Priestes whome God had chosen to blesse But they doe this in respect of their owne persons no otherwise then as figures but this was to shewe that it belonged to our Lord Iesus Christ to be a witnesse vnto vs of the blessing of God and to ratifie it towardes vs as also he shewed when he ascended into Heauen and that his handes were lifted vp hee blessed his disciples He sheweth therefore that the trueth and substance of these figures of the law was fulfilled in him Now he was so before the law was written for God would that Abraham should be the father of the church and for this cause he blessed Isaack as if the heritage had bin resigned too him which had byn promised to him Isaack now must doe the like for he receiued not the blessing for him selfe but to the end it should alwayes remaine in his house He must therfore be the minister of the grace of God as we yet see at this day that he communicateth his benefites spirituall giftes amongst vs by the hand of those whom he hath ordained to this purpose Men therfore cannot forgiue vs our sinnes and yet neuertheles our Lorde Iesus Christ vseth this figure of speking To whom so euer you shall forgiue their sinnes they shal be forgiuen Now yet for all that he hath reserued this to him self as he protesteth in Esay O Iacob it is I and none others that take away thine iniquities Now albeit God alone hath this power to forgiue sinnes and too purge vs frō our spots yet neuertheles he doth this by the hand of men We haue in Baptisme an infallible token that GOD will not lay our offences too our charge but that we are as righteous cleane before him and farther wee haue an earnest that he will renewe vs by his holy spirit to the end wee shoulde walke in all puritie Nowe this can not bee giuen vs of men but yet GOD maketh them heerein as instrumentes and all through his fauour Againe Is it in the power of any mortall creature too make vs partakers of the body and blood of our Lord Iesus Christe And yet neuerthelesse in the supper when the breade the wine are distributed it is certaine that this is not a vaine and emptie figure but that all is accomplyshed and that our Lord Iesus Christe sheweth him selfe faithfull in this For it is hee which giueth it it were too much to attribute it to those who are and can doe nothing to saye that they haue our Lord Iesus Christe to communicate to them which come vnto them to receiue a morsell of bread and a drop or twoo of wine And in deede this is wel shewed vnto vs when he sayth My flesh is bread from heauen And hee giueth it after two sortes one is that which he gaue when hee offred vp him selfe to his father for the clensing of sinnes The breade which I will giue vnto you saith hee is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the worlde Loe then two kindes of giuing for hee gaue his fleshe when he offred it vp for the satisfaction of all our faultes to the ende that God might bee appeased towardes vs and that we might bee released to become righteous Now the seconde giuing is that which he maketh dayly Nowe if it belong to Iesus Christ to giue himselfe vnto the faithfull who receiue him by faith it followeth then that this ought not too be attributed to men not as though they had this power but onely that Iesus Christ surceaseth not to apply this thereto And thus it hath beene in all times For God hath euermore reserued to himselfe the praise of mens saluation but this letteth not but that these may be instrumentes by whome hee worketh Loe then howe this maketh for Isaack to shewe that hee must pronounce the sentence of that blessing whereunto he was ordayned And in deede wee see this in the doctrine of the Gospell for what is the preaching of the Gospell It is the power of God to saluation to all beleeuers saith Saint Paule there he speaketh of that word which proceedeth from our mouth What the power of God Why it is nothing in it selfe It is true but it pleaseth God to display his power by the meanes of men and would that his worde should haue such effect and power in the working that it be as it were a key to open vnto vs the kingdom of heauen as also he hath compared it to the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen So then let vs marke well that Isaack speaketh not heere of any common blessing that is to say of prayer as when wee blesse one another and when wee pray that God will shew mercy to our neighbours that he wil giue them that which he knoweth to be fitte for them And thus much concerning blessings But Isaack knew that he was ordained the minister of God to dispence that treasure that was committed to his charge And this is worthy to be noted to the end that we hate not the doctrine that is preached vnto vs knowing what it importeth For there are many fantasticall men that refuse all inferiour meanes would without wings moūt vp aboue the clouds And is not God say they sufficient to teach vs Is it not he that giueth faith And is the holy Ghost in the hands of men what neede haue we too be preached vnto And to what ende is it to reade so much All this is superfluous For God can sufficiently enspire vs without hauing our eares so battred with the toung For he hath al that is needful for our benefite and saluation and he wil bring it to passe And must men then holde him as it were bound to them And must the power of his spirit be mashed mingled with those inferior meanes as though he were not at libertie Loe what these fantastical spirits say Now they consider not that God is not tyed and bound to men when he vseth their seruice for he doth it as it seemeth good vnto him It is true that faith ordinarily commeth by hearing as S. Paule saith so that we can not haue faith vnlesse it be by men And cannot God aswell doe it otherwise The question heere is not of the power of God but of his wil of that which hee hath ordained And therefore when we shall say And cannot God doe this and that he can doe it but seeing he will that it be otherwise we ought to rest there So then let vs learne to receiue this doctrine which is dayly taught vs with all reuerence knowing that when we shall haue this testimonie that our sinnes are forgiuen vs all is ratified in heauen as if God himselfe should speake For he will not haue vs to esteeme his trueth according to men who are brickle and lyers and amongst whome there is nothing but vanitie but he wil haue his truth estemed for it self sake for it owne nature And
purchased for vs by our Lord Iesus Christ God will not only become the father of our soules but also of our bodyes Wee are thorowly assured of this and ought to bee resolued in it But now howsoeuer it be if we must be ready to renounce this present life and all the commodities which are heere If wee muste renoūce our own life by a stronger reason we must renoūce to liue Now we cannot liue heere without eating and drinking but yet it behoueth that we be ready to suffer hunger and thirst rather then to be turned away from our calling and not only this but when the question shall be of death wee must offer our liues to God doing him this homage and alwayes desiring rather a pretious and blessed death before him then all the liues that might bee imagined in this worlde which he shal accurse Beholde then the rule that is giuen to all Christians wherby they are tryed if they be the true children of God that is when the worlde hindreth them not to serue God but they alwayes march on forwards by that path which is shewed them by the holy Scripture When I say that the worlde letteth them not I vnderstande not onely those wicked lustes as drunkennes whordom couetousnes and such like ▪ but also those desires that are not vtterly condemned as eating drinking when it shal be permitted vs of God and yet if eating and drinking shall hinder vs frō seruing God then we must so striue that our desires may bee tamed Now this may be better vnderstoode by the cōmon experience we haue There is a man which may liue in delights and pleasures he hath to eate to the full yea of all maner of dainties delicates and exquisite meates but he must hange his consciēce as they say vpon the rack or rather be prophaned with the wicked worlde For there are a great many cōditions offred to many which areas the intysing baites of Sathan Thervpon they will think ô if I were in such a place I might gather a great deale of good afterwardes I should be in great honour all the world would croutch vnto me In the meane seasō I should haue my table wel furnished I should haue wherewith to nourish me to my desire yea in mine olde age whē I should haue gathered togither my liuelode rents I shuld be assured to liue at mine ease But I cānot attain vn to it But wherto tendeth this Euen hetherto that I cannot doe this without beeing in great danger to bring my self to great wickednes yea and without vtter estranging my self frō God Howsoeuer it be I cannot serue God purely as hee hath commaunded me But if any man be temped with this it is certaine that he is like vnto Esau if he make choyse of this condition which shal be more agreable to the worlde and in the meane time shall forsake the meanes he hath to serue God and to liue in the peace and tranquilitie of a good conscience For hee considereth not I am a weake man and haue much a doe to holde my selfe in the feare of GOD although I bee euery day exhorted vnto it yea and thoughe I doe giue my selfe wholly vnto it and inforce my self thervnto and what shall become of mee when I shall haue no worde of God that I shall not be exhorted to doe my duetie and that I shall bee intangled with many businesses and affayres of the worlde If a man thinke not of all this and that he make choyse of a good table that is to say if he rather choose an estate whereby hee may enrich him selfe it is certaine that he shal be resembled vnto Esau Contrariwise when wee shall think Goe too it is true that we shal be at our ease if we wil forsake God or rather departe frō him and wil decline be it neuer so litle from a good way But what The deuil wil by by find new sleights to bring vs wholly to wickednesse in such sorte that we shall be as a desperate people But let vs preuent such a danger and rather let vs loue hunger thirst yea and to feede straightly and not to haue any great pompe and great superfluitie Let vs choose rather I say not to haue so great an estate and holde our selues in sobrietie then to be rich and wealthy and notwithstanding to forget our selues and to haue all our ioy here beneath When wee shall so behaue our selues heerein loe how we followe the example of our father Iacob But as I haue sayd already the question is not onely of forsaking our ease and commoditie but also when neede shal be of our owne life For if so be wee must dye to make confession of our faith suche as God requireth of vs to glorifie the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and must passe that way we must likewise also forsake our owne life and all that belongeth vnto it and if we do it not we showe that we know not what it is to haue tasted of spirituall blessings but that we haue loste all taste of them forasmuch as the deuil hath made vs drunken with his poisons and hath bewitched vs and made vs senselesse and blockish We see heere by the way howe profitable this history is vnto vs For besids that we haue said already that God hath ratified his election hath discouered that which was in Esau Iacob heere our father Iacob reacheth out his hand vnto vs and sheweth vs that all the pleasures of this worlde ought to bee nothing vnto vs no not our very nourishment when there shal be any questiō to be as poore starued people that we rather forsake to eate and drinke when all shal be made ready yea specially when the smell shall haue prouoked vs that we imagine to haue the morsels already in our mouthes and to haue swallowed them downe when we shal be come so farre neuerthelesse that we enter into such a combate against our selues that we renounce our naturall inclination and specially that which is not vtterly condemned amongst men if it let vs from cōming vnto God if it hinder vs or intangle vs heere beneath in any corruptions Beholde what we ought to doe And moreouer that wee take good heede on the otherside that we be not like vnto Esau and that wee alledge not this and that as many say ô wee muste liue We way well haue our excuses before men but when we shall come to render a reckoning before that great Iudge who hath declared vnto vs that hee will haue vs to sette such price vppon the treasure of our saluation that he hath offered vs in the Gospel that we learne to withdraw our selues from the worlde that al that is in it be nothing in comparison of it But this thing is practised after sundry sortes and manners For when a Christian man shal haue plentie if he be sober in eating and drinking and do not so gorge
with the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ for otherwise they shal be but prophane defiled but when the bloud of our lord Iesus Christ shal be applied therin certainely our Prayers shal be pure they shal be cōsecrated in such sort that God wil accept of thē And when wee shall call vpon God euery one in the secret of his owne hearte let vs laboure also to drawe our neighbours therto to the intent that he may be gloryfied in the middest of vs with one accorde And as we ought to be knit togither in one Fayth so also let vs haue but one mouth too protest that we holde him for our father and Sauiour and that we are wholly his But now wee will fall downe before the maiestie of our good God in the acknowledgement of our faultes praying that it will please him in such sorte to make vs feele them that it may bee to make vs to bee displeased with our selues for them and to make vs to lament before his iudgement seate to the intente wee may bee absolued through his mercie forasmuche as wee shoulde iustly bee condemned by his iudgemente And that it will please him to strengthen vs so as wee fainte not whatsoeuer miseryes wee haue too suffer in this worlde but wee may meditate in his woorde in such sorte that the onely promise which he hath giuen vnto vs to holde vs for his children may content vs and that wee may be armed therewith to the ende to submit our selues to his wil peaceably to beare all afflictions that he shall send vs that we may gloryfie him also in our heartes without any faigning or hypocrisie and that wee may labour also to show the frutes of our faith before men and that by this meanes he may bee honoured of all bothe of small and greate And that hee will not onely shewe vs this grace but also to all peoples nations of the Earth c. ⧠The tenth Sermon of Iacob and Esau Genesis 26. 26 Nowe Abimilech comming vnto him to Gerar with Achuzath his friende and Picol the Captaine of his hoast 27 Isaack sayth vnto them why came you vnto me seeing you hated me and haue sent me away from you 28 Who saide vnto him vve savv for asuretie that Iehouah was with thee therefore we sayd Let there be an othe betweene vs that is betvvene vs thee Let vs therfore strike a couenant with thee 29 Aske vengeance vpon thy selfe if thou shalt hurt vs like as vve haue not touched thee and like as wee haue don thee good and haue sente thee away vvith peace Doe thou consent now thou hlessed of the Lord. 30 When therefore he had made them a feast they did eate and drinke And rysing in the morning they svvore either to other And Isaack led them foorth and they vvent from him vvith peace 31 And it came to passe that the selfe same day Isaacks seruantes comming vnto him shewed him concerning that wel which they had digged and said vnto him we haue found waters 32 And he called the same Sohibbah therefore the name of the Citie is Beer-schebah euen vntill this day Chapter 27. verse 1. NOW when Esau was fortie yeeres olde he maryed a wife named Iudith the daughter of Beer the Chithite and Basmatha the daughter of Elon the Chithite 2 Who were a greefe of minde to Isaack and Rebecca HOwsoeuer men liuinge in this worlde are subiect to many miseryes and afflictions yet neuerthelesse the moste parte of the euils that they indure proceede from them selues euery one of them being as a Woolf to his companion We are compassed about with sauadge beastes who are altogither our enemyes there is neither Heauen nor earth nor other elements that doe not bring with them a thousand hurts We knowe not howe to goe vpon the water but we must be within halfe a foote of our death There needs but one torment to swallow vp a people The earth also hath many annoyaunces as if God had threatened vs on euery side But when we shall make comparison there are no wilde beastes nor heauen nor earth nor any thing whatsoeuer which so much annoyeth men as eche one annoyeth his neighbour Nowe for this cause we ought to think it a singular benefit of God bestowed vpon vs whē he giueth vs peace that we are not oppressed wrōged on euery side when no mischief is deuised against vs no hurt nor damage done vnto vs It must needes be that the protection of God haue a hand in it seing that euery man will alwayes bee as a Woulfe vnto his neighbours as we haue said And this is the marke whereunto this present story tendeth For Moyses would shewe that after God had appeared to Isaack he yet farther declareth his fauor vnto him in that the Kinge of Gerar came vnto him sought his amitie and friēdship hereby was Isaack honoured and specially it was vnto him a great aduantage because he might alwayes haue beene in doubte in asmuche as hee had beene greatly inuied in the countrie and had beene constrayned to departe from thence notwithstanding he had liued amongst them in all humanitie and courtesie He might therefore haue beene alwayes in great suspence fearing the rage of his neighbours But God made them to come vnto him of their owne accorde and not onely to shew themselues friends but they flatter him feare that he wil hurt them and therfore they demaund a couenant to bee made betweene them with a solemne othe Now we haue to note here first of all that God hath the heartes of men in his owne hand to mollifie their hardnes when it pleaseth him to abate al their rage and to turne them to curtesie kindnes for certainly the king of Gerar had not changed his nature when he came to Isaack on the other side if he feared Isaack he might haue cōspired with his subiects neighbors and so haue set vpon him altogither On the other side hee had giuen no occasion to doubte of him in asmuch as Isaack had not giuen him any argumente of distrusting him hee rather had behaued himselfe in such sort that he plainly declared that he desired not to greeue any no not so much as his presence For we haue seene howe hee departed from their company It must needs be therefore that God stirred vp these prophane people to cause them to come vnto Isaack and to submit themselues as they doe with such humilitie that they intreate a poore man a stranger who had no great credite amongst them nor had any but his owne familie which he kepte aparte without giuing any token of attempting any such matter Before God had laid the bridle in their neck but this was to proue the patiēce of his seruāt For whē he was denied water that in the end it was said vnto him that he was strōger then they that he could be no longer suffred there is no doubt but that God then
Thirteene SERMONS OF Maister Iohn Caluine Entreating of the Free Election of God in Iacob and of reprobation in Esau A treatise wherin euery Christian may see the excellent benefites of God towardes his children and his maruelous iudgements towards the reprobate firste published in the French toung now Translated into Englishe by Iohn Fielde For the comfort of all Christians Rom. 11.33 O the deepenes of the riches both of the vvisdome and knovvledge of God! Hovve vnsearcheable are his iudgements and his vvayes past finding out Imprinted at London for Thomas Man and Tobie Cooke 1579. To the right Honorable and my verie good Lorde the Earle of Bedford one of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell and to the Honorable godly and vertuous Ladie the Countesse his wife Iohn Fielde wisheth encrease of godlines and constancie by Iesus Christ for euer AMEN BEcause I can not my very good Lord and Ladie whom the Lord I say by the professiō of his glorious Gospell hathe made right Honorable by anye other meanes testifie the dutie that I owe you but in such poore sorte as this is I most humbly beseeche you to accept of it Looke not vpon it as it is in it self but value it according to the hartie affectiō of the giuer who with all duetie protesteth his humble seruice towards your Honor to the vttermost that he shall be able for the aduauncement of your knowledge encrease of godlines and spiritual gaine in the true practise of Gods blessed holy trueth the greatest benefit that euer God in mercie could haue bestowed vpō you I am sorie that my skill is no better to helpe you forwarde in that so excellent a woorke but forasmuch as God accepteth vs according to that measure we haue receiued I hope you of your Honorable curtesie will likewise take it well that I shewe this remembrance of you in presenting such a present as he hath bestowed vpon me And this I will saye though in respect of my labour it bee homely yet in respect of the matter it is most excellēt a work of one of the rarest instruments whō god hath raised vp in these last tymes to giue light amidst our great ignorance to draw many to that blessed knowledge which I beseech God we may both thankfully accept of also diligently cōforme ourselues with all obedience to liue according to it that the Lord do not either take this blessing from vs or els bring vpon vs seuere iudgements for abusing so excellent a treasure I know some vnthākful wretches puffed vp with pride a vaine opiniō of them selues wil hardly endure that I should speak thus either of the woork or of this singular instrument of god For the nature of mens corruption is such and specially of such as seke to be magnified one of another that they tread vnder their feete Gods glorie and being behinde others in giftes they powte and swell against them whose shoe latchets they are not worthy to loose Besides that they are so corrupt either being open Papistes counterfeite professours or manifest heretiques that they cā abide no sinceritie Of the first sort I wil not say much because nowe I minde not at large to dispute with thē as being the open hopeles enimies of God I meane the obstinate ones who set thēselues not only against his seruants but against his holy word For what should a mā say to such whō nothing can please but that they haue receiued either frō their own brains or els frō their sottish doctors who are destitute of al truth god lines what they tell thē be it neuer so sillie nay so false they wil receiue with al griedines No Legende so lying no opinion so grosse no motiue so light no life so vilainous as they wil not accept of maintain defend both with tooth nayle if it come frō themselues frō their own polshorne generation But a lack it should be otherwise if they would be content to haue all things tried by that vndeceiuable touchstone that god hath appointed If the euerlasting word of god which of right proceding frō god ought to haue his prehemīnēce of perfection to iudge al did beare the bel as also god hath appointed it shuld do this matter would be soone at an end For what soeuer building should be found either in the one or the other that had not his foūdation therin it should quickly vanish euery mans work should appeare But if men wil come with preiudicate minds to be admirers of mens Persons wil only look to a personal local succession and bee caried away with the emptie bare titles of their names and professions without examination of that they bring men shall easily offende both in the one and in the other Let all men therefore be examined let the word of God discusse according to her prerogatiue when God speaketh let all men hold their peace and if he teach let all flesh be confounded In matters of faith and religion let that word onely be heard which is the true iustructer hauing bin set down by men as writers yet by the holy ghost the true inditer who came not to suggest a peece so to leaue an imperfect work but to lead vs into al truth to teach vs whatsoeuer was necessary for our saluatiō not leauing things doutfully to be receaued frō hand to hād by way of traditiō but plainly written to remain to all the sonnes of God as gods sufficient perpetual Testamēt Fy vpon these blasphemous mouthes that wil accuse God of infidelitie of crueltie of lack of care to his Church in prouiding for his that like high traytors dare clippe adulterate his coine wringing the scepter of his kingdom out of his hand bounding his gouernment to some one people citie countrie as did the Donatists chalenging to them selues with the olde Chatarists and new Anabaptists and such as are of the Family of loue that they cannot erre when the moste of their Popes and specially such as followed him that proudly to shewe him selfe Antichrist chalenged the name of vniuersall Bishop were Sorcerers Coniurers Whoremongers and incestuous lyuers Heretiques Murtherers Sodomiters couetous Harlots and cruel blapshemers in all their doings I stand not to cite the places out of their owne stories they are manifest and all the worlde may knowe them And as for their Councelles they were nothing but wranglinges and repeales one of anothers Lawes and Canons their customes drawne from mennes errors and therefore as Cyprian sayth beeing without trueth though they were neuer so olde are but olde errors And yet wee leaue the fountaine and goe too the stinking puddles that they haue digged vnto them selues we must leaue the light of God and goe to the darkenesse of men the instruction of the holy Ghoste rest vpon these Dunces that knowe not what they say nor whereof they affirme The word of God must be drawen in and out by
contempt of the worlde but holde fast a good conscience that you may be approued before god The Lorde Iesus blesse you both that as he hath knit you togeather so you may drawe on forwardes in one yoke towardes his kingdome that that may bee your aime and mark in all your deedes woordes and thoughtes Amen October 25. 1579. Your Honours most humble and faithfull euer to commaund in Christe Iohn Fielde Faultes escaped Fol. Page Line Fault Correction Fol. 1. a Line 29. for Iacob reade Isaack 2. a line 22. for him reade them 6. b line 5. for learne reade beare 7. a line 11 for the Period a Comma 7. b line 25. for the Period an interogatiue point ◠8. a line 19. for vp reade out 9. a line 5. reade and also God spareth vs. 9. a line 7. at such example put in for vvant therof vve are c. 9. b line 16. put out thus 9. b line 18. at 20. yeeres put point 11. a line the last at supplications put a ful poinct 13. a line first for commeth it into reade liueth it in 16. b line 7. at Paule put 16. b line 14. for farelie reade scarcely 23. a line 23. put out not 25. b line 16. vvhich vvill reade vvhich vvyll barke 31. a line 2. for deceiue in this reade deceiue vs in this 32. a line 1. for these reade those 32. a line 5. for vvhich shevveth reade vvhich hee shevveth 32. a line 9. for cerfie reade certefie 33. a line 20. at vvhy put a full poinct 33. b line 16. for euill disposed reade better disposed 34. a line 30. for nor and neither reade or either c. 36. a line 10. at thing put 37. b line 26. at the vvrde saluation put in that vve doubt not therof 42. a line 6. for Cooke reade a Cokes or Micher 52. b line 26. vvith another reade vvith an othe 58. a line 19. for placed me reade placed vs. 77. b line 21. at required it make a full point 77. a line 5 for touched reade couched 84. b line the last for vvadone read vvas doone 85. a line 6. for handes of Kinges reade heartes of Kinges 91. a line 14. for God reade good 91. b line 16. for adulterers reade adulteries 78. a line 12. put in betvvene spirite and that his feare obedience 123. b line 15. for abide reade avoyde 128. a line 28. for entanged reade entangled 130. a line 21. for so rtiatifie reade sort ratifie 135. a line handeleth vs shorte reade holdeth vs. 135. a line 18. for that as but some reade but that assoone 135. b line 21. for had in vvas had in 140. b line 13. for doe bring reade to bring 147. b line 30. for he vvill reade his vvill 154. a line 12. for an reade and. 154. b line 14. for to say reade then to say 162. a line 1. for in blasphemie reade a blasphemie 175. a line 6. for that GOD reade say that GOD. 175. b line 26. for that this reade saying that this ⧠The first Sermon of M r Iohn Caluin concerning Iacob and Esau Geues Chap. 25. vers 12. NOW these are the generations of Ismael Abrahams sonne whome Hagar the Egyptian Sarahs handmaide bare vnto Abraham c. To the end of the 22. verse WE haue heere to consider the differēce that Moyses putteth betwixte the Children of Abraham We haue seene already that the whole stocke which hee had by Keturah dwelled in a countrie farre off Concerning Ismael he is seperated farre inough from the land of Caanan notwithstanding he be yet as one reiected For it was necessary that the inheritance which was ordained to Isaack should remaine to him Now in the first place it is saide that Ismael had twelue sonnes the which in such sorte multiplyed that of them came twelue Peoples In this we see that God not without cause said to his seruant Abraham that for his sake Ismael also should haue a certaine blessing but that it should be transitorie and fleeting and the principall should remaine to Iacob But whatsoeuer it bee yet so it is that God did shewe himselfe faithfull and true in his promise the which belongeth to this temporall life If God would that his trueth and constancie should be knovven in these thinges of the vvorld vvhich slip avvay and haue nothing else but a figure which vanisheth as S. Paul saith what shall it bee when the promises are of farre greater importance as when he calleth vs to the inheritāce of the kingdō of heauē Think we thē that we cā be frustrate of that staying our selues vpon him See then how we must make our profite of this place If God wil bee knowen firme and faithful in his word towards those which are as straungers and which he hath shut out reiected frō his church what will he then doe towardes vs which are his children whome he hath adopted to whome it hath pleased him to shew himself nie For if God in small things as in the stock in al other things of like sort wil haue his trueth knowen what shal it be when in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ he setteth out vnto vs the inheritaunce of heauen declareth vnto vs that he wil be merciful vnto vs that he wil pardō our faults that we may be reconciled to him that by this meanes we may be the brethren and companions of Angels vnder one head to wit our Lord Iesus Christ Can God there faile in his promises Shall they be void and without effecte and execution It is impossible This then is that wee haue to holde in this firste place And further vve haue next to note that God will manifest him selfe not onely to vs in these his benefites which are moste great and excellent but also in those that concerne this life and that there is nothing so small in which he wil not haue some markes of his fatherly goodnesse imprinted And for asmuch as he hath said that he will haue care to feede vs let vs waite vppon him for all that which belongeth to the maintenaunce of this life and let vs not think that it derogateth any whit from his maiestie in that he will haue vs to call vpon him for drinke and for foode to feede vpon For he will that in all and through all wee shold haue our recourse to him let vs not thē dout but that God albeit our bodies be earth ashes rottennes wormes meat as the cōmon speech is but carrions which are nothing woorth wil yet notwithstanding prouide for all our corporall necessities This is that we haue to adde as the secōd point But now we must heere see the comparison which Moyses maketh betwixt Ismael and Isaack Beholde Ismael which is cut off is no more reputed among the children of God and yet notwithstanding we see that he prospereth that he hath a great train For of twelue sonnes which hee hath begotten beholde twelue peoples
that came from him And withall of Isaack what Isaack maried at xl yeres old after that his wife was barren that not for one yeere nor for two but euē for xx yeres space he had no childrē God had said vnto him I wil multiply thy seed at the starres of heauen as the sand of the sea This was pronoūced to his father Abrahā but this was of speciall fauour toward him But he might haue beene before this time increced as he hoped notwithstāding he saw that his wife was barren it seemed as though godminded to mock him declare vnto him that thing which he hoped for was nothing worth When therefore he sawe that his brother Ismael who had no roote in the church who was a strāger from all hope of saluation vvhen he saw him I say to flourish in his seede it seemed that God had poured forth all his graces vpō him in the meane time that he was left in his owne house all alone and had none to succeede him it is certaine that hee might be in great perplexitie as if it had beene much better for him to haue beene like his brother Ismael This was to make him giue ouer al after to be without hope and to haue contemned God he had falne euen to the vttermost extremitie if he had not bene holdē in by a singular patience Now then wee haue heere to beholde as in a glasse the condition of Gods Church how it beginneth how God vpholdeth it and multiplyeth it that is to say after so strange a fashion that it seemeth at al assaies that that same apparance which God shall haue giuen vs is nothing as a man would say but to deceiue vs For in stead that the children of this world haue a goodly shew a man shall find thē to encrease to the eye the church shall bee hidden vnder the Earth a man shall see the earth full replenished of vnbeleeuers of contemners of God and prophane people and where shall a man finde the faithfull They shall bee very thin sowen and a man shall not be able to perceiue them they shall be despised men shall treade them almoste vnder their feete and men shall thinke that God hath no care of his Church and that further hee taketh pleasure that the wicked should make their triumphes and should haue their braue pompeous shewes Now then this is shewed vnto vs in the persons of Isaack of Ismael to the end that the strangenesse of it trouble vs not beyond measure and that we should fight constantly against all doubtings which might arise in our imagination as often as we do see a smal number of people which worship God that we see almost an infinite number of those which stubbernly set themselues against him and which knowe not what it meaneth too beare his yoke Nowe this doctrine is very necessary for vs at this day For how doth God worke in our time For when he ment to reare vp againe his Gospell at what end began he What people called he And yet now if we cast our eye vpon the whole world wee shall finde in the first place that in Asia which is the greatest part thereof all is disordered and confused and that there ther is nothing but superstitions on the one side and so vnruly barbarousnesse on the other as pitie it is to beholde Marke also the other parte of the world to wit Affrica which is in the same order And as concerning Europa which men call Christendom let a man beholde that which is in Italie in Fraunce and other places and a man shall finde that the Deuill beareth there the sway and that the vpholders of Antichrist who are deadly enemyes of the Church what profession soeuer they make a man shall see them too hee as the Starres of Heauen and as the sande of the sea so as a man might say that there is nothing but for their vse And in deed they are very skilfull to make their vaunt thereof for they make a buckler of this to contemne God and also to harden them selues in their rebellion They mock and deride vs for this that vve are so fevve people and that notvvithstanding vvee vvill bee holden for the Church But for our part vve are despised reiected and moreouer wee are farre of from approching to this great people which aduaunce them selues against vs To bee shorte a man would say that wee are as three graines of Corne vnder a greate heape of Chaffe And yet for all this it is so that we haue this testimonie of God that hee keepeth vs and auoweth vs to bee his housholde seruants For it is no Church vnlesse it be ioyned to our Lord Iesus Christ who is the head therof When this faileth all the rest goeth to wrack and to ruine as Saint Paule sayth Now wee are vnited to the sonne of God through the faith of his Gospel which is the certaine and vndeceiuable bond And howe shall we iudge that vve are the Church seeing that we are nothing in comparison of the vnfaithful who are puffed vp by reason of their greatnesse and of all their other qualities which they know wel inough how to set out with ful mouth But let not vs be astonished for al this seeing that God hath giuen vs an allowaunce in the person of our father Isaack that the Church was as a forsaken house and that he had no stock and that hee had not a great number of people and yet for all that he ceased not to holde it as an hidden treasure let vs content our selues heerewith And now for that which followeth the person of Ismael ought also to be wel marked for hee came out from the house of Abraham which at that time was the only Church in the whole worlde he bare also circumcision as if he had bene an inheritour of the kingdome of God yea he was the first borne and had the swindge in the house yea in so much that he mocked his brother as wee haue seene all ready Now it is euē so likewise at this day concerning the Papists for they are not strāgers from the church but they are as bastard children They will say also that they haue antiquitie on their side and they wēt before vs we se how they trust in their succession which they haue from the Apostles as they say that at al times there haue been Bishops prelates in their church that herevpon a man might certainly cōclud that the title of the church belongeth to thē And yet for all this they are but bastards as Ismael was forasmuch as they were not begotē by the gospel as we haue heard which is the seede of freedome but haue corrupted them selues Behold how we may account thē for Ismalites For albeit they be great peoples that we in the meane time remaine as poore vntimely fruits yet let vs know that our Lord Iesus Christ hath giuen
vs suche an example therof that at this day we might not be ashamed This then to be short is that wee haue heere to remember And heerevnto wee ought also to apply that which we read in the prophets For it is not for once that this hapened that the Church hath beene brought to a small number yea that it had nothing but horrible desolation in it as in the time of the captiuitie of Babylon what was it For therevpon it is said by Esay Reioyce O barren that diddest not beare breake foorth into ioy and reioyce thou that diddest not trauell with Childe For the desolate hath moe Children then all the maryed wiues Albeit thou hast beene as a widowe God shall multiply thee and thou shalt be a people as it were by miracle and aboue the iudgement and opinion of men and when thou shalt haue stretched out thy Pauilions heere and there all shall be filled and replenished When therefore wee heare that this is spoken to the Church let vs knowe that if God at this day to humble vs or to punish our offences doe diminish the number of them that call vpon him we must not therefore quaile but rather followe alwayes our vocation without any astonishment at all And further let vs note that we see specially in the state of the church that which is spoken off in the 113. Psalme That God filleth the houses of those that were barren before with goodly Children and a great offspring Let vs waite then till our Lord doth his worke and then we shall haue occasion to glorifie him knowing that it is not in vaine that he hath said that Abrahams seed shal be multiplied but that this must come after such a sort as is incomprehensible vnto vs that the beginnings are small as it were nothing When then we shall haue this patience it is certaine that God will woorke in such sort as we shall haue alwayes whereby to be confirmed in his promises seeing that the effecte shall shewe it selfe yea and more then we could haue thought or wished for Furthermore this we haue to mark heere in this place But there is an other difficultie too wit that although Ismael bee so aduaunced that he seeth so many successours as is woonderfull for he liued an hundred thirtie and vii yeeres and had twelue sonnes might se a people alredy discēded of his stock Although for a time he were so lifted vp yet within a while after he was as one taken away For Moyses in deede rehearseth those children he had but when he speaketh thereof in the holy history they are reiected and haue no fellowship with that true stock of Abraham which was blessed euen so let vs note that it is nothing to haue like authoritie and to haue a greate showe and goodly hue amonge men to be in reputation namely so as men wonder at vs yet all this is worth nothing in comparison of the durable state of the Church God setteth vp his house in such sorte that it seemeth as a plaie of little Children notwithstanding the foundations are perpetuall And further he continueth his grace in such sorte that a man may very well see that it is hee which is the founder of his Church which buildeth finisheth and vpholdeth it This plainely appeareth yet the vnbeleeuers haue their discourses and determinations in such sorte that they are as the grasse which groweth vpon the house toppes like as it is said in the 129. Psalme The corne shal be troden vnder feete and men cast it into the earth it remaineth there in a lowe place and in the meane vvhile behold the grasse which shall growe very high vpon the house toppes but in asmuch as it is neerer to the Sunne it taketh no roote so that it must needes wither in such sorte that there commeth no fruite of it as the Prophet there sheweth Euen so then when we see that the Lorde keepeth vs in this poore and lowe condition and that not onely we are despised but as it were vtterly reiected of all let vs knowe that it ought to suffice vs that wee haue a roote in our God to liue by his grace for euer that we are maintained by him and that we are as a tree plāted by the riuers side which alwayes shall be moystened with vvater to drawe out nourishment there from Let vs content our selues heerewith And so this comparison is not made without cause when Moyses expresly saith that Ismael begate twelue sonnes which were gathered into twelue peoples after that hee stayes there and so leaues them Further he sayth Beholde the generations of Isaack And why it is for that his wife was barren vntil that he was come to the age of Lx. yeres Behold a wonderful thing yea but vve shal find that after God had ratified his promise to wit that hee should be multiplyed in such sorte as hee had shewed vnto him that he had not spoken in vaine For what was it to see such a multitude of people in Egypt as if grasse had growen in the midest of an hot burning Ouen For this was as a fornace as the scripture speaketh which was the tyranny bondage of Egypt Behold the people as chaffe and see the fire which is kindled in euery place all about and yet for all this the people is not consumed like as is shewed in the figure of the Bushe which was as it were burning on a light fire and yet the bush remained whole and was not consumed We see likewise how the people multiplied beeing vnder such oppression and anguish that thē was not only question of an hundred thousand or of three or foure hundred thousande but beholde six hundred thousād issuing out vnder such a captiuitie And how was this possible Beholde a miracle to rauish vs in astonishment Now then let vs know that as God after this maner tryed the faith and patience of Isaack so in the ende he founde a meane to accomplish his promise yea beyond the reach of man For this came to passe after a strāge fashion which a man would not haue thought Let vs also at this day apply this to our selues and let vs practize that which is spoken in the 37. Psal. If we see the wicked the contemners of God to be aduanced as the Cedars of Libanon let vs wait for there needs no more but euen to turn our eyes and loe they are razed cut off and one shall not see so much as the place where they were And why so Because they were not planted in god Wee heare that which our Lord Iesus Christ saith Matth. 15. Euery plant which my heauenly father hath not planted shall be rooted vp So let vs not enuie the Children of this world vvhen wee shall see them in high estate when wee shall see them aduaunced to nobilitie and to dignitie and in all other things let vs waite patiently and learne our
second is that it is not inough that their houses be ful of children vnlesse that God alwayes gouerne them For it were much better that they had no ofspring at all then to haue a peruerse seede accursed and ful of mischiefe So then let fathers learne in this behalfe to followe the example of Isaack But let vs also diligently note that Isaack prayed not for an ofspring only after the natural appetite of men But he looked vp higher that is to say because that it behoued that of him should proceede the saluation of the worlde in the person of our Lord Iesus Christe the which shall bee deducted more at large heereafter But now let vs fall downe before the holy maiestie of our good God in acknowledging our faultes and praying him that he will make vs too feele them more and more and that it may be to humble vs and to bring vs to true repentaunce and that we may bee in such sorte touched with feare that we may desire nothing but to bee stripped of all our earthly affections and lustes to the ende wee may bee cloathed with his righteousnesse vntill that hee shall haue drawen vs to a ful and perfect perfection And that he wil not only doe this good vnto vs c. ⧠The second Sermon Genesis 25. Chapter So that Rebecca his wife conceaued 21 And when the Children stroue within her shee sayde If it be so to what end is it she went to aske counsell of the Lord. 22 To whome the Lord said There are twoo peoples in thy wombe and two nations brought foorth out of thy wombe shal be deuided of whome one shall be mightier then the other and the elder shall serue the younger WE sawe yesterday how God proued the faith of Isaack before he gaue him any offspring to wit for the space of xx yeeres Now to the end we should knowe that he prayed not to God in vain seeing that God heard his request the which tēded to this that God might send the sauiour of the world by meane of the seede that he had promised him Now loe whereein it was that Isaack might reioyce and not after the common manner For his wife had beene barren a long time he saw that she had conceiued that God had declared that he had not forgotten his promise after he knew that this was graunted him forasmuch as he had his recourse to god But se a newe temptation and which is more hard and more greeuous to bee borne then if his wife had remained barren For she conceiued two children the which strugled stroue togither in her belly Now this was a very hydeous thing and as it were against nature And see wherefore also she saide that it had beene better that she had beene deade this was not of any impatience that she spake thus as if shee had felte horrible torments sorrowes that had constrained her vnto it but she looked vp higher For shee bare in her wombe all the hope that might be had of the saluation of the world Now in the meane time she seeth such a combate that it seemeth that GOD ouerthroweth all and that hee woulde shew therein a signe of his wrath To be short the thing is detestable of it selfe that there should bee such a strife and battel in the wombe of a woman this came not naturally but God would now doe as we haue seene to Isaack and to her that all they that should come of their seede after the flesh should not therfore be reputed of the number of the faithful but rather that there should be mortal warre amongst them Now therfore whē she saw in steade of hauing the saluation of the world in her womb such a signe of God his wrath and as it were a diuelish fight of deadly enemyes of the Church she could not knowe the whole but shee perceiued that if she had conceiued to haue such a combate that this was as if GOD had beene against her and come with a mayne armie to say Thou art vnto me as a detestable creature and I haue cast thee off and refused thee In what case then is she when she imagineth all these thinges And so we ought not to thinke it straunge if in such anguishe she woulde rather haue chosen too die thē to see so monstrous a thing which was altogither cōtrary to the order of nature Notwithstanding it is saide that in this so great heauines she left not off to haue recourse vnto god And in very deede shee obtayned an answere to comfort her not but that there was also some griefe mingled therewith but yet God did moderate this passion that was so grieuous vnto her and said that she had two peoples in her wombe as if he shoulde haue saide that this was not onelie for the two childrens sakes which shee bare but that this had a farther respect that is to say that they should be deuided the one from the other And howsoeuer both two were the sonnes of Abraham and that it had beene saide vnto Abraham that in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed yet it must needes be that from Isaack such must descend as God shuld cut of from his Church who should be reiected and so consequently should be the enemyes of the Church of god Now it is very true that this might haue wounded both Isaack and Rebecca with a deadly sorow but yet in the meane time they see that the goodnesse of God was no whit quenched that God shewed himselfe faithful in that he had once pronounced For he had sayd The elder shall serue the younger Wherein Rebecca knew that of her howsoeuer it shoulde be should come that blessed seede which had bin promised See in briefe the whole that is here rehearsed But all would be darke if it were not declared particularly Let vs note here then that they that are called into the Churche doe not alwayes remaine there as we haue seene a notable example in Ismael who was the eldest sonne of Abraham notwithstanding he was banished from the familie and it was saide that hee shoulde not bee heire And this was not of the riches of the worlde nor of those possessions which Abraham had For he was riche in cattel in golde and siluer but he had not one foote of lande This heritage therfore to what had it respect Euen to the spirituall promise that is too say that God had chosen the seede of Abraham which was as much to say as this shal be a people that shall be dedicated to my seruice and those that shall come of them wil I receiue and accept for my children to the ende I may gather them into euerlasting life Marke then howe Ismael with his birthright is cast from the hope of life and it remaineth onely to Isaack And euen so is it herein concerning Esau and Iacob For both these were descended of Abraham yea they were twinnes
their mother bare them in one belly yet that one is receiued and the other reiected one is chosen and the other refused So then we see that they who for a time haue place in the church beare the title of the faithful of the children of God may wel be so accoūted before men but they are not writtē in the boke of life God knoweth them not nor auoucheth them for his Hereby we are admonished not proudly to vaunt our selues nor to be drunken with sottish presumption whē God shall shew vs this fauour to bring vs into his church but let vs walke in puritie labor to make sure our electiō to haue the testimonie thereof in our heartes by the holy Ghost not to trust only to the outwarde title apparaunce which wee may pretende before the world see what we haue heere too marke And moreouer wee are taught a farre greater thinge and that is in the first place that albeit God had established his couenaunt with Abraham yet notwithstanding he would declare that this was not all to haue made offer of his grace but that it behoued that hee chuse according to his libertie such as he thought good that the rest should remaine in their cursed state And therfore S. Paule alledgeth this place to apply it to the secret election of God through which before the foundation of the world he chose those as seemed good vnto him Now this is a very high and profound matter but when it shal be farther declared euery one may make his profite of it so that we be attentiue vnto it And for the remnaunt let vs receiue that which the holy scripture sheweth vnto vs with sobrietie let vs not desire to be wiser thē is lawful for vs but let vs rest in that which God shal speak vnto vs moreouer let vs be hūble not to reply against him nor to bring forth our fantasies before him as though we would pleade against God but acknowledging that his iudgemēts are bottomles let vs not search farther therein then is permitted vnto vs Now it behoueth that wee handle these things in such sort that that which at the first shew semeth to be dark be made more easie to vs We haue alredy sene that God hath chosen Abrahams sede Now if a man wold aske whye or by whom he was brought so to do he shall not finde that Abraham was any worthier then others as we haue alredy largely inough handled this matter Lo thē a priuiledge which was giuen to a certain familie not flowing frō any merite neither for that God found any thing in their persons wherfore they ought to be preferred for they were no better nor more excellent then others but it pleased him so Nowe it is very true that this will be harde for vs to digest if wee bring in our owne iudgement as there are a great sort of fantastical heades which cannot abide this doctrine For it seemeth good to them to reply against God But what profite they thereby in the end We haue alleadged that herein we must bring with vs an humilitie for to reuerence that which is hiddē from vs And indeed S. Paule hath well shewed vs this by his example For instead of disputing the matter he cryeth out ▪ ô how wonderfull are the iudgements of God Beholde S. Paule who was altogether amased hee found himselfe astonished he that had beene rapte vp aboue the heauens he that had seene the secrets of God which was not lawful for man to vtter Saint Paule then who was as a man would say a companion of Angelles was founde in this case to meruell and to be altogether confounded and what shall become of these Scullions who haue scarcely licked with the tippe of their tongue one word of the law and Gospel and yet neuerthelesse would go beyond S. Paule And yet men shal find this pride in very many But for our parte let vs returne to that which is heere shewed vs O man who art thou When therefore we will make comparison betwixt God and vs who is God within what compasse shall we inclose him Shall it bee within the compasse of our braine And wee haue scarcely half an ounce of wit and in meane season God who closeth his fiste to holde the whole world as a grain of dust as Esay the prophet saith and is not comprehended neither in heauen nor in earth who hath an infinite power an infinite iustice and wisdome and who hath incomprehensible counsayles and yet for al that we must come to make him subiect to our foolish fantasie And whereto will this grow Moreouer who are we Men saith S. Paul. By which word he meaneth that we are nothing at all as if he should say must it be that thou presume so much as to dare to enquire of the bottomlesse secretes of God seeing thou art nothing but clay doung And againe what is thy vnderstanding Thou art full of sinne and iniquitie thou art a poore blinde one and yet thou wilt that God shal make an account to thee and wilt thou conclude that if thou finde not that which he doeth good and reasonable that thou mayest accuse him and must he needes holde vp his hande at thy barre Nowe let vs marke this admonition in the first place and let vs knowe that our Lorde Iesus Christ teacheth vs that we cannot doe amisse to hearken and open our eares to enquire and search after that that it hath pleased him we shoulde knowe but let vs take heede that we goe not beyonde it For there is no rage so great and outragious as when wee wil knowe more then God doeth shewe vs And moreouer we shall haue spunne a faire threed if wee apply all our sences and all our studyes thereto whether is it that wee shall come ▪ This shall be alwayes to inwrappe vs so muche the more in a Labyrinth and maze vnlesse wee haue the direction of God too shewe vs the way Let vs therfore keepe this meane that is to say to hearken to that which God doeth propounde vnto vs and as soone as hee shall once shutte his mouth let vs haue all our vnderstandings locked vp captiue and let vs not enterprise to knowe more then that he shal haue pronounced vnto vs Nowe therefore see howe the stocke of Abraham was chosen before al the rest of the worlde forasmuch as God so would but this was not yet enough For it behoueth that his free election be yet better confirmed vnto vs And this is it that is here shewed vnto vs in the person of two brethrē For beholde Rebecca which bare Iacob Esau was the one better thē the other S. Paule expoūding this place saith And they were not yet beene How then could they haue obtayned fauour and grace before God for their merites for Iacob had done neither good not euill no more then Esau Why then doth God make him the greater It behoueth not
that we enter into any deeper disputation of this matter vnlesse it bee to adore with astonishment the secret councell of God through which those which seemed good to him are elected and the other reiected See then how God woulde yet giue greater glory beautie to his mercie when he had chosen Iacob before Esau For in deede he might haue wel placed Iacob the formoste when the Infants should coome forth frō their mothers wombe Men may well vnderstand that this was not by any aduenture as it is said in the Psalme Thou hast drawen mee out from my mothers wombe And God manifesteth a singular power when children come into the world And why then did not hee permit ordaine that Iacob should haue the priuiledge of birthright For this was meete since he ment to banish Esau out of the church and would haue Iacob to remaine there to succeede in the place of his father Isaack and Abraham And why doth God then pull him back make him inferiour to his brother as touching the law of nature and afterwards setteth him aboue him In this we see that God would shut out all glory of man that he would that al height should be thrown down and that men should bring nothing of their owne to the ende to say I haue attained such or such a good thing I haue gotten it by mine owne industrie We see then that which I haue already touched that is to saye that wee haue heere a glasse wherein we may beholde that all they that are of the church are not aduanced therto by their own vertue and that they haue not obtained this fauor by their merites but that God hath chosen thē before they were borne See thē briefly what we haue to holde out of this place But now a man might heere moue some dout For Moyses saith expressely that this was extended to two peoples and that it was not only in respect of Iacob and Esau that this strugling combate was mooued as touching their persons but that it was in respect of their successors eche others posteritie Now it is so that many which descended of Iacob were neuerthelesse reiected For he stayeth vpon that that is spoken heere to wit that the stock offspring of Iacob was chosen and that of Esau reiected and yet notwithstanding a man may see that the most part of those that descēded of Iacob were disalowed of god that he pronoūceth them bastard children the children of an harlot such as were sprong of fornication that they belōged nothing at al vnto him that it was a vain thing for thē to glory or boast of his name Now how can these agre togither Let vs mark that god setteth such a spectacle before the eyes of Iacob Rebecca to shew them what the cōdition state of the church should be For God in few wordes testifieth vnto them that his church should com of Iacob and not that all they which he should beget concerning the fleshe must be of the church but it was inough that he remained there that God kept him that Esau was driuen out in time as afterwards we shall see This shal be better vnderstoode by that exposition which Saint Paule giueth he taketh this sentence thus All they which are of Iacob after the flesh are not for all that true Israelites that is to say they are not of the people of god For he had two names as wee shall see hereaftet to wit Iacob Israel And that it is so before the children were borne loe God which seuereth the one from the other and sheweth that this is not one body and that they were not vnited togither but that one was reserued the other reiected S. Paule therefore wel vnderstoode that they which should be borne of Iacob were not all elected of God for hee sendeth vs to the beginning and saith that the one was separated from the other by the secret counsaile of God that we cannot comprehend set foorth the reason thereof forasmuche as I haue already saide that hee keepeth his libertie in such sorte that it wel suffiseth that the Church be engendred of his stocke albeit that all doe not appertaine vnto it We haue before declared that there was a double grace or fauour in this stock of Abraham one was that God had in generall declared that hee would be their father Circumcision also was cōmon to them all Now circumcision was not in vaine but it bare witnesse of the remissiō of sinnes and of the righteousnes that all the faithfull must obtain through our Lord Iesus Christ Lo thē Ismael who was circūcised asmuch as was on gods behalf he receiued the sacrament that might assure him that God accoūted him of the number of his children that he was a member of Iesus Christe that the cursse which he had drawen from Adam was abolished yea but this stoode him in no steed at all Asmuch may be said of Esau of all their like but howsoeuer it was we must not despise the benefite that he shewed towardes all the stocke of Abraham As at this day when wee speake of the inestimable blessing that God hath bestowed vpon vs when his Gospel was preached this same shall be spoken vnto all indifferently Men will say that God hath vsed a very singular mercie towards vs in asmuch as he hath lightened vs by his word that we should know the way of saluatiō In the meane time we see others that wander in darckenesse and confusion as if God had forgotten and altogither cast them off Beholde the Papists albeit they bee ful of pride and rebellion yet they are tossed too fro of Sathan so as they know neither way nor path in meane time god calleth vs to him dayly there is mention of his couenant to the end that we shuld know that he is alwaies merciful vnto vs and that we may call vpon him in a true certaintie not douting but that he wil be our father Beholde then a benefite which wee ought not to esteeme lightly off and yet there are a greate many too whome this serueth not but to condemnation For there is somuch the more vnthankfulnesse if they be rebelles against God and disdain to accept the fatherly fauour that hee offered vnto them So then beholde such a fauour already bestowed vppon vs as that was vppon the stocke of Abraham but yet there was also a seconde grace the which must yet be restrained to these bounds to witt that God hath chosen of this stock those that hath seemed good vnto him as he receiued Isaack to him selfe and Ismael had no place in his house he might well be accounted for a time a member of his house but in the end he was cut off Asmuch may be said of the children of Keturah and beholde although Esau were the first borne yet God shut him out See therefore a second fauour which was in Abrahams
with some puffe wee bee not mooued and troubled and that our thoughts doe not wander that we do not conceiue many thinges at randon and that wee haue not many disputes bothe on the one side and on the other to be shorte that wee be not tossed as if there were some kinde of tempest whirlewind which carryed vs about We can not haue our spirites altogither quiet nor so well guyded that they shall haue no troubles And this is declared vnto vs in Rebecca when shee sayeth If it bee so to what end I or why doe I liue She desireth death and yet shee is the mother of the faithfull Shee representeth the Church Now if this were in her that bare in her belly the hope of the saluation of the worlde what shal be in vs So considering that we haue our mindes so ready to conceiue follyes and vanities and moreouer so ready also to cast vs off the hinges in the end so subiect to make vs storme against God so much the rather it standeth vs in hande to search out the remedy Now that is heere giuen vs in Rebecca For she fodes not her selfe in her sadnesse shee byteth not vpon the brydle as many doe who sticke there which seeke to haue no meane wherein to content themselues nor to make them quiet setled but they wander this way and that way and alwayes adde fantasies to fantasies plunge them selues so deepe in their imaginations that the Deuill afterwards possesseth them and driueth them by all violence and fury against god Rebecca doth not so But when she felt that this was an intolerable greefe vnto her she withdraweth her self vnto God she enquireth of him and answere was giuen vnto her by and by She had therfore whervpon to rest her selfe when she knewe that so was the good pleasure of GOD and when shee sawe what hee demaundeth and that one of her owne children should bee cut off from the Church and the other reserued shee knowing this it behoueth that she rest there and submit her selfe thervnto the which thing she doth For she striueth not against god Likewise we read not that at any time after she murmured but we see that she hearkened vnto God and brought forth children afterwards and alwayes she rested her selfe in that which had bene said vnto her and set her minde and affection vpon Iacob And why so Because she knewe that hee was ordained of God to be the blessed seed which she had hoped for so as she behaued her self more manfully in this respect then Isaack her husband Now this is to shew vs that when wee are in any trouble wee must straightway haue our recourse to god For our spirits are not able enough too knowe these hidden things yea wee see that in the moste easyest things in the world as seemeth vnto vs we shal be many times rauished astonished And what shal it be then when the question shal be of the iudgements of God which are incomprehensible and which are of so high and profounde matter that the holy Ghoste teacheth vs in steade of curious searching after thē that we must adore them shall men presume of their reason of that they shall builde vpon their good lyking and shall they examine all after their owne fantasie and opinion It is certain that such presumption shall not remaine vnpunished it is seene also For wherfore is it that so many dogges at this day spue out their blasphemies against this doctrine of predestination It is because they vouchsafe not to enquire at the mouth of God but they wil giue sentence as their braine wil beare forsooth as though we were fit and sufficient So then let vs followe the example of Rebecca that is to say when all these questlons shall come before our eyes and that we shall be tormented on euery side in thinking And how is it possible that the moste parte of the world shall perish and the rest be saued Howe commeth it to passe that one is elected and another reiected Howe is it that the greateste number goe to destruction and that there is but an handfull of people which God reserueth to him selfe When we shall bee thus tormented let vs haue recourse vnto God that is to say let vs hearken to that which is shewed vs in the holy Scripture let vs pray God that hee will open our eares and our eyes to the ende we may vnderstand his will. And farther haue wee this It behoueth vs altogither to rest therein and to bee quiet For there is no cause of disputing any farther when God hath once pronounced his sentence To be short this is dayly to shewe vs that wee can not euer dispose our selues to receiue the instruction of the holy Scripture and to seeke all our wisedome there vnlesse we haue this modestie and humilitie in vs not to desire to vnderstand or knowe any thinge but that which is contayned therein Wee neede not any reuelation from heauen at this day as Rebecca had It is very true that some coniectured that she went vnto some Prophet but they were thin sowen in the worlde then For a man may easily perceiue that Melchezedech was dead and that there was not any moe then Abraham and Isaack This then is a Dreame to thinke that shee went to the schooles of the Prophets but she had a reuelation as our text heere sheweth And our condition at this day is not altogither like and neither haue we also such neede thereof For then there was neither the Lawe nor the Gospel At this day wee haue all perfection of doctrine For God in olde time hath spoken vnto our Fathers and not in secrete nor in obscuritie as sayeth Esaie the Prophet And this was not in vaine that hee sayde that men should seeke him as Moyses protesteth Beholde the way walke in the same I haue sette before you this day the waye of saluation and Heauen and Earth are witnesses vnto mee that I haue declared vnto you what you muste doe to come vnto euerlasting life And afterwardes although God haue his secretes saith he in an other place yet notwithstanding this that is to say the summe of the lawe is for you and for your children to the ende that you shoulde bee taught in the way of saluation But besides this wee haue yet the Gospel wherein our Lord Iesus Christ hath shined vnto vs in all fulnesse For he is that sonne of righteousnesse Seeing therefore wee haue so sufficient testimonyes shall we demaunde that Angels come downe from Heauen and that God will yet open vnto vs that is hidden from vs But let vs as I haue already said content our selues with the holy Scripture And when there is any cause of inquiring after God if we will haue him for our maister let vs come to the holy Scripture let vs remember that which Moyses saith Thou shalt not say Who is he that shall ascend aboue the Cloudes Who is he
the euill that is in vs we delight in that which is good When then we haue this it is certaine that if wee be not harder then yron and steele wee ought to haue all rebellion shiuered and broken and that we bee inflamed with the loue of God haue our mouth open to blesse and prayse that so excellent magnificent grace which he hath shewed towards vs See then the marke that the scripture setteth before vs Now in the meane time these varletes will not sticke to say O shall God bee an accepter of persons Forsooth as if God regarded in his election rich or poore as if he regarded a noble man more then a poore man or a wise man more then an Idiot For marke what it is to accept persons This word Person in the holy scripture importeth Looke or countenaunce as also the Scripture vseth it But God chooseth vs not for our fayre eyes Who is it that discerned thee wee alleadged yesterday that of S. Paule When God therefore chooseth these whom it pleased him it is in his euerlasting councell and in him selfe that is to say he hath his secrets which we ought to reuerence without farther inquiry why seeing this is so it is certain that we cannot say that he accepteth persons And they which so speake are doltes besides the malice that is in them Now then they will say And how is it that the one shal be saued by faith and not the other if all depend vpon the election of God But yet heerein they shew to grosse beastlynesse For from whence proceedeth faith it selfe but from the election of God They say ô the promises of God are generall and God calleth all the world to saluation It followeth therefore that all the worlde shal be saued Yea he would that al the world shuld be saued but this is to make the reprobate inexcusable For the promises of God do vndoutedly coÌ„taine our saluation and wee shall not be deceiued leaning vpon them But what We must knowe from wheÌ„ce the faith is which we haue For when the gospel is preached why is it that one sort profite therin receiue it with due reuerence humilitie of hart the other doe not but rather become worse by it This is forasmuch as they which were ordained to saluation saith S. Luke speaking of the preaching of S. Paule they saith he did beleeue Marke S. Paul who preached it is certain that if euer there were dexteritie in a faithful teacher it was S. Paule that had it and yet all were not good scholers there was but one parte that receued his doctrin Whence came this was it of their industrie was it because they were euill disposed It is very true that God disposeth But that this coÌ„meth not from them S. Luke sheweth preuenteth heere al mens dotages and saith that they which were ordained to saluation beleeued And mark also wherfore our Lord Iesus Christe saith That those that his heauenly father had giuen him shoulâ— not perishe but that he would keepe them to the ende Now when he saith they which are giuen mee of my father he calleth vs to that eternal election He sayeth also in an other place Thine they were thou gauest them vnto me And wherfore is it that the one belong vnto God not the other This is not in respect that they are mortall men For our nature is alike we are all created by one father but the one belongeth vnto God and the other are cast off from him because it so pleased him Hee acknowledgeth and accepteth the one for his owne the other although they be his creatures neuertheles they haue no acquaintaÌ„ce with him he accepteth them not of his houshold in asmuch as he hath shut them out from his election We se then heere how faith is a speciall gifte of God which proceedeth not from our free wil not that we can of our selues goe forward and that some are more able to coÌ„prehend then others but for that it hath pleased God to reueale his secrets to those whome he hath elected And therfore see also why it is said in Esaie Who is he that will beleeue our hearing For Esay had preached of the death and resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ as if he had desplayed the banner to declare that euery one should come to bee reconcyled to God that poore sinners should be receiued to mercy that their satisfaction righteousnes is altogither redy that God desireth nothing but to bee mercifull to those that seeke him hath Esay preached so but he crieth out forthwith Who will beleeue our hearing And why so For he saw in spirit the presumptioÌ„ rebellion of vnbeleuers because they caÌ„not yeeld theÌ„selues to be ordred by God but are wild haue always their mouth opeÌ„ to reply against God forthwith they haue a waÌ„dring faÌ„tasie they may not obay He sheweth that his doctrin shal not be receiued of the greatest nuÌ„ber and addeth the reasoÌ„ that the arme of god that is to say his strength power is not reueled to al he sheweth there that it is not in our selues that we haue â—either mouing â—or entrance nor preparatioÌ„ nor any thing whatsoeuer it be but that it must be God that must worke therein Nowe if it be so in generall it must followe then that faith commeth from this roote of the election of god Now touching the rest when wee shall haue knowne this there is no question that wee should bury all that instruction which our Lord hath giuen vs in the holy Scripture For after that he hath declared to vs his will he exhorteth vs he reprooueth vs hee threateneth vs If we were as these rennagate spirits which say To what purpose do you preach so much vnto vs If God haue elected and chosen vs vnto himselfe we cannot perish and if we be reprobate what shall all the doctrine that shall euer be heard auayle vs yea but all agreeth very well when we exceede not our bounds We haue already sayd that faith coÌ„meth from election Then like as God hath chosen vs so also he calleth vs in time as afterwards shal be handled more at large For the place wil serue there more fitly But howe soeuer it bee God is not contrary to himselfe and like as he testifieth vnto vs that it is by his free mercy that he enlighteneth vs by the faith of his Gospel and in the knowledge of our Lorde Iesus Christ so wil he that we walk in feare carefulnes that we be touched with his threatnings that we be gathered vnto him al this he willeth And in deed mark these two senteÌ„ces that men with their impudencie rashnes would weene to be contrary and neuertheles they agree very well one with the other Iesus Christ saith Come vnto me all you that labour and are heauy loaden I wil refresh you you shall finde rest to your soules See howe
wee are all bidden by the sonne of God not only two or three but all in generall For hee sayth Come all you that are heauy loaden and yet in another place hee saieth No man can come vnto mee except it be giuen him of my father None therefore can come vnto Iesus Christ vnlesse he be drawen by the heauenly father It seemeth that this is cōtrary yea he that would iudge thereof according to mans reason to say that Iesus Christ inuiteth vs all vnto him and further addeth that none can come vnto him vnlesse the father drawe him Very wel but as I haue already said when God generally setteth saluation before vs in Iesus Christe his onely sonne it is to make the reprobate so much the more inexcusable for their vnthankfulnes inasmuch as they haue despised so great a benefite in the meane season the elect are touched and God doth not onely speake outwardly to them but also inwardly And see why in another place our Lord Iesus Christ saith Whosoeuer hath beene taught of God my father the same shal come vnto me But as I haue sayd when the Gospel is preached in the name of God this is asmuch as if he himselfe did speake in his owne person and yet all come not to Iesus Christ Ther are a great many that go back the more whē they haue heard the Gospel for then the deuill kindleth them in such a rage that they are more outragious thē euer before this commeth to passe because there is a twofolde hearing the one is preaching For the voice of a man will not enter into the hearts of his hearers I speake but it behooueth that I heare my selfe beeing taught by the spirit of God For otherwise the word which procedeth from my mouth should profite me no more then it doth all others except it be giuen me from aboue and not out of mine owne head Therfore the voice of man is nothing but a sound that vanisheth in the ayre and notwithstanding it is the power of God to saluation to all beleeuers saith Saint Paule When then God speaketh vnto vs by the mouth of men then he adioyneth the inwarde grace of his holy spirit to the ende that the doctrine be not vnprofitable but that it may bring forth fruite See then howe wee heare the heauenly father that is to say when hee speaketh secretly vnto vs by his holy spirit then we come vnto our Lord Iesus Christ Mark then the summe of that we haue to learne that is when God declareth vnto vs his eternall election that he hath giuen vs such a testimonie that wee cannot dout therof when he hath shewed vs that this is our benefite saluation and so that we take not too much libertie to wrangle against him and to enter into crooked ouerthwart disputations that then the whole shall profite vs For it is certaine that this is the true reioycing of the faithfull to be instructed concerning this election of god Moreouer whē we see the wicked to cast foorth their cauels against God their slaunders to peruert all and to bringe this doctrine into hatred let vs not think it straunge for it must needs bee that they declare them selues to be reprobates I haue said that we must rest our selues in the euerlasting councel of God whereby hee hath chosen some cast off others If now the reprobate come to fight against the trueth of God it is no newe thing For they are appointed to this and it must needes be that they declare themselues to bee such as they are and wee must call to minde that sentence of Ose the which is put in the ende of his Booke The wayes of the Lorde are good right also The righteous will walke in them but the wicked shall fall therein Now he addeth also Who is wise that will vnderstand this And who is a prudent man that wil vnderstand these thinges The Prophet sheweth that when wee speake of the iudgements of God it behoueth that we haue a speciall wisedome to receaue them and shall this wisdome be found in al our braines that is farre off So then it behoueth that we haue a wisdome giuen vs by the meere mercie of God. Nowe that which followeth is to shewe vs that this is a rare and most excellent thinge when men shall be apte to bee taught and modest and that they shall yeelde to bee ledde by God and shall suffer them selues to bee gouerned by his woorde when they shall receaue full instruction which shall bee vnto them a good foode for their soules When this shall come to passe it must bee acknowledged to bee a rare and singular benefite of God and must assure vs that he hath blessed vs And therefore it behooueth that we be armed and prepared against all offences If wee see that the wicked shall come to pushe with their Hornes against GOD and to barke and shewe their teeth as Mastiues when they cannot byte then let vs practise this doctrine of the Prophet whē he saith that the wayes of God are righteous good yea and the righteous shall walk in them We shall alwayes finde this so that we haue not a malicious and frowarde spirit that may turne vs from God but let vs be quiet and let vs aske nothing but that our Lord shew vs the path that we ought to followe when we shall be such it is certaine that we shall alwayes finde euen grounde there shall be no question that wee shoulde walke and take our pleasure Beholde I say the ioy wee shall haue when wee shall walke in the Lordes wayes but contrariwise it is said that the wicked shall fall And where shal it be in hell Shall it bee in the Deuils way It is said that it shall bee in the very wayes of God that all that shall bee set forth vnto them of the iudgements of God of his eternall counsaile of his prouidence of his fatherly loue he beareth to his children in all these saith he the wicked shall fall So let vs be in such wise established that all the ruines and falles which we shall see before our eyes hynder vs not from marching alwayes forwards in that good way which our Lord doth set before vs But it behoueth vs oftentimes to remember that which is heere handled by Moyses And that is he sayth expressely That the one shal be stronger then the other and the elder shall serue the younger In speaking of the stronger it is to shewe vs that when Gods election is stedfast and vndoubted and that we are vpholden by his holy spirite we must no longer feare this is a very profitable poynt yea necessary For what is our condition There needes not but one puffe of wind to beate vs down there needes but a flye to dazel our eyes and yet wee are heere layde open to so many combates as nothing more Beholde our enemyes which are in number infinite and I speake
not of those which we see with the eye but of spirituall enemies For the aire is full of deuils which lye in wayte for vs yea which are as roring Lyons besides their slights Alas what shall wee be able to doe It must needes be that we be in distresse vexation continually without ende that we be as poore people strickē thorow if we knew not that our Lorde hath our saluation in his owne hand and that hee will keepe it S. Peter sayth that it is well kept in hope and that faith is as it were a capcase but hee sendeth vs to God and our Lorde Iesus Christe hath yet declared this more plaine vnto vs when he saith that all that was giuen vnto him of his father shall not perish And why so The father who hath giuen you sayth he vnto me is stronger then all So then he sayth that wee may reioyce in this that God will haue pitie vpon vs vntill the end and that he wil keepe vs and although he suffer vs to stumble yea so as we fall yet we shall be recouered vpholden by his hand And how is it that we can trust in this Without election it is impossible ▪ but when wee knowe that the father hath committed vs into the keeping of his sonne we are certaine that we shall bee maintained by him vnto the ende For wee haue his promise whereby he hath bound himselfe vno vs to preserue vs farther he maketh it vntill the last day vntill the resurrection And forasmuch as the beginning and end of our saluation is in him see in whome we may reioyce our selues That is that in acknowledging our weaknesses bricklenesse and that we are nothing and that we want all things yet we may say the Lorde which hath called me vnto himselfe will finish his owne worke as is said in the 138. Psalme Lord thou wilte not leaue the worke of thine owne handes in the middest So then we must holde fast this doctrine that the one shal be more strong For our faith shall remaine victorious ouer all the world And how It behoueth vs I say to haue our foundation vppon the election of God that we may be so setled thereon that wee knowe that our Lorde beeing our Father will not suffer that we perishe seeing wee are his children Now Moyses addeth by and by that the elder shall serue the younger In this wee haue yet a more ample confirmation of that which I touched euen nowe that is that we must be so assured of our saluation although that we be weake that the world despise vs and we haue no greater shew of strength And why so God would that we should for a time be the lesser that is to say that we should be little and despised to the end that his glory might be the more knowen esteemed For if we had greatnesse and glory in our selues dignitie it is certaine that these should be as vailes to shadowe the meere and free bountie of God but when we are weake in our selues see wherein it is knowen that it is hee which doeth all it muste needes be that his hand be in such sort aduaunced that we come not to mingle our selues therin and that we throw not forth our cloudes to hinder that the praise of our saluatiō be wholly attributed to him Marke then that we haue heere to learne that is on the one side although that we be weake that we cease not to goe freely forward knowing that our strength consisteth in God and when he doth not fully shewe it it is to the end that our weaknes should be an occasion to humble vs See this for one principall point And in very deede we should be colde yea and quite negligent in calling vppon him if we knewe not our necessitie but when we see that we can do nothing then we must haue our refuge to him who can supply all our wantes and then wee shall render vnto him the sacrifice of praise which is due vnto him after that wee haue byn heard of him In the meane time also we haue to note that God doth not at the first dash shew to the viewe of the eye our saluation but it must bee hid in appearāce and that for a time we be as castawayes and that the wicked treade vs vnder their feete that they be in degree without comparison more high then we Notwithstanding let it suffice vs that we are as a precious treasure before god Behold also why our Lord Iesus Christ saith Feare not my little flock but reioyce and be not as a scattered and discomforted flocke And why so Because the father delighteth in thee Mark then from whence we must haue all our reioycing marke of whome we must bee armed to haue victory and to tryumph against all temptations When we see in these dayes the enemyes of the Gospel and the Deuils supporters to make their bragges and make no account of others in comparison of them selues and when in the meane time they despise vs and not only that but farther account vs as most desperate creatures as though we were vnworthy as men say to be eaten of Dogges When therefore wee shall see this at this day yea that the greatest number shal be as poore staruelings and that they shal haue no bread to eate that they shall not haue their ease nor their commoditie Let vs remember that that is heere spoken that the greater shall serue the lesser Now this seruice came not to passe at the first dashe For we shal see afterwards that Iacob came to crowch before his brother and called him his Lorde hee trembled as a poore Lamb before him and then gaue him all his goods as a pray And where was this subiection of Esau where was the superioritie of Iacob when hee submitted him selfe in such sort It seemeth that he giues vp all but hee knoweth that God would not accōplish this at the firste day Marke then why he did beare his pouertie so patiently because God would as if a man might say that he should creepe vppon the earth and yet this shall not hinder but that hee should alwayes attayne to that saluation wherunto he was called And why so For God dependeth not vppon all all these earthly things And which is more as I haue already sayd he will that we begin heere to humble our selues before him following that which I alleadged ere while from the mouth of our Lord Iesus Christ that so we knowe that our Heauenly Father bee well pleased with vs wee passe not for the reste or rather that wee bee not so shaken that this doe depraue vs and bring vs out of tast and so hinder vs from doing good but that wee doubte not that amiddest all the troubles and greefes that may happen vnto vs we haue alwayes wherein to reioyce For who shall seperate vs from the loue that God hath borne vs in Christ our Lorde seeing that
God hath chosen vs in our Lord Iesus Christ that he hath called vs to the faith of his Gospel hath imprinted in our harts the testimonie of his fatherly loue we wil alwaies defie our enemyes although we be poore and feeble yea though we be nothing in the common opinion of men yet we shall not cease to be grounded vppon this promise That the greater shall serue the lesse and younger And seeing it is so let vs not desire to bee great after the worlde for although that we be cōtemptible despised yet this hindreth vs not from beeing the heires of the world although we neither haue landes nor possessions yet doe all things belong vnto vs contrariwise the wicked haue an horrible and heauie accounte to make for that they in such sorte deuoure Gods benefites and reioyce so much concerning those riches which he hath giuen them and yet glorifie not God in them But they must pay full dearely for them and as for vs although we bee stripped of all riches that we be in opprobrie reproch to be short that there is nothing but pouertie in vs yet seeing we know that hee hath his hād stretched out to vpholde vs we may boast our selues against all our enemies And in the meane time let vs remember that which is saide in Esay that we are as a precious crowne in the hand of the Lord and as the ring of his finger and as his seale and that neither Egypt nor Assyria that is to say the greatest Monarchies of the world are so highly esteemed of him as we are not for any value that is in vs as I haue said alredy but because it hath pleased him to chose vs to reserue vs in the number of those whome he will haue to him selfe and wee knowe this forasmuch as we see through faith and hope that he hath drawen vs from those gulfes in which we were to the end he might bring vs to an euerlasting inheritance Now let vs fall downe before the face of our good God in acknowledging our offences praying him that he will in such sorte make vs to feele them that it may be to spoile vs of all wicked lusts and rebellions and that wee may be so renewed that we may ratifie our vocation in lyuing holyly confirming our selues wholly to his righteousnes and that he wil so supporte vs in our infirmities that he suffer vs not howsoeuer wee bee compassed about with so many enemyes that we neuer faile but that he wil supply all our weakenesses to the ende that his election may declare his power euen to the end that we may in such sort feele the frute thereof that we may haue wherein to glorifie him both in life and death And so let vs all say ô Almightie God heauenly Father wee acknowledge and confesse in our selues as the truth is that we are not worthy c. ⧠The fourth Sermon of Iacob and Esau Genesis 25. 24 Therefore when the dayes of her deliueraunce was come beholde twinnes were in her wombe 25 So hee that came out firste was redde hee was all ouer as a rough garmente and they called his name Esau 26 And afterwarde came his brother out and his hand held Esau by the heele therefore his name was called Iacob Nowe Isaack was threescore yeeres olde when Rebecca bare them 27 And the boyes grewe and Esau was a cunning hunter and was a man of labour but Iacob was a simple man and dwelled in tents 28 And Isaack loued Esaw for Venison was his meate but Rebecca loued Iacob BEcause the election of GOD is secret in it selfe it is necessary that it shewe it selfe with the time as God caused his workes to come to perfection For it sufficeth not that God haue once chosen vs and that he haue marked vs but he must also cōtinewe this to the ende and that he declare that his election is not in vain but that he hath his strength and power to conduct vs to saluation Now hee doth this after diuerse sortes For God is not bound to keepe alwayes one course he hath his meanes such as it pleaseth him to appoynt Sometime he sheweth his election very quickly sometime he deferreth it for a long space and they that thinke that there is a certaine seede in all those whome God hath elected so as men may discerne them from other because they are enclyned to good and haue some affectiō to serue God they fouly ouershoote themselues and are also conuinced by experience Iohn Baptist was sanctified from the wombe of his mother but it is farre otherwise in many others For God suffereth his electe sometimes to be as scattered sheepe and they seeme as though they were altogether lost and this is to the ende to giue the greater glory to his grace As wee see now some signe in Iacob that God had chosen him and reiected his brother Esau For Iacob held the heele of his brother as if he had fought against him And this came not to passe by chaunce neither was it doone by nature but God shewed as it were with the finger that Esau was the firste borne and yet was neuerthelesse put back and Iacob who was the inferiour in his birth should yet in time be preferred Mark then what we haue to learne vpon this place that is that God will approue that which he hath pronounced as we saw yesterday That the greater shall serue the lesser and And this hath already beene shewed in the birth of twoo infantes But of this example we haue to gather in generall that those whome God hath chosen he hath preuented by this meanes doth ratifie his counsell and decree when his execution appeareth And so though we can not enter so farre to knowe who they are that were elected before the foundation of the world notwithstanding our election shal be testified vnto vs so farre foorth as shall be necessary For if God as a man woulde say doe keepe the protocoll or originall draught thereof with him selfe it followeth not but that hee doth giue vs such testimonie thereof that we may be assured that he both is and will be a father vnto vs to the end that we should call vpon him in this affiance For it is not saide heere albeit there were a vocatiō as the holy scripture speaketh that is to say that he had declared vnto Iacob that he had elected him This wil com with the time ▪ but it is said simply that God had shewed it as it were to the eye that the answere which he had giuē to Rebecca was not in vain Why so the effect appeared in this that Iacob helde the heele of his brother But heere by the way God would shewe by this figure that his electe come not to their ende without many combates It is true that Iacob knewe not what this ment and his age also did not suffer it but this notwithstanding muste serue to teach vs and
to estraunge them somuch the more from God and to prouoke his wrath yea sometimes they are enemyes to all trueth as wee may see in the example of S. Paule who was as an outragious beaste shedding innocent bloode and striuing for nothing more as a rauening Wolfe then to scatter all the Churches Againe see the Corinthians who were whore maisters giuen to all kinde of villanies as Saint Paule declareth And asmuch is saide of the Romaines Yee were saith hee in times past both whoremongers and proude persons giuen to all oppression deceit yeelding al your members to euill to the seruice of sinne And a little after he sayth to the Ephesians Yee were in times past without God without any hope of life ye were altogither darkenes ye were in euerlasting death Now when our Lorde to the ende to humble vs shall suffer vs for a time to bee so scattered and then shall suddainly call vs to himselfe let vs acknowledge and say alas wee ought not onely to magnifie GOD for that hee hath chosen vs as wee see the fruite thereof but also because he hath drawen vs from this gulfe wherin we were And so much the more must we striue and redeeme the time past as S ▪ Paule speaketh thereof in that we haue alleadged Yee were sometimes darkenesse but nowe you are light in the Lorde saith hee and therefore walke as Children of light And let vs often remember that which our Lord Iesus Christ saith There are many sheepe that are not of this folde For he spake of the Gentiles who were shut out from all hope of saluation He calleth them sheepe not in respect of them selues For they were sauage beastes but in respect of Gods election although they were a scattered people yet he sayth that he would gather them togither Therefore when it pleaseth God to withdrawe vs from dissipation wherin we haue beene let vs learne to giue eare to the voice of this great Pastor not onely by giuing some outwarde signe that we doe allow it but that it be to followe him and obay him in all thinges Marke then what it is that wee haue to learne out of this place And farther let vs not bee ashamed when the Lord shall not giue vnto his faithfull and to his whole Church such a goodly shewe amongst men to the ende to bee had in reputation Let vs not bee ashamed of our basenesse so that he be gloryfied As nowe it seemeth that the Church muste bee troden vnder feete and wee see also howe prophane people and the Children of this worlde make no reckoning of those whome God hath gathered to him selfe Now let vs beare this patiently after the example of our father Iacob let it not trouble vs if the worlde in a manner doe spyt in our face so that we be approued of god Marke then howe euery one of vs haue to practise this doctrine in him selfe and also in the whole body of the Church And againe although wee bee not estemed of the worlde and that fewe doe allowe vs and clap their handes at vs yet God woorketh in suche sorte that that which is most contemptible in the worlde and in the outwarde shewe thereof is more esteemed before God then that which hath great shew setting out before men And heerein is that accōplyshed which is spoken in S. Luke That that which is high and excellent heere beneath is not therefore esteemed of God but much rather is sometime an abhomination vnto him as it is certaine that the vertues of Esau shall alwayes be praysed if men were Iudges but yet Iacobs simplicitie before God and his Angels is in greater estimation Let vs therefore march on as our Lorde Iesus hath commaunded vs and let it not greeue vs though there appeare not in vs at the first dashe these giftes which God hath put in vs As for example There are many who are nothing worth in respect of God yet they haue a goodly shew also there be occasion therof Men shall find great personages of great estate and qualitie who shall haue greate valure and be in great authoritie shall be in honor and dignitie and farther there shal be no extreme couetousnes in them to be short there shall appeare such an honestie in them that you would thinke them Angels and all men will extoll them euery where and in the meane time there shall bee poore handycraftes men husbandmen poore idiotes who haue no opportunitie to shew themselues For they shal be busied in their shop smal housholde they must trauel to nurish their poore children A man shall heare no great fame of them they are not eloquēt to shew forth any great wisedome and when a man shall heare them speake hee shall see nothing but folly according to the common opinion and yet GOD hath elected and chosen them Hee alloweth that which seemeth to bee of no value For albeit it seeme that these are base thinges that a man sew or doe some other thing and take paine yet this is a seruice that GOD more esteemeth off than we can imagine So then when we knowe that we are nothing in outwarde shewe let vs not think our state and condition to be the woorse for it and as I haue sayde already let vs not bee ashamed of our infirmitie and in the meane time let vs lift vp our eyes on high though we lye in the asshes let vs knowe that asmuch happened to our father Iacob before who was a figure of all the electe of God and of his children Now it followeth That Iacob was loued of his mother and Esau of his father And this serueth well to shewe that there was no suche perfection in Isaack as there ought to haue beene For hee was not ignoraunt of that which had beene spoken That the greater should serue the lesser He knewe ful well that so was the will of God that Esau the elder shoulde yeelde bothe the place and degree of honour vnto his brother and yet he loued Esau it seemeth heerein that he would resist the counsell of god And what meanes hee heerein When hee will cast his whole loue towardes Esau Yet God will reigne in the ende and his election muste stande fast yea though all the worlde shoulde striue against it Loe Isaack who is very blockishe yet there is more for it seemeth that hee is led by a brutish affection For why did hee loue Esau Because that hee brought him Venison Hee loued him therefore for his toothes sake Beholde an ancient man and who by reason of his age ought to haue beene stayed and setled hee shoulde no more haue beene led of his foolish and inconstant affections that for his tothes sake licorishnes he should haue forgotten that which God had pronounced yea by an vnchaungeable decree that Iacob must gouerne and that hee should be heyre of the promise and yet that Isaack maketh no reckoning of it But heere wee see
that the Iewes are too to blinde vaunting them selues in their fathers as though the dignitie which they sometimes had came from the holynesse and vertues of men For it is certaine that Isaack asmuch as in him lay ouerthrew the election of God not that he had a will so to doe For if a man should haue asked him how now Wilt thou resist God wilt thou let that hee shall not put in execution that which he hath pronounced wilte thou alter that which hee hath pronounced by his mouth Hee would haue said No and his intent was not such But howsoeuer it be he is driuen and drawen that way So then wee may not say that Isaack wente about to helpe the election of God nor set it forward but contrariwise he hindred it Now by this we see that all mouthes must be shut and that men pretend not too haue had any thinge in their persons to say that God should confirme vnto them the blissings which hee had already giuen them To be short we see heereby that lyke as the election of God is free vndeserued in his firste beginning foundation and in full force so also it behoueth that God shew vnto the ende that there is nothing but his only mercy and that all that is said on mans behalfe doe cease be abolished that this is not either of the willer or of the runner as S. Paule saith Rom. 9. Marke then what wee haue to learne Now in the meane time we see also the stedfastnes which is in this counsell of God whereby hee choseth those whome he thinketh good So we haue to resolue our selues although the whole world should labour to ouerthrow our saluation that yet it wil remaine sure so that wee haue our refuge alwayes to that which hath byn shewed vs before that is to say That our Lord Iesus Christ hath taken into his keeping all that the father hath giuen him as beeing his owne that nothing therof shall perishe forasmuch as God is stronger then men for it is thither that hee doth leade vs The father who hath giuen you vnto me is stronger then all So thē let vs learne to stay our selues wholly vppon the inuincible power of God when there is any question of being assured that in calling vpon him we shal be heard that we dout not but that as he hath brought vs into a good way so he wil giue vs perseuerance and although that wee bee weake and frayle yet hee will not suffer vs to fall but wee shall alwayes bee ledde in such sorte that hee will more and more encrease his power in vs Wee muste therefore come euen thus farre namely that Iacob had not onely those his enemyes whiche hadde no feare of GOD and were irreligious but euen his owne father Isaack yea who was then as chiefe in the Church God had put him in trust as it were with his couenaunt to the end that he should be the treasorer thereof and despense it and yet neuerthelesse hee as it should seeme was an enemie to the election of Iacob Wherefore if we see many contrarieties and that it seemeth our saluation must bee ouerthrowne by many meanes and that wee see no issue let vs then knowe that God wil be victorious in the ende and whatsoeuer weakenesse bee founde in vs neuerthelesse he wil not cease to proceede and although there be resistance and contradiction heere beneath yet neuerthelesse hee will ouercome all and bring it wel aboute But by the way we are heere admonished by the example of Isaack to holde our selues vnder the bridle For if this happened vnto such a man as Isaack was so excellent and of an Angelicall holynesse that hee resisted God what shall become of vs in comparison It is certaine that we shall euery day be ouertaken an hundred times with some vaine fantasie that we shall rush against God although wee haue no such purpose Wee haue great neede therefore to distrust our owne iudgement and to call vpon God to the end that he will gouerne vs by his holy spirit otherwise as I haue said we are as wretched strayes and we shall goe hither and thither at all aduentures And when we weene to be very wise there will be nothing but folly in vs yea rebellion although it bee not with our willes and knowledge Marke this then for one lesson But we must marke heere the cause which is heere noted by Moyses when hee sayth that Isaack loued Esau And wherfore did he loue him Because that Venison was his meate Therfore let vs take heede that we be not led by our carnall and earthly appetites if we will keepe our array towards god It is true that to eate and drinke are not condemned For God hath placed vs in this world vnder that condition that we should enioy his creatures and seeing he hath ordained vs to eate and to drinke it is certaine that we offend him not when we desire to haue for our necessities search out also the vse of those benefites which he hath prepared for vs For it is not said without cause that we must do al things in his name yea both in eating drinking but in that we be corrupted it cannot bee but there wil be alwaies excesse in our appetites this excesse maketh vs to forget our duties towards God so as we are are altogither drawen away on euery side when we thinke to doe our duties we are far therefrō But Isaack ought alwaies to haue had this before his eyes yea he ought to haue had it engrauen in his heart this voice should haue sounded in his eares to wit that the greater shuld serue the lesse he ought without ende and without ceasing thus to haue thought wel forasmuch as God wil haue his election to remaine in Iacob it behoueth that I agree vnto it But in the meane time his meate turneth him draweth him quit contrary Let vs therfore bee wel aduised as I haue already sayde on our partes to represse our desires yea though they be naturall of them selues not vnlawfull But to the end that there be no excesse nor intemperance Let vs be aduised I say to check and to tame thē in such sorte that they neuer turne vs away or hinder vs from ordering our selues according to the will of god Marke therefore briefely what we haue to learne heere But heere also wee see that Rebecca had an affection better guyded then her husband It is very true that alwayes men shall see or for the moste parte that if the Father loue one of his Children the moother will sette her loue quite contrary A man may see these contentions in moste houses Also it may bee that Rebecca had conceiued some kinde of ielousie forasmuch as she sawe Esau preferred therefore she loued Iacob the better forasmuch as hee was not so acceptable to his father nor had no such fauour but forasmuch as we shal see hereafter that
which God had giuen that Iacob must gouerne Now therfore we see heere how the husband and the wife are at strife and that in such a matter of importaunce as wherevpon depended the saluatioÌ„ of the world For the question is here of the eternal electioÌ„ of God the questioÌ„ is of the whole church of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the head thereof and beholde some crooked controuersies betwixt Isaack and his wife Yet this meaneth not that Isaack ment to ouerthrowe all but he vnderstoode it not and was confounded in him selfe Likewise therefore when through ignorance and errour it shall sometimes come to passe that wee shal be in trouble and that the deuil shall thrust in his foote and that we shall not bee able to speake with one and the same mouth notwithstanding we must alwayes keepe the principall that is we must alwayes agree in this that we holde God for our father and that wee knowe that there is no true holy vnitie but in Iesus Christe that wee holde I say the principles of our faith and if we cannot coÌ„prehend all things so distinctly as were to bee wished let the ignoraunt and weake bee humbled and let them not be discouraged Likewise let them that are more frowarde beare with the weake wayting when God wil turne theÌ„ and take from them these opinions wherin they are so troubled This is that which Saint Paule sayth vnto the Philippians For hee showeth how we ought to bee knit togither and what the knot of our concorde and brotherhood is Nowe hauing shewed that he coÌ„cludeth that therfore there shuld not be diuersities of opinions amongst vs that our speaches likewise should not be diuers But yet saith he If you cannot come to such pefection that some go as it were halting cannot ouertake others which are not so quicke to comprehend all Wayte sayth hee vntill GOD reueale it vnto you Marke then the first thing that we haue to do that is to agree in the pure and simple trueth of god But forasmuch as it is not geuen to all at the firste dash to haue certaine vnderstanding of all points of religion very wel if there bee any ignorance let them reach out their hand to them who are so besotted yea let them take heede that they bee not wilfull on their partes For somtimes yea moste commonly a man shall see that the blindest are boldest and rashest and further there will be such a wilfulnesse that a man can gain nothing of them But S. Paule to remedie this mischiefe saith Waite till God reueale it vnto you This then is that wee haue to learne but let vs also remember that which hee setteth downe namely that when we shal agree in our Lord Iesus Christ that we respect nothing but his glorie that alwayes we keepe our course and if there bee some little strife that this seperate vs not one from another For it shall bee enough when we haue this keye though in many other thinges we bee not so resolued as were necessary yet if wee bee not quite withdrawen and turned from our Lord Iesus Christ it is enough Besides when we shall tende to his glory euery one shall knowe yea the most forwarde that they are yet farre of What is the cause that those which are learned and exercised in the scripture doe disdaine their brethren when they see them ignorant It is forasmuch as it seemeth vnto theÌ„ that there is nothing wanting in them selues but if wee knowe what it is to aspire to our Lord Iesus Christ and to come to the glory of his resurrection wee will say alwayes with Saint Paule that wee haue not attayned vnto it When therefore euery one shall knowe that there is yet something lacking in him self it shall doe vs no hurt we shall not think it straunge to call our brethren although it bee a farre off Goe to let vs goe forward It is true that there is great difference betwixte them that haue the gift of interpreting the Scriptures and those that are poore and simple idiotes they wil know well that there is one God who is their father by our Lorde Iesus Christe but yet they cannot expounde a place of holy Scripture yet notwithstanding they ceasse not to walke on in one the same path those which are the most forward although they come sooner to the goale yet they must alwayes waite for the other Mark then how we haue to doe according as it is shewed vnto vs how we may learne it by the example which is heere contayned But nowe let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God in acknowledging of our faultes praying him that hee will in such sorte make vs to feele them that it may be to the end we may be displeased therewith and that we alwayes may haue an eye to our condition which is so miserable to the ende to haue our refuge to his mercie and that it wil please him to receiue vs to mercie and so to gouerne vs by his holy spirite that we may be rid of all earthly passions And seeing there are so many vices hidden in vs that wee may take the greater payne to examine our selues to the ende alwayes to haue recourse vnto him who is able to cleanse vs and that wee maye so fight against whatsoeuer thinge doeth hinder vs from dedicating our selues wholly to his seruice that in the meane time we know that it is farre of that our conflictes doe deserue to bee approued of him but so farre foorth as hee beareth with our weakenesse And also that we may haue recourse vnto his power knowing the neede that wee haue to be succoured of him that by this meanes we learne onely to reioyce in him and not to doubte but that as he hath once reached vs the hande he wil likewise continue more and more to strengthen vs vntill that wee haue ouercome bothe the Deuill and all the assaultes that he can assayle vs withall That not onely c. ⧠The fifth Sermon of Iacob and Esau Genesis 25. 29 Nowe as Iacob was seething Pottage Esau came out of the fielde and was hungry 30 Wherefore Esau sayde vnto Iacob Suffer mee to kâ—eele foorth of this Pottage so red for I am weary Therefore euery one called his name Edome 31 But Iacob aunsweared Sell mee now thy birth-right 32 And Esau said Beholde I hasten too death what auayleth this birthright vnto me 33 To whome Iacob sayd Sweare vnto me this day who sware vnto him So hee solde his birthright vnto Iacob 34 Then Iacob gaue Esau breade and pottage of Lentills and he did eate and drinke and rose vp and went his way and Esau contemned his birthright WE said yesterday that God approueth and ratifieth his election when hee gouerneth his Children by his holy spirit and that hee maketh them to striue vp to the heauenly life and giueth them an affection to despise the world and to looke
vp more high Cōtrariwise that he discouereth what mans nature is when he letteth loose the bridle to those that are reprobates so that they become as it were brute beastes loking to nothing but this brickle transitorie life We haue the confirmation of this doctrine in the history which Moyses heere reciteth For on the one side he setteth Esau before vs who returning out of the feeldes frō hunting was as a famished wolf he desireth nothing but to eate and moreouer is content to sel his birthright with another and heere he renounceth his birthright so that he may haue wherewith to fill his belly Hee then esteemeth the Pottage so highly that his birthright was nothing vnto him in comparison thereof Now let vs marke as it hath already byn touched before and as we shal see more fully that this was not an earthly priuiledge to wit that he should haue a double portion and that he shoulde be aduaunced in his fathers house but it was to be the chiefe of the Church of God wayting till our Lorde Iesus Christ should appeare for the saluation of the worlde Now although this was a thing of such importance yet Esau preferreth his belly and hee careth for nothing so that hee may haue meate On the other side Iacob although he had made ready his dinner or his supper albeit it were his refection and that hee had an appetite to eate yet hee chose rather to abstaine and defraude him selfe then to let slippe the occasion of getting the birthright Wee see then that Esau was but as a beastly man who fought nothing but to be fed and nourished yea and to bee well frankt Iacob is a weake man subiect to hunger and thirst yet hee bridleth himselfe and looketh vp higher then too this worlde and forgoeth bodyly meate to obtaine a spirituall benefite which was of more value then an hundred yea then ten thousand liues Marke briefely what wee haue to learne of this history Nowe it is very true that a man might think at the first blush that this was but a Childish toy For what hurt was it in Esau after that he had laboured and taken great paine yea for to bringe Venison vnto his father if he were weary if he weare an hungred should demaund to eate It seemeth not that this should be imputed vnto him for a faulte And againe on the other side some man might say what crueltie was there in Iacob seeing his brother in such want not to succour him at the least with halfe of his repast For hee shoulde not haue tarryed his brothers complainte and till hee had cryed for hunger but rather ought frankly to haue offred him of that which he had prepared for him selfe For if hee had seene but a straunger too bee so needie so weary and so weake hee muste yet haue giuen him some refreshinge and almes But beholde his owne brother for they were borne bothe in one belly yet hee leaueth him in this case and vouchsafeth not to giue him one spoonefull of his pottage A man might say therfore that Iacob was too too vncurteous And againe Why shoulde hee compell him to sell his birthright For hee put heere the knife as it were to his throte and wee knowe that bargaines are alwayes of no force when there shall be any violence offered If men doe any thing by constraint or if they promise any thing by compulsion rashly they are not bounde to keepe it But see Esau who was an hungred hee could doe no more he was so farre past him selfe that hee knoweth not what his birthright meaneth So then besides the crueltie of Iacob there was to grose an ouersight and when he barganed what othesoeuer came betweene yet this ought not in any case to holde by any right or reason Well notwithstanding all this this is not recited to reproue Iacob as though he had committed any faulte or offended either God or his brother But contrarywise the holie Ghoste geueth him heere testimonie that hee sheweth vs the waye howe to search after Heauenly thinges and that first of all wee must seeke the kingdome of God and renounce our owne desires or else in such wise captiuate and bringe them vnder that they hinder vs not from looking alwaies to the principall And contrarywise the example of Esau is sette before vs as the Apostle sheweth to the end Wee should not be prophane as he was that is to say that wee shoulde not bee giuen to the earth but that wee should thinke that this which is promised vs is belonging to eternall life So then wee muste not iudge of this history after our naturall opinion but wee must way to what ende and purpose it is heere rehearsed to the end wee may the better make our profite of it Now I haue already sayd in the first place that God would as it were seale his election heere in the person of Iacob and that hee hath shewed also in the person of Esau that hee was of the number of those that were caste off from him It is very certaine that if Iacob had not beene gouerned by the spirite of GOD hee had beene altogither like his brother Esau But wee must see how the spirit of God was rather giuen vnto him then vnto Esau We shall not find this diuersitie but in the onely free goodnesse of god So then let vs knowe that Iacob was led with an holie affection forasmuch as God had holden him of the number and company of his Children as also S. Paule sayth That wee are the woorkmanship of God created to good woorkes the which he hath prepared He speaketh not there of all men in generall It is true that God hath created vs all without difference but there is a newe creation in those whom God reformeth and whom hee purgeth from their wicked lustes to the ende that hee may bring them to him selfe and conforme them to his righteousnesse so that they desire nothing more then to honor and serue him purely Marke therefore a seconde creation which God worketh in his Children So then let vs knowe that if God reach out his hand vnto vs to shewe vs the way of saluation if he giue vs courage cheerefully to march forewardes and strengthen vs also to continue therein that then hee sheweth that his election is not in vaine and friuolous but hath it full effect and vertue To conclude when he abandoneth vs and that we are as strayes throughout all our life that we forget the saluation of our soules let vs know that heerein he declareth his cursse vppon vs And so let vs learne to tremble as often as wee see men besotted in beastlynesse so as they knowe not their owne state and condition neither to what ende they were created nor wherfore God hath placed them in the worlde when we see this it behoueth vs I say to tremble and to pray vnto God that he will not suffer vs so to bee estraunged from him but that he
alwayes see beyonde these present things that we may keepe our selues therin in such sorte that we be not holden heere beneath But Iacob contenteth not him selfe that Esau hath simply solde him his birthright but hee will haue an othe Esau sweareth this is all one to him and heerein we see howe God threwe him vnder his feete For although that hunger oppressed him so hardly that he was constrained to renounce his birthright yet when he came to sweare and that the name of God was taken to witnesse and protested that God should be his iudge punish him if he were forsworne and disobedient kept not his promise when all this was doone and he not ignorant what his birthright was worth it must needs be saide that the deuil had altogither blinded him But heerby we are admonished that whē we haue once begun to starte away and to turne our backs to God it must needes bee that so much the more we be indurate and hardened to haue no more vnderstanding of God then brute beastes And when we haue after a sorte renounced the inheritance of saluation it shall come to passe that wee shall renounce it an hundred a thousand times yea the deuil wil finde an hundred meanes in one day to plunge vs in the gulfe of perdition whereout we shall neuer be able to helpe our selues Mark then what we haue yet to obserue vpon this place but by the way we haue to cōsider Iacobs abstinence Beholde an example of true fast and not as the Papists imagine It is true that fastes are commaunded vnto vs in the holy scripture for diuers causes For they serue to tame our carnall affections and we must so cut off our drinking our eating that the temperance which God requireth of vs may be as a continuall fast for the whole time of our life but yet it is oftētimes required that we should lessen our portion And why so To the ende wee may bee the better disposed to prayer And againe when we are afflicted there is no question then of banquetting and making greate cheere if God threaten vs and that he will shewe vs some signe of his wrath as he sayth by his Prophet I then call you to mourning and weeping and if we loose the raines to our desires it is as if wee should bid him battaile and despite him Marke then howe fasting serueth to humble vs before God and to make vs as wretched malefactors acknowledging that we haue offended him Moreouer the fast whereof mention is made heere is that which causeth a man to abstaine yea from eating and drinking if the same hinder him from seruing God and which maketh him rather to forsake his owne life then to bee turned away from Gods will. For as wee haue already said Iacob suffered asmuch as his brother Esau It is very true that he had not trauersed and runne so farre that day in the fieldes and woodes hee had tarryed in the house after his accustomed manner but albeit that he had made ready his dinner hee was an hungred and had an appetite to eate but howsoeuer it was hee lyked better to abstaine to captiuate him selfe and to renounce his dinner and as it were his owne life then to lose this occasion which hee had that his birthright might be confirmed vnto him So then wee haue heere to make comparison betwixt Iacob and Esau and to make our profite of the exhortation which wee haue alledged that is to say that we bee not prophane But contrary wise it is sayd of Esau That hee did eate and drinke and rose vp and wente his way The speach heere at the firste sight is simple but it carryeth much with it For it was not enough that hee had saide that Esau without any further thinking of the matter had emptied his dish was gone but Moyses sayth that he did eate drink that he tooke his refection wholly at his ease and that he was wel filled as though his birthright had beene nothing vnto him And this is the conclusion which he setteth downe That he contemned his birthright But before wee come to this it is saide that hee did eate that he drank rose vp wente his way wherein it is shewed that Esau was abashed at nothing but he was as a Dog that did nothing but shake his eare after he had eaten drunk Then he went his way and pleaded not the matter against his brother as they which repent themselues and are better aduised when they haue doone any vnaduised acte They consider Alas what haue I doone What shall become of me How farre haue I ouershotte my selfe Esau thinketh nothing of all this but he leaueth his brother after he was full he rose vp had no care of any thing Now therfore we haue heere to beholde how the Deuil when he hath taken possession of a man maketh him so senseles blockishe that hee hath no feeling of sorrowe in himselfe no remorse nor scruple although hee see that he be as it were cut off and banished from the kingdome of God yet hee is no whit moued with it But this which I haue touched ere while is yet better expressed that is that alwayes we fall from one euil to another when the deuil hath gotten vs into his snares hee so entangleth vs in them that we can neuer winde out But we must gather this generall doctrine of this historie that is that we alwayes thinke vpon that which is said by our Lorde Iesus Christ That first of all we seeke for the kingdome of God and that the rest shal be cast vnto vs. Now when he speaketh of the kingdome of God this is not onely to be vnderstood of life euerlasting but this also is cōprised in it For the kingdom of God is that God be gloryfied in vs that hee be serued and worshipped that we bee his people as also he hath mutually sanctified vs as he hath spoken thereof by his Prophet Esaie Sanctifie the Lord of Hostes and he will sanctifie you and will be your strength When we shall therefore seeke that God may bee honored that we labour to dedicate our selues to him to be as it were liuing sacrifices then shall all other thinges be giuen vnto vs that is to say as Saint Paule also hath declared God will shewe himselfe a father aswell of our bodyes as of our soules For he sayth vnto Timothie that if we walke in the feare of God thinking more vppon Heauen then vppon the earth We haue the promises howsoeuer it be of this present life aswell as of the life to come It is very true that the promises belonging vnto this present life are accessories that is no other then that which followeth and dependeth therevpon but it is so much that if we leane vpon the bountie of GOD and striue thither whether he hath called vs that is to say to the saluatiō which he hath so dearely
himself that he loose hoth his sense and memorie but be alwayes disposed to prayse GOD to execute the charge whereunto he is called and to employ himselfe to that which belongeth to his estate vocation yf a man be so temperate he is like vnto Iacob For he forsaketh to eate and drinke not because he vseth not the benefites that God hath put into his hande but he forsaketh them in brideling his desires to the ende not to exceede measure and after he alwaies lifteth vp him selfe on high regardyng the seruice of GOD and preferring it before any worldly thing Againe if it be necessarie that hee which was rich should be poore and that he had rather be poore yea if it were but to eate rootes if neede shoulde bee rather then to bee alienated from GOD and that alwayes hee remayne stedfast in it saying forasmuche as I am an heire of the worlde I oughte to bee well contented and nowe yf I endure hunger or thirste if I beare any necessities and miseries I will pray vnto God that hee will geue mee patience And this is the reason why Sainte Paule also sayth that he had learned in the schoole of our Lorde Iesus Christ to bee hungry and to be full that is to say when hee had enough he lefte not to holde himselfe in and when he had nothing he was patient in his necessitie he had recourse to God and chose rather to haue many wants in respect of the world then to haue wherwith to growe and inrich himselfe and yet to be emptie of heauenly benefites For it is certaine that Esau had his soule buryed in the pottage hee sawe there he smelt them and thereto hee layde his snoute And wherefore Because hee had no other consideration then of this presente life Loe his soule whiche was buryed therein Novve wee may bee compassed round about with all the goodes of this worlde but it behoueth that the smell doe not so allure vs that wee esteeme not spirituall things farre aboue them and alwayes to preferre them Marke then briefely howe wee ought to apply this doctrine vnto our vse And moreouer let vs marke well that which is spoken heere that the wickednesse of Esau was because he made no account of his birthright And therefore this is a signe that we contemne the graces of GOD and as a man woulde say cast them to the grounde and treade them vnder our feete when we are so much addicted either to this life or to our desires and when wee can endure and beare nothing but wil haue all which is pleasaunt vnto vs after the fleshe When then wee will in suche sorte holde our lustes it is certaine that we make light accounte of that heauenly inheritaunce For how shall that be estemed of vs It shal be esteemed of vs as I haue said already when the world shal be vnto vs but as an accessory all that is in it shal go as at the taile But the gospel the promises which are therin contained wherby god testifieth vnto vs how he hath adopted vs likewise how he wil haue vs to himself this muste mounte vppe aboue them and wee must bee rauished in them And notwithstanding let vs well aduise our selues For if once the Deuill gaine this of vs that wee become beastly in our pleasures he wil not put vs in minde for nought we shal seke after nothing but this trāsitory life we shall do nothing but run vp downe like poore beastes haue no marke wherat to aime as it fell out with Esau I haue said alredy that these words are not put in in vaine He did eate he dranke he rose vp and went his way And what a company of such and such like doe we see at this day For they which haue their delights after the maner of the world will esteeme vs for beggerly momes and they deride our simplicitie Wel wel say they let them haue their Gospell and not withstanding dye for hunger and let them be such as haue not a ragge to hange on their taile and haue nothing to champe betweene their teeth or rather let them droupe hang their winges and be so miserable as none can be more and let them reioyce in their Gospell asmuch as they wil but we in the meane time will haue our swinge in this worlde wee will haue all our desires and our table well garnished And aboue all these contēners of God which are at this day aduaunced into states and dignities it is well knowen howe they floute vs and bleare out their tongue if men speake vnto them of the gospel it seemeth to them that we are as mad men whiche can not discerne betweene good euil And why so For they eate and drinke they rise vp and goe their way yea the worlde doth so holde them or rather Sathan hath in such sorte possessed them that Heauen is nothing vnto them and they altogither forget euerlasting life We see this and yet it is to no purpose to pursue it For our Lorde hath set before our eyes that this is an horrible condemnation when we fall into such blockishnesse to preferre this life which is nothing but a shadowe before that eternitie to which God hath called vs For let vs put the case that we should liue an hundred yeeres after our death yet what is that If wee make comparison as S. Paule saith with this worlde it is but a minute and a figure which passeth away and in summe but a moment Now contrarywise of what waight ought our immortalitie to bee with vs which is offred vnto vs in our Lorde Iesus Christe and whereof hee hath so well certified vs And yet concerning this life who is it that can promise vs one day For they who are well fed they growe therein and there cannot be a minute to vpholde them specially intemperance choketh very many And we see that men the more they haue wherewith to do wel they kil themselues And yet in the meane season we cannot cōtent our selues but like poore beastes we must seeke for that which hath no certaintie and in the turning of a hande al is lost We seeke neuertheles for this herevnto we are giuē yea wholly adicted insomuch that we discerne not betwixt that which is permanent and that which flitteth away For if we contemne that which is euerlasting whither then goe we It is certain that the most wickedst themselues wil say that this is a madnes but after they haue saide it they shew that they are strayed and that they do not greatly passe for it And this is so common a vice that it behooueth that the most perfect especially fight against it And the Apostle not without cause handeling this matter sayeth Bee not prophane to the ende to make vs watchful to make vs thinke who wee are and that we should not be so brutish as to rest vpon this present life So then let vs go
further that which is heere giuen vs let vs apply for our helpe too make vs run on the more swiftly but if there bee any thing that hinder vs yea though it were our very eye as our Lord Iesus Christ saith that our eye may rather bee plucked out and wee rather desire too enter into the kingdome of Heauen blinde then hauing al our senses sounde to go into euerlasting destruction So then to conclude let vs rather loue hunger thirst then to cramme and stuffe our bellies and in the meane time not to regarde euerlasting lyfe For wee must not bee so snared in these corruptible and transitorie thinges that wee can not alwayes lift vp our senses and affections on high to the end through hope to be Citizens of the kingdome of heauen But nowe let vs fall downe before the maiestie of our good God in acknowledging our offences praying him that it will please him in such sorte to make vs to feele them that it may serue to make vs there to open them and that wee may learne in such sorte to fight against all temptations that if wee must indure many pouerties and miseryes in this worlde howsoeuer it bee that this doe not turne vs to wickednesse and make vs to decline from the right pathe but that euery one maye heere resiste bothe him selfe as also all his desires and all his passions and that wee may serue our GOD in such sorte that if it will please him to proue our patience in leauing vs destitute of meanes and of the commodities of this worlde that wee may beare all with a quiet and peaceable courage vntill wee be receiued into this blessed inheritaunce where we shall not lacke any thing what soeuer it bee but there wee shall haue the fulnesse of all ioy and happynesse That not onely c. ⧠The sixth Sermon of Iacob and Esau Genesis 26. 1 Now there was a great famine in that land farre greater then that first famine that was in the daies of Abraham Wherefore Isaack went vnto Abimelech the King of the Philistines into Gerar 2 For the Lorde appearing vnto him had sayde Goe not downe into Egypt but dwel in the land which I shall tel thee 3 Be a straunger in this land and I will be with thee and blesse thee For to thee and thy seede I will giue all these countryes that I may establish the othe which I haue sworne to Abraham thy father 4 I will multiply thy seede that it may bee infinite as the starres of Heauen and I will giue vnto thy seede all these Countryes and all the nations of the Earth shall repute them selues blessed in thy seede 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voyce and obserued my ordinaunce my commaundementes my statutes and my lawes WEE sawe yesterday howe Iacob forsooke his meate for that spirituall benefite which GOD had promised vnto him and heereby it appeareth that he had more care of his soule than of his body Here we haue an example though not altogither like in Isaack his father yet cōming very neere it For we see how Isaack had more regarde to the spirituall inheritance than to all that concerned this brittle and transitorie life Hee was oppressed with famine there is no doubt but that it was not his ease to goe into Egypt But when he was let by an expresse commaundement it was a signe that his courage tended thitherwardes because his commoditie likewise drew him God staieth his iourney and hee obeyeth Wee see then that Isaack lefte not onely a messe of Pottage but hee seeing that hee coulde endure much woe for a yeeres space notwithstanding hee withhelde himselfe and sought no refuge in Egypte and remayned in the land of Gerar which specially coulde not be altogither exempted frō pouertie which was a parte of that countrie For it is impossible when there is any famine but that the neighbour and neere places must also feele it It may easily be gathered that then there was no dearth in Egypt So that Isaack heere sheweth vs that although temptations be great if we bee destitute of that which is necessary to maintaine vs that yet notwithstanding we must alwaies hold vs to the wil of God and rather forget all our cases and prepare our selues patiently to suffer al wante and necessitie than to seeke our commodities as it were against the will of god This is the first poynt that we haue to marke in this history Nowe it is sayde There was a great famine in the land a greater then that former that was in the dayes of Abraham For there had beene twoo that Moyses already had rehearsed vnto vs Assoone as Abraham was arriued into the land of Canaan hee was faine to depart this was a very hard combate vnto him seeing that God had shewed him that land that he had cōceiued great ioy for that he shuld be put in possessiō therof now a little after he must be chased out and become as it were a poore vagabond and go downe into Egypt because he found not any succour else where The secōd time he also withdrewe himselfe into the lande of the Philistines which was of the very same countrie that was promised vnto him and vnder the Kinge of Gerar not he of whom now mention is made for all called him Abimilech which is asmuch to say as My father the king this was not only an honorable title but also expressed that kings gouerned not by tyranny did deuoure vp their subiectes but had a fatherly care ouer them whom God had committed to their charge When then it is saide that this famine came as the other this is to shewe vnto vs that altogither like as God had proued the faith of Abraham and his constancie so likewise he would call his sonne to the like tryall For as Isaack was heyre of the promise so also must it needes be that he succeed his father in that which was promised to the childrē of God For we must shewe by the effect that we so esteeme heauenly benefites to which God hath called vs that we passe through the worlde and that we faile not howsoeuer we be afflicted after diuers sundry maners Marke then wherto Moyses hath regarde when he compareth these two famines that is to shewe vs that when Abraham was tempted it was not onely for his owne cause but his sonne also muste be like him But by the way we are called the sōnes of Abraham and of Isaack it behoueth then that our faith be examined as it shall seeme good vnto god It is very true that wee shal be more confounded and that is because we haue not receiued so great a measure of strength Marke therefore the cause why God supporteth our infirmitie but yet this is not to the ende that our faith shoulde bee idle So then we are heere warned by the spirit of God that beeing in this worlde wee must be subiect to many miseryes and
so too languish But there is no queston of that which is past but of that which was to come Thou shalt dwel there yea and the worde whiche Moses vseth signifieth to dwell as it were in a straunge countrie as one that were still going Loe Isaack then who had a Lordship vpon the earth yet had not one foote therof but must remaine there by leaue and must be subiect to many troubles and tryalls which were bent towardes him and yet hee had not one foote of lande vnlesse it were the burying place wherof mention is made before To be short wee haue to gather heere that God would haue Isaack wholly to rest vpon his word as lykewise it is the foundation wherevpon wee must builde all the dayes of our life yea and in death too For if wee should haue all that wee desire what shoulde wee neede any more fayth or hope It behoueth therefore that the benefites which wee waite for from God that they bee hidden from vs and notwithstanding that we beholde them onely by faith that we do God this honour to account him sure in all that he hath spoken although hee shewe vs not the effecte and trueth of his promises vvhich vve apprehend not after our reason and carnall feling notwithstanding vve must say it suffiseth vs that he hath spoken it he vvil performe it When therefore vve can fetch all our contentment from the vvord of God only thē let vs assure our selues of a right tryall of all that vvhich vvee proteste that vve beleeue in him but if wee vvill alwayes haue a gage and haue all that vvee desire it is certaine that the worde of God shal not be esteemed of vs and we can not exercise ourselues sufficiētly ynough in this meditation And therfore as often as we see God to haue spoken to his seruaunts and not to haue shewed them the accomplishment execution of his woorde let vs know that this is rehersed vnto vs to the end that we should learne to cal vpon God when he shal leaue vs in suspēce yea and that we shal fainte and be stripped of that which should haue beene in our hande that wee learne to say O Lorde seeing wee haue thy promise wee shal not bee frustrate in waiting for it When God promiseth Isaack to be with him that he will giue him the rest this lykewise is too shew vs that the principallest of all benefites that we can desire is that God haue care ouer vs and that he thinke of our necessities and that we find him at hand when we cal vppon him For vnlesse that wee haue him merciful vnto vs although he giue vs in al fulnesse and abundaunce that wee aske of him yet it should be nothing but we must beginne at this point that is to say we must be wel perswaded that God loueth vs and that hee is fauourable vnto vs Whē we haue attained to thisto resolue our selues that GOD wil alwaies bee merciful vnto vs and ready too succour vs when nede shal require that he wil neuer forsake vs thē shal we easely waite for the rest but if wee knowe not that hee is with vs that is too say that hee wil make vs feele his presence and in feeling it will withdrawe vs from those daungers wherein wee are and in withdrawing vs will lifte vs vp when we shall be falne wil leade vs there where as there is no path and wil there giue vs an issue and way to escape where there is nothing else but confusion If wee haue not I say attayned to this there is no true foundation but if wee haue once obtayned it wee muste stay therevpon and hope for the reste For if God loue vs it is certaine that he hath wherwith to sucocur help vs in all and thorow all and he wil doe it And this is the cause why Moyses beginneth at this poynt I will be with thee And afterwardes he sayth That hee will multiply his seede that he will blesse is and that his seede shal be as the starres of Heauen It is true that the benefites which God will bestowe vpon vs they shall not alwayes fall out to our desires as wee haue declared For oftentimes we shall want them to the ende wee may be the more egar to pray and also he will try vs and shewe vs that we haue no such affiaunce in him as wee ought and our vnthankfulnesse many times depriueth vs of that that GOD otherwise was ready to bestowe vpon vs For wee are not alwayes capable to receiue that which he offereth vnto vs Hee hath an open hand but we haue a close mouth that is to say we are shut vp in vnbeliefe distrust And therfore see the cause why we must so oftentimes wait but so much there is that if we be resolued in this poynt he is with vs and we are blessed of him in that which he knoweth to be expedient for vs we shal lack nothing Touching this promise That all the nations of the earth shal be blessed in Isaacks seede this was speciall to him as it was to Abraham this respecteth our Lorde Iesus Christe as it hath beene expounded For it was necessary that Iesus Christe should be the fountaine of this blessinge the which shoulde flowe vpon all the linage of Abraham It is true that the faithfull which descended of him were blessed and partakers of this promise but this was by the power of our Lorde Iesus Christe So then if he had beene separated from the seede of Abraham it is certaine that he had beene barraine and dry and that he should not haue had one drop of the blessing But at this day forasmuch as God would by his infinite goodnesse that his onely begotten sonne should belong vnto vs we were ioyned to the true naturall Children of Abraham howsoeuer wee were of the nations of the earth who were then strayed from the Church of God and who were altogither departed farre from it yet at this day we are blessed aswell as they For if it were saide to him I will blesse thy seede and that God had added nothing this had at this day byn a very slender comforte vnto vs But when he sayeth That all the nations of the earth should be blessed in the seede of Abraham we are of that number Marke then wherein we haue specially to reioyce knowing that after our Lord Iesus Christ appeared vnto vs this promise is to bee applyed vnto vs It is true that it is oftentimes sayd in the holy scripture that men shal be blessed by men as for example when they shall set him before thē for a paterne and example and that men will say desiring to be blessed ô that God wold do vnto me as he hath doone vnto this man heere or vnto that man there but the interpretatiō of S. Paule sheweth vs that that which was aswell spoken to Abraham as to Isaack was not onely to be vnderstoode in
sister But notwithstandinge that which he had sayde he addeth that he was to be blamed as also Abimilech did For hee sawe iust cause to condemne Isaack and therefore hee sayth vnto him Wherefore haste thou doone this thinge Nowe wee haue to note on the one side that which was alleadged before that is to say that God had reproued and chastised the kings because of his seruauntes albeit they were but a fewe in number albeit they were as poore wandring people in the lande of Canaan And seeing GOD maintained their quarel and set himselfe againste all the violence and euill that could bee doone vnto them heereby hee sheweth the singular fauour that he did beare vnto them And also the Prophet addeth that for this cause he sayth Touch not mine annoynted and doe my Prophetes no harme It is true that there was in Abraham and Isaack excellent vertue and holynesse but howsoeuer it be yet so it is that we at this day are also annoynted to bee vnder the keeping of God and we succeede to all the promises which were giuen vnto them So then though we shal be neuer so small a number and as a poore despysed people as Sheepe in the throte of Wolues yet let vs not doubt but that GOD hath wherewith to defende vs and that hee will display his power asmuch as shall bee necessary yea and that against the mightiest Kings of the world For sometimes God hath indeede suffred that those of the meaner and common sorte of people haue vexed and molested his seruants as we shall see heereafter that very shortly Which what soeuer it be when he hath declared that he foreseeth the warre that hee setteth him selfe in order against the Kinges Heereby hee hath shewed that the life of his seruants is deere and precious vnto him Let vs therfore hope the like and wee shall not be deceiued And when we shall see the mightiest of the world to be our enemyes and shall dayly heare rumours of many tumults troubles let vs not doubt but that our Lord wil remedie all wil alwayes be our buckler to put back al our blowes whē it shall be moste like that they must fall vpon our heades Loe what we haue to put in practise by the example of Isaack And although heere God afflicted not Abimilech as before that he reproued him not as he had doone the king of Egypt neuerthelesse he keepeth him bridled and holdeth him as it were in fear so that although Rebecca were faire yet it fell so out that the king of the countrie desired her not no albeit hee imagined that it had byn laweful for him to haue taken her to wife Loe then on the one side what we haue to mark on the other this that neuerthelesse God humbled Isaack suffred not his infidelitie to remaine altogither vnpunished yet the punishment is very gentle But howsoeuer it was he was reformed Nowe if nothing had happened vnto Isaack and that it had not beene perceiued that Rebecca had beene his wife he had not returned from it neither had hee euer remembred his fault which hee had committed and specially he had pleased himselfe heerein bicause the euent was good and as he would haue wished and therfore he woulde haue thought that God woulde haue allowed it For men when their faultes are not shewed them flatter and harden thēselues in them But God woorketh our good and saluation when hee maketh vs to feele oure sinnes and correcteth vs in such sorte that wee are euen compelled to thinke vpon them Marke then how it fel out herein to Isaack It is very true that God did beare with him very much whē he suffred nothing to be attempted against his wife that the very king of the countrie called so gently for him and complained to him as too his equal and compagnion Loe a wonderful supporte hereby we see that God hath pitie vppon his not trying them further then they are able to beare But whatsoeuer it is yet so it is that Isaack commeth too acknowledge his sinne And who is iudge thereof euen a poore panim an Idolater God might rather haue sent an Angel from heauen or else haue giuen him some reuelation to haue said vnto him what doost thou But hee leaueth him there For hee was not woorthie too bee taught so honorably but the blinde ones must discouer his euill and condemne him Loe then the shame that was done vntoo him too the ende that hee might be the more humbled thereby and too the ende that he might learne for euer after better to trust in God and no more to fall into that fault This is that we haue to marke And with all let vs take good heed vnto ourselues and let vs not care that men reproue vs but let vs take in good parte all correctiōs that God sendeth vs by his word For what honor doth he vnto vs when he prouoketh vs to come vnto him when with doctrine he ioyneth exhortations And after when he seeth that we are too slow and besides that we are as it were incorrigible he vseth more sharp reprehensions But whatsoeuer it be all this is doone in his name that when wee reade in the holy Scripture and that we come to the Sermon and that there he summoneth vs hee is alwayes our Iudge And loe also why our Lorde Iesus Christ speaking of the preaching of the Gospell sayeth When the holy Ghoste shall come he shall iudge the worlde The spirit of God therefore exerciseth his iurisdiction vpon vs and to what ende It is to the ende that when wee haue beene condemned so that wee doe passe willinge condemnation and that wee bee apte to learne and that wee aske pardon he is ready to giue vs So then seeing that GOD hath doone vs this honour to iudge vs as it were in his house and priuately by our selues when hee sheweth vs our faultes are not wee ouermuch hardened if wee doe not bowe downe our necke and become apte to learne and bee ready to bee refourmed by him For if wee will rebell so against him God will suffer that we come to an other schoole that euen the wicked and vnbeleeuers condemne vs We shal finde very many euen in this case that fret themselues and gnashe their teeth if a man scratch their scabbes rub them on the gall when they come to the Sermon For see their replyes was the Scripture made to spur poore people in such sort and is this the manner to teach to cry out after such a fashion It seemeth that he woulde lighten against vs But in the ende God teacheth them after another sorte that is that his trumpet muste sounde and that their shame must bee published in euery place and in the ende they must goe to the schoole of the Gibet And moreouer when wee make not our profite of the corrections which are dayly set before vs it must needes be that wee bee condemned an hundred miles
off that by good right But if heerein wee suffred alone there were no daunger the worste is that the name of God is blasphemed through our wickednesse So then let vs learne by this example to become so tractable apte to be taught wrought vppon that when GOD shall reprooue vs wee willingly suffer our selues to bee condemned of him and that we be ashamed of our selues to the ende that our shame and infamie be not discouered and laide open to the whole worlde Loe then what we haue farther to learne of this place But it is saide that Abimilech complayning to Isaack added It was not farre off that some of the people had not lien by thy wife and thou caused greate euil to come vppen vs. Concerning the first pointe heere Isaack is reproued of his inconsideration and follie For that asmuch as was in him hee layde his wife open to be defyled And why so Wee haue seene beefore that the husband ought to be as a vayle or couerture to his wife When a woman shal be maryed and that her husband shall liue with her doeing his duetie this is to the end shee may be there as it were in sauegarde and that none come to deceaue nor defile her Now therfore Isaack for the discharging of his dutie ought to haue beene as a vaile or couerture to his wife that is to say vnder the name of a husband and of mariage he ought to haue let that none should haue attempted to withdrawe her whether it were to haue her to wife or after any other manner For mariage is as a sauegarde as wee haue saide and God woulde haue it honoured in all ages And although adulterers woulde abandon it as Swine and Asses yet notwithstanding they haue alwayes had remorse in it and euermore euen amongst he Panims adulterers went not vnpunished It is knoweÌ„ that if euer any thing in this world was priuiledged it was mariage yea thefts other crimes ought a great deale rather to bee borne with then such enormities to wit when the couenant coÌ„pany which God hath dedicated in his name to the ende it should be holy as it were separated from prophanation is violated When therefore this was violated the Painims knewe that it was so greate an abhomination that in no wise it ought to bee borne with Now therefore by the way Abimilech findeth faulte with Isaack concerning this that hee had thus prostituted his wife asmuch as lay in him And we are taught by this doctrin to meete with daungers afore hand and not to tempte God by our rashnesse and follie Let vs take good heede therefore howe wee cloke euill and as a man would say shut the doore against God so that through our rashenesse and vnaduisednesse God be offended Loe then the wisedome which wee ought to haue and therefore because we haue it not we must aske it of god But now for the seconde matter Abimilech sayth Thou haddest made great euill to come vpon vs. And howe when any of the people had committed adultery that he had so offended what greefe soeuer it had beene hee should onely haue deserued to be punished and ought then a whole countrie to haue answered it Nowe we see heere that a miserable heathen an vnbeleeuer and a poore blinde person knewe that the land shoulde be defiled by an adulterer and that if this remained vnpunished notwithstanding before God loe an whole people culpable therein in respect of the temporall punishment It is true that God knoweth how to turne the chastisements that hee sendeth to them that are innocent from that faulte to their profite For if they suffer which consented not vnto the euill this shall not bee altogither as if they had beene faultie But God turneth this to their saluatioÌ„ In the meane while so it is that he neuer chastiseth theÌ„ without cause if we see it not now with our eye yet when all those registers shal be opened then we shall finde that God hath not gone as they say indirectly and awry And when hee sendeth generall punishmentes vpon a whole people for one particular fault as it semeth neuerthelesse he knoweth well that all bee not innocent therein as it is expressely said heere and as also Abimilech vnderstoode For when adulterâ—â—â— are committed and be not punished loe an infection which creepeth ouer the whole land but shall we yet say that a man is innocent therin when we close our eyes when we suffer all this to ouerflowe Although a man be no iudge but a priuate person yet he ought to oppose himself asmuch as lyeth in him Nowe on the otherside there is not any one but he spreadeth the sayle in steade that hee should let the euill if wee had the courage and zeale of God we would procure that he might bee serued and honoured as he is woorthy But this wee doe not there is a certaine faintnesse and sluggishnesse in all To be short vices neuer raigned and had swaye in any Countrie but bothe greate and small were partakers therein by reason of their too much patience or dissimulation or coldenesse Marke then why God punisheth sinnes not without cause But moreouer concerning adulterie wee see what a miserable Heathen hath pronounced Let vs therefore bee ashamed when such a greate euill shall raigne in the middest of vs and let vs know that there shal neede no other Iudge to condemne vs vs I say that haue beene baptised in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe when we shall maintaine such filthynesses infections seeing a poore miserable blinde Heathen knewe well what haynous enormitie there was in such a vice Loe then what we haue to learne that wee may make our profite of this place And farther let vs learne to honour Mariage seeing God hath dedicated it and that it is a couenaunt which he hath consecrated in his name that also it bee maintained in his honour and dignitie and that bothe Husbandes and Wiues dwell in such honestie one with the other that eche one may gouerne their houses in peace and quietnesse and that there bee no loosnesse amongst vs but that wee knowe that we haue better profited in the Schoole of GOD then our Father Isaacke had doone in this poynt forasmuch as hee declined therein But now let vs prostrate ourselues before the high maiestie of our good God in acknowledging our offences praying him that it will please him to make vs feele the infirmities vices that are in vs to the end that we may bee displeased therwith in such sorte that we may fight against them and not to giue our selues any libertie therein and when we haue offended that we may bee touched with such repentaunce that we may returne to him and mourne for them vntill he haue reformed vs by his holy spirit and haue drawen vs into a good way after that we shall haue strayed from it And that withall he would in the meane while so supporte vs in
to giue them selues to laboure both they and their housholde For although they had both riches and commodities yet they abused not those benefits that God had so bountifully bestowed vpon them in pompes nor in Idlenes too become Kinges but to maintaine alwaies them selues in the meane estate Marke then briefely that we haue to learne when Isaack hauing hired some possession sowed therein And this is rehearsed of Moyses because he addeth that GOD blessed him therein and made him so to prosper that hee gathered in an hundred folde But we shall finde it straunge in this countrie which was so hungry and as it were barren in comparison of Iudaea and Syria and of those Countryes there aboutes especially when he spake of an hundred folde for asmuch as the thing may seeme incredible vnto vs because we esteeme that which is spoken vnto vs according to that we haue seene But it is not without cause that our Lorde Iesus Christe declareth this vnto vs by a similitude taken from the seede which is sowen although he spake to another purpose but notwithstāding he sayth that whē men shal sow one parte falleth into the path and the foules of the ayre deuoure it another shall fall among stones and this shal take no roote for it hath no nourishment The other parte shall be choked among bushes and thornes But that which falleth into good ground sayth hee shall bring fruite one thirtie the other sixtie and the last an hundred folde When we come thus farre as I haue sayd we cannot be perswaded therein vnlesse the sonne of God had spoken it But the auncient fathers who haue written of the land of Chaldaea and especially haue bin in the same place know it thorowly they say that the ordinarie increase was Lxxx. an C. But here bicause he spake of the coūtry of the Philistines which was fertile but not as Chaldaea therefore Moises reherseth that for a singular gift which God gaue vnto Isaack that hee gathereth an hundreth fold Loe here a signe of the blessing of God vppon Isaack yea concerning that which belonged vnto this transitorie life For although the auncient fathers alwaies respected the heauenly inheritance and bent al their affections thitherward yet notwithstanding beeing mortall men they needed that God shoulde giue thē some taste of his goodnes in this world For that which S. Paule saith hath alwaies place here That the feare of God hath the promises not onely of euerlasting life but also of this present life While we are in this life God wil not giue vs the fulnes of those blessings he promiseth vs For in very deed we woulde haue our paradise here and we would cast our eyes no further but al our senses would be cleane glutted if GOD should giue vs in al respects such abundance as we require therfore he giueth vs onely a little taste of his goodnes to the end to draw vs on further But what though yet cā wee but in parte acknowledge that God is our father not only by the testimonie that we haue thereof from his mouth but also by those blessings which he liberally bestoweth vppon vs And heere wee beholde both these things in this history which Moses setteth down that is to say that God blesseth his owne in such sorte that they haue occasion to reioyce in him yet in that he deuideth their morsels in such a portion that they be alwayes in mourning whilst they are in this worlde and thereby are occasioned to cast their eyes farther For mark our father Isaack he prospereth he increaseth and becommeth mightie so saith Moyses he saith not only that God blessed him at once but that he multiplyed him in such sort that he always grew waxed richer and richer But on the other side he addeth That the Philistines enuyed him Wee see that Isaack had suche cause too reioyce in God for the prosperitie which was giuen vnto him that yet notwithstanding God awakened him and mixed his sweete meate with some sower sauce This was a great cause of ioy vnto him when GOD did so sensibly multiply him It was as it were a looking glasse to all the Philistines wherin to behold what it was to serue god yet notwithstanding this turneth to his trouble causeth him to be molested We see thē how God tempereth his benefites which he bestoweth liberally vpon his children I say the temporall benefites which concerne this life that they can neuer settle them selues and rest therin But yet here further a question might be asked why God caused Isaack so to prosper that the inhabitāts of the coūtry shuld rise vp against him Had it not byn much better for him that he had continued in a meane estate had liued quiet vnder his tent then to be so inriched that euery one shuld war against him that they coulde not abide him fearing least hee woulde become Lorde ouer them and treade them vnder his feete If GOD had kept such a meane it seemeth that it had beene more profitable to Isaack Wherefore then is it that hee doth multiply him and that this is the cause that hee is pursued yea and that he hath no water for himself neither for his familie or for his cattel But God is so wise in disposing all things that if hee make his seruants to prosper he sheweth them that they ought to keepe them selues fast vnto him and that they haue occasion to blesse him And yet notwithstanding when he layeth them open to troubles and vexations hee turneth this also to theire good So then we must marke this for a rule That all the graces which we receiue from the hand of God in this world they are ioyned with some miseryes that our honey is neuer pure but alwaies there is some vineger mixed with it God coulde well take another course if it had pleased him but we must be subiect vnto him and be content with that that he doth although that our senses and the lustes of our flesh resist against it And true it is that a man which were well aduised would neuer seeke to be rich nor wealthy and so that he might haue competent for meat and drinke clothing he would seeke for no other state or conditiō Yet notwithstanding it pleaseth God to exercise one sort with pouertie and to be bountifull towardes others and both poore and rich may be faithful and bothe twoo the children of god I speake not of all in generall but wee see that there are some fearing God who are not all of like estate condition Some of thē haue wealth inough for their maintenaunce yea that to make them liue with some credite and countenaunce amongst men others some haue scarcely a morsel of bread to eate Nowe if it were in vs to order this matter wee woulde that God should vse rather an equall and like measure yea but he knoweth wherefore he chuseth rather such a diuersitie And therefore as I
too assure our selues or rather when our spirit is troubled and wee tossed with some wauering and vncertaintie wee must haue oure recourse thither That is too followe our father Abraham to conforme our selues too followe that rule which hee hath shewed vnto vs And why so For wee are certaine that GOD was manifested vnto him Loe then a good direction and which shall not turne vs out of the path of our saluation when wee shall be conformed and fashioned too our father Abraham who was adopted of GOD and who receyued the pledge of our saluation that is too saye all these promises wherevppon wee ought at this daye to be grounded And such accompt ought wee too make of all the rest of the faithfull For although they no whit appertayne vnto vs concerning the fleshe yet notwithstanding wee ceasse not too bee their children And therefore it is not without cause that the Apostle in the eleuenth Chapter too the Hebrues setteth before vs this thicke cloude of witnesses when as hee would shewe vs that wee are very vnkinde if we followe not those whome GOD hath set forth vnto vs for an example Loe sayeth hee a great and thicke cloude of witnesses who calles vs too GOD that would seeme as if a man would saye too stoppe vp our eyes We will be offended with a man when hee shall seduce vs wee will imagine too bee excused by saying O hee did therein asmuch as I wee neede no more but a small flie too make vs too turne awaye from the feare of God and his obedience and notwithstanding that GOD shall set before vs so many witnesses too prooue our fayth that wee ought therewith bee satisfied yet wee come not to him And if this profite vs nothing and wee bee not confirmed thereby what is the cause thereof but oure owne vnthankfulnes And so then so often as our faith shal be weake that wee shall haue ouerthwartings of ignorāce as it were stormes let vs think And what hath God begun but yesterday and to day to speake Spake he not vnto Abraham And was not his truth certaine frō that time forwarde and besides al the faithful which came afterwards al the holy kings prophets and others are they not so many witnesses whō God shewed vnto vs Let vs therefore ioyne them too this holy assembly nowe For howe often soeuer the Gospell hath bene preached vnto vs according as the Apostle hath entreated thereof it is not onely too gather vs togither with al the faythful which are liuing at this daye but also into the fellowship and companie of all the holy spirites whom GOD hath taken out of this worlde We are therefore at this daye ioyned in fellowship with all the holy Patriarkes and Prophetes as often as GOD speaketh vnto vs But wee shall be so much the more without excuse bycause we know not howe too make our profite of all this seeing that GOD hath yet reuealed it more cleerely vnto vs and in a more familiar sorte in the persone of his onely begotten Sonne For hee is not onely named at this day the GOD of Abraham but also the father of our Lorde Iesus Christe In asmuch therefore as wee haue the full and perfecte reuelation of whatsoeuer is profitable vnto vs for our saluation in this liuely image in whome GOD is set foorth it is certayne that wee haue no colour that wee can alledge why wee shoulde not haue such a certaintie of faith that wee should neuer straye hither and thither and when the worlde chaungeth it selfe an hundred thousande tymes yet neuerthelesse that we should remayne stedfast in that wee haue receyued of God knowing that his trueth is vnchaungeable This therefore shortly is that whiche wee haue too beare awaye concerning this texte And further let vs likewise note that woorde of the Lorde Iesus Christ when he saith I goe too my God and to your God to my Father and to your Father See the Sonne of God who is the euerlasting God neuerthelesse to the end to gather vs vnto himself to keepe vs sure there in such sorte that we shuld neuer be seduced from that foundation which hee hath giuen vnto vs of his trueth he sayth that we haue one God togither with him inasmuch as hee is man and in that he is our brother that we haue the same God who is his God and the same father who is his father When we heare these things is there any farther cause for vs to doubt or to be shaken As there are many who will saye at this day O I knowe not what to holde there are so many sundrie opinions that I am confounded likewise I can beleeue nothing I know not what to followe But it can not be chosen but that such people are possessed of the Deuil when they tread vnder their feete the trueth of God which is as a most vndoubted light to guide vs and to shewe vs the way of saluation So then seeing God hath shewed him selfe since Abraham and Noah and appointed Moyses too bee the conductour of his Church and that he hath knit vs altogither when in the ende he sent his onely begotten Sonne in whose persone he hath gathered vs all to him self let vs learn to kepe our selues in that vnitie of faith which he hath giuen vs and let vs not doubt but that he wil alwaies auow vs for his childrē Now we haue to note that which God saith That he wil blesse Isaac and wil multiplie his seede For this serueth to shewe that the fauour which god beareth to those whom he hath called to himselfe is not vaine nor idle but that it bringeth forth his fruite and effect in time It is therefore very certaine that when God shal be mercifull vnto vs hee will giue vs so many good things as he knoweth to be good for vs it is true that this shall not be according to our desire but howsoeuer it be prosperitie shal always be coupled with the fauour loue of god Now we knowe that he hath all in his hand he is no nigard that he will not giue to his children whatsoeuer he knoweth to be meete for them Let vs learne therfore to wayte for al prosperitie free fauour of our God when it shall please him to testifie vnto vs that he loueth vs and that he is with vs as I haue said already and in the meane while notwithstāding although that we haue many aduersities which trouble molest vs and that they be hard bitter vnto vs yet let vs neuer giue ouer to hold vs fast vnto his promise And when we receiue any grace frō the hand of God let vs applie the same alwaies to strēgthen our faith to haue this vndoubted perswasiō that we shal trie that to be true which is spokē here I wil be with thee and I wil blesse thee And certaine it is that if we would cōsider wel the benefits of God that we daily receiue from him
and that they were valued of vs as they ought we should haue alwaies good cause to honor him to reioice ourselues in him but alacke we deuoure vp the benefits that he bestoweth vpō vs in the meane while we mowe at thē neuer think vpon them And we may see that this is the cause that we are so giuē to murmure to fret to discontent ourselues And why so For the benefits of God ought to suffise to satisfie vs in him but as I haue said we despise set light by them And so we are not worthie to taste what this promise is worth I am with thee and wil blesse thee Now it is said a litle after That Isaack erected an altar and that he called vpon the name of the Lord in that place We haue seene already why altars were erected by the holy fathers to what intent but yet wee must here speake somewhat of it euen as the place requireth The altar which Isaack erected was to this end that he might make professiō of his faith Thus much concerning the first point For if wee pray vnto God we haue no neede to erect an altar vnto him the seruice of God is of it self spiritual Isaack therfore erected not an altar that hee might only inuocate and call vpon the name of God or make his praiers supplications vnto him but to the intent that his faith might be knowen that God might be glorified before men For although we ought to serue God in spirite and inwardly in our heart yet notwithstanding this letteth not also but that wee must giue him that prayse which hee deserueth before men and that wee protest asmuch as lyeth in vs that wee are wholy his both bodye and soule Here therefore we are instructed that the faithfull after they haue put their trust in God shall haue called vpon him giuen vnto him the praise of all his benefites that they must yet further make a confession of their faith before men to the intent they may wholy as also all is his dedicate themselues to him There is also a seconde reason And that is that by reason of our slougth and slacknes we haue neede euery maner of way to bee pricked forwardes to the ende too stirre vs vp to march cherefully forwards in the seruice of god How so It is true that whē we pray vnto God he embusieth him selfe with no ceremonies and yet for all that we bowe our knees we hold vp our hāds towards heauen and vncouer our head And why so First of all in respect of men For as I haue alreadie said it must needs be that we do homage vnto God with our bodies which hee hath created and which he hath appointed to his glorie to the crowne of immortalitie But howsoeuer it be forasmuch as we are slacke it behoueth vs that these meanes stande vs in steede to prouoke vs too haue a more feruent zeale to praye vnto God and with a more heartie affection Loe then why it is meete for vs to haue our ioyned handes lifted vp too kneele vpon our knees and haue our head vncouered For it is too shewe that wee present our selues before God as if we should say And poore wretch who art thou with what lowlines oughtest thou too come before him who hath created and fashioned thee and to whome thou haste to render an account of thy whole life And againe this also is to this end that we should bereaue our selues of all vaine fantasies that make vs to stray heere and there and that wee should wholly reste vpon him So then the Aultar that Isaack erected serued to this purpose to wit that by this meane he might be the more prouoked and haue his hart so much the more inflamed to serue god And on the other side he made a confession before men to giue example to his familie and to testifie that he mingled not himself with the superstitions of the Panims but had a pure and vndefiled religion in asmuch as he was ruled by his word And thus much concerning the Altar And by the way wee haue also to learne heere this thing which was declared before that the prayers of the holy fathers and the confession which they made of their faith was not ioyned with the sacrifices for no other ende but to leade thē vnto our Lord Iesus Christ For they were continually taught that they could haue no accesse vnto God but by the fauour of a mediatour who was not yet sent into the world but yet so it is that they rested there But now that our Lord Iesus Christ is come downe that hee hath taken our nature vpon him hath said vnto vs That he is the light of the worlde that he is the way the trueth and the life that he is our aduocate to God his father that through him we must haue entrance into Heauen Seing therefore we haue all this must we not bee so much the more assured when there is any question of calling vpon him that wee knowe that our requestes shal be heard of him and the gate shall be open for vs that we shall alwaies find him ready and fauourable to help and succour vs Now howsoeuer it be let vs marke that Altars in olde time and specially in the time of the law were alwayes erected to this end that the faithfull might know that they were not woorthy to pray vnto God nor to call vpon him in their own name but that alwaies they must come to him by the means of our Lord Iesus Christ by the vertue of that sacrifice which he must offer vp to his father for the reconciliation of the world And indeede wee must not thinke that Abraham and Isaack deuised Altars according to their owne fantasies For their sacrifices were neuer acceptable but through faith as the Apostle sheweth Nowe they could neuer haue beene grounded in Faith vnlesse the word of god had gone before to enlightē thē Let vs know then that Isaack offred not vp a sacrifice at all aduentures as if he had thought ô this shal be found good but he was taught that hee beeing a wretched sinner he must not presume to call vpon the name of God vnlesse he put his whole trust in him who must be sent to make satisfaction and to purge the sinnes of the world The Panims had in deede their Altars and sacrificed as did the holy fathers but they wāted the principall They were wholy occupyed in the ceremony which of it self was friuolous because they looked not vp to that heauenly paterne wherof mention is made in Leuiticus So then we haue to learne that when our father Isaac wold cal vpō the name of god he had an Altar to witnes that hee could not be receyued but in the name fauor of our lord Iesus Christ And therfore at this day as often as we will pray vnto God let vs learne to washe our Prayes
exercised him to the end he might try what patience there was in him And so Isaack knew that if it had pleased God to giue him peaceable dwelling in that Countrie where hee was that he should not haue beene driuen thence but in asmuch as hee sawe men perke vp against him he knew that it was as a pasporte from God for him to departe Now on the cōttary we must also note that god moued them vpon the suddaine to come towards Isaack and to appease and abolish all enmities and quarrels which might yet be moued either on the one side or on the other Let vs marke well then when any outrage is doone against vs and there where we shal haue indeuored to do pleasure and seruice to euery one that we shall be wonderfully pricked and tormented that this should be doone by Gods appoyntment who willeth vs to striue not in doing euill or requiting euill for euill but by possessing our soules in patience as also our Lord Iesus Christ hath thereto exhorted vs And likewise on the contrary when we shall see men to be fauourable vnto vs and to intende no euill quarrel or ryote against vs let vs know that God hath pittie vpon vs that he gouerneth his creatures and directeth thē to such purpose as he seeth good And likewise let vs beseech God as often as our enemyes shall vse any crueltie against vs and that we can not winne them by any meanes nor by any moderation that wee can vse that it will please him to put too his hande knowing that hee can turne when it shall please him those that are Wolues into sheepe This is that wee haue to learne firste of all by this History But it is sayde that Isaack at their firste comming spake bluntly enough on this wise Why are you come vnto me seeing you hated me draue me out from amongst you Wee shall see by the sequel of the matter that Isaack nourished no spite nor bitternesse nor any desire of reuengement in his heart For hee was quickly appeased and when he vpbrayed Abimilech and all his company that they had hated and persecuted him it was not in manner of any iniurie so as we are accustomed to doe For if any spite be done vnto vs or any wrong wee sharpen our tongues to speake euill and to slaunder there is nothing but hatredes contentions and wranglings to be short if we could teare them in peeces that haue hurt vs we would willingly doe it And this is it that Solomon sayth That hatred discouereth reproches faultes and iniuryes When the hearts then are thus set on fire it is not possible but that the tongues also must ouerflowe too outrage one against the other But Isaack tooke no such course but we haue to note that whensoeuer wee shall be patient that this letteth not but that we vse our libertie to shew them that haue faulted the wrong that they haue done vnto vs and so make them to vnderstande their offence to the ende all may profite them It is true that in this case we must thorowly examine our affection for it is a very hard and rare thing that a man who shall haue beene prouoked offēded that he should not be moued with some passion and so alwayes pursue his own particular cause And therfore I haue said that we must enter into our selues and diligently marke if we be not moued with some desire of reuenge or taynted with some hatred or rancour when wee shall haue thorowely knowen this and finde our selues cleere then we may haue an open mouth to shewe them their offence that shall haue wronged vs not too be reuenged in condemning of them but to the ende that they flatter not them selues in their sinnes as this is a very commō euil amongst men Loe then a poynt which we haue diligently to marke that is that the patience of the faithfull is not without all touch of any passion neither is it against this that we frankly shewe them yee haue doone me wrong and yee haue offended GOD and yee haue had no occasion to doe so and yet that they alwayes haue speciall regarde vnto the saluation of those who haue persecuted them and haue beene their enemyes For this that Isaack nippeth them withall was vndoubtedly as an admonition whereby he sought the good and saluation of them to whome he spake so bluntly For if he had dissembled it what profite might come to him thereby The others woulde haue thought it depe hypocrisie if he had made shew to haue byn contented wel pleased with them and that he had nothing but honny in his mouth and haue said Loe it is euen so Abimilech knowing himselfe to be faultie would haue thought See a double man and a lyer Loe what they gaine that dissemble so much and set such a faire coūtenance vpon it So then although the Children of God be patient and that they be alwayes ready ro forgiue all wronges committed againste them and haue not any maner of wayes cācred harts against their enemyes yet they cease not oftentimes too say See wherein you haue done me wronge and this is to shewe that they walke in all roundnes simplicitie And this ende ought alwayes to be kept that is to say when wee shall bee greeued or any wrong or extortion shall bee doone vnto vs that yet wee procure alwayes the good of our enemyes and that the reproofes and accusations that we make vnto them bee so many aduertisementes or warninges to drawe them to the right way and to touch them too the intent they be not hardened and made obstinate and that they may be better aduised in time too come and that they fight not against God thinking they haue too do with men as it is very like that Isaack did here who woulde likewise prouide for the time too come For this shal be very lawful for vs when we shall haue suffred any wrong to doe asmuch as lyeth in vs to rid our selues from it For although our Lord Iesus Christ cōmandeth vs to be ready when we shall haue receiued one blowe vpon the one cheeke to turne the other Yet it meaneth not that we should go prouoke our enemies giue them occasiō to vexe vs We ought to auoyd this asmuch as is possible for vs by all good and louing meanes wee ought to stop their malice who haue no feare of God in them Isaack then had respect to himselfe in this case But it was not too the ende too be auenged nor to render like for like He onely contented himselfe to haue sette a barre against all those which had intreated him euill and dealte vniustly with him before time to the ende they might be stayed and might surcease from such wrongs This briefely is that we haue to learne out of this place And this rule is very necessary For oftentimes when men are reconcyled one to the other they must be silent and then there shall neede
in the meane time let vs haue this sobrietie and modestie therein too submitte our selues too the order which hee hath establyshed And thus much concerning this worde of blessing Nowe heere Moyses beginneth too rehearse howe Rebecca founde out a subtiltie and craft to robbe Esau of his blessing and too translate it too Iacob and after that we haue spoken of the vices of Isaack we see the like in his wife Rebecca and yet neuerthelesse they bothe beleeued in God notwithstanding that it was so darkened and bewrapped that it could hardly be discerned That Isaack had a true faith and that this proceeded from a true zeale it appeareth plainely For if he had not beene thorowly perswaded heereof in himselfe that the heritage should be giuen him which was promised to him and to his seede concerning this blessing What had this byn Surely but a craftie parte and a thing of nought Isaack therfore must needs be resolued howsoeuer hee saw himselfe as it were already in the graue his life to bee spente and to haue but a day too liue howsoeuer this were yet neuertheles he alwayes helde this sure which was said vnto him to wit that his familie shoulde be blessed and that GOD had chosen him and that this was not in vaine that albeit he sawe not the fulfilling of these promises in this world yet notwithstanding that god was in heauen and that neither he nor his shoulde be deceiued but yet they must waite for this Wherefore Isaack hauing fought al the tyme of his life against al the tentatiōs which might haue ouerthrowen him doeth yet in death perseuer in fayth and patience and doth this honor vnto God that he doth boldly trust in him For whosoeuer trusteth in God shal neuer be confounded Isaack had this this was a very excellent faith For see a poore wayfering man it is saide vnto him thou shalte bee the heire of this countrey and yet notwithstanding he had no water to drinke as we haue seene Nowe notwithstanding death doth threatē him yet knoweth he not when it shal be sauing that he is altogether readie for it And yet for all that he despiteth both Sathan and the worlde and remaineth stedfast in this that God wil not deceiue him that it is al one to him whether he dye or whether he molder in the groūd so that the truth of God may yet continue haue his ful vertue and power Lo Isaack the who seeketh not for the worlde but forsaketh al his senses and remaineth stedfast douteth not but that god had mercy on him on his stock Herein as I haue said we haue good cause to praise him yet in the meane time he was so blinded with the loue of his sonne that he fought against God though hee neuer once thought therof This was not a manifest rebellion nor of wilful malice but it was because hee was sluggishe and knewe not his office but in parte He knoweth very wel that God would aduaunce him to such a dignitie that he might bee the messenger and witnesse of this blessing Hee knoweth this and notwithstanding on the contrary parte hee is deceiued Hee had therefore in this case a particular Fayth he had a good zeale mingled with the affections of the fleshe But let vs come too Rebecca Rebecca behahaued her selfe heere with foolishe rashnesse for what an attempte was it for the blessing of God too be prophaned through crafte and lying yea I saye lying so foule as nothing colde be more The matter was heere of the saluation of the worlde the question was of hauing Iesus Christ whome GOD should send for a Redeemer But how proceedeth Rebecca theerein It is certaine that a thing of such importance ought too bee handled with all feare and lowelynesse what a thing is it then that she commeth foolishly too attempte that which seemeth good vnto her in so excellent a woorke of GOD and which surmounteth all others For Rebecca knowing wel that the blessing which shee sought for her sonne Iacob imported that hee should bee heade of the Church during his life and that of him shoulde come our Lorde Iesus Christe doth notwithstanding ouerthrowe it that shee careth not too lye to falsifie to peruert all and also it seemeth that she setteth out the grace of God but in a mockery and contempt For this was too make it too bee basely esteemed to say that it shoulde come bewrapped aboute the necke of her sonne and in the handes of skinnes coulouring that hee is hairie and seeming too robbe Esau of all his ornamentes and againe that she maketh her sonne to lye farther Iacob who went to seeke a Kid which shee causeth to be sodde and maketh him beleeue that it is Venison And after that he had the smell of the garmentes of Esau to bee shorte it might be saide that she would haue ouerthrowen the election of God. Loe therfore very foule faultes and yet all this proceedeth from an excellent faith if euer there were any This is very straunge But wee maye easily iudge it Whereto then had Rebecca regarde She looued her Sonne Iacob and what shoulde it auayle him to haue beene blessed thorowe deceite For this was neither to gette him riches nor profite in respecte of the worlde yea which is more she layeth him open to the wrathe and curse of his Father Againe shee knewe Esau who was ful of venom ful of fiercenesse spight and wrath and indeede wee shall see afterwardes that Iacob was in danger of his life Rebecca knewe all these thinges notwithstanding she setteth fire on her house where she might haue kept her darling with her to haue beene alwayes with him to haue administred that vnto him which he might haue needed in the worlde without putting him in any such daunger But what did shee she had printed this in her hearte that the birthright belonged vnto Iacob as GOD had promised her and so she woulde obey God and esteeme this birthright although it was nothing accounted off amongst men as wee shall afterwardes finde that Iacob called Esau his Lorde that hee humbled him selfe before him yea euen to the bowing of the knee Nowe although that this same birthright were worth nothing in respecte of the world yet doth Rebecca greatly esteeme it See then vndoubted and sure testimonies of a great and exquisite faith which was in her that shee would obey God in despite both of her husband and all that he had so that she mighte execute that which God had pronounced she passed not And that shee esteemed these spirituall blessinges more then any thinge which was in the worlde Loe then the vndoubted markes of her faith she had so greate zeale that she forgot her self and regarded not any whit whatsoeuer mischeife might come vpon it And why so For asmuch as shee conformed her selfe to the will of God and forsooke her eldest sonne cast of all motherly affection and knowing that he must be cut off
very well sayeth shee let him goe as a rotten member for asmuch as God hath so ordayned Wee see heere in Rebecca notable vertues mingled with vices And heereby wee are admonished too walke in feare albeit that God giue vs a singular affection to meditate vpon him notwithstanding wee shall alwayes be in such sorte bewrapped in darkenesse that when wee imagine to doe the beste wee can in the worlde yet there shall be cause for vs too amend when GOD shall call vs to a reckoning And in good sooth there is not any one which doth not proue this to be true for although that this bee our marke too striue thither whether God hath called vs yet doe wee make so many false steppes that it is greate pittie to see and they which run more swiftly doe bring themselues in order to God yet for all that they go out of the way and haue many outlopes crosse pathes God suffreth them to the ende that we should not haue whereof to be proude For if vertues them selues be faultie before God alas what shall those vices bee which are altogither condemned Doe wee labour too doe well doe wee enforce our selues therevnto yet notwithstanding wee shall offende god And why soe It is because there is such infirmitie in vs and wee are wrapped in ignoraunce Although that GOD inlighten vs and that wee see the way well notwithstanding yet such cloudes doe oftentimes come before our eyes that in steade of keeping of our way vve stray either on the one side or on the other Mark how faultie the vertues of the faithfull are to the end that we may learne only to rest our selues in the meere goodnes of God to the end it would please him to pardon our offences also to accept that for rightuousnes which he might iustly condemne Howe then is it that our works are acceptable vnto God howe is it that hee calleth sacrifices of a sweete smelling sauour and that they are so acceptable before him that they shall haue a rewarde Alas it is not any merite as the Papistes imagine but it is because that God hath iustified that which hee might rightly reiect and accompt as it were abhominable So let vs marke that in the faith of Isaack wee may beholde the imperfectiōs which are in vs whiles that we liue in this world albeit that God haue renued vs in parte by his holy spirit and againe let vs knowe that God worketh in such sort that the euil which is in vs hindreth not him to accomplish his work euen by our meane As for example If wee will search till we finde an Angelicall perfection in a mortal man there shall neuer any be founde that hath it neither was euer any founde who was not tainted with some kinde of fault and therefore the Priestes which were figures and representations of our Lord Iesus Christ first of al asked pardon for their offences although that they made intercession for the people and were as it were mediators and that by their sacrifices they abolished sinnes yet notwithstanding must they begin at them selues But nowe by the way if wee will seeke ministers of the vvorde in vvhome there is no fault it is certaine that vve cannot finde any and it muste needes bee that the most excellent men be examples vnto vs of the bricklenesse and weaknesse of men But nowe if wee will conclude and howe then shall I finde my saluation by their meanes For I see yet that they are full of imperfections But let vs learne as I haue said in the persone of Isaack that God leaueth not off too accomplishe his woorke although there bee yet ignorance in them who ought too leade vs vvho vvhen they distribute vnto vs spirituall giftes which they haue committed vnto them and whereof GOD hath made them keepers although they be not altogyther such as they ought too bee notwithstanding wee leaue not off too make our profite of them for God vseth and ordereth them in such sorte in this worke which he will doo that his grace is no whit hindered because a man might finde thinges too bee bettered in them This therefore is the thing that we haue yet too marke vppon this place But too be short wee see that the faith of the children of God shall oftentimes be weake and entangled not as the papistes haue imagined for they call an entangled faith beastlinesse when a man shall saye O I beleeue in my mothers god I knowe not what the whole Christianitie meaneth But lo it is inough for me too goe simply to worke and I beleeue as our holy mother the Church beleeueth and in deede the wiser sorte of Priestes will saye I beleeue in the god of my Chambermaide bicause she beleeueth in god who maketh Cabadges to growe after that shee hath planted them See the implicite and folded fayth of the Papistes which is a very sorcerie of the Deuil but the entangled faith of the children of GOD is because they bee holden in ignorance But yet notwithstanding there is some light but what is that faith It is an vnderstanding which wee haue of the goodnesse and fauour of GOD after that hee hath illuminated vs by his holy spirite and by his woord For faith can not be without these two things that is to saye without the word of God I saye as God hath set an order in his church and after it cā not be without the gift of the spirit For the word of god should be preached vnto vs both morning euening and wee can profit nothing therein vnlesse God doo open our eares and enlighten vs forasmuch as wee are miserable blinde ones The Sunne shall alwayes shine vppon vs but they that are blinde discerne not betweene the daye and the night too them both are alyke And euen so is it with vs that if GOD illuminate vs not within when hee sendeth his holye woorde too shewe vs the waye wee shoulde alwayes remayne as poore strayes or lost sheepe So then it behooueth that oure fayth haue light in it selfe but yet I saye that this light is compassed and entangled with great darknesse For wee beholde not God face too face and wee are not capable too comprehende his secretes and this is sufficient that wee knowe them in part and that we haue some taste of that which shall be reuealed vnto vs in perfection then when we shal put off our flesh shal be translated into that heauenly glorie to be companions of Angells Loe then briefly what wee haue to learne vppon this place to wit that our faith although it be great exquisite yet neuerthelesse it shall alwayes haue some weaknes and some imperfection and ignorance mingled with that which God hath giuē vs to know Nowe hereof we may gather that whē the scripture pronounceth that we are iustified saued by faith it meaneth not that it is by the desert of faith For if it were so that our saluation were founded
nothing was seene but matter of laughter But to the end that we should be kept in reuerence and make our profit of this historie let vs learne too looke vnto Gods election wherof mention was made before For if wee haue not this foundation it is certayne that in all that Moyses rehearseth wee shall not finde any thing that may mooue vs or giue vs any perswasion that this was guided and gouerned from aboue But when we shall be resolued that GOD had giuen the birthright too Iacob before hee was borne notwithstanding wee haue too note in seeing these thinges so sottishly ordered by men of an vnaduised zeale that therefore wee ceasse not too say Loe God who is alwayes vnchaungeable although men through their sturdie boldnesse and foolishe presumption trouble and turne all vpside downe yet neuerthelesse must his counsaile remayne entier and perfecte This therefore is that wee haue too note too the ende wee may make our profit of this historie Moreouer when it is sayde That Iacob came to his father and sayde vnto him I am thy sonne Esau eate and drinke Hereby we may see how men harden thēselues when they haue once attempted to doo any thing of an vnaduised zeale howe they waxe bolder and bolder At the firste Iacob doubted If I sayeth hee be founde as a mocker before my father hee will cursse mee but by and by hee careth for nothing he speaketh as boldly franckly as if it should haue beene sayde that hee was sure too bee in Esaus place But hereby wee haue too note before wee beginne any thing to thinke whether wee haue allowaunce from GOD and whether hee will guyde vs and too see that in all our dooing and enterprise there bee nothing but meere obedience For if wee beginne once as they saye too breake our boundes and that wee imagine too doo this and to doo that howesoeuer at the beginning wee had some scruple and did make great difficultie thereof in the ende wee shall shut our eyes and passe further and when all the obiections of the worlde shall come before our eyes yet wee shall become obstinate Forasmuch then as men are so hardened in their foolishe and rashe counsels and that wee see such a notable example thereof in our father Iacob so much the rather as I haue sayde alreadie must wee take heede that wee mooue not a finger breadth till wee knowe whether GOD will allowe that which wee doo and that wee haue taken counsell of his woorde For then wee cannot bee too bolde when wee shall bee subiect vnto him and when there shall be no foolishe ouerweening in vs too followe our owne fantasie But wee can doo nothing of our selues howe small soeuer it bee which is not too much And therefore as I haue sayde let vs learne too beginne well to the end such an end may followe as we should desire But in this which is here cōtained in Moyses wee may haue a figure which shall not be vnfitte and that is that although Isaack was deceyued that Esau was not there and that Iacob through his sleightes obtayned his blessing yet for all this wee haue here an image of that blessing which is giuen vnto vs of GOD For it is sayde in the firste Chapiter of the Ephesians That wee are blessed with all heauenly graces and spirituall gifts And after what sorte Sainct Paule addeth in Iesus Christe For if GOD should looke vppon our persones wee must bee his enemies and hee must needes deteste vs by reason of sinne Seeing therefore it is so it behooueth vs too bee blessed without ourselues that is too saye in the persone of our heade And moreouer wee muste bee clothed with the robe of our Lorde Iesus Christe For what can wee bring but altogyther filthinesse and polution Wee are wholly made in iniquitie therefore wee must bee as stinke before GOD but when wee are cladde with the obedience of his onely Sonne O then Loe a sweete sauoure wherein wee are acceptable vnto him So that although as I haue saide alreadie in respect of men there was nothing but confusion and as they saye all was iumbled togyther yet neuerthelesse wee may applie this too our profite Iacob was a looking glasse of the whole Church and yet were wee blessed in his persone as hee was blessed in the persone of his elder brother For the question is not here of finding it altogither like If a man saye that Esau resembled not Iesus Christe it is very true but yet in comparison it needeth not that euery parte and parcell agree togyther it is sufficient that wee see some agreement and likenesse in parte as it is sayde that the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe shall be as a thiefe in the night And what will hee steale It were a foolishe thing too thinke thus but it is ynough that wee see that they which are asleepe in the worlde shall bee taken vppon the suddaine So nowe when hee speaketh of the birthright of Esau and that Isaack represented the person of God and that Iacob was blessed vnder the robe and countenaunce of his brother heerein wee see that that was accomplished which we alledged euen nowe to witte that we shal be put back if we come in our own name in our owne person to get fauour before God but when we shal come there vnder the shadow of our Lorde Iesus Christe who is the first borne amongst all the Children of god See how we are receiued But notwithstanding it is saide That Isaack demaunded who art thou my sonne I am thy sonne Esau But heerein he trusteth not himself thought it may appeare that there was some fraude For he sayth vnto him Come neere vnto me that I may feele whether thou be my sonne Esau or no. We see heere that Isaack doubted and yet neuertheles the blessing ceased not in respect of god to haue his vertue and effect as also it is sayd that he blessed him in the presence of god But it is very true that if we haue our eyes fastened vpon Isaack we shall say that this acte was ill guided that he deserued not to be accounted in any degree of perfection but that God wrought it as I haue saide and not onely when the inferiour meanes failed but when they were contrary and that it seemed that this had byn vtterly to abolish that which was determined But so much the rather it behooueth vs well to note that howsoeuer God vse men in his worke and doth them this honour to serue therin as instruments yet is there nothing on their parte and wee may saye He that planteth and he that watreth is nothing But heere Isaack in steade of planting and watering did rather pluck vp and cut of the blessing of God to make it barren and without fruite But howsoeuer it was yet was God therein serued For whether hee had planted or watred he had doone it but in parte but he did it not wholy and as
he ought yet in the meane season as I haue saide the goodnes of God surmounted what soeuer was faultie and vitious in his creatures Howsoeuer it were we may well say that Isaack in douting deserued to be depriued from that state and office which was giuen him that is to say that hee had lost the grace of God wherein the saluation of the whole world was included Loe the treasure which was committed vnto him but he by his vnbeliefe deserued too be stripped of it But God would not so haue it And to whom shall we attribute this It must needs be that his mercy be heere magnified seeing that in man there is not only not any helpe thereto nor any thing that answereth vnto it but quite against it And yet let vs note that none was more dulled of God then he was It is true that we saw before that he had dimme eyes and that he was so weake with age that he was as a man halfe deade but yet this came not to passe naturally that hearing the voyce of Iacob he was so fowly deceiued that he once thought not There is some fraud in the matter He doubteth thereof and yet neuerthelesse goeth on albeit it were against his wil yet he blessed Iacob in stead of Esau It must needes be therfore that God dulled him so that it was not of age only And this is that which I haue said that God guided his work so that although men hinder let it it seemeth to haue bin as if they shold draw quite cōtrary neuertheles thend issue was such that it appeareth that God executed that which he had pronounced following his secret election which was made before the creatiō of the world And so we know in al that Isaak did ther was nothing but a kind of sottishnes that he was so dul he had no vnderstāding he discerned nothīg nor had any iudgment and yet notwithstanding God maketh this to preuaile After what maner How is it that he maketh the breade which we eate to be of strength to nourish vs when we shall haue wel eaten drunk and shal be refreshed satisfied so as he which neither cā bow his arme nor his legges shall haue new strength to trauel Shall we say that this is bicause the bread hath any power any life or any mouing But whē we see that the bread giueth vs that which it hath not and the corne and wine other meates this is to shew vs that God vseth not his creatures in such sorte in any worke that we should occupy our selues in that which we see with our eye but that we should alwaies bend to this that as he disposeth the order of nature and likewise guideth and gouerneth vs yea and that against nature that many times hee will woorke quite contrary to that that is accustomed vnto vs in such sort that we shal be astonished thereat and chiefly when the question is of our saluation And yet must not we imagine that we bring any thing thither for our parte but that it is God that must accomplish all who began it and wil performe it And moreouer if he worke after a straunge vnwoonted maner and that there be nothing but an outwarde shew of folly let vs knowe as S. Paule saith that the follie of God is greater wisdome then al the wisedomes of the world Now he calleth it the foolishnesse of God after our opiniō because he worketh in a contemptible manner that we might bee rauished therein thinking What is this that God will say It seemeth that he iesteth and mocketh We will conclude thereof euen so And this is the cause why S. Paule sayth that it is folly because men rest themselues vpon their outward senses But howsoeuer it be this surpasseth all the wisdome of the world Marke then what we haue to beare away And when we shall wel remember this lesson here we shall not be as a great sorte of giddie heades who take all these factes at aduenture and therevpon mock themselues as though all that were here rehearsed by Moyses were nothing else as a man would say but foolish trifling But when we shall haue learned this which is here shewed vs by S. Paule it is certaine that wee shall haue another manner of sobrietie and that we shall not giue ouer to adore the secret of God although at the first shew he glorifie not himself but we shal alwaies look to the beginning to the ende and not to those meanes which may giue vs occasion ingender in vs some offence or which may swallow vs vp To be short we see that God directed Isaack in such sorte that he was altogither blind we wil not say therfore that god gaue Isaac heere any sight to the end he might do that which appertained to his office knowing well the cause why and knowing all the proceeding of the matter but he was blinded and yet hee held him as it were by the hande and led him as a blinde man which seeth nothing And in deede we see in the Church something that answeareth to this or els comes very neere it for as it was said yesterday The preaching of the Gospel is the power of God to saluation to all beleeuers When therfore we preach the grace of God whereby we are reconciled in asmuch as our faultes are pardoned vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ and that the blood which he shed for vs is the true purgation thereof too cleanse vs Loe then God who openeth the Heauens and calleth vs vnto himselfe albeit the worde proceede from the mouth of a man But in the meane season I knowe not to whome this shal be auaileable For euery one shall bee a witnesse of his owne faith and when I speake haue not receaued my part therin woe be vpon me I should be more then blinde as also they haue byn who shall haue preached the Gospel and shal be witnesses of the grace of God and shall drawe poore sinners to saluation notwithstanding there is nothing remaining for them but condemnation And why so For they are as Players in whome ther is no affection nor zeale So then God will bee serued oftentimes of a people who are woorth nothing who are as dogges the very offscouring yet notwithstanding they are as the ministers of his power to draw those to saluatiō that are in the way of destruction Moreouer there are mercenaries that preach for their belly and haue no other regarde but to themselues or els would make themselues to be very well esteemed and yet are these neuerthelesse the instruments of God for the saluation of all beleeuers And oftentimes the best they I say that acquite themselues most faithfully to doe their duetie to cal poore sinners to saluation to be guides and examples to all others these shall not yet finde what God will doe And why so They sowe the Seede and knowe not hovve God will make it
profite and oftentimes they weene to blesse and they cursse And wherefore Because it must needes be that the vengeaunce of God be prepared for all contemners The Gospel is preached to the end we might find God merciful to vs al but there are many that through their contempt and ingratitude heape vpon themselues their owne damnation For the gospel shal be vnto them a sauour of death vnto death as Saint Paule saith that is to say a deadly sauour that only the breath shall be inough to swallowe them vp as we see yet at this day that God worketh by the ministers of his vvord that some are altogither blinde other are blinde in parte For the hyerlings of whome we haue spoken they are altogither blockishe and knowe nothing But the good and faithfull Ministers although it so bee that they knowe that they haue their eyes dimme yet they are ignorant howe God wil make their labour to profite or in what sort and oftentimes their purpose is quite ouerthrowen This then is that we haue too learne And in the meane tyme seing god hath declared vnto vs that his vvord is the opē way to the heauenly life and that he wil ratifie al that which shal bee pronounced heere by men in his name let vs keepe vs too that and not doubte whatsoeuer want shal bee in vs aswell concerning him that speaketh as him that heareth that yet neuertheles when we shal receiue this word by faith it shal be faithfully in trueth handled vnto vs we shal be partakers of this blessing And herein wee may see the beastlinesse of al those false wretches of the papacie for marke whervpon they haue founded that Idol which they haue to make a god of a morcel of bread they say if a Priest haue no intentiō to consecrate it is nothing in that the bread is turned into god it is by the intētiō of him which cosecrateth ▪ so as they must be Idolaters in all their Masses I speake of their owne doctrine if they make not this condition For what know wee say they whether the Priest which consecrateth doth his busines as hee ought whether his minde bee vpon his kitchin or chābermaid for in so dooing the bread remaineth bread there is no GOD and why so For say they if his intentiō be not there it is nothing But it is very true that they shevve very vvel how one errour draweth another for bicause it seemeth to them that there is a chaunge made of the bread into the substance of our Lord Iesus Christe for which they haue inuented that same charme they adde straight way the intention but notwithstanding we see that they knowe nothing of the nature of the Sacramentes I leaue nowe to speake of this conuersion which they imagine cal trāsubstantiation but if he that ministreth the sacrament hath this charge and calling holde the people bound to his intention what shall this be A wicked man that shal baptise he may mock God and by this meanes quite make frustrate the sacrament and after when he shall minister the sacrament of the Supper the poore people shall therin be mocked who come thither to seeke a pledge of their saluation he therein manifestly despiteth god To be short they must holde the power of God which he most notably setteth foorth in the sacraments shut vp in their fist And what a blasphemy is this how detestable But see how far they are come For it is certain that in the Masse if they had an Angell there yet it shoulde neuer cease to be a diuelish thing but cōtrariwise if there were a deuil in the supper which is ministred yet it could not let God from accōplishing his work We must not looke to the woorthynessse of him which giueth the bread or the wine in the supper But God hath so instructed vs therin that he hath giuen power to the visible signe It is he that worketh by his holy spirit so as we bee not deceiued when we come thither but shall bee truely vnited and ioyned vnto him Loe then what we haue to beare away vpon this place too make our profite therof But now let vs come to the blessing which Isaack gaue After he had kissed his sonne he sayeth Loe the sauour of my sonne is at the sauour of a fielde which God hath blessed Albeit we see that he was deceiued yet vnder the sauour of this borrowed garment he accepteth Iacob his sonne as if he had beene his first borne Loe then how the sauour whereby we are accepted vnto God proceedeth from him which is the first borne in the house to wit from our Lord Iesus Christ Moreouer he addeth The Lord giue thee the dewe of Heauen and the fatnesse of the earth abundaunce of wheate and wine Heere at the first shew a man would iudge that this blessinge imported nothinge but that Iacob should be fat and well nourished For Isaack mentioneth not here any spirituall giftes as wee haue shewed before that it was not for any earthly cōmodities nor for riches profite or pleasures that Iacob must be blessed How shal these things therfore be reconciled But we haue to holde this rule that is giuen vs in the holy Scriptures to wit that the grace of God was alwaies clothed as it were with some figures vntil that our lord Iesus Christ came For when the fathers would obtain pardon of their sinnes they had some beast slaine and the blood was shed sometime the fat was burned and the blood was sprinckled And could a brute beast I beseech you blotte out our sinnes whereof wee And in this respecte was the lande of Canaan as a pledge gage vnto them that God had appointed a better inheritaunce for them then in this worlde For they might haue returned too the coūtrie where they were borne which was more fertile then this of Iudaea as may appeare Marke Abraham and Isaack pinched with famine and if they had loked to nothing but to haue bin nourished heere vpon earth they woulde haue forsaken that lande of promise But they rested there And wherefore to inioy it after their death Of necessitie therefore muste they thinke of a more high thing then this visible earth and they muste take it in another respecte to say wee haue heere all that we can desire But they tooke the land of Canaan as a pledge that God gaue them vntil they shoulde come into the possession of that heauenly life So then when we see in this blessing of Iacob that he speaketh of the deaw of heauen and of the fat of the earth of abūdaunce of corne and wine it meaneth not that Isaack would onely pray for this that his sonne might be fed as an Hog in a sty and that he should be fatte and full heere beneath but he folowed the order that God had appointed at that time to witte that he did giue vnto them pledges of a thing that was much more excellent
And that so it is Isaack addeth a little after That his sonne shoulde rule ouer his enemyes and that all nations shoulde bowe their knees before him And by what right giueth he him this Loe Isaack a poore straunger that must hier the lande where he setteth vp his pauilion and must liue as it were by the fauour of an other and yet neuerthelesse he maketh his sonne here a King of kings and all the worlde to come and doe him homage and that hee shall bring the whole earth into subiection We see then very well that hee troubleth not him selfe with earthly things but he ioyneth bothe togither to wit he taketh earthly blessings as pleadges to the end to bring his sonne further off and in the meanewhile he hath his path right that might leade him to the kingdome of heauen as was promised him Now we know that things are offred to vs in our Lorde Iesus Christe that may make vs forget both honours and all highnesses dignities and nobilities of the world This therefore is the thing we haue to marke vpon this place It is true that euen at this day it must needs be that those temporall blessinges which wee receiue from the hande of God should bee vnto vs as it were pledges of his goodnesse but they are somtimes more sometimes lesse For in respecte that the auncient fathers had not the like light as wee haue and were in shadowes and figures this is the cause why God woulde not so well testifie his fauour vnto them as he hath done vnto vs at this day For in the gospel we haue our lord Iesus Christ it is said that we must be fashioned after his image Now we knowe that hee had nothing in this world but all kinde of miseries confusions for we see how he was crucified so as it semed that he had bin vtterly forsakē of god his father he was in extreme distresses anguishes Thus then we must be fashioned to him after another fashion thē they were who were so led by figures Further more when we shal compare Iacob with Esau we shall yet better knowe as wee shall finde afterwarde that when Isaack blessed Esau that the blessing which he will vse will be a greate deale more large and rich then that which he vseth here towards Iacob his sonne and yet neuertheles this was not to blesse him to that heauenly life but he sayth vnto him My friend there be not twoo blessings seeing that is taken from mee it must stand and God hath blessed him whom I haue blessed forasmuch as hee hath appointed me the minister therof it must needes be that it euen so stand as it hath beene don I haue no more right in it I must holde my selfe contented to haue blessed once yet afterwards he blesseth Esau notwithstanding And how What is there any contradiction no not so but this is to shewe vs that there was not any other heauenly blessing to say that he whom he blessed should be the head of the church that Iesus Christ should come of his race this was no longer in the hand of Isaack as he confesseth But concerning the benefites of this worlde and that which might satisfie the creatures hee gaue him more abundauntly then he did to Iacob Now then we may easely see that Isaack speaking heere of the deawe of Heauen of the fatte of the earth and of great quantitie of corne and wine he meaneth not that his sonne shoulde trouble him selfe therein but he simply setteth these figures before him which were pledges as I haue sayd to draw him further of This therfore is the thing that we haue to marke And withall let vs note that when it is sayd that Isaack had declared The voyce is the voyce of my sonne Iacob but the hande is as the hand of Esau That God had yet purchased this for him It is true that all this was done through errour but yet besides this errour he had some certain knowledg and the Lorde did in such sorte aduertise him of it to the ende to shewe that the blessing belonged to Iacob as also in trueth it must bee rescrued for him although this had not come to passe that is to say albeit Rebecca had not vsed this il deceite yet God knewe full well howe too holde Isaacks mouth as also he held the mouth of Balaam Beholde Balaam who was a lyer who was hyred came also to curse the people of God if it had bin possible for him to the ende to get giftes of Balach But neuertheles God did so turne his tounge that whē he thought to cursse maugre his beard he blessed them But Isaack was not as Balaam For his purpose was not to resist GOD nor too abolishe his election but hee was blinded with a foolishe loue which hee bare vnto his Sonne as wee haue sayde and our Lorde coulde well enough gouerne his tounge when hee woulde to cause him to blesse Iacob but now when hee imagined too blesse his sonne Esau yet neuerthelesse doeth GOD drawe this from his mouth The voice is the voice of my sonne Iacob Now this was the principall and chiefe of the blessing euen the voyce For Isaack gaue nothing of his owne but he was a witnesse of the fauour of God and as it were an Harrault to publish it So then forasmuch as he found nothing of Esau but the apparell and the touching he must not rest himselfe therevpon forasmuch as he founde the voyce in Iacob By this we may see that God would euen now already allowe it although that Isaack knewe not what he did neuerthelesse the blessing must be turned to Iacob Thus much concerning this word Moreouer for the conclusion let vs marke well when it is said that all people shal be subiect to Iacob that this is not to the ende that hee should haue any earthly Empire or dominion in this world either he or his It is true that they ruled in the lande of Canaan but howsoeuer it was yet did not they bringe into subiection all nations In the time of Solomon it is true that God exalted his people far wide but this was in a figure for it must come vnto our Lord Iesus Christ who is the head both of men angels So then that which Moses here rehearseth of the soueraigne dominion it is certaine that it can not agree neither to Iacob nor to his Children nor to al their posteritie vntill that we come too our Lord Iesus Christ And this is the cause why it is expressely saide that he shoulde bee the heade of his Brethren and that his mothers sonnes shoulde bowe downe before him This was not in respect of Iacobs person hee had but one onely brother who bowed not him selfe before him but rather made him afraide as wee shall see after but we see the accomplishment of al in our Lord Iesus Christ this was not for him selfe but it was for our good and for our
saluatiō that he receiued all power from God his father to the ende that euery knee should bowe downe before him In him also it is altogether that wee are a priestly kingdom so that we acknowledge him as our king and our head to worship him But now let vs cast downe our selues before the maiestie of our good God in acknowledging of our faultes and praying him that he will make vs in such sorte to feele them that it may be to humble vs before him and for to make vs to aske pardon of him also for to hate our selues and to be displeased with our selues in our owne vices and pray him that it would please him in such sorte to reforme vs that we may growe vp more more in all holinesse and obediēce of his rightuousnes And that hee would support vs in our weaknesses in such sorte that he leaue not to accomplishe the promises that he hath made vnto vs although that on our part wee doo not onely slacke them but seeme also vtterly to thrust them from vs that notwithstanding he will not leaue to stretch out vnto vs a strong hande vntill that wee become vnto the marke which he hath set before vs that is till we be partakers of that glorie which he hath purchased vnto vs through our Lorde Iesus Christe And that he wil not only shew this grace vnto vs but vnto al peoples nations of the earth c. The thirteenth Sermon of Iacob and Esau Genesis 27. 31 Isaack saide accursed be euery one that shall curse thee and blessed be he that shall blesse thee 32 Nowe as Isaack had made an ende of blessing Iacob it came to passe I say that Iacob being scarce gone forth from the presence of his father Isaack that Esau returned from his hunting 33 Therfore he also brought vnto his father delicates prepared and he said vnto his father let my father arise and eate of the venison of his sonne that thy soule may blesse mee 34 Nowe Isaack saith vnto him who art thou he sayde I am thy first begotten sonne Esau 35 Then Isaack trembled with a wonderful feare and saide who is that which brought vnto me venison euen nowe and I haue eaten of all before thou camest and whome haue I blessed also he shal be blessed 36 Now Esau hearing the words of his father cried out with a wonderful great and bitter crie and he said vnto his father blesse me my father blesse me also 37 Who said thy brother came through crafte and hath taken away thy blessing 38 And he saide howe rightly is his name called Iacob for he hath supplanted me nowe the second time he had taken my birthright and loe now he hath taken my blessing also c. YEsterday we stayed at this word concerning the blessing which Isaack gaue vnto his sonne Iacob too witte that whosoeuer should blesse him shuld be blessed and whosoeuer should curse him should be accursed But it is very certaine that this was not in the hande of any mortall man for it belongeth vnto God to punish those which doo any wrong to his children and besides that it is forbidden vs to seeke reuenge it is not in our power to bring to passe that our enimies haue their reward Now therfore it is very certaine that Isaack pronoūced here the sentence of god that he spake not in his own name but was authorized as a prophet And indeed we haue seene that this was pronoūced frō the mouth of god to Abrahā in the 12. chap. I will blesse al those which shal blesse thee I will curse all those which shall curse thee God reserued this vnto him selfe But now how is it that Isaack presumeth to speak after the maner of god vnlesse because he knew that this inheritance was left vnto him so he resigneth it vnto his sonne to the end that after his departure he might be the possessor thereof Wee see then briefly that Isaack speaketh not in this pointe rashlye although that hee had many foule faultes yet notwithstanding he was grounded vppon that which God had promised him and hee knewe that this office was committed vnto him And thus he doubted not too cursse all those which should curse his stocke of all abilitie or rather haue no occasion to shewe that they are not vnthankfull neuerthelesse let vs know that God doth receiue with his own hand all that which we haue done in supporting those which were destitute had need When we haue this I say we shall haue inough to content vs But if we desire that god blesse vs in such sort let vs first take heede as I haue already touched that we be the true children of Iacob not of the carnall race but by faith that we be regenerate by the same spirite that we may haue the testimonie of our adoptiō imprinted in our harts as it were sealed to the end we may haue ful assurance thereof and that in this trust we may crie out vnto god Now to the end we may doo this we haue to praise the head of all that is to say our Lord Iesus Christe who as S. Paule saith is God blessed for euer when hee spake of his humaine nature that he was descēded of the stock of Abraham yet he saith neuertheles that he is God blessed for euer Now we haue to blesse or praise him not after the maner of mē but to glorifie him as hee deserueth And moreouer when we pray vnto God for the aduaūcement of his kingdom we say as that praier is suggested vnto vs by the holy ghost blessed is he that cōmeth in the name of God ô Lord make thy kingdom to prosper ô Lord encrease the kingdom of Dauid So then this is the way to make vs partakers of that which is here recited by Moyses to wit that God beareth such speciall fauour singular loue towards vs that not only he blesseth vs but if any do vs good or euil he accepteth this as done to his own person and wil recōpence them that haue pitie vpon vs and shall helpe vs in our necessitie and againe he wil reuenge our cause although we be patient in all the wrongs and outrages that men do against vs yet neuerthelesse he wil keepe vs stretch out his arme to chastise all those who shall vniustly oppresse vs Loe then the summe of the matter concerning that word that was left for vs Now it is said That Iacob was euen hardly gone forth from his father that scarsely he had obtained that he went about but lo Esau returned from hunting and brought meate to his father he brought it vnto him being vpon his bed If we shal cōsider that which is here rehearsed by Moyses according to the outward shewe it is certaine that Esau was woorthy to haue bin blessed For he diligently perfourmed that which was inioyned him by his father discharged him selfe of his duetie And wherefore then was hee
as if a man should haue called him Heeleholder and this was forasmuch as hee helde the heele of his brother when hee shoulde come foorth of the wombe Nowe sayth he hee hath giuen mee a blowe with his heele As if a man shoulde say when a beaste rusheth vpon him that hee hath stricken him with his heele Nowe Esau applyeth this to his brother He hath supplāted metwise now saith he And this worde also commeth of Tripping when a man giueth one secretly a blowe with his foote and maketh one to fall Hee sayth then that hee hath already tript him twise with his heele The first time when he took away his birthright and now when he took away his blessing Now heere we haue to note in the firste place that which the Apostle sheweth vs to wit that albeit Esau wept mourned notwithstāding he obtained no place of repentāce for he came therto ouer late And this is according to the exhortatiō which we haue made heretofore It is said that we must not be prophane as Esau was that we must not be giuē to the earth nor to al that which cōcerneth our bodyes this trāsitory life in such sort that we should forget the heauēly life And why so for saith he they which prophane themselues defile thēselues in their filthy desires they may cry but they shal find no place repentaunce forasmuch as the gate shall be shutte against them Nowe it is true that this at the firste shew might bee thought straunge For it is sayde As often and at what time soeuer a sinner shall mourne and aske pardon that GOD will bee ready alwayes to receiue him too mercie which returne vnto him Loe the promise is generall So then howe is it that the Apostle sayeth that wee shall not finde place of repentaunce if wee come too late For there needes nothinge but too mourne But this shall bee easily to bee vnderstoode when wee shall haue distinguished betweene the cryes of the faithfull and of the vnbeleeuers Both the one and the other shall indeede cry vnto God but in diuerse sortes for the faithfull shall be touched with true repentaunce when they cry and when they mourne It is sayde likewise that Dauid roared and that his throte was as it were hoarse Loe then the cryes which the children of God throwe forth as it is sayde that he himselfe brayed like a Lyon. And a little after we heare what Ezechias sayth that his speech fayled him and that he groned in him self as swallowes and that he could speake no more that hee was so hoarse that he knewe not howe to speake one worde distinctly pronounced that hee was as it were altogither quite thrown downe We see then that the faithfull haue had this affection but in the meane tyme they had repentaunce which touched them to the quick for their faultes as it must needes be that they displease them selues therein and humble themselues before GOD and after this they conceiued some hope to obtayne pardon Now the vnbeleeuers they will bray inough but in the meane while they leaue not off to haue their hearts hardened teares trickle downe from their eyes but in the meane while they leaue not off to bee proude and rebellious against God they haue in deede some horrour of his iudgements but this is but too sette them selues in despight against him for they neuer go so farre as to hate their offences and too be displeased with them Loe how it was with Esau And therefore we haue to gather that without repentaunce these cryes shall be reiected of GOD and shall neuer come vnto him And when the Apostle speaketh of repentance it is not that he meaneth that Esau had repentaunce but he meaneth that hee obtayned not mercie and that God was not mercifull to him And so let vs take good heede vnto our selues and let vs deteste this blasphemie which the Deuil soweth in the worlde That there needes no more but one good sighe For loe those merry Greekes when they shall be exhorted to returne from their wickednesses ô I muste yet a good while vse it and God is a good fellow Loe yet another blasphemie as detestable whereat euē the very stones shuld cleaue And further God is merciful It seemeth to them that vnder the name of mercie they should holde God bound vnto them but it shal be deerely sold them Yea lo they come so farr that they say O there needes nothing in the end but one good bulke and one good sighe Yea but who is that which shall giue it haue wee it in our fist must not God woorke therein When a man shall fal albeit he haue hurt himself he may well recouer him selfe but if he haue broken his necke can hee recouer him selfe afterwarde Nowe before GOD all our faultes are deadly and which is more it is too put vs and deliuer vs into the handes of Sathan And can a man ryse vp when his necke shal be broken as I haue alreadie saide Nowe it is certaine that as often as wee offende GOD it is as if wee brake our necke as much as lyeth in vs And so can wee restore lyfe too our selues after wee haue loste it Loe then what ought to stirre vs vp to walke in carefulnesse and not to tarry til the gate be shut against vs but let vs hearken to al the warnings that haue bin giuen vs and when God shall knocke let vs open vnto him And moreouer we haue too holde that which is spokē vnto vs by the Prophet Isaie Seeke the Lorde whilest hee may be founde Call vppon him when he is readie to heare It is true that the tyme maketh no greate matter that wee shoulde take any great aduantage of it but yet we must vnderstand for conclusion that this place of Isaye was fulfilled when the Gospel was preached as S. Paule declareth in the second to the Corinthians Loe the acceptable dayes loe the time of saluation And lykewise we must wel marke the similitude which is alledged vnto vs by our Lord Iesus Christ that wee let not the occasion slippe but when God biddeth vs that we come vnto him let vs come vnto him yea hasting our selues and let vs not drawe our legges to come slowly least our vnthankefulnesse in the end seclude vs and that the gate be shut against vs Let vs take good heede I say to al these exhortations so let vs make our profit of them that hauing founde place of repentance before God wee may after we haue bewailed our faultes haue our mouth open to reioyce in him and too prayse his holy name for that he shall haue beene mercifull vnto vs. But nowe let vs throwe downe our selues before the maiestie of our good GOD in acknowledging our faultes praying him that hee will in such sorte make vs too feele them that it bee not too keepe vs longe in them nor to slugge or flatter our selues in them but in such sorte too returne vnto
our iudge that asking mercy in him wee may there finde it in him and that it be not onely to the ende that he enter not into accompt with vs to impute vnto vs our iniquities and offences but that by his holy spirite he wil purge vs and that wee may bee more and more reformed and that he awaken vs that wee be not obstinate in our faults but that wee thinke vppon all the corrections whereby he woulde drawe vs from the euill way wherein we haue strayed and that wee make such profite of all the aduertisementes which hee giueth vs that wee be not ashamed to bee condemned of him to the ende to obtayne mercie That not onely hee will shewe this fauour vnto vs but too all peoples and nations of the Earth c. The ende of these xiii Sermons concerning Iacob and Esau Rom. 9. O man who art thou that pleadest against God shall the thinge formed say to him that formed it why haste thou made me thus ¶ An Answeare to certaine slaunders and blasphemyes wherewith certaine euill disposed persons haue gone aboute to bring the doctrine of Gods euerlasting Predestination into hatred DEarely beloued brethren we must not be amased if the article of the euerlasting predestinatiō of God be so assaulted and fought against by Sathans mayntainers seeing it is the foūdation of our saluation and also serueth for the better magnifying of the free goodnesse of God towards vs On the other side those Dogs which bark against it thinking to haue a good and fauourable cause are therin more hardye as in very trueth there is nothinge more contrary to mans vnderstanding then to place the cause of our saluation in the good will of God in saying that it belongeth to him alone to chuse vs without finding of any thing in vs wherefore hee should choose vs and after hee hath chosen vs to giue vs faith through which we should be iustified But what In asmuch as he is not bound to the person it is good reason that he be left in his meere libertie to giue grace vnto whome he will and to leaue the rest in his perditiō But I deferre my self to intreate more largely of this matter because you maye haue large discourse thereof in those Bookes which are imprinted which ought too content you Concerning the writing which was scatered about to abolish this article of our faith in very truth it deserueth no answere being on the one side so ful of ignorāce beastlines that euery one ought easily to iudge thereof on the other side so ful of impudencie that it is a wonder how these troublecoasts shameles deceiuers abusing so vilainously the holy Scriptures should be hearkened vnto notwithstāding because I haue vnderstode that there are yet some simple weake ones that are trobled therwith I therfore thought good to take the payn to shew thē that wil shew themselues teachable how they ought to resolue themselues to the end they might be no more deceiued by these deceiuers In the firste place hee that hath made that writing were it Sebastian Chastalio or som such like to shew that God hath created all the world to be saued he alledgeth that he laboureth to draw vnto him all that went astray the whiche I confesse in respect of the doctrine of faith and repentaunce the which he propoundeth to all in generall be it to draw his elect vnto him or to make other inexcusable God then calleth euery one to repentance and promiseth all those that returne vnto him too receiue them to mercie But this meaneth not that he toucheth to the quick by his holy spirit al those to whom he speaketh as it is said by Isay in the 53. chapter His arme is not reuealed to al those that heare To which agreeth the sentēce of our lord Iesus Christ None can come vnto me except my father draw him And the holy scripture sheweth throughout that conuersion is a speciall gifte of god And in deede the place of Ezechiel whereof this troublecoast maketh his buckler very wel confirmeth my saying For the Prophet hauing saide that God wll not the death of a sinner addeth but rather will that hee returne and liue Whereby he signifieth that God biddeth and exhorteth all which are gone astray too returne to the right way But not that in deede he leadeth them all to himselfe by the power of his spirit The which hee promiseth not but to a certain nūber which appeareth aswel in the 31. chapter of Ieremie as in the 37. of Ezechiel and in the 11. and throughout the whole scripture The seconde reason of this wryting is that all menne are created too the image of GOD the which hee saieth not to haue beene abolished but onely subiected to euil As though it behooued man at aduenture to beleeue his simple saying But contrariwyse the Scripture sheweth that albeit there remain yet some trace of the image of God in vs yet that the whole is disfigured so as reason is blinde and the hearte peruerse wherfore by nature wee are wholly accursed Wee see therefore at the least that by the wil and decree of God we haue bin al subiect to euerlasting dānatiō through the fall of one man Concerning that which this troublecoaste addeth that if wee beleue we are deliuered through Christ by the power of the gospel of the holy ghost that serues for nothing but to confirme our doctrin For it behoueth that we alwayes come thither that none beleeue vnlesse those which are ordayned to saluation Acts 13. all the scripture is full therof Wherfore this is as much as if he should say that the elect of God are deliuered from that common damnation through faith The third article contayneth an horrible blasphemie that if God haue created men to dampne them his will and the Diuels is all one They that speake so shew playnly enough that they are altogither mockers of God and despysers of all religion It pleased God that Iob shoulde be robbed and spoyled to be shorte all that is there attributed to the Deuill and to those theeues and robbers it is sayde plainely that it came not too passe but by the good pleasure of god Muste wee therfore conclude that Gods wil and the Deuils are all one But they that knowe that the iudgementes of God are bottomlesse and shall haue once knowen their owne weakenesse will adore them with all reuerence and humilitie and know well too put a difference although that GOD willeth the same thing that the deuil doth yet that this is indeede in diuerse respectes And so that he deserueth alwayes to be acknowledged righteous although that his counsell be incomprehensible vnto vs. Afterwardes too abolishe the Election of GOD seeming as though he woulde confesse it he answereth that God hath not cteated nor predestinated any man not to beleeue seeing he calleth euery one Wherein hee shewed that hee neuer yet learned the ABC of Christians seeing he knoweth not
how to distinguish betwene the outward preaching which is done by the mouth of men the secret calling of God whereby he toucheth the hartes within Now when it is cōmaunded in the last of Marke to preach the Gospell too all this importeth not that God therfore worketh in all by the power of his spirit and when it is said in the second Chapter of the first too Timothie that God would all men to be saued the solution is added by and by that come too the knowledge of his trueth Wherefore then is it that he him selfe would not at that present time that the gospel should be preached to all so farre of is it that he hath enlightened all the world in the faith It is maruelous that this shameles forhead is not ashamed too alledge for him self the 10. to the Romanes where the text expressely setteth forth that all beleeue not the Gospel because that Isay saith that the arme of the Lord is not reuealed to all Also the 6. chap. of S. Iohn where Iesus Christe expressely pronounceth that all that are giuen him of his father come vnto him And touching that that he saith that all shal be taught of God it is a speciall promise made to the Church as also the Lord Iesus Christ was a faithfull expositour therof saying He therefore that hath heard and learned of my father shall come vnto me Whereby he sheweth that all are not inwardly called According as a little after also hee confirmeth the same Therefore I haue said vnto you that none can come vnto mee vnlesse it be giuen him from God my father Notwithstanding this Rustick imagineth he hath well escaped hauing spoken a word of predestinatiō without making any semblance of the text so expressely set foorth wher it is said that God wil haue mercie vpon him on whō he wil haue mercy that our saluation is of the same mercy not of the willer nor of the runner and that before the two twinne◠were borne whē they had neither done good nor euill to the end the purpose of his electiō might stād sure he had chosen the one reiected the other Also whē we beleue that this proceedeth of that that God hath chosen vs Therevpon it foloweth that the rest of the world remaineth blinde But because it would be to long to alledge all consider those places whiche are gathered in a little booke that our brother master Beza hath made thereof and you shal be fully satisfied therein To shew that the hardening of Pharao proceded not of God he alledgeth that which is said in the third and fourth of Exod. I haue commanded thee to let my people depart and thou wouldest not But it foloweth not therevpon that God had not ordeyned Pharao to be glorified in his obstinacie hardnes as he protesteth Exodus 9. chapter And Saint Paule alledgeth it in this sense in the 9. chapter to the Romaines This therefore is sottishly concluded of this impudent fellowe that our will is the first and chiefe cause of euill I confesse in deede that it is the neere cause and the true roote of our condemnation But too the ende a man may graunt him hee alledgeth the authoritie of Amerbachius who is a lawier and as skilfull a Diuine as a Poticarie is a good butcher Concerning Melancthon if this Rustike rested not him selfe vppon him as hee protesteth but vppon the Gospell howe prooueth hee by the Gospel that God hath not ordeyned of his creatures Touching that hee imputeth vnto vs that we put a fatall necessitie as the Stoikes doo it is a verie vilanous slaunder For the Stoikes they made god him selfe subiect to such necessities making a net of obscure causes wherein God was entangled But wee set the Lorde and maister in full libertie attributing the soueraigne Empire too his prouidence too dispose of all things Concerning that this Clowne babbleth of Free will it is sufficiently reiected throughout the whole Scripture For Freedome and bondage are contraries Nowe that wee are the seruauntes yea the slaues of sinne there needeth not that we aledge one place alone seeing the whole Scripture are full thereof Notwithstanding too gyue some colour too his errour hee alledgeth that Ierusalem woulde not receyue the grace of God yea as though this prooued Free will too choose good or euill You shall finde throughout all my bookes howe I haue taught that wee must not seeke the cause of our perdition any where else but in our selues and in our peruerse will. But it follovveth not that it is in vs too chaunge our will which is altogither giuen too euill You shall also finde that I haue taught that which this troublecoast setteth down here to put out the whole light to witte that our wil is the cause or meane to come to saluation Wherfote it nedeth not to alledge that Abraham beleued God that it was imputed vnto him for rightuousnes For in very trueth it must needes bee that a man must accept the grace of god But the question is of knowing what is the first cause And this is the power of the holy ghost thorow which we are drawē to the obedience of god according as he hath chosen and adopted vs for his children before the foūdation of the world Nowe in this behalfe this vile dogge sheweth sufficiently ynough that he makes no accōpt of the holy scripture the which asmuch as lies in him he would abolish or tread vnder his feete For in going about to declare how Abrahā was saued by his wil he saith that this was of that wil which God had put in man creating him after his owne image Whereby he vtterly abolisheth the whole grace of the holy ghost and goeth beyonde not only the Papistes but also some of the Paynims in this impietie For the Papistes keepe such a measure in magnifying their Freewill that they confesse being corrupted and depraued wee can do nothing if God through his spirit supernaturall grace do not helpe driue and direct vs But concerning the holy scripture it sheweth vs that we shal alwaies be rebelles against God vntil that he shal haue chaunged renewed vs And loe why Moyses said to the people Deutero 29. that God had not yet giuen them an vnderstanding hart and seeing eyes And therfore to the ende hee might be obeied he saith that he would giue them a newe heart taking away that stonie heart Ieremie in the 31 Ezechiel in the 11. 37 S. Paule in the 2. to the Philipp that God giueth both too wil to performe And in the first of S. Iohn it is said that they which beleeue are not of the wil of flesh nor blood but renewed of god And S. Luke speaking of the woman sheweth wel how all are drawen vnto faith to wit that God openeth the heart to the end his word may be vnderstoode Now it is certaine that these things are not spokē of the cōmon order of nature And yet this