superstitious Egyptians Chirstians without none within Iewes in the flesh not in the heart Israelites in the letter and not in the spirit who sought praise of men but none of God left very fewe whetstones few swordes that is very few Testamentes and Bibles left fewe Smithes that is fewe builders in Gods Churche among vs least the Protestantes said they make them swordes and speares and so preuaile against vs. O let vs reioyce and be thankful For as Ionathan with one swoorde ouercame the Philistines so Gods ministers by one swoorde the sworde of spirite the worde of GOD haue pulled downe the power kingdome of Antichrist God graunt he neuer rise again in England As waxe melteth at the Sunne as the fat of lambes consumeth before the fier as the heate dryeth vp the clowdes as the Lion goeth into his denne when man goeth foorth to his worke as the Owle flieth to his hole when the day starre appeareth as Dagon fell downe before the arke of the Lord as Bell the Dragon were destroied before the face of Daniell so the mists of Egypt vanished the Lions of Babilon were vanquished the owles of Rome departed the fat greâ—e of Antichriste melted the Gods of that Sunne of perdition were with vs in Englande all destroyed they al come to nothing when it pleased the Lorde too sende his fier his heat his sonne his day starre his ark and his Daniell that is his worde and ministers amongst vs. Let vs then remember howe cruelly we were handeled and reioyce in the Lorde that wee are so mercifully deliuered but I would to God that many were not sory for the departure of this whoore out of England loke you to your selues chiefly O ye merchants For you may seeme to haue most cause to lament for the fall of that great strumpet For thus sayth the Angell The kinges of the earth shal bewaile her and lament for her which haue committed fornication with her they shall cry Alas alas the great citie Babilon that mightie citie but why shall they so lament because saith hee they liued in pleasure with her yea chiefly the merchantes of the earth saith the Angel shall weepe and waile ouer her yea euery ship maister and all the people that occupie shippes and shipmen and whosoeuer trafficke on the Sea shal stande a farre of and crye Alas alas that great citie But why shal merchants and all shipmen crie so Because no man buyeth their ware any more and by that whore saith hee were made rich al that had shippes on the Sea by her costlinesse Bee not sory for her marke what the Angell saith in that place O heauen reioyce of her and the holy Apostles and Prophetes and pray vnto the Lorde that she neuer returne hyther againe When Dagon fel downe before the arke of the Lord the first time hee was not broken hee was set vp the second time but then the head of Dagon and his handes were broken of That whore of Babylon fell downe once in the dayes of king Edward and was set vp again in the dayes of Queene Mary But nowe in the glorious raigne of our Souereigne Elizabeth shee is fallen downe the seconde time not only her head and her handes are broken of but wee hope that all her body is grounde to powder a curse come to him that shall goe about to set her vppe againe Cursed bee that man saith Ioshua before the Lorde that ryseth vp and buildeth this Citie Ierico yet Hiell did builde Ierico but a curse came to his whole stocke and house for it So cursed be that man before the Lorde that shall beginne to builde that towre of Babell that seate of Antichriste in Englande againe But as the Lorde commaunded Ierusalem to be distroied and all the Iewes though Iulian the Emperour did with all his power aide them were not able to build it so the Lord hath throwne downe this whore and we trust that all the kings of the earth all Popes all Priestes all Monkes all Friers all Nunnes shall not bee able to lift her vp againe She was in England a glorious whore a gorgeous whore therefore her desolation is more shamefull she was in England an high whore and an heauie whore Therefore her fal is the greater as Iezabell was hurld out at a windowe eaten vp of dogges only her skull the palmes of her hands her feete remaining the which the seruants of Iehu buried so wee thanke our God who hath throwne downe this great Iezabell and we pray that if any thing of her be left it shalbe buried O let vs then loue embrace the Gospel followe and obey the Gospell and continue in our profession to our liues end I say continue abide endure stand fast be stronge quiet your selues like men You haue put your haÌ„ds to the plough looke not back least you be iudged vnfit for the kingdome of God For not euery one that runneth but he that runneth to the goale hath the garland not euery one that entreth into a ship but hee that goeth ouer the Seas bringeth home treasures not euery one that worketh in the vineyarde but he that continueth working vnto night hath the peny not euery one that fighteth but hee that ouercometh shall haue the crowne To conclude not euery one that beginneth well but that endureth vnto the ende shalbe saued Nowe you follow the Gospell but I feare many are like the snaile who pulleth in her hornes if any man goe againste her Nowe you laboure for the meate of the soule but you are in your houses like the snaile rather theÌ„ you will loose your houses I feare many will fall from their standing I loue the Gospell saith the worldly man but as long as I am in my house that is as long as I haue peace and quietnesse but if persecution come as lice forsake the head when the man is dying as rattes forsake a house that is ruinous or hath no victuall so will I leaue the Gospell if it bring a swoorde or warre or take away my goods All the Apostles forsooke Christe in time of danger and Demas did forsake Paule and imbraced this present worlde But remember this O man Hee that loueth landes liuings or life more then the Gospell it is as true as the Gospell for it is in the Gospell hee shall neuer come to heauen bring hee neuer so manye keyes from Rome in his hande but hee that shall loose life or liuing for the Gospell it is as true as the Gospell for it is in the Gospell shall haue for his liuing a kingdome for his life a blessed immortall euerlasting life in heauen Satan goeth about to winowe you as wheate stande fast in the faith a lawe in your members rebelleth against the lawe of your mindes stande fast in the faith the fleshe fighteth against the spirite stand fast in the faith the worlde plucketh you by the sleeue to looke backe stande
but he that drinketh of the water whiche the sonne of man shall giue vnto him whome God the father to this purpose hath sealed shall neuer thirst agayne but the water in him shalbe a well of water springing vpp vnto euerlasting life yea out of his belly shall flowe riuers of water of life Wherefore as Eleasar and his two companions did breake thorowe the mighty hoste of the Philistines and brought water out of Bethlehem for Dauid euen thorowe the hoste backe againe Dauid longing after that water right so let vs boldely and couragiously breake thorowe the middes of all our enemies both temporal and spirituall to get this water and this bread of the soule of heauen and of life that it may bee sayde of vs as our Sauiour spake of the Iewes in the beginning of the gospel the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and the violent take it by force So zealous were they O I wold to God so zealous were wee too receiue Gods mercy so freely offered so greedie were they O I would to God so greedy were we to imbrace to loue to obey to follow Gods word so purely preached For as the pewter pot which the fire melteth is not so soone consumed beeing full of licour as the glasse which euery knock breaketh is not so lightly dasht in peeces beeing full of water so we though wee consume as the fat of lambes before the presence of the Lord and be as drie stubble the Lorde a consuming fire though we be more brickle then glasse for glasse being safely lockt vp endureth long but we kepe we our selues neuer so daintily neuer so warily neuer so safely come to an end as a tale that is told So wee I say being full fed with this foode shalbee able to abide all blowes al knocks shall quēch all the fyrie darts of the wicked shall stand fast in the euil day so stand that all the gates of hell shal not once be able to preuayle against vs. What better reason can I geue then this for it endureth vnto euerlasting life But alas as Eue was content to aduenture the losse of Paradise for an apple as Esau was content to loose his birthright his fathers blessing for a messe of pottage as the children of Israel did loath Manna Angels foode in their hearts turned back to the flesh pottes of Egypt as the Iewes at this time did seek Christ not for his doctrine not for his miracles but chiefly for meate because hee had fedde them and so fedde them that they had more store left when they had done then when they beganne to eate So because the dayes of Noe are come because the dayes of Lot are come because the dayes of the Sonne of man are at hande wee are weerie of the meate that endureth vnto euerlasting life and doe labour for the meate whiche perisheth to serue the bellie the fleshe sinne the worlde and all is to serue the Diuell For as it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it bee in the dayes of the sonne of man they ate they dranke they maried and gaue in mariage vnto the day that Noah went into the Arke and the flood came and drowned them all lyke as it was in the dayes of Lot they ate they drank they bought they solde they plāted they builte they married but in the day that Lot wēt out of Sodom the lord rayned fire brimstone from heauen consumed them all There was neuer more eating and drinking I meane neuer more surfetting and drunkennesse neuer more buying and selling I say neuer more deceyt in buying and selling neuer more planting I might truely say neuer more supplanting one of another neuer more marying I woulde to God I might not iustly say neuer more whoring to conclude neuer more building I meane not building of Colledges of almes houses of schooles there was neuer lesse I pray you mistake me not I say neuer more building of priuate houses which wee thinke shall continue for eeuer and call our houses and our landes after our owne names So that wee may iustly bewayle the madnesse and miserie of this age as Chrysostome did the folly and fondnesse of his tyme. Si secularibus abstinere iubemur quae miseria quae amentia est ea a domino postulare quae habita abiicienda desiderare in quibus nullam omnino curam adhibendam praecipit That is if wee are commanded to abstayne from worldly thinges what a misery what a madnesse is it to begge those thinges at the Lordes hands which when we haue wee must cast away and to desire those things wherein the Lord commaundeth vs to put no care at all Wherefore seeing it may well be sayde of vs Englishmen as Paule sayde of the Cretians euil beastes slowe bellyes and seeing I may now truly speake with Paule many walke of whome I haue told you often and nowe tell you weeping that they are enemies to the crosse of Christ whose ende is dānation whose God is their belly whose glory is to their shame whiche minde earthly thinges and seeing vppon good occasion I may exhorte you with Paule nowe I beseeche you brethren marke them diligently whiche make diuision offēces cōtrary to the doctrine which you haue learned and auoyde them for they that are such serue not the Lord Iesus but their owne bellies with fayre speech flattering deceiue the hearts of the people this doctrine is as needfull necessary nowe as it was in the time of our Sauiour Christ when he thus taught the people Labour not c. Not onely to disswade you frō laboring for the meate which perisheth but to perswade you to labour for that meat which doth endure vnto euerlasting life The which wordes conteine in them first a disswasion a dehortation a proposition negatiue Secondly a perswasion an exhortation or conclusion positiue Whervnto is annexed first a reason taken from the person that geueth the certainty of the thing geuen which the Sonne of man shal giue vnto you Secondly a confirmation drawen from the office and function of our Messias and Sauiour For him hath the Father sealed that is appoynted and consecrated him to geue life vnto all thē that labour for this meate IT had been sufficient for our Sauiour onely to haue vsed the exhortation labour for c had he not perceiued them as we nowe see the worlde to hunt labour for bellie cheere as dogges doe for carion swine for draugh horses for prouender too bee wrapped and tyed in these earthly thinges as the men of this age are like the fishe in the hooke the bird in the net the conie in the hay therfore he beginneth with the dehortation Labour not c. And bicause a litle before mention was made of meat he speaketh figuratiuely vsing the Metaphore of meate whereas hee might plainely haue saide care not for the bodie to fulfill the lustes of it but care
in England but the vniuersities and other places are full of them yet must wee labour for this meate Although the Midwiues neede not feare the kinge of Aegypt to hide Moses three monethes and afterwarde to cast him out Rahab need not to feare the king of Ierico to hyde the spies vnder stalkes of flaxe and let them downe at her window Michael need not feare her father Saule to let her husband Dauid downe at a windowe and to lay an Image in his bead Obadiah need not feare Queene Iezabell to hide a hundred Prophets in a caue The Disciples need not feare the hye Priestes to let downe Paule thorowe the wall by a rope in a basket Moses need not feare Pharao and saye I haue a stutting tongue Ieremy need not feare the Iewes and saye I am a childe Ionas need not feare the King of Niniuie and so for to runne away both from him from the Lord but all the Ministers of the Lorde are mainteined and preserued may vtter the message of their master boldly with out feare and freely without daunger yet wee must labour for this meate although the Lorde hath broken the bowe and knapped the speare in sunder broken our swordes into mattocks and our speares into sithes blessed vs with the crowne of peace and crowned vs with mercie and louing kindnes yet must wee labour for this meate if it were a time of derth of scarcitie of penurie thē we might haue some pretence to labour for belly meate as Iacob did send into Aegypt for corne as Dauid did send to Naball for victuall then we might seeme to haue some coulour of cause to doubt and to be ouer carefull as Moses was when he sayde shall the sheepe thebeeues be slaine for them or shal al the fishe of the sea bee gathered for them and suffise them as King Iehorams seruaunte who mocked the Prophet prophecying the plentie of corne to bee the next day and sayde though the Lorde woulde make windowes in the heauen could this come to passe As Saint Andrew who sayde there is a little boy heere which hath fiue barly loaues and two fishes but what are they amongst so many If I say we were brought into such extremitie as they were fleshe and bloud woulde be ready to doubt But seeing God hath blessed the fruite of our cattell the increase of our kine the flockes of our sheepe our basket our dough seeing al his blessings are come vpon vs and ouertaken vs as hee promysed to them that feare him why should wee labour to fulfill the lustes of the fleshe and take no care to prouide victuall for our soules I pray God those things be not the fall of England which were the vtter ruine of Sodome They were iiii sinnes pride pride aboundeth in England fulnesse of bread gluttony triumpheth in England idlenesse idlenesse is succoured in Englande contempt of the poore beholde this sin hath as a Queene gottē the vpper hand in England Aboue all other vices The way to heauen is a narrow way the gate is a straight gate then wee must striue and labour to enter in The kingdome of heauē is a treasure hid in the ground it is a pearle of great price in a far country then must we take our spade dig then must we enter into ship and passe ouer the seas We are in the Lords Vinyarde not they that sleepe and are idle shall haue their penny at night but they that worke and labour Thou art promised to haue but thou must aske and haue thou shalt finde but thou must seeke and finde it shalbe opened vnto thee but thou must first knocke and then it shalbe opened Knocke like the womā of Canaan who continued knocking although shee was three times repelled and the gate of mercie was shut against her not that she should not enter in but that with more earnestnes desire and vehemencie shee myght knocke and euen prye thorowe the chinkes of the gate so must wee labour by prayer for our meate and though we haue not our petitions at the first second and third knocking yet we must knocke as Peter continued knocking at the dore before hee coulde come in Labour to see Christ as Zacheus who being a man of worship in the middes of a citie did climb vpon a wild Fig tree like a boy to see Christ because he was a man of lowe statute and coulde not see Christ for the prease Let vs labour by fayth as did the sick of the palsey to come to Christ who seeing hee could not goe in at the dore for the multitude was let down thorow the roof of the house which they vncouered Let vs labor by faith to touch the very hem of Christes garment as did the woman who had an issue of blood twelue yeares and had spente all her money on Phisitians If wee thus labour saluation wil come into Zacheus house the dropsie shall bee cured the issue of blood shalbe stopped Remember what a iorny the queen of Saba tooke to come to heare the wisedome of Solomon Remember the trauell of the Eunuche of Ethiopia Candaces the Queene of the Ethiopians chiefe gouernour who had the rule of al her treasure and came to Hierusalem to worship Remember the long iourney of the wisemē who came from the farthest parte of the East to see Christ The Iewes went vp euery yeere to Hierusalem the Papistes trauaile farre and wide on Pilgrimage to see reliques dead mens bones monuments images monasteries and such like trumperie and they thinke theyr labour well bestowed All these shall ryse when the trumpet shall sound and shalbe able to condemne vs if we will take no paines suffer no labour moue scarse a foote to heare the word of God to receiue the euerlasting Nectar and the heauenly Ambrosia to refresh to nourish to cherish yea to preserue our soules vnto euerlasting life But what is meate in this place whatsoeuer pertaineth to the renuing and amendment of this life or to The chiefest part wherof is that which is hid from the wise and mightie of the worlde that which is receiued of the poore and simple that which is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth the glorious Gospel of Iesus Christ and because meat doth not nourish a dead carcasse we must labour for fayth the life of the soule and because this meate cannot bee digested in our soules without the effectuall operation of Gods spirit we must thirdly labour for the holy Ghost who is promised to be giuen to all them that in a right and true prayer shall aske for him of the Father in the name of the sonne although hee descend not like a doue as vpon our Sauiour nor in the forme of clouen and fierie tongues as vpon the Apostles He is now to be sent not to be seen of our bodily eies but into our