all The bonde of peace the lincke of loue that malitious enemie hath burst a sunder What shall I saye Surely all thinges doe shewe that the ende of all thinges is at hande 25 Nowe what effectes these signes before mentioned shall haue in mens heartes those woordes doe plainely declare which followe There shall bee vppon earth trouble among the nations with perplexitie By the nations sayeth Saint Augustine he meaneth those that shall stande on the left hande and not those that are of the seede of Abraham and shall bee blessed Those dogges goates hypocrites and counterfaite Christians which are without the folde of Christ hauing their owne conscience to accuse and beare witnesse against them that they haue despised the sonne of GOD euen him who shoulde haue beene their sauiour Christ Iesus that they haue reiected his Gospell resisted the trueth weltered in all vncleannesse and sinne like beastes shall at that day fall headlong into deepe desperation knowing that at the handes of that iust and seuere iudge they shall receiue the due rewarde of their frowardnesse and iniquitie These terrible signes shall smite such feare into their heartes and so woonderfully amase them that whatsoeuer they beholde they shall tremble at it whatsoeuer they heare it shall be in their eares as it were the roaring of the seas Mens mindes shall be troubled their faith shall wither and wast away as an vntimely plant they shall vtterly fall from GOD and all hope of saluation Yea the verie elect shall quake and tremble they shall be for the time voyde of counsell and as it were men at their wittes ende For if nowe their mindes be troubled to see the present confusion of thinges in the worlde to see kingdomes and nations in armour one against another to see so much monstrous crueltie shewed so much innocent blood powred vpon the ground to see the wicked so prosper and the godlie so trodden vnder foote like duste to see the matter of saluation euen the woord of God called into question so earnestlie and doubtfullie to be disputed of euen amonges the learned sorte with most hatefull and despitefull contention whereof there is like to the eye of man to bee no ende if this doe so much astonish mens mindes nowe that it maketh them doubtfull what to thinke or what to doe in what great perplexitie shall they bee in that day when false Christes and false prophetes not one nor two but many shall arise so forcible in perswasion that they might deceaue if it were possible euen the elect of God and when the powers of heauen shall be mooued When these thinges are doubtlesse mens hartes must needes faile them for extreame feare and for looking after those thinges which shall come vpon the world Our mercifull Lord comfort vs that we doe not faint and strenghen vs that we may stand in that day After all those signes in the sunne and the moone and the starres in the powers of heauen and in the heartes of men betokening Christes approch Then sayeth the Euangelist they shall see the sonne of man come 26 The manner of his comming is thus described Hee shall come in a cloude with power and great glorie It was tolde the Disciples before whose faces Christ was receaued vp into glorie This Iesus which is taken vppe from you into heauen shall so come as yee haue seene him goe Hee went in a cloude and shall come in a cloude His first comming into the worlde was contemptible but his seconde comming shall be glorious his first to be iudged of the worlde his seconde to iudge the worlde He shall be accompanied with the Angelles of heauen partly to sette foorth his princely honour and royall Maiestie for so it is written Let all his Angelles worshippe him and partly to be his ministers in thinges apperteyning to this iudgement for so we reade He shall sende his Angels with a great sounde of a trumpet they shal gather together his elect from the foure winds and from the one end of the heauen vnto the other S. Paul ioineth with these Angels flaming fire He shall shew himself frō heauen with his mighty Angels in flaming fire rendering vengeance vnto them that do not knowe God and which obey not the Gospel of our Lorde Iesus Christ which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lorde and from the glorie of his power when hee shall come to be glorified in his sainctes and to be made marueilous in all them that beleeue This fire shall whereof the Apostle speaketh dissolue and melt away the heauens and the earth Which burning shall bee as it were the fining of goulde in the fornace not consuming but purging the substaunce of these creatures from the drosse of those alterable qualities whereunto they are nowe subiect So Bede speaketh of them Per imaginem transeunt per essentiam subsistunt praeterit figura huius mundi non substantia Their shape vadeth their substaunce remayneth the figure of this worlde doeth passe awaie but not the nature Wee looke for newe heauens and a newe earth sayeth Saint Peter These heauens shall passe away with a noyse these elementes shall melt with heate this earth with the workes that are there in shall be burnt vp Then shall God be glorified and appeare merueilous Let the mightie remember this which build their nestes aloft the rich which ioyne house to house whose garners sellars and pastures are full of graine wine and cattell whose chestes are stuft with money who wholie applie the worlde as they should liue euer vpon the earth All this geare will be consumed it is but matter for the flame Flee therefore flee from this worlde which will sodenlie melt away looke not backe towarde this pleasant Sodoma which the Lorde will shortlie set on fire For what doeth it profit a man to gaine the worlde which though it be enioied for a while yet at length must needes melt as waxe and to loose his soule which if it were not lost might liue in blisse for euer Loue not seeke not the things of this world looke vnto that by which wee may stande in the day when the Lorde shall shewe himselfe from heauen when he shall come to be glorified in his Saintes and to bee made merueilous in them that beleeue The wicked shall not be able to stande in that iudgement neyther sinners in righteous mens companie At the comming of this power at the presence of this great GOD at the sight of this Tribunall seate so full of glorie and of terrour the deriders of Christ the contemners of his worde the workers of iniquitie shall tremble and quake and desire through despaire that the mountaines may fall on them and couer them from his fearefull presence But the faithfull the elect shall lift vp their heades with ioye and be made partakers of exceeding glorie they shall sit vppon the twelue seates and iudge the twelue
an eare left were so effectual to deceiue al sorts of men that knowing this we cannot meruaile if poperie were spread far wide He did the Pope very profitable seruice which first found out this ground to builde on It bare vp their building a great while But after that the light began a litle to appeare when men had gotten once a sight of the scriptures in a knowen tongue they woondered to see the world so deluded in so much that euen amongst themselues such as had any small freedome of iudgement spared not plainely to auouche that this ground was but mire and slough altogether vnfitte for spiritual building Why that booke should be called a golden legend saith Viues for so it was intituled I doe not knowe sith it was written by a man of an yron mouth and a leaden heart and is altogether full of most shamelesse lies Erasmus likewise At this day saith he euerie bodies dreames yea the dotages of sillie women are read amongest diuine Scriptures 19 The last ground which they haue and the fairest to the eye is their traditions Vnder the name of doctrine receiued from Moses by word of mouth without writing that is to say tradition the Scribes and Pharisies were able smoothlie to carie away anything til Christ recalled all things to the Lawe the Psalmes and the Prophets til he opened the scriptures And as in other grounds so in this the Pope hath found by good experience that they cannot stand longer than the scriptures lie secret and vnknowen 20 He therefore that buildeth vpon these grounds hath cause I thinke to besturre hand and foote that men may be alwaies kept off from the scriptures For whatsoeuer is builded vpon these grounds by the scripture it is ouerthrowen The scriptures haue prescribed an holie communion they vpon their foundation haue reared a blasphemous Masse The scripture maketh baptisme the consecrated seale of mans saluation They vpon their foundation haue builded the baptisme of belles and shippes The scripture saith Christ was offered vp but once they vpon their foundation haue erected an altar whereupon he is daily offered vp The scripture wil haue the scriptures to be read of all men prayer to be made with vnderstanding Christ to be a full satisfaction for sinne worship to be doone vnto God alone They vpon their foundations haue builded a doctrine that forbiddeth Gods people to reade his word that teacheth them to powre out their prayer in a tongue which they cannot vnderstand that hath found out a way to satisfie the wrath of almightie God in this life by penaunce and after this life by indurance in Purgatorie a doctrine that commaundeth them to call vpon Saints and soules departed to worship the worke of their owne handes to say to a peece of bread My Lord my God If these doctrines of theirs did not containe as they doe most manifest impietie yet all religion builded vpon such grounds must needes be vaine and friuolous For although we offer vp neuer so many sacrifices though we keepe all the daies in the yere holie though we pray and giue thankes and doe almes yet except we knowe that herein we shewe obedience to the lawes and statutes of our God we doe but tire out our selues in vaine Wil God reward those things wherein he taketh no delight Or taketh he delight in any thing and hath not shewed it Or hath he shewed it and not in scripture Doubtlesse they worship him but in vaine which either teache or practise the precepts of men for the Lawes of God That they teache or practise the precepts of men they wil not graunt yet the most that possibly they can alledge to prooue any one of these things to be of God is this Such or such a father saith that this or this being not written is neuerthelesse Apostolicall And they knowe that the witnesses whom they cite in matters of tradition doe sometimes checke and contrarie one another In the controuersie that was betweene the East and West Churches concerning the feast of Easter the one part alledged tradition to prooue their custome and the other part tradition to prooue the contrarie It might be that neither was Apostolicall both could not be when eche gainesaide other Yet both must be if al be Apostolicall which the Fathers haue saide is Apostolicall If al be not where is the certaintie of these grounds Why doe they murther burne and persecute from place to place as many as make any doubt of these things which are grounded vpon so fickle and weake foundation 21 But to leaue the foundation whereupon they builde their doctrine if in the rest we finde them as corrupt as in this they haue beene declared weake surely then we may boldly affirme that the Church of Rome is rather a sinke of all abhomination than a fountaine from whence those liuing waters or a storehouse wherein that heauenly foode whereof the Prophet Esay speaketh may be had Let vs therefore nowe consider the end as wel of our religion as of theirs Let vs viewe the marke whereat eche part doeth shoote Whatsoeuer men doe they doe it to some end And the qualitie of things which are doone to any ende is iudged to be good or bad by the ende whereunto they are doone Hereof it is that in scripture things otherwise highly commended as prayer fasting and almes deedes are most bitterly reprooued when they tend to bad ends As there is but one author from whom all things are so there is but one end vnto whom al things should encline and bend themselues God is Alpha the first from whom all other things haue their being and beginning wherefore in reason he is Omega the end and finall cause of all things vpon him they must attend and seeing they are not of themselues therefore they may not serue themselues but for the glorie of him by whom they are From hence a rule may be gathered to iudge betweene pure religion in deede and that which is vntruely so called For that religion no doubt is best which most aduaunceth the glorie of God and that which taketh most from him the worst Ipsi gloria in Ecclesia In the Church of God all glorie is giuen not to men but to him This is the song of the true Church of Christ Righteousnesse O Lord belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs open shame 22 Wherefore touching our selues we teache with the blessed Apostles and Prophets that by nature we are the children of wrath that corruption is bredde and setled within our bones that we are both borne and begotten in it that with it all the powers and faculties of our nature are infected that still it cleaueth fast vnto our soules and although the deadly sting be taken from it yet there it sticketh as long as life doth endure so irkesome and so grieuous that it forceth the most vpright and perfect to crie Miserable man who shall deliuer me
these thinges should be accomplished but shewing signes that should goe before as well the destruction of Ierusalem as also his seconde comming It is not for you to knowe the times and seasons sayth he which the father hath put in his owne power No not the sonne of man as man knewe them 10 This knowledge is kept from men for two causes as Saint Augustine well noteth The one least it should hinder and withdrawe vs from perfourming our necessarie duties least it should terrifie and amase vs and make vs carelesse to prouide for our selues and others An other reason why the time both of our owne particular ende and of the generall consummation of all thinges is left vncertaine is that we might at all times make readie and prepare for it seeing it might happen at any time euen at any instant Watch and pray because ye know not what hower God hath therefore kept the time it selfe secrete but hath reuealed certaine tokens and signes going before it that when we see the messengers and forerunners of him which commeth swyftly to iudge quicke and dead wee may lift vp our heades knowing that our redeemer and redemption is neere at hande Christ foresheweth as I saide the signes that should happen as well before the ruine of Ierusalem as also before his second comming in the ende of the worlde The Euangelistes haue mixed and folded them one within another so that which do serue for the one and which for the other it cannot precisely be discerned S. Chrysostome thinketh that all the signes simply and literally vnderstoode haue relation to the destruction of Ierusalem but mystically or spiritually considered of they may be applyed to the end of the worlde Others whom in this I do rather followe referre the former signes as false prophets warre sedition earthquakes famine pestilence persecution hatred of the Disciples of Christ and beseeging to the destruction of Ierusalem And these latter signes in the sunne moone starres c. to the latter comming of Christ to iudgement 11 In this comming of Christ to iudge the quicke and the dead we may for our better instruction consider these thinges First that there shall be a Iudgement and who shalbe that iudge Secondly the time when this iudgmēt shalbe Thirdly the signes which shall goe before it Fourthly the manner of it Lastly how we ought to be in perpetuall preparation and readines therunto 12 A day the Lorde hath set in the which he will iudge the worlde in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath appointed whereof he hath giuen an assuraunce to all men in that he hath raysed him from the deade Heere we see plainely that there is a day appointed for righteous iudgement of the whole worlde that there is a man appointed to giue sentence in that day that there is an assuraunce alreadie giuen to all men of all thinges that are written concerning both the day the iudgement and the iudge With God sayeth the Apostle speaking to the faithfull which suffred tribulation for the name of Christ with God it is a righteous thing to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you to thē which are troubled rest This righteous thing with God is not perfourmed heere as yet For this worlde is as an hel vnto the godly an heauen vnto them which despise righteousnesse Therfore it cannot be but that God hath appointed a day heereafter to iudge the worlde with that iustice which shall giue vnto euerie man according to that he hath done be it good or euil which shall render vengaunce vnto them that know not God but rest vnto such as now are trobled for his sake Our Lord knoweth to deliuer the godlie from temptation but to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to be tormented Wherefore S. Peter threatning false prophetes and lying maisters which bring in sectes of perdition and denie him that bought them euen the Lord sayeth that their iudgement long agoe was not farre off and their perdition sleepeth not The day of their eternall condemnation is appointed the man that shall condemne them is alreadie assigned and well knowne We must all appeare before the iudgment seate of Christ. The father hath giuen all iudgement to the sonne He is constituted iudge of quicke and deade 13 This iudge hath three properties First he is more priuie to our thoughtes wordes and deedes then we our selues are he seeth in darkenesse as well as in light at midnight as at noone day no secrete is hidde from him neyther can any man conuey himselfe out of his eyesight He sawe Adam when he ate of the fruite which was forbidden him he looked vpon Cain when he slewe his onely brother he behelde Cham when he discouered his fathers nakednesse he tooke a viewe of Sara when she laught behinde the doore of the sonnes of Iacob when they solde their brother Ioseph into Egypt His eye was open vppon Dauids filthie and bloudie actes vpon Absolons treason vpon Achitophels wicked counsell The oppression of Achab the crueltie of Iesabell the pride of Haman the couetous heart of Balaam and of Geze the pride and hypocrisie of the Pharisee could not be kept from him Hee seeth all sleightes in merchaundise all shiftes in vsurie all malitious mindes all flattering tongues all lying lippes He looketh downe from heauen and beholdeth all the children of men from the habitation of his dwelling place he beholdeth all them that dwell on the earth he fashioneth their heartes euerie one and vnderstandeth all their workes Hee shall be both a iudge and a witnesse in that day of all the wicked deedes which the vngodly haue committed and of all the cruell speakinges which wicked sinners haue vttered against him and his who as nowe they cannot auoyde his sight so neither shall they then be able any way to escape his hande O consider this you that forgette God He that made the eye shall not he see Can your deedes be concealed from him that seeth all the children of men and can call them euerie one by his name 14 Another propertie of this heauenly iudge is the infinite greatnesse of his power He doth what pleaseth him all thinges are subiect vnto his will vnto him euerie knee boweth of thinges in heauen and thinges in earth and thinges vnder the earth He hath power to saue and to kill to lift into heauen and to cast into hell heauen is his seate earth is his footestoole What he willeth is as sure as it were alreadie done We should feare therefore this mightie iudge who hath such power to doe his will and who will doe that only which is iust 15 For his third propertie is his iustice Hee taketh no rewards his scepter is streight his iudgement righteous his eye simple he will not be intreated of the wicked neither shew them any mercie In that day euerie one of them shall receiue iustice
SERMONS Made by the most reuerende Father in God Edwin Archbishop of Yorke Primate of England and Metropolitane DAN 12. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse as the starres for euer and euer AT LONDON Printed by Henrie Midleton for Thomas Charde 1585. To the Christian Readers grace and peace through Iesu Christ our Lord. OF other thinges besides these my sonne take thou heede for there is none end of making manie bookes and much reading is a wearinesse of the flesh Let vs heare the ende of all feare God and keepe his commandements for this is the whole dutie of euerie man By which wordes of weight proceeding from the Oracle not of Apollo but of God himselfe what effect hath beene wrought both in the heartes and in the handes of many great learned Clerkes both heere and elsewhere both heeretofore and at this day to make them withdraw their mindes from writing and to withholde their pens from paper some witnesses worthie credite could testifie but that dayly experience needeth no farther proofe Howbeit when it is well knowen and ought accordingly to be considered that the place alledged shold rather correct the bookish humor of cōmon writers idle discoursers then control the writing of necessarie and needefull workes which to the singular aduancement of kingdomes cōmonweales to the most excellent seruice of almighty God to the inestimable benefit and blessing of his Church many hundred yeeres sithens that saying of Salomon haue beene printed and published notwithstanding as by large volumes innumerable of Scriptures and fathers of histories and artes in all kinds of knowledge may euidently appeare Euery man of abilitie should rather by those examples encourage himself the suffer himselfe by these wordes to be disswaded to imploye the talent as wel of his hand as of his tongue to meete with and ouertake all practises inconueniences and as it were to applie a salue to euerie sore to minister a medicine to euerie maladie that may occurre Againe when we perceiue Sanballat Tobiah Geshem Noadiah the Prophetesse and their accomplices continually to hinder and impeach as much as in them lyeth the worke of Gods Temple that is Papistes Iesuites and Malecontentes with their adherents all aduersaries enimies to the euerlasting truth of the Gospell without intermission to abuse their great leasure and small learning to plant error and heresie in the heartes of our brethren thereby to supplant all religious woorshippe of almightie God all audience of his woorde and reuerence to his Sacramentes all humble obedience to lawefull Magistrates all dutifull regarde of wholesome lawes all carefull obseruation of auncient discipline all sincere and seemely conuersation of Christian life and honest manners howe can the holie Ghost who reprooueth the woorlde of sinne but require vs to bestowe all the forces and habilimentes wee haue not onely as good Zacharias and Aggeus to prophecie but as godly Zorobabell and Salathiell to reedifie that is aswell by writing as by preaching aswell by our bookes as by our sermons and as it were with a trowell in the one hande and a sworde in the other to rayse and erect the newe Ierusalem supplying the decayes repairing the ruines filling vp the breaches building vp the wals and towers of Sion in perfect beauty The consideratiō wherof together with some other earnest and vehement perswasions to the like effect vsed did at the last though long first induce the most reuerend authour of this booke euē another Esdras or Nehemias to suffer these his labours to come to light aswell for that he mought leaue behinde him a witnesse and warrant of his godly zealous affection that the professiō of his faith mought become the sweete sauour of life to life in all rather thē the sauour of death to death in any as also for that words spokē are soone come soone gon but written withall may make a deeper impression so by striking aswell the eye of the reader as the eare of the hearer may perse his heart the better saue his soule the sooner Of the booke it selfe I will saie but this that for myne owne parte I am verilie perswaded there is no worke written in this kinde wherin men of principall estate or particular callings may be either more sufficiently enformed to know or more plainely directed to performe their seueral duties The superiour how to gouerne the inferiour how to obey the Minister what to teach the people what to learne the Parliament what to establish the Realme what to embrace her Maiestie and counsaill what to heare Courte Citie and Countrie what to amend why Patrones especially professing godlines should be vncorrupt why Pastours vndergoing such a charge shoulde keepe the flocke from the foxe and wolfe why Bishops should be more vigilant precise not to admit Ministers hand ouer head why the rich should be open handed and poore Christ in his needie members competenlie relieued how the Church to be disciphered by hir proper marks of the word to be heard with diligēce and the sacramentes with reuerence to be frequented how the Temple to be purged of idolatrie superstition and superfluitie the Church men of ignoraunce negligence and simonie the commonweale of vnmercifulnesse couetousnesse and vsurie the iudgement seates both ciuill and Ecclesiasticall of briberie extortion partiality why the Gospell to be preached with fauour the Law with terrour yet both with a caueat how God to be worshipped our neighbours intreated our children families catechised our selues conformed to Christ his image the simple aduised the subtill preuēted the weake supported the obstinate corrected what patience to be vsed vnder the crosse what thankefulnesse to be shewed for Gods great mercies what prayers in our extremest necessities to be powred out what sorrow must throw downe the sinfull man what faith raise him vp what hope sustaine him what charitie inflame him what worthy fruites commend him to the world finally how the truth may be cōfirmed falshood refelled vice reproued vertue aduaunced and so the child of God made a man wise vnto saluation and perfectly enabled vnto euery good worke Besides many other most profitable obseruations sooner taught then learned yet sooner learned then followed such so many as in so few sermons you shal hardly finde I beleeue but in the same Nor is this my single opinion only but many mens censure of greater learning better iudgment who know what belonges to matter and method to times and persons to place and occasions with other due circumstances of well and wise meaning speaking and writing But as those sermons be best praysed euer that be euer best practised so if these shall be receiued into the good grounde of your heartes with the same affection and spirite they were preached first and nowe be published no doubt but the sower the seede the soile the increase and all will be founde to the glorie of his grace
and their prayer tooke away the force of the fire The scriptures are full of examples of all sorts Kings Prophets Apostles faithfull Christians haue called vpon the Lord in the time of their troubles hee hath heard them graunted their requests and deliuered them from their distresses Wherefore before all things the Apostle heere exhorteth vs vnto praier 10 But for whom First generally for all men then specially for kings and them that are placed in authoritie It seemeth some were of opinion that praiers should be made onely for the faithfull for the brethren for Christians and not for Infidels Paul to meete with this vncharitable error saith Let supplications be made for all men S Iohn in his Canonicall Epistle seemeth to make exception against this generall doctrine There is a sinne vnto death I say not that thou shouldest praie for it This is that sinne which Christ calleth sinne against the holy Ghost which neuer shall be remitted and therefore is not to be praied for But because it is hard for vs to discerne who sinne vnto eternall death Christian charitie wil that we hope wel of all and obserue the generall rule to praie for all There were secrets reuealed to the Apostles of Christ which are hidden from vs they had the gift of prophecying and discerning of spirits to foresee and knowe which gifts these times haue not Paul rapt into the third heauen learned secrets not to be reuealed hee knewe that Himenaeus and Alexander were reprobates We may not so iudge of others Who art thou that iudgest an other mans seruaunt In outward shewe after the iudgement of man Paul being a violent persecuter of Christ sinned vnto death yet was hee the elect vessell and glorious instrument of God Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world he wil haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth We must therefore haue a charitable meaning towards all and pray for all as he hath died for all Praie euen for your enemies for them that persecute and slander you Blesse them that curse you Wish well to them that doe ill to you For God suffereth his raine to fall and his light to shine both vpon good and bad Abraham praied for Abimeleck Moses for Idolaters Samuel for Saul Stephen for them that stoned him and Christ for them that cruelly put him to shamefull death Let vs imitate these holie paternes 11 As we should praie for all men so chiefely for kings and such as are in authoritie because they chiefly neede it In Pauls time the kings and rulers of the people were Ethnickes tyrants enemies to Christ and cruel persecuters of the Gospel wherevpon some thought it not conuenient for the Church to pray for them who sought to destroie it S. Paul abateth this opinion teaching them that they should chiefly praie for such as for men in greatest daunger and most needing the helpe of their praier Praie for him that praieth not for himselfe The prophet Ieremie requireth the Israelites to praie for the cruel persecutor of Gods people Nabuchadnetzar For God in his mercie giueth good princes and in his ire he giueth wantons as Esay saith and hypocrites as Iob writeth Both euill and good are the ordinaunce of God We must praie for ill princes because the kings heart is in Gods hand that he may turne their mindes and staie their persecutions of euil make them good and of strangers from the common wealth of his Saints make them pillers and staies vnto the Church For good princes we ought heartily to praise the Lord for them especially to pray as the prophet did for Salomon Giue thy iudgements to the King O God and thy righteousnesse to the Kings Sonne For it is the singular gift of God not onely to set vp rightfull gouernement in the world but also to cherishe and preserue the same Euen they whom he hath furnished with the spirite of righteousnesse and of iudgement are vnable furtherfoorth to execute their charge than they be specially directed by the hande of God and assisted from heauen with all helpes necessary for their calling If the Christians did praie for the wealth and prosperitie of those princes which bent all their force and power against the kingdome of Christ surely for such as are defenders of the faith and zealous patrones of Gods people wee ought daily and hourely to powre out supplications that God would grant them a long life a safe gouernementt a sure dwelling valiant souldiers faithfull counsellers a good people a quiet world and whatsoeuer the hearts of men or kings doe desire And let all such as wil not say Amen to those praiers assure themselues that they are neither duetifull Christians nor faithfull subiects but disloyall contemners of Gods ordinance and rebellious despisers of his commaundement who spake by the mouth of his Apostle saying Praie for Kings and all such as be in authoritie 12 If any Church any people any nation in the world haue cause to praise the Lord for their prince this Lande hath more than any in respect of the wonderfull blessings wherewith God by the ministerie of his handmaide hath enriched vs far beyond all that we are possibly able to conceiue Israell was well apaide with the good gouernement of Debora Iudith and Hester But they thought themselues twise happie when God gaue them Moses Samuel Dauid Salomon Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosias to gouerne them England liked well and tooke it for no small blessing of God when Henrie the first H. the second Edward the first Edward the third Edward the fourth H. the fift H. the sixt H. the seuenth H. the eight Edward the sixt bare rule ouer it But did God euer blesse the throne of any man as hee hath doone the royall seate of his annointed at this day Hath the like euer beene heard of in any nation to that which in ours is seene Our Debora hath mightily repressed the rebel Iaben our Iudith hath beheaded Holophernes the sworne enemie of Christianitie our Hester hath hanged vp that Haman which sought to bring both vs and our children into miserable seruitude And if we may compare with the ancients of Israel Moses was not more milde nor Samuel more iust nor Dauid more faithful nor Salomon more peacefull nor Iehosaphat more readie to assist his neighbours nor Ezechias more carefull for Gods cause nor Iozias more zealous to restore syncere religion If yee make the comparison betweene her owne predecessors neither was Henrie the first better learned nor Henrie the second more easie to forgiue and put vp iniuries nor Ed. the first more chast nor Ed. the third more loath to accept of forrein dominion being offred nor Ed. the fourth more iust in yeelding all men their owne nor H. the fift more happie nor H. the sixt more holie nor H. the seuenth more prudent nor H. the eight more valiant in quelling the Pope nor
destruction of that citie If counsellers emulate and contend amongst themselues â—t must needes teare the state of the common wealth in pieces It was great wisedome therefore in M. Aemilius and Fuluius Flaccus that being at enmitie yet when they were chosen Censors of Rome together they ioined handes and buried all iniuries least through their contention the state should come to ruine Abraham knowing the hurt of contention gaue place to his nephewe Lot Let there be no strife I praie thee betweene thee and me neither betweene mine heardmen and thine for we are brethren The scripture termeth vs sheepe meeke and patient Let vs not therefore be currish like vnto dogges contending barking and biting at our brethren If yee bite one another beware least ye be consumed one of an other 9 And as the bane of vnitie is contention so the breeder of contention is vaineglorie What else caused Iohn Bishop of Constantinople to contend to be called The vniuersall Bishop Superbum nomen hoc est This is a proude name saith Gregorie What else made the Angel to contend to aduance himselfe aboue measure Adam to seeke to be wise as God Absolon to striue for his fathers kingdome Caesar to brooke no man to bee his better Pompey no man to be his peere Wherefore let vs not bee desirous of vaineglorie prouoking one another enuying one another The proude and vaine glorious are compared to the Cedar trees of Libanus which are higher than others not of themselues but by reason of the high mountaine whereupon they growe 10 It is madnesse for men to glorie in that which is not their owne What hast thou that thon hast not receiued And if thou hast receiued why doest thou glorie Doest thou glorie in thy good workes and righteousnesse They are as the cloathes of a woman in her bloud Doest thou glorie in thy nobilitie and great authoritie By me Kings doe raigne neither is there any power but from God Rule is giuen you of the Lorde and power by him that is most high Glorie not but feare knowing that hee which hath receiued much hath much to recken for And A hard iudgement shall they haue that beare rule Doest thou glorie in thy riches Foole this night thy life is taken from thee and then whose are they They are as grasse vnto all but vnto most men as thornes many haue beene pearced to the heart by them they spare neither prophet nor Apostle as we see by the examples of Balaam and Iudas they are euerywhere vnquiet gests Sigismundus the Emperor could not sleepe so long as a chest full of golde remained in his bed-chamber Doest thou glorie in forme and fashion in fauour in beautie All flesh is grasse and the glorie of it is as the flower of the field To daie it flourisheth to morowe it vanisheth Doest thou glorie in thy worldly wisedome and policie The wisedome of the world is but foolishnesse before the Lorde Let not the wise man glorie in his wisedome Let him that glorieth glorie in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which shew mercie iudgement and righteousnesse in the earth Doest thou glorie with insolent Haman that thou art in exceeding grace and fauour with Assuerus the king and canst haue whatsoeuer thy heart doeth wish at his hands Doest thou in this thy loftinesse enuie vnto death godlie Mardocheus because he honoureth not thee which art in thy selfe altogether vnworthie of honour His pride had a fall his insolencie ended in ignominie and shame Let such as are lifted vp into such fauour feare let them learne to bee so much lowlier as they are higher than others remembring that the wrath of a prince is death and what is more easily kindled than wrath 11 It is hard to bridle the hawtie affections of vaineglorious men This vanitie staineth our best and purest actions Our praier when we praie that we may be seene and thought holie our almes when we giue that we may haue a praise our fasting when we vse it either to merite vnto our selues or thereby to seeme deuout vnto others our preaching when we seeke our owne commendation when we studie not so much to please God as men when much learning puffeth vs vp when we take a pride in our picked words pleasant vtterance when we reioice with Herod to heare the people showte and crie The voice of a God Thus as the goodliest trees in a garden are soonest blasted with red windes so men indued with the rarest qualities and best gifts are soonest infected with this poison That great and blessed Apostle himselfe was in some danger of this disease Wherefore thus he speaketh Least I should be exalted aboue measure through abundance of reuelations there was giuen vnto me a sting in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me that I might not be exalted aboue measure He onely was quite and cleane voide of this sinne who is our example who saith in the Gospel I doe not seeke mine owne glorie 12 Now the lets of vnitie which are Contention and Vainglorie being remooued S. Paul teacheth in the last place by what meanes vnitie and concord may be preserued Wherein he setteth downe two strong preseruatiues The first is In humblenesse of minde euerie man to esteeme others better than himselfe To esteeme others better than our selues is a lesson hard to be learned a lesson which neuer can enter into the braine of a proude hearted man And therefore S. Paul requireth humblenesse of minde in him that shall thus frame and fashion his iudgement according to that whereunto he exhorteth in an other place Walke woorthie of the vocation whereunto yee are called with all humblenesse of minde and meekenesse with long suffering supporting one another through loue endeuouring to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace For vpon whom shall the spirit of the Lord rest but onely vpon them that are humble and lowlie To whom should he giue grace but vnto men of a meeke and gentle spirite But there are sundrie sorts of humilitie 13 There is an humilitie which is constrained an humilitie perforce such as that whereof the Prophet saith The Lorde releeueth the meeke and humbleth the wicked to the ground Such are then humble onely when God hath humbled them by afflicting them There is a counterfeite humilitie such as was in Absolon when he stole away the peoples hearts from the king For it is the vsuall maner of some to bowe downe themselues and to looke most demurely when their inward parts are full of deceit and their heads most occupied about wicked purposes Againe there is a superstitious humilitie such as that was Touch not Tast not Handle not touch not the chalice tast not an egge in Lent handle not the bread that by consecration is made holie which things had a shewe of religious holinesse but were in
compassion vpon the poore Let vs seeke vp Christ and prouide for him He sought vs and found vs when we were robbed spoiled and deadly wounded let not vs turne away our faces from him seeking crauing so small help at our hands He became poore to make vs riche let vs out of the aboundance of our riches spare somewhat nowe to the reliefe of his pouertie He will well requite it It is not lost which is bestowed vpon him in his poore afflicted members that which wee put in the handes of the poore we lay it vp in the Lords bosome where neither dice nor cards hawkes nor hounds horses nor harlots can consume it rust and canker can not eate it theeues can not robbe and bereaue vs of it Vnwoorthie we are to be called Christians if wee suffer our head Christ Iesus to be naked and cloath him not if we see him hungrie and giue him no bread Woorse wee are than Iewes if we suffer this ignominie to bee doone vnto Christ this ingratitude to be shewed to so gratious a God O let vs be mercifull that as children we may resemble our heauenly father for he is mercifull Vnto this mercifull God the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost be honour glorie and praise nowe and euer Amen The ninth Sermon A Sermon made in Pauls at the solemnization of CHARLES the 9. the French Kings funerall IOB 14. 14 All the daies of this my warrefare doe I waite till my changing come THE custome of funerals as it is auncient so is it commendable Abraham the father of our faith purchased a peece of ground to burie his dead in And in that place he himselfe Sara Isaak Iacob and Ioseph were buried with great solemnitie much mourning Tobias is commended for burying the dead So is Marie Magdalene for preparing of ointment for the burying of our Sauiour So is Ioseph and also Nicodemus for the care that they had about Christs funerall 2 Causes of funerals S. Augustine giueth three First it is the office of humanitie the duetie of charitie decently to commit the dead corps to the earth out of which they came This charitable dutie is commended in Toby and others whose names I mentioned before and was of the verie Heathen religiously obserued Secondly it is a thing verie seemely and conuenient with reuerence to laie the corps in graue because our bodies are the temples of the holie Ghost wherein by which as by liuely instruments both God hath beene glorified and his people haue receiued good Knowe yee not that your bodie is the temple of the holie Ghost which is in you That which hath beene so notable an instrument would not be vnreuerently entreated though dead Thirdly our faith is hereby confirmed touching the article of our resurrection For we laie downe the bodie in the earth vnder hope that This mortall must put on immortalitie as confessing with Iob I beleeue that my redeemer liueth and that I shall see God in my fleshe mine eyes shall behold him and none other But the Christian Church doeth not neither ought to vse funerals thereby to relieue or benefite the dead All these things saith S. Augustine furniture of funerals order of burying and the pompe of exequies are rather comforts to the liuing than helps to the dead The glutton of whom S. Luke speaketh in the Gospell was buried no doubt with pompe ynough yet his wicked soule was plunged into hell There commeth therefore no part of blessednesse to the dead by funerals but Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Lazarus wanted as it is to be thought his funerall but the want thereof bereaued him not of his happie estate he died in the Lord and so was blessed 3 Sith therefore death bringeth with it our particular iudgement sith he that beleeueth on the sonne hath euerlasting life but he that beleeueth not on the sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Let vs liue as we will die and die as they that hope to rise againe and liue with Christ hereafter As euerie man departeth hence so shall he be iudged at the last daie And Euerie man shall sleepe with his owne cause and with his owne cause rise againe At our particular death is our particular iudgement at the glorious comming of Christ shall bee the generall reuelation of the iudgement of the whole world After this life there is no helpe remaining to the dead to the liuing there is mercie offered to the deade there remaineth onely iudgement He that is not purged heere shall be iudged as filthie there 4 Vaine therefore and dangerous is the opinion of Purgatorie Vaine because it hath no foundation at all in Gods woord Moses prescribing all kindes of sacrifices in the old Lawe maketh no mention either of sacrificing or praying for the dead Paul instructing the Thessalonians what they ought to doe in funerals neither doeth remember vnto them sacrifice nor praier Iust Simeon neuer dreamed of Purgatorie when as he saide Lorde now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Small peace is there in Purgatorie as Papists report It neuer came into Saint Pauls minde when he said I desire to depart hence and to be with Christ. It was not reuealed to the Angell when he said Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord they rest from their labours There is no rest but intollerable paine imagined in Purgatorie euen to them which die in the Lord. Neither Lazarus not the rich man were acquainted with it the one was immediately caried into heauen the other cast into hel He which said to theefe This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise knewe onely two waies the straite way to heauen the broade way to hell hee who knewe all things was ignorant of this third way For there is no such waie to knowe This opinion is perilous The hope of helpe in Purgatorie hath sent many deceiued soules into hell This opinion is iniurious to the bloud of Christ. For if any sinne remaine to bee purged by these after paines then The bloud of Christ doth not cleanse vs from all sinne and then â—e make God a lyer It destroieth repentance without which there is no remission of sinnes here and with which satisfaction for sins afterward cannot stand For faith and repentance cease with this life He that hath not his pardon heere deceiueth himselfe if he hope to haue it hereafter elsewhere Euery man after life shal beare his owne burthen as euerie man hath wrought in his bodie There commeth nothing to the spirits of them that bee dead but that which they wrought while they were aliue Worke thou righteousnesse before thy death for in the graue it is too late And thus it doth appeare that although the vse of funerals be auncient and that for good causes they are
For he is our God not whom we professe but in whom we repose our trust and whom we serue and obey When the Lord commaundeth one thing and his monie perswades an other will not his obedience declare whom he maketh his God God saith Lend freely and looke for no gaine But wil the vsurer whose monie is his God remit his interest because of this because the Lord hath so charged him No he will not so let goe his tenne or twentie or thirtie in the hundred To him the glorie of God yea and his owne soule is vile nothing is pretious but onely money What the Prophet speaketh of putting foorth monie to vsurie he full litle regardeth but feedeth still vpon his mast and blesseth himselfe when hee waxeth fat not perceiuing that God hath alreadie plagued him with a plague of all plagues the obduration of his heart And although that God hath giuen him ouer into a dull and senselesse minde his eares beeing so dammed vp that nothing can haue entraunce to mooue or touche his hard heart yet he still blesseth himselfe and his accursed soule Thou vsurer thou idolater that doest glorie in thy shame in thy euill gotten golde doest thou not knowe that thy wealth shall melt like snow before the sunne thinkest thou still to holde it O foole this night shall they tâ—ke away thy soule perhaps this instant and then whose is all this After that Zacheus fell to the seruice of Christ and that Christ entred into his house hee presently forsooke the seruice of Mammon made a large restitution of that which he had gained by such vnlawfull meanes and then began to bee liberall not onely to lend freely but to giue for nothing he gaue the one halfe of all his goods to the poore If God would at this day work thus in the heart of one Zacheus a rich vsurer how many poore might be relieued by such a restitution He might mainteine many a needie man and saue his owne soule Well this one thing we knowe This woord that proceedeth out of Gods mouth against vsurie shall not returne in vaine if it cannot worke reformation it wil worke confusion 11 As these serue their monie so there are some Domino non seruientes sed suo ventri seruaunts to the bellie and not to the Lord. He serueth the bellie who frameth himselfe to be of any religion so that in this world he may liue by it when poperie hath the vpper hand then a papist when the Gospell is in due estimation a protestant all things to all men that somewhat may be gained or saued to himselfe Hee maketh no difference betweene the Masse and the Communion Christ and Beliall but for his bellie sake wil halt on both sides serue all times and turnes Such a one was Leontius Bishop of Antioch who being in heart an Arrian couered his religion and ioined with the counsell of Nice in outward profession of the trueth So his soule was led by the diuel and his bodie by the world 12 Some and those many are seruauntes of men as those which in matters of religion wholly hang their soules vpon humane authorities and iudgements So did the Corinthians I hold of Paul I of Cephas and I of Apollos So doe al the Popes fauorites And so doe those that choose to themselues newe masters newe teachers according to their itching and wandering â—ares esteeming such and despising others So doe they which praise and flatter men in their follie thereby to winne themselues estimation with them which haue mens persons in admiration for gaines sake Finally so doe they which repose their trust in the merits of men that seeke iustification or remission of sinnes eyther by their owne woorkes or by the desertes of others For to knowe that hee is our redemption sanctification and iustice is no small part of Gods seruice to giue this to any other is to take it from him which who so doeth is not woorthie to bee named his seruaunt He that serueth him must serue him alone 13 Not him and the worlde For the worlde is wholly set on vanitie and mischiefe it hateâ—h him and therefore wee must hate it If ye be his seruaunts let not sinne beare rule in your bodies or haue dominion ouer you We must die vnto sinne that we may liue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. He that doth sinne is the seruaunt of the diuell the diuel is but a bad master to serue he is a lier a theefe and a murtherer And hee entertaineth no seruants but such as be like himselfe whose wages are fire cheines brimstone darkenesse wailing howling and gnashing of teeth in a word euerlasting death and damnation Wee are nor ransomed out of the hands of our enemies to serue these masters mammon the bellie men sinne the world or the diuell But wee are redeemed to serue him onely to serue our Christ our redeemer that hath full deerely bought vs. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue 14 Him we must serue without feare In the Psalme it is saide Serue the Lord with feare and reioice vnto him with reuerence And here wee are taught to serue him without feare As there is but one God so the scripture is alwaies one There is a feare which children haue towards their parents and a feare of seruants towards their masters God will be feared of vs as children but not as seruaunts or if as seruaunts not as slaues The beleeuing Christian the regenerate childe of God who through faith in Christ is certaine of his deliuerance from the diuell and from hell assured of remission of sinnes and of life euerlasting in the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ our Sauiour he serueth in the reuerent feare of loue and not in that dreadfull feare of death and euerlasting damnation wherewith the reprobate minde is daunted He feareth not death for hee is sure of life hee feareth not damnation for he is assured of saluation he beleeueth that which Christ hath promised and doubteth nothing of the obteining of that which Christ hath procured for him He is surely perswaded with S. Paul that neither death nor life nor tribulation nor affliction nor any thing present or to come shall separate him from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus Hee feareth therefore neither the sting of death nor the power of Satan But this certaintie of Gods loue towards him in Christ and the testimonie of his loue towards God againe casteth out all feare of eternall punishment For ye haue not saith the Apostle receiued againe the spirite of bondage vnto feare but ye haue receiued the spirit of adoption by which wee crie Abba father This spirit testifieth with our spirit that God is our gratious father and if he our father wee his children and if his children heires of his glorious kingdome The preaching of the Lawe letteth vs see
shall be as one that robbeth and hee that selleth as one that stealeth They bought and solde in the temple this Christ condemneth Yet beholde what a beautifull colour they had set vpon their wicked practises to make them seeme allowable before mē For of the iudgement of God they made no account It is written in the Law Thou shalt eate before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose to cause his name to dwell there the tithe of thy corne of thy wine and of thine oyle and the first borne of thy kine and of thy sheepe that thou maist learne to feare the Lord thy God alway And if the way bee too long for thee so that thou art not able to carie it because the place is farre from thee where the Lorde thy God shall choose to set his name when the Lord thy God shall blesse thee then shalt thou make it in monie and take the monie in thine hand and goe vnto the place which the Lorde thy God shall choose and thou shalt bestowe the monie for whatsoeuer thine heart desireth shalt eat it there before the Lord thy God and reioice both thou and thine housholde Vnder pretense of prouiding that according to this lawe men which dwelt farre off might alwaies at their comming to the temple haue sacrifices there and offerings in a readinesse to present before the Lord their couetous humor fed it selfe vpon the people without all feare of God without any reuerence at all of his sanctuarie May they not iustly be termed Theeues who pretending thus to serue the Lord in his sacrifices robbed and spoiled him in his Saintes No doubt Ierusalem had shee knowen the things which belonged to her peace would haue blest the houre wherein the Lorde of the house came to ease that holy place of so intollerable burthens to rid his temple of so noisome filth 9 Now because the roote from whence these abuses and corruptions grewe was the setled wickednesse wherewith the hearts both of the priests and people were possest therefore wee may without swaruing from the true intent of this historie take occasion heere to note some speciall pollutions of the mysticall Temple of GOD which is his Church and to shewe the great necessitie of remoouing them Wherein as the present occasion of our assemblie at this time requireth I will especially touche such as properly belong to that part of the Church which hath the spirituall regiment of the other This therefore is the principall matter which now we haue to obserue in the fact of our Lord and master Christ that if in visiting our temples wee finde them possessed with wicked pastors they are not there to bee suffered the rodde of seueritie must whippe them out Who bee good sheepeheardes and who be theeues it is soone discerned yee shall knowe them by their fruites 10 Vnto good pastors our Sauiour opposeth hirelings theeues and robbers shewing also the difference betweene the one and the other The good sheepeheard loueth his flocke intirely it grieueth him not to powre out his verie soule for their sakes he gathereth them as Lambes into his armes carieth them in his bosome and kindely intreateth them Contrarywise the hireling careth not for the sheepe he beareth a sterne and a stonie heart towards them And as their inward affections are farre different so their outward actions are much vnlike whether we looke vpon their entring into their function or their dealing after they are entred 11 The true sheepeheard goeth in by the dore to him the porter openeth He taketh not this honour vnto himselfe but expecteth a calling from God as Aaron did hee breaketh not in by violence but waiteth till the porter open vnto him till they giue him entrance to whom Christ hath giuen power and authoritie to ordeine But theeues and robbers clime vp another way they winde in themselues by vnlawful meanes with monie they purchase the roomes which they occupie in the Church of Christ. Thus did Menelaus get the priesthoode from Iason at the handes of the king by giuing three hundred talents of siluer more than the other albeit hee had nothing in himselfe woorthie of the high priesthood but bare the stomacke of a cruel tyrant and the wrath of a wilde beast Thus Leo the tenth Innocentius the eighth Siluester the third two Gregories the sixt and the twelfth yea the most part of the Bishops of Rome for many yeeres haue obteined their popedomes Thus doe their Cardinals Bishops and Prelates thus doe their clergie euen to this day And I would to God this were onely their fault A thing both condemned by the commendable Lawes decrees and constitutions of sundrie Councels and also by the blessed Apostle S. Peter so grieuously accursed in him whose heart was first therewith infected that in the whole bodie of the sacred Scripture a note of the like indignation conceiued against any other sinne as I am perswaded can scarcely be found For why If they which bought and solde but the beasts of the field and birds of the aire doues sheepe and oxen in the place which God had sanctified to himselfe were therefore termed by a name that declareth their dealings to haue beene as much abhorred in his sight as if they had spent all the daies of their life in theft robberie how can we think any bitternesse of speeche or sharpnesse of punishment too great for so extreme licētiousnes as theirs that make sale of the cure of soules that bargain for the gifts of the holie Ghost For so they are The making of Bishops the bestowing of benefices the presēting instituting and inducting of pastors the placing of teachers guides and ouerseers in the Church is and should be accounted the very work of the holie Ghost Attend saith S. Paul take heed to your selues and to the whole flocke wherein the holie Ghost hath placed you Bishops to rule the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne bloud Whosoeuer therfore be the man that presumeth to staine a thing so holie with the execrable filth of indirect dealing of buying selling couenanting bargaining either for monie or monie worth may it not as iustly bee saide to him as to Magus Thy monie perish with thee because thou thinkest that the gift of God may be obteined with monie Thou hast neither part nor fellowship in this buisinesse for thine heart is not right in the sight of GOD I counsel them with S. Peter that are in the gall of this bitternesse and in the bonds of this iniquitie betime to repent them of their wickednesse and to praie vnto God that if it bee possible the thoughts of their hearts may be forgiuen them 12 It is a true saying Vix bono peraguntur exitu quae malo sunt inchoata principio Thinges ill begun are not commonly well ended neither are their proceedings likely to be good whose beginnings are so greatly out of order They which enter
vexed and tormented with sinne they make light or no account of it These men loue the bodies of their children as it seemeth better than their soules So this fraile carcase this bodie of claie is much made of To procure things good and comfortable for it we can be content to trauel sea and lande to be at any cost to endure any paines If health may be had though it be in a wildernesse it wil be sought 14 The last and best sort of followers were such as followed Christ to heare his word This is that trauell that chiefly is required of a Christian. Seeke first the kingdome of God This declareth vs to be his children to be his flocke He that is of God heareth Gods woord My sheepe heare my voice Thus you see the causes why Christ was followed of the multitude 15 Christ was quietly set with his Disciples in the mount when this people approched The hill as S. Chrysostome noteth may represent the kingdome of God the inheritors whereof are alwaies delighted to clime vpward to seeke those thinges that be aboue to take pleasure in nothing but that which is from heauen Christ and his Disciples being on the top of the mount were quiet And the Church of Christ euen in the wildernesse in the midst of affliction doth in him finde rest In the worlde saith our Sauiour You shall haue distresse but haue confidence I haue ouercome the world these things haue I spoken vnto you that in me you may haue peace Vpon this assurance Peter being in prison and in cheines slept quietly the Prophet Dauid in the midst of persecution tooke sweete and pleasaunt rest I lay mee downe saith he and sleepe in peace for thou Lord onely makest mee dwell in safetie 16 Nowe followeth the miracle which our Sauiour wrought by occasion of the multitude which was there assembled together with him and his Disciples In this there are many things conteined very woorthie of your good and godlie considerations which for orders sake we may reduce to the persons of the people of the Disciples and of Christ. Concerning the people the words of the Euangelist S. Iohn are these Sequebatur eum turba multa A great troupe followed him But S. Marke more liuely expressing the great zeale and desire they had to the Gospel of Christ saith They ran flocking thither on foote out of all Cities In whom we haue first to obserue that they were not of the Princes nor of the priests which came vnto him but turba the common and vulgar sort Num quis ex principihus Doth any of the rulers or of the Pharisees beleeue in him Not many noble not many wise saith the Apostle The noble and mightie loued libertie of life and feared mutations The wise were circumspect and sawe that the Gospel would marre their workes Onely the people they which were basely accounted of in the worlde they which knewe not the Lawe came vnto Christ. 17 The second thing to be obserued in them is their cheerefulnesse their alacritie their zeale and courage They came not dragging their legges after them they ran vnto Christ. Neither care of things at home nor feare of daunger abroade neither the length of the waie thither nor the lacke of lodging and foode there neither the feare of the Priests the Scribes and Pharisees the knowne and professed enemies of Christ nor any other by respect in the worlde was able to staie them Shall not this people rise vp in iudgement thinke you against vs whom God hath by so many blessings allured and as it were entised to come vnto him and notwithstanding findeth vs so farre from this cheerefull and gladsome following of him that when hee doth followe and seeke after vs we turne our backes and flie from him Could wee doe thus if indeede we did beleeue that he hath the woords of eternall life and that as many as continue with him to the end they shall be saued 18 The thirde thing especially to be noted in this people is that their willingnesse to come was not greater then their readynesse to obey him vnto whom they came For when they were willed to sit downe vpon the grasse although they were so many and had so little in sight before them for what were fiue loaues and two fishes to relieue almost fiue thowsand men neuerthelesse they made no aunswere they gainsaide not but without contradiction did that which they were commaunded Elisha prophecied in the name of the Lorde and promised plentie to the people of Samaria being grieuouslie afflicted with extreeme famine But a Prince in great fauour and authoritie with the king replyed against the man of God Though the Lorde woulde make windowes in the heauen could this thing come to passe The same Prophet sent one to Naman the Syrian with this message Goe and washe thee in Iordan seuen times and thy fleshe shall come vnto thee againe and thou shalt bee cleansed But Naman replied Are not Abanah Pharphar riuers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israell may I not wash me in them and be clensed This is the manner of the wise ones in the worlde when they should obey God they reason and dispute the matter with him as if he knewe not what hee did But the faith of this people did subdue their witte and reason to the sacred worde and will of God 19 This may suffice concerning the people Of the Disciples of our Sauiour it is said that They made the people to sit downe Hence Ministers Pastours and Teachers may learne that sith God hath ordained them as the meanes whereby the elect must be brought to the obedience of Christ Iesus they cannot approue their fidelitie vnto him except they bee carefull to fulfill the worke for which he hath appointed them I say vnto you that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen In this sense that wee might also sit downe Christ hath established those high and holie functions before mentioned Wherefore S. Paule professeth that for this cause he receiued grace and Apostleship that obedience might be yeelded to the faith amongst all nations For this he laboured as in other places so in Corinth also both deliuering them the doctrine which he had receiued and executing amongest them the discipline which their grieuous abuses did deserue 20 The seconde thing to be noted in the Disciples is that they neither purloyned nor chaunged the peoples foode They receiued bread and they deliuered bread But there are deceiptfull workmen which haue entred by a postern gate into the Church which preache and deliuer not what they haue receiued at the handes of Christ but what Antichrist hath deliuered them For sweete breade they giue soure leauen for wheat darnell for wholsome meate venimous poyson for the word of God the doctrines of man for
and iust punishment These are his properties and hee chaungeth them not He seeth all he hath all power hee is a righteous iudge of all ouer all for euer By this which hath beene spoken we see that we haue to looke for a day wherein the worlde shall be iudged and we see who it is that in that day shall iudge the world 16 Of this the Lorde hath sufficiently assured vs. For when diuerse thinges are spoken of before they come to passe the perfourmaunce of the first is the assurance of the rest He which promised to raise vp Iesus from the dead hath also promised to iudge quicke and dead by the same Iesus so raised Sith the one is perfourmed how can we stande in doubt of the other We may assure our selues that there is a day of iudgement to come because the resurrection of the iudge is alreadie accomplished past and gone So then euerie one of vs shall giue accounts of himselfe to God There is no prince no potentate no prophet no Apostle no man no woman neither rich nor poore high nor lowe that can escape this iudgement We must aunswere for our facts euen as euery man hath wrought We must aunswere for euerie idle worde for euerie corrupt and wicked thought What can the vncleane fornicator the couetous vsurer the mightie oppressor the proude contemner the ambitious climer the enuious hypocrite the bloudie murderer the false deceauer the cruell prince the vnfeeding pastor the vniust iudge the deceitfull merchaunt what may they aunswere in that day but pleade guiltie and what can they looke for but Ite maledicti Go ye cursed Once againe I say O consider this ye that forget God 17 But when shall this iudgement be As this question is mooued by two sortes of men so there are in scripture two kinds of answeres made vnto it There are mockers which walke after their owne lustes and these aske Where is the promise of his comming Since the fathers died which were ouerwhelmed by the floude of Noah all thinges continue as they were from their first creation To whom Saint Peter maketh answere that they erre of set purpose Otherwise they that are so wittie in reasoning against the truth of Gods promises might knowe this that the power of the worde which created the worlde and kept it till the day appointed for the punishment of the wicked by water doth also nowe keepe the heauens and the earth in store and reserue them to fire against the day of iudgement and of the destruction of vngodly men Hauing stopped their mouthes with this aunswere he leaueth them without any further instruction because they were but swine and the doctrine of the iudgement to come is precious But the Disciples of Christ with an other minde making this demaunde Tell vs when these thinges shalbe and what signe of thy comming and of the ende of the worlde are abundantly instructed by their Lorde and maister which knoweth all thinges and withholdeth nothing from his which is any way needefull to be knowne Touching the time they are forbidden to enquire about it For as in the dayes before the floude they did eate and drinke marrie and giue in marriage and knewe nothing till the floude came and tooke them all away so shall also the comming of the sonne of man bee In the howre that ye thinke not will the sonne of man come in a day and in an howre which no man knoweth no not the Angels of heauen but the father onely It is therefore both vaine and daungerous which some haue attempted in setting this and that yeere beyond which the world cannot endure But such is the crookednes of our nature In watching which is commaunded howe carelesse are wee And howe curious in seeking out the time and season which to do we are so oft and so expressely forbidden 18 Touching the signes and tokens going before the comming of Christ to iudgement they are set downe for our benefit and instruction And therefore let vs make some stay in the due consideration of them There shall be sayeth the Euangelist signes in the sunne and in the moone and in the starres c. These signes shall appeare before the comming of Christ partly that the worlde may be admonished of the fearefull iudgement that is at hande and thereby prouoked to repentance partly that the wicked may in this life be punished by the creatures of GOD whom they haue abused partly that it may appeare that the creatures which haue serued sinnefull man against their will will nowe no longer serue the enemies of their creatour and partly to declare that the worlde is come to his iust olde age and shall haue an ende There shall be signes in the sunne What signes these shall be it is elsewhere in the scriptures declared The heauens shall shake the sunne and moone shall be darke and the starres shall withdrawe their shining Againe the sunne shall be turned into darkenes and the moone into bloud before the great and terrible day of the Lord come The like we reade in the booke of Reuelation I behelde and loe the sunne was blacke as sackecloth of heare and the moone was like bloud and the starres of heauen fell vnto the earth as a figge tree casteth hir greene figges when it is shaken of a mightie winde Whereunto the wordes of S. Matthew also do agree The sunne shall be obscured and the moone shall not yeelde hir light the stars shall fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shall be shaken The simple literall vnderstanding is that there shalbe wonderfull and terrible Eclipses in the sunne and in the moone which things in this last age in this last houre of the worlde since the ascension of Christ haue sundrie times and in most strange sort beene seene Or else euen as when Christ was crucified the sunne lost his light and darkenes for a time was vpon the face of the whole earth so shall it be at his seconde comming to iudge the children of darkenesse with eternal death Others expound it that whē Christ shal come in his glorie the beames of his brightnesse shall so farre surmount the shining of the sunne moone or starres that in comparison thereof they shall seeme darke giue no light Of this his brightnes he gaue a glimse when he was transfigured in the mount Tabor To seeke out many expositions of these woordes it shall not neede This wee may obserue in the writinges of the prophetes that with them it is vsuall when they foreshewe great plagues to vse these and the like spheeches So doth Esayas in his prophecie concerning the plagues of Babylon The starres of heauen the planets thereof shall not giue their light the sunne shalbe darkened in his going foorth and the moone shall not cause her light to shine Againe The earth is vtterly broken downe the earth is cleane dissolued the earth is moued exceedingly
Christ. S. Paul speaketh to the elect of God who doubtlesse will at length awake As for the reprobate they still shal sleepe on in their errours and sinnes vnto their eternall death and confusion But arise Ierusalem and be thou enlightned arise Ierusalem from death to life frō errour to truth from darkenesse to light from Antichrist to Christ who by his holy spirite will illuminate thee that thou mayst knowe God the father and him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ and that is the only way to euerlasting life Plinie reproouing our drowsinesse sayeth that sleepe doth steale away the halfe of our life But this sleepe wherof we speake stealeth away the whole life of the greatest part of men Dauid himselfe lay slumbering in the filthy sleepe of whoredome a whole yeare at the least and could not awake vntill Nathan blewe in his eare and stirred him But Dauids sleepe was but a nappe in comparison of such as are so hard and fast a sleepe that they will neuer stirre vntill fire out of heauen flee about their eares to waken them So were the Sodomites wakened and consumed Awake therefore and when ye are wakened then watch 13 Watch that ye be not deceiued by false prophetes who watch to deceiue you teach otherwise thā Christ hath taught The diuell is a subtill perswader of men he is a lying spirite in the mouth of his prophets his ministers workmen are craftie companions such as creepe into houses and leade away the simple as captiues with them A man of a watchfull eye shall knowe these wolues by two properties First they are rauenous cruel bloudy they will persecute and kill they will be as Caine not as Abell as Ismaell and not as Isaak as Esau not as Iacob as Pharao and not as Moses as Caiaphas and not as Peter The seconde note is that which Chrysostome mentioneth Who so in blasphemie yelleth and howleth with a foule and open mouth against the trueth he is a wolfe Such they were of whom the prophet speaketh in the psalme saying They set their mouth against heauen 14 All must watch that they be not themselues deceiued by these deceitfull wolues when they put on sheepes clothing But God giueth charge to such as be the pastors of his people to be watchfull also ouer others not only carefully to feede them as his flocke deerely redeemed in good wholsome pastures but also to driue chase away the wolues least Gods sheepe be deuoured by thē And this pastoral office doth not only pertain vnto priests prechers but also vnto princes tēporal gouerners whō God hath placed in authority to y t end y t they shold promote his glory For the which cause God calleth Cyrus the king his shephard Vigilate watch the wolfe to driue him away watch the flock to fede it 15 Let euerie one be watchfull ouer his life that his conuersation be according to his profession If we walke disorderly we shal not walke alone our example wil draw others after it their sins we shall answere for Lucifer fell not alone he drew cōpany from heauen with him Ieroboam being sinfull made Israell to sin And he is burnt in the hand with that marke of horror for a warning to al succeeding ages Ieroboā the son of Nebat that made Israel to sin Let vs beware that we play not Simeon Leui so make our father Iacob to be loathed of the Cananites We professe Christ true Christianitie Let vs not through our lewd life be a slander to our sauiour and a shame to his gospel Watch therefore But because as S. Paul sayth neither planting nor watering will helpe except God himself do giue encrease because our watching as the prophet witnesseth is in vaine neither can sobrietie and heedefulnes serue to keepe a citie except the Lorde himselfe doe keepe it let vs craue help at Gods mercifull hands let vs pray as wel as watch When S. Paul hath armed Gods souldier he biddeth him pray Man be he neuer so well appointed for defence neuer so stronge and perfit cannot stande without Gods strength He that looketh but a litle into the worlde shall espie iust cause to moue vs to prayer if anie men now if euer The greate diuell in these our later dayes is let loose Antichrist rageth and seeketh our confusion The wicked glistering world maruelously deceiueth bewitcheth The flesh raigneth and beareth swinge The spirite is faint sinne ouerfloweth Christ is comming in the cloudes to call vs vnto iudgement Therefore be ye sober watch pray Pray I say not in shewe but in deede not in appearance but from the heart not for fashion but in earnest Babble not in wordes like hypocrites but powre out thy heart before God as did Hanna And God graunt for his Christ our Iesus sake that in fayth and loue wee may lift vp pure hands sincere affections hartie grones vnto our Lorde that we may ouercome our many dreadfull enemies purchase pardon and glorifie God Let vs with Dauid with whom we haue sinned pray for mercy Let vs with the disciples of Christ with whom we haue wauered pray for the encrease of our faith because the ende of all thinges is nowe at hande 16 It followeth Haue feruent charity amongst your selues This cōcerneth our dutie towardes men as y ◠other did towards God All our dutie towards our neighbour consisteth in loue He that loueth another hath fulfilled the lawe Iohn the beloued disciple of Christ was the preacher of loue it was euer in his mouth as it is in his writings in so much that lying vpon his death bed his disciples requesting to haue one lessō frō him before his departure he was able to deuise no one thing more needful to be spokē of then this which he had oftē said Loue one another my litle childrē Peter would haue our loue to be earnest hote Euery one loueth himself very vehemently but our loue towards others is very cold chill Our loue for the most part this way is in word in phraise but not in deede in truth This world is dubble harted dissēbling is made a trade to liue by There be many Labans but fewe Iacobs Many that salute say Aue but their next word is Apprehendite If Christ came nowe he were like to finde litle faith but lesse charity yet without charity al that we do is vaine yea it is very sin Let vs therfore loue as God hath loued vs he loued vs not slenderly when he tooke so bitter a death for vs. A God for his enemies See therfore that ye haue vehement sincere hearty loue among your selues not contenting your selues barely to haue it in shewe vnlesse yee shewe it by these effectes which Saint Peter in this place setteth down Vehement loue heere spoken of is described by these properties First it couereth y e multitude of
thou doest 7 As God is perfit in himselfe in his worde and in all his workes so we are exhorted to fashion our selues according to that similitude and likenesse which is in him and to become perfit as our father in heauen is perfit There is a perfection which all beleeuers haue by imputation whereof although S. Paule doe not speake directly in this place yet because it is the roote of that perfection whereof he speaketh it is not besides the purpose for me to put you in minde of it Vnto euerie sonne of Adam it may iustlie be saide Thou wast perfit in thy waies from the day that thou wast created till iniquitie was founde in thee But our sanctification being once defiled and polluted with sinne he which liketh no vncleane or vnperfect thing if hee looke vppon vs as wee are in our selues cannot but loath vs. Wherefore except the perfection of righteousnes which is in Christ be imputed vnto vs and accounted as ours except in him we be made the righteousnes of God howe should we euer hope to appeare without spot and wrincle in the sight of God He therefore is perfect whose imperfections Christ with his perfection hath couered This is a secret which because the Iewes were not able to comprehende therefore they stumbled Israel sought perfection and found it not Wherefore Because they sought it by the workes of the law and not by faith they thought perfection by imputation to be a meere fancie Contrariwise the Gentils not following that perfection which is by the lawe attained vnto that which is by faith which S. Paule did so esteeme that although he were concerning the righteousnesse which is in the lawe vnreproueable yet he thought all the labour and trauell lost which hee had spent about attaining perfection that way and desired nothing more than to be found not hauing his owne perfection which was of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ. 8 But the perfection wherof S. Paul heere speaketh is nothing else but the finishing of that which the grace of Christ hath alreadie begun to worke in our hearts our growing and increasing in true godlinesse our proceeding and going forwarde from vertue to vertue from strength to strength till we come vnto that whereunto we striue Brethren sayeth the Apostle I count not my selfe as if I had attained it or were alreadie perfect But one thing I forget that which is behinde and endeuour my selfe vnto that which is before and followe harde towardes the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Let vs therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded let as many as haue attained the former perfection striue vnto this which is the latter 9 For this cause Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes pastors and teachers at the first were giuen vnto this all doctrine and exhortation doth tende that being builded together to be the habitation of God by the spirite wee might rise to a perfect man vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ and in all things growe vp into him which is the head in all thinges whether they be inwarde vertues or outwarde duties which God requireth at the handes of men Touching inwarde vertues although we haue knowledge and be established in the present trueth although our faith bee such that it be knowen and spoken of through out the worlde although we abound in godlinesse in brotherlie kindenesse and in all loue it is neuerthelesse a thing needefull as long as we are in this tabernacle that we be alwayes put in minde stirred vp and prouoked to endeuour that in these thinges we may abounde more and more and go forward in them to perfection 10 The worde of truth which is the Gospell was fruitfull among the Colossians from the very first day that they hearde and truely knewe the grace of God Yet S. Paule ceased not still to pray for them and to desire that they might be fulfilled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedome spirituall vnderstanding that they might encrease in the knowledge of God and so be perfect The Hebrues no dout were not vtterly ignorant in the highest mysteries of their saluation yet are they sharply reproued for their rawnesse and exhorted to proceede from the doctrine of the beginning of Christ and from the first principles of the word of God that at the length they might come to some perfection We must all confesse euen the best learned amongst vs all that as yet we are but beginning to learne we knowe but little our skill is of small and tender growth It behooueth vs therefore to pray continually with the prophet Lord teach vs thy statutes make vs to vnderstande the way of thy preceptes that we may profit in meditating of thy lawe leade vs on in our way by the gracious conduction of thy holy spirite so direct our course that we may run out the race into which we are entred not ceasing till thou hast brought vs into all truth fully instructed vs in thy righteousnesse made vs absolute and perfect vnto all good workes 11 Where there is backwardnesse in knowledge there must needes be also weakenes of faith if we growe in the one we are the nearer to perfection in the other Howe great care the blessed Apostle had that the faith of as many as did beleeue through his preaching might be perfited let that one speach of his to them of Thessalonica serue to shewe in steede of manie Bretheren wee had consolation in you in all our affliction and necessitie through your faith For nowe are we aliue if we stande stedfast in the Lorde What thankes can we recompence to God againe for you for all the ioy for which we reioyce for your sakes before God night and day praying exceedinglie that we might see your face and might accomplish that which is lacking in your faith If he were thus carefull for the faith of others shall we neglect to make perfect our owne When we heare that this is the victorie which ouercometh the world euen our faith that by faith all the firie dartes of Satan are expelled and driuen back that vnto beleeuers all thinges are possible that he which beleeueth commeth not into iudgment but hath passed from death to life are we not glad to say in our hartes Lord we beleeue If we be then considering that by how much our faith is more stedfast by so much we are the more certainlie assured of all these thinges let vs ioyne in request with the disciples of Christ and beg of him to increase faith in vs let vs crie euen with teares Lorde helpe our incredulitie 12 But how can you beleeue saith our sauiour that receaue glorie one of another and the glorie which is of God onelie ye seeke not How should we growe vnto fulnesse of faith which are so emptie and void of godlinesse The complaint
Eche man should be anothers hâ—lper 1. Pet. â— Three things conteined in S. Pauls exhortation Of receiuing the grace of God in vainâ— What that grace iâ— Aug. in Psal 30. Gal. 4. Grace offered by the word and Sacraments Grace offered in vaine by the word to such as wil not heare it Acts 7. Esay 66. To such as heare it but reteine it not Matth. 13. To such as reteine it but not still Matth. 10. Eccle. 2. To such as receiue it and reteine it but vnprofitably Matth. 8. Luke 8. 1. Tim. 6. Luke 6. Grace offered by the Sacraments Howe grace is receiued by the sacrameÌ„ts not in vain 1. Cor. 11. Matt. 22. The time to receiue grace offered is when God calleth by the preaching of the Gospel Esay 49. Gal. 4. Iohn 17. Rom. 3. Gen. 3. Numb 16. 2. Kings 14. Ierem. 18. Matth. 3. Prouerbs 1. Matth 11. 2. Kings 12. Ionas 3. Matt. 3. Acts 3. Rom. 15. The most especial time to receiue grace is when God afflicteth Prou. 1. Gen. 42. 2. Par. 33. Psal. 136. Iob. 33. Ier. 31. The right way of woorthy receiuing grace is by heartie repentance Hos. 6. Hos. 6. Luke 15. Luke 7. By walking without offence Why God blessed plants beasts men with power to increase them selues by propagation Mâ—ns ofspring by mariage Mariage is honourable in respect of the author Gen. 2. Matth. 19. Iohn 2. Mariage is hâ—nourable in respect of the causes for which it was ordained as comfort help and mutuall societie Gen 2. Propagation 1 Tim. 5. Psal. 127. 1. Sam. 1. Luke 1. Remedie against concupiscence 1 Cor. 7. Ambrose Matth. 19. Mariage honourable in respect of mutual duties betweene parties maried The duties of honour required in the husband towards his wife Ephes 5. Ephes. 5. 1. Pet. 3. Reason why the wife shold be honored of her husbande Duties of honour required in the wife Gen. 3. Ephes. 5. 1. Pet. 3. Tit. 2. Col. 2. Prou. 21. Mariage dishonoured by heretikes that holde it not to be of God Mariage dishonoured by them that seeke it not in him whom they acknowledge to be author of it 1 Cor. 7. Mariage betweene parties too neerely linked by nature Leuit. 18. Marke 6. 1. Cor. 5. Mariage without care of religion Gen. 24. Gen. 6. Exod. 34. 1. Reg 11. 1. Esd. 14. The cause of irreligious mariage is the ouergreat respecting of beautie or wealth Iud. 14. 1 Tim. 6. Prou. 18. Mariage without consent of pareâ—â—es or such as are in stead of Parentes Gen. 24. Exod. 20. Exod. 22. Num. 30. Col. 3. Aug. ep 133. Gen. 24. Dishonour done to mariage in respect of the first of those causes for which God appointed it Eccle. 36. The second Luc. 11. Eccle. 30. Gen. 34 The thirde 1. Cor. 7. Mariage in respect of the duties thereunto belonging dishonoured for waÌ„t of discretion in maried folkes Pro. 19. Want of hartie affection Want of religion and the feare of God The weightinesse of a Bishoply charge especiâ—lly ouer a great a wise people 2. Tim. 3. The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 thâ— office of a Bishop in respect of the paines in teaching Liuing Studying The perill both oâ—â—â—schargiâ—g anâ— not 〈…〉 Ezâ—ch â— In these câ—nsidâ—â—ations good meâ— haue rather wished to auoide than laboured to get tâ—e office of a Bishop Cyprian The occasions wherupon Christ forsooke IerusaleÌ„ and went beyond the sea of Galilee Iohn 5. To auoid the handes of the wicked Matth. 14. Matth. â—0 Prou. 28. To take some rest Marke 6. Prou. 28. Prou 31. Prou. 26. Prou. 24. To auoid the feast of Easter 2. Cor. 6. Esay 52. Deut 12. Occasions which moued the multitude to followe Christ. Nouelties Hunger Health Matth. 4. The worde of life Ioh. 8. Ioh. 10. Christ with his Disciples quiet in the mount when the multitude came vnto him Ioh. 16. The miracle which Christ wrought and the circumstaÌ„ces which are to be considered in the people in his disciples and in himselfe The people were the vulgar sort Marke 6. Ioh. 7. 1. Cor. 1. They came cheerefully Iohn 6. Matth. 10. They did obediently as they were commaÌ„ded 2. Reg. 5. The disciples cause the people to sit down Matth. 8. They deuided the bread which Christ appointed to the people They gathered that which was left They douted how the people could be fed wheÌ„ they saw not wherwithall 2. Reg. 4. Luc. 12. Christ diligent in his office Pitifull towardes them which had no Pastour to feede their soules Ose. 4. Towardes them which wanted foode to refreshe their bodies 1. Ioh. 3. He gaue thankes deuided breade and it increased in deuiding 3. Reg. 17. The excellencie of the Iewish nation Esa. 5. Rom. 9. Ierem. 7. A prophecie concerning the ouerthrow of their temple and the performance therof God delighteth not in the outward beautie of any thing The cause of their ruine they knewe not the time of their visitation VisitatoÌ„ in mercie moueth them not Luc. 19. Visitation in iustice These thinges recorded for our benefit Our blessings as great as theirs our vnthankfulnesse greater Therefore without repentaunce our punishment cannot be lesse then theirs The disciples question concerning both the particular destruction of the Iewes and the generall consummatioÌ„ of the whole worlde Mat. 24. The time wheÌ„ the end of the world shall be is for two causes concealed from men to whoÌ„ notwithstanding the signes that go before it are reuealed Fiue thinges to be noted in the comming of Christ to iudgement There shall be a iudgement Act. 17. 2. Thess. 2. 2. Pet. 3. 2. Pet. 2. 2. Cor. 5. Ioh. 5. Act. 10. The properties of him that shal iudge His knowlegde Psal. 33. Epist. Iud. His power Phil. 2. His iustice The certainty and assurance of these things Rom. 14. The time of iudgement 2. Pet. 3. Matth. 24. Act. 1. Signes going before the coÌ„ming of Christ to iudgement Ioel. 2. Apocal. 6. Matth. 24. Beda Esay 13. Esay 24. Ezech. 32. An Allegoricall application of the foresaide signes The darkning of the sunne by false doctrine 2. Thess. 2. The darkning of the sunne by corrupt life and conuersation 2. Sam. 12. Rom. 2. Iac. 2. 2. Tim. 3. The moone â—urned into bloud by crueltie of persecution Cant. 1. The falling of starres from heauen Dan. 12. Rom. 2. Other applications of the foresayde signes What these signes shall worke in the harts of men Aug. ad Hes. The manner of Chrstes comming to iudgement Matth. 25. Psal. 97. Matth. 24. 2. Thess. 1. 2. Pet. 3. Beda Gen. 19. Psalm 1. Apoc. 20. Matth. 25. Apoc. 21. Matth. 25. Our preparation vnto this iudgement by heede taking 2. Pet. 3. By watching Ierome Iob. 14. By praying The state of the Church militant figured by a ship tossed vpon the waters Christ must be followed into this ship This ship must bee knowne from the ship of Antichrist Heb. 9. When wee know the ship where Christ is thither wee must followe him The way to follow him to the ship is