all the Enemies of God his woorde people Religion to leaue their wickednes and to comforte the good manfully too beare their madnes and patiently to loke for Gods goodnes LIke as in Aggeus my endeuor and purpose was that those that feare the Lorde shoulde be sturred vp to an earnest buyldinge of Gods house louinge of his woorde and maintaininge of true religion so in this shorte Prophete my trauall and meaninge is that the wicked vnderstanding how vainly they stryue with all their witte power policie against the poore simple innocent crucified Christ Iesus the almighti sonne of the liuing God the wisedome and power of God his father might cease their raginge madnes and not onelye that but also howe they shal be ouerthrowen in their owne deuises that they imagine against true Christians the misticall members of his body and churche or againste hys woord and religion as all their fathers haue bene frome the beginninge whose steppes they folow in hating and persecuting gods people Their stomackes be stout theyr pollices great their might is stronge their wittes are wile yea all the worlde is on their side yet in the ende they shall serue dastards ignorant helples witles and misers for as the wise man sais ther is no wisedom politie nor counsell againste the Lorde The more wisdom subtiltie strengthe or power that a man hais the more he hais it to hys owne destruction if he haue it not and vse it too the glory of God and comfort of hys people For as wylde beastes the more fearce and cruel that they be the more it harmes them and causes men to hunt and seke wais how too destroy them so the more that the wicked set vp theÌ„ selfes against the Lorde and oppresse hys people the readyer iâ— God to help and deliuer his and ouerthrowe the other Can they finde any rebels againste God hys woorde and people from the beginninge too thys day that hais preuailed agaynst the Lorde and hys chosen folke If there be none as it is mooste true none to be how can they loke to be the firste Why maye not true Christians boldely saye with Dauid than Why do the Heathen freate and fume and the people imagine vain thinges againste the Lorde and his anointed saying â–ª let vs brust in sunder their bondes and cast their yoke awaye froÌ„ vs. But it folowes he that dwels in the heauens will mocke them and the Lord will laughe them too scorne In the twoo first sinnes of Adam and soo orderly in al ages to these dayes it appeares how the wicked continually malice persecute the good but to the burt of theym selues and the prayse of the godly Cain killed his brother Abel thought he should haue ben blameles but Abels innocent bloude and suche like cried vengeance on Cain hys folowers from that daye to this and the righteous God reuenges it dayly and at length wil coÌ„demne the obstinate vtterly C ham mocked hys father Noe and hys seede the Canaanites persecuted Gods people the Iewes that came of Sem his brother therefore his posteritie was accursed of God to the worlds ende The proude Giants with their captain Nimrod buylding the tower of Babell to get them selues a name in earth were ouerthrowen in their owne deuise by God from heaueÌ„ Carnal Ismael sought to destroy the promysed Isaac but in vain Bloudy EdoÌ„ or Esau whom thys Prophete describes sought the deathe of his brother Iacob but the God of Abraham their father saued them Ioseph was solde into Egipt by hys brether and by the false accusinge of his maysties was wrongefully prysoned yet hee that sittes on hygh looked doune to the lowe dungeon of the pryson and raised Ioseph to be ruler and sauer of the lande The Egiptians oppressed Gods people for a tyme but the Lord of hostes drouned Fharao and hys companye for their crueltye againste them the frowarde people murmuringe often againste their captain Moyses some were swalowed vp with earth quick some burned with fire The Philistians and seuen nations rounde aboute Gods flocke kepte continual warre against them yet they coulde neuer deuoure them but were deuoured at the length Saul and hys flatterers banisshed and pursued poore Dauid whome his God of a shepeherde made a kynge mauger all his foes The ten tribes of Israel with their kyngs were enemies to Iuda Beniamin euermore yet though they were the stroÌ„ger mo in number thei were soner rooted oute The Chaldes Assirians PersiaÌ„s Grecians and Romaines the mightiest princes on the earth oft subdued the Iewes forsakinge theyr God but the Lorde their olde sauiour euer restored them agayne when they fought him vnto thei vtterly refused Christ their sauiour The Iewes crucified Christ Iesus oure Lorde thrust hym to the heart with a speare buried hym and layed a heauy stoone on hym thinkinge he should neuer ryse agayne a conqueror but in vain was all theyr spite and their labor lost Themperour many yeares cruellye tormented all that beleued in the Lord fondly thinkinge to haue by that meaneâ— ouerthrowen them The Pope in processe of time conquered almoste al princes except the Gretians vnto of late the Lord opening the eyes of some brake hys snares and deliuered hys folke MoÌ„kes and Ereres by mans traditions woulde haue ouerwhelmed true religion Papistes of late haue banisshed burned and persecuted many godly men so cruelly as no history speakes of the like thys thousande yeare willing to haue feared all frome euer acknowledging their Lord Christe Many Heretikes haue laboured to haue defaced Goddes truthe but al is in vain God his name bee praysed therefore hais ouerthrowen them in their highest ruffe laughed them to scorne and raised vppe that whiche they would most gladly haue vtterly oppressed â–ª For as death and the graue could not preuaile against Christ our head no more shall it against his bodye and members As Nimrod therefore Pharao Ieroboam Nebucadnezar Darius Alexander with all their kyngdoms and partakers be now vainquished and subdued by the Turke the Sophi and the Souldan priester Iohn other Heathen princes their couÌ„tries made wast strauÌ„gers possesse them their religion altered froÌ„ euill to wors their cytyes townes and temples as the Prophetes did tell afore are made dennes of wilde beastes owles other filthy byrds so sence christ that which Emperors maÌ„fullly coÌ„quered the pope by subtiltie deuoured made him selfe a prince of princes but now by the power of Gods woorde preached he is made a laughing stocke to al thosâ— whose eyes the Lord hais opened to see his abominations and all realmes that afore feared hym â–ª now God visiting hys people fal from hym For as the woodbinde leaning to a tree climbes vp spreades it selfe ouer all the branches vnto it haue ouergrowen and kylled the hole tree as a stroÌ„g â—eady streame vndermining great hygh bankes at length makes all to tumble intoo the water and wasshes it awaye so
man will see his house pulled doune ouer his head but he will restore it A good burgmaister and ruler of a citie will prouide necessaries for his that he hais rule ouer therfore seinge our God hays taken all these names and offices on him doubt not but he will doe his part for vs if wee doe not runne from him He settes not deputies to doe his office nor is not wery of well doinge He beares not the name of these offices and refuses the labor as men doe but he sais by Salomon My delite is to be with the chyldren of men and by Dauid he neither slumbers nor slepes that watches Israel verse 17 But in the hyll Syon shal be eschaping and there shall be holines and the house of Iacob shall possesse the enheritaunce of them which possessed hys verse 18 And the house of Iacob shall be fire the house of Ioseph the flame and the house of Esau for stuble shal burne them and shall deuoure thē and there shal be no remnant of the house of Esau for the Lorde hays spoken it verse 19 They shall possesse the south parte of the hyll Esau the playne countrie of the Philistines and they shall possesse the countre of Ephraim and the coūtrie of Samaria Bēiamin shall possesse Galaad verse 20 And the captiuite of this hoste of the chyldrē of Israel those whiche be the Cananites vnto Zarphat and the captiuitie of Ierusalem whiche be in Sepharad shall possesse the cytyes of the South verse 21 And there shall come sauiours in to the hyll Syon to iudge the hyl Esau and the kyngdome shall be the Lords ¶ Marke here the diuerse ende of the good and bad the persecuted and the persecutor the true Christian and the hypocrite the gospeller and the papiste The wicked florishes for a time but his ende is euerlastinge damnation the manne of God lokinge for an other kyngdome than on the earth is content to beare the crosse here vnder hope of that which is to come The stocke of Esau hays hitherto triumphed againste Iacob Goddes people but now whan his wickednes is ripe the Lord rewarde him accordinge to his desertes The hyll Esau afore reioiced in his strōg holdes wealthy countrie and the leages made with al neighbors round about thē but now in the hill Sion shall be safe esscapinge whan Edom shal haue no place to flee vnto In Sion that is Ierusalem and Goddes elect beloued people shall be holines the true worshipping of God the hole sanctuarie and temple where Gods holy name shall be called vpon where as Esau in the meane time is defiled with Idolatrie and geuen vp to the handes of the gentils Yea and furthermore Iacob shal possesse the lande of them that possessed his And although God haue promised to godlines not onely in the worlde to come but in this life also great blessings as appeares by Iob Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid Iosias Ezechias Iosaphat whiche were of greate ryches yet this place doe I not thinke to be so vnderstand that Iacob should euer possesse the landes of Esau although the scriptur says that Dauid Iacob ouercame the Edomites But I think rather vnder this outward kingdom to be prophetied that the kyngdom of Christ as the Prophetes vse by worldlye prosperite to declare the spiritual felicite by the preachinge of the Gospell shoulde be enlarged in those coūtries which were now enemies to God and his people and so the spirituall seede of Iacob the Christians shoulde by preachinge conferre and possesse Esau his lande and the gentyls whiche so sore hated and persecuted them afore This is the nature of Goddes people to be good to the◠which hate them and to winne them all to God which haue done them moste displeasures and this is the nature of God to cal thē which be hys vtter enemies soften their stony hearts to make theym meete houses for the holy ghoste to dwel in in the middest of their raging persecution to smite them doune as he did Saul raise them vp make thē Paules of wolues sheepe of haters louers of the truthe Thus shall Esau be destroied whan his Idolatrie superstitiō false goddes such wickednes shall be taken awaye and Iacob shall possesse him whan he shal turne him too the true worshipping of the liuing god forsaking their Idols superstitions and folow true religion What can be counted a greater conquest than to conquere the deuil make all people subiect to Christ. After rebukinge their sinne threatening them iuste punishment for thesame now folowes cōfort as euer after the lawe preached folowes the gospel after correction comes grace pardō Siō is the church congregation of Christe faithfull men beleuing in him so that whosoeuer flees thither shal be safe whosoeuer is not vnder his winges in the nūber of christen people shal perishe in the dai of his wrath As all liuing creatures which were not in the Arke with Noe did perishe with the waters so al that be not of goddes houshold shal be cast into outward darknes This other promise that God makes here vntoo the faithfull seede of Iacob that hays hys faith is most notable confortable In the hyl Sion the church of Christ there shal be the holy one as 70. reade or holines as other or the sanctuarye as summe holy place to worship God in purely It skilles not muche whiche we reade for the sens◠is al one the meaning is that the churche and faithful people of Christ shal not wāt the true religion knowledge of god For the church of Christ is the spouse of Christ and his mistical bodye and if mortal men loue their wyues bodies so derelye that they wil not forsake them or leaue theim comfortles muche lesse will Christe oure sauiour not forsake vs after that he hays redemed vs seing he bought vs and loue vs so derely beinge hys ennemies Thys is than the greatest token of goddes loue to hys people whanne he gyues them hys true religion and therefore mooste earnestly too bee enbraced of vs And thys is the blessinge taken frome Esau and geuen to Iacob If we reade the holy one he is Christe whiche promised to bee with vs to the ende of the worlde he is made to vs of God oure father righteousnes holines wisedom and redemption because that who soeuer is holy receyues it of him and none is holy that hais it not of him though he haue bulles calues pardons reliques holy water holye asshes holy palmes holy crosse yea and all the holines that is in Rome if he haue not the spirite of Christe I am sure they will not saye they sell the holy Ghoste whan they sell pardons for that were symony therfore thei bye no holines in them If we reade holines than it is an vpright lyfe true faith with pure worshipping of God This is the wil of God says sainct
than but he woulde geue place to a priestes cappe and now who regardes the best preacher ye haue O what a condemnacion shall this be to al such as haue the whip of gods correctioÌ„ in their hande to se the wicked so diligeÌ„t and earnest in their doinges to set vp Antichrist and Christian rulers and officers of al sortes hauing the whip of correction in their hande both by gods lawe and the Princes so coldely behaue them selues in settinge vp the kingdom of Christ that neither they giue good example theym selues in diligente prayinge and resorting to the church nor by the whippe of dyscipline driue others thitherward Where apperes in any christians in these our dayes this earnest zele of Christ to promote gods glory by suche correction that we maye say we be his folowers I feare rather that Christ of whoÌ„ we more talke than diligently folowe or earnestly loue for this cold slacknes that he sees in vs will say vnto vs. Bicause ye be neither hote nor colde I will spue you out of my mouthe Wo be to that Realm where god is compelled to take the whip in hand to punish sinne bicause the rulers will not great shal be the plage thereof Phinees turned awaye gods anger from his people bicause so zelously he auenged gods quarell and punished that wickednesse which other wincked at Dauid seing gods glory defaced and his enemies so contemptuouslye to forget the lawe of the lorde was so greued that he said The earnest loue that hee bare towarde God made him to pine awaye bicause his ennemies had forgotten the worde of God Elias fleing from cruell Iesabell thretninge to kill him bicause he had destroied Baals priestes liued in wyldernesse desired he might die for he was wery of his life to see how manye were fallen to Idolatrye how few or none as he thought worshipped truly the liuing god Though Iehu was a euil man otherwaies yet god gaue him a worldly blessing and commeÌ„ded him for his earnest zele in rooting out the posterity of Achab pulling down Baall and his sacrificinge priestes makinge a common Iakes of the house where they worshipped him S. Paule seing the Corinthians rather reioysinge then lamentinge or punishinge that filthinesse committed amonge them that one of theym had defiled his stepmother wrytes vnto them rebukes al theÌ„ sharply bicause they did not correct him and willes them al to assemble them selues in the name of god to excomminicate and geue him to Sathan that had done this wickednes not to eat and drinke with him that he might be ashamed repent and amend So whereas this great zele and loue towarde god and his house buildinge standes either in correcting euill and lamenting the defacing of gods glorye or els in wisshinge and doing good therto and fortheringe it to our powers for the first part to be earnestlye folowed these fewe examples shall serue for the other there be so manye that it is harder to tell where to ende then where to beginne Moyses in the wildernesse wyllinge to make a Tabernacle and place where the people should resort to worship their god had the Princes and people so liberall to offer and bringe to the makinge thereof golde siluer precious stones silke purple heare iron brasse and timber of all sortes such plentye that they would haue geuen more then neded Dauid earnestly desiringe to builde a house for the Lord if god would haue suffered him lefte his son Salomon so great plenty of al things necessary to that buildinge in a readines that he finished that costly building in seuen yeares Good king Cirus restored again to Gods people al that couetous Nabucho had robbed from them Cirus Darius Artaxerxes and hys Princes gaue out of their treasures to the buildinge of the temple and maintenaunce of their sacrifices according to the lawe of Moyses sufficientlye that they myght pray for the king his children the common wealth Constantinus the firste worthelye called magnus a Chrystyan Emperour gaue great liberty â—â— the Bishoppes and other ministers Iustinianus Theodosius Carolus magnus Ludouicus Pius c. augmented and encreased the same with landes and lawes This zeale and earnest loue to build gods house and punishe sin was in our fathers this liberality was in Princes and rulers that vnderstoode not gods benefites and mercies so plentifully as we do They pacified gods wrath in correcting sinne we prouoke his plages with heapinge vp of sinne They were greued and wery of their liues when they see Gods enemies despise his worde we winke and cloke it we laugh and smile at it and thinke it not to be a fault They were offended if wickednesse were vnpunished and the partye not ashamed that sinned and we be offended if any man go about to see it punished or the offendour ashamed They were liberall in geuinge relieuinge maintaining the ministery we are greedy in snatching and plucking away from them They were ready to defende with priuileges the ministers that they shoulde not be withdrawen from doing their dutie and we bind them to such clogges that they can not do their dutye They restored all that was taken from them and we study daily how to get more from them When I compare these doinges together and see howe good successe the one had and gods Church was gloriouslye builded that waye bothe vnder the law the gospell it makes me to quake when I loke what shall fall vpon vs going so farre cleane contraryway Surelye both they and we go not in the right way The lord for his crucified Christes sake which came downe from the bosom of his father to teache vs to builde him a house here that afterward we might raigne in glory with him there graunt vs all in all degrees from the higheste to the lowest suche an earneste simple loue to the true buildinge of hys house as the Prophete here teaches vs that vprightly we might walke the right way that he hath gone afore vs. If the Prince and nobylitye will maintaine that honorable estate that god hath called them to and auoyde the bondage of forreine powers If the Bishoppes and clergie will feede Gods people with the liuely foode of oure soules gods doctrine and discipline and not with mannes inuentions If the people will trulye serue God and obey their prince flee from Idolatrye escape gods plagues let vs iointly together earnestly abhorre poperie correct sinne turne vnto the Lord delight in his worde reuerence his ministers be diligent in prayer that we maye be liuelye stones mete for his building and become the temples of the holy ghoste where he with the father and the sonne .iii. persons and one god may dwell and be praysed I. P. L. C. D. My earnest loue to God hath pined me away because my enemies haue forgotten thy wordes Psalm 119. I haue bene earnestlye zelous for the Lord god of hostes because they haue forsaken thy couenaunt
suffered to reade them selues But it is true that saincte Ihon sayeth he that doeth euill hateth the light and will not come to the light leaste his euill doinges be reproued And this too be true their coÌ„mon sayinges declare when they sayde it was neuer good worlde since euery shoomaker coulde tell the priestes duty They were ashamed of their faultes therfore woulde haue you in blindnes styll that ye shoulde see neither youre own faultes nor tell them of theirs for that speciallye they can not abide But oure good God whan he blessed his people and offereth his pardons he sendes manye teachers open diuers waies to learne and 〈◊〉 he is most angry he takes away his worâ— that they shall not see how to amend aâ— Amos sayeth I will sende a hunger vntâ— the earth not a hunger of bread but of the woorde of God that they shall seke it 〈◊〉 East to West and not finde it Therforâ— they whiche take awaie his woorde or be hinderers therof are nothing els but inâ—struments of his wrath and gods 〈◊〉 to his people And that they should the more diligeÌ„tly marke the message which he broughte 〈◊〉 tels them in whose name he spake saith the Lord of hostes spake those wordes 〈◊〉 as the Hebrewe is Iehoua whiche is aâ— muche to saye as that god of mighte maiesty and power whiche hath his beinge â— substaunce of hym selfe and by whome aâ— other thinges stande and be and without whome all thinges fall to nothinge if he do not vpholde them he speaks these wordes The other worde ioyned with all wheÌ„ he cals him the god of hostes is a word of feare and reuereÌ„ce as Iehoua is a name of loue and power so that if either they loued hym as a father and God of power or els feared him as a Lord and maister one that had many hostes of souldiers 〈◊〉 conquere them with all if they did rebell agaynste him still they shoulde receiue obey this message In like maner God by Malachy rebukes the people which called hym father and maister in wordes but in dedes woulde nothinge doe as he taughte them and sayth if I be your father wher is my loue that you owe me if I be youre maister where is the feare that is due too me This woorde and name is seldon red in the new Testamente too call hym the god of Hostes because it is a worde of fear more then loue and rather threatens theÌ„ comfortes whiche the newe Testamente doeth not commoÌ„ly Sainct Iames sayes the withholden wages of them that haue reaped your fieldes cries vengeaunce in the eares of the Lorde of hostes It is as muche to saye in this place as thus sayes that mighty Lorde of hostes whome if ye heare and obey he will make all his creatures to serue and obey you but if you be disobedient to hym styll he hath many armies and hostes to fight with against you and all his creatures from the hyghest to the lest shall be harnised agaynste you Thinke not that if ye escape one plague that ye shall escape the rest for differring or escapinge one is but to see whether ye will amende before the nexte come His arowes and thuÌ„derboltes are neuer speÌ„t but he hathe new in store and in the ende the victorie shall be his and all disobedieÌ„t shall perish And for the better vnderstandinge of this to be true the scripture hath sette oute diuers examples where Goâ— hath fought agaynst maÌ„ with all his creatures to let hym see how diuers kyndes of hostes he hath to beate him down with all The Aungels destroyed Sodome and Gomorre with fyre and brymstone kylled with pestilence in three dayes space lxx thousande for Dauids offence alsâ—â— in one nighte destroyed in the tentes of Sennacherib .clxxxv. thousand The Sun at the commaundemente of Iosua stoode styll geuing him lighte vntill Gods enemies the Amorites in the chase were kylled by hym so that one daye was as longe as twoo In Egipt the Starres Sunne gaue no lighte too the Egiptians but the darkenes was soo greate grosse thycke mystes that no manne sturred out of hys place and men might grope the mystes feele them with their hande but wher the chyldren of Israell were the SuÌ„ne shone bright and pleasauntly Againste Sisara Bod foughte out of heauen The water drouned the whole worlde saue .viii. persons vnder Noe. The redde Sea suffred Gods people to passe but it drouned Pharao and all his hoste The earth swalowed my quicke Dathan Corah and Abiâ—â—n and all those rebels with them In Egipt stormes of baâ—â—e killed the Egiptians 〈◊〉 after and destroyed their corn but harmed not the Israelites So the Towre 〈◊〉 Siloe fell and killed 〈◊〉 within it Such a drought was in the time of Elias that it rained not for the space of iii years and a halfe Suche hunger in all couÌ„tries that Iacob with all his house went intoo Egipt and there also the Egiptians for hunger solde their lande their cattel wyves chyldren and themselves to be bond men and slaues to their kynge In the besiege of Samaria for huÌ„ger an Asses head and Doues dung was solde dere and women did eate their owne children Ioel threatens that God will sende four hoâ—â—eâ— one Grasshoppers an other of Caterpillers Blastinge and Locustes to deuoure all the fruiteof the grounde all that whiche one of these left the next shoulde destroye In Egipt marke what mighty men of warre God chose to fighte 〈…〉 frogs eueÌ„ into that kings 〈…〉 and hys hedde and flees 〈…〉 Pharao and the whole 〈…〉 and made them weary 〈…〉 the heades but by these meanes â—ob got the viâ—ry◠〈…〉 ten tribes were led awaye 〈…〉 wilde beastes encreased soo that the â—â—uoured the dwellers in the country because they feared not God God closed by y◠〈…〉 bes of at Abâ—milleths womeÌ„ that thei 〈◊〉 not beare chyldren because he did 〈◊〉 Abrahams wyfe When the Phâ—â—â—â—â— had taken the 〈◊〉 of God 〈◊〉 God smote theÌ„ with â—mperours 〈◊〉 â—â—â—erses Herode â—iuers Emperours 〈◊〉 woryed with Lyfe Arrius â—ittinge 〈◊〉 priuye auoided all his guâ—s 〈◊〉 of a kyng was more a 〈…〉 liued in woods Gedeon with 〈◊〉 men knockâ—nge that poâ—â—â—erdes together made his eternal which were so many that they lay as thicke as greshoâ—pers vse to lye on the grounde to afraid the thei â—roue who â—â—ghte 〈◊〉 away 〈◊〉 if his felow stode in his 〈◊〉 he kylled him straight The walles of â—â—richo fel wont violeÌ„ce or hi◠〈◊〉 off 〈◊〉 SyriaÌ„s thinking thei heaâ—◠〈…〉 nâ—â—ght 〈…〉 their enemies came 〈…〉 whereâ—â—â—re was none such 〈…〉 〈…〉 all away â—udith a weake 〈…〉 prise in buildinge the towre of Babell was stopped by coÌ„fouÌ„ding their laÌ„guage the one could not vnderstaÌ„d an other Dauid a yoÌ„g man with a sling
Alexander finding kynge Darius thus deadly wounded of hys seruaunt for iustice sake to punishe suche traytours bended doune the toppes of twoo yonge trees and tied the legges of Bessus to them and let thē swynge vp sodenly agayn and so rent him in peces Likewise Dauid when one came vnto hym telling him how he had slayne Saule his enemy thinkinge thereby too picke a thanke and get a rewarde of Dauid he was by the commaundemente of Dauid slayne and so shoulde all traitours which be false to their maisters be serued Thus the kynge beinge slaine the kingdome was broughte frome the Persians too the Gretians as the Prophete telleth here Where God saieth by his Prophete that he will destroy the kyngdome throw doune the horses and horsemen c. we be taught that God maketh kynges pulleth doune and chaunges kyngdomes frome one people too another for the sinnes of the people as Sirach sayeth and maketh to rule whome pleaseth hym The lande spued out the rulers and people in it for their sinnes and God gaue it to the Iewes Therefore let not princes trust in their greate strength and power for it is the Lorde God that geueth victory as he thinketh good whether thei be good rulers or euyl they be sette vp of God as Salomon saieth in the name of God by me kynges doe raygne and oure sauioure Christ sayd to Pilate thou shouldest haue no power ouer me excepte it were geuen thee from aboue If thei be good rulers it is Gods good blessinge and free mercye if they be euyl it is of iustice to punish oure sinnes as Iob saieth God makes hypocrites to rule for the sinnes of the people What cause haue we then in Englande to complayne that God deales so sharpely with vs that where we haue ben lōge hypocrites afore hym he punished vs of late a whyle with hypocrites too bee in auctoritie ouer vs whan the Saxons inuaded this realme droue out the Englishemen and ruled as kyngs the state of the cōmonwealth was much lyke to these our days and the lyke sinnes reygned in all sortes of men bothe hygh and lowe nobilitie people rulers and subiectes prelates and clergie the moste parte were greate hypocrites and superstitious cruel couetous proude gluttons whorehunters ambitious Therefore let vs amende or we shal be geuē vp to the Spanyardes Scottes Flemmynges or Frenchmen as we were then to the Saxons God gaue hys people into the handes of the Babiloniās and other people rounde aboute theym whiche were then the commen scourges of the worlde and so wil he do with vs as he hath done to our fathers afore vs if we doe not amende for he hateth sinne in all ages and will punishe it But as God comfortes his people here nowe buyldinge his house and sayeth he will throwe doune that kyngdome which than troubled them so he will be as good vnto vs if we worshippe hym truely and he will destroye them that trouble vs. Hys loue too his people is greatest as he saith he that touches you touches the apple of my eye So tender is our God ouer vs as we be ouer our eyes whiche be the tenderest partes of vs and he wil mooste assuredlye reuenge all displeasure done vnto vs for he can no more see his people take wronge and be oppressed now then afore times He is no chaungelinge nor his loue waxes not colde nor olde wee be hys chyldren and the members of his misticall bodye as they were now to whome he promiseth this helpe he is oure Lorde God and father louinge his chyldren and members in al ages and pouring his blessinges on them for Christes sake in whom he hath chosen them therfore he wil shew the like mercies vnto vs and of iustice reuenge all displeasures done too vs for hys sake The last verse maketh aunswere too an other obiectiō which the Iewes might haue made againste the Prophete saying If this kyngedome shal be throwen doun and so great warre shal be as though heauen earth should go together then shall we be destroyed we are but few in nūber there is but few of vs come home again what shal we do then how shal we escape being compassed about with so strong and many enemies we shal be deuoured To this God maketh aunswer biddeth them not be afrayde for in the day whē this great trouble shal come I wil take the Zerubabel my seruaunt whom I loue saieth the Lord I wil kepe thee as my priuie signet thou shal not perish saieth the mightie Lord of hostes because I haue chosē thee So good a God comfortable lorde is our God to all his people in all ages that he will leaue no doubte vntaken awaye that can discomfort his chyldren But he will satisfie all whiche can be sayde and pul al feare from vs. Therfore Zurubabel is here promised too bee deliuered out of all daūgers of that great warre trāslating of the kingdō from the Persians to the Gretians so that he shoulde catche no harme But here ryseth a harde question how this should be true that God woulde deliuer Zurubabell in that daye of soo greate trouble seinge that he liued not so longe but dyed within .14 yeares after his Prophecie Zurubabel was the firste prince of Iuda whiche ruled the people after theyr returning home frome Babylon he came home with the people was their capitayn and had now ruled a .40 yeares he ruled in all but .52 yeares as the history sayeth and this destruction of the kingdom of the Persians was not fulfilled of 145. years afterwardes or nere hande so much How could he then be deliuered in that dai and died so long afore vnto this mai be aūswered that which was said afore that promises made to kinges that fathers are dot too be applied to thē selues onely but they be made also too their chyldren subiectes shal be fulfilled in long years afterwards ▪ rather thē at the prosent so wil God exercise our faith in patiētly lokīg for his cōming whē his holy wisedom shall thinke good and not when oure foolishe rashnes shall wishe and desire hym to come Promises made vnto Abrahā Isaac Dauid and Iacob c. were not fulfilled in their dayes but to their chyldren long afterwardes so God makes promise here too these princes and rulers that all the subiectes maye knowe that they be conteined also in thesame truce and leage of God that the promise concernes them also and they shal be deliuered in that daye frome all the daūger of warre and enemies that shall come vpon them And it is as muche as though the Prophete shoulde say thou Zerubabell and thy kyngedome all thy people and subiectes be not afrayde for in those troublesome daies I wil saue you and kepe you as diligently as my rynge priuate seale And that they might the more earnestly beleue it he called hym seruaunt whereby he mighte well
destructions are wont to finde fauour and thoughte to be innocente yet now they shal be as extremely punisshed as the rest And as ye haue dronke and made mery on my hyl Sion and Moria where the teÌ„ple was buylded and God worshipped ye laught to see it destroied burned cast doune so shall your enemies drink laugh and make merye on youre hylles where youre stronge holdes were buylded whan they shal throw them doun conquer your landes and leade you captiues and prisoners make you slaues robbe your goods and treasours laughe you too scorne and worke their pleasure on you and youres they shall swalowe you and youres vp soo cleane leauing nothing behinde them deuoure all your goods as though ye had neuer ben dwelling there and as though no suche thinges had ben This is the â—ust iudgement of God to doe agayne thesame thinges to his enemies that thei did too his people and rewarde like with like If he should shewe sharper punishmente men woulde call him cruell if lesse many woulde iudge that he coulde not woulde not or durst not Therfore he renders eueÌ„ thesame againe that both his enemies his people may cal him a righteous iudge For fewe will or iustely can blame hym that does but like for like So saies Dauid let the people reioice for thou iudges thy people righteously Adonibezeâ— a Heathen that chopped of the toes and fingers of .70 kinges whiche he conquered was so serued him selfe whan he was taken and than confessed he God to be righteous in doinge to him as he had done to other Absalon killed his brother with the swerde violentlye and perished with the swerde him self Ioab smote Abner vniustly and Dauid commaunded him to bee likewise handled He that came bringinge woorde to Dauid that he had killed Saul thinkiÌ„g thereby to haue piked a thaÌ„ke and goten a bribe of Dauid was commaunded by Dauid to be slaine for laying his hand on the anointed of the Lorde contrary to his expectation Thus by these few and suche other examples the rightuous iudgements of God and merciful dealing in his punishing appeare that although his enemies rage and furye in their doinges and in their madnes care not what crueltye they shewe yet God although he mooste iustly might accordinge to their desertes reuenge with more sharpnes he will not but rewarde with like Let all cruel papistes and persecutors of Gods people take hede therefore what violence they shewe for although God seme to suffer for a time yet he wil come at his apointed time to do liuer his and reward theym with the lyke measure that they haue shewed too other And of all causes and iniuries God canne suffer none wors vnauenged than that whiche is counted against IerusaleÌ„ hys temple his religion and where he is honored for that touches his owne person His honor he says him self he will gyue to no other he is a ielous God And the first chiefe commaundement is to worshippe him alone too haue no other Goddes but him for els he punishes to the thyrde and fourth generation of them that hate him Can any countrie or people be founde froÌ„ the beginninge whiche rebelled againste God and his people but God hays throwen them doune Can than our antichristes or any hater mocker of God or hys people at this daye by what name soeuer they bee called loke for any lesse than too receyue thesame measure that they haue gyuen other nay nay for surely the mo examples that thei haue had to teache theÌ„ and they will not learne the greater shal be their condemnation And let them not thinke that this day of vengeaunce is so ferre of seing that so many thinges crie on the Lorde to hasten his cominge Euery creature in heauen earth quicke and dead grones and trauails loking for our ful deliuerance The soules vnder the aultare crie howe longe o Lorde is it that thou reuenges not oure bloude and these be not fewe in number for from the bloude of the righteous Abel all innocent bloude shal come on you The spirite and the spouse crie come and he that hears cries come Merci to help his oppressed and iustice to reueÌ„ge crie come Lorde Iesus quickly Can God stoppe hys eares from all these cryinges No no let them assure them selues their daies be at hande they shall perishe euerlastingly yf they repent not and Gods people shall be deliuered to his glorie Come Lorde Iesus let all crie and he wil come The churche of Christ is the spouse of Christ and he is oure housbande he our head and we hys members and parte of his mistical bodye he oure father and wee hys chyldren he oure God and we hys creatures he oure kynge and we hys subiectes he our Lord and maister and we hys poore seruaunts Christ our brother and we felow heyres with him he loues vs better and takes more thought for vs than we doe for oure selues Greate is the loue of the mother towarde her chyldren yet greater is Gods loue towarde vs. Although the mother can forget the chylde sayes the Prophete I will not forget thee Yea as the henne will feight for her chekins so will oure God for vs againste all oure enemies How oft would I haue gathered thee vnder my winges as the henne her chekens sayes oure sauioure Christ. Oure bodies are the temple wherein he dwelles yea we are the liuely stones wherof his house is buylt we be of his household cyâ—â—â—ens burgeis and freemen in heauen his familiar frendes whome he loued so derely that his sonne should dye that we might liue And that we should not doubt of his good will but that he hays gyueÌ„ vs all his treasure he sayes He that spared not his own sonne but gaue him for vs all how can it be but hee hays gyuen all thinges with him c. Let no man therfore doubte of Gods good will towardes vs seinge God him selfe hayes declared so many wayes his excedinge greate loue towardes vs by so many similitudes and lette no papiste reioice nor triumphe againste Gods people as thoughe God cared not for theÌ„ had cast them awaye or woulde not delyuer them For he will come in dede not be slow Peter sayes the Lord is not slow in cominge as some thinke but patienly taries for vs c. Can any housbande see his wyfe take wrong or any man hate or neglected his owne fleshe can the father denie his chylde any thinge he askes or if he aske bread will he gyue him a stoone is any more ready to help his people than God will not a king defend his subiects the maister his seruaunte or lorde his tenaunt will not brotherly loue moue him that is loue it selfe as s. Ihon sayes too haue pitie on vs he hays boughte vs too dere to see vs caste awaye Will he doe lesse for vs then the Henne for her chekeÌ„s or the brute beast for her ionge ones No