vse to come vnto him Chap. 10. IN the couenant which God hath made with his people he doth promise to geue vnto theÌ„ his spirit his word which are two things vnseperably knitt together to worke the saluatioÌ„ of men as it is written in Esay Esay 59.21 This is my couenaÌ„t with them saith the Lord my spirit that is vpoÌ„ thee my words which I haue put in thy mouth shall not departe out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of the seed of thy seede sateth the Lord froÌ„ heÌ„ceforth for euer For as in the bringing forth of the frutes of the earth the seed is first requisite afterward the husbandmaÌ„ tilleth the earth maketh it fit to receaue the seed cast theron so in the regeneratioÌ„ of meÌ„ the word of god which is an immortal seed is first necessary then the spirit who as an husbaÌ„dmaÌ„ prepareth our hearts to receiue it to make it fructifie in them But the Apostates haue it at this day in disdaine conteÌ„pt 1 Pet. 1.23 2 Cor. 2.16 nay ther is nothing more odious vnto theÌ„ It is vnto theÌ„ the sauor of death vnto death and the cause of it is that as the euil doer taketh no plea sure to heare the seÌ„teÌ„ce wherin his death is pronounced vnto him nor to se the gibet wheron he must be executed so these traitors can not abide to heare the worde of God wherin their condemnation is written wherein they see the gallowes set vp wheron they must be hanged and punished for there disloyalty They are like vnto those that are sicke of the drowsie euill who will not be awaked but dye in their sleepe and as they doe exasperate themselues against those that woulde come nighe their bed and twitch them by the eare to hinder them from sleping therby to deliuer them from death wherevnto they runne by sleepe so the Apostates woulde neuer meete with anie that might awake them and tell them of their disease and laye before them the great dangers wherein they are and if by chaunce they fall in companie where their fault is shewed them and the great offence which they haue geuen vnto the Church of God they will either bringe them to another matter or else by and by geue them the slipe finally they are like vnto ill pay maisters who cannot abâ—de to heare any talke of their debtes because they will not discharge them And like vnto those who had rather die then to heare the newes of death leaste they shoulde take some fearefull conceite thereof The occasion then that causeth the worde of God to be so odious vnto them is not in it selfe which as the Prophet sayeth Is sweeter then the honie and the honie combe Psal 19.10 But in that they do reiect it who because they haue their heartes full of gall can not taste nor feele the sweetenes thereof As those who haue some inflammation in the roofe of their mouth can not eate breade nay they abhorre it though it be the best foode and most sauorie that may be founde for among all other meates there is not one wherewith in time we are not wearied glutted be it neuer so daintie notwithstanding any sauce prepared for the seasoning thereof yet we are neuer weary of the taste of breade Nay there is not so much as sugar and honie but they seme vnsauorie of an ill taste without it And as those who hauing sore eyes can not abide the light though it be the pleasantest and most delectable thinge that can be desired although the onely cause which maketh them to flie it is not in it but in the euill disposition and desease of the eye which can not receaue it In like manner that that causeth the Apostates to haue in such abhomination the word is nothing but their owne desease for that at this present their eares and heartes are vncircumcised They go often to the sermons of these paltrie friers taking pleasure to heare their blasphemies lyes and slauerings and do feel themselues like rauens or filthy beasts on carrions and rotten things hauing more delight in that then to eat the foode of Angels and to refresh themselues with the pure word of God which as a sweete breath proceeding from the mouth of God doth quicken all those on whome it is breathed And they are like vnto those that grudged at the stincking garlick which they had left in Egipt Num. 11.5 and preferred it before Manna that was sent them downe from heauen And vnto Adam who gaue more credit vnto the speach of the Deuil then to the word of God chosing rather to tast of the tre of knowledg of good euil against the expresse commaundement which had bene giuen vnto him and by that meanes make himselfe mortall wretched for euer then to enioye peaceably the fruite of the tree of life and in obeying the wil of god to become he and his children happy for euer and vnto Esau who esteemed more a messe of pottage then the birthright wherevnto were annexed the promises of the couenant of God Gen. 25 33 Luk. 8.37 and by consequent a certaine and euerlasting happines And to the Gadarens who had a greater care of the losse of theire hoggs Mar. 5.17 then of Iesus Christ and his word to which are adioyned all manner of temporall corporall and spirituall blessings And vnto Iudas who loued rather thirty peeces of siluer with a gibbet and a miserable death then saluation and an assured happines with Iesus Christ for the Apostates are as much or rather more wretched then all those aboue named because that departing willingly froÌ„ the church they do depriue theÌ„selues not onely of the participation that they shoulde haue therein of the treasures Coloss 2 Iohn 1. and knowledge of the wisedome of god which are bestowed geueÌ„ as a pledge vnto it but also of the fulnesse of Iesus Christ that is to say of all the goodes which his father will distribute vnto vs by his meanes by his grace which they loose by their sliding back which is worst Heb. 10 the hope also of euer recouering it againe for the meanes thereof is wholly taken away from them when as they loose the fruition of the word of God which is called in the Scripture The word of reconciliatioÌ„ 2 Cor. 5. because it is the instrument which God doth vse to reconcile vnto vs him and to adopte vs for his children and to regenerate vs and make vs new creatures Gen. 1. And as in the beginning god vsed his word onelie to create the heauen the earth and all that is contained in them so wheÌ„ he woulde renue the worlde and draw it from the corruption whereunto it was fallen by the sinne and disobedience of our parents he hath wrought it by his worde which he hath sent vs in these latter dayes first by his
peace by god the father by our Sauiour Iesus Christ to teach vs that all prosperity commeth from God who doth giue send it by his sonne Iesus Christ which the Prophet Malachy would also haue signified vnto vs when calling him The sonne of righteousnes Mal. 4.2 He doeth adde that it is he that doeth beare health vnder his winges that is to say who by his light and heat which he sendeth to all the world by his beames doth reioice and blesse all his creatures Ioh. 8. 9. For by the selfe same reason he is called the light of the world not onely because he doth lighten our vnderstanding in the knowledge of God and of all things which are profitable vnto vs but also because in that respect he doeth resemble that corporall light that as it is the meanes of the bringing foorth growth and ripenesse of all the fruites plantes trees and sensible creatures of the earth so is Iesus Christ the cause and meane of the saluation of the good and of all the happinesse and felicity of the world And what other thing would the Prophet Esay teach Esay 11.6 when as prophesying of him he sayd that at his comming The wolfe shoulde dwel with the lambe the leopard shouldly with the kid the calfe the lyon and the fat beasts together and a litle childe should lead them and that the cowe and the beare should seede and their yong ones should lye together and the lyon shoulde eate straw like the bullocke and the sucking child should play vpon the hole of the aspe and the weaned child should put his hand on the cockatrice his hole Then should none hurt nor destroy in all the mountaine of his holines for the earth shoulde be full of the knowledge of the Lorde as the waters that couer the sea The Prophet by all this discourse by all these allegories which he hath vsed and wherewith he hath beautified his speeche woulde signifie vnto vs nothing else but that the felicity which had bene banished out of the worlde by the sinne of our first parentes shoulde be brought in againe at the comming of Iesus Christ by his righteousnes Whereof the Apostle in his epistle to the Romanes speaketh more plainely after this sorte Likewise then as by the offense of one Rom. 5.18 the fault came on all men to condemnation so by the iustifying of one the benefite abounded toward all men by the iustification of life And in the first to the Corinthians For as by man came death 1. Cor. 15.21 so by man came the resurrection of the dead for as in Adam all dye euen so in Christ shall all be made aliue In death which is extreame miserie he doeth comprehende all other calamities and curses which by sinne haue ouerflowed as a flood and violencie of waters and haue drowned the whole worlde and on the other parte by life which is the chiefest felicitie he doeth vnderstande the good the happinesse and all the blessinges that Iesus Christ comming into the worlde and taking in it our nature hath by his obedience brought vnto the elect as well in this worlde as in the worlde to come The case then standing so that he is the onely meanes whereby men may be blessed considering the Apostates haue separated themselues from him may it not thereof be inferred that they are wretched and miserable not onely in their persons but also in the vse and fruition of all other thinges which are in their power to attaine vnto though they doe not perceiue or feele it at this present because they are blockish and like vnto children who at the age of two or three yeares lose their fathers mothers with the rest of their friends who in the absence of their parentes might helpe and succour them in their necessities this losse is a great misery vnto them which neuerthelesse they doe not conceiue No more likewise doe fooles consider the losse of their vnderstanding and vse of reason though it be the greatest euill that can befall them So these poore soules being in the extremitie of all miseries as well for hauing forsaken as for hauing beene forsaken of God and of Iesus Christ thinke to be at safâ—tie because they haue abandoned the Church and hope in time to come to liue at their ease and in the meane season doe not perceiue a thousand thousand miseries which they dragge after them in euery place wheresoeuer they goe An old Father had wont to say he was content if it were possible neuer to be sicke but if he were he desired to haue a feeling of his sicknes and surely not without a cause for the sore which is not felt is a double sore so that the miserie of the Apostates is so much the more dangerous by howe much the lesse they feele and knowe it Nowe that we may conclude these thinges namely that as those who are and doe abide in Iesus Christ are by his meanes happye in all things so contrariwise those that are separated from him in whome alone consist all the blessings which are in the worlde can not be but most miserable As it doth appeare by the sentence which shall be pronounced at that last iudgement wherein those that shall haue abode constantly with Iesus Christ shall be called the blessed of God and the other Mat. 25.34 who haue forsaken him cursed eternally with the Deuils O good God! how should we be happie without Iesus Christ who is our righteousnes 1. Cor. 1.30 without him then we are in sinne Secondly he is our life without him then we are in death He is our sanctification without him then we are polluted and profane He is our light and wisedome what are we then without him but darkenes and silly blind men groping and going at all aduentures vntill we haue found the pit euen to cast our selues headlong into the same He is our redemption and without him we are seruantes vnto the Deuill who is the cruellest and most barbarous tyrant that can be imagined Psal 17.8 He is our King our Protector and Defender and we are at safetye vnder the shadow of his wings but if we be once from vnder them we are a pray to all our enemies He is our suerty and if by him we be not acquited considering it is impossible for vs to paye the debt otherwise 1. Ioh. 2.1 we must remaine in perpetuall prison He is our Aduocate and he onely can make our attonement with God without him then we are in perpetuall ennemitie and discord with God Neither can we call vpon him or demand any thing at his hands without him S. Ambr. for he is our mouth and spokesman neither if he speake vnto vs can we vnderstand him for he is our eare To conclude he is our eye without which we can neither see nor beholde him He is our hand without which we can neither offer vnto him any thing nor
rather of power of loue and of a sound mind How can they then that are destitute of this spirit assure thēselues in their consciences that they are Christians But I do maruel much howe these persons thinke that they may be of the church of Iesus Christ in the mean time be freed frō persecutiō seing Iesus Christ hath foretolde to all his disciples that in the worlde they should suffer affliction and that if he hath bene hated persecuted in the world Ioh. 15.20 Chap. 16. so shall they be also purposing to teach thē therby that iniuries persecutions can by no meanes be auoided of thē Wherefore Lactantius saith that it is the poesie of the true church 1. Tim. 13. to do good suffer euill in being the piller and the prop of truth Ioh. 8.44 as it were a witnes thereof considering that the truth is hath bene of al antiquity odious vnto the deuil who is the father of lies to all men who by nature are vaine liers but aboue all other to Princes great Lords who loue to be flattered Psal 39. 116. Is it possible that either the true ministers seruāts of God cā make a true profession of preaching thereof or his children beleue folow it not raising against thē by by the ioint hatred both of men and deuils So that the painters which woulde draw her haue giuen vnto her a sword in her hande which she thrusteth throgh the throte of him that beareth her 3. Esd 4. But that ought not to astonish vs for howsoeuer it stādeth she wil in the end remaine victorious ouer all her enemies And we are certaine that God who is the Father thereof will vphold all those that will freely embrace her wil destroy not only those who by hatred because they are possessed by the deuill do reiect fiercely resist it but also those who for feare lest they should incurre the hatred the euil wil of the world do loue rather to dissemble delay time with the enemies thē to ioyne thēselues to the companies of her friēds put themselues vnder her banner to defend her Ought we not to thinke that to preserue faith and other graces and vertues which God hath ingrafted in vs it is needefull that they should be practised And that without exercise they doe rust and become in tyme cankered as Iron in the ende come to nothing It is then for our profite that we shoulde haue enemies whiche make warre continually agaynst vs to exercise vs. For that maketh vs vigilant strong and ready as Sainte Paule sayth My power is made perfect through weakenes 2. Cor. 3.9 verye gladlye therefore will I reioyce rather in my infirmities that the power of Christ may dwell in me Wherefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproches in necessities in persecutions in anguish for Christs sake for when I am weake then am I strong Seneca sayth that vertue will fayle and fade away if she haue not an aduerfary who in exercising of her doth make her to florish Let not the delayers then alledge anye more either their persecutions or their infirmities to excuse themselues withall from entring into the Church for both the one and the other ought to driue them vnto it The crosse because it is an occasion to fight and fighting a meane to come vnto the glorye honour rest crowne happines and felicity whereunto they aspire and their infirmity to the end they may be strengthened for the church is the schoole wher al vertues are learned but especially magnanimity constancy which do stil accōpany faith to cause her to contemne death threateninges Mat. 16. dangers prosperity aduersity and all other frayle and corruptible thinges Is it possible that hearing so many excellent promises of God Psal 46. whereby he doth make vs certaine for euer of his presence and fauour and that he will neuer forsake vs either in fyre or water but wil keepe vs euer in our ingoinges and outgoinges whether soeuer we walke Esay 43.2 Psal 83. Psal 121. And after seing so many examples of those who being vpholden by the spirite of God in the church haue bene inuincible against all temptations and tormentes Heb. 11. is it possible but that we should be encouraged And although we were more fearful then heartes is it possible I say that following so many valiant captaines and champious we should not be vnder their conduct as bould as Lions Hasten you o ye delayers to enrowle your selues among the company of olde beatē souldiers that neuer fledd back for any assault whatsoeuer was made against them and who continually esteemed the glorye of God and of his trueth dearer then all the dainties of the worlde There be some also that feare to be expelled out of their owne countrye where they are had in honour and haue great offices and gorgeous houses where they their wiues and their children be at their ease and well prouyded of all those thinges they neede dare not commit themselues to the church lest that perfecution comming they be in daunger to loose all their commodities To aunswer particularly to all that which they obiect I saye first that the true countrey of a Christian man as saith S. Basill is the Church wherein he is borne a newe and where he hath his father Ioh. 3. his mother his bretheren and friendes his dwelling his goodes his inheritaunce And I say furthermore that it is the best happiest and most delightfull and pleasantest soiourning that is in all the world For it is the gard on which God hath plated which he himselfe hath tilled and wherein he taketh all his delight where the trees of righteousnes the blessed plantes of the house of God the tree of the knowledge of good and euill and the tree of lyfe which is alwayes greene are to be found besides there are the cleere riuers and springes of the water Cant. 4. of lyfe springinge to life eternall There are also the sweete flowers the smellinge of the lillye the roses the camphire the spikenarde the Lauender saffron calamus cynnamon with the trees bearing incense myrrhe aloes with all other chiefe spices Apoc. 21. And to conclude there is the golde and pretious stones the most rare and excellent that can be founde Esay 5. desired and wished for It is the vine of the Lorde which he hath adorned withall the greatest excellencies that can be wished to take his pleasure therein If then God do contente himselfe to dwell therein as in the stateliest pallace as in the gallantest garden of pleasure that he hathe shoulde not this dwelling like vs Moreouer is not our habitation in heauen Phil. 3. since we are heauenly plantes as Plato sayde and that we are risen with Iesus Christ Wherefore then haue we our heartes still in the earth to seeke the thinges that are beneath why doe we not