and bryddled those two bloodie men Saule and Sennacherib were drawne from pursuing and besieging good Dauid and Ezechias With the sounde of Trumpettes and lyghtes of Lampes God scattered the great armie of the Madeanites So that the saying of Sophocles is verie true VVhen God punisheth the cowarde vanquisheth the hardie souldiour And all these sortes of armor wherwithal the wicked men are put to flight are named by the Prophet Dauid with one worde The hande of the Lorde For the Lorde destroyeth his enimies eyther immediatlie by him selfe or immediatly by Angelles men So the Angell of the Lorde slewe in the Assirian Campe one hundred fowâ—e score and fiue thousande He ouerthrew Nero by goastes and fearefull sightes By the handes of the Kinges of Persia hee tooke Valerianus the Emperour a cruell persecutour of his Churche and caused his skinne whyles he was a lyue to be stripped of But Dauid being a man but of a meane proporcion he kylled Goliath of a huge and monstrous stature All those therefore that wyll gette the victorie in battayle must fight with prayer and sworde For to vse the sworde without prayer what other thing is it but a poynt of arogant follie Such a man was Aiax who at his going into warfare was admonished godlie by his Father that hee shoulde fyght the Gods assysting him who answered O father the Gods helpe cowards and dastardes but I vvyll vanquish my enimies vvith my owne hande vvithout the aide of the Gods But there fell vengeance vpon him for this hautines of stomack for hee was strycken with a frenesie wherein he murdred him selfe The example therefore of Dauid is rather to be folowed who encountring Goliath sayde I come vnto thee in the name of the lyuing God. And in another place Blessed be the Lord my God vvho teacheth my handes to battaile and my fingers to fight Wherein he giueth vs to vnderstande that valiauntnesse and corage in warre and pollicie therein is in the godlie and heauenlie gyfte Wee learne not onelie in holie scripture but in prophane wryters that good euent and victorie in battayle dependeth vpon the pleasure of almightie God and not in the multytude and strength of souldiours For Demostenes repeateth verie often this sentence That the euent of vvarres are gouerned from aboue And Cyrus was wont to say vnto his souldiours You know that victory in warre is gotten neither vvith multitude nor with strength of men but such as are assisted by the Gods are not by any meanes to be resisted of the aduersarie Againe to fight with prayer without the sworde is the poynt of cowardes and rashbraynes who sitte ydle at home moumbling praiers onely and reicet ordenarie means appointed and comaunded by god Many there be also that being verie foole hardie obiect themselues without defence into perrills againste whome that saying of Saint Augustine is to be remembred All thinges ought to be done which may godly by wisdome be practised to auoide perilles yea euen when God is most assuredly on our sides And againe If thou doo not decline daungers as much as lyeth in thy power thou doest rather tempte then trust in god Let these things I saye admonish vs to auoyde snares and perylles with good counsayle consonaunt to Gods holy wyll and let vs take good héede that we aduenture not our selues vnaduisedlye to thraldome and miserie In tyme of warre therefore let vs vnytte and lyuke togeather prayer and swoorde In tyme of Pestilence let vs call on God and vse preseruatiues and curatiues let vs not without vrgent occasion go into infected places He that loueth daunger shall perish therein For although Gedeon had a commaundemeÌ„t of God to pull downe the Alter of Baall and to cutte downe the Groue nigh vnto the same Yet to auoyde daunger which might aryse in the daye tyme vnto him being but one hée tooke vnto him tenne of his seruauntes and executed that commaundement in the night season And Daniell dyd not breake the kinges commaundement mallapartlie in the myddle of the stréete but went into his Chamber and prayed Tobias buryed the dead bodyes not in the daye but in the night season And so Ezechias albeit he receyued a coÌ„fortable answere of his recouerie yet notwithstanding the Prophete Esai commaundeth him to laye a Figge leafe vnto his soore Our Lorde and sauiour being able without any externall meane to cure all disseases and defectes Yet hee sighing and grooning cast by his eyes towardes heauen and touched the tongue of the domme And in that great storme wherin Saint Paul and his company in their voyage to Rome when an Angell had assured him of his life and all those that were with him yet when the Marryners were about to flée out of the shippe and in a lyttle boate to rowe vnto the shoare Saint Paul cryeth out and sayth Vnlesse these men abyde in the shippe you can not be safe These examples ought to be set before our eyes whereby we may be moued in case of necessitie to conioyne prayer with lawfull meanes that wee maye auoyde and withstande perylles and daungers Let vs then gyrde our weapons about vs but let vs praye to almightie God to dyrecte our handes and fingers let vs also flye vnto those for succour that can with theyr worde and déede vnder God reléeue vs as many pressed with persecution vnder Licinius fledde to Constantine for helpe Let vs in the tyme of plague and pestilence call vpon the sonne of God the true and perfyte Phisition and therewithall séeke the counsayle of the learned godlie and honest Phisition and yet notwithstanding all our trust and confidence ought to be onely setled and reposed in the lyuing God. ⧠The eyght Chapter declareth that those onely who serue in this warrefaire vnder Christs banner are victors and conquerors The eyght Chapter THe holy ghoste in the forenamed Psalme affyrmeth that those men only may fréely and safely without feare or shame haue accesse vnto this heauenly Capitayne VVho dwell in the secret of the moste high and abide in the shadowe of the almightye That is to saye that haue a roome or place in the house of the Lord and Church of Christe Out of which station and place no man may without perril of his own life depart or haue any conference with the enemy But he must harken to the worde and commaundement of his Capitayne onely hee muste knowe his name he must perfytly knowe the badges and tokens giuen out by his Captaine to discrie the enimie He ought to haue recourse to this his master in all distresse and in the name of his sonne Christe to craue remission and forgeuenesse of sinnes to haue constant faith and fyrme hope in him alone which suffereth not a man to be ashamed neither to come to confusion To suche a man and to no other sayth the holy ghost that this victory and
Herodotus The estate of the Magistrate more cumbetsome then that of the subiect Xenophon in Hierone Children murder their parents and Parents their chyldren for dominion Xenophon in Hicrone Examples Caesars Epitaph Examples of our own countrey The ecclesiasticall estate incoumbred with flouds of troubles Pastours paruerting Christs flocke John. 10. 2. Sam. 15. Ministers singuler in opinions Demostenes Herodotus Ambicious and proud myniuets Tymerous and fearful pastours Ignorount pastours ad hatets of learning Ignorance the mother of errour Ignorance the cause of much miâ—cheefe in the common welth The shamefull end of flattering preachers Doctor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pynke polidorus lib. 25. et â—raston 9. in vita Edvvard quinti. Corrupt and carnal hearers of the gospell Corrupt hearers of two sorts The faults of some men of might Peruerse hearers in the inferior sorte Contempnets of sacramentes and congâ—â—gatioÌ„s A more particuler consideraâ—ion of mannes miseries 2. Sam. 20. Luke 22. Gene. 4. 2. Sam. 3. 2. Sam. 13. Gen. 30. 1. Sam. 18. Epiphamus The diuyll resembled to a strong souldiour Luk. 11. Epiphanius 1. Reg. 18. The dyuell breaketh friendshipe betweene saythfull friendes The deuyll besiegeth the strongest fortes valiaunt Captayns 〈◊〉 sacking of Babilon 1. Thes 5. The deuyll counterfeateth a retyre â—lucarchus â—eruh in psal 9. Selectloue a Cockatrices eye Ambrosius The Diuill hath infinit polliced Luk. 11. The deuill ceâ—empled 〈◊〉 hunter Psal. 91. lere 6. Ezech. 32. plato in Liside Examples peucerus lib. 5. chro Simlerus de repub helue uptum High estate tyckle and slippery The deuyl resembled to a fowlet Psa 124. Iere. 5. Amos. 3. Plautus Examples 2 Samuell 11. 1. Reg. 11. Iud. 16. Englyshe examples The laudable facte of King Henry the fyfte The Diuel resembled to a gleade or kyte Leuit. 11. Deut. 14. Jesa 34. Aristot lib. 9. cap 1. de natura animalium Ephe. 6. Psa 91. The deuils dealing most daungerous when he pretendeth friend shippe 1. Cor. 11. Example 1. Reg. 22. Rom. 1. Math. 4. The diuils apperitans for Purgatory Antigonus prayet against false friendes The deuyl resembled to a roring Iyon The vse of this dâ—â—â—tyne Ephe. 6. The huge and mighty army of Sathan Luk. 8. Xerxes The druyll hath many capitains vnder him The principall enemies of Christes Churche Tyrantes Sophisters Hippocrites Imbassadours Hattoldes and Troumpetors in the Deuplls armye Card. Poole Gasparus Church Iesuites The Deuylls Especialls What remedies carnall and ignoraunt men soeke for in their miseries Philosophical consolations of no force The word of God is the cleere fountaine of perfytte consolatioÌ„ Pro. 30. et 21. Heb. 5. Examples 2. Reg. 6. 2. Sam. 24 Esa. 38. Christians neuer alone in their trouble 2. Para. 15 Esay 43. The defect and lamenes of philosophie in their matters Euripides in Trodibus The constant faith of Christians in their trouble The occasion of Christian boldnesse Psa 93. Examples Neoptolimus his worthy obseruation Iustine lib. 6. Our God is the Lord God of Hostes 2. Sam. 5. Psalm 59. Esa. 6. Psalm 4. Eesa 59. The Lord strong in battaile Psa 24. Psal. 72. Whereof the army of God consisteth Luk. 1. Psa 104. Hebr. 1. Hebr. 1. Of the seruice of Angells Dan. 7. Reuel 12. Dan. 10. The manner and order of the seruice of Angells Psa 9. Act. 12. Men are watched with Gods owne gard Examples The seruice of men in this war faire 2. Cor. 10. Ephe. 6. 1. Tim. 1. The seruice of women and children in this warface Virus VVinshemius in obiâ—u Philip Melancth Ioach. Camerarnis de vita et obitu P. Melancth Psalm 8. Exod. 15. Exod. 38. Iudg 4. Math. 18. Math. 21 Psal. 8. All the workes of God serue in this warfaire The vse of this doctrine The discipline of this warre and the armour Two sorts of armour Ephe. 6. 1. Tessa 5. The armour appoynted by the Apostle The girdle of truth Psa 119. Math. 5. Luk. 12. Psa 29 The brest plate of Righteousnesse 1. Tim. 1. 2. Cor. 1. Luk. 12. Math. 5. The shoes of Peace Seneca epist. 1. Rom. 5. et 12. The shielde of faith Psa 5. Psa 111. Esa. 36. Iohn 10. Math. 1 The Helmet of saluation 1. Tes 5. 2. Tim. 4. Hope Rom. 5. Act. 7. The vse application of this doctrine 1. Iohn 5. Clement alex. lib. 5. The armour of defence The sword of the spirit Heb. 4. Rom. 1. Math. 4. Basili Mag. Praier Psa 50. Psal. 90. Ioh. 18. Dan. 9. Esa. Taulerus Hieron Luke Howe Dauid would haue his souldiour furnished The cause of some dissimilitude betweene Paule and Dauids Armour Psal. 91. Who so dwelleth c. The armour appointed by the Prophet Dauid The Lord couereth his church Esa. 37. Examples The desires and clamors of the oppressed T. Vespatian Antiochus 2. Macâ— 9. 1. Sam. 6 The elemenâ—s fight in Gods cause Iosu 10. Sirac 40. Iud. 5. Claudiamus Sirac 40. Exodus Examples Iud. 7. The Lord somtime suffereth cowerdes to vanqishe the valliant These armour are generally termed the hand of the Lorde Esa. 37. Prayer and sworde are to be conioyned in battell Examples Psal. 144. Zenoph in paedia Cyri. Armour not to be refused August August Howe men temp God rather then trust in him Eternall meanes and instruments are by no meanes to be contemned Iud. 6 Examples Dan. 6. Tob. 1 Esa. 28. Mark. 7. Act. 27. Psa 144. Isa. 91. Who those be that obteyne victory The Lord defendeth the faithful man an all that he hath Exod. 9. Psa 36. A spirituall application We may not busie our selues in those matters which apperteyne not vnto vs Examples 2. Para. 16. Num. 16. 2. Sa. 18. Euery man ought to keepe his place in this battell The godly often times beholde the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 Psa 91. An obiection howe doth God presecue his chosen seeing we see them dayly murdered Examples Aunswere to the obiection Howe Gods promises are to be vnderstoode Psal. 44. Gods promises of temporall â—â—nges include a condition 2. Mac 7. 2. Cor. 12. An euident proofe of the certent of Christian Religion Rom. 8. The Lord delyuereth his seruants somtyme myraculously Phil. Melanct in valerian Eusebius lib 6. cap. 34. Sirca annum dium 260. Now God and deuill beholde the deathes of the godly but diuerslye Augusti Psa 126. Dan. 3. 2. Mach. 7. Aug. in Psal. 33. Psal. 75. Dan. 3. Why God taketh away his seruants oftentimes with death Death not so terrible to the mortifyed man Iust lib. 2. Codrus 1. Curtius Leuius lib. 7. Sopirus Iust lib. 1. Iob. 23. Act. 5. Act. 21. Ignatius ad Tarsences The happy exchaunge which the godly make Luk. 16. Iob. 16. Esa. 65. 2. Cor. 4. 1. Pet. 1. The reward of the godly moste excellent and endles Reuel 7. Phil. 1. Gods army and mayne battayle alwayes contineweth Theodoâ—rete Testimonies of scriptures Esa. 46. Math. Iob. 14 Iob. 10. Examples The deliueraunce of the people of Israell a perpetuall image of the church A reuelacion exibited to Moyses touching the estate of Christs church Exod. 33. The carke and care of Moyses Howe Moyses comforted himselfe Exod 33. The requestes of Moyses and Gods aunswer The spirituall interpretacion of the historie The passage of God. A picture of the cleere sight and knowledge of God. The backe partes are Gods word The face of the Church in these dayes Psa 84. Gods speciall presence and apperaunce in the Church Numb 14. Iosu 3. 1. Reg. 17. Two vse of this doctrine Gods presence a witnes and Iudge against the vngodly Psa 6. Psa 52. A confirmation and incouragement of the godly Num. 14. Esa. 37. Esa. 59. ¶ Imprinted at London by I. C. for Thomas Sturrup dwellinge in Paules Churchyard at the Signe of the George Anno 1577.
be Schaddai that is to say omnisufficiente and strong ynough of himselfe and needeth not the helpe of any creature with whome as the Angell saith nothing is impossible Yet for the greater comfort of his Church hee vseth the industrie of his souldiors in this expidition against the deuyll and leuieth a great mightie armie partlie consisting of pure chaste Angelles who are named in the holie scripture flaming spirites horses and charets of fire who pitch their campe round about the godlie and are appointed to bee ministring spirites sent forth to minister for their sakes vvho shal be hcyres of saluation Of whome the number is almost infynite that mans infyrme nature is not able to comprehend the same Here vnto he adioyneth a great company of vertuous and faithfull men and women picked and chosen out of all callings vocations Which supplie hee vseth not to strengthen him selfe as though he were eyther weake or vnwarlyke but such is his gratious wyll tender kindnesse toward his seruants that he vouchsafeth in some sort to communicate and impart his glorie with his faythfull seruytors and souldiors And fyrst concerning Angelles they are all seruing spirites For their sakes who shal be heyres of saluation For so long as this worlde shall endure Angelles serue and attende in the Church mylitaunt which notwithstanding is not the ende of theyr nature but an office or function temporall for after the generall Iudgement when the Church of God shall obtaine perfit victorie they shall triumphe with the electe euerlastinglie Touching theyr number the Prophete Daniell speaketh after this manner Thousande thousandes ministred vnto him and ten thousande thousandes stoode before him Of the battayle of the Lord of Hostes and his Angelles and of their victorie wee maye reade more in the Reuelation Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angelles but they preuailed not neither was their place founde any more in heauen And the great Dragon that olde serpent called the deuyll and sathan was caste out which deceyueth the whole worlde hee was euen cast into the earth and his angelles were caste out with him Then I heard a lowde voice saying Now is saluation in heauen and strength and the power of our God the kingdom of his Christ for the the accuser of our brethren is cast downe vvhich accused them before our God day and night But they ouercame him by the blood of the LaÌ„be and the worde of their testimonie This Michaell whome the holie ghost in this place maketh the Captaine of the battayle is the sonne of God euen our Lorde Iesus Christe as we maye both by the Prophete Daniell and by the etymologie of the worde easily gather For Michaell is asmuche to saye as vvho is lyke God The Angelles therefore folowing the ensigne and Auncient of Michaell that is to saye of the Lorde of Hostes are celestiall powers and spyrites The manner and order of their seruice is noted in manie places of Gods word But in my iudgement are most effectually collected and set downe in one place by the Prophet Dauid First he sayth That they garde and keepe all the faythfull That is that they kéepe watche and warde in housholdes commonwealths and Churche who as they neuer sleepe themselues so doo they awake those that sléepe when daungers are immynent and at hande for so they raysed vppe Peter and brought him out of prison These kéepers and watchmen neuer departe out of that roume wherin God hath placed them vnlesse is be by his especiall commaundement Some of them therefore are alwaies in all present with vs when we pray when we sing Psalmes when we either héere sermons publickly or priuatly réede the holy scriptures when we eate drinke and fleepe they then fight for vs and defende vs from all firie dartes which the worlde and deuill with greate malice caste and throwe against vs Beholde the great loue of our Emprour Captaine Emanuell towarde his Church in that he vouchsafeth to appoynt some of his heauenlie souldiers to wayte vppon it vnto whome he geueth a singular and an especiall charge that they kéepe vs warely in all our wayes We shall the better perceyue this benefite if we open it with asimilitude There is no worldlie man but hee would accoumpt it a greate signe of loue and an argument of safetie if a worldlye Prince should appoint him a sufficient number of his Garde to wayte attende vpon him daye and night that no misfortune might betide him But there is no comparison betweene this heauenlie Prince and earthly Princes nor betweene their garde consisting of weake men and this of strong Angels appointed to vs by our Captaine in Baptisme to watch and wayte vppon vs both night daye in water and fyre by sea and lande in all our lyfe and at the howre of death Secondlie the Angels beare and cary godly men about in their armes Beholde herein the rage and furie of the deuyll who in euery place layeth shares and stumbling blocks for mennes féete wherby many fall and hurt themselues euen vppon plaine grounde breaking theyr armes and thighes yea and some tymes their neckes The lyuing Lorde and mercifull God therefore minding to preuent these mischiefes commaundeth his holie Angelles to beare vs in their armes and to carrie vs from place to place that we maye doo the workes of our voration Beholde I saye euen as the Mother with an especiall delyght and pleasure taketh her young chylde wrapped in swathlyng clothes and lying in the Cradle and beareth it in her armes with many kysses vntyll the Chylde be wearie and then shee layeth it downe againe in the Cradle Euen so the Angelles euerie morning doo lyft vs out of our beddes and beare vs about all daye long in their armes that wee maye exercise our selues in the worke of our vocation and in the euening when we are wearie they bring vs to our beddes and refresh vs with many long dayes and yeares and in the ende carrie our soules in their armes with incredible ioye into Abrahams bosome where wee shall beholde the cheerefull countenaunce of God eternally The thyrd kinde of seruice of Angels expressed in that Psalme of Dauid Is that they shall put and submytte euyll beastes and venemous serpentes vnder godly mens feete without any harme as Lyons Leopardes Lyons whelpes Cokatrices and Dragons that is to saye all sortes of Tyrauntes and herytiques vppon whome good Fathers in ther families Schoolemaisters in their Schholes Ministers in their Churches and Princes in theyr Realmes do tread subdue So Iohn the Euangelist with his prayer and preaching trode vpon Cerinthus that Leoparde So was Arius that Cockatrice stamped downe with the seete of Alexander Bishoppe of Constantinople So Polycarpus Iohn the Euangelists scholler Bishoppe of Smyrneus trode vpon that Dragon Marcion And finallye so Constantine surâ—â—â—â—â—â— the great trode vpon and with warlike sworde
who can and wyll delyuer vs if not corporally yet spiritually if not our body yet our soule For it was the same God that deliuered the thrée children out of the fierie fornace and suffered the Machabeis to bée consumed with fyre They singe in the fyre and these dye and yet hée was the same God of them both He delyuered them to confound the Idolles of Babilon and suffred the other to perish in their bodies that the paine and damnation of their persecutours might bée the greater It commeth to passe also sometyme that the godly and vngodly suffer in this worlde together but for diuerse respectes and endes They in the distruction of their bodies doo in a momente and spéedely lay aside the vncleanenesse of their fleshe and are so brought to euerlasting peace and reste but the other doo then but beginne to feele fearfull and endles torments of body and minde And that saying of Dauid hath place herein In the hande of the Lorde there is a cuppe and the wine is redde in it it is full myxt and he powreth out of the same As for the dregges thereof all the vngodlye of the earth shall drynke of them and sucke them out When therfore we stande in some perylles lyke braunches to be cutte of the body of the trée or lyke valiant souldiers to fall in the forefront of this battell let vs comforte our selues with the consideration of these things Let vs be assured that God can deliuer vs if he wyll but if he wyll not it is for great and weighty causes and the same tending to our owne best profite For hée eyther closeth our eyes with good King Iosias that we should not behold the wofull estate of our countrey and Church which shall ensue or else he taketh vs awaye in our best tyme least malyce and wickednesse should alter our harts and in the meane tyme hee maketh vs worthy vesselles to testifie his honour and glorie euen before most cruell tyrauntes and ryddeth vs shortlie out of temporall miserie to the ende we maye spéedelie passe into endlesse felicitie And if we geue our lyues vnto death for these thinges as the matter is most excellent and lawdable so is it not so terryble and fearefull to the mortified and spirituall man as fleshe and bloode woulde make vs beléeue For if the Heathen souldiours doo abyde a long and sharpe warfare eyther to defende their owne countrey or to enlarge their dominions shall we shrinke to passe the pykes to the ende wee maye keepe our faith and possesse those dominions that are most excellent and endlesse Codrus king of Athens vnderstoode by an Oracle that if hee were preserued his Countrey shoulde perishe hee therefore purposely procured his owne death and shall we sticke to giue our lyues for our heauenlie Ierusalem That noble Romane Marcus Curtius cast him selfe headlong into a bothomles lake for his Cittie and Countrey and shall we feare imprisonment and daungers temporall that we maye possesse Pallaces and lyberties eternall Shall Zopirus the Persian cause his seruaunts to whippe him to cutte off his noose his eares and lyppes and that so comming to Babilon he myght the more spéedily obtaine credite of them to haue some authoritie whereby hee might betraye and yéelde the Cittie otherwyse inuinsible vnto his Maister King Cyrus and shall Christyans faynt with lyke tormentes to purchase not for others but to rerayne and keepe that Cittie alreadye prouyded for them by Christe Surelie these thinges made Iob to exclame Albet he kyll mee yet wyll I trust in him And the Apostles departed from the counsayle reioysing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Iesus And Saint Paule certyfied by Agabus the Prophet of the calamyties and miseries which he should suffer at Ierusalem and his case much bewayled by the Brethren aunswered VVhat doo you weeping and vexing my harte for I am not onely ready to be bounde but also to suffer death for the name of the Lorde Iesus So spake Ignasius in â—â—ke case I am ready to abide the fire beastes sworde and crosse so that I may see Christ my sauiour who dyed for me And againe Let all paines and tormentes most exquisitly deuised by the diuell himselfe be executed vpon me alone so that I may haue the fellowship of Iesus Christ Fynallie the blessed and happye exchaunge of temporall paine into euerlasting ioye which the godlie shall possesse in the worlde to come ought to make them abide these short afflictions manfully whereof wee haue an euident example in the ritche man and Lazarus Abraham sayde to the ritche man Sonne remember that thou hast receyued vveale in thy life and Lazarus woe But nowe he is in ioye and thâ—â— art in tormentes Our sauiour Christ also sayeth to his Apostles You shall vvepe and lament but the vvorld shall reioyce You shall be full of sorrow but your sorrowe shall be turned into love VVhen a vvoman traueileth shee hath paine bicause hir howre is come but vvhen she is deliuered she remembreth not hir paine bicause a man chylde is borne into the vvorlde And you novv shall haue sorrovve but I vvyll see you againe and your hart shall reioyce and your ioye shall no man take avvay from you Although there are no greater paynes then in Chyldebâ—…th yet after delyueraunce the Mother for ioye of hir Chylde forgetteth all Euen so the godlie in this worlde â—…de wonderfull tormentes but after they haue passed this lyfe they neuer thinke of worldlie sorrowes by meanes of that vnspeakeable ioye of Heauen Which as yet the eye hath not séene the eare hath not hearde neyther hath it entered into the harte of man For our lyght affliction vvhich is but for a time causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent and an eternall waight of glorie Whereof he Apostle saint Peter wryteth thus VVe are regenerate to an inheritaunce immortall and vndefiled and that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for you The man of God nameth the celestiall inheritance immortall bicause it neuer fleeteth nor vanish away as the ioyes of this world doo Whether they be honour or ryches or power or friendshippe all these perish and decaye he calleth it vndefiled bicause it is voyde of all sorrowe heauinesse and sinne it is pure sincere and permanent he sayth also that it fadeth not away bicause there is no fulnesse nor wearinesse of it These ioyes are in a vision expressed more largelye in the Reuelation And after these I beheld and loe a great multitude vvhich no man could number c. stoode cloathed vvith long vvhite robes and palmes in their handes These are they which come out of great tribulation and haue vvashed their long robes and haue made their long robes vvhite in the blood of the Lambe Therefore are they in the presence of the throne of God and serue him day and night in his Temple
King inferior to none in temporall battayles For his Ancient once displayed in the fielde he neuer turned his backe or gaue grounde vnto the enimie Hee forsawe daungers had a present minde in perylles hee was fierce in fight and mercifull in victorie And in all these thinges it was his chiefe prayse that he fought Bella domini The Lords warres But as hee was notable that waye so was he an Artificer and as they say his Craftsemaister in spirituall warfare wherein he susteyned so many temptations and assaultes of sathan and so often caryed away victorie through Gods assistaunce that next after Iob I maye place him the seconde Captaine vnder Christes banner And albeit there maye at the first sight séeme to be some diuersitie betwéene the holy Apostle and him touching their Armour and weapons Yet wee must remember the occasion thereof to bee the sundrie sleyghtes and craftie pollicies of sathan rather then the dissenting mindes of these spirituall warriours For the deuyll vseth not alwayes one kind of weapon maner of warre but hath his dayly deuises to inuade the faithful he must therfore be encountred lykewise w store of weapons and varietie of armour if we meane to gette the victorie In olde time the black Byll and Bowe bare the price in battayles but nowe the Gonne and Pyke are better lyked These two Captaines therfore are no more blame worthie in furnishing Christes seruitors with sufficiencie of Artyllarie then a temporall Prince who opening his Armorie wylleth his souldiours to make their choyse of such weapons and armour as maye séeme fyttest and commodious for theyr strength and abilitie And if there bee any difference in theyr preceptes touching this matter it consisteth chiefly in this poynt That the Apostle kindlesh mans industrie the Prophete calleth to our remembraunces Gods prouidencie the Apostle calleth for the labour work of man the Prophet encourageth the same in the power of God the Apostle sheweth how the Lorde blesseth the trauailes of his Childrē in mercy the Prophete openeth howe God tryumpheth ouer his enimies in his myghtye maiestie And although as I sayde before the temptations of Sathan the veration of Gods seruants and his present aide are dispersed lyke swéete spice throughout all the Psalmes yet he séemeth of purpose to haue handled this matter in one place where he also numbreth two kinds of Armour the one defending our selues the other offending the enemie Of the firste sorte are those whiche the holye ghoste nameth The winges of God the worde of the Lorde and the knowledge of his holye name For thus he sayth 1. He will couer thee with his vvinges 2. His trueth shal be thy shield and buckler 3. I vvill defende him because he hath knovven my name For about the Cittie of God where sincere doctrine is deliuered with fruit receyued and sacramentes rightlie administred Gods Angels pitch their campe and builde such high walles that no Tirant is able to scale thē or with gunnes to batter them That Cyttie is couered and shadowed by almighty God euen as an henne hideth her chickens vnder her winges according to that saying of the Prophēt I vvill defende this Cittie Almightie God therefore draweth the Curtayne casteth a cloke as it were ouer that Citie that no stormes tempest nor rayne shall fall vpon it or if it so doo it shall turne to the profitte and benefit of the godly and to the trouble and ruine of the vngodlie as the historie of M. Aurelius Antonius surnamed the Philosopher plainly declareth This Emperour had warres againste the Marcomanes and Quades which people are named at this day Morauians Sylecians in his armie there serued a Legion of Christians who were of the I le of Malta where Saint Paule preached the gospell This Legion dyd not onely serue with swoorde but fought with prayer For when many of the Horsemen and Horses peryshed for wante of water this Legion tooke a publique fast vpon them with prayer humblie crauing at Gods hande rayne and a happie ende of the warre And immediatlye there arose a myghtie storme and tempest whereby God gaue both great store of raine to the Romane armie and cast downe lyghtening and thunderboltes vpon the Morauians and Quades The Romane armie therfore was couered vnder Gods wings the other were terryblie ouerthrowne and destroied The other sorte of Armour whereby the violence force of our enimies are broken and beaten backe are named in this Psalme 1. Desires of God. 2. And the clamours or cryes of the oppressed For he sayeth Bicause he hath loued mee or desired mee therefore vvyll I delyuer him there shall no euyll come vnto thee neither shall any plague come neere thy tabernacle These Armours proceede from a pure harte and true faith kindled by the holy ghost through the sounde of his worde which doo euen enforce and after a sorte compell our heauenly Captaine to succour and defende vs And when he commeth out of his Chamber hee is not vnfurnished of Armour and Artyllarie for he hath famine pestilence thunderboltes haylestones vehement blasts of winde mundations of waters the sounde of Trumpettes and other infinite terrors The Lorde dyd helpe Titus Vespasianus in the besiege of Ierusalem not onely with the sworde but with famine and pestilence insomuch that when Titus him selfe had taken the Cittie and sawe the Munition Bulwarkes and Trenches made for their defence in the Cittie hee eryed out with great admyration saying VVe haue foughten God assisting vs and it was he that drewe the Ievves from their holdes and defences When Antiochus in his pride sayde that he would make Ierusalem an heap of graues vtterlie destroye the Iewes that beléeued in God he was sodainlie stricken with tormentes and wringing of intestines insomuch that lyfe increased in his bodie which by little and little rotted awaye and annoyed the whole armie with a poysenous odour stincke and so God stryke the Philistians with Emrodes and a flyxe because they tooke the Arke of the Lorbe from the chyldren of Israell The Marcomanes and Quades as I saide before were destroyed with lyghtning thunderbolts And so the Lorde rayned downe greate haylestones from heauen vpon the fiue kinges of the Amorites that a great deale moe perished that way then with the swoorde of the chyldren of Israell Hereof commeth that sētence of Sirache Fire hayle famine death al these are prepared for vengeaunce And in another place They fought from heauen against them the starres fought against Sycera So Theodosius the Emperour fighting against Eugenius and Arbogastus was holpen with vehement blasts of winde which blewe mightily against the Infidelles The windes are also created to hurt and to reuenge Pharao with his Horsemen and Chariots were drowned in the red sea By the hands of those noble women Debora Iael and Iudith hee slewe those cruell Tyrants Sycera and Holofernus With Kinges