treasure hidden and closed vp as in these wordes but haue life euerlasting here is poynted out the fielde of fayth where we haue to fetche that treasure héere is also a light sette vp vnto vs that we doe not wander in darkenesse and so léese our way I meane Christ that bright blasing starre the true light of the world finally here is as it were in a plot drawn out the worke of oure redemption and in a knot knit vp the whole mysterie of oure saluation and in handling hereof I thinke it good to vse that meanes that those do which when they haue an hard knot giuen them to knit the like straight they vndoe the same and so make it vp againe with lesse adoe you may say then here is a goodly warning not to perishe a large promise a ryche pearle a worthy treasure to haue life euerlasting but the next question is howe we may obtayne those promises héere is an ordinarie meanes expressed aunswering that question who so beleeueth in him This is the fielde to walke in the foote we muste trust to euen the fielde and foote of fayth But whom in whom shall we beléeue here can we not bee to séeke neyther For Chryste setteth vppe hymselfe here as a marke for our faythe to shoote at who so beleeueth in him Why shoulde we beléeue in him Here is answere to that also bicause he is that Prophet sent of God the sonne the onely begotten sonne of the father therefore ought our faithe to worke and rest on him What moued God to sende that Ambassadour not to spare his deare his onely sonne that cause also is not omitted God so loued the worlde c. it was his owne loue his frée mercy that brought this to passe nowe I thinke there are no more questions to be made no more doubtes to be moued For if all were sayde and vnderstoode whiche concerneth these pointes it were sufficient to saue a soule and to make a perfite man of god For beleue thou in Christ as sent of God as the sonne of God considering thorowly the loue of God by him declared then as truely as Christ is the truthe and may not lye thou standest in the state of saluation thou hast founde the fielde possessest that treasure not to perish but to haue life euerlasting The thirde Chapter ¶ That the especiall loue of God is the chiefe cause of mans saluation and that to the right knowledge thereof mans estate must be considered THus the knot being vndone let vs seuerally consider the partes and péeces thereof that the very bowels of the matter being searched there may a more perfecte vnderstanding grow thereof Therfore the firste steppe the firste entrie towarde the worke of oure saluation is the loue of God God so loued the worlde And to consider how this loue is declared towardes man therein consisteth the whole summe of our redemption And the first consideration herein to be hadde is this as whose loue it is we speake of for it is no vaine or light loue of man but an assured and stedfast loue the loue of God who is as S. Iohn saythe loue it selfe Then what loue it is that is here mentioned For God declareth his loue towardes vs in diuers sortes and manye are the benefits of God towardes man as that by him we liue we moue and haue our being he satisfieth the thirstie soule and filleth the hungrye soule with good thinges And the seruant of Abraham when he wente a wooing for Isaac tolde his tale vnto Laban the brother of Rebecca in this wife I am Abrahams seruant and the Lorde hath blessed my master wonderfully that he is becom great for he hath giuen him shéepe and Beeues and siluer and golde and men seruantes and mayde seruantes and Camels and asses This was a blessing a great tokē of Gods loue but there was a better blessing a greater loue wherwith God embraced Abraham and his posterity that is it whereof S. Iohn speaketh God so loued the worlde c. It is a speciall loue that is héere meant and it néedeth a speciall consideration Therefore that we maye the better acknowledge the goodnesse of God in this behalfe it shall not be from the purpose to remember oure first state howe God did then shew himselfe a louing Lorde towards vs then to set before vs our fall that we mighte vnderstand what we are whome God so loueth as S. Iohn here speaketh of loue that God shoulde sende his onely begotten sonne to be a pledge of his loue then howe the loue of God did worke and appeare in him fynallye howe that loue might haue his full effecte in vs by receiuing that worthy Ambassadour Chryste which is as S. Iohn saithe by beleeuing in him These being treated in whose hearts it shall happen to take roote it wil be a séede that shall spring to that floure that withereth not and fruite that fadeth not as to haue life euerlasting The fourth Chapter ¶ Howe the loue of God appeareth in the creation of the worlde and in mans first estate FIrst therefore the loue of God did maruelously appear in our first creatiō yea before our creation he made all thinges for the benefite of man and man for his owne glorie he bestowed sixe dayes labor vpon man and his necessaries as the booke of Genesis reporteth He layde the foundations of the earth and stretched out the heauens like a curtaine he gathered the waters togyther that the drye lande might appeare This he did for the benefite of man bringing all things into an vniformitie that there myght be a place of habitation for man but yet were not all things prouided necessarie for the maintenance of man wherefore he stayd his creation vntill all suche things were prouided as his heauenly wisdome thought best to serue his turne out of these thrée his first creatures the earth the firmament and the waters he drew out his other creatures necessarie for the vse and preseruation of man To the earthe God sayde Let the earth budde forth the bud of the herbe that seedeth séede the fruitfull trées bearing fruite according to his kinde God saide that worde and it came to passe and God sawe it was good it was good forthe glorie of God principally and it was good for the commoditie of man Moreouer God let the earth bring forthe the liuing thing according to his kinde cattell and that whiche créepeth and the beast of the earth according to his kinde it was done it was good in the sight of God and it was good for the profite of man of the firmament God sayde lette there be lightes in the firmament of heauen to giue light vpon the earth Then God made two great lightes the greater light to rule the daye and the lesse lighte to rule the night he made the starres also and sette them in the firmament of the heauen to shine vpon the earth God saw that it was good firste
euill and he that followeth euill counsell bycause he hath sinned he muste be payde with the wages of sinne here then are we as far to séeke as at the firste here then are we as farre out of the way as before here is no sure ground for vs to stand on yet that sting of death sticketh as déepe in vs as euer it did The eight Chapter ¶ The distresse and dispaire of man in the viewe of his owne wickednesse HOwe then is there no remedie to be founde must we néedes lie stil sweating in the greace of our own fleshly wickednesse is there none to delyuer vs from this body of death if it be so then sucke on Serpent then death take thy pleasure then craue thy righte graue open thy mouth Hell swallowe vp thy portion for thou God haste forsaken vs thou hast yéelded vp all thy right whyther shall we flée then where may we finde rest for our soules Thy face thou mightie one is alwayes against vs we sweate we burne we frie with the furie of wrath all places are to hote for man to reste on so is thine indignation kindled If I saye I haue done iustly then thou reprouest me as a lyer if I haue sinned then thou wilt streightly looke vnto me and wilte not holde me guiltlesse of mine iniquitie and séeing thou markest iniquitie straightly who shall abide it wherefore then hath thine handes fashioned me O that I had perished in my conception and that none eye had séene me and that I were as I had not bene that my graue had bene my mother beholde I goe and shall not returne euen to the lande of darkenesse into a lande I saye darke as darkenesse it selfe into the shadowe of deathe where is no order but the light is there as darknesse my dayes are as the smoke and my life as the shadowe O ye wormes I am your foode O corruption thou art my father O death thou art my mother out of thee was I taken and into thée I return to thée I bequeath that whyche I hadde from thée this lumpe of earthe this masse of fleshe To whome shall I betake my spirite I maye not long possesse it my selfe séeing thou wilte not haue it thou holy one I muste néedes yéelde it vp as a praye vnto myne enimie The ninth Chapter ¶ That Chryste from the beginning hath bene is and shall be the only staye and comforte of all sortes of men BVt thou sonne of man staye thée a whyle in pacience doe not so gyue ouer thy soule as to saye thy sinne is greater than it may be forgiuen humble thy selfe acknowledge thy rebellion but despaire not cast not thy selfe headlong into Hell is there no remedie to be found on earth then lifte vp thyne eyes to heauen there is a comfort there is a comfort cōming there is a sauing healthe in hande thy wounde is great indeede but there is a strong medicine a tempering thy fall was grieuous but thy rysing vp shall be as wonderfull many and mightie are thine enimies but there is one that shall fight for thée whose name is the Lorde of Hostes and he shall subdue all power Beholde thy creator hath not vtterly cast thée off thou hast found fauor in his sight S. Iohn saith God loueth the world yea suche store of mercie there is with God that although we were his enimies yet he is become our God againe and wyll stand an enimie against our enimies and although he seeth that the imagination of mans heart is euill euen from his youth yet he doth not vtterly cast vs off Goe to then Lorde we beséech thée we haue séene thy iudgements how terrible they are we are full fedde with the gall of thy bitter vengeance now if it be thy good pleasure turne thy face from our sinnes and blot out our offences create in vs a new hart renew a right spirit in our bowels shewe thy selfe once againe a mercyfull God we knowe we are not worthy to be called thy children we haue sinned againste heauen and against earth they bare part of our curse againste thée againste thée haue we sinned but if it be thy good pleasure turne thy louing countenaunce towardes vs Surely there is mercie wyth God he hath heard the gronings and afflictions of his people he is moued wyth compassion and pitie towardes vs beholde we that were shattered in pieces lying still in the sounde of sinne and buried vp in death the Lorde of his infinite goodnesse goth about togather vs vp and to set vs vpright agayne he intendeth to cast Adam in a newe mould and to make him a newe creature not of earth earthly but of heauen heauenly For there is a Lambe a killing whose bloud shall washe awaye our sinnes there is a stone framing it shall be layde in Sion it shal fall vpon our enimie it shal grinde his heade and crushe it in pieces we are but héele hurted but he shall be wounded on the head And it shall be thine owne childe Adam thyne owne séede Eue that shall thus subdue the Serpent So good and gracious is the Lorde he promiseth a victorie his owne mouth hath spoken it and wyth his mightie hande hath he brought it to passe for God so loueth the worlde that he hath sente what hath he sente euen that sauing séede that innocent Lambe prouided from the beginning he hath sent his onely begotten sonne bringing with him that pearle not to perishe with that heauenly treasure to haue lyfe euerlasting héere then maye we caste anchor all other remedies failing vs this is it we muste trust vnto this is the sure pledge of Gods fauor towardes vs without this comforte we had bene altogither comfortlesse but nowe is our ioy full and plenteous This is that ioyfull tydings sent from heauen brought by the Angell belonging to all as well as to those ioyful shepherdes be not afrayd saith the angel for beholde I bring you tidings of greate ioy that shall be to all the people that vnto you this day is borne a Sauiour in the citie of Dauid which is Christe O glorious daye wherein shineth suche a sunne the verye sun of God the bright sunne of righteousnesse in that day so bright were the beames of the sunne that they shyned euē into the dim eyes of Abraham this was the glorious day which he saw with such ioy Nowe by this is God truely become the God of Abraham Isaack and Iacob here is the performance of the heauenly promise and blessed bargaine made for him vs all betwixt Abraham and his God for when it might séeme a hope against hope that aged Abraham should haue any suche séede the Lorde knew that Sara would laugh and wonder at his worde yet the Lorde of his loue wherewith he loued the worlde established his couenaunt wyth them that in them sholude all nations be blessed yea we of England Irelande haue our parte in this blessing and of
discorde and bodyly trouble thereof ensuing there is also apparant perill that may pearce the soule For so sayth the Lord to his people Israell concerning their ioyning with forein nations Deut. 7. Thou shalt make no couenant with them neither shalt thou make mariages with them neyther giue thy daughter vnto his sonne nor take his daughter vnto thy sonne for they wyll cause thy sonne to turne away from me and to serue other Gods Then will the wrath of the Lorde waxe whote against you and destroy thée sodenly You are no Israelite here might be sayd how then yet a Christian I trow and by fayth the daughter of Abraham Then this must you recken to be written for your learning There are no Heathites no Amorites no Cananites to be feared yet are many in our dayes bothe faythlesse and godlesse as the obstinate Papiste double dealing Gospeller in whom there is no lesse daunger of deceite and although the persons be not one yet litle differēce seemeth to be in the cause For first mark the reason and then apply it The mariage of a Cananite was forbidden the Israelite for feare lest he should be withdrawen from the true worshippe of the true God of Israell and do we not sée in experience that the wicked wife corrupteth such men as we iudge sometime moste vpright in lyfe and stedfast in profession of the truthe And howe muche more danger is there least the vnbeléeuing and wicked man alter the good nature of the honest woman into his owne nature séeing that to hym she is subiect as the body to the head ye must of necessitie be one in fleshe with him whome ye shall choose foresée therefore by wisdome that hys religion be one with yours sée that you change not your maners with your name presume not of your self herin you are not wiser than Salomon yet as in the .9 of the .1 of the kings his wisdome was so bewitched by the means of those forein womē with whō he matched in mariage that he became a fond Idolater so fel into the hands of god Of this example I trust you will take sufficient warning so that herein I néede not make any moe wordes vnlesse you obiect to me or any other to you the place of S. Paul 1. Cor. 7. The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by the wife and the vnbeléeuing wife is sanctified by the husband If we marke the purpose of Saint Paule the answer shall not be hard The verse next afore dothe conteine his purpose which is that the beleeuing woman already maried to the vnbeléeuing man should not vse his infidelitie as an occasion to departe from him the words are The woman which hathe an husbande whiche beleeueth not if he be content to dwell with hir let hir not forsake hym and the other he ioyneth as a reason to confirme this sentence so that that place serueth to this that if you and your husband were first both of you vnbeleeuers afterward it pleased God to call you to the knowledge of thys truthe your husband continuing in his infidelitie or if nowe beeing grounded you shoulde aduenture the mariage of an Infidell you ought not yet for the hope of sanctification to séeke a separation For as you should do ill to take on the yoke of an infidell so shoulde you do worse to shake it off withoute some iuster cause and although that be not a sufficiente cause to breake the knot that is knit whereas is hope of sanctification yet is it iust and necessarye wherefore to refraine mariage For the mariage of an vngodly Infidell I graunt is a mariage not lightly to be dissolued but yet an vngodlye mariage and that whiche lacketh sanctification whiche is easie to gather eue◠of the same wordes of S. Paule alleaged Wherefore as if your head were fast in the yoke I would counsell you to continue for the hope of sanctification that you might win your husbande so nowe standing frée tempt not God presume not match not with any that you knowe to be out of the housholde of faythe for feare of corruption least you leese your selfe before you winne an other Thus I haue spoken hitherto for my last wower who pleadeth honestie vertue and godlinesse and who I doubt not shall spéede bicause that God is on his side Here if ye demaunde of me whether I woulde haue you so precise as only to regarde the honestie and vertue withoute any further respect Truely although peraduenture I shall seeme too spirituall in this poynt that if you had your eye fully fixed vpō the marke without wauering other wayes no doubt but God would prosper you the better for as muche as he shall thereby haue triall that you depend wholly vpon him and his prouidence and then shall you be least in danger of snares And of this that it ought so to be we may take a warning of the maner that God vsed in the first mariage making in the. 2. of Genesis as whilest he was prouiding for Adam the woman that shuld be his wife and his cōfort he caused an heauie sléepe to fall vpon the man and whilest he was a sléepe he tooke out that ribbe wherof he framed the woman So verely I would thinke that God did most worke with you if you layde Adam a sleepe I meane if you remoued all carnall affections and worldly respectes whyche procéede as earthly from Adam whyle that this bargaine were a driuing This I know is farre wide from worldly wisdome but this way you shall go néerest to make a mariage of Paradice and so shall you séeme moste to marrie in the lord And if you may not abide so straite binding yet swarue as litle as you may if thys be not your whole building yet at the least let it be your chiefe foundation if thys be your grounde haue no doubt but there will growe and folowe other good followers So then I thinke you shall gather a good summe if you cast your accomptes in this wise if vertue come alone she is not to be refused if she come with the companye of suche as the world estéemeth not as a seruant but as a maistresse which is hard and seldome she is also to be imbraced But yet if you stande on this poynt you are in greater danger to slide for vertue clothed is not so sure to trust as if it be naked bare Then a little vertue excéeding in one maye not be supplied with great store and abundance of other gifts and goodes in an other for we must in our doings first seeke the kingdome of heauen as for other things after them seeke the Gentiles if they be sought with care euen when we thinke vs nearest we are often furthest off and shoote to short If we attaine the thing desired yet we lacke the fruition as when we wanted the thing If we enioy it yet the space is shorte But if they come as vnbidden guestes then are they most welcome yea if we