run hither in this iuel I find that only heroical helper which both wil can deliuer me frō al perils dangers For he is that true God Iehouah He became also true man that he might beare my offences die for my sins giue himselfe all that euer he had for me When my consciēce beginneth to dispaire saith how wilt thou stand before God how wilt thou escape euerlasting death thou art a sinner the stipend wages of a sinner is nothing els but wrath ire affliction tormēt both in this life in the life to come When I am thus I say shaken with these forceable violent tēptations I run to this saying my iuel sacredanker This saying is my sword my complet harnes my chief armour my strōg tower of defēce then I burst forth into these words say I cōfes it is true ah alas it is to to true that I am a miserable sinner as far as belōgeth to my self my own person therfore haue I deserued very sharp punishment but God promised to send vs sinners a bud of righteousnes but of the stocke of Dauid that he should be God and also our righteousnes And he hath long since performed this his promise made vnto sinners in that he gaue and sent his sonne to vs that he might be our righteousnes which wordes Paul vseth respecting only this posy Wherfore although I know my selfe most guilty of many diuers hainous heauy sinnes yet wil I not discourage my self or dispaire For in sacred baptisme I haue put on Christ our saluation giuen of god by whom he hath both promised and geuen vnto vs euerlasting life That Christ out of all doubt is holy enough And seing he is mine although I be neuer so loden with sinne yet for all that in as much as I haue repented do repent me hartily of my sinne and seing that I do lament that euer I sinned I haue sufficient to answer my sinnes to wit that euerlasting righteousnes euen Christ himself with his passion resurrection which is freely giuē me of God. Him may I set forth to answer the heuy and grieuous wrath of God behind him as a true propitiatory may I hyde and shroud my selfe and so be remaine vntouched eyther of sinne death or Satan For the innocency righteousnes of Christ is infinite euerlasting inuincible yea it is more mighty then all the sinne of man and able to answer for al sinne if there were a thousand mo worlds of sinne His life was such so proper so passing forceable and mighty that it got the victory ouer death sinne and hell To be brief no tong can tell nor hart thinke what treasure what riches what wealth it is to vs that Christ the true naturall sonne of God is become our righteousnes If he had bene righteous and holy for himself alone then had it profited vs nothing But now seing he needed not be righteous for himselfe but is become righteous for vs who I pray you if we beleue this faithfully if we persuade our selues herein certainly cā hurt vs who can make vs afraid or what can make vs dispaire nay may not we with Paul holily triumph glory say If God be with vs or on our side who can be against vs who spared not his own sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shal he not with him geue vs all things also who shal lay any thing to the charge of gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shal condēn it is Christ which is dead for vs yea or rather which is risen agayne who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs Who shall separate vs frō the loue of Christ Behold how full of hart how proud in holines and how couragious this sentence made s Paule Lo what strength what stomacke it ministreth vnto him in so much that he feared himself nothing but stood stoutly vndiscouraged with any euill or temptation may not we thē likewise recreate solace our selues therin If Christ be our righteousnes as he is in deede then must nedes all our sinnes be forgeuen vs then God himself accounteth vs righteous for Christes sake For before this righteousnes of his can no sin remain but must nedes be quēched out euen as a litle spark of fire is put out in the great sea And if our sinnes be blotted out then is death also so choked that the death of the godly is but a slepe a redy way vnto immortallity then hath Satan no more power ouer vs but we being clothed with the righteousnes of Christ are become the sonnes of God and shal with Christ inherite euerlasting lyfe Chrisostome saith vpon Iohn 2. Who so euer hath Christ hath all welth and treasure For he hath perfect holines which he may set against the law iudgemēt of God true life to set against death euerlasting saluation against damnation As Paul sayth Christ is the ende or fulfilling of the law for righteousnesse vnto euery one that beleueth who so beleueth in him is righteous Paul tooke such a holy pride and trust in these wordes of Iere. that he was not afraid to iest at death sinne the deuil saying O death where is thy sting O graue or hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Lo Christ as you see is our righteousnes his righteousnes and victory ouer sinne death and hel is giuen vnto vs that it may be our own that we may chalenge it by right for our owne O would to God that all which doe professe the name of Christ did thorowly vnderstand and beleue this ¶ Anna. O how happy were we if these so excellent and precious words of God were so depely printed in our mindes that we could surely ground them in our hartes This saying hereafter shall also be my iuell And God graunt me faith that I may euer kepe it in my hart Amē But why do you translate these wordes Edonai zid kennu the lord of our righteousnes or the lord our righteousnes and not rather our righteous God as the common translation hath it ☞ Vrb. Some do read it our righteous God but seing S. Hierom readeth it out of the Hebrue the God of our righteousnes I had rather folow him For so is it fuller hath more force to make vs know Christ and to comfort vs And so hath the holy ghost by s Paul translated it saying Christ of God is made vnto vs wisdom righteousnes and sanctification redemptiō He that reioiceth let him reioyce in the Lord. Christ is also called God in other places as in Esay where the prophet calleth Christ El whereof commeth
way my paths shal be exalted Behold these shall come from far And loe these from the North and from the West And these from the Lord of Sinim Reioyce O Heauens and be ioyfull O Earth burst forth vnto prayse O Mountaynes for God hath comforted his people and will haue mercy vpon his afflicted But Sion saith the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Can a woman forget her child and not haue compassiō on the sonne of her wombe Though they should forget yet wil I not forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee vpon the palmes of my hands Thy walles are euer in my sight thy builders make hast thy destroyers and they that made thee wast are departed from thee Lift vp thine eyes round about and behold all these gather them selues together and come to thee As I liue saith the Lord thou shalt surely put them all vpon thee as a garment and gird thy selfe with them like a bride For thy desolation and thy wast places and thy land destroyed shall surely be more narrow for them that shall dwell in it And they that did deuour thee shall be far away The children of thy Barons shall say againe in thine eares The place is straite for me geue place to me that I may dwell Then shalt thou say in thine hart who hath begotten me these seeing I am barrain and desolate a captiue and a wanderer to and fro and who hath nourished them Behold I was left alone Whence are these Thus saith the Lord god Behold I will lift vp my hands to the Gentils and set vp my standard to the people and they shall bring thy sonnes in their armes and thy daughters shall be caryed vpon their shoulders And kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queenes shall be thy nurses They shall worship thee with their faces towards the earth and lick vp the dust of thy feet And thou shalt know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that wayt for me Shall the pray be taken from the mighty Or the iust captiuity deliuered But thus saith the lord Euen the captiuity of the mighty shall be taken away and the pray of the tirant shall be delyuered For I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and I will saue thy children and will feed them that spoyl thee with their own flesh and they shal be dronken with their own bloud as with sweet wine And all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Sauiour Redeemer the mighty one of Iacob This prophecy comforteth true Israell to wit the church the spiritual kingdome of Christ congregated of the Iewes and Gentils and it teacheth vs what is the state of Christes kingdome in this world to wit that nothing in this world is more contemptible and vile then the true Israelites or the right beleeuers in Christ Iesus For the king him self in this earth shewed all humility and submission and was so far frō al pride cruelty ostentation and worldly pompe that the world vtterly despised and contemned him euen as if all that euer he had done had been nothing For when he had continued almost 34. yeares in very humble and low state euen as a pilgrim or stranger here on earth at last they put him to a most shamefull and ignominious death And those as S. Paul witnesseth that beleue in Christ must be like vnto their head Christ that is in this world they must be contemned persecuted afflicted and subiect to all calamities Tertullian in his Apologie against the Gentiles saith that in his time Christians of all other were counted vnprofitable persons and men good for nothing And Ciprian against Demetrian sayth that in his dayes what euil so euer happened in the earth either dearth of victuall or other euil or misfortune it was alway imputed to the Christians And Paul to the Rom. saith out of the 44. psalme that Christians in this world are accounted as sheepe for the slaughter For who so euer they be that be enemies to Christ the same also goe about to kill or destroy those that truely beleeue in Christ and they that kill them thinke they doe God seruice Wherefore it is specially to be required that the godly here arme them selues and strengthen their harts with true consolations against all assaults least they be discouraged and faint vnder the cros ¶ Anna. What comfort then doth the holy Ghost geue them in these great calamities ☞ Vrb. First he calleth the remnant of his people that is the faithfull Christians poore and contemptible soules which the world abhorreth and which are constrained to be sheep ordained for the tirants slaughter But on the other side he promiseth that there shal be in those enemies great change to wit that they shal be so clean altered and haue their disposition maners and nature so changed and become such that they will imbrace and honour the godly for Gods sake whom they shall by the preaching of the gospell know and professe And this was fulfilled when the Romaine Emperors who before time had bitterly vexed and persecuted the kingdom of Christ continually destroying his faithful christians at last were content in their own persons to professe the name of Christ and did highly honour the christians and decrely and hartely imbrace and reuerence them as the only beloued people of god Of this sort was Constantine the great Theodosius and Charles the great and many other Emperors wherby they which beleeue in Christ haue euen in this world much pleasure and ioy But the true comfort conteyned in the words following shall at last appeare The prophet saith I haue heard them in an acceptable time c. This acceptable time or time of mercy is that time of grace of the new testament in which the Lord the most plentiful welspring of mercy opened the treasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most precious gifts of his grace and commaunded the euerlasting couenant of his mercy to be published abroad preached throughout al the world as Paul expoundeth this prophecy to the Cor. For the Lord sent Christ and Christ performed al things which made for mans deliuerance for with his sacrifice he pacified God for sinne blotted out sinne and swallowed vp death and fulfilled the law and conquered Sathan All which great benefits and rich treasures together with his royal victory and life God cōmaunded shold be offered and geuen to the world by his gospell Indeed this day of the Lord is a most acceptable ioyfull and comfortable day This is the day of perfect health help The Lord also hath geuen his seruants to wit the true beleeuers in Christ for a league of his people euen as Christ is a league betwixt God and man For the word of God and the holy sacraments by which the church doth bring other also into the league of grace that they likewise may be partakers of Gods promises are found and remain in
the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eschew euill and doe good Recte iudicate qui iudicatis terram Iudge and gouerne well and rightly ye that be magistrats least the Lord remoue your candlestick Hādle not O ye rich men those that falle into your lappes with rigor and extremitye and geue not your selues ye poore men to sinister double dealing Delight not I beseech you ye mē in the multitude of your riches nor ye women in the furniture of your houses watch ye which haue charge in your callinges and keepe your selues cleare from the bloud of your families Let not your wyues children and bodyes so haue their willes and pleasure that your soules which must aunswere for it suffer woe and payne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O laye hould lay hold vpō discipline and put away pride couetousnes lying swearing and cursed dealing from among you And all these shall you quickely and easely doe if you will pray hartely if you will reade the word diligently and if you will apply it wisely Which the Lord Iesus that dyed for you worke in you And the blessed Lord God which hath caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning graunt that we may all in such wise heare thē read marke learne and inwardly disgest them that sinne and distrust may be remoued from vs and we may in all our extremities be comforted and euer hold fast the blessed hope of euerlasting lyfe which he hath geuē vs in our Sauiour Iesus Christ who euer preserue you and his whole Church Amen Your honors in the Lord W. Hilton Scholemaister at S. Anthonyes ⧠A briefe ingresse to the Christian Reader AMongst all sortes of studies and labors belonging to the lyfe of man as there is none comparable to the searching of holy scriptures so in reading thereof diligent regard ought to be had First with what minde and to what end a man readeth them Secondly in what sence and after what meaning he vnderstandeth them Touching the first as the scriptures and word of God of his nature is holy so is it requisite no man to resort thereunto otherwise then with an holy minde nor to read them but to a blessed purpose That is to profite in a spirituall intelligence to learne the true will and worshippe of God in his word to encrease in fayth and to search out the kingdome of lyfe This done the second consideration is to be had for the true sence and right vnderstāding of the same Some there be and that not a few who entering the studye of the sacred scriptures haue not all peraduēture the right meaning of the holy ghost therein conteined The good Enuch in the Actes of the Apostles was well occupied in his kouche reading the propheticall scriptures yet he vnderstode not what he red before an expositor was sent him Thapostles themselues had the scriptures and red them yet how farre from the meaning thereof were they before their senses were opened So the Iewes and Saracens to this day doe haunt the scriptures but for lacke of trew vnderstanding in what blindenes do they yet remaine They which in reading the misticall scriptures do see nothing els but the literall sence and outward history therof though they thinke to see something yet in very deed see nothing Albeit I denay not but in the externe letter and historye of the ould testament there is a certen veritie of thinges so doon as in the letter is specified yet vnder the same letter and historicall truth lyeth an other more secret and misticall truth which must be opened For as the scriptures of the former testament were written most by the prophets so haue they no doubt a propheticall meaning And as all the scriptures were inspired by the holy spirite of God so carye they a spirituall vnderstanding secretly couered vnder the visible letter As for example the eating of the Apple and casting out of paradise the slaughter of Abell by his brother Caine The floud and Arke of Noah the promised blessing in the seede of Abraham The vnknowen generation of Melchisddech both king and priest The sonne of Abraham geuen and borne by promise with the inheritaunce cast vpon him The whole discourse story of Ioseph The tipicall lambe with his bloud sprinckled and bones vnbroken The passage through the red sea The hard rocke gushing out in water springes Manna The brasen serpent The whole course and lyfe of Moses The land of promise The workes and death of Sampson The victorie of Gedeon The kingdome of Dauid The tabernacle and temple of Salomon with the propitiatory and the Arke The rapting vp of Elias The casting vp of Ionas Yea the geuing also of the lawe it selfe in outward tables vpon the penticoste day that is fifty dayes after the deliueraunce These I say with a number such other thinges moe which from time to time happened amongest that people although in fact and historye they beare a truth in deed yet notwithstanding vnder the same historicall truth as vnder a vaile or curten lyeth hid other matter of higher misteries and greater priuities which if they be well discussed shal rapt a mans minde into more perfect knowledge of spirituall contemplation According as we read to happen to S. Austen by hearing Ambrose expounding the miseries conteined in the oulde testament So that the propheticall Scriptures may well be resembled in a maner to the person of their owne maister that is to Christ himselfe Who being here in earth if a man looke onely vpon his outward shape his humble poore estate in this world his quiet and simple demaynour his paynefull trauailes the manifold afflictions and tentations of his werisome lyfe his sharpe crosse and reprochfull death and looke no further he shall see no great matte in him But draw this curtaine of flesh a little and with a further insight vew well what lyeth within and ther shall appeare an other manner of matter There shalt thou behold the glory of the kingdome of God the admirable wisedome and omnipotent power of the Father the conquest of Sathā hell and the whole world with all the pride thereof and the fulnes of the deitie there corporally dwelling as S. Paul himselfe both did see and testifie In much lyke sort the scriptures writtē and inspired by God if they be sought for no further but for the literall meaning only or outward precepts of lyfe they little auaile to saluation But if the misticall tipes and manifest oracles of the law Psalmes and prophets be thorowly opened what light what lyfe what knowledge geue they without which I see not how the fayth of a Christian man can stand sound and sure And therfore the Lord himselfe whē he would geue fayth to his disciples either opened the scriptures vnto thē or els opened their eyes to vnderstand the scriptures And therefore Doct. Vrbanus Regius thauthor of this treatise is well worthy of thankes and commendation for this his labor in opening to vs such
finde inclosed and depending vpon it Repentance which is the first part of a Christian mannes life as Christ him selfe teacheth vs For if all people in this seede be blessed It necessarily followeth that al nations that is to say all men which sprong of Adam are without it accursed and abhominable before god And this is so onely because of sinne It is needful therfore that first of all there should be in vs repentance For in sinne are we conceiued and born And by one man sinne entered into the world and death by sinne And so death went ouer all men forasmuch as all men haue sinned and by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation This fault is originall sinne which to vs the children and posterity of Adam commeth of naturall infirmitie successiuely and dwelleth in vs all and commeth with vs in our first carnal birth by which all our nature is corrupted defyled deformed depraued and made offensiue So that we by nature originally are naturally wicked and ignorant both of God and our selues we beleeue not God we trust not God we seek not after God and we neither dread Gods thretnings nor regard his commaundements And finally we by nature neither feare nor loue god For by sinne our nature is wholy blinded depraued and corrupted And therfore the holy Scripture calleth this nature the natural man that is to say flesh not yet regenerate And it sayth That the Lust and imagination of mans hart is euil euen frō his youth vp And the Apostle saith the same in these words In Adam all men dyed And in the Epistle to the Ephesians he saith That by nature we be the children of wrath And to the Romanes he saith G. The naturall man is fleshly and sauoreth the things of the flesh And the affections of the flesh are death and enmity against God. And to the Ephesians he saith We were dead in sinne And in the same Epistle descrybing at large the cursednes miseries and calamities of the carnal man he sayth We liue in this world by nature al ignorant without hope and with out God and walk in the vanity of our mindes hauing our sences and minds darkned and alyenated from the life of God c. And in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians he saith The Gentils know not God. And the Psalmist saith Euery man is a lyar And Ieremy saieth The hart is deceitful and wicked aboue al things and iuscrutable And Paul to the Corinthians sayth The naturall man perceiueth not those things that be of the Spirit of God for they be foolishnes vnto him nether can he vnderstand them Thus then the whol nature of man is by the first sinne of Adam disobedient infected bestained corrupted depraued and in the very first natiuity defiled Further when man is grown vp to age and beginneth to haue iudgement of things in continuance of time by the force and inclination of this original sinne he rouleth or desireth to roul him self in all kind of voluptuous pleasure in euery foul sink of sinne in euery durty puddle of detestable actes and in all kind of vncleannes as we see with our eyes But now where so euer sinne is there by and by followeth the curse and all kind of misery calamity daunger and siknes And to be breef death it self as it is sayd in Genesis Thou art dust and vnto dust thou shalt return And again Whensoeuer thou shalt eat of the tree of knowledge of good and euil thou shalt dye the death And S. Paul to the Romanes sayth The wages of sinne is death Thus then we learn first by this promise to acknowledge our misery calamity and cursednes and the wrath and iudgement of god Which thing is more largely spoken of in other places of Scripture By Gods law is required of vs perfect obedience sincere purity true godlynes and perfect loue of Religion with true feare and knowledge of God as also that we should perfectly loue him put our whole trust in him prayse him and glorifie him and also that we should loue imbrace and help our neighbour and doe what we can for him To be short it is required of vs that we loue him as our self Such ought we to haue been and so pure were we created But now we bear the Image of our earthly Father Adam and are by his horrible fal infected with originall sinne and so naturally we are vngodly and sinners and without the knowledge and fear of God and nether beleeue nor loue God. Moreouer we set our selues against our neighbor and loue him not as we ought For when we be offended but euen lightly we hate him deadly Thus are we ful of enuy and gilty of all kind of wickednes Wherfore seeing by nature we be voyd of al such vertues as the law of God requyreth in vs as that we should fear God beleeue God loue God glorify God and also faithfully and intierly loue our neighbour And seeing we thus obay not the law as we ought the law of God doth pronounce a most terrible sentence against vs saying Cursed is euery man that contynueth not in all thinges which are written in the book of the law to doe them And again Cursed be all they that doe erre from thy commaundements Also if you will enter into life euerlasting keep the commaūdements But who either keepeth or euer hath kept the commaundements or done that which the law requireth Bring me but one if you can of all the Children of Adam which of his own naturall strength could euer keep but the first commaundement doe the best he could Nay you shal neuer of them all be able to bring me one For in deed none euer did it Nay we all doe the contrary for such as the tree is such is the fruit And how pleasant and prety the fruit of the flesh is that is to say of the natural or carnal man if it please you you may see in the Epistle to the Galathians where Paul by the way hath set down though not all yet a few of the works of the flesh as Adultery Fornicatiō Vncleānes Wantonnes Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Debate Emulations c. And he addeth they which doe such thinges shall not inherite the kingdome of God. The law therfore of God doth wound hold captiue greeuously oppresse and accuse all the children of Adam of impiety and it layeth to our charge that foul offence of rebellion against Gods maiesty and it conuicteth vs to be an vngracious kind of creatures ful of professed malice and wickednes and subiect to eternall damnation vngodly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnfaithfull passing wicked worldlings and contemners of God man and this law exacteth at our hand perfect obedience sinceere godlynes strait vprightnes and a pure innocency of life according to the commandement of God. Seeing then the law of God doth
thus examine our life and our manners it plainly appeareth both what kind of men we be what our faults and offences be and how huge sinners we be And forasmuch as we haue not fulfilled the law of God and continued in all things which are written in the book of the law it necessarily followeth that the curse hangeth presently ouer vs and that we be concluded vnder sinne Thus lyeth wretched mankind thrown down damned and subiect to euerlasting death and the reason is for that he is accursed The curse of the law is the fault and the punishment and both present and eternal indignation wrath anguish affliction death and euerlasting torment in hel fire If this then be the condition of our estate as in deed it is if we beleeue the Scriptures witnessing of the calamity and horrible fall of Adam and his posterity then must of necessity all presumption and trust in our own strength worthynes merits natural hability and good works geue place and vanish away and true humility and vnfayned repentance follow For of what I pray you can man glory how can he presume what can he attribute to his own strength and how can he brag if he haue right feeling of this curse and so that he see he is become an Apostata a traytor and a runnagate frō God and altogether the Deuils thrall lying captiue vnder the power of sinne death and malediction And such in deed is his estate For he is conceiued and born in sinne and he cannot so much of himself as think wel wish wel or doe wel but being proue and bent only to euil to vice and to all wickednes he doth nothing but sinne Now he which doth rightly feel the immutable and very seuerity of Gods wrath to him the world it self is an vnpleasant pryson neither doth it graunt him rest or comfort at all til he be free frō these bands and curses Wherfore the holy Scripture vpon good cause doth most diligently and earnestly vrge vpon vs the law to this end that man thus all blinded peruerst and malicious may by the law be drawn to know him self to see his misery and to feel the curse and his incorporated wickednes and the iudgement of God So that by the liuely feeling of his sin gods wrath he might humbly and truly with a troubled Spirite and contrite hart reuerently with submission flye to the throne of grace and call for mercy help of God and with all his hart runne vnto and imbrace Christ his only Sauyour the blessed seed of Abraham To such verely is this blessed seed sent which after this sort with a troubled Spirite and a broken and humble hart acknowledge and confes their sinnes and which hartely repenting are greeuously and terribly vexed and afflicted in conscience because they haue sinned To these I say is he sent that hauing taken away the curse to the which they were subiect he might delyuer them from all perils and calamities both of soule and body For there is none that desire or receiue Christ but these poore ones in Spirit And this doe Paules words import in the Epistle to the Rom. where he saith By the law commeth the knowledge of sinne And to the Galathians The law was our Scholemaster to bring vs to Christ that we might be made righteous through faith And in the same place he sayth The law began and was geuen 430. yeares after the holy promise was made to Abraham and that for transgression vntil the seed came to whom it was promysed c. All natures strength all wisdome all free will all good lawes and all creatures yea Gods law it selfe because of mannes infirmity could not delyuer iustifie and free man from this curse But of necessity this blessed seed Christ must needes be sent to delyuer vs from these euils and deserue for vs and also geue vs the holy Ghost els had man stil remayned altogether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say helples Therfore Paul in the same place excellently disputing of the law and Christ saith thus In deed if there had a law bin geuen which could haue geuen life then truely righteousnes should haue beene by the law But the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by faith of Iesus Christ might be geuen to them that beleeue But before faith came we were kept vnder the law and shut vp vnto the faith which should afterward be reuealed c. The law indeed may shew vs our sinnes conuince vs accuse vs and condemne vs of sinne and it may bring vs vnder the curse but it can neuer delyuer vs frō the curse The law was cheefly geuen to this end that by terrifying our harts it might stirre vs vp feruently to desire and flye vnto that blessed seede Christ in whom we finde and receiue all thinges which the law requireth of vs to wit perfect obedience innocency righteousnes the fulfilling of all lawes and the holy Ghost with all his gifts as faith loue feare and charity towards our neighbour with such like The wholl Scripture doth nothing els but teach vs thorowly to know Christ earnestly to desire Christ hartely to craue help of Christ faithfully to beleeue in Christ and truely to loue Christ But this we cannot doe vnles we first feel the curse and acknowledge our miseries sicknes and sinne When we haue once the liuely feeling of these things then with all greedy desire of hart we gape for that blessed seede because he onely and alone both can and will clerely altogether take away this curse If the Iewes had knowen this and beleeued they had neuer so despysed and crucifyed Christ And if the Pharisies and Hipocrites of these dayes and we knew these things we would vtterly dispaire of our selues of our merits and of all mans strength in which there is no bealth or help at all wherby we may look for the obtayning of iustification and saluation nay we would not in all these put either hope or trust but would flie to this seed where present helpe and ayde is found If our sinnes doe not thus plainly appeare by the law vncurable foolish and blind reason straight way dreameth that she can salue this sore and that she her selfe can deliuer vs from sinne yea she doth assay by her works to deserue Gods fauor nether will she acknowledge this blessed seed nether is she moued with any desire of him nether doth she any thing esteem of the great promises of God by which only we most miserable creatures are delyuered from these euils Wherfore first learn and know this that as Abraham was iustifyed before God so surely must we also be iustifyed but he was iustifyed by this seed Christ in him he beleeued and in him had he all his hope and trust of saluatiō reposed being perswaded that by this seed he should obtain the blessing And that was coūted to him for righteousnes Paul therfore
concludeth and mightely affirmeth that we must couet this seed saying The promise that he should be the heyr of the world was not geuen to Abraham or to his seed through the law but through the righteousnes of faith For if they which are of the Law be heires faith is made void and the promise of none effect For the law causeth wrath for where no law is there is no transgression therefore is the heritage giuen by fayth that it might come by grace and the promise might be sure to all the seede not to that only which is of the law but also to that which is of the fayth of Abraham Secondly in this mere promise the great and infinite grace of God doth appeare For our desert or worthynes did not deserue that God should vouchsafe to be made man of the seed of Abrahā but it was the meere grace and mercy of god Of his meere grace he promysed Christ and of his meere grace he performed his promise by sending of Christ the law and the workes of the law neuer deserued it For you see here that God promised this blessing to the Patriarch Abraham 430. yeares before the law was giuen to Moses which he did least man should attribute some thing in the worke of lyfe and saluation to him selfe and so glory in his owne merites for grace is not mingled with works it is without all our deseruing and before all our good workes Thirdly for as much as God would lay the cause of his blessing and grace which we receaue vpon Christ through him wil onely blesse whome he doth blesse It necessarily followeth that without Christ there is neither blessing righteousnes lyfe nor health and that all that are without Christ be accursed because they remaine in sinne death and damnation We may well thinke there was some weightye cause that moued our gratious immortall high God to speake a thing of such weight a thing which is so full of cōsolation where in he bindeth himself with an oth that he would through this seede geue vs his blessing and life euerlasting Ought not I pray you the whole company of Angels with all kinde of men all sorts of creatures both in heauen and earth with great reuerence holines pietye and with vnspeakeable and infinite ioye heare their Lord God speaking these wordes and promising such precious giftes Paule sayth God willing more aboundantly to shew vnto the heires of promise the stablenes of his counsaile bound him selfe with an oth And do you not here see that he both promiseth and also sweareth but if then any could obtayne this blessing that is life and saluatiō without Christ why hath God promised the blessing in Christ so earnestly yea and that with an oth Wherfore I see not why any should thinke he can beleue in God and yet is not in the Christian faith No in deede there is no trew faith but the Christiā fayth All other opiniōs be errors God will take none for his vnlesse he be in this seede Christ that is if he be not a Christian if he beleue not in Christ Nether in deede shall we euer any where finde the fauour of God true innocencye righteousnes satisfaction for our sinnes helpe counsaile life and saluation but only in this Christ The Fathers beleued in him before he was made man and were saued In him also beleue wee and are saued And in this promise also is proued the humain birth death resurrection and eternall kingdome of Christ which all belong to this blessing in which all happines is promised For this benediction in the seede of Abraham is libertie and absolution from sinne and deliuerance from death and euerlasting damnation and on the other side it is pure innocencye righteousnes fulfilling of the lawe and renuing of the image of God in vs with securitye ioy peace and life euerlasting What more can you desire In this Christ is all righteousnes included and all kinde of cursednes excluded And therefore the Apostles diligētly vrge this promise and euery foote recite and repeate it But the deliuerance from this curse is marueilously wrought to wit by the infamy and slaunder of the crosse For so sayth Paule Christ redeemed vs from the curse of the law whē he was made a curse for vs. This was done on good fridaye when he hong on the crosse before the Iewes and the gentiles as if he had bene forsaken of God and all his creatures He bore our sinnes in his body vpon the tree of the crosse that we being deliuered from sinne might liue in righteousnes For it is written in Deut. in Ebrew that holy tongue The curse of God is on him that is hanged For so doth the Ebrew word signifye The 70 interpreters did translate it He is accursed that hangeth on tree that is He is a stumbling blocke to the Iewes and folishnes to the Gentiles but euen this Christ to the Iewes and also to the Gentiles which are called is the power and wisedome of God. Nothing appeareth more foolish and fond vnto naturall reason then that it is sayd god would in mans nature suffer this shame but so it seemeth good to God as Paule witnesseth For seing by wisedome we know not God in the wisdome of God it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleue If the mightiest God so abased him selfe for vs most vnthankful sinners that he vouchsafed to descend into the lowest partes of the earth and to suffer the greatest shame that could be for vs consider and way I pray you how greuous hainous great and monsterous our sinnes are and how patiently moderatly and in good part we ought to take the affliction and crosse which is layd vppon vs for them seing through Christ the cursse is to vs now turned into a blessing This seede Christ which was first promised to Adam and then to Abraham did God oftē renew afterward to other also of the fathers after Abraham For he promised it to Isaak and then to Iacob and the promise of Christ was againe renued in the 49. of Genn to the Patriark Iacob who a little before his death did thus prophecy of Christ The scepter shall not be taken from Iuda nor a law geuer from his feete till Siloch or he that must be sent come And he shall be the expectation of the Gentiles and the people shal be gathered vnto him In this promise is notably and playnely declared and described the tyme when Christ should be looked for as also what his state and condition should be or what a kinde of kingdome he should haue ¶ Anna. I pray you teach me playnely to vnderstād this promise made to Iacob ☞ Vrb. This worde Schebet or scepter signifieth as you know princely or kingly power or gouermēt The Caldes bible vseth this worde Schultan that is empire or power God did so ordayne among the Iewes
and of the forgiuenes of sinnes which we haue onely by the bloud of Iesus Christ as it is written to the Hebrues They were only exercises of outward discipline holines and iustification of the flesh which beyng but giuen vntil the tyme of reformation were then to haue the full end when he should come which by these types and figures was prefigured ¶ Anna. I would gladly heare how Aaron with his priesthood and sacrifices do signify prefigure Christ And I pray you expoūd me euery parcell of it orderly ☞ Vrb. I wil. But that you may as in a table plainly see it and that the matter may the better be vnderstood and perceiued I haue here vnder set downe the figures of the old testamēt with the fulfilling of them the truth of the new testament set ouer against them ¶ A Table conteyning the figures of the old law and things in deede figured therby The Figure The things figured 1. AARON with his priesthood in Leuiticus 1. CHrist and his euerlasting priesthood in the whole epistle to the Hebrues 2. Aaron the hie Priest in the law 2. Christ a high priest in the whole epistle to the Hebrues 3. Aarō teacheth the law giuē by Moses which accuseth vs and worketh wrath Iohn 5. Rom. 4. 3. Christ teacheth the Gospell which excuseth and defendeth al true Christians giueth thē mere grace Ioh. 1. Grace truth by Christ 4. Aarons doctrine was the letter writtē with the finger of God in tables of stone 4. Christes doctrine is spirite and lyfe the christian faith written in the fleshly tables of the harte by the holy ghost Iohn 6. Iere. 31. 2. Cor. 3. 5. Aaron praieth for the people 5. Christ is our Mediator aduocat praieth for vs Ro. 8.1 Tim. 2. 6. Aaron beareth the sinnes of the people the 3. booke of Moses 6. Christ is the true lamb of God which beareth the sinnes of the world and paieth the raunsome for them Ioh. 1. 7. Aarō offred vp beasts and bloud of beastes for the sinnes of the people 7. Christ offred vp him selfe for the sinnes of the world and shed his owne bloud for them Ebr. 9. There be fiue kind of sacrifices in the law All kindes of sacrifices were fulfilled in Christ 1. The Holocaustum was consumed with fire Leui. 1. 1. Christ is our true burnt offering burning in the feruēt fire of loue towardes vs and geueth himselfe wholy for vs that he may thereby deliuer man holily 2. The offering vp of sacrifice in Leuit. 2. 2. Isichius vnderstādeth by the offering of the sacrifice the manhood of Christ Ierome also vnderstandeth Christ who is the bread of life Ioh. 6. 3. The peace offering Leuit. 3. 3. Christ is our true peace offring Rom. 5. 2. Cor. 5. by the death of the sonne we are reconciled to god Col. 1. he hath set at peace by the bloud of his crosse all thinges c. 4. The offring for sinnes Leu. 1. 4. Christ is our true offering for sinnes committed and duety omitted 2. Cor. 5. Ro. 8. 5 The offring for transgression Leui. 6.7 5. For our sinnes he laid downe his lyfe the Lord layed vpon him the iniquity of vs all Esay 53. Figures The truth and the thing figured 1. The bloud of beastes was shed in the law to purifie sinnes Heb. 9. Leui. 9. 1. Onely the bloud of Christ Iesu the sonne of god which he shed on the crosse doth purge vs from all our sinne 1. Ioh. 1. Heb. 9 2. The high priest once and no more euery yere entred alone into the holy of holiest or into the second tabernacle Leui. 16. Exod 30. by the bloud of beasts with which yet notwithstanding he could not eyther iustifie or purifie any man. 2. But Christ an high priest of good thinges to come once entred not into a tabernacle made with handes but euē into the very heauens into the presence of God by his owne bloud wherby he reconciled vs purified vs and obtayned for vs euerlasting lyfe Heb. 9. 3. Aarons sacrifices of necessitie ought to be most pure cleane and perfect without eyther blot or spot 3. Christ of al the sonnes of men had neyther spot blotte nor blemish beyng conceyued of the holy gost and borne of the pure virgin Mary Esay 53. These sacrifices shedings of the bloud of beastes in the lawe signified the precious and incomparable death of Messias because he in the nature shape and state of man would once be slayne and offered vp to wash away our sinnes Here must we first well diligently obserue that the sacrifices of the law with the bloud therof cannot in deede purge or take away any sinne neither reconcile any man to god They were onely figures ordeyned and instituted of God that they might represent vnto vs that only and true sacrifice and reconciliatiō of the new testament that is to say Christ on his crosse by whose only sacrifice sinne was truly and verily purged clensed and washed away certain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is redemptiō is obtained Secondly that if only by the death of Christ sinn be truly purged and washed away then by it alone shal death be vanquished and extinguished in as much as death is the rewarde of sinne and where no sinne is there death can haue no power Thirdly this also doth follow by a firme and inuincible consequence that Christian beleuers who haue part of this sacrifice are truly deliuered from their sinnes and shal by it also though in body they dye yet be restored againe to lyfe All the priestes of the law died successiuely neither could they deliuer themselues nor others from sinne and death but Christ hath no successor because he is alway one and bides for euer a priest of the euerlasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 priesthood by which he both can and will saue vs for euer and by which he purchaseth for vs euerlasting redemption Heb. 7. and 9. Wherfore all which are his that is which beleue in him shal be fellow heyres with him of euerlasting lyfe He is not God of the dead but of the liuing And therefore they also must needes by Christ rise againe frō death but if we should rise again frō death enioy euerlasting life it was needefull that he should first rise again frō death and be the Lord of life as Esay sayth When he shall make his soule an offring for sinne he shall see his seede shall prolong his dayes Here the Prophet teacheth that Christ after he had finished his sacrifice on the crosse should liue and raigne with his church for euer and neuer die as other priestes kinges and lordes did Must not a godly hart of necessity here conceyue much ioy when he seeth and considereth how plainely how clerely and how directly vnder the shadowe of these figures both the death and the resurrection of Christ and all faythfull christians are signified and set forth and also when we see
For that same word in that holy tonge is vsed also actiuely in this same signification in which the Latine translator doth here vse it calling it a Sauiour or deliuerer And the 70. Translators do nothing differ from our interpreter For they vse in this place this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth sauing The Iewes also before the comming of Messias at Babylon vnderstood this word actiuely For their Thargum hath it thus sakai vporik which is to say innocent a deliuerer or sauior The prophet also calleth him Poore the Hebrue word is Eny which signifieth carefull contrite in hart sory tormented hūbled and one of a lowly humble mind in whom is no hautines no cruelty no pride no swelling But one in whom is all meekenes lowlines humility and myldnes and one whose good will toward others is such that he is much troubled and greued at their hurtes and misfortunes Wherupon S. Mathew alledging this prophesie vseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is meeke And of this his meekenes and humblenes he gaue some testimony when he rode to Ierusalem vpon an asse And yet for all this the highest and chiefest estates of Ierusalem did so tirannically hate him that as enuious bloudsuckers they sought all occasions they could to kil him But Christ nothing moued with their enuy and as it were not regarding his death which he knew certaynly the princes of Ierusalem with the Pharises and Scribes went about did this present daunger of his lyfe not regarded euen from his very hart bewayle both the blindnes of the men and the calamity and destruction of the city yea they were the greatest things that troubled him For his bitter teares sufficiently witnessed both his griefe for them good wil towards them This his heauenly hart which appeared so mild and so pitifull toward his neighbor was farre from all ostentation For he nothing esteemed riches worldly traine pompe and vanitie as appeareth by the whole course of his lyfe which he led here in lowlines pouerty trouble grief danger and grieuous sorow and he himselfe is witnes of this where he saith The Foxes haue dennes but the sonne of man hath not where on to lay his head But this his humble entring into the city all without ostentation doth plainly inough argue his humilitie pouerty Zachary saith not that he rode to Ierusalem like an armed emperour reioicing triumphing in scarlet in purple glistring robes and in cloth of gold vpō a lusty palfrey magnifically sadled princely trapped with a great troupe and gard that he might amase men The prophet sayth not that Christ came so But he saith he sate vpō an asse a beast which is vile poore contemptible and ridiculous And in that his so doing he shewed a very great lowlines humility modesty and meekenes yea such that no man neede be afrayd of him This was fulfilled vpon Palme sonday when Christ sent his disciples to fetch an asse with her colt from Bethfage vnto mount Oliuet and came into the city vpon her as the euangelist Mathew saith witnessing of the fulfilling of this prophesie It foloweth in the prophet And I will cutte of the chariots from Ephraim and the horse from Ierusalem Here the prophet sheweth the nature and condiciō of Christ his kingdome For seyng he had called Christ a kyng which should come vnto his people he must also haue a kingdom But marke what and what maner of one his kingdome is It is not an earthly or a worldly kingdom neither is it ruled or gouerned and mainteined by hostes of men munition or mans power and strength nor by any such means as earthly kingdoms are ruled and gouerned And therfore he saith that he wil take away and destroy their chariots horses bowes Which kind of munition in this world princes vse eyther to establishe their kingdomes or to repulse the force and violence of their enemies which either seeke the vpper hand or els to increase and inlarge the territories of their owne dominions Esay also describeth the kingdom of Christ much after this sort saying The law shall go forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem and he shall iudge among the nations and rebuke many people they shal breake their swordes also into mattocks and their speares into sithes nation shall not lift vp a sword against nation neither shall they learne to fight any more By Ephraim Zachary vnderstandeth the ten tribes of Israel which beyng vnder Roboam fell away from the house of Dauid to Ieroboam set vp a kingdom of their owne Whereby the Prophet meaneth that whē Christ should come these two kingdomes Iuda and Israel should not continue any longer deuided but bee made one vnder the true king Christ Which thing came then to passe when Christ his Apostles preached in Galily and in all those countries euen to Ierusalem when Christ the true prince in Israel gathered together into the vnitie of the Christian fayth all his people by preaching of his Gospel It followeth And he shal speake or he wil teach peace c. That is Christ will not establish or preserue his kingdome with armour because he is called the kyng of peace He shal raign gouerne his kingdom not as the world doth but spiritually by his word in which the very true peace safety tranquillity health and chiefe felicity is preached and deliuered not to the Iewes alone but to all the whole world euen the Gentiles also This peace doth farre and infinitely excell the peace of this world For it is a most perfect peace with God our most mighty lord He which is at peace with God to wit with whom God is well pleased and to whom God is fauourable mercifull and gratious that man may stoutly stand without feare He is out of danger he sayleth in safety he as one sitting on an high rock or a sure and inuincible tower may looke and laugh at his enemies below and he both may ought hartily to reioyce and be mery in the lord And such now be we for we haue peace with God or towards God through Christ our onely mediator and aduocate As Paul witnesseth to the Rom. saying We were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne Christ is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken the stop of the partition wall in abrogating through his flesh the hatred that is the law of commaundementes which standeth in ordinances for to make of twaine one new man in himselfe so making peace And that he might reconcile both vnto God in one body by his crosse and slay hatred therby and came and preached peace to you which were a farre of and to them that were nere for thorough him we both haue an entrance vnto the father by one spirite Esay also hath delectably and pleasauntly prophesied that Christ and his Apostles should be the ioyfull messengers of that
saue and deliuer thee For to this end God the father sent hym Beleue in him for his sake all thy sinnes shal be forgiuen thee For he tooke thy sinnes vpon him he suffred and satisfied for them When thou hast thus done then is thy conscience mery pacified and quieted Because it hath thorow fayth taken holde of Christ who hath taken away the hand writing of an euill conscience which was altogether against vs miserably tormented vs greuously vexed vs daily disturbed our peace and hath blotted it out nayled it to his crosse so that there is no cause why the man that beleueth in Christ should quake tremble or feare for his sinnes or should flie from God as a seuere iudge For God is now become fauourable vnto him and hath forgiuen him all his sinnes for Christ his sake in whom he beleueth And this faith in Christ bringeth present helpe and consolation to the penitent hart it comforteth and strengtheneth the man that before was dismayed so that now he may plainly know that God for Christs sake wil not herafter be a seuere fearful iudge vnto him but a louing mercyful and tender Father And this is the true and perfect binding vp and healing and curing of sick wounded and feeble harts For the hart neuer findeth true and sound comfort grace and life but in Christ Iesu It followeth That I should preach to the bond liberty By disobedience we were made seruants and bondslaues of Sathan and so should haue remayned for euer if Christ had not delyuered vs But he became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the price of our redemptiō he by his death deliuered vs from that captiuity of Sathan as Dauid sayeth He went vp on high and led captiuity captiue And hath spoyled the principalities and powers and hath made a shew of them openly and hath tryumphed ouer them in the same crosse That is Christ ouercame those Princes powers of darcknes which had thrown down man into the kingdome of sinne death and damnation and by his own power he hath spoyled them of their pray as Saint Luke sayth The stronger ouercame the strong man being armed and keeping his palace and toke away all his armore That is Christ delyuered mankind and tooke his seruants out of the power of darcknes and brought them into his kingdome of light as you haue heard before out of Zachary and Esay This pardon redemption or remission hath Christ himself geuen forth and preached in his gospel and he hath commaunded his Apostles and all the Preachers of the gospel to teach the same euen vnto the end of the world For what els is the Gospel but such a Sermon of Christ as telleth vs that he did fight a combate hand to hand with Sathan and hath in the same open combate not fraudulently and deceitfully but valiantly and with a deuine force subdued ouercome and cōquered the deuill by that victory hath so deliuered iustified for euer saued vs which were once his captiues bound vnder sinne and death that we may now haue peace with God and being deliuered from that tyrant be brought to heauē and raygne with God our heauēly father as blessed Children for euer It followeth To the captiues freedome By the word of God it is playne that we are sinners and that we are as it were cast into a prison or iaile from whence nether by the force of nature nor by all the good workes in the world we can deliuer and saue our selues We ought in deede to leade pure and vnspotted lyues and still to be doing good and flye from euill and the law requireth the same at our hands but our sinful nature is slow to good and farre from fulfilling the law and maketh vs liue according to our carnall desires and concupiscens which euen from our youth vp is al wayes bent and ready to euell Whereupon it commeth that the law is more vrgent vpon vs and still enforceth compelleth commaundeth vs to doe good and threateneth death and destructiō to them that doe euill and so it happeneth to vs as Paule sayd to the Galathians Before fayth came we were kept vnder the law and shut vp vnto the fayth which should afterward be reuealed When we looke into our hartes and diligently consider how disobedient stubborne and repugnaunt we are by nature to the law of God then we playnely see that the sacred law is nothing els to all vs which are vnder the law and as yet not iustified by fayth but a prison in which for all our striuing and wrastling wil we nil we we are imprisoned shut vp For how soeuer we professe and make a shewe of holines and grauitye in our selues with sober discrete manners in the eyes of men euen as though we kept the law yet in deede and from the hart we doe nothing so playnely so obediently and so cherefully as we ought but we as men enforced and constrayned do hipocritically all that we doe with vncleane and filthy hartes For the law by threats restrayneth vs from open crimes offences and it vrgeth bindeth and restraineth vs very extremely so that we doe not steale commit adulterye murther slaunder blaspheme nor curse any body but yet in the hart where the well spring and cheefe roote of all our workes are doth fleshly concupiscens boyle fome wrastle striue to burst out into il deedes and the more we bridle it and wrastle agaynst it the more it rageth and boyleth and becōmeth more violēt strong heddy rash vnruly and stubborne And as it happeneth in great fluds whose force and course we see by stopping and staying with rāpires waxe greater and more vehement so that they will not suffer thē selues to be stayd or stopt but at the last with great force and violence breake vp the rayles rampires and water work and flowe forth a mayne so it happeneth here For whē the law bindeth keepeth in the lusts fleshly desires of the hart with feare of punishmēt that they dare not discouer or shewe themselues then fretteth the flesh inwardly abhorreth the law as it were a prison desiring to be set free and at libertie from it When therfore the law of God hath done his office in man then seeth he in what danger he stādeth This misery and wickednes of mans nature in as much as it is not only not able to keepe the law of god but also doth vtterly euen abhorre it can not well according to the greatnes thereof be ether spokē in word or conceiued in minde Wel then the confession of such our wickednes malice and blindnes breedeth in vs humilitie whē we see our selues in great dāger whē we see our selues to be no body whē we see that we are not able to keep gods holy law whē we see such filthy vncleane works spring frō that pestilēt filthy stincking podle to wit the hart which is a rebel
our body here is a natural body and to the fustentation therof we must if we wil liue eate drinke slepe disgest purge And the same body is weried and in the ende corrupteth and fadeth And therfore as sone as that soule departeth frō the body the corps beginneth to smell putrify so that no man can abide the stinke therof This is the dishonor which for sinne is laid vpon the body But in the last day the lord wil trāsfigure our body into such brightnes make it so beautiful that it shal be like the sunne so shal alway abide continue a firm sound immortal body without bodily meat fed of god for euer And therfore saith Paul pointing as it were to his body with his finger this corruptible body wherin I now stād sit walke speake this same body I say must put on incorruption this mortal must put on immortalitie When this corruptible body hath put on incorruption this mortal hath put on immortalitie then shall bee brought to passe the saying that is written Death is swalowed vp into victory ¶ Anna. Now I haue heard the fruit of Christes passion resurrection which I take to be this That what Satan in Adam our nature by sin had corrupted destroyed the Christ by his death resurrection hath recouered restored to wit he hath destroyed sin ouercome death giuen life that we which beleue in Christ may be deliuered from our sins freed from the tiranny of deth the diuel be made heires of euerlasting life Now shew me what maner of kingdom Christs kingdom is which is so magnifically set forth promised vnto vs in the law prophets and euangelists ☞ Vrb. The kingdom of Christ which is promised in the prophets is a spirituall kingdom not of this world it is a kingdom of euerlasting blessednes mercy truth righteousnes peace life wisdom light ioy security liberty euerlasting saluatiō in which Christ the king of glory being taken vp into heauen exalted at the right hand of god doth by the gospel the holy ghost in fayth raigne inuisibly gouern defend al that beleue in him euen in the midst of their cruel deadly enemies to wit the world Satan heretikes persecuters of the church sin death Moreouer he is our intercessor in heauen to god the father he forgiueth vs our sinnes he sēdeth his holy spirit into our hartes he renueth repayreth our corrupted depraued decaied nature and he restoreth in vs the most beutiful image of god which through sinne was blotted out destroyed in vs To be briefe he sanctifieth vs defendeth vs preserueth vs in all dangers euils and so he in this life euen vnto the day of iudgement gathereth vp into his kingdom which is the true catholike church of the godly the children of God dispersed throughout the whole world He ouercōmeth in them sinne death the prince of this world by this means he prepareth maketh thē redy for that great glorious day of our full perfect redemption And although the godly die in the mortal body yet will he raise thē all again at the last day and they shall liue with Christ for euer But vntil the day both the euil and the good the godly the vngodly shal be mixt dwel together and the vngodly wil colourably seeke to beare a face and outward shew of godlines wil also be taken in place for godly nay they will be the chiefe in this earth and sit as magistrates vaunt themselues to be the heads of the church as Annas and Caiphas did in Christes tyme yea they wil root out curse and vehemētly persecute the true godly to the vttermost For in deede the true church is so hidden in this world the some times in great temptations it cannot for a space see it selfe ¶ Anna. What meaneth the miserable people the Anabaptists what madnes moueth them to seeke to cōgregate a church heare in this world which shold be pure vnspotted vndefiled and without all blot and where in they wil haue no sinner seing that euē the godly offend fal in many things the greatest part of those which are called christiās are mere hypocrits very wicked mē ☞ Vrb. These miserable mē vnderstand not the scriptures And therefore they know not what is the true church what maner of church it is or what the state of the true church is in this world Christ only is he which at the last day shal purge the chaffe that is the vngodly frō the good wheat which is the godly christians In the meane time that godly are compelled here to dwel liue among the vngodly And yet shall they not haue any discōmōditie or losse therby if they learne not at thē to liue be vngodly The godly may bear publik offices haue such politike functions as the ciuile magistrate doth ordain so long as they be not cōmaunded compelled to do that that is contrary to the commaundement of God and his holy word yea they both may with a safe conscience also ought as far as belōgeth to the body tēporal goods vse al humane publike ordināces and cōtracts which make for that maintenāce of this life society If so be they may be suffred to kepe retaine the true doctrine of the sauing gospel liue as it cōmādeth ¶ Anna. Seing you haue alredy described the kingdom of Christ I pray you discouer me the kingdō of Satan ☞ Vrb. Sathans kingdom is quite contrary vnto the kingdom of Christ it is a kingdom of euerlasting perdicion of lies of death of sinne of ignorance of blindnes of darkenes of heauines of affliction of sorrowe and of continuall captiuity and damnation And this kingdom of condemnation beginneth in this worlde and hath in it all the vngodly which will not beleue and obey the Gospell in whom the euill spirit worketh and is effectual And therupon is called in Iohn the prince of this world the god of this world This spirit blindeth the mynds of that vnbeleuers so that they see not the most cleare light of the gospel of the clearenes of Iesus Christ which is the image and caracter of God. ¶ Anna. How doth Sathan raigne in this world ☞ Vrb He is the strong man armed in his house of whō Luke speaketh who kepeth the wicked in his hande and hath thē in his power driueth thē whether he will at his pleasure Paul saith he bindeth thē holdeth thē in strōg lies errors darknes bewitcheth their harts and casteth thē hedlong into al wickednes filthines vncleannes and moueth and inflameth thē to all vngodlines Satan is alwais an enemy and an aduersary vnto true christians in all their godly enterprises procedings He stirreth vp fals teachers and draweth many into horrible heresies He alwais maketh
deadly sicknes of sinne and ouercome the power of darknes thorough the might and power of this signe Christ crucified But it is especially to be marked that the prophet saith All nations shal seke vnto him The 70. translaters haue interpreted these wordes thus Which shall rise again to be the king of the Gentiles that is of all people in the earth in him shal the Gentils trust Like as the patriarke Iacob said according to the exposition of the 70. translaters in these wordes Siloh shall be the hope or expectation of the Gentils Here haue we a plaine euident testimony of the calling of the Gentiles to the grace of the gospell For they shal enquire after Christ or seeke him as their only sauiour put all their hope trust in him What els is this but that they shall acknowledge Christ to bee true GOD and true man of the stocke of Dauid For hope in the first commaundement is the honour due onely and soly vnto the true and liuing god And thus the kingdome of Christ according to this prophesy shall be as wide and large as the whole worlde so that the Iewes shall bee the least and smallest parte of Christes kingdome And euen all the Iewes vnderstande this chapter of Messias who should recouer and restore the kingdome of Israel And where as the Prophet sayth His rest shall be glorious that is his death and buriall shall be glorious for his body is neither corrupt nor rotten He died an innocent whose death brought all vs the childrē of Adam out of eternall death and shame into euerlasting honour and glory For Christ by this his most holy and sacred death entred into his glorious and euerlasting kingdome and so after his death began his raigne in lyfe And when as the Iewes supposed that hee was dead in deede and quite extinguished al those things which he had promised and spoken to be vaine and of none effect as Cleophas also and his companions supposed then beeing risen from death to life came forth and ouercame and quite destroyed and killed death and became glorious and was made kyng both of the Iewes and Gentiles and raigneth for euer throwyng downe his enemies with euerlastyng shame First therfore in these wordes is contained the deth of Christ for the prophet sayth his rest And afterward is noted his glorious victorious resurrection For the prophet saith that his rest shal be glorious but his rest or death could not haue bene glory or glorious or honorable if he had abiden still in death wrought done nothing by it In Exodus it is written that the lord stretched out his hande and by his great miracles declared his power that he might deliuer his captiue afflicted and oppressed people out of Egypt and bring them vnto the promised land of Canaan And here the Prophet doth agayne promise such a deliueraunce but a much more glorious and meruailous deliueraunce then that was when hee drowned Pharao with all his hoste in the red sea and brought his people out of all danger into the land of promise without hurt and harme The deliuerance out of Egypt was but onely a figure of this deliueraunce of which the prophet speaketh here For God wil deliuer the remnant of the Iewes and Gentiles out of the eternall captiuity of Satan by Iesus Christ and gather them all together into the kingdom of heauen where they shall neuer suffer eyther damage detriment or losse And he calleth all nations throughout all the whole worlde For saluation hath extended it selfe to all the world that the dispersed and wandring children of god might be gathered together out of all quarters of the earth as Christ himselfe saith in Iohn And I if I were lift vp from the earth will draw all men vnto me And agayne Christ should dye for the nations not for the nations onely but that he should gather together in one the children of God which were scattred abroade The prophet Esay singeth a notable Psalme of this great and inexplicable benefite of the true and spirituall redemption in Christ wherby we be deliuered from euerlasting damnation And in that Psalme he meruailously setteth forth the goodnes of god in Christ saying Behold God is my saluation I will trust and wil not feare for the lord God is my strength and song he also is become my saluation If Cleophas and his companion had known him to be the sauiour and deliuerer of Israel as well as Esay did they had neuer bene in harte so heauy as they were It followeth in the prophet Esay Therefore with ioye shall ye drawe waters out of the welles of saluation And yee shall say in that daye prayse the Lorde call vppon his name declare his workes among the people make mention of them For hys name is exalted Syng vnto the Lorde for he hath done excellent thinges This is known in all the world Cry out and shoute O inhabitant of Sion for great is the holy one of Israel in the midst of thee Note here how greatly and aboundantly the prophet reioiceth in spirit or the bountiful grace of god offred in Christ our only sauiour and deliuerer When the gospel of God is taught vnto vs then is the holy ghost with all his graces giuen vnto vs to wit remission of sinnes peace of conscience true ioy He is the true fountain spring of the liuing water of which Christ speaketh in Iohn saying The water that I shall giue him shall be in him a well of water springing vp into euerlasting life And againe Christ sayth If any mā thirst let him come to me drinke he that beleueth in me as saith the scripture out of his belly shal flow riuers of water of life He spake this of the spirit which they that beleue in him should receiue For he obtained this holy ghost by his deth for vs and he mightily shewed forth to vs how that by his death the victory of his resurrection he ouercame sinne death and Satan The true Sion that is the catholike church of the faithfull doth in dede and not without good occasion reioice shout for ioy yea she may well and worthily glory For she hath gotten forgiuenes of sinnes righteousnes the holy ghost peace of conscience and euerlasting saluation For Paul sayth to the Corinthiās That God hath giuen vs a glorious victory triumph ouer the law sin death hel through our lord Iesus Christ Esay prophesieth in like maner in his 25. chapter of the victory of Christ saying God Messias will destroy death for euer and the Lord God will wipe away the teares from all faces and the rebuke of his people wil he take away out of all the earth For the lord hath spoken it Now then if Christ hath swallowed vp death then are we surely deliuered from it For death neither hath nor euer had power ouer Christ because he was
mother such fauour towarde the fruite of her womb that she wil rather dye then suffer her children to take wrong or iniury But if any mother could so forget her selfe as not to be touched with the feeling of her childrens harmes yet ought al christians to beleue that god neither wil nor can forget his loue and mercy towards vs His faith loue surpasseth the loue of all creatures as Christ himself sufficiently sheweth in mathew by the example of the father which geueth not a stone to his sonne in stead of bread which he required If we therfore which are euil cā geue our childrē good things dayly protect them and that with al care and diligence how much more carefully firmely and constantly shal god loue vs and faithfully defend vs his poore children This is a notable and worthy saying but only here apprehended by faith otherwise we vnderstand it not Furthermore the prophet declareth how the lord loueth his church where he saith that he hath grauen it on the palme of his hand or he holdeth it in his hand By which he geueth vs to vnderstand that he diligently careth prouideth for the church that he cā no more forget it thē I cā forget that which I haue alwayes before mine eyes and in my hand And seeing the Lord alwaies beholdeth the walles of this spirituall citie to wit vs that vpon purpose to preserue vs care for vs watch ouer vs and look to vs surely none can so assault vs or besiege vs our city but the lord wil see it although for a time he suffer vs to be tempted or afflicted yet wil he not see vs ouerwhelmed or deuoured This city hath also skilfull builders or carpentars to wit sincere godly teachers which daily enlarge and fortefy it And though tirants hereticks assail it and goe about to ouerthrow it yet haue they no succes in their doings but by their attempt reape perpetuall shame for it is builded vpon a sure and strong rock against which the gates of hel shal not preuail The prophet in the words following saith that a great and infinite number of people shall come together out of all places and shal beleeue the gospel be gathered into the church God also swereth by his holines that many euen of those which in the beginning stode against the church shal afterward come into it and be such ornaments to it that it may glory in them which came to pas in Paul many others And it shal be daily more and more inlarged by the great multitude of people which dayly run thus vnto it At the beginning it was but litle and had but a small company and was like a barrayn woman which is solitary in her house but these faithfull christians whereof the number was at the first so small shall wonder to see themselues made so great a multitude and to be so increased And they shall maruaile whence such a great people can come Vnto this the holy Ghost maketh answere and saith I will bring them behold I wil open or lift vp my hand and I will hold vp the signe that is the cros of Christ whereunto I will make thy disparsed children assemble and that shal be done by a singular and notable way of mildnes and lenity For the Gospell is a sweete gentle faire and fatherlye kinde of speech which draweth such as be children by most comfortable and sweet promyses of help and comfort And by this Gospel the most mighty potentates and puissaunt kinges of this world are drawen and allured into the Church that they may beleue the gospel and be a helpe and protection vnto the Church Yea they shall reuerence honour and highly esteeme the church for they shall worship it with their faces towards the earth That is they shal fal prostrate before the church This is the promise of the lord it must nedes be fulfilled though oftentimes in the eyes of the world it seemed impossible to be brought to pas and cleane contrarye to reason But wee must expect the Lords leasure and liue in hope For the Lord will performe what so euer he hath promised Which when he shall doe then are we deliuered and most happy For whosoeuer beleeueth in the Lord and paciently watcheth for his helpe and beleeueth his word shall not be confounded but haue and see his hope fulfilled But now if the church in her weakenes and infirmity say O god how shall this be that thou sayest I shall haue so many children which shall come vnto the Gospell seeing they are so subiect vnto cruell tirants that they cannot get from them and come vnto me For sinne is a cruell tirant and by it they are sore blinded yea death and hell also keepeth them close prisoners and by good right for their harts are hardened which thing these words folowing import where the Prophet saith Shall the pray be taken from the mighty to which God maketh answere saying the church shall be great ample and famous and those which are now in bondage shall haue their freedome whether those tirantes will or not for God will destroy those tirants and will bring forth his people and deliuer the church and the very tirants themselues shall be their own destruction And where he sayth Shall that which is in bondage by the iust man be brought to freedome this is the meaning The law sinne death had duly brought vs into bondage for in that we were bond and captiues to sinne we were seruants and bondslaues to the law sinne and death But there is a stronger Lord whose name is Iesus he by good right hath made vs free and that by his most pretious inestimable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redemption to wit he by him self hath redeemed vs so that we are not onely by might but also by right freed from the power of Sathā Esay hath excellently described the state and condition of Christes kingdome Least Afterwarde any man should looke for an earthly kyngdome of Christ as the Anabaptistes and Iewes do Esay in his 50. chap. doth plainly prophecy of the passiō of Christ and he speaketh thus in his person I gaue my back vnto the smiters my cheekes vnto the nippers I hid not my face frō shame and spitting for the Lord god wil help me therfore shal I not be confounded therefore haue I set my face like a flint and I know that I shall not be ashamed These two disciples thought that Christ had bin cleane confounded and extinguished but the thyrd day they saw it hapned far otherwise to wit Christes enemies were subdued and Christ himself exalted And Esay in his 51. chapter doth comfort the church congregated of the Iewes and Gentils The church in this world hath affliction and tribulation and therfore he comforteth it with the example of Abrahā and Sara Abraham and Sara were by reason of their old age past all hope of
and condemned to the death of the cros but that heuy and vnspekable payn that the Lord of all things and iudge both of the liuing and dead suffered himself to be iudged and condemned by sinful men was not to continue longer then three dayes After which torments he should at the last being rysen agayn raigne with great glory ouer Israell He dyed once and dyeth no more Death henceforth hath no more power ouer him but he is ruler ouer it for euer Whereupon sayth the prophet who shal declare his age or generation or tel of the time of his raign When the Iewes supposed he had bin dead and quite destroyed then at the last he passed from time which perysheth into eternity which neuer shall haue end and he rose from death into the glory of the euerlasting ioy and immortality This is that infinite merite of Christes passion by which he deserued for vs forgeuenes of all our sinnes and euerlasting life He was cut of and taken away by his passiō out of the land of the liuing which liue here in this transitory life Our life verely is miserable and short and alwayes caryeth death about with it and is euery moment in danger of death and hath death following it euen as the shadow doth follow the body But Christ then in his passion passed from death to euerlasting life where he doth now raign our Lord and king for euer and euer ¶ Anna. Why saith Esay the Lord made his sepulchre with the wicked or suffered him to be buryed as the wicked ☞ Vrb. The prophet speaketh of the outward passion of Christ Paul to the Gala. calleth him a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is cursed or maledcition and there he sayth that for our sakes he became accursed as though he should say although Christ as touching his own person was innocent and that blessed seed of Abraham againste whom neither sinne nor death had any power yet of his own free wil he became in his outward man contemned and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accursed and suffered himself to be slain vpō the cros for vs poore miserable sinners this kind of deth is due only to those who for their offēces and wicked life are condemned He suffered this most shameful death became for our cause the curse that we through him might obtayn blessednes Thus then suffered he on the cros for great offences wherewithall the blinded Iewes did most vniustly charg him They accused him of blasphemy and sedition saying that he trespassed against God Cesar so rightly deserued that cruel death wheras in deed he suffered willingly for our sakes that vile ignominye false accusation which they falsly forged against him For he him self neuer sinned neither could offend but so was the wil of our heauenly father He spared not his deerely beloued Sonne that we poore sinners might by that his most shameful and contemptuous death but vnto vs sure saluation be delyuered from all our sinnes Esay teacheth in the words following what commodity we haue by this miserable and ignominious death of Christ and he sayth The figures or types of the sacrifices in Moyses law are fulfilled by this onely Sacrifice of Christ These be his words when he shall spend his life for our sinne when he shall make his soule an offering for sinne or when he shall geue his life a sacrifice for sinne then shal he haue seede his age shall be prolonged that is when he shal haue offered himselfe vp in Sacrifice vpon the cros to his heauenly father for our sinnes then shall he haue seed or children that is faithfull beleeuers in him And his yeares shall be so long that the life of him and all faithfull christians shal be without end It is otherwise with erthly kings for they when they dye depart from their kingdomes their Successors possesseth thē But this our king of glory Christ dyed another holesome and liuely kinde of death by which he entereth into true life and most mightely beginneth the administration of his eternall kingdome And here again is the resurrection of Christ and faithful Christians foretold For this is the right and true ruling gouerning erection and establishing of a kingdome whē the king erecteth such a kingdome as wil neuer decay in which the subiectes alwayes haue continuall and perfect safety protection peace surety felicity and all good things aboundantly and this can no earthly king doe For all earthly kings dye their kingdomes perish and decay with them as we see all dominions princely power and kingdomes continue in this world but a while and not for euer but within a few ages to come vtterly to ruine Wherupon Esay saith that the wil of the Lord is in his own hand or his determination or purpose by the hand of Messias shal haue prosperous succes For what thing soeuer the father commaunded Christ to doe for vs all that hath he fully finished with perfection yea with faithfulnes and to our great commodity and he plainly declareth that this was done by Christes merite where he saith his soul was in payn that is he suffered much vexatiō greef sorrow misery for our sake but shall haue a great reward or worthy hire For after so many tribulatiōs he shal see those things which wil make him ioyfull that is the catholick church or the true godly who through sincere faith doe openly honor Christ glorify Christ preach Christ and confes the Lord Christ and so highly esteem these his labors miseryes and greefes that they doubt nothing but that by the same they shal attain euerlasting saluation peace rest and consolation And therfore they wil not be afraid to suffer temporall death for the glory of Christ For they know that true righteousnes euerlasting life eternall saluation and aboundant treasures of all goodnes and felicity are to be found in Christ Iesu Now haue you heard how Christ bare our sinnes and satisfyed for them In the words following Esay teacheth vs how we may be iustifyed and made partakers of that most holsome passion and merits of christ And he sayth his knowledge or the vnderstanding of Christ is the mean wherby we receaue attain that great treasure Wherfore wife if you beleue this prophecye to wit that Iesus Christ the true sonne of God God man tooke away from you your sinnes satisfyed for them and offered him self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sacrifice for you and that he became your sauiour hath by his myserable and innocent death reconcyled you to God These I say if you beleue by this faith shal you receue forgeuenes of your sinnes and be reputed before God both iust and holy as the Euangelists and Apostles and especially S. Peter Paul and Iohn in euery place witnes This is the righteousnes of Christians to acknoledge and beleeue that Christ is our onely Mediator Sauyour and Redeemer whom God sent to take our sinnes vpon him and satisfy for them
Paul calleth this righteousnes the righteousnes of faith which standeth not on our merits but on the merits of christ He therfore that knoweth Christ and beleeueth that he is the true purger of sinnes and the destroyer of death and apprehendeth him in his hart by true faith and taketh him for his only treasure of life that man is iustyfyed and saued But he which doth not beleeue is already condemned for the Lord hath decreed this thing and told it vs by his law prophetes and euangelists that he wil haue mercy on vs for nothing neither in heauen nor earth but by Christ and for Christ for whose cause he wil pardon our sinnes and geue vs euerlasting life if we will beleeue in him Act. 4.13 Rom. 3. Gal. 23. And therefore not without a cause sayth the prophet he shall beare their sinnes seing that there is no other neither in heauē nor earth who can beare or purg our sinnes but euen that Messias It followeth therfore vndoubtedly that no man can be iustified saued and deliuered from his sinnes vnles he beleue in this onely sauiour Iesus Christ Now then you heare that Christ is the seruaunt of God in the worke of our redemption and that hee is therefore worthely called righteous because he onely is iust iustifieth others as S. Steuen calleth him He iustifieth vs in his owne knowledge and vnderstanding that is he iustifieth vs when we heare in the gospell that he onely and none other hath borne our sinnes and when by sure fayth we retayne it and put all our trust in him both in our lyfe and death and saye both with hart mouth Christ onely hath borne our wickednes and died for our sinnes and onely is our righteousnes before God and this righteousnes which we get thus by fayth because it is founded built on Christ stādeth fast and firme agaynst the gats of hell ¶ Anna. As far then as I can heare if I should be asked how it commeth to passe that I being a sinner am become righteous thus I ought to annswere I am not righteous because I haue not sinned or because I haue done many good deedes or for that I haue satisfied for my sinnes but I am righteous because Christ hath borne my sinnes in whome I beleue and in whome I repose all my trust Vrba You aunswere well and soundly and so haue all the patriarks prophets apostles and true Christians from the beginning of the world to this day beleued neither is there any other beliefe auailable before god He that beleueth not as you haue said isdāned neither can there be any waye found to saue him though he were couered with all the cowles of all the monks in the world and had all the good workes merites crosses sufferinges and penants in himselfe alone that is in the whole world For they all cannot auaile him or healpe him but he must needes be a firebrande of hell there to burne for euer if he doe not beleue as you say Well let vs hold one The prophet furthermore speaketh here of the fruit and reward of Christs passion And he sayth it is an eternall triumph or victory ouer sinne death the world and the deuill For Christ hath ouercome these cruell and bloudy enemies and hath deliuered his elected from them and so hath receaued through the whole world generally for his inheritaunce a great and glorious people or a most beutifull church which is his spirituall kingdome And this hath that the ignominious death of Christ don because he bore our sinnes and suffered himselfe to be hanged betwene ij theeues and prayed for transgressours and sinners as Paule sayth to the Hebrues Christ in the dayes of his flesh did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which he feared and though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the thinges which he suffered and being consecrate was made the author of eternall saluation vnto all them that obay him and is called of god an highe priest after the order of Melchisidech ¶ Anna. What sayth Esaias of Christ in the 54. chap ☞ Vrb. In that chapter he describeth the kingdome of Christ in fayth that is to say the catholick Church which in this word is vnder the crosse poore miserable helplesse and base to behold But he comforteth it promising to helpe it and enrich it so that it shall become most populous with men of all sortes from ech side presing into it in so much that it shall bring forth an infinite multitude of Children of grace and haue many moe sonnes then the malipert synagoge though she seemed neuer so fruitfull and in deede she seemed fruitfull for she had the law and many good workes and worke mongers or worketeachers with all kind of merites these be the prophets wordes Reioyce thou barren that bearest not burst out and sing thou that trauailest not because the desolate hath more Children then the maryed sayth the Lord. This comfort must also be well obserued least taking offence at the smale number of Christians we be dismayd and fall from the fayth For the dayes will come when the number of the faythfull shal be great and populus Thus was Sara barren but our God so blessed her that she became the mother of many Childrē and a great people To be short Abraham must needes according to Gods promise in Genesis and according to the Etimologie and signification of his name be made a father of many people heyre of the earth For his blessed seede with all his blessinges was also promised to the gentiles The prophet moreouer vseth certayne similies taken of tentes which are set vp and spread in the fieldes so largely that many may dwell in them Whereby he geueth vs to vnderstand that the church should be spread all abroad through the whole world and that the day should come that the Gospell should be preached in all landes and that they should receaue Christ These be his wordes Enlarge the place of thy tents and stretch out thy cords make fast thy stakes for thou shalt increase on the right hand on the left He promiseth moreouer to the church Gentiles for inheritaunce But not so that the Churche should inherite the Gentiles after a worldly manner of inheriting as kinges of the earth inherite and haue their people in subiection For Christes kingdome is not of this world It is a spirituall inheritaunce which the Church by the Gospell getteth and it shall dwell there where before through ignoraūce and incredulitye was a deserte and wilde wildernes as it was at Athēs where before the Gospell came they vnderstod nothing of God aright But S. Paule conuerted many at that place and tought them which came and beleeued the Gospell the right fayth And therefore sayth the prophet thy seed shall possesse the Gentiles and dwell in the desolate cities
haue troaden down the hugest and most deadly enemies of man I haue ouercome them and destroyed them and I haue vanquyshed Sathan with all his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his false deceate malice and trouble which he hath brought into the world for the destroying of man And whereas the vnbeleeuing sinagogue reiected me and could not abide to acknowledge me for their Lord I haue ouercome Sathan which blinded the Iewes And I am placed in heauen Lord of all creatures in heauen and in earth to take iust vēgeance vpon those that wil not beleue And now haue I won vnto me the Gentils to be mine own peculiar people This haue I done onely by mine own strength and power as Paul witnesseth to the Colossyans And in mine anger haue I duely punished mine enemies because I haue with zeale taken vpon me and fulfilled the ministery which my father hath committed vnto me and haue so confounded the Iewes that they haue lost all the dignitie priuiledge and prerogatiue that before they had This day of reuenge and deliuerance is the time when Christ suffered the Iewes to be blinded and dispersed and receued the gentils to fauor in their place by the doctrine of the gospel whereby he brake the head of the old serpent and bestowed the victory that he had gotten vpon the gentils and tooke away from the sinagogue all the knowledge and vnderstanding of the scriptures Now he holdeth on to speake of his passion and agony which he suffered for our sakes saying I looked about me to wit in the time of his passion and weakenes and there was none to help me there was not one that either would or could help me I had none on my side no man helped me yet I helped my self No mans strength could doe me good but mine own I held me by mine own arme In mine own zeale did I preserue deliuer and rayse vp my selfe now I am king and now doe I punish them that despysed me and I take from them their strength ability and els whatsoeuer I had geuen them as the scriptures and euery other excellent and great gift wherein they excelled other nations This prophecy is now manifestly fulfilled in our sight Behold the Iewes in these our dayes how ignorant they are of the scriptures and how far from the vndrstanding of the law and promises in Christ They vnderstand the law carnally and they presume but in vayn that they are able without the help of Christ to fulfill the law not knowing like blind men as they be that they cannot doe it without the helpe of Christes spirite They see not that the promises of Christ speake of the spirituall kingdome and that the Law is but a scholemaster vnto Christ in whom we are only blessed iustifyed and the law fulfilled Thus these two discyples Cleophas and his companion should in this case haue thought with them selues It pleased Messias once willingly to dy and to suffer the sinagogue to kil him for so is Gods ordynance and Christs wil and the prophets fortold it and Christ also to his discyples long before his death how he determyned to delyuer his children from death by this kind of death and he also told them that he would rise agayn the third day from death But now let vs see what shall become of the pharysees and proud prelates and let vs see how this their detestable deed shall in them be punished Their ioy shall not continue long no not three dayes For after three dayes Christ shall rise agayn to life and shake of death and in his fury tread down ouerthrow and destroy these bloudsuccors and spoyl them of their victory which they thought but falsly they had gotten of him And when they count themselues sure and thinke themselues conquerors then without any hope of recouery shall they vtterly lose all they haue both law prophets lands city temple and they shall be punished with continall calamity horible destruction and vtter subuertion of all their Iudaisme and so pay for the bloudy coate of Christ The pharisees and Christs killers haue good cause to sorrow seeing they haue brought vpon their own heads such horrible punishment and greeuous wrath and yet haue done Christ no harme But we in so much as he is risen again may wel reioyce be glad sing and comfort our selues in his resurrection For Christ hath by his death destroyed death and redeemed Israel But the natural man doth not vnderstand these supernaturall things The spirite of Christ must in these matters be our Master and Instructor Esay also in his 65. chapter prophesyeth of the receiuing of the Gentils and of the backslyding and refusing of the Iewes The same prophecy doth S. Paule recyte in the tenth to the Rom. And thus doth Christ speak in that prophecy I haue bin sought of them which asked not I was foūd of them which sought me not I said Behold me behold me vnto a nation that calleth not vpon my name I haue spread out my hands all the day vnto a rebellious people which walked in away that was not good euen after their own imaginations But least any should thinke now when he had thretened vnto the Iewes their destruction and punishment which should come vpon them that Christ had vtterly cast them of so that not one of them should euer obtain mercy He promysed that he would be gracious vnto some of that huge multitude which he wold take agayn to mercy for thus he sayth As the wine is found in the cluster and one saith destroy it not for a blessing is in it so wil I doe for my seruants sake that I may not destroy them wholl But I will bring a seed out of Iacob and a roote of Iuda that shall inherit my mountayn and mine elect shal inherit it and my seruants shal dwel there This was fulfilled in the Apostles and in them of the Iewes which beleeued the Apostles These are the kirnell of Iuda the elected seed and the childrē of promise which the father drew that they might come to Christ these be they that posses the mountaynes to wit the spirituall Syon of the church ¶ Anna. Cleophas his companyon might in this prophecy also haue seen that at Christes comming the Iewes religion should come to an end and the gentils should beleeue and that the Iewes through their incredulity should perish and fall away from their Messyas though yet some of them should be saued and delyuered Vndoubtedly this is the spirituall delyuerance of Israell And here must we marke that not all Israell according to the flesh should imbrace Christ and that this promysed deliuerance of Israell by messyas which the prophet spake of should not so come to pas that all the twelue trybes of Israell should be deliuered bodely from the violence iniuryes of the gentils and so haue vnder Messyas in the land of Canaan an earthly kingdome in which according to the
been before him and raigned in the seat of Dauid For Ieremy saith that he shall execute iustice and iudgement in the earth through the whol world cōdemne destroy the wicked make them which were vniust and sinful very pure righteous For his kingdome is a kingdome of true iustice and innocency And Iuda Israel that is both those people shall haue help of him not that the x. tribes shold returne out of Assiria into Samaria and there haue a king of their own and set vp a corporall kingdome as Iudah had before time in Ierusalem when they liued vnder Dauid and Salomon with peace and quyetnes but that they shold haue a spiritual help through Christ who should deliuer them from sinne and death that so they might dwel boldly and safely that is that they might haue their consciences quyeted appeased and mery as men which now by faith in Christ haue their sinnes forgeuen are at peace with God through Christ So that they need not dread nor feare death or any other euill because that this wise king the most pure and florishing blossome of righteousnes is made the righteousnes of all Christians that all faithfull beleeuers the spirituall Israell consisting both of the Iewes and Gentils may through faith receiue the holy Ghost which testifyeth in their harts that they are the children of God heyres of God and coheires with Iesus Christ and so with bouldnes of siprite say with Paul We are perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Is not this a famous help and a strong and firme fortresse for the godly that they can say we know that we are translated from death vnto life That is the holy spirite hath taught vs by the word and heauenly vnction that Christ hath freed vs both from sinne and death and that we by him after death shall rise from death and liue for euer This is that hope of Israell which neither Gentil nor Infidel hath Now marke what noble and miraculous works of diuinity which none could doe but very God him selfe the prophet ascrybeth to this sonne of Dauid He sayth He shall execute and set vp iustice and iudgement in the earth And he shall iustify others Ergo he must not only outwardly but also inwardly purge the hart and forgeue sinne And this is only the worke of god For it is he onely that can change a wicked and malicious hart and it is he which can illuminate and regenerate vs and none but he And agayn if he can forgeue sinnes he can also abolish death which is the reward or stipend of sinne and the sting of death If then he could ouercom death and make vs righteous and geue vs euerlasting life he is true God which can only in deed deliuer vs from our sinnes and eternall death and geue and preserue true tranquility and peace If then Iudah and Israell that is the hole church of the godly shall be delyuered from their sinne and death then must it needes follow that they shall liue with Christ for euer Here then in this prophecy if we marke it wel we may see that Christ should dye as the naturall sonne of Dauid but not abide in death but that he should iustify and saue Iudah and Israel that is to say his people the godly and faithful And for this cause should he first rise again from death that he might rayse his Israelites that is his faithful from death and that he might purchase for them and geue them eternal life securitie for euer For if he should haue geuē them peace but for a time he should not truely and in deede haue delyuered them neither were it a true tranquility and peace Wherfore it was necessary that that peace and saluation which he should geue his elect should continue for euer and euer Thus then in this short prophecy haue we this eternall king together with his death resurrection and euerlasting kingdome expresly and soundly descrybed And so doth Ieremy again teach vs in the 33. chapter calling the gospel the voyce of ioy which God speaketh to Israel and Iuda For the law only sheweth Gods wrath and punishment but the gospel that new couenant promyseth meere grace and redemption And then he prophesieth how the helpe and redēption which this king bringeth shal extend it selfe to all people farre and nere The people of God in tyme past soong and spake of the great benefits of god how he brought them forth out of the land of Egipt and deliuered them by many marueilous miracles but when Christ that sonne of Dauid shall come then shall they gloriously triumph and tell of farre greater good gifts of God to wit how Christ hath brought and deliuered vs out of the hellish black Egipt and kingdome of sin death and euerlasting damnation and gathered not onely the Israelites after the flesh but all his elected children in all the world out of all nations into this Church of the godly which thing hath ben done euer since the Apostles time euen to this daye For wee which beleue in Christ haue a more excellent and notable captaine then Moses and Iosua Wee haue Iesus Christ for our captayn who hath deliuered vs out of the bondage and howse of the spirituall Pharao to wit from the captiuitie of Sathan This eternall redemption doth euery day renew in vs the remembraunce of our god so that we say the Lord liueth who hath deliuered vs from sin death and Sathan hath brought vs from all errors to the true knowledge of the Gospell This is a spirituall deliueraunce and bringing out of Egipt and a spirituall kingdome where in wee see Iudaisme should once cease Christianisme by Christ our king be set vp through all the world and therefore it was conuenient that he should rise agayne that he might erect this kingdome vpon earth and conserue it for euer To which sence the prophet speaketh saying Therfore behold the day is come sayth the Lord that they shall no more say the Lord liueth which brought vp the children of Israell out of the land of Egipt but the Lord liueth which brought vp and led the seed of the house of Israell out of the north country and from all countryes where I had scattered them and they shall dwell in their owne land Here we must note that all temporall deliuerances which the Iewes had here vpon earth from the hands of earthly tyrants and the gentiles were but figurs of the true and euerlasting deliuerance which we haue by our Messias Christ of which in this place to speake is not to our purpose The prophets for most part set downe such circumstances in their writings that we may well gather they had a farther respect then