deadly sicknes of sinne and ouercome the power of darknes thorough the might and power of this signe Christ crucified But it is especially to be marked that the prophet saith All nations shal seke vnto him The 70. translaters haue interpreted these wordes thus Which shall rise again to be the king of the Gentiles that is of all people in the earth in him shal the Gentils trust Like as the patriarke Iacob said according to the exposition of the 70. translaters in these wordes Siloh shall be the hope or expectation of the Gentils Here haue we a plaine euident testimony of the calling of the Gentiles to the grace of the gospell For they shal enquire after Christ or seeke him as their only sauiour put all their hope trust in him What els is this but that they shall acknowledge Christ to bee true GOD and true man of the stocke of Dauid For hope in the first commaundement is the honour due onely and soly vnto the true and liuing god And thus the kingdome of Christ according to this prophesy shall be as wide and large as the whole worlde so that the Iewes shall bee the least and smallest parte of Christes kingdome And euen all the Iewes vnderstande this chapter of Messias who should recouer and restore the kingdome of Israel And where as the Prophet sayth His rest shall be glorious that is his death and buriall shall be glorious for his body is neither corrupt nor rotten He died an innocent whose death brought all vs the childrē of Adam out of eternall death and shame into euerlasting honour and glory For Christ by this his most holy and sacred death entred into his glorious and euerlasting kingdome and so after his death began his raigne in lyfe And when as the Iewes supposed that hee was dead in deede and quite extinguished al those things which he had promised and spoken to be vaine and of none effect as Cleophas also and his companions supposed then beeing risen from death to life came forth and ouercame and quite destroyed and killed death and became glorious and was made kyng both of the Iewes and Gentiles and raigneth for euer throwyng downe his enemies with euerlastyng shame First therfore in these wordes is contained the deth of Christ for the prophet sayth his rest And afterward is noted his glorious victorious resurrection For the prophet saith that his rest shal be glorious but his rest or death could not haue bene glory or glorious or honorable if he had abiden still in death wrought done nothing by it In Exodus it is written that the lord stretched out his hande and by his great miracles declared his power that he might deliuer his captiue afflicted and oppressed people out of Egypt and bring them vnto the promised land of Canaan And here the Prophet doth agayne promise such a deliueraunce but a much more glorious and meruailous deliueraunce then that was when hee drowned Pharao with all his hoste in the red sea and brought his people out of all danger into the land of promise without hurt and harme The deliuerance out of Egypt was but onely a figure of this deliueraunce of which the prophet speaketh here For God wil deliuer the remnant of the Iewes and Gentiles out of the eternall captiuity of Satan by Iesus Christ and gather them all together into the kingdom of heauen where they shall neuer suffer eyther damage detriment or losse And he calleth all nations throughout all the whole worlde For saluation hath extended it selfe to all the world that the dispersed and wandring children of god might be gathered together out of all quarters of the earth as Christ himselfe saith in Iohn And I if I were lift vp from the earth will draw all men vnto me And agayne Christ should dye for the nations not for the nations onely but that he should gather together in one the children of God which were scattred abroade The prophet Esay singeth a notable Psalme of this great and inexplicable benefite of the true and spirituall redemption in Christ wherby we be deliuered from euerlasting damnation And in that Psalme he meruailously setteth forth the goodnes of god in Christ saying Behold God is my saluation I will trust and wil not feare for the lord God is my strength and song he also is become my saluation If Cleophas and his companion had known him to be the sauiour and deliuerer of Israel as well as Esay did they had neuer bene in harte so heauy as they were It followeth in the prophet Esay Therefore with ioye shall ye drawe waters out of the welles of saluation And yee shall say in that daye prayse the Lorde call vppon his name declare his workes among the people make mention of them For hys name is exalted Syng vnto the Lorde for he hath done excellent thinges This is known in all the world Cry out and shoute O inhabitant of Sion for great is the holy one of Israel in the midst of thee Note here how greatly and aboundantly the prophet reioiceth in spirit or the bountiful grace of god offred in Christ our only sauiour and deliuerer When the gospel of God is taught vnto vs then is the holy ghost with all his graces giuen vnto vs to wit remission of sinnes peace of conscience true ioy He is the true fountain spring of the liuing water of which Christ speaketh in Iohn saying The water that I shall giue him shall be in him a well of water springing vp into euerlasting life And againe Christ sayth If any mā thirst let him come to me drinke he that beleueth in me as saith the scripture out of his belly shal flow riuers of water of life He spake this of the spirit which they that beleue in him should receiue For he obtained this holy ghost by his deth for vs and he mightily shewed forth to vs how that by his death the victory of his resurrection he ouercame sinne death and Satan The true Sion that is the catholike church of the faithfull doth in dede and not without good occasion reioice shout for ioy yea she may well and worthily glory For she hath gotten forgiuenes of sinnes righteousnes the holy ghost peace of conscience and euerlasting saluation For Paul sayth to the Corinthiās That God hath giuen vs a glorious victory triumph ouer the law sin death hel through our lord Iesus Christ Esay prophesieth in like maner in his 25. chapter of the victory of Christ saying God Messias will destroy death for euer and the Lord God will wipe away the teares from all faces and the rebuke of his people wil he take away out of all the earth For the lord hath spoken it Now then if Christ hath swallowed vp death then are we surely deliuered from it For death neither hath nor euer had power ouer Christ because he was
things which in his word he hath promised vs For he geueth vs the holy ghost who giueth vs faith confirmeth vs with his word that we may depēd vpō him cōstantly cleaue to him as to a most strong rock so in all aduersities calamities stande stedfast vnmoueable against the assaults iniuries of our enemies so the at the last we may ouercome them vanquish them with the Psalmist reioyce say the lord our God is my strength And with Paul to the Phil. I am able to do al things through the helpe of Christ which strengthneth me The fourth name is Gibbor that is the lord or giant In the former names we are taught what maner and meane Christ vseth and how he handeleth vs when he wil bring vs to his kingdome First of all he handleth vs straightly mortifieth our olde Adam which seemeth vnpleasant to the flesh worketh al things so by contrarieties that our reason is confounded and knoweth not how to vnwynd it selfe Secondly he comforteth vs by his gospel Thirdly he is present with vs in all his might and strength deliuereth vs out of al extremities and perill But this 4. name telleth vs how Christ vseth and handleth his and our enemies Christ is called in the scriptures Gibbor that is lord or giant for his inuincible might and power For seyng he is king and will gouerne his kingdome peaceably he must nedes suppresse and vanquish the enemies of his kingdome that christians may liue safely without feare and hurt but he cannot beat down and breake the force of his enemies without great power seyng Satan with the world and sinne with death are most horrible vgly strong and outrageous enemies Death is stronger then the whole world And Satan as Iob witnesseth is of such might strength that al men in the world are not to be compared to him He is the prince of all the children of pride and disdaine And he is that strong mā armed that kepeth his palace so that all that he possesseth is in peace But Christ is much stronger who ouercommeth the euil spirite and deliuereth vs from all power of darknes wherof Dauid saith He reioiceth like a mighty man or giant to run his course Christ hath ouercome death the deuil now alone the lord of all things is with great triumph rightly honored by these titles He is lord to whō euery knee doth bow and lord ouer the quicke and the dead And Iohn saith Christ the sonne of God appeared that he might loose the workes of the deuil And Paul to the Col. saith He hath spoiled the principalities power hath made a shew of thē openly and hath triumphed ouer thē in the same crosse He is called in Esay Maher schalal that is make hast to pray As if one should say a quicke spoiler Hashbaz that is make hast to spoile or a spedy spoil We were the miserable seruants of the deuill sold vnder sinne and he held vs vnder his tiranny molested vs at his pleasure will. Thē came the mighty giant our lord Christ a lion of the tribe of Iuda fought with that prince of darknes which had rule ouer death got the victory and by his death destroyed the power of the enemy set vs being deliuered out of his tiranny at liberty according to that of Iohn If the sonne shall make you free you shal be free in deed The 5. name is Abiad that is a father for euer or always and euermore a father world without end By this name we feele and perceiue the mercy clemency pity grace of this child toward vs Because he will not be such a king amongst vs his poore people as at whose maiesty the godly shold be amased feare quake trēble but he loueth vs fatherly he embraceth vs louingly he wil norish defēd cherish vs singularly And as a godly louing father is by the instinct of nature wel affected to his welbeloued son as he is careful ouer his child alwais thinking how to prouide for him honestly how to bring him vp vertuously how to instruct frame tech chastē gouern rule defēd him fatherly make him apt fit for his heritage So doth Christ in his kingdom with vs Here is nothing but natural loue fatherly affectiō toward vs nothing but a vehement loue nothing but a care and desire to do vs good nothing but infinite beneuolence towards vs. But in this simile there is great difference betwene a worldly father Christ our father For we haue much greater better and fatherly gifts of Christ thē any beloued sonne hath of his earthly father though he be a most louyng intreater of his children The earthly father which is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in deede loueth his children careth for them fostereth them cherisheth them fedeth them and bringeth them wel vp yet this care regard good will and diligence of earthly parents is temporal and cannot continue abide for euer And it happeneth oftentimes that when the children stande most need of their parents helpe or counsaile then are theyr fathers constrained to leaue them and dye But Christ is always our perpetual euerlasting eternal father for he suffred once for vs his childrē now he suffreth no more And he neither can nor wil leaue vs without helpe he both can wil maintaine feed care for kepe and defend vs here for euer God prepareth vs here for his own inheritance that after this temporall lyfe we may liue with him for euer And hereunto accordeth very well the translation of the 70. interpreters who cal this word Abiad father of the world to come or of the lyfe that shall be to the ende they may thereby signify the mystical resurrection into lyfe euerlasting of all that beleue in Christ At which tyme shal be plainly opened and reueled in what honor and dignity the godly shal be and how derely Christ hath loued them how he hath embraced them and what care he had ouer thē Let therfore euery godly mā kepe this title of Christ in his mynd whē death approcheth he shal find therby a singuler comfort For then he knoweth that Christ is not only here but shal be for euer a most louing father Which thing Paule knew very well and was thereof throughly persuaded yea he had so grounded it in hys hart that euē in death he was of good courage saying Christ is to me life and death is to me aduauntage I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ Why then do we not desire to be dissolued why then are we not desirous to die how happeneth it that we feare death truly because we do not firmly and constantly beleue the scriptures because our faith is weake little And because we let not this heauenly and deuine comfort of Gods
copy of this fayned angry countenance lyeth hid a fatherly grace and great good wil as if he should say I will not kill thee but I will smite thee and chastice thee that thou maiest liue It followeth Therfore thy gates shal be open continually neither day nor night shall they be shut that men may bring vnto thee the riches of the gentils and that their kings may be brought For the nation and kingdome that wil not serue thee shal perish and those nations shal be vtterly destroyed That is although thou be enuyroned with many enemies which all seek thy life and threaten thy death yet shalt thou be safe and without danger euen as a fortifyed and wel defenced citie which shutteth not her gates and feareth not her enemie This is our security that we haue in the spirite Neither can all the enemies of christ though they ioyne hands lay their heads together subuert or destroy the church of the godly though they neuer so sore afflict their bodyes and take away their goods The church is as a city that lyeth alway open For it euer and at all times receiueth and wayteth for all that repent and geue their names to Christ come into this citie for it hath this promise that it shall increase euen vnto the last day The word and the Sacraments be and are euer to be found in the church by which if we conuert we haue remission of sinnes neither be these truly found in any place but in the church He that is not a christian or a citizen of this citie is flatly condemned It followeth in the text The glory of Lybanus shall come to thee the Firre tree the Elme and the Box tree together to beutefie the place of my Sanctuary For I will glorifie the place of my seate That is in whatsoeuer excellent and famous thing the Sinagoge of the Iewes hath before time excelled other nations as in the sacred Scripture the knowledge of god the promise of grace Christ righteousnes and true hope of saluation With all those will I now bles Christs church It followeth The sonnes also of them that afflicted thee shall come and bow vnto thee and all they that despyse thee shall fall down at the soules of thy feet and they shal cal thee the Citie of the Lord Syon of the holy one of Israell Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated so that no man went by thee I will make thee an eternall glory and a ioy from generation to generation Thou shalt also suck the milk of the gentils and shalt suck the brests of kings thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Sauyour and thy Redeemer the mighty one of Iacob That is Harken my church Those which now persecute thee and so bitterly reuile thee shal once be conuerted to the catholick faith and shal wel know that thou euen thou art the city of god and the true Syon And look how desolate thou wast as forsaken for a litle time so shalt thou now be highly exalted to great glory And where he figuratiuely speaketh of milk thereby he geueth vs to vnderstand that euen as mothers doe wish wel to their deerly beloued babes cherish them softer them and nourish them euen so shall the Gentils shew exceeding great curtesy and kindnes to the church and by all meanes study to profite further it Here now must you note that though the church outwardly appeare despysed and fouly deformed yet wil God preserue it and defend it that he may highly magnify exalt it and glorify it But this is chiefly done in spirite and this Spirituall glory of the church doth very far excell all the beuty of the world Furthermore those shal be highly honored which in this world were despised persecuted Were not the Apostles and Martirs I pray you vtterly contemned and yet the remembrance of them is now yearely celebrated with all solemnity and ioy And they are called as in deed they are the deer frends of God and most holy and happy soules And whence haue we this estimatiō verely because God himself is our sauiour that strōg almighty one our redeemer How now cā we miscary hauing this sauiour redeemer alwaies with vs on our side It followeth For bras wil I bring gold and for Iron wil I bring siluer and for wood bras for stones Iron I will also make thy gouernment peace and thine exactors righteousnes Violence shall no more be heard of in thy land neyther desolation nor destruction within thy borders but thou shalt call saluation thy wales and prayse thy gates Thou shalt haue no more son to shyne by day neyther shall the brightnes of the Moone shine vnto thee For the Lord shal be thine euerlasting light thy god thy glory Thy sonne shal neuer goe down neyther shall thy moone be hid For the Lord shall be thy euerlasting light and the dayes of thy sorrow shal be ended Thy people also shal be all righteous They shal posses the land for euer The graffe of my planting shall be the work of my handes that I may be glorified A litle one shall become as a thousand and a small one as a stronge nation I the Lord wil hasten it in due time That is to say Geue eare my church if for my sake thou lose any thing or be despised it shal be manifoldely and aboundantly restored thee and thou shalt be recompenced with heauenly treasures Thou shalt become mighty and gloryous thou shalt haue faithfull bishops and doctors which shal godly and diligently teach both spirituall and temporall peace so that the godly may liue and be at rest and peace both inwardly in their harts with God and outwardly with their neighbours The Lord shall so marueylously defend thee that thy Inhabitants and Citizens may for euer sit secure and safe But this must be vnderstood in this life of the spirituall security and peace Thou shalt call thy walles saluation Seeing thou hast within thee this so sure and certain an ayd and defence against all assaults of the enemyes a defence I say much surer then the world either hath or can geue And thou shalt call thy gates prayse because the true and marueilous great riches of gods graces shall be so plainely taught and vnderstood in thee that by them al christian men may be moued to laude and prayse the Lord without ceasing for all his gifts both temporall and spirituall which this wicked and vngodly world doth not so much as acknowledge so far is it from geuing God thanks and prayse for them Only the faithfull in Christe be they that doe this and they sing both in spirite and mouth and desire alwayes so to sing as witnesseth the Psalmist saying Blessed are they that dwel in thine house O Lord for they will euer prayse thee Selah And least we should look for a corporal Citie and an earthly kingdome at Christs hands as doe
true fortitude sure safety great security sound stability and all comfort that God hath promised that he himselfe wil be our father that he hath made vs his children But now least we should dispaire lest we should be driuen to doubt of this so great grace and least we should sometyme stagger about this his so fatherly dealing and ready good will towards vs He hath giuen vs for a gage and pledge his onely begotten sonne and with him hath he established and confirmed the league of his promised grace With what greater and more precious pledge I praye you or with what more vndissoluable league could he ratifie vnto vs his promise of graunted grace Christ the onely sonne of GOD and himselfe true GOD is come vnto vs and is made our attonement All the promises of GOD in him are yea and are in him Amen To be the light of the Gentiles This also the holye Ghost speaketh by the mouth of Simeon saying Myne eyes haue seene thy saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people A light to bee reuealed to the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel Also Iohn sayeth That was the true light which lighteneth euery mā that commeth into the world And Christ sayeth I am come a light into the worlde that who so euer beleeueth in mee should not abide in darkenesse Note therfore here that where Christ is not there is nothing but horrible and deepe darkenesse and terrible blindnes and which is worse whote enmitie against God. That thou shouldest open the eyes of the blind c. This did Christ performe both bodily and spiritually For to them that lacke theyr eyes he gaue bodily sight and to all vs which are blynde that is to say which neyther knowe God nor our selues by reason of our corruption and blyndenesse taken of Adams fall he doth giue spirituall eyes and doth spiritually lighten vs with the true knowledge both of God and our selues Hee deliuereth vs also from the captiuitie of Sathan which were captiues and bondeslaues of the lawe sinne death and the deuill And hee deliuereth vs from all these cruell enemies by hys truth if we beleeue his worde when we heare it preached An other prophesie also lyke to this haue we in Esay where he prophesieth likewyse of the kingdom of Christ saying that he should be no carnall lord or prince of this worlde but a spirituall King and doctour of his Church The wordes of the prophesie be these Heare ye me O Iles and hearken ye people from farre The Lorde hath called mee from the wombe and made mention of my name from my mothers belly and hee hath made my mouth lyke a sharpe sworde vnder the shadowe of his hande hath he hidde me and made me a chosen shafte and hidde me in his quiuer and sayd vnto me thou art my seruaunt Israell For I will bee glorious in thee And I sayd I haue laboured in vayne I haue spente my strength in vayne and for nothyng but my iudgement is with the Lorde and my worke with my god And nowe sayth the Lorde that formed me from the wombe to be his seruaunt that I may bring Iacob agayne to him though Israel bee not gathered yet shall I bee glorious in the eyes of the Lorde and my GOD shall be my strength And he sayde it is a small thing that thou shouldest be my seruaunt to rayse vp the tribes of Iacob and to restore the desolations of Israel I will also giue thee for a light of the Gentiles that thou mayest be my saluation vnto the ende of the world Here do we see that Christ beyng sent from his father as a doctor calleth vnto him not onely the Iewes but also al the nations of the earth And lest any should be offended at his base and homely countenance which he should beare amongst men he maketh mention of his calling saying that God hath called him euen frō his mothers womb to be a doctor of his church Wherfore he saith his mouth is a sharpe sword that is he is a teacher whose doctrine is forceable and mighty in operation which can moue drawe stirre renue and change men and further a doctrine which searcheth the inward secrets of the hart pierceth the hidden partes of the brest according to that of Paul. The word of God is liuely and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mighty in operation and sharper then any two edged sword and entreth through euen to the deuiding asonder of the soule the spirit of the ioyntes the mary and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hart neither is there any creature which is not manifest in his sight Well therfore and truly is his mouth or doctrine called a sword For it cutteth to the quicke and it searcheth examineth and trieth most diligently and exactly all things it roteth out all the euil affections of the mynd it openeth the filthy sores of sinne launceth the festered impostumes of our foule affections renueth and changeth the mary and bones of man to wit whole man And with the same his sword that is to say his mighty worde he subuerteth sacketh Sathans kingdome and destroyeth his whole army to wit sinne the law and hell His doctrine also is true firme inuincible constant stable and mighty For as an arrow which in his flight cannot be holden or stayed and which leueled neuer misseth but hitteth the very marke euen so his worde once vttered cannot be called backe His doctrine also is sure strōg and mighty and chaseth the aduersaries away and breaketh and seuereth all thinges as it were with a sharpe shot arrow so that no mā is able to stand or speake against it Were not the Pharises and Saduces put to silence at the mighty and deuine doctrine of Christ In so much that none was able to answer any thing neither durst any from that tyme forward aske him further question For he was not such a teacher as was Moyses the priestes of the old law and testament which were his ministers He taught not as they did but as the lord himself who is mighty in authority and maiesty both of person and doctrine and who excelleth his aduersaries and can very easily so ouercome beate downe breake and pierce their hartes that either with their mouthes stopped they should be confounded or els with admiration amased they should be astonied As we read in Iohn where the seruants of the Pharises high priests beyng demaunded wherfore they tooke not Christ aunswered Neuer man spake like this man. They were sent to haue layd hands on Iesus and to take him but when they heard him speake they were so ouercome with the maiesty and power of his words that they could neither touch him nor hurt him Herod thought to haue murdered Christ in the cradle and the Iewes daily went about nothing els but to kill hym but the hower was not
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
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
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
Paul calleth this righteousnes the righteousnes of faith which standeth not on our merits but on the merits of christ He therfore that knoweth Christ and beleeueth that he is the true purger of sinnes and the destroyer of death and apprehendeth him in his hart by true faith and taketh him for his only treasure of life that man is iustyfyed and saued But he which doth not beleeue is already condemned for the Lord hath decreed this thing and told it vs by his law prophetes and euangelists that he wil haue mercy on vs for nothing neither in heauen nor earth but by Christ and for Christ for whose cause he wil pardon our sinnes and geue vs euerlasting life if we will beleeue in him Act. 4.13 Rom. 3. Gal. 23. And therefore not without a cause sayth the prophet he shall beare their sinnes seing that there is no other neither in heauē nor earth who can beare or purg our sinnes but euen that Messias It followeth therfore vndoubtedly that no man can be iustified saued and deliuered from his sinnes vnles he beleue in this onely sauiour Iesus Christ Now then you heare that Christ is the seruaunt of God in the worke of our redemption and that hee is therefore worthely called righteous because he onely is iust iustifieth others as S. Steuen calleth him He iustifieth vs in his owne knowledge and vnderstanding that is he iustifieth vs when we heare in the gospell that he onely and none other hath borne our sinnes and when by sure fayth we retayne it and put all our trust in him both in our lyfe and death and saye both with hart mouth Christ onely hath borne our wickednes and died for our sinnes and onely is our righteousnes before God and this righteousnes which we get thus by fayth because it is founded built on Christ stādeth fast and firme agaynst the gats of hell ¶ Anna. As far then as I can heare if I should be asked how it commeth to passe that I being a sinner am become righteous thus I ought to annswere I am not righteous because I haue not sinned or because I haue done many good deedes or for that I haue satisfied for my sinnes but I am righteous because Christ hath borne my sinnes in whome I beleue and in whome I repose all my trust Vrba You aunswere well and soundly and so haue all the patriarks prophets apostles and true Christians from the beginning of the world to this day beleued neither is there any other beliefe auailable before god He that beleueth not as you haue said isdāned neither can there be any waye found to saue him though he were couered with all the cowles of all the monks in the world and had all the good workes merites crosses sufferinges and penants in himselfe alone that is in the whole world For they all cannot auaile him or healpe him but he must needes be a firebrande of hell there to burne for euer if he doe not beleue as you say Well let vs hold one The prophet furthermore speaketh here of the fruit and reward of Christs passion And he sayth it is an eternall triumph or victory ouer sinne death the world and the deuill For Christ hath ouercome these cruell and bloudy enemies and hath deliuered his elected from them and so hath receaued through the whole world generally for his inheritaunce a great and glorious people or a most beutifull church which is his spirituall kingdome And this hath that the ignominious death of Christ don because he bore our sinnes and suffered himselfe to be hanged betwene ij theeues and prayed for transgressours and sinners as Paule sayth to the Hebrues Christ in the dayes of his flesh did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which he feared and though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the thinges which he suffered and being consecrate was made the author of eternall saluation vnto all them that obay him and is called of god an highe priest after the order of Melchisidech ¶ Anna. What sayth Esaias of Christ in the 54. chap ☞ Vrb. In that chapter he describeth the kingdome of Christ in fayth that is to say the catholick Church which in this word is vnder the crosse poore miserable helplesse and base to behold But he comforteth it promising to helpe it and enrich it so that it shall become most populous with men of all sortes from ech side presing into it in so much that it shall bring forth an infinite multitude of Children of grace and haue many moe sonnes then the malipert synagoge though she seemed neuer so fruitfull and in deede she seemed fruitfull for she had the law and many good workes and worke mongers or worketeachers with all kind of merites these be the prophets wordes Reioyce thou barren that bearest not burst out and sing thou that trauailest not because the desolate hath more Children then the maryed sayth the Lord. This comfort must also be well obserued least taking offence at the smale number of Christians we be dismayd and fall from the fayth For the dayes will come when the number of the faythfull shal be great and populus Thus was Sara barren but our God so blessed her that she became the mother of many Childrē and a great people To be short Abraham must needes according to Gods promise in Genesis and according to the Etimologie and signification of his name be made a father of many people heyre of the earth For his blessed seede with all his blessinges was also promised to the gentiles The prophet moreouer vseth certayne similies taken of tentes which are set vp and spread in the fieldes so largely that many may dwell in them Whereby he geueth vs to vnderstand that the church should be spread all abroad through the whole world and that the day should come that the Gospell should be preached in all landes and that they should receaue Christ These be his wordes Enlarge the place of thy tents and stretch out thy cords make fast thy stakes for thou shalt increase on the right hand on the left He promiseth moreouer to the church Gentiles for inheritaunce But not so that the Churche should inherite the Gentiles after a worldly manner of inheriting as kinges of the earth inherite and haue their people in subiection For Christes kingdome is not of this world It is a spirituall inheritaunce which the Church by the Gospell getteth and it shall dwell there where before through ignoraūce and incredulitye was a deserte and wilde wildernes as it was at Athēs where before the Gospell came they vnderstod nothing of God aright But S. Paule conuerted many at that place and tought them which came and beleeued the Gospell the right fayth And therefore sayth the prophet thy seed shall possesse the Gentiles and dwell in the desolate cities
glad of the bride so shall thy God reioyce ouer thee Here the prophet sayth a great part of men regard neither God nor Christ and yet shall the elect seeke for the spirituall and true Sion and waight for Christ their onely Sauiour But seing the Church lyeth open to Sathans persecutions and of him is afflicted and wasted it hath great neede to be comforted Therefore he sayth I will not keepe silence but I will teach Christ cōtinually vntill he come For Christ as Paule witnesseth is the onely righteousnes of Sion or of the spirituall Hierusalem And he is the onely saluation of the Church as the Euangelists and Apostls teach in euery place Esay therfore teacheth of none but Christ Iesus whome God sent vs to be our Sauiour that both Iewes and Gentiles might enioy and be partakers of this his benefite as it hath ben fulfilled in all places euer since thapostles tyme And this new name here spokē of is nothing els but that Gos people is now called the Church of the sonne of God and the true and heauenly Hierusalem which is the mother of all the elected saintes And heare behold how precious and deare a darling the Church is to God our good and faithfull father For the prophet calleth it a crowne of glory the worlde counted the godly as vngodly as fooles as doultes as outcasts and as of scouringes of all thinges euery man did scoffe mocke scorne and iniury thē at their pleasure But the Church hath here an other manner of name for it is called a beloued precious glorious crowne my delight is in her and a people that hath a god that will not forget them These be most cōfortable promises when we be vnder the crosse But they must be stedfastly beleued or els they little auailed For it is most certaine although in this world we be contemned and afflicted that God yet loueth vs so derely and wel that al the creatures of the world are compelled to serue helpe vs euen then when the world supposeth they must torment vs Yea the Angels in heauen care for cherish and defend vs and God himselfe beareth vs in his armes as doth the louing Father his onely beloued childe But now consider this great worke of the loue of God I meane the passion of Christ and that God became man for vs All these thinges he did for the Church to the end that hauing deliuered them by this meanes from all euills he might bring them to health lyfe euerlasting How could he declare and shew a more fatherly loue and good will to his Church thē he hath done in deliuering his onely begotten sonne vp vnto death for it that he might deliuer it when as yet it was his enemy Though this infirmitie sore temptation and cros of ours in this world appeare outwardly horrible and detestable yet in deede thy are nothing els but a Fatherly rod wherewith he correcteth amendeth and reformeth his derely beloued children As for the glory which in the day of redemption shall be reuealed vnto vs I wil now say nothing of it but thē it shal appeare how dearely God loueth his church And then shall it be seene that this temporall trouble which we Christians haue heare is a certaine signe of Gods great good will and true fatherly loue towardes vs Esay his wordes seeme to sound as though he spak of that earthly Ierusalem in the land of Canaā And the prophet beholding the Church with spirituall eyes is cōpelled to speake as if he spake of these earthly thinges because they were figures of the true and heauēly Ierusalem and land of righteousnes As Peter and Paul doe sufficiently witnesse prescribing vs a sure rule how to vnderstād the prophets aright when they speake of Christ and his kingdome the church Note also that Esay calleth the church such a crowne as is in the hand of the Lord or which is caried in the Lordes hand Whiche is as much to say as the Church is a spirituall kingdome which God himselfe doth gouerne and rule It is also a crowne of glory or a glorious crowne in the hand of the Lord because it doth not appeare glorious in the eyes of the world And wheras the prophet taketh his similitude of a mariage and of fayth geuen betwene man wife that is very comfortable For hereby we learne how dearely tenderly and inwardly God loueth vs what infinite treasures we shall receaue of him For we know that the bridgrome makes his bride partaker of all he hath It followeth I haue set watch men vpon thy walles O Ierusalem which all the day and all the night continually shall not cease Ye that are mindful of the Lord keep ye silēce geue him no rest till he repare and set vp Hierusalem the prayse of the world The watchmen are the faythfull preachers of Gods word which watch and take paines in the Church in prayer doctrine least Sathan that deadly enemy by his false prophets should deceaue ouercome thē And these prechers alwayes preach true repentaunce and the grace of God in Christ and they diligently by their exhortations and sermons teach vs the knowledge of god and our selues and to geue God thankes for all his vnspeakeable benefits It followeth The Lord hath sworne by his right hand and by his strong arme surely I will no more geue thy corne to be meate to thine enemies and surely the sonnes of the strangers shall not drinke thy wine for the which thou hast labored But they that haue gathered it shall eate it and prayse the Lord and the gatherers therof shal drinke it in the courtes of my sanctuary This is spoken and ment of the spirituall corne and wine And this is the meaning therof It cannot be but the worde which these preachers teach should take place after it shall follow and rise the fruite of fayth which appeareth not at all in the vngodly These courtes that he speaketh of is the congregatiō or Church of Christiās or the godly amongest whome the gospell is purely taught where mens consciences were pacified quieted mery and pleasaunt in the Lord when the inward man feeleth peace tranquilitie quietnes securitye felicity perfect pleasure in the worde of god None of the vngodly either feele or haue taste of this pleasure And least we should any thing doubt of this promise he bindeth it with an oth that we shall haue those things which he promiseth It foloweth in the text Go through go through the gates prepare you the way for the people Cast vp cast vp the way and gather out the stones and set vp a standerd for the people Behold the Lord hath proclaimed vnto the endes of the world Tell the daughter Sion Behold thy Sauiour commeth Behold his wagis is with him and his worke is before him and they shall call them the holy people the redeemer of the Lord And thou shalt
Then Ierusalem at that time to wit in the time of Christ when the gospell shall be preached through the whole world thou shalt not be confounded or ashamed any more For thy sins through the Gospell shall then be wiped away and thou shalt plentifully receaue the holy spirite of Messias that thou mayest not be defiled againe with so great Idolatrye as thou wast before The proud hauty and swelling pharises with their accōplises and other of such like stampe which are puffed vp with a perswatiō of their owne holines and trust to their owne righteousnes fastings sacrifice circumsitiō almes deeds the workes of the lawe the temple vpon this presumption haue erected a humain holines of their own reiected the deuine grace of god in Christ these pharisaicall fellowes I say can not abide to acknowledge the true righteousnes of God to wit Iesus Christ as sufficient to saluation whome God himselfe hath geuen vs for our righteousnes and who alone and no other is the fulfilling and end of the Law for righteousnes vnto euery one that beleeueth in him But the Lord hath taken away from the true Ierusalem these proud puft vp Iusticiaries which will be saued by their owne workes and looke not for saluation by the meere and free grace of God that the true Christians may know thē to be seducers and take heede of them Now note that the kingdome of Christ is not an earthly but a spirituall kingdome and that the true christifidelians are not proudly prickt vp in the pomp of worldly vanitie neither doth the world greatly regard them and yet are they in great price and highly glorified with God. He calleth faythfull Christians a miserable and pore people They are not in deed in multitude so many as the wicked be and for the most part the world despiseth and reiecteth them in this earth but with God they are in great honor and highly esteemed For by fayth in Christ they are the childrē and heyres of god whose names are written in the heauens The time is not yet come wherein their glory doth appeare now is the time of trouble with them euen vntill the last day that they may by afflictions crosses and persecutions be made lyke their Maister Christ But at the last day Christes kingdome shal be manifested in glory In the meane time they hould them selues contented with Gods word they trust him who hath promised them true and euerlasting lyfe with sure parfite and eternall treasures He calleth faythfull Christians as other prophets do reliques or remnantes for the smalest cōpany of people come vnto Christ euen as the Lord sayth many are called but few are chosen He calleth thē in Luke his little flocke in whome the Lord is so well pleased that he will geue them his kingdome And where he sayth that the chosen remnant will worke no wickednes it is spoken of the Godlines innocencie integritie and simplicitie of the faythfull because they are honest and simple dealers For they haue that true fayth which worketh by loue And although they are not altogether perfect neyther can in all pointes fulfill the law but haue many infirmities so that they must dayly praye our Father which art in heauen forgeue vs our trespasses and so haue their sinnes also by fayth dayly forgeuen them yet by fayth they are in the gratious kingdom of Christ wherein is perpetuall remission of sinnes and a perpetuall exercise vnto repentaunce and Godlines and the remnant of their sinnes which lurke in their flesh are not imputed vnto them to condemnatiō for Christ the king of glory his sake on whome they beleue and continually call It followeth therefore that the remnant of Israell the faythfull Christians shall liue safely and without daunger For the kingdome of Christ is a kingdome of true peace and securitie in which they are so louing as by fayth in their hartes they lay handes on Christ their Lord who hath ouercome the world and Sathā and both can and will dayly helpe all that be his in all their calamities and dangers What then neede they feare haue they not I pray you in him and of him a true shepheard comforter sauiour deliuerer and a full horne of all happines Now he exhorteth Sion to wit the faythfull Christiās to be hartely merry And he prophecieth very cōfortably of the saluation which Christians haue in Christ the Lord of Sion to wit that Christ saueth christians from punishmēt and turneth their enemies frō them but wheras he deliuereth the earthly Ierusalē driueth away their enemies it is a figure but where as he deliuereth the spirituall Ierusalem to wit the faythfull and taketh away the punishment which their sinnes had deserued and satisfieth for their transgretion and ouercommeth the world death and the deuil and turneth away those enemies from vs this is that true deliueraunce and helpe which Sophonias and other Prophets spiritually had respect vnto What can be spoken more comfortably then that God himselfe is the king of Israell and is ready with vs to helpe vs. For God himselfe is made man and dwelleth with vs We are his tabernacle his possession his darling and his people and he him selfe will alwayes continue with vs there is therfore no cause why we should feare any euill or danger Who can hurt them which haue God the Father and which haue God the son with them as their king reconciler deliuerer and the life it selfe and which haue God the holy ghost as their comforter and earnest peny of their euerlasting inheritaunce and saluation For the prophet vseth that great name Iehoua that is God himselfe 3. persons and one god Is not this kingdome of Christ a glorious and princely kingdome are not these treasures which our faythfull God promiseth by his Prophets in Christ great vnspeakeable and infinite treasures He which hath the Lord God the Father the son and the holy Ghost that summum bonum that onely alone and the chief goodnes to be his defender what can he desire more Wherfore Sophoni sayth furthermore at that time that is in the day of saluation when Christ shall come then shall a ioyfull Message be brought vnto Ierusalē the church as the Angell sayd vnto the sheapherds be not affraid let not thy handfast hold goe that is dispaire not beleue still that God will help thee all things shall hap well your case shall be better thē you can either desire or wishe seeing that thy onely God and mighty Sauior is in the middest of thee And that thou mayest the better looke for helpe and all happines of him be assured of this that thou art so derely beloued vnto him that he doth reioyce in thee euen as the tender father doth in his deerely beloued son when he loueth and cherisheth him The prophet cannot sufficiently declare the ioy which god taketh in the congregation of the faythful Christians saying he will saue thee and he
will reioyce ouer thee in great gladnes that is he will poure forth all his faythfulnes vpon thee and his fatherly good will towards thee that at the last the world may be compelled to see and palpably feele but especially the children of God shall know that the Lord loueth thee aboundantly as Paul writeth to Titus And he promiseth Christian liberty because he will take away these toyes to wit the lyfe and tradition of men we knowe the pharasies taught the law naughtely and went a horing with the doctrine of men teaching that men should do the workes of the law to the end that they should be iustified and haue remission of sinnes by the workes of the law and not by the mere grace of God and Christ alone And he promiseth the Church such a helpe as by which her enemies should be destroyed but she continew still Wherfore though hereticks lye and deceaue neuer so much though tyrantes murder and kill neuer so many though false Christians berwaye and betray all they can and though Sathan rage and rore neuer so much Yet in the end shall the Church the kingdome of Christ ouercome and the enemies of christ yea death the last enemy of Christ Christians shall be destroyed The Church as Sophony sayth hath a mighty Sauiour which can mightely saue and deliuer her And as Math. sayth a rock whereon it is builded against which euen the gates of hell can not preuaile And although gods children are a miserable afflicted and calamitous poore people though they be crippells and outcasts and though they be outwardly in body persecuted inwardly in the soule shakē and tormented with the terrors of death and with feare of damnation yet will Messias helpe them and ayde them and bring them to honor and gather them into his kingdome as Luke sayth in the 11. chapiter where Christ calleth the halt and lame to his supper Is it not a marueilous great honor and glory that he pronounceth of the Iewes that saluation shall come of them and of the Church that it is the Citie of God which the Lord himselfe hath foūded and builded and that there is no other true ioye peace safety righteousnes fortitude riches honor lyfe or saluation but onely that which is in the catholicke Church in the time of grace and Messias I will bring you that is I will by the Gospell call you on all sides from amōgest the wicked vnto Christes kingdome and I will gather the disparsed children of the Lord and I will exault them to honor when I shall haue turned away their captiuitie Man speaketh not these thinges but God himselfe whose will or purpose no man can let or hinder He sayth that he will gather his seruaunts into the kingdome of Christ and therein make them honorable in deede For as it is the vildest shame and greatest ignominy that can be to be a sinner and bondslaue of Sathan so on the other side it is the greatest glory laud and honor that can be to be deliuered from sin and Sathan and to be made the childe of God by the gospell To conclude in that we be made by grace children by adoption so that now we may lyue and raigne with Christ for euer who can either speake or thinke of this glorious glory gloriously enough ¶ Anna. Hath Aggeus any promises of Christ ☞ Vrba Yea forsooth For he prophecied after the captiuitie of Babilon and he moueth the people earnestly to build vp the temple agayine that the worship of God might be restored For this second temple should become very honorable because the true God of Israell himselfe should personally come into it as Mallachy prophecieth And afterward he promiseth Christ and sayth that the time of his comming draweth nye his wordes be these Thus sayth the Lord of hostes yet a little while and I will shake the heauē and the earth and the sea and the dry land and I will moue all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory sayth the Lord of hostes The glory of this last house shall be greater then the first sayth the Lord of hostes and in this place will I geue peace sayth the Lord of hostes This prophecy forespeaketh of the former comming of Messias into the world how he should come to Ierusalem into the temple and how there should be a great change both in heauen and earth For the Lord hath sent the Angell of the great counsell euen his son in the flesh that by Christ he might summarily restore all thinges in heauen and earth wherefore it was of necessitie to follow that Iudaisme should be abrogated and that the Iewes should reuolt and that the gētiles should be made the people of God and that great wōders should be don at which euen the Angels should maruell for euer And he sayth that Christ is the hope of all nations For all men are borne sinners and sinn dayly but he which sinneth doth the worke of the deuill and is the seruaunt of Sathan and child of death From the which kingdome of sin death and damnation no man can otherwise be deliuered but by Messias who onely was sent of God to take away the workes of the deuill and destroy the kingdome of Sathan to wit sin and death and to geue vs true life And therefore he is the hope of the whole world neither is there any comfort helpe forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes peace safety ioy lyfe or health any where els to be found but onely in Christ Therefore all the elect euen from the beginning haue very carefully and earnestly desired Christ because no man either could or ought to helpe the wretched world or deliuer it from euerlasting misery and calamity and bring it to euerlasting ioy but only Iesus Christ Whē Christ in the last week of Daniel came into this world then came our true preacher our onely reconciler and mediator who made and confirmed the euerlasting couenāt of peace betwen God and vs And the prophet repeateth this word the Lord of Zebooth 5. times that the faint harted Iewes ready to fall to desperation should in no wise be discouraged but finish the worke which they had begun and stedfastly waight for the comming of Messias seeing the almighty God who is the truth it selfe had so often and so earnestly made promise of him And so we haue Christ the comfort of all nations of all sinners the true peace of the whole world and that in the temple that is in the Churche of Christ who him selfe is our peace as Paule sayth And seeing Christ is the comfort of all nations it followeth that both they ought to beleue trust in him and that his kingdome also should be among all nations both Iewes gentiles through the whole world And therefore shal they hope to haue also surely receaue of him forgeuenes of their sinnes righteousnes reconciliation
therfore there are not eares in the stone but eyes onely are grauen therein They therfore which imbrace the gospell by the holy ghost that they may beleue in Christ and know the vnsearchable riches of his grace and bring others to the knowledge therof they are the 7. eyes The Apostles truely were sharpe and quicke eyes and also the godly which do yet to this day learne to know Christ Wherfore where Christ by the Gospell is not yet knowen there is black and thicke darknes and neuer one eye at all And the eyes are onely in the stone The faythfull Christians be onely they which see know all thinges as namely what God is what Christ is what the spirite is and what life righteousnes sin hel and Angels be and what the deuill the world the lyfe present and the lyfe to come be Of all which the wise of the world can not so well iudge as the blind man doth of colors And where he sayth that he will cut out the grauing of that stone that is meant of the passion of Christ because that by his crosse and passion he was as it were pollished grauen that he might be the corner stone of the church he was also formed and pollished to his glory euen as a stone is cut and pollished for the building as he himselfe also sayth vnto these 2. his disciples Was it not meete that Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory And Paule sayth That he by afflictions should confecrate the prince of their saluation The instrumentes for this ingrauing were they which martired Christ as the souldier which perced the holy side of Christ and other tormenters Iohn 19. And this stone with his afflictions is the foundation of this new and heauenly temple vpon whome all the other building doth safely stand All faythfull Christians are builded vpon this stone and haue all their righteousnes strength life by Christes passiō And he himselfe now plainely declareth what profit the grauing or pollishing of this stone or the passion of Christ bringeth vnto mankinde Saying I will take away the iniquitie of this land in one day As if he should say in the leuiticall priesthood were diuers sacrifices for sin but those sacrifices could not in deed take away any sin by their bloud they weare only figures betokening Messias to come he only alone both can must by his ingrauing death in one day that is to say on good friday offer vp such a sacrifice and make such a reconciliation for sin as may be sufficient for all the sins which haue ben committed from the beginning of the world and shall be vnto the end thereof Hereby also you may gather his resurrection For if he must be cut of that is put to death and so take away all sin and consequently abolish death it selfe it must needes that he must rise agayne and raise vs vp also at the last day And seeing that the truth it selfe that is Messias should not long after the captiuity of Babilon come to beutify and set vp a true omnisufficient priesthood and kingdome therfore that tipicall priesthood of the Iewes and the earthly kingdome had their end as sone as that true and perpetual kingdome of Christ came in which in one day because of the sacrifice that then was offered is perpetuall remission of sinnes and reconciliation with god But seing sin is purged for which there was perpetuall enmity betwixt god and man seing the wrath of God is pacified seing we are reconciled vnto our God by the death of Messias we haue true peace and tranquilitie in Christ his kingdome need not feare our enemies sin death and sathan For Christ hath vanquished them al for vs which thinge the prophet meaneth by the wordes following In that day that is in the day of Messias shall ye call euery man his neighbor vnder the vine and vnder the figg tree In these similitudes and figuratiue words he speaketh of the spirituall peace of God which is in the Church And in his 6. chap. he sayth Behold the man whose name is Zemath that is the braunch he shall grow vp out of his place and he shall build the temple of the Lord and he shall beare the glory and shall sit and rule vpon his throne and he shall be a priest vpon his throne and the counsell of peace shal be betwene them both In this prophecy is Christ with his double kingdome promised to wit his kingdome priesthode for the prophet was made to set 2. crownes vpon the head of the hye priest Whereby it was signified that Messias should be the true king and priest in Israell And it is meete that these two kingdomes the priesthood and princely power should both be found in one person Christ For he putteth the crown onely vpon the head of him that was then the hye priest but he did not put it vpon the leuitical magistrate Zerubabell And againe he calleth Messias Zemath he sheweth the cause why he calleth him so For this king and priest shall haue so great felicitie and prosperitie in his kingdome that all thinges shall haue prosperous successe and shall fall forth happely and according to his minde and desire And Esay sayth The will of the Lord shall prosper in the hande of Messias As a fine bow or braunch at the first is small and tender but after groweth hyer and hyer and doth shute forth vntill at the last it become a faire pleasant and hye tree full of faire and bewtifull braunches so that it delighteth the eyes of all men and is also very pleasaunt by reason of the shadowe therof euen so Christ although he was in the beginning but small and vnknowen when his name was yet but onely knowen in Iudea in the land of Israell and was dispised of the most part of men yet did he grow so mightely and shute vp so hy and spread so broad that he filleth the whole world with his bowes and braunches as Esay sayth that he may confirme and strengthen it c. And Daniell sayth that the stone which is taken out of the mountaine without handes becommeth a great mountaine and filleth the whole earth This Zemah is not tied vnto a certaine place where he should be king as Dauid was vnto Ierusalem but he is king in al the world and raygneth in all places by the gospel the holy ghost Sathan with this his world goeth about to hinder destroy cut downe and pluck vp blossomes while it be young that it grow not but the more they hinder it the better it prospereth and groweth and buildeth Gods temple that is the church of Christ with pretious and liuely stones of which Peter speaketh But this is a far greater temple then that which Iehoschua and Zerubabell builded at Ierusalem It is a temple which no Nebucadnezer no Antiochus nor Tytus can burne and destroy This temple is the spirituall
and haue esteemed him aboue Moyses But when Christ was come they would be Moyses discyples although the terme of his time was ended For Moyses was but only a seruant in the house of the lord And when the Lord Christ himselfe came then ought the seruaunt to geue place and all men ought to heare the word which Christ did speak by the word of his father The righteousnes of faith had also her testimonies in the law in Moyses and in the prophets But when Christ and the Apostles taught it saying Repent and beleeue the gospel the Iewes refused their doctrine and would be iustified by Moyses and his law and vsed not the true mediator and sauyour Christ in the work of their iustificatiō but refused that most precious corner stone and could not abide to vse and admit it in their building of iustification And therfore they became abominable and perished they and their building And least the day of Christs former comming should be vnknown vnto them he geueth thē a notable signe wherby they might haue learned that the day of Messias was now at hand for he promiseth that he would send them that former Iohn the Baptist before that great day he calleth him Elias because he should go before Christ and prepare the way for him in the spirite and strength of Elias as the Angel of the Lord expoundeth this prophesy of Elias to be ment of Iohn the Baptist And Christ himself applieth this prophesy in Mathew vnto Iohn Baptist saying that Iohn is that Elias which was to come that is of whom Mala. the last prophet did prophesy Let him which hath eares to heare heare But their harts was blinded their eares stopped vp that they could not vnderstand He calleth that day of Christs former comming fearfull or horrible beames of the falling away blindnes of the Iewes For before they were the welbeloued children of God and the inheritance of the lord But whē they killed the true Messas the son of god and preferred that wicked offender Barabas before him and wished that his innocent bloud might be vpō them and their children then they were reiected and blinded and the kingdome of God was taken from them and they lost both the City and the temple and the whole land and they are afflicted as well with spirituall as corporall captiuity vnto this day and the Gentiles are receaued and adopted as children This is that Heren or cursse wherewith the earth was smitten But they which at the beginning beleued Iohn and took Christ to be their sauior and forsaked Moyses they escaped the cursse And such as were the apostles and those of the Iewes which beleeued christ and his apostles And these in the prophets are called the remnant of Iacob Malachy therfore which concludeth the old testament doth tell vs that Moyses with the law and the prophets doe all with one consent beare witnes of Christ that he is the true deliuerer of Israell As if he had sayd Moyses serued in the house of the Lord vnto his appointed terme of time was expired prophesying in all his figures external sacrifices oblations and plaine promises of Christ and he referred all his doctrine vnto Christ And this is that seede of Abraham by which all nations are blessed This is that true high priest propiciation and sacrifice which reconcileth vs vnto God. This is that true Melchisedech and that serpent in the wildernes and that great prophet whom Moyses commaundeth all them to heare which will not incur the wrath of the lord And this is the sonne of Dauid to whom the Lord had promised an eternal kingdome Beware therfore that when he commeth you take not the seruant for the master and a figure and shadow for the light and truth For it is he in deede of whom the law and all the prophets with one consent doe prophecye If you refuse him thē geue you not credite to moyses and the prophets and the Lord wil smite you with a curse Beware therfore for I haue now geuen you warning before All laud and honor be vnto our good and most faithfull God for euer and euer for the gift of all prophesies through our Lord Iesus Christ of Nazareth the true and only Messias promised in the law and the prophets whom God sent into the world at the fulnes of time To wit 1576. yeares agoe And who perfectly and thorowly fulfilled all things which were necessary for the repayring and absolute redemption of mankind And now sitteth at the right hand of God our Bishop and King omnipotent for euer And here now good wife you haue almost all the chief prophesies of Iesus Christ expounded and gathered out of all the prophets as diligently as I could by which you now know what Christ preached vnto his disciples on the way from Ierusalem to Emaus Anna. Seeing that Emaus is but onely 60. furlongs frō Ierusalem it seemeth to me that Christ did not recite all these prophecies which you haue beene this 2. or 3. weekes in expounding to me ☞ Vrb. Verely S. Luke sayth that Christ begon at Moyses and expounded vnto them all the prophesies in the scripture which were spoken of hym wherby it may be gathered that it was a famous and good louing sermon in which he proued and confirmed vnto them that he must by the cros enter into his glory But it is lyke that Christ expounded vnto his disciples the most chiefe prophecies which speake of his passion resurrection and euerlasting kingdome that thereby they might learne that it was the good wil of God the father that his well beloued son Iesus Christ should redeeme the true Israell not with gould or siluer nor by any worldly pompe or power but in the weakenes of his crosse by his most precious bloud which he shed to deliuer vs from all our enemies from the wicked world from poysenfull sinne from horrible death and from our perpetuall and cruell enemy Sathan with whome all his members we haue bellum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a continuall warre I haue bene louing in citing the scriptures that I might the better set downe and more plainely expound the whole sermon of Christ as farre as appertained to the witnesses of the prophets as I haue sayd before But how saye you is it not a great ioy and a very paradise to a godly hart by fayth to search and learne the comfortable misteries of Christ cōtained in the prophets as the Thes the valiant sowldiers of Christ often times did because this kinde of exercise auaileth much to the confirmatiō and establishing of our Christian fayth For which our Lord God hath layde a perfite sure foundation euen from the beginning of the world by his holy prophets his seruauntes which are the most auncient doctors in the earth and also by the gospel of Iesus Christ which is a doctrine of great antiquitie in the world and hath alwayes bin most vehemently assailed by Sathan and his