horrible tumultes and of certaine vnaccustomed and vehement windes And hathe not our age séene very many signes of this sort The fourth kind of signes issueth out of the second third which is a pining away for feare and for looking after those things that shall come vpon the whole world The fifth sort is that the powers of heauen shall bée moued that is too say there shalbée vnwoonted sights in heauē and earthquakes in the earth Too bée short both heauen and earth shall after a sort resemble the countenaunce of the angry iudge that sinners béeing moued by these tokens of Gods wrath should repent and turne vntoo the Lord. These signes doth the Lord apply in this wise too the last iudgement Behold the Figtrée all other trées when they haue shot foorth their buddes yée séeing it doo know of your selues that sommer is nye at hand So likewise when yée sée these things come too passe vnderstand yée that the kingdom of god is nye For these signes out of all creatures which are caried vp downe shal bée as it were messengers by whose mouth such men shal bée summoned to appéere at y t dreadful iudgement seat as running at ryot héere in this world haue neglected their owne saluation and like dronken men haue despised Christ the author of saluation Besydes these fiue sortes of signes whereof the text maketh mention there are others also Math. 24. Marke 13. 2. Thes. 2. Daniel 2. 7. Apoc. 17. all which are as it were certaine visible sermons of repentance by which god forewarneth men too flée too his sonne our Lord Iesus Chryste in whom only is saluation The second circumstance is that he which is the sonne of God and man Iesus Christ shalbée a iudge Wherin bothe the godly and vngodly haue to learne The godly too knowe that hée shall bée their iudge who had promised eternall life too all that beléeue in him adding an othe Uerely I say vntoo you all that beléeue in mée shall not perishe but haue life euerlasting This promis confirmed with an othe cannot by any meanes fayle And the vngodly haue too lerne either too repent and forsake the rable of the wicked and so too enioy their saluation purchased by Chryst or else too remember that he whom they haue refused too bée theyr Sauyoure shal adiudge them to endlesse paines that then at least wise they may too their great miserie learne howe horrible a thing it is too fall intoo the hands of the liuing God The third circumstance is that hée shall come in the clouds glorious and terrible not a seruaunt as before but a Lord not too bée iudged but too iudge not now too allure men too repentance but too punish vnrepentant persones with eternall paines and that as a righteous iudge The fourth circumstance is that he shall come mightie with power and great glorie wherby it is too bée learned that he can bothe damne the rebellious is able too rewarde the beléeuers with eternall life The fifth circumstance expresseth the cause of Chrystes comming vntoo iudgement so farre forth as it perteineth too the godly Your redemption is at hād By which saying like as Christ sheweth that his Churche shall not bée wel at ease in this world for before that day it can not be deliuered frō the vanitie of the world so he dooeth too vnderstand that the accomplishment of Chrystes benefits towards his Churche is the ful deliuerance from all euils wherwith is ioyned the perfect fruition of the eternall God with euerlasting ioy These things therfore perteine too the comfort of the godly But as touching the vngodly this day of the Lordes comming shall bée a day of wrathe and sorrowe and not of deliuerance a day of mist and darknesse and not of light a day of moorning and not of mirth a day of destruction and not of saluation And the maner of the iudgement is described in the .25 of Mathew by these words When the sonne of man shal come in his maiestie and all the Angels with him then shall he sit vppon the throne of maiestie and all nations shalbée gathered toogither before him and he shal seperate them a sunder as a shepeherd putteth his shéepe a side from the Gotes and shall set the shéepe on his right hand and the Gotes on his left Then shal the king say too them on his right hand come yée blissed of my Father and possesse you the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world For I was hungry and yée gaue mée too eate c. And vntoo them on his left hand he shal say Away from mée yée cursed intoo euerlasting fyre which is prepared for the Diuell and his Angels For I was hungry and yée gaue mée no meat c. And so the vngodly shall go intoo euerlasting punishment but the rightuous intoo euerlasting life And in the Apocalipse 20. chapt Hée shall sit vppon a great white throne at whose looke the heauen and earth shal flée away and the dead both great and small shall stand in the sight of his throne and then shalbée opened the booke of life and the bookes of consciences they shall bée iudged by those things that are written in those bookes according too their woorks They that haue doon good shal go intoo euerlasting life and they that haue doone euill intoo euerlasting fire Now in the sentence of iudgement twoo things are too be considered On Gods behalfe blissing on mennes behalfe good woorks When he sayth come yée blissed of my Father he méeneth that they are fréely saued through Iesus Chryst whom they haue receiued by Faith For in Chryst only are men blissed receiued intoo Gods fauor fréely iustified But when he calleth foorth too good woorks the Lord dooth it not for that they are causes of saluation but for other respectes Namely for that they are witnesses of true fayth the feare of God and moreouer that by setting before them a recompence of the miseries which they abide in this life hée may the more stirre them vp too godly and holy conuersation ¶ Of the seconde WHy Christ forewarned his disciples of his cōming too iudgement he declareth when he sayth When these things begin too come too passe looke vp and lift vppe your heads c. All these things wil put vs in minde of a certaine continuall repentaunce in this life But what doo wée wée sée the last day redy too light in our necks and yet neuerthelesse wée delay too repent and féede our owne fansies What doo noble men What doo princes what doo learned men what doo vnlearned men what doo townes men what doo countrey folke and too bée short what doo in maner al men What is hée that earnestly myndeth this forewarnyng of Christes Wée make more accompt of a ferme in the countrey than of the kyngdome of GOD. Yea rather who is hée that preferreth not the commodities of this life bée they neuer so slender before the
hipocriste and reiecting the pure vnderstanding of the woord and signe persecuted Abel the folowers of his faith So the Ismaelites sticking in the letter of the circumcision and neglecting the spirituall méening of it persecuted the true children of Abraham whereby it came too passe that the true woorshipping remayneth with very fewe For whyle the Fathers soiourned in Egipte onely the house of Ioseph did after the death of the Patriark Iacob holde still the true Religion whiche being after the decease of Ioseph little better than quite quenched then was Moyses borne In the fourthscorth yéere of whose age being the thrée hundred and fortith yéere after the promise was made vntoo Abraham God renued ageyne the woorde of promise adding thervnto many signes and too the intent the true Religion myghte bée preserued he set vp a kingdom and a presthood And although he betooke the same woord the same sign too Moyses which he had betaken afore too the Patriarks yet notwithstanding he addeth longer sermons mo signes besides according as the state of that age required All which things did leuell at one marke and deliuered vntoo men one selfe same maner of spiritual woorshipping God For in the wildernesse to passe ouer the burning bushe and the pillers of fire cloude the Manna the Rock the brasen serpent were set foorth as signes or sacraments of y e doctrin worshipping of God which thrée things signified Chryst y t was promised lōg ago For y e Manna according to y e interpretatiō of Paul signified y e spiritual foode wherby men being made new by Chryst are sed in Chrysts kingdom The Rock betokened y e spiritual drink wherwith the beleuers ar refreshed The serpent being hanged vp did foreshadowe Chryste that should bée hanged vp vpon the alter of the crosse for the sinnes of the world according as Chryst himself interpreteth this signe The looking vpon y e brasen serpent was a figure of faith wherby mē being iustified quickned doo walk before God and séeke after rightuousnesse But after that the people was brought intoo the lande of promise which was a figure of the heauenly dwelling place there were yet mo signes as it were visible sermons deliuered too them of which I will touche a fewe for my purposed bréefnesse wil not suffer mée for too go through with them all All their whole common weale betokened the Churche the Préesthood Princehood did figure Chryst who with his Préesthood pacified his fathers wrath according too the firste promise and with his soueraintie desstroyeth the Deuilles kingdome sinne and death and with his Préesthood and soueraintie toogither repayreth Gods Image in man according vntoo which man was created that béeing so garnished agein with Gods Imag◠hée might serue him in true obedience and set foorth his prayses Many ceremonies were added of which the ghostly meaning openeth the first promise and setteth out the spirituall woorshipping of God Howbéeit forasmuche as they bée many I wil picke out a few of them and those of the notablest whiche I wil expounde in few woordes The furniture of the Préeste the yéerely oblation of the hyghe Préest the Arke of Couenant the Paschall Lambe the sprinkling of the bloud the washings and the dayly offerings hadde a singular signification of spirituall things all whiche doo swéetely put vs in minde of the conditions of our mediatour and the duetie of the godly The highe Préeste ware a plate on his foreheade and cleane garments The plate of Golde betokened Chrystes Godhead and his cleane garmente betokened his manhood howbéeit pure and cleane from all sinne The going in of the Preest once euery yéere intoo the holy place was a figure of Chryst the high préest who with one oblation should make perfecte all that were too bée sanctified This is shewed plainly in the .38 of Exo. where the Lord sayth that the Lord may bée wel pleased with him Ageine the Préestes rayment betokeneth holinesse wherwith the Lord wil haue his Préestes too bée garnished according as Dauid the interpreter of Moyses expoundeth when hée sayeth Let thy Preestes bée clothed with Rightuousnesse and let thy Sainctes leape for ioye The Arke of couenaunte betokeneth Gods people with whom the Lord hathe made a couenaunt by expresse woords In this Arke were the tables of the lawe which were couered in the Arke with plate of Golde Whereby was none other thing signifyed than is conteyned in the firste promyse The womans séede shall treade downe the Serpentes head sauyng that the outwarde signe expresseth the thyng more pleasauntly For the Table of the ten commaundements is couered in the Ark with a plate of Golde which is called the propiciatorie That is too saye Chryste who is the propitiation for our sinnes doth in his church hide the sinnes of men ageinst the wrath and horrible iudgement of GOD. I pray you what is this else than that the womans séede shall tread downe the Serpentes head Thus dooth Paule the interpreter of Moyses expound this figure in the third vntoo the Romaynes Wée are iustifyed fréely by his grace throughe redemption that is in Chryste Iesu whom God hath set foorth too bée a propitiation thorough Faith in his bloud For as the high Preeste of the Hebrues was woont euery yeare once too embrew the propiciatorie with bloud when hée entred intoo the holy of all holyes So our high Préest Iesus Chryst offered himselfe once vp too his father for the sins of the world and found euerlasting redemption The paschall Lambe had also a secrete meaning wherein the first promise was peinted oute as it were in liuely coloures The figure whereof Paule openeth when hée sayeth And Chryst was offred vp oure Passeouer And whereas this Lambe was taken out of the flocke it signified that Chryst tooke our fleshe vppon him and bare the infirmities of our flesh and that hée was tempted as wée are in all respects sinne excepted too the intent hée might make vs also heauenly that are earthly and spirituall which are carnall And wheras it is sayd of the Lambe And all the multitude of the Children of Israell shall offer hym vp it is ment that Chryste dyed not for one or twoo but for the whole Churche that is too saye for the whole corporation of those that are registred in the booke of life The sprinkling of the bloud hathe a manyfest signification For it was a token of Chrystes bloud shed vppon the alter of the Crosse wherwith our consciences beeing sprinkled are clensed from dead woorks according as the author of the Epistle vntoo the Hebrues expoundeth this figure after a godly maner Too the same purpose perteine their washings and dayly offerings For these things in generall did betoken as well that clenzing wherwith Chryst washeth and purgeth vs cleane from all iniquitie as also the true holinesse wherewith the beléeuers are garnished so as from hencefoorth they may begin too represente Gods Image too his glorie and praise These shadowes of the Lawe
awake he had of his owne accorde helped them at the pinche as in so great a daunger though his disciples had not prayed him And albeit that of his goodnesse and fatherly affection towards vs hée be ready too giue vs all things that be necessary to our welfare yet is hâ—e not 〈…〉 giue them but at our entretaÌ„ce For prayer is the ordinary instrument too atteyn all things that are needful for vs of God whiche thing is done for this cause that we should reuerence him the true God creatour fountaine of all goodnesse and acknowledge oure selues weake creatures as what without GOD neyther haue ought nor ought are able too do 3 The woorking of faith is héere séene For faith is not an idle assent or thought but it is a stout Giant which ouercommeth the world as Iohn saith This is the victorie that ouercommeth the worlde euen your faith verely faith ouercommeth but yet through the conquerour Christ whom it possesseth Thus faith hath 〈◊〉 his enimie the worlde that is too wéete sinne Death the Diuel daungers and the fleshe On sinnes side standeth the Lawe conscience and dispaire On faiths side standeth the Gospel Christes sacrifice and 〈…〉 Therefore when the Law assayleth thée wyth his lightening smoake fyre vapoures and thunder Let fayth take the Gospell vntoo him and set that betwéene him and the Lawe And when the Lawe sayth Cursed is euerie one that dooth not al the things that are written in the booke of the Law set the Gospel ageinst it saying Euerie one that beléeueth on the Sonne hath life euerlasting When Death threatneth death set thou ageinst him the ouercommer of Death Iesus Chryst who casting Death in the téeth sayth Death where is thy sting Hel wher is thy victorie The same in the Gospell of Iohn sayeth Hée that beléeueth in mée shall not taste of Death for euermore but shall passe from Death vntoo Lyfe Then is Death profitable too the godly person for it is only a passage vnto the better life so little cause is there that the godly should be afrayd of it The Deuill in déede accuseth and packs vp a great beadroll of sinnes toogither But sette thou ageynst him the sentence of Chryst which sayeth The Prince of this worlde is iudged already and this saying of Paule It is God that iustifieth who then can condemne If hée lay our owne vnrighteousnesse too our charge Let vs answere with Paule Him who knew no sinne made hée a sacrifice for sinne that wée might bée made the rightuousnesse of God in him In likewise the daungers of sinne reprooue vs for they are as it were a sermon of God concerning sinne But aunswer thou that iudgement beginneth at Gods house that the Lorde chastiseth euerie childe whom hée receyueth vntoo him yea and that too the childes behoofe The fleshe moueth too despaire But make thou the fleshe subiect too the spirite and say that fleshelie iudgemente hath no place in this behalfe And so doo a thousande things méete vs that will hinder our saluation Could Nero then haue gainsayde sinne the Law Death and the flesh in maner aforesayd No verely For the onely children of God haue that priuiledge The rest are hilde in bondage vnder sinne bicause they are the seruants of sinne as which commit sinne by mainteining it agaynst the spirit or rather vtterly quench the spirit with it Whosoeuer therfore will geinsay sin the law death the deuill the flesh c. let him looke whither hée féele true repentance let him looke whither hée haue fayth and a good conscience and finally let him looke whither hée bée so framed that hée can preferre the obedience of God before all the commodities of this life vtterly casting away all purpose of sinning 4 Chryst findeth faulte with twoo things in his Disciples First with their fainthartednesse bycause they ought not too haue bin afrayd as long as hée was with them for in asmuch as they had séene so many miracles of his they might easily haue learned that it is not possible for him too perishe with whoom Chryst is present And secondely with the smalnesse of their fayth bicause they beleued not that hée coulde doo as much sleeping as waking or as much vpon the sea as vpon the lande being the maker both of sea and lande 5 And as in sléeping hée shewed himselfe too bée man So héere in commaunding the windes hée prooueth himselfe too bée GOD both which things doo serue the slendernesse of our Faith For his manhood sheweth his good wil towardes vs and his godhed sheweth his ablenesse which twoo things are requisite in euerie frée acte 6 Too bée short Chryste by this storie sheweth that hée willed in déede the saluation of men and especially of them that call vpon him For as it is his will that we should call vpon him in our perils so also is it his will too vtter his fatherlie affection towards vs in deliuering vs from danger ¶ Of the thirde THis is a most plesant Allegorie For here is painted out the state and image of the Church The sea is the world the ship is the Church the winde is the Deuil the Disciples are the godlie companie of the beléeuers Chryst is the truth and the Gospel is faith First mark héere that before Christe with his Disciples entred intoo the ship the Sea was calme that is too say the world slept soundly in his own sinnes But as soon as Christ entred into the ship ther arose a mighty tempest in so much as the ship séemed too bée ouerwhelmed But what ensued Christe the Lord was there present who could commaunde the sea and the windes Héereby therefore wée may learne that out of this little ship that is too say the Churche there is no safegard Howbéeit we must looke wel about vs héere that we take not our enimies ship for the true ship The enimies ship is bothe better decked outwardely and of greater receit within But the true ship hath hir decking inwardly and it hath a muche more stately maister namely the holye Ghost All the mariners that it hath are godly It hathe the woord of God and the sacraments in right vse and obedience too the ministerie And with these treasures this ship holdeth it selfe contented in so great waues 2 It is too bée obserued that this shippe sayleth not in the calme sea but is tossed in the waues whiche driueth it hither and thither whiche thing too bée moste true the storie of the world sheweth When GOD had made the world hée put this ship in the middes of it And by and by the deuil the enimie of Gods sonne tossed it with stormes and from thence foorthe it was miserably turmoyled vntoo the time of Noe and after Noe too Abrahams time from Abraham too Moyses time and from thence vntil Christs time who too the intent too saue this ship came intoo the world Yet ceassed not the waues thereof as then But what is the cause that the world cannot abide
the towne that they were going too and hée made as though he would haue gone further but they constrained and intreated him too tary with them Héereby wée may lerne what account wée ought to make of them that rebuke vs when wée doo amisse and call vs backe intoo the way of sound doctrine They doo not héere giue Chryst taunt for taunt call him foole ageyn but they acknowledge their owne foly and yéeld themselues too him easy too bée taughte too the intent they may be deliuered from their erroure and foly Thus do all the godly On the contrary part the vngodly freat and wex mad ageynst those that goe about to call thē back intoo the way by shewing them their error as we haue herd euen now that the Iewes did ¶ Of the third parte NOw foloweth what was done within the house And it came to passe sayeth the Euangelist that as he sate at meate vvith them hee tooke bread and blissed brake it and reached it too them theyr eyes vvere opened and they knevv him Héere the Euangelist declareth that the disciples knew the Lorde by breaking of bread For as often as the Lorde tooke meate he had bothe a peculiar maner of praying and a singular gesture in reaching forth the bread Which things bicause they had oftē marked in Christ they knew him therby for that being now raised from the dead he kept the same maner that he had done before Therefore lyke as the disciples knew Chryst by his gesture so let vs as often as wée eate bread learne by his example to offer thanks to him the author of life which marke wil make vs knowne from heathenish men Moreouer as soone as Chryst was knowne hée vanished out of their syght and they hencefoorth talked of him with more swéetnesse than before Did not our hart sayde they burn vvithin vs by the vvay vvhyle he spake vnto vs and opened the scriptures vnto vs Héere wée may marke the frutes of Gods woord in men And albeit that Chryste nowe a days appéere not vnto vs bodyly and speake vnto vs mouth to mouth yet notwithstanding he speaketh vntoo vs by the ministers of his woord according as he sayth He that héereth you héereth mée What is that frute Whosoeuer héereth Gods woord with his eares and with his hart in hym there is kindled a certeyne fyre and his harte beginneth to glowe Then lyke as hée that féeleth not this glowing in his hart when he héereth Gods woord hathe eares but not too héere and a harte but not too vnderstand and that through his owne default bycause he vnderstandeth the holy ghost So hée that féeleth this glowing in his hart hath a witnesse of Chrystes spirit speaking in him and that he hath a liuely true faith Wherfore we are warned too héere Gods woord in the feare of GOD with greate reuerence and earnestnesse ¶ Of the fourth parte ANd they rising vp the same houre returned to Hierusalem and found the eleuen gathered togither c. These things teach that that heate which is kindled in vs by the preaching of the woord is not ydle but sheweth it selfe abroade out of hande For he that knoweth Chryste aright coueteth also that others shoulde knowe him likewise too the entent that many may glorifie him toogither That such a heate may bée kindled in vs our Sauiour Iesus Chryst graunt to whome with the father and the holy ghoste bée honor for euermore So bée it The third Holyday in Easter Weeke ¶ The Gospell Luke .xxiiij. AND as they thus spake Iesus himselfe came as they vvere set dovvne and stode in the middes of them and sayde Peace be vntoo you and hee vpbraided them vvith their vnbeleefe and hardnesse of hart bycause they beleeued not those that had tolde them hovv they had seene him risen from death And they being amazed and afrayd thought they savv a ghost And he sayde vnto them VVhy are yee afrayd and vvhy doo thoughts arise in your hartes See my hands and feete that it is I. Feele mee and see for a spirite hath no flesh and bones as ye see mee haue And vvhen he had sayde thus he shevved them his hands and his feete his side Then vvere the disciples glad vvhen they savv it vvas the Lorde And vvhyle they yet beleeued not for ioy and vvoondered he sayde to them Haue you any meat heer And they offred him a peece of broyled fish and a peece of a hony cōbe And he tooke it and ate it in the sight of of them and sayd vnto them These are the vvoords that I spake vnto you vvhile I vvas yet vvith you that all things muste bee fulfilled vvhiche are vvritten of mee in the lavv of Moyses and in the prophets and in the Psalmes The opened he their minde that they might vnderstand the scripturs and sayde vnto them Thus is it vvritten and thus it behoued Chryst to suffer and to rise agein from death the third day and that repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes should be preached to all people in his name beginning at Hierusalem And you are vvitnesses of these things And he sayd vntoo them ageyne Peace be to you As my father sēt me so send I you also VVhē he had sayd so he breathed vppon them and sayd vntoo them Take ye the holy ghoste VVhose sinnes soeuer ye release they are released vnto them and vvhose sinnes soeuer ye vvithhold they are vvithholden The exposition of the text THis is the fifth appéering of the Lord vppon the very day of Easter in which he appéered too the Disciples that were talking of hym For firste he appéered too Mary Magdalene out of whom he cast seuen diuels Secondly hée appéered to the women as they were returning from his graue Thirdly hée appéered vntoo Peter Fourthly vntoo Cleophas and his companion And fiftly as this texte sheweth vntoo the .xj. Disciples as they were talking toogither of him The places are twoo 1 Christes gréeting and the testimonies wherby hys Resurrection is proued 2 The necessitie of Chrysts death and Resurrection and y e vse of the same namely that repentance forgiuenes of sins must be preched to al natiōs in his name ¶ Of the firste IEsus stoode in the middes of them and sayd vnto them Peace bee to you The disciples being sorowful talked of Chryst who is present with them according to his promis whersoeuer two or thrée are gathered toogither in my name I will bée in the myddes of them For although this bée not doone always in his bodyly presence yet is it doone in very déede For he will neuer doo ageinst his promis Nowe what he bringeth with his presence his gréeting sheweth wherewith he héere comforteth his sorowfull Disciples For in as much as Chryst is giuen too bée a comfort too the sorowfull héere he offreth peace saying Peace bée vnto you Thys peace which the Lord wisheth to his disciples is not cōmon but heauenly not of the world but of the kingdome of Heauen not
Chrystes preaching when hée allured both them and all the world too repentance offering grace and euerlasting lyfe too those that repented Of this tyme speaketh the Lord. The fourth Wherby myght the Iewes haue known the tyme of their visitation They had many euident proofes and tokens of it First Chrystes miracles did openly shewe his power If yée beléeue not mée sayth he beléeue my woorkes for they beare witnesse of mée Secondly Daniel foretolde this tyme of visitation in Babylon Thirdly the kingdome of Iuda was remoued according too the Prophesie of Iacob Genesis .48 The scepter shall not bée taken from Iuda vntil Zilo shal come that is too say the séede of the woman which is Chryst the Lord. Fourthly least they should bée offended at Chrystes pouertie they were warned of it béefore by the Prophet Zacharie whoo in his nynthe Chapter sayeth Beholde thy King shall come poore Fifthly Iohns recorde concerning Chryst. Sixthly the voyce of GOD the father ouer Chryste in his baptim and in the Mount These many other things might haue certified the Iewes of Chrystes presence and of the time of their visitation The fifth But therefore knew they not the time of their visitation séeing they were put in mynd of it by so manye signes There were twoo veyles the one fleshly the other spirituall The fleshly veyle was for that béeing masked in the pleasures allurements and cares of the world they could not consider those things that perteyned too their soul health but they thought as is written in the seconde Chapter of the booke of Wysdome Short and full of wéerinesse is the tyme of our lyfe and ther is no ease in the end of man neyther is there any man knowen too haue returned from the deade Come on therfore let vs enioy the pleasures that be present let vs leaue tokens of our mirth euery where for that is our portion After this maner was the rich glutton masked whō some write too haue bin a citizen of Hierusalem So was he also that sayd when he sawe his barnes full of corne Nowe my soule take thy pleasure But what happened too him In the middes of his pleasures he was called awaye too punishment And their spirituall veyle was that whereof Chryste speaketh héere and whereof Paule speaketh in the firste too the Romanes He gaue them ouer intoo a reprobate or froward mind And .2 Thess. 2. He gaue them strong delusiō that they shuld beléeue lyes which wold not obey the truth And this is the rightfull iudgement of God The sixth The punishment for neglecting their visitation which is double Bodily and temporal Ghostly and eternall Untoo the temporall and bodily punishments perteyneth this horrible wasting of the Citie and also all the miseries and mischéeues of mankynd which miseries and mischéeues ought of dutie too put vs in mynd of repentance The seuenth The cause of the delay of the punishment This dooth Paule expound Roma 2. when he sayth that the riches of Gods goodnesse and long sufferance doo prouoke vs too repentance For God is slowe vntoo anger that is too say vntoo vengeance and that is to the entent that wée at length acknowledging our sinnes should mourne for them and flée vntoo Chryst by true fayth ¶ Of the second FOrasmuch as Paule sayeth That all that is wrytten is written for our lerning Let vs sée what is the vse of this Doctrine First therefore let vs that beléeue in Chryst and are the holy Hierusalem of God héer the voice of Christ bewayling our sinnes and let vs lerne how hée is affectioned towardes vs. Also let vs know the tyme of our visitation whom God hath visited woonderfully in this realme Firste with his woord which surely is preached purely in al the Churches of Denmarke Howbéeit bicause wée haue slenderly obeyed his gospell he hath visited vs with warre with famine with pestilence and euery man after a sundry fashion And if wée repent not yea and that betimes he wil visit vs ageine with warre pestilence and famin and at length will vtterly destroy vs. Let vs repent therfore let vs promis amendment let vs embrace Chrystes gospell and too bée short let vs frame our liues after a godly and holy maner that wée may skape in the day of wrath ¶ Of the second ANd hee entered intoo the temple c. In this second part of the Gospell there are foure circumstances chéefly too bée obserued The firste is the wickednesse of the hygh Préestes The Temple of Salomon was ordeyned not too kéepe marts and markets in but for these purposes First that Gods woord should bée taught in it and that the people should come toogither in it and pray according too that which Salomon himselfe sayeth in the Dedication of the Temple Whatsoeuer thy people shall pray in this place that is in this Temple thou shalt héere them in thy dwelling place in heauen and when thou hast herd them thou shalt bée fauorable vntoo thē Besides this it was established by lawe that the Sacrifices should bée slaine hard by the Temple according too the lawe The Pharisies and highe Préestes did all things contrarye héereuntoo For they despised Gods woord they practised heathenish chopping and chaunging yea rather as Chryst saith of Gods temple they made a den of théeues Théeues murther manye too the intent too get their goodes too themselues And the high préestes through their false doctrine and misinterpreting of the scriptures murthered many thousandes of men while they traiterously bereft their soules of euerlasting blisse Héereby it sufficiently appéered howe wicked these highe préestes were ageinst God for they not only despised Gods woorde themselues but also gaue other men occasion too despise it and wilfully too withstand it too their vtter destruction The second is the driuing of the byers and sellers out of the Temple Chryst driueth out the byers and sellers that with outward violence By which déed first he testifieth him selfe too disallowe the vngodlynesse of the Pharisies And secondely he declareth himselfe too bée the true King and highe préest of this people Their king verely in that he setteth his hand too the taking away of vngodlynesse like as Ezechias did when he tooke away the brasen Serpent bicause the people did Idolatrie vntoo it and their high préest in that hée defendeth the true Doctrine and rebuketh the baggage of the Pharisies Moreouer this driuing out was a certeine fatherly warning y t the temple should bée destroyed vnlesse they amēded By this déed he giueth them to vnderstand of the punishmēt whiche all the vngodly shoulde runne intoo that had misused Gods temple namely that Chryst should one day cast them quite out of the Temple Furthermore let bothe parties I say bothe Magistrates and gouernours of Churches learne héereby The one too take away the instruments of wickednesse by force of hand and outward violence And the other too cutte of all Supersticion as much as maye bée with the swoorde of the spirite that is
his posteritie from GOD by the space of nyne hundred yeres Howe great was the gréefe of Dauids mynde when he sawe the rauishmente of his daughters and the slaughter of his sonnes What should I speake of a few All men féele the byting of the Serpent which byting serueth too none other purpose than that wée should thereby acknowledge Gods moste iust iudgement and flée vntoo him for pardone by true repentance Manasses like a mad man rose vp ageinst the Churche of GOD by the space of .xxv. yéeres toogither and defiled himselfe in horrible wyse neyther hadde it come intoo his thought too repent him if hée had not bin led awaye prisoner intoo Babilon where the streightnesse of imprisonmēt gaue him vnderstanding For béeing nurtured there in the schoolehouse of miserie he bowed the knées of his hart and in humble wise desired pardon of his sinnes whiche thing hée also obteyned The thirde God setteth before vs the examples of other men tragicall factes and horrible punishementes of others that taking warning by them wée may fall too amendment For all the falles of men that are set out in stories eyther of the Scripture or of worldly wryters tende too this ende too make vs héedefull Caine by falling intoo sinne was ouerwhelmed with euerlasting paines Saule fel from God and returned not by repentaunce but was ouerwhelmed with Gods wrath Many in these dayes falling from the Gospell light intoo the Deuilles snares out of whiche they are neuer able too wynde themselues ageine Wherefore taking warning at these mens horrible falles and most dreadful punishment let vs fall too amendment betimes least God cast vs of in his anger and then wée too late remember the saying of the Poet For happy folke we may them take whō others harmes the warer make The fourth Somtime God preacheth by tempests earthquakes and dreadfull sights in Heauen suche as were séene before the destruction of Ierusalem as blasing starres in the likenesse of swoords of which sorte our age hath séene many wherat if wée take not warning too repent and amende wée shall fall intoo moste sore punishmentes The yéere .1561 since Chrysts birth there was séene in the Skie a man nayled vpon a Crosse hauing a Crowne of Thorne vpon his head Of this sight I haue many witnesses whereof diuers are noble men and godly persons right woorthye of credite The same day it rayned bloud and many other things are séene dayly As often then as suche maner of sightes are shewed vs from Heauen let vs knowe that God allureth vs too repentaunce by these tokens of his wrath And wheras the Lorde sayeth Bée not afrayd of the signes of Heauen hée meaneth that we should fall too repentaunce least the euilles which the signe◠threaten should light vppon vs. For all things woorke toogither too the welfare of them that repent The fifth The death of the Sonne of God is set foorth too vs wherin God sheweth that hée is excéeding sore displeased with sin and therwithal prouoketh vs too repētance For hée vpon the crosse stretcheth out his armes bathed in his owne blud and allureth all the whole worlde too repentance and offreth grace too all that repent Therfore whosoeuer maketh delayes too repent hée despiseth Gods sonne and shall suffer dreadful punishement when his time commeth The sixth The end of this life is vncerteine For our life is like a bubble or a floure in the field whiche flourisheth too day and too morow is cast intoo the fire Saint Iames also openeth vntoo vs the frayltie of this life Wée haue séene many that liued without repentance taken away with sodeine death so as they coulde haue no leasure too repente The Axe sayth Iohn is set too the root of the trée And Salomon saith Whither the trée fall too the South or too the North looke in what place the trée falleth there shall it lie That is too saye looke in what case the rightuous Iudge shall finde thée at the houre of thy death suche shalt thou bée iudged too bée Sée howe many wayes the Lorde prouoketh vs too repentance Himself sayth I wil not the death of a sinner but that hée should turne and liue This good-will of his hée declareth vntoo vs in y t he prouoketh vs so fatherly by so many means too repentance which prouocation too repentance doubtlesse perteyneth too all men But Paule sayeth that God hath not chosen many wise men after the flesh nor many mē of power nor many noble men borne and yet the same man sayth God will haue all men saued How then dooth he not choose God is sayde not too haue chosen them not bycause he would not haue them saued but for the sequele of it That is too say bicaus◠the wisdome of this world and power and nobilitie of birth doo like baytes entice and withdrawe many from obedience of the Gospell Dauid was rich and puisant and Nero also was rich and puissant Of which two the first was not enticed by his riches and power too fall from the Gospell but the other by making more account of his present prosperitie than of the glorie of the lyfe too come made his riches an occasion of his owne damnation Isaac was borne of a noble stocke and Ismaell was a noble man borne too But yet both of them were not of like inclination For Ismaell holding himselfe content with the noblenesse of his birth despised the promises wheras contrarywise Isaac by beléeuing the promise was iustified saued By these examples it appéereth euidently that the Lord reiecteth no mā for the gifts that himself hath heaped vpō thē For power riches noble birth are Gods good gifts And happy is he y t vseth them wel But he y t vseth them amisse he by his owne default turneth Gods gifts into instruments of his owne damnation Let vs therfore imbrace Paules counsel if we haue any care of our saluation For thus saith he 1. Cor. 7. Let thē y t vse this world bée as though they vsed it not He would not haue a christen mans mind abused about erthly things so as they shold lead vs away frō the right way of this life He will haue vs so to liue as if we should passe out of this life at euery minute of an hour Therfore in al y e affaires of this present lyfe let vs haue our hartes lifted vp too the consideration and mynding of the heauenly lyfe Héerevnto perteyneth this saying of Paule Séeke the things that are aboue where Chryste sitteth at the right hand of the father ¶ Of the second IEsus sayd vntoo him Vnlesse yee see signes and vvonders yee vvill not beleue Héer Christ findeth fault with the courtier who was in great fauour and one of the chéef about Herod which thing Chryst seldome didde specially for as muche as men came too him in heauinesse too séeke his help Héerby wée must lerne not too bée clawbacks of the Court too speake things that may please but too