was the way and meane whereby God had determined to saue Israel as the Prophetes haue sayde and yet not by force armour and the sworde as the Iewes dreamed but euen by his holinesse as it seemed good vnto the Lorde But it appeareth in Luke that those good disciples as then neither knew nor vnderstood the person and ministery of Messias to wit that he both could and should by death destroy death ☞ Vrbanus You say well and therfore doth Christ call them fooles and slow of hart to beleue and vnderstand all thinges which the prophet spake of Messias But marke what Esay sayth of Christ First he giueth Christ this worthy warriours name calling him Maher
For that same word in that holy tonge is vsed also actiuely in this same signification in which the Latine translator doth here vse it calling it a Sauiour or deliuerer And the 70. Translators do nothing differ from our interpreter For they vse in this place this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth sauing The Iewes also before the comming of Messias at Babylon vnderstood this word actiuely For their Thargum hath it thus sakai vporik which is to say innocent a deliuerer or sauior The prophet also calleth him Poore the Hebrue word is Eny which signifieth carefull contrite in hart sory tormented hūbled and one of a lowly humble mind in whom is no hautines no cruelty no pride no swelling But one in whom is all meekenes lowlines humility and myldnes and one whose good will toward others is such that he is much troubled and greued at their hurtes and misfortunes Wherupon S. Mathew alledging this prophesie vseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is meeke And of this his meekenes and humblenes he gaue some testimony when he rode to Ierusalem vpon an asse And yet for all this the highest and chiefest estates of Ierusalem did so tirannically hate him that as enuious bloudsuckers they sought all occasions they could to kil him But Christ nothing moued with their enuy and as it were not regarding his death which he knew certaynly the princes of Ierusalem with the Pharises and Scribes went about did this present daunger of his lyfe not regarded euen from his very hart bewayle both the blindnes of the men and the calamity and destruction of the city yea they were the greatest things that troubled him For his bitter teares sufficiently witnessed both his griefe for them good wil towards them This his heauenly hart which appeared so mild and so pitifull toward his neighbor was farre from all ostentation For he nothing esteemed riches worldly traine pompe and vanitie as appeareth by the whole course of his lyfe which he led here in lowlines pouerty trouble grief danger and grieuous sorow and he himselfe is witnes of this where he saith The Foxes haue dennes but the sonne of man hath not where on to lay his head But this his humble entring into the city all without ostentation doth plainly inough argue his humilitie pouerty Zachary saith not that he rode to Ierusalem like an armed emperour reioicing triumphing in scarlet in purple glistring robes and in cloth of gold vpō a lusty palfrey magnifically sadled princely trapped with a great troupe and gard that he might amase men The prophet sayth not that Christ came so But he saith he sate vpō an asse a beast which is vile poore contemptible and ridiculous And in that his so doing he shewed a very great lowlines humility modesty and meekenes yea such that no man neede be afrayd of him This was fulfilled vpon Palme sonday when Christ sent his disciples to fetch an asse with her colt from Bethfage vnto mount Oliuet and came into the city vpon her as the euangelist Mathew saith witnessing of the fulfilling of this prophesie It foloweth in the prophet And I will cutte of the chariots from Ephraim and the horse from Ierusalem Here the prophet sheweth the nature and condiciō of Christ his kingdome For seyng he had called Christ a kyng which should come vnto his people he must also haue a kingdom But marke what and what maner of one his kingdome is It is not an earthly or a worldly kingdom neither is it ruled or gouerned and mainteined by hostes of men munition or mans power and strength nor by any such means as earthly kingdoms are ruled and gouerned And therfore he saith that he wil take away and destroy their chariots horses bowes Which kind of munition in this world princes vse eyther to establishe their kingdomes or to repulse the force and violence of their enemies which either seeke the vpper hand or els to increase and inlarge the territories of their owne dominions Esay also describeth the kingdom of Christ much after this sort saying The law shall go forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem and he shall iudge among the nations and rebuke many people they shal breake their swordes also into mattocks and their speares into sithes nation shall not lift vp a sword against nation neither shall they learne to fight any more By Ephraim Zachary vnderstandeth the ten tribes of Israel which beyng vnder Roboam fell away from the house of Dauid to Ieroboam set vp a kingdom of their owne Whereby the Prophet meaneth that whē Christ should come these two kingdomes Iuda and Israel should not continue any longer deuided but bee made one vnder the true king Christ Which thing came then to passe when Christ his Apostles preached in Galily and in all those countries euen to Ierusalem when Christ the true prince in Israel gathered together into the vnitie of the Christian fayth all his people by preaching of his Gospel It followeth And he shal speake or he wil teach peace c. That is Christ will not establish or preserue his kingdome with armour because he is called the kyng of peace He shal raign gouerne his kingdom not as the world doth but spiritually by his word in which the very true peace safety tranquillity health and chiefe felicity is preached and deliuered not to the Iewes alone but to all the whole world euen the Gentiles also This peace doth farre and infinitely excell the peace of this world For it is a most perfect peace with God our most mighty lord He which is at peace with God to wit with whom God is well pleased and to whom God is fauourable mercifull and gratious that man may stoutly stand without feare He is out of danger he sayleth in safety he as one sitting on an high rock or a sure and inuincible tower may looke and laugh at his enemies below and he both may ought hartily to reioyce and be mery in the lord And such now be we for we haue peace with God or towards God through Christ our onely mediator and aduocate As Paul witnesseth to the Rom. saying We were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne Christ is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken the stop of the partition wall in abrogating through his flesh the hatred that is the law of commaundementes which standeth in ordinances for to make of twaine one new man in himselfe so making peace And that he might reconcile both vnto God in one body by his crosse and slay hatred therby and came and preached peace to you which were a farre of and to them that were nere for thorough him we both haue an entrance vnto the father by one spirite Esay also hath delectably and pleasauntly prophesied that Christ and his Apostles should be the ioyfull messengers of that
Christ when the welsprings of liuyng water shall flowe from place to place in the desert where God before was not knowen nor heard of because that out of one church or congregation of the godly the gospell shall flowe and spread abroade into other places that there they may learne to know Christ And where the serpentes before spewed out theyr poyson of false doctrine superstition and idolatry thither shall the sounde doctrine of the truth now bee brought and there shall it bring forth most plentifull fruites ¶ Anna. What way and holy pathe is that which is here spoken of in this prophesie by which he sayth no sinner goeth ☞ Vrbanus Hee speaketh in this prophesie of the Gospell of Christ and of hys Church The holy way therefore whereof he speaketh here is fayth in Iesus Christ true God and perfect man borne here of the seede of Abraham and Dauid In this way walked Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid Mary and the Apostles neyther is there any other way but this vnto the liuyng God as Christ sayth I am the way and the truth and the lyfe no man commeth vnto the father but by me There is no other true faith but the christian and catholike fayth All other sectes though they seeme neuer so holy are nothing els but errours and Satanicall superstitions No man was euer saued vnlesse he beleued in Christ And therfore this Christian fayth is called the true right onely and holy way vnto euerlasting saluation He that walketh this way whosoeuer he be though he be a very foole in worldly matters yea a most simple ideot or vilest sinner hee can not but must needes be pertaker of euerlasting lyfe But whosoeuer goeth any other way although he seeme to the worlde learned holy wyse and of great experience yet he wandereth all wyde and goeth astray nay he hasteth hedlong vnto hell Furthermore this way onely is most sure and safe In this way Lions and wylde beastes can not hurt vs For neither tirantes nor false teachers can hurt them whosoeuer they be that abide in this way and goe not out thereof For though they take from them both their goodes and lyues yet shall they haue no losse but gayne thereby For all thinges happen vnto their health so long as they are kept of Christ who hath such care ouer them and so preserueth them that he suffereth not the least haire of theyr heade to perishe ¶ Anna. But who are these redemed of the Lord ☞ Vrban Euen both Iewes and Gentils which beleue in Iesus Christ namely all true Christians These were once seduced by Sathan and brought into the horrible captiuity of sinne and death and therin had remayned for euer if the lord had not himself come and by his precious bloud deliuered thē But the Lord himselfe came and vanquished and spoiled Satan And so these redemed turned to Sion that is into the holy catholike church by faith and the sacraments and they come with prayse ioy and exultation For the more vile and horrible the captiuity was so much greater is the ioy of the prisoners which are redeemed But this was a most vile and horrible continuall captiuity wherin we should haue bene for euer most miserably tormēted both in body and soule with al kind of calamities tortors I say which are such that they passe all our sences and capacity And therfore this our ioy in the Lord in Sion is and that by right infinit incomprehensble and more then hart can conceiue The world also hath his ioy but the ioy therof is momentany and very short for it hath his ende and continueth not But the ioy of the faythfull christians is eternall It beginneth here in fayth but afterward whē our last enemy death shal be swalowed vp and Satan with the wicked and deceitfull world cast downe into the pit of hell there to bee tormented for euer then at the last it shall burst forth and shew it selfe And all they that beleued in Christ to wit his whole kingdom shal frō that tyme forth be no more afflicted with enemies Then shall the true and euerlasting ioy of the faithfull christians begin heauines sorow and griefe shal then haue an ende For that kingdom when the glory therof shall be made manifest shall then at the last haue no more sinne nor feele death sickenes persecution calamity troubles or aduersitie for all causes of sorrows and sadnes are then through Christ taken away As Christ witnesseth in Iohn I wil see you againe and your hartes shall reioyce and your ioy shall no man take from you And in the Apocalips the voyce saith That GOD shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shal be no more death neither sorow neither crying neither shal there be any more payne ¶ Anna. Seyng that we through our Messias should haue such full and perfect redemption from all our sinnes death and damnation and enioy euerlasting lyfe felicity out of doubt he neither could nor should remayne in death And would to God we could beleue this and alwayes reioyce in the Lord. Vrban Truely so we should in deede alwayes beleue and reioyce But that euill spirit through his wicked temptations oftentymes doth so with thick clouds darcken this cleare sonne of ioy and fayth in vs that sometymes we cannot see it Yea he maketh vs sometymes so heauy that we either altogether forget this great and iuestimable promise of euerlasting life or els waigh it not so diligently nor print it so deeply in our harts as we ought But let vs alwayes keep in our hands the sword of the spirite that is the gospell and therewithall defend our selues from the fiery dartes of our enemies We must stir vp and exercise our faith by diligent vsing reading hearing and handling the scripture least we sleep in carnal security Yea we must say euery foot with the holy prophet Dauid Behold heare me O Lord my God lighten mine eyes that I sleepe not in death lest mine enemy say I haue preuayled against him and they that afflict me reioyce when I slide Esay prophesyeth again of Christ O Syon that bringest good tidings get thee vp into the high mountaynes O Ierusalem that bringest good tidings lift vp thy voice with strength lift it vp be not afrayd say to the Cities of Iuda Behold your God behold the Lord God will come with power and his arme shall rule for him Behold his wages is with him and his worke before him Here Syon and Ierusalem are warned that they preach the comming grace power of God in Christ As if he should say to other cities in Iuda ye haue looked long for Messias which was promysed in the law and prophets now looke vp now lift vp your eares and harts behold here is your God Messias the most mighty Lord who hath shewed his power in that he hath redeemed you from those mighty and cruell
worthy sentence of the gospell of Christ as a forceable and waighty testimony of the righteousnes of fayth saying that it is not any otherwise to be gotten retained but by fayth And therfore Christ reproueth Cleophas and his cōpanyon for that they beleued not the prophets speaking of Messias and so became pensiue and doutfull In lyke manner doth Abacuk also He bouldly and vehemētly threatneth the Iewes captiuitie yet neuerthelesse he sayth that the comming of the promised Messias should not thereby be hindered at all but he should in deede deliuer them according vnto the prophets And he sayth that they which will be partakers of this deliuerance must lay sure hould by fayth vpon the holy promises of Christ of his passion of his resurrection of his ascention But they which wil not beleue shal not be partakers of Christes merites but remaine captiues in their sinnes and dye for euer ☞ Anna. What and when did Zephane prophecy of Christ and his kingdome ¶ Vrba He prophecied in the 19. yeare of that vertuous prince Iosias king of Iuda and he sayth thus in his 3. chapiter Therefore waight ye vpon me sayth the Lord vntill the day that I rise vp to the pray For I am determined to gather the natiōs and I wil assemble the kingdomes to poure vpon them my indignation euen all my fearce wrath for all the earth shall be deuoured with the fire of my ielosy Suerly then will I turne to the people pure language that they may all call vpon the name of the Lord to serue him with one consent from beyond the riuers of Ethiopia the daughter of my disparsed praying vnto me shal bring me an offring In that day shalt not thou be ashamed for all thy workes wherein thou hast transgressed against me For then I will take away out of the middest of thee them that reioyce of thy pride and thou shalt no more be proud of mine holy mountaine Then I will leaue in the middest of thee an humble and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the lord The remnant of Israell shall do no iniquitie nor speake lyes neither shall a deceitfull tongue be found in their mouth For they shall be fed and ly downe and none shall make them affrayd Reioyce O daughter Sion be ye ioyfull O Israell be glad and reioyce withall thine hart O daughter Ierusalem The Lord hath taken away thy iudgementes he hath cast out their enimies the king of Israell euen the Lord is in the middest of thee thou shalt see no more euill In that day shall be sayd to Ierusalem feare thou not O Sion let not thine handes be faint The Lord thy God in the middest of thee is mighty he will saue he will reioyce ouer thee with ioye he wil quiet him selfe in his loue he wil reioyce ouer thee with ioy After a certayne time will I gather the afflicted that were of thee and them that bare the reproch for it Behold at that time I will bruse all that afflict thee and I will saue her that halteth and gather her that was cast out and I will get them prayse and fame in all the landes of their shame At that time will I bring you agayne and then will I gather you for I will geue you a name and a prayse among all people of the earth whē I turn back your captiuitie before your eyes sayth the Lord. Zephany prophecieth vnto the people what punishment should come vpō them for their sin as Ierusalē and Iuda should be destroyed and the people be lead captiues out of their countrye But seeing the prophets were the ministers of Iesus Christ sent for the true Israels sake their manner is alway after threatning and denuntiations to the people of their deserued punishment to comfort the elect by sweet and plentifull promises of their true deliuerer Christ and of his kingdom to the end the godly should not dispayre in their captiuity as though the Lord would for euer be angry and reuoke hys worde of the promised helpe in Messias Seing I say the chief end of the prophets be the promises of Christ which are the true very Gospell it self they alwayes preach Christ And so doth Zachary here in the end cōfort the Iewes least in the captiuitie of Babilon they should faint and doubt of Gods worde And he prophecieth that the Lord will gather them together againe in a mightie hand and that he will send Christ and spread his kingdome through the whole world and exalt his people vnto the highest stage of honor This is the meaning of this prophesye Ye must needes be captiues whether ye will or no but ye must not therefore dispaire waight onely for the Lordes leasure For when time shall be I will not faile you but helpe you I will rise vp and declare my power to the whole world sayth the Lord. First of all he stirred vp the king of Babilon to seaze vpon the countrey and miserably to destroy all thinges that were in it But the Babilonian king was well fauordly and deuly punished plunged and destroyed againe himselfe of the Meades and Persians Thus the Iewes the people of god were spread all abroad throughout the whole world by those wordes the great prayse honor glory of gods name was better knowē to all men so that euery one might euen with his handes feele and much rather know the God of the Hebrewes to be the true and onely God euen vntill the time of grace it selfe came when the father by his son Iesus Christ was euery where truely knowen and glorified in his Gospell This pure language or those pleasant and sweete lips be the preachers of the Gospell which preach vnto vs mere grace in Christ and offer vs and geue vs true deliueraunce in Messias For by these the fayth of Christ entereth into mens hartes that they maye receaue the holy ghost so together with one hart publickly and openly praye vnto Christ and confesse him to be their onely Sauiour and deliuerer For they all haue one doctrine one spirite one fayth and one hope and they beleue in their hartes that God hath raised Christ from death and they cōfesse with their mouthes that God hath made this Iesus Lord of all thinges and annoynted him to be his Christ and by this fayth are they saued and Iustified He prophecieth also of the greatnes and widenes of Christ his kingdome and he speaketh of that mighty kingdome of Ethiopia lying beyond that great and famous floud Nilus to wit that it also shal be brought to the fayth of Christ and shall haue true worshippers who shall call vpō God through Christ their only mediator and shall by the Gospell be brought as a presēt to our God into Sion his holy temple as we read in the Actes of the Ethiopian chamberlin of the Queene of Cande who came to Ierusalē to worship the true god
and take away vngodlines wickednes sinfull deeds and that he might teach instill aduance and commend godlines and vertue in all men to make thē flie the euill and do the good It followeth The Iles shall waite for his law That is to say his doctrine shal be further spread be published in moe regions thē the law of Moses was which only was kept within the borders of Iury. This doctors doctrine shal be further spread For euen the Gentils which he here meaneth by the Iles shall and do looke for that doctrine that is it shall go through the whole world The Hebrue worde Thorah which the Translator interpreteth law signifieth also doctrine may well be so translated Now thē this Thorah or doctrine of Christ is that sauing doctrine of the gospell which ministreth vnto vs true ioy comfort and geueth a present helpe and salue for euery sore and sickenes that happeneth vnto vs Mathew alleageth this prophesie afterward sayth In his name shall the gentils trust according to the Greeke translation of the 70. interpreters who haue rightly expoūded this prophesie For in the Gospel the name of Christ is published preached and sayd to be our most redy and alone help ayde sauegard and saluation in all miseries and necessities As Peter saith to Cornelius the Ethnike shewing him the right way of saluation the words be these All the Prophets giue witnes to Christ that through his name all that beleue in him shal receiue remissiō of sinnes Neither by any other name but by the name of Christ be sins forgiuē through his merites onely not any of ours haue we forgiuenes of our sins by his merites only be we sinners forgiuen Christ alone none but Christ is our righteousnes But let vs go forward with the prophesie out of the same chap. Thus saith God the Lord He that created the heauens and spread them abroade he that stretcheth forth the earth the buddes therof he that giueth breth vnto the people vpō it and spirit to them that walke therin I the lord haue called thee in righteousnes will hold thy hand and I wil kepe thee and giue thee for a couenant of the people and for a light of the Gentils that thou maist open the eyes of the blind and bring out the prisoners frō the prison and them that sit in darkenes out of the prison house Behold here and see how plainly sweetly and graciously God the father setteth forth his sonne Christ yea how excellently he describeth his person and his office He doth not say he should be an angry and imperious Moses or some fearefull or proud prince who with his hie lookes should amase mē he doth not say his sonne at his comming should be such an one but he sayth that he should be a mild and officious doctor and teacher which should study and seeke for nothyng els but to bring his bywanderers into the right way to teach and instruct the ignorant and rude and to bring them that are in errour vnto the truth which may saue their soules and to comfort erect fortify and to encourage the faint harted sad sorowfull astonied and men driuen to desperation and to certifie them of gods free mercy and great grace and to deliuer them from al dāgers and calamities both of body and soule And least any man should doubt of these so great excellent and infinite benefites which here he promiseth by Christ he speaketh first and formost of his great and vncredible omnipotency saying that he is the Lord which maketh all things which fostereth all things which cherisheth refresheth gouerneth guideth all things But if he can do these things as certainly he can then can he also performe this that he promiseth As if he should say thus as surely as I haue made heauen earth so surely and truly will I call or send Christ into the earth I the Lord haue called thee in righteousnes We were all vnrighteous and so voyde of all righteousnes that of necessitie one must nedes be sent of such righteousnes that he might in our behalfe satisfy gods iustice teach vs true righteousnes and print it in our hartes This one is Christ the sonne of God in whose mouth is found no deceit he is the autor liuely paterne of al righteousnes nay he is perfect and very righteousnes it selfe he by that his most perfit righteousnes hath redemed vs most righteously from Sathans tirannicall power al other maladies God called him that he might teach vs not teach vs only but also endue vs with true righteousnes for without him there is no righteousnes I will hold thy hand and I will keepe thee Although Christ be the stone of offence and signe which is spoken against for we see Sathan and the world with all their power wisdom and hypocritical holines set thēselues ioyntly against him yea and that with such strength diligence force and violence that oftentimes the outward face of the true church appeareth miserable and semeth not able to stand and saue it self from such strōg enemies which are so forsable cunning subtill and deceitfull so that it is not much vnlike but the Gospell should be troden downe and be destroyed though I say Christ be thus spoken against yet notwithstāding shall Christ his worde with all that beleue his word persist and gloriously florish Where as the aduersaries of Christ and christians with all their subtill deuises shal be brought to extreme calamity be destroied vtterly fal horribly die miserably and perish eternally And yet doth not mans strength and power here fight against men for then the victory should be vncertayne and our state vnstable and weak but the mighty hand of God the father which createth and preserueth all things doth kepe and vphold Christ and therefore he cannot be ouercome mooued or destroyed For who shall take him out of the handes of him that made all things which is almighty and liueth for euer And this is a great comfort For the church being in this world of men so contemned with perils so indangered with rauening wolues so inuironed and with the wiles deceits subtilties crafty inuentions of the aduersary so compassed assailed And although this king lord of the catholike church came into this world as a mild doctor without any such pōpe as worldly princes vse so that the world supposeth that there is no strength power ayde or helpe for vs in him yet haue we on our side a most mighty and inuincible strength with certaine and present ayde and succor euen the right hand of the Lord which taketh vp defendeth sustaineth strengtheneth and kepeth Christ and all that beleue in Christ And I haue giuen thee for a couenaunt of my people Though Christ and his church be very contemptible and haue no beauty at all in the sight of the world yet in this haue we
Psalme the holy ghost very sweetly and comfortably setteth forth Christes ascension glorification and ample kingdome saying thus All people clap your handes sing loud vnto God with a ioyful voice for the lord is high and terrible a great king ouer all the earth God is gone vp with triumph euen the Lord with the soundes of the trumpet Sing prayses to God sing praises sing praises to our king sing praises For god is the king of all the earth Sing prayses euery one that hath vnderstāding God raigneth ouer the heathen God sitteth vpō his holy throne In this Psalme all nations are stirred vp to laud and prayse the Lord who in Christ raigneth now ouer all the world If then all these thinges ought to be accomplished through the whole earth it could not be that Christ should continue in death especially seing it was prophesied that Christ should deliuer the world out of the bandes of death himself be exalted placed in the highest type of honor glory The prophet Dauid also speaketh of the battail victory of Christ in the 68. psal telling how he ouercame death and Satan and by his mighty deuine power deliuered al thē from Satans tiranny which were his captiues ascended into heauen And this psal Paul citeth to the Ephes saying He ascended vp on high he led captiuity captiue S. Augustine here vnderstandeth by captiuity captiue euen death it selfe which held al the children of Adam as sinners in captiuity and mightily ruled ouer them yea euen ouer good christiās which lay bound and captiue vnder the yoke and captiuity of Satan but by Christs death and resurrection are deliuered and redemed Dauid saith The lord raigneth and is clothed with maiesty the lord is clothed and girded with power The world also shal be established that it cānot be moued Thy throne is established of old thou art from euerlasting the floudes haue lifted vp O lord the flouds haue lifted vp their voice the floods haue lifted vp their waues The waues of the sea are maruelous through the noise of many waters yet the lord on hie is more mighty Thy testimonies are very sure holines becommeth thy house O lord for euer Here God the holy ghost prophecieth of the kingdome of Christ to wit how Christ the king of all glory so wonderfully kepeth surely establisheth strōgly fortifieth his kingdom that it cannot fall and be ouerthrown although the sea of this world by violence and huge stormes inuade it set vpon it and seke cleane to subuert it The Iewes did all they could vpō good Friday quite to extinguish this king And now that he is risen again from the dead both Iewes Gentiles Turkes heretikes and false christians with the world and Satan al their power resist him and his kingdom They forge most impudēt and shameful lies against him they lay snares by subtleties to intrap him they fill all places with slaughter of him they assay euery way to hurt him and they doe the worst they can both by force and cunning agaynst him But though they try euery thing they shall preuayle nothing Al their deuises shal be frustrate al their trauaile shal not preuaile yea all their power shall not profite them for he died once and henceforth dieth no more Now he sitteth at the right hand of God aboue the heauens and is the euerlasting and eternall God himselfe whose throne is builded and standeth on so sure a foundation and ground worke that it cannot be moued or ouerthrown Yea the very gates of hell cannot preuail against the poore church in as much it only dependeth vpon this head Christ that glorious kyng of heauen that most sure and vnmouable rocke He which falleth on this stone shal be broken but on whomsoeuer it shall fall it will grind him to pouder Seing then the habitatiō of this king shal endure for euer it must nedes follow that he shal both liue for euer and also giue euerlasting lyfe vnto vs. Againe Dauid saith The lord raigneth let the people tremble he sitteth betwene the Cherubins let the earth be moued The Lord is great in Sion and he is high aboue all people They shall prayse thy great and fearefull name for it is holy and the kings power that loueth iudgement for thou hast prepared equitie thou hast executed iudgement and iustice in Iacob exalt the lord our God and fall downe before his footestoole for he is holy This king is Christ who ruleth the church which is the spirituall Sion thorough the whole world He hath placed his throne in a high place euen in the very heauens and all the earth is his footestoole and he ruleth for euer But Sathan and the world beyng set on euill cannot abide this And when they are not able to throwe downe Christ from the seat of his maiesty they fret and fume agaynst the godly and cruelly persecute them But for all that they cannot take away their saluation although they indeuour it neuer so much For where this king is there shall all those be also which beleue in him Therefore the vngodly cannot hurt the righteous so as may truely bee called hurting For when they kill them and take their lyues from them which to the world seemeth the greatest hurt that can be then do they most profite them For death is vnto them the gate and redy way to lyfe but the enemies of Christ and his church shal in the end be thrown vnder foote troden downe and be more vile and filthy then any rubbish dirt or dung And agayne Dauid sayth Thou wilt arise and haue mercy vpon Sion for the tyme to haue mercy theron for the appoynted tyme is come For thy seruantes delight in the stones therof and haue pity on the dust thereof Then the heathen shall feare the name of the Lord and all the kinges of the earth thy glory when the Lord shall builde vp Sion and shall appeare in his glory and shall turne vnto the prayer of the desolate and not despise their prayer This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shal be created shall prayse the Lord for he hath looked downe from the height of his sanctuary out of the heauen did the lord behold the earth that he might heare the mourning of the prisoner and deliuer the children of death In this Psalme we see how earnestly the godly Christians which were before Christes natiuitie did in feruency of prayers looke for his kingdome wherin onely or els not sinnes are pardoned and death is vanquished These true Christians desire and praye that Zion that is the church may be builded euery where and the glory of Christ seene and propagated through all the world as did Dauid Samuel and the rest of the Prophetes who with spirituall eyes saw long before that Messias should first be debased but afterward exalted and glorified through the whole world Neither were they offended at
the humility passion of Christ which of his owne free will he would suffer because they vnderstood the purpose of Gods workes to wit that he would make Christ the Lord and head of the church and that he would with great admiratiō build vp Sion the holy church through all the world They desired to see such a king and his great kingdome reuealed vnto them by the spirite yea to see hym euen with theyr corporal eyes as Christ witnesseth in Luke where he sayth Blessed are those eyes which see that ye see For I tell you that many Prophets and Kinges haue desired to see those thinges which ye see and haue not sene thē and to heare those things which ye heare and haue not heard them And agayne Dauid sayth The Lorde sayde vnto my Lord sitte thou at my right hande vntill I make thine enemies thy footestoole The Lorde shall sende the rod of thy power out of Sion thou ruler in the midst of thine enemies He shall drinke of the brooke in the way therfore shall he lift vp his head In this Psalme is a most comfortable prophesie of Christ howe hee must be placed at Gods right hande that is that he shall be exalted vnto most high glory honor dignity power But yet so that before he must drinke of that brooke that is of the cup of his passiō so by it passe into his glory Wife looke you haue this psalme in great price loue it derely for it setteth forth vnto vs two special things wherin true and sound consolation al our saluation doth consist to wit the euerlasting kingdom deuine power of Iesus Christ He sitteth at the right hande of God that is he hath all power he is most mighty all things are in his handes he is and that euen according to his blessed glorified humanity lord king of all things both in heauen and earth all things are in his subiection Therfore it well followeth that he is able to deliuer vs from all necessities calamities both temporal and eternall neither can any creature do vs harme if we bee in the kingdome of Christ by true faith Moreouer God the father assuredly promised by an othe that he would giue vs Christ to be an eternall priest Here is Christ vpon Gods othe appointed to be our priest and he is touched with the feling of our calamities no lesse then if they were his own He hath purged and taken away our sins by his owne sacrifice vpon the crosse and hath reconciled vs vnto the father yea he doth still make intercession for vs with his father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without ceasing and he teacheth geueth vs by his worde and holy spirit all things which are necessary for the obtaining of euerlasting helth and saluation Wherfore although Christ according to his humanity was the sonne of Dauid that is his sonne by flesh bloud yet neuerthelesse Dauid saith that Christ is his lord not only according to his deuine nature as he is the creator and lord of al things but also as saint Augustine sayth according to that his humaine nature glorified in which he sitteth at the right hand of god For he is the euerlasting king of Israel which truly erected and for euer established and confirmed the kingdome of Dauid Moreouer he is a true priest the true Melchisedech who only could and ought to giue that euerlasting blessing for that he is that blessed seed of Abraham in which onely we are blessed that is we are deliuered from sinne death and are iustified saued Christ in Math. putteth forth this questiō to the Pharises which were puft vp with an opiniō of their own learning saying Why did Dauid call Christ his Lord who was his sonne that is to say of his stock But althogh they semed learned vnto themselues although they swelled with the pride of their owne knowledge yet they were ignorant of this which they ought especially to haue known Again Dauid saith The lord hath prepared his throne in heauen and his kingdom ruleth ouer all And again Thy lord shal raigne for euer O Sion Thy God endureth from generation to generation Hee saith Thy lord O Sion shal rule for euer He speaketh not here of any earthly kingdom in earthly Sion but of that euerlasting Ierusalem And in the 103. Psalme he witnesseth the same where he sayth thus The lord hath prepared his throne not in Canaan but in heauen And againe All thy workes prayse thee O Lord thy saintes blesse thee they shew the glory of thy kingdom speake of thy power to cause his power to be known to the sons of mē the glorious renoume of his kingdom Thy kingdom is an euerlasting kingdom thy dominion endureth throughout all ages All these things are spokē of Christ his kingdom In the 89. Psal. the kingdom of Christ is called an heauēly kingdom where the prophet speaketh of the promise made by God vnto king Dauid in the 2. of the kinges where God promiseth that he will giue a sonne to Dauid which shal be a peculiar notable worthy excellent king a king of all kings whose kingdom shal neuer decay and wherin is forgiuenesse of sins euerlasting mercy and therfore both lyfe and helth For where sins are forgiuen there is the tiranny of death quite abolished destroied And here we haue true helth promised for this kings sake borne of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh in whom that eternall couenant of grace is made established The words of the Psalm be these I wil sing the mercies of the Lorde for euer with my mouth wil I declare thy truth from generation to generation For I sayd thy mercy shall be set vp for euer thy truth shalt thou establish in the very heauens I haue made a couenant with my chosen I haue sworne to Dauid my seruant Thy seede wil I establish for euer set vp thy throne from generation to generation Selah Righteousnesse and equity are the stablishment of thy throne mercy truth goeth before thy face blessed are the people that can reioyce in thee they shall walk in the light of thy countenance O Lord they shall reioyce continually in thy name and in thy righteousnes shall they exalt them selues for thou art the glory of their strength and by thy fauour our hornes shal be exalted For our shield appertaineth to the Lorde and our King to the holy one of Israell I haue found Dauid my seruaunt with my holy oyle haue I annointed him Therefore my hand shall be established with him and my arme shall strengthen him The enemy shall not oppresse him neither shall the wicked hurt him But I will destroy his foes before his face and plage them that hate him My truth also and my mercy shall bee with him and in my name shall his horne be exalted
true worshippers which worship and call vpon him in spirit and truth Behold the kingdome of Christ hath not any bond or limits prescribed to it The gates of heauenly Ierusalem are so broad that euery one that will may easely enter in There is no need now that any should be circūsised that is that any should come to Ierusalem to offer vp the bloud of beastes Nether is it necessary that he should be of the stock of Abraham after the flesh onely let him beleue the gospel of the power and grace of Christ and let him cal vpon Christ in al places so maye he haue enteraunce vnto the true Sion This is the most redy compendious and onely way and dore vnto Sion where the true helth and saluation of Gods grace is found This is the notable and large way of deliueraunce not onely of the Israelits according to the flesh but of al men beleuing and calling vpon Christ wheresoeuer they be Thus you read in the acts when the keper of the prison in Philippa asked Paule and Silas what he should do to obtayne saluatiō then Paule aunswered beleue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued thou and thine houshold They commaund him not to goe to the Temple in Ierusalem or Sion For the Spirituall Ierusalem was then begun to be spread abroad among the Gentiles throughout the whol world And wheresoeuer any beleue the gospell and cal vpon Christ the same are saued and are in the spirituall Ierusalē that is in the Church of the faythfull and haue one true God one sauiour one teacher one spirite one fayth and one hope with all the saints in the world Ioell in his 3. chapiter also amongest other thinges prophesieth of the true and spirituall Ierusalem to wit of the Church of the faythful saying thus The Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the Children of Israell So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Sion my holy moūtaine then shall Ierusalem be holy and there shall no strāgers go through her any more And straight way followeth But Iuda shall dwell for euer and Ierusalem from generation to generation For I will clense their bloud that I haue not clensed and the Lord will dwell in Sion Here we see that though the Church of Christ be persecuted with many and bloudy enemies yet shall that continew for euer and that those which hurt the christians but euen lightly shall not escape scotfree but Christ will punish them and him selfe abide in Sion This prophecy to wit that God himselfe will alway dwell in Sion that is the Church of Christ is often times repeated of the prophets and it hath more comfort and consolation in it then hart can thinke Saint Paule alleged this promise as an vnuincible fortresse for a cōfort for himselfe and for the church in al afflictions saying If God be on our side who can be against vs. As if he should say the kingdome of Christ the spirituall Ierusalem is strong enough and sufficiently well fensed it neede not feare any foe for the Lord himselfe dwelleth in it and who then can ouercome it What is this whol world what are all the deuils in hell what are al the tyrants in the earth what are all creatures in the worlde in respect of God surely nothing but weake wormes flyes and gnats ¶ Anna. Now followeth Amos. What doth he prophecie of Christ and his kingdome ☞ Vrb. He prophesyeth of Christ in his 9. chapter and he calleth him the Tabernacle of Dauid Because Christ was born of the stock of Dauid and he calleth him a fallen tabernacle for he speaketh according to the opinion of the Iewes For while the Iewes were now and then captiues and dispersed afflicted and while the promise of Messias which was that he shold come of the stock of Dauid was in their opinion protracted and long delayd they greatly regarded it not but for the most part despysed it as though God wold not performe it Yea after the captiuity of Babylon when Christ his comming drew neare and those seuēty weekes of yeares which Danyell speaketh of drew towardes their end the famely of Dauid fell in decay and was cleane without power and honor So that thē it was neither esteemed nor regarded and al men thought that Messias that great king of Israell could not rise of that stock For the parents of Christ dwelled not in Bethelem in Iuda in the citie of Dauid or at Ierusalem in Sion but in Nazareth a citie of Galiley so that the house of Dauid and Messias who was promysed to come of Dauid seemed vnto the Iewes a ruinous tabernacle quite fallen down When therfore it came to pas that Christ was born in Bethelem the citie of Dauid the tabernacle of Dauid was restored and that kingdome which was promysed should rise of his seed was then perfectly erected and that which before seemed fallen ruinous and destroyed was then at the last repayred and amended and that promise which was made to Dauid to wit that his seed should raign and rule in his throne was then mightely fulfilled And the Thargum saith that Christ his kingdome is promised by this tabernacle of Dauid and doubt ye not but that this exposition of Ionathas is good and true These are his wordes Akin Iath malcuta debeth Dauid that is I will raise vp the kingdome of Dauids house that is the kingdome of Christ But marke this although Dauids kingdome before was mighty so that he ruled not onely ouer the 12. tribes of Israell but also ouer the Idumites Sirians Moabites Philistines and other nations moe yet was all that his gouernmēt but a ripe of the true Dauid Christ Iesus and his euerlasting kingdome nay being compared vnto Christes kingdome all his kingdome was but as decayed broken and shaken ruinous and torne tabernacle But when Christ came then was the horne or kingdome of Saluation erected in the house of Dauid and that kingly throne of Dauid was then geuen to the true king For Christ by the gospell calleth all the tribes of Israell into his spirituall kingdome and he called the gētiles through the whole world by his Appostles that both the Iewes and Gentiles might receaue this sone of Dauid acknowledge him for their kinge and that he be king ouer all men from sea to sea The most mighty Lord in all the world euen the Lord of all creatures And this is the stopping vp and repairing of the falne and rent tabernacle and this is the restoring strengthning of the thinges which were decayed therin Now heare the wordes of the prophecy In that day will I rayse vp the tabernacle of Dauid that is fallen downe and close vp the breaches therof and I will rayse vp his ruines and I wil build it as in the dayes of ould that they may possesse the remnant of Edom and of all the heathen
dispaire not and fly and fall away in persecution He reproued the corporall Israell the Iewes before in the 11. chap. somewhat sharply where he sayd I wil not feed you But vnto some that is vnto the remnant he made promise to keep them saying The poore of the sheep that wayted vpon me knew that it was the word of the Lord. These remnantes and afflicted sheepe are now that true Israel vnto whome the Lordes promises of comfort are auaileable These are they which in this world are tossed with many and strange afflictions and yet are not ouercome or ouerwhelmed of euil but are deliuered from all their misery and are made euen stronger in persecution vnder the crosse That burden doth signify a prophesie which prophecieth of some greuous burdenous and heauy thing as is the crosse and persecution comming vpon the godly which to the weake flesh is burdensome and heauy And the prophet to the end he may better and liuelyer comfort them sendes his auditors vnto the first article of fayth to wit creation geuing vnto the Lord a notable and worthy title to the end the godly may in their trouble be strengthened in fayth and thinke thus truely the Lord in whose hands the hole world is who is most mighty in all necessitie and a deliuerer out of all dangers is with vs. He hath created all thinges and he feedeth and cherisheth all thinges Wherefore no creature can do any more vnto vs then that omnipotēt Lord and creator of all thinges geueth them leaue He calleth Ierusalem the cup of poyson Meaning the Apostles and primatiue church gathered together by the Apostles These were of no account so that the Iewes and Gentiles which were their enemies thought that they might easely destroy such a pore companye and thought that they were scarse an euening draught But what doth the Lord he putteth that small company into a cup which maketh these their persecutors stumble and when they thinke that they can drinke thē vp at one draught they are made so mad and foolish that they stumble fall lyke drunken men This thing was fulfilled when the Iewes and gentiles set themselues so ragingly agaynst the Apostles and their scollers that at the last they perished fell whereof some were conuerted by the gospell and of enemies became frendes fell to their saluation but some fell vtterly to their euerlasting destruction for their hatred and malice conceaued against the godly By and by after He calleth Ierusalem the heauy stone vnto all people For Ierusalem that is the Apostles and faythfull Christiās shall not be suppressed but their persecutors shall fall from me in grace that they also may become faythful Christiās and some in indignation that they may remaine obdurat work their owne destruction For how soeuer they afflict or destroy the Church of God casting it wittingly and willingly aside as an vnprofitable stone out of this world yet can they not take that cleane away but kill and destroy themselues while they go about to remoue that stone And these wordes following do witnes that he speaketh of afflictiō All the people of the earth shall be gathered together agaynst it Christ himselfe told this to his disciples before in Iohn saying The world hateth you if they haue persecuted me they will persecute you also And agayne Whosoeuer killeth you will thinke that he doth God seruice You shall weepe and lament and the world shall reioyce and in the world ye shall haue affliction But the Lord hath promised your deliueraunce saying Be of good cheare I haue ouercome the world In me ye shall haue peace and yoer sorrow shall be turned into ioy And in Iohn it is sayd My sheepe shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand my Father which gaue thē me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my fathers handes I and my Father are one The same thing also doth Zach. here promise In that day sayth the Lord I will smite euery horse with stunishmēt that is all strength and power which riseth agaynst the Church of Christ shall be able to do nothing but they shall be confounded The world is still in armour agaynst the Church and they do all they can agaynst it and they haue bent all their force against it but all in vaine For where are now Nero and Domitian those mighty outragious enemies of the Church those gentiles which haue persecuted so many of the godly you see that which Zac. sayth here is and shall be daly fulfilled And note that the prophet here describeth the kingdome of Christ to be a kingdome which lyeth in this worlde vnder the crosse It is not therefore a worldly kingdome for then should it in the world be magnified and haue great wealth pompe power and maiestie and defend it selfe with strength of arme and armour as others do but the lord only is her fortitude tower fortresse and bulwarkes as it followeth I will open or set my eyes vpon Ierusalem that is I will keepe the Apostles and faythfull Christiās which shall be after them euen as a father still in my sight will I keepe them and I will be with them in all necessities I wil blind fatuate their persecutors so that all their coūsels agaynst the godly shall be quite frustrate The world shall shew all hir suttilty and power against the poore church of Christ but faythful Christians shal not take vp to thē corporal armour against their enemies but the Apostles and doctors shall cōfort thēselues and others vnder the crosse with the word of God and sweete promises of Christ Iesus our lord For Christ sake they shall both willingly and cherefully beare the crosse and they shall be content with it For the comforter the holy ghost doth conserue and comfort them by his word And this consolation of the Princes of Iuda that is of the doctors and teachers shall be of such effect that euen lyke vnto fier they shall with the wood burne and deuoure many which be about them and they shall conuert many persecutors and gentiles and bring them to the kingdome of Christ And although all nations set themselues against Ierusalem yet shall that heauenly Ierusalem the Church still abide where it is become most populous but he sayth in his place to signifie therby that he speaketh not of the corporall Ierusalem but of the Church which shall abide there where it is or wheresoeuer els it shall be in the whole world ¶ Anna. Wherefore doth Zach. make a difference in the wordes following betwixt Iudah and the house of Dauid and Ierusalem seeing they are the onely people of God to wit faythfull Christians ☞ Vrba He will there by teach vs that there is no difference nor respect of persons in the church but that all the faythfull Christians are all one in Christ Iesus as
children neither could it be thought that of them should come such a famous people Notwithstanding it came so to pas that this seed was so multiplyed that it was like the sand of the sea according to the promise of the lord And so though the litle flock of Gods people in this world be as a desolate barrain and only widow in comparison of the great number of the vngodly yet shall it come to pas that thou shalt increase grow and be exceeding famous For although thou hast in this world many enemies which do all they can and imploy themselues totally to subuert thee to root thee out and to ouerthrow thee yet can they not hurt thee Their councels and deuises shall all be frustrate yea they them selues how great soeuer they be are nothing nay much les then nothing For the moth shall eat them as a garment and the worme shall consume them like a vesture but my righteousnes remayneth and abideth for euer from generation to generation Yea and he addeth a saying that is ful of comfort The Lord shal comfort Syon he shall comfort all her desolations and he shall make her desert like Eden and her wildernes like the garden of the lord Ioy and gladnes shall be found therin praise and the voyce of singing Which is to say although the church be like vnto Abraham solitary and forsaken yet shall she be blesssed and florish like as a most pleasaunt garden And therfore we ought in no wise to be offended at the base estate of Christ and his former comming or at the homely state of the church while she walketh in this crooked world like to a pilgrim And a litle after in the same chap. the Lord speaketh to his people I euen I am he that comforteth you This is a greate and worthy mistery for we vnderstand here Christes humanitye as if he should say my seruants the prophets haue much and diuersly hetherto comforted you but yet came not that true comfort of Israell Now therfore will I far otherwise comfort you and that much more liuely and in greater aboundance then before For now euen I my selfe will come in mine own person and comfort Sion This came to pas when Christ was made man and liued among men For he sent not a Prophet or an Angel but he himself at the fulnes of time came in the flesh that he might comfort vs in the flesh Those two discyples plainly felt that comfort on Easter day when God him selfe in mans nature glorifyed and reuiued them and cheered vp their heuy harts by the scriptures And Esay saith further Arise put on thy strength O Syon c. And here again doth the prophet comfort gods people making them promise of Christ their redeemer as if he should say goe to Sion thou which art so often afflicted and troubled thou which art now prisoner vnto thy enemies and now again set free and yet afterward captiue and laid wast so that thou maist truely be called most miserable and wretched Now reioyce Now be glad and leap for ioy for thy miseries shal once haue end For I promise thee a better and more blessed state in time to come Hethertowards thou hast bene for a time redeemed from thy enemies and for a tyme thou hadst tranquility and wast afterward afflicted agayn But now thou shalt enioy at last sound consolation which shall neuer decay after which no captiuity or destructiō shal follow Wherfore put all heauines from thy hart be of good courage and awake for the time wil once come wherin thou shalt truly be set at fredome And thus the prophet speaketh of that euerlasting deliueraunce which we haue in Christ who hath vanquished our enemies by whom we were afflicted and vexed in captiuity and hath deliuered vs from them and restored vs to our old fredome and all this he did of his own mere grace cleane without our desert though it cost him euen the best chiefest and most precious humain thing he had For he offered vp his body for a sacrifice and shed his most precious bloud for our redemption that thereby he might put away our sinnes ouercome death and vanquish and destroy hel And by these works of his euerlasting and infinite person he obtayned for vs euerlasting redemption Sion the spirituall citie is vexed and troubled because it is constrayned to harborow and beare the vngodly It can in no wise paciently suffer such griefe and blasphemies against god and his name Therfore God by the prophet promiseth that the vncircumcised and vnclean that is the vnbeleuers whose hartes in Christ Iesus are not purified nor cleansed but hate the church of God shall not haue their habitation there But this thing in this world is done spiritually For whosoeuer beleeueth not in Christ yea though he sit in Peters chaire or were head of the church as Annas and Caiphas were in the Sinagogue and other many wicked Iewes which would be counted righteous yet is he no member of true Syon that is of the Church for he hath not the spirite of Christ and how then can Christ be hys head or he his member for such a one is without the communion of saynts But at the day of redemption when Christ shal come to geue sentence then at the last shall all the wicked infidels and false Christians be euen corporally seperated from the faythfull Then shall Sion be most beautifull and delectable when all which shall dwell in her shall put on their wedding garments then shall the Church be clean without blot or wrinkle and then he which hath not on his wedding garment shall with his hands and feet fast bound be cast into vtter darcknes In the meane tyme Sion in outward apparance hath a heuy countenance because we wander yet in this flesh and because the old man is not yet mortifyed and because sathan and the world doe iniury vs persecute vs and torment vs and because tirants vexe and trouble vs with the doctrine and traditions of men But we must not sleep in security we must rise and lift vp our selues and shake of slouthfulnes And although with our body we cannot come vnto that wished marke and full perfection yet in hart we must aspire fly vp to Christ our redeemer as Paule teacheth to the Philip. saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our conuersation is in heauen Moreouer we must still stand in our freedome which Christ by his pretious and inestimable price wrought for vs And we must by pure and vnspotted faith cleaue closely in all we can to Christ and cast the bonds of humain traditions quite and clean out of our consciences that so Christ may rule in our harts otherwise we shall neuer be able to stand And then the prophet speaketh of a twofold captiuity and transmigration The first is corporall when as they were most miserable captiues in Egipt and afterward amongst the Assirians and Caldeans who at that time
were more cruel and deadly enemies to god then the Iewes were and therfore vnworthy to trouble and vex the children of God at their pleasure But now for the second The Lord by his prophet saith you are yet miserably afflicted and trobled For they which rule ouer my people to wit the pharisies and saduces and such like make them by tormenting and excruciating their consciences so to houle lament and mourn that the corporall captiuity was much more easy then this spirituall bondage of their soules And therfore I wil make an end of this butcherly tirannye which they exercised in their conscience and I will call and congregate my people to my self that they may know my name because that I only am their iustifier and redeemer But when shal this be he answereth in that day that is at the former comming of Christ He goeth on therfore saying Loe I my self wil speak Here God promyseth again his humanity For whē the sonne of god was made man and liued here on this earth it was in a strange maner and such as before was not heard of to wit he was here as true man and did speak himself and he who before had spoken and talked with man by his angels and prophets is now euen in his own person present a true teacher who alone is to be heard of vs euen as the father hath commaunded in Mathew saying heare him And what this teacher speaketh he perfourmeth in deede ¶ Anna. What be hys words What speaketh he He is a notable personage or messēger therfore out of doubt hys wordes must needes be notable excellent ¶ Vrb. He came to preach as Paul faith to the Ephesians peace vnto vs and to tell vs that God for hys sake doth forgeue vs our sins and will neuer herafter be angry with vs but still continue our mercifull father this eternall peace which he speaketh of is surely that ioyful gladsome desired message and most true gospel it selfe And therefore he sayth O how beautifull amiable are the feet of those that preach the gospel or that bring that good and ioyfull message of eternall peace from heauen Christ hym self as the minister of circumcision preached to the Iewes his fathers mercy which is freely geuen vs And he commaunded hys Apostles to preach this ioyfull message or Gospell of eternall peace and saluation yea he preacheth it yet by his ministers which he endueth with the holy ghost that so they may vnderstād the scriptures and instruct others in thē Here you see that the spirituall kingdome is not erected and stablished by corporal armour but by the Gospell for the preachers do nothing els in the pulpet but declare the grace of God and eternal saluation in Christ Iesus saying in times past Sathan came mightely raigning in this world but now O Sion commeth a stronger euē thy God which is a king Christ Iesus who hath ouercome both Sathā and the world He is the mightiest of al he ruleth ouer all and therfore no creatures can hurt thee to wit vs the church so long as we abide vnder the protectiō and defence of this omnipotent prince for this king is God him selfe The Apostles were Watchmen or seers which so exalted their voyce that the whole world was filled with their wordes They also receaued great comfort and reioysed that Christ our sauiour himselfe was come to saue vs and deliuer vs and it was also visibly seene and known that this king did conuert Sion and yet he vsed no violence or tyranny in his gouernment in Syon For sometime he went vp to Ierusalem and sometime he came down from Ierusalem and all as a pilgrime or straunger But he so conuerted Sion to wit his people by the Gospel so that they cast away all their errors and left their sinnes and led righteous and godly lyues yea the spirit and word of Christ wrought all miracles and that so mightely that he atchieued and did that with a word that the whole world could not do with all their strength and riches Hys kingdom is amiable and wonderful he biddeth Ierusalem that is his people reioyce and with one consent gloriously set forth and boast of that so great and wonderful mercies of their god And he calleth Ierusalem a desart or desolate place because the people of God was then small and of no countenance But now the chiefest cause of their ioy is this that their comfort is now presēt with them for that Lord himself cōforteth hys people redemeth them out of extreme horrible and euerlasting calamities He hath sent his onely begottē sonne whome he calleth the arme of God that is his power strength fortitude And it was his pleasure to make him perfectly knowne to all nations by the Gospell that all nations of the earth might see the saluation of our God that is Iesus Christ who was nothing knowne before amongst the Gentiles For the Iewes onely were the people that looked for him none els ¶ Anna. What sayth Esay of Christ in the 53. Chapter which you alway call the golden chapiter and commend so greatly that you would haue all men to haue it at their fingers ends and in their memories ☞ Vrba Hetherto you haue heard of the spirituall kingdome of Christ vnder the crosse and therwithall the notable and worthy comfort which the Church receiueth to wit that all beleuers in Christ shall in him haue full deliueraunce and after the end of these troubles receaue euerlasting ioye But Esay in this Chapiter telleth vs by what meanes our king Christ hath obtayned for vs and geuen vs such wonderfull thinges to wit full deliueraunce from all euill an euerlasting kingdome continuall peace heauenly ioye and eternall saluation and he prophesieth very playnly of the passion resurrection and glory of Christ wherunto he should enter through his passion the wordes of the prophesie are these Behold my seruaūt shall prosper he shal be exalted and extolled and be very high As many were astonied at thee his visage was so deformed of men and his forme of the sonnes of men so shall he sprinckle many nations The kinges shall shut their mouthes at him for that which had not bene told them shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they vnderstand Who will beleue our report and to whome is the arme of the Lord reuealed but he shall growe vp before him as a braunche and as a roote out of a dry ground he hath neither forme nor beautye whē we shall see him there shal be no forme that we should desire him he is despised and reiected of men he is a man full of sorrowes and hath experience of infirmities we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we estemed him not Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes yet we did iudge him as plaged and smitten of God and humbled But