sacrifice was offered they did eat and were mery euen so likewise must we now come and receiue our spirituall meat and foode which is héere offered vnto vs in this sacrifice for our redemption In veridéed wee must not eate Iesus Christ fleshly for he is not betwéene our téethes as the Papistes doo dreame But wee take Breade for a sure vndoubted pawne that we féede on the body of Iesus Christ spiritually and we receiue a litle wine to shew that we are spiritually sustained by his precious blood Howbeit let vs with all note the saying of Saint Paul that because vnder the figures of the lawe it was not lawfull to eate leauened bread and that wee are now no more vnder such shadowes wee must cast away the leauen of maliciousnesse and wickednesse and of all our corruptions and take to vs the bread which hath no bitternesse but the bread of purenesse and truth And therefore when we come vnto this holy Table wherein the sonne of God sheweth vs that he is our meat and giueth him selfe vnto vs for a full and whole repast and would haue vs be now partakers of the sacrifice which he once offered for our saluation we ought to looke well vnto it that wee come not hether spotted and filed with sinne and iniquity but vtterly to forsake them all and be altogether cleansed of them to the ende our Lorde Iesus might allow vs to bee the members of his body and by that meanes also be partakers of his life And thus we sée how we must profyt our selues at this day by this holy supper which is made ready for vs which is this that it may lead vs vnto the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ and also vnto his resurrection that therby we may trust to haue life saluation because that by his victorious resurrectiō we are made righteous and the gates of heauen in such sort set open vnto vs as that we may bouldly approche vnto our God and offer our selues before him since wee knowe that hee wyll alwayes take vs as his children Let vs now fall downe before the maiestie of our good God acknowledge our offences beséechinge him to haue mercy vpon vs that we may finde fauour at his handes although we deserue it not And that he will not pardon onely the sinnes whiche wee haue already committed but also ridde vs of all the faultes and miseries of our flesh vntill such time as hee hath clothed vs with the perfection of his holynesse wherevnto hee dalye exhorteth vs. And so let vs all say O almighty God and heauenly Father c. ¶ The first Sermon of the Prophesie of Iesus Christ as concerning his death and passion taken out of the Prophete Isaiah Isaiah Lij 13 BEholde my seruaunt shall prosper he shal be exalted and extolled and be very high 14 As many were astonied at thee His visage was so deformed of men and his forme of the Sonnes of men so shall he sprinkle many nations the kinges shall shut their mouthes at him for that which had not beene tolde them shal they see and that which they had not heard shall they vnderstand Chap. Liij 1 VVHo will beleeue our reporte and to whom is the grace of the Lord reueiled THe Prophet hauing generally spokē of al the people of the Iewes commeth now to the head vpon whō hangeth al that hath bin before said For their redemption was only grounded in vpon our Lord Iesus Christ 2. Cor. 1.20 because in him are al the promises of God accomplished Now it is long time past sithence the redéemer was promised But when it was thoughte that the ligne of Dauid was vtterly extinguished the hope of the faithfull might altogether haue bin abolished For it was said that God would establish a king for euer 2. Kin. 24.15 2. Chro. 36.10 would set him on Dauids seate notwithstanding that he should haue the sunne and the moone of heauē yet should this kingdom be mainteined cōserued that although al the world should perish yet should this be so stable sure as that it should very wel be séen that this was a kingdom wholly consecrated vnto God And yet for al that it decreased yea soone after by little little fell in decay vntil such time as the last king saue one 2. Kin. 15.7 Ierem. 39.6 32.9 was carried away captiue al the kingly ligne translated as it were cleane cut of And the last king who was created at the charge of an Infidel an enemie vnto al religion in the ende playing the rebell against him it so fell out as that the king was takē his eyes put out he was indited his children were slaine he himselfe was most shamefully condemned the temple with al his houses were burnt What was to be thought héervpon Forsooth it must néeds bée that the Iewes assured themselues by the Prophet that God would in the end take compassion on them and bring them out of captiuitie For it was méete he shoulde tel them that that which was spoken to Abraham in the old time was not spokē in vayne That in his séede all the nations of the earth shoulde bee blessed and that there should be a king of the ligne of Dauid established whose Empire should be euerlasting and without end And therefore we sée why Isaiah restraineth heere his spéeche vnto the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ to this end purpose I say that the redēption returne of the people which before hée had spokē of might be holden to be most certayne and sure Nowe we haue séene here aboue Isaiah 42.1 that our Lord Iesus was called The seruaunt of God forsomuch as he most obediently submitted himself for our saluation yea beyng hée who was Lord of glory the head of the Angels and before whom euery knée must bowe Wherfore since this name of seruaunt is geuen vnto him let vs vnderstande that it is because he tooke vpō him our nature and that hée would not only abase himselfe therein but also be made of no reputation For it coulde not bée chosen but that our transgressions and iniquities must be repayred through his obedience And according to that which hée saide to Iohn Baptist Mat. 3 1◠hée must néedes fulfil the measure of al righteousnesse Thus wée sée that although our Lord Iesus Christ was ful of al maiesty God euerlasting yet because he took vpon him our nature and became like vnto vs hée thought not skorne too bée of the lowest degree of men whiche cannot bee gainesayd For although his diuine nature was no whit chaunged Yet if we consider well of the matter it was méete he should abase himselfe Galat. 4.4 as he was a Mediator betwixt God and vs for it is said that he was made subiect to the law although indéed he was no whit indebted to the same for it was he that must rule all and vnto whō al
sodēly spoken by him Neuerthelesse we seeing the great benefite which might come by the putting abrode of these Sermons were not afeard somewhat to displease and disobey him heerein to the end we might make you partakers of those excellent riches which wee possesse in this litle Angle and corner of the world so abhorred and detested howbeit precious in the sight of the Lord. In deede we were so much the bolder by reason of the liberal dealing of our honorable Lords and magistrates who desiring the aduancement of the Church of God haue priuiledged vs to print them Now when we see that we were to make choyse of such a great nūber of collections as were of them we thought it best to set a few of them abrod to the end that as we see them thankefully receiued so also we might goe forward in putting foorth of moe This then is the order which wee haue taken In the first place we haue set downe a congregation vpon the beginning of the Gospell of S. Iohn where is largely handeled the diuinitie of our Lord Iesus Christ Now by this word Congregation I meane a certaine assemble which is made one day in the weeke at the Church where euery Minister in order handleth some text of the scripture more like the maner of a reading then of a preaching that being done if any of the rest vnto whome the spirite of God hath reuealed any thing tending to the better vnderstanding and laying open of that which hath beene spoken hee hath free libertie to speake After that foloweth the Sermon touching the natiuitie of Iesus Christ Next to it wee haue placed the Sermons of his death and passion of his resurrection and ascention of the comming downe of the holy Ghost vpon the Apostles Of the first Sermon that Peter made after he had receiued the holy Ghost Last of al we haue set downe a Sermon treating of the last comming of Iesus Christe After we had thus doone and thinking to haue finished this booke it pleased God to graunt vs to come to the hearing of the most excellent sermons that are possibly to be hard or spoken vpon the end of the fiftie two Chapter of the Prophet Isaiah vpon al the fiftie three wherin the mistery of the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christe is set foorth and so liuely pictured out that a man would thinke that the holy Ghost meant to set before our eyes Iesus Christ condemned in our name and nayled to the crosse for our sinnes to the end that he suffering the punishmente for them which was due to vs and bearing the wrath and iudgement of God for our sakes hath deliuered vs from eternal death which Sermons doe so agree with the Sermons going before which wee haue heere set downe that wee coulde not choose to ioyne them vnto them because we woulde not bereaue you of so great a benefite Moreouer wee haue had respect to choose out those Sermons aswell as we coulde which were vpon such dayes as the Lordes Supper was administred in this Churche aswell for that that there is a farre greater and more effectuall vehemencie in them as also for that the point of this Sacrament is therein more cleerely shewed for the which at this day is the greatest contention and striefe in the worlde And therefore we haue determined hereafter too deliuer vnto you the Sermons which this godly learned man hath made vpon the tenth and the eleuenth Chapter of the Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians wherein is manifestly set foorth the true institution of the Supper the corruption and abuse which sithence haue come vnto it liuely refuted Wherefore if wee perceiue that these presents like you wee will vse all the meanes possible that God shal graunt vs to make you partakers of the heauenly riches which he vouchsafeth vpon his seruants heere in this Church In the meane while wee beseech you dearely beloued to follow that blessed coursse and not feare the threats and cruelties of tyrants who thinke at this day to do god high seruice in persecuting Iesus Christ in his members and set before you this incorruptible crowne and euerlasting prepared for you if you constantly perseuere vnto the ende in your holy calling knowing that the sufferings which you abide in this present life are not worthie the glory of the life to come wherevnto wee may attaine through Iesus Christ our Lord. Geneua 1563. A Sermon made by M. Iohn Caluin vpon the beginning of the Gospell according to S. Iohn in which the diuinitie of our Lorde Iesus Christ is excellently prooued 1 In the beginning was that worde and that word was with God and that word was God 2 This same was in the beginning with God 3 All thinges were made by it and without it was nothing made of that which was made 4 In it was life and that life was the light of men 5 And that light shineth in the darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not THis worde Gospel The word Gospell what it meaneth signifieth the declaration that God hath shewed vs of his loue in our Lorde Iesus Christ when hee sent him into the worlde which thing we ought wel to marke because it is verie much to know the vse of the holie Scripture euen in respect of the wordes it vseth It is true that wée ought not to stand simply or onely vpon the words and yet for all that we are not able to comprehend howe excellent Gods doctrine is vnlesse wée knowe the procéeding that it vseth and also what is the style and spéech therof And indéed we are so much the more to marke and weigh this worde because it is a verie common receiued sentence to distinguish the holie Scripture into the law and the Gospell and those that speake thereof in that sort meane Diuision of the Scripture that all the promises which are conteined in the olde Testament ought to bée referred to this word Gospel If any man speake let him speake as the words of God 1. Pet. 4.11 True it is that their meaning is good but for all that the holie Scripture vseth not such manner of spéech and we ought to be sober in that respect and to yéelde such a reuerence to Gods spirite as to kéepe such a manner of speaking as hée him selfe vseth to teach vs withall Behold thus much then concerning the word Gospell which is a publishing that God hath made vnto vs at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ his sonne declaring him selfe a father to all the worlde as also Saint Paule speaketh thereof in his Epistle to the Ephesians Ephe. 2.19 when hee saieth that Iesus Christ came to preach the Gospel vnto them that were nigh and to those that were farre of from God nigh to wit the Iewes who were alreadie entred into the Couenant with God and farre to wit of the Pagans and Heathen who are as it were farre remooued from his Church Now when wée
him before the Cock crow thou shalt denye mee thrise So he went out and wept bitterly Chapter xxvij 1 When the morning was come all the chiefe Priestes and Elders of the people tooke counsell againste Iesus to put him to death 2 And led hym away bound and deliuered him vnto Pontius Pylate the Gouernour 3 Then when Iudas whiche betrayed hym sawe that hee was condemned he repented himselfe and brought againe the thyrtie peeces of Siluer to the chiefe Priestes and Elders 4 Saying I haue sinned betrayinge the innocent blood But they sayde what is that to vs looke thou to it 5 And when he had cast downe the Siluer peeces in the temple he departed and hanged him selfe 6 And the chiefe priests tooke the Siluer peeces and saide it is not lawfull for vs to put them into the treasurie because it is the price of blood 7 And they tooke counsell and bought with them a potters fielde for the buriall of Straungers 8 Wherefore that fielde is called the field of blood vntill this day 9 Then was fulfilled that whiche was spoken by Ieremiah the Prophet saying and they tooke their siluer peeces the price of him that was valued whom they of the children of Israel valued 10 And they gaue them for the potters fielde as the Lorde appoynted mee 11 And Iesus stood before the Gouernour and the Gouernour asked him sayinge Art thou the Kinge of the Iewes Iesus saide vnto him thou saist it c. 2. Cor. 2.16 AS Saint Paul telleth vs that the preaching of the Gospell is a sauour of life vnto those whom God hath called to be saued and a sauour of death vnto the reprobate which perish euen so haue wee héere also two notable examples set before vs and worthy the remembraunce to shewe that the death and passion of the sonne of God was saluation vnto the one and a condemnation to the other For in the fall of Peter wee sée what the worke was which must draw him from out the bottomlesse death wherinto he fell headlong For as much as in hym lay he banished himselfe the heauenly kingdome estraunged him selfe from all hope of saluation and cut hym selfe cleane of from the Churche as a rotten member And yet the death of our Lorde Iesus Christ was it that must doo hym good although he deserued it not And as for Iudas it is saide that when hee sée our Lorde Iesus Christ to be condēned he desperatly hung himself Now he should as we haue said haue taken a good hart with hym to haue put his trust in God by reason of the condemnation of our Lorde Iesus Christ bicause we are pardoned by the power and vertue thereof Howbeit it was méete that these two specktacles should héere bee set before vs to the ende we might the better know that if we are not called by an especiall grace and fauour to bee pertakers of the fruite of the death and passion of the sonne of God it will avayle vs nothing And therfore it is not enough that our Lord Iesus Christ suffered without the benefit which he obtayned for vs bée bestowed vpon vs we to haue the full possession therof And euen then are we most assured of it whēas we are drawne vnto him by Faith But to the end we might the more perfectly vnderstand the matter let vs follow the text of the Storye as it is set downe It is sayde that our Lorde Iesus Christ was shamefully entreated in the house of Cayphas that they spit in his face buffeted him and slaunderously skorned him by callinge him a Prophet Now all this was to let vs vnderstand that what soeuer he suffered in in his owne person was to deliuer and frée vs before God and his Angels For there néedeth no spitting in our face to cause vs appeare before God spotted and blemished because we are not onely deformed and ougly by reason of our sinnes but also full of abhominable infections Moreouer we héere sée how that the Sonne of God the derye liuely Image of his Father Heb. 1.13 in whom his glorye and maiestie shineth hath suffered all these shames that wee might now appeare before God in his name to obtayne fauour and grace and thereby acknowledge vs as his Children being cleane voyde of all spots blemishes And this is it which we are to consider of in this fyrst place Now let vs come to the fall of Peter It is sayde That when a Mayd saw him she tolde him that he was one of Iesus Disciples but he denied it And that an other Mayde tolde him the like tale and he agayne denied it Afterwarde diuers pressed him with it and vrged it more vpon him and then hée began to sweare and curse him selfe as if he should haue saide I pray God I bee damned and come to naught and the earth open and swallow mée vp If I know him Héere then we sée how horribly and gréeuouslye Peter fell thrise which ought greatly to feare vs in reading of the Story Now we know how zealous hee was Iohn 24. Moreouer our Lorde Iesus Christ commended him and was called Péeter to signifie vnto vs the constancy of his faith he was brought vp in a very good Schoole and he had heard this doctrine taught whosoeuer denieth mée before men Math. 10.33 I wyll also denie him before my father which is in heauen And yet we sée how he fell And héere euery of vs hath good occasion to tremble and be afearde because Peters weaknesse was no greater then ours if we be not holpen from aboue wherfore in the first place we sée how fraile we are so soone as God taketh his hande from vs. For mention is not héere made of a skorner nor of a prophane man neither yet of one who had not tasted of the gospel nor that feared God or yet reuerenced our Lord Iesus Christ But it was all cleane contrarye because there were excellent giftes in Peter Math. 16.17 For the sonne of God fayde vnto him Fleshe and blood hath not reuealed these things vnto thée but my father which is in heauen We sée then that the holy ghost was in Peter And yet what a combat had he about the denyinge of our Lord Iesus yea with a silly Mayd But if a man had so spoken vnto him or if some honorable personage had made him afeard he might haue had some coulor for himselfe but we sée that a poore Mayd was enough to cause him forsake the hope of lyfe and saluation Let vs therefore looke vpon the person of Péeter and we shal sée that God had néede to strengthē vs euery mynute of an howre because we are not els able to abide it and although we haue laboured to come néere vnto his maiestie and that wee haue done many vertuous déedes yet shall we in the turning of an hande be altogether chaunged without God continueth in vs an inuincible constancie therfore let vs learne to put Paules admonition in
vnto our Lord Iesus Christ hée kept himselfe very couert and close and was afearde to shewe himselfe a true Disciple for wée knowe that the confession of our faith is required in vs Iohn 2. 2◠1◠But when hée came to bury him he declared and confessed that he was of the number of the faithfull company Wherefore since he did so let vs at this day follow his constancy And although the worlde hateth and detesteth our Lorde Iesus Christ and the doctrine of his Gospell yet let vs stick vnto it Let vs also vnderstande that the greatest benefite and contentation that wee can continuallye haue is this whenas God accepteth and liketh of our seruice and besides although wée must suffer abide troubles here in this worlde yet let vs knowe this that because he hath gloryously rysē againe that he dyd it not to the ende to make a separation betwéene him and vs but that hee would when he sée his good time gather vs vnto him selfe Moreouer let vs not maruell although our Lorde Iesus rose againe the third day for it is very good reason that hee should haue some more priuiledge then the common order of the church And héerein is the saying of the Psalmist fulfilled Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to sée corruption Psal 16. 10. And therefore it was méete that the body of our Lord Iesus should remaine vncorrupt vntill the third day but it was for that time so appoynted and established by the counsell of GOD his Father Howbeit wee haue no time assigned but the last day And therefore let vs abyde troubles and miseries so long as it pleaseth GOD and let vs vnderstand that he wyll in the ende when hee séeeth conuenient time restore vs after wee haue bene cast quite and cleane downe For therevnto Saint Paul exhorteth vs 1. Cor. 15.10 when as hée saieth that Christ Iesus is the first fruites whiche is to pull backe that feruent zeale wherewith wee are often times too too much carryed awaye for by our wylles wee woulde flye without winges and wee are gréeued with God for houldinge vs so longe heere in this worlde because hée wyll not bringe vs to heauen euen at the fyrst 2. Kin. 2. 11. and carry vs vp in a fiery Charit as Eilas was to be short we would faine triumph before we haue fought a blow Now that we might withstand this desire and these foolish lusts Saint Paul telleth vs that Iesus Christ is the first fruites wée must be contented that by his death we haue a sure pawne of the resurrectiō Neuertheles bicause he sitteth at the right hād of god his Father hauing all rule and dominion both in heauen and earth and although his maiestie hath not as yet appeared and that our life is hid in him let vs become like wretched dead people and although we séeme to be liuing héere in this world yet let vs bée as men quite forlorne and abide all this vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus For euen then shall our life be made manifest by him when as he shall thinke it good And thus we sée what it is that wée must obserue about the buriall of our lord Iesus Christ vntil such time as we attaine to the rest which will be a declaration that he hath not onely made satisfaction for all our sinnes but also hath by his victorie obteined all perfect righteousnesse for vs by whiche meane we are become acceptable at this day vnto the maiestie of God both to haue frée accesse vnto him and also to call vpon his holie name And in this confidence and beliefe Let vs fall downe before his diuine maiestie beséeching him to receiue vs all to his mercy and that we may not cease to haue recourse vnto his frée goodnes how miserable wretched soeuer we bée And although we dayly prouoke his heauy wrath and indignation against vs and iustly deserue that hée should forsake vs Let vs patiently wayte vntill hée sheweth the fruit and power of the death passion which his onely Sonne hath suffred by which we are reconciled and not doubt but that hée will be alwayes our Father so long as hée wil graunt vs this fauour as that we may be able to shew our selues his true children Let vs also beséech him that hée will cause vs to declare this by the effect in such sort as that we desire nothing els but to be wholy his and as hée hath very dearely bought vs so wee may also of right fully and wholly agrée to serue him And forsomuch as our weaknesse is such as that we are not able to discharge the hundreth part of our duetie without hée worke it in vs by his holy spirite because the infirmities of our flesh doe alwayes beare such a resisting and striuing sway as that we doe nothing els but euen créepe where we should in déede march as becommeth vs Let vs beséech him to ryd vs of all together that we might be vnited to him by that holy bond which bée hath ordeined to wit our Lorde Iesus Christ his onely Sonne That hée will not onely graunt vs this grace c. ¶ The ninthe Sermon is of his resurrection at which time was celebrated the holie SVPPER Matthew xxviii 1 IN the latter ende of the Sabboth day whiche dawneth the first day of the weeke came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the Sepulchre 2 And beholde there was a great earthquake for the Angell of the Lorde descended from Heauen and came and rowlled back the Stone from the Dore and sate vpon it 3 His countenaunce was like lightninge and his rayment white as Snow 4 And for feare of him the keepers dyd shake and became as dead men 5 The Angell aunswered and sayde vnto the women feare yee not for I knowe yee seeke Iesus whiche was crucifyed 6 He is not heere hee is risen as he saide come see the place where that the Lord was laide 7 And goe quickly and tel his disciples that hee is risen from the dead And beholde he goeth before you into Galile there shall you see him loe I haue tolde you 8 And they departed quickly from the Sepulchre with feare and great ioye and dyd runne to bring his Disciples worde 9 And as they went to tell his Disciples beholde Iesus met them saying al hayle And they came and helde him by the feete and worshipped him 10 Then sayd Iesus vnto them bee not afraide goe tell my Brethren that they go into Galile and there shal they see mee A Man would at the first sight thinke it straunge that our Lorde Iesus Christ woulde shew him selfe after his resurrection rather to women then vnto his Disciples Howbeit wee are hereby to consider that his meaning was to trye the basenesse and lowlinesse of our faith Because we must not build vpon mans wisdome but obedientlye receiue what soeuer we know to come from him Againe no doubt of it his meaning was
because wée were stubborne that none of vs thought once to humble our selues before God but were altogether blinded in our offēces Howbeit we sée that this is the naturall meaning of the Prophet that for the obtaining of peace at the handes of God it must néedes be that we were to be reconciled by an other meane I haue alredie said that God being the iudge of the world could not choose but of verie right hate and detest vs for as shall be soone after declared what haue we brought out from the wombe of the sea and what treasure haue wée gathered together all our life long Surely wée doe nothing els but prouoke the wrath of God as if wée had made a league with Satan continually to encrease more and more his fury Sée nowe in what sorte wée haue deserued to bée hated and reiected at the handes of God Beholde how his wrath is kindled against vs and it is impossible but that hée must néedes be our enemy because wée fight against him and with might and mayne make suche warres as that we vyolate and breake all order of iustice And therefore I say must God in this respect ryse vp in iudgement agaynst vs because wée knowe it to bée his verie office to maintaine and defende equitie and right Wherfore since it is so that he seeth vs to be ful of iniquitie and corruption and altogether rebellious it is meete hée shoulde stretch foorth his arme and shewe that because we are his enemyes hée will render vs the lyke And therefore wée had néede to haue peace and our consciences will alwayes witnesse agaynst vs and although wée goe about carelesly to sleape in our flatteryes yet will GOD so pricke and spurre vs and make vs féele in despight of our téeth that wee are altogether malicious and vnthankfull Wherefore it is impossible that GOD shoulde bée mercifull vnto vs and wée to bée assured to finde fauoure with him vntill such tyme as wée féele his correction Not that GOD is desirous of reuenge as men are For a man when he is in an heate woulde haue the fault that is committed to bee amended and some redresse and punishment to be made and had that hee might be reuenged Howbeit there are no suche passions in God But how euer the case standeth God will haue his iustice and iudgement to be knowne and feared to the ende wée might the rather bée afearde of our sinnes and learne to abhorre and detest them For if GOD woulde haue forgiuen vs except Iesus Christ had made intercession and pawned him selfe for vs wée woulde haue made no account of the matter and euerie of vs woulde haue smoothed him selfe and woulde haue taken also a greater occasion of lycense to sinne But when we sée that God hath not spared so rigorously and extreamely to handle his onely Sonne as that hée did not onely cause him to suffer the most gréeuous torments in body that might bée but also so extremely afflicted his soule as that hée made him to crye out and say My God My God why haste thou forsaken mée Mat. 27.46 When wée sée all these thinges I say it is impossible except our heartes bée harder then flynt stones but that wée must bée gréeued and conceiue suche a feare as that it must vtterly confounde vs and neyther will nor choose but detest our sinnes and iniquities since they so prouoke the heauy wrath of God against vs. Thus wée sée why it was requisite that our whole correction of peace shoulde bée layde vpon Iesus Christ to the ende wée might finde fauour before God his Father that is to say that we might be at such a league with him as that we might at this day be bold and frée to call vpon God as our Father although of very right hée is our enemy and hateth vs as wée are in our owne nature Wée sée then at this present what the Prophet his meanyng is when hée sayeth that our Lorde Iesus Christ was afflicted by the hande of God disfigured and forsaken of all men and that no man once vouchsafed to looke vpon him by reason of his merueylous deformitie Howbeit hée sayeth that it was because God had kindled his wrath against vs and was armed and bent to cōfounde and throwe vs downe headlong into the pit of hell vntill such time as that attonement was made And which way came it to passe Forsooth God of his méere mercy and goodnesse fréely forgiueth vs our sinnes howbeit the price of our redemption was in the person of his onely Sonne Now we haue héere to note that by reason of the condemnation of our Lord Iesus Christ we are pardoned and al our sinnes buried shal neuer again rise vp against vs before the maiesty of God whē we speak of the forgiuenes of our sins it is not spokē as though God had so discharged vs as if we had throughly cōtented payde him but we are acquited by his méere liberality And although we are guilty before him yet forgetteth he al receiueth vs to mercie Mat. 7.19 because as the prophet saith he casteth our sins into the bottome of the sea but by the way we haue also here to note that this was no frée forgiuenes vnto the persō of our lord Iesus Christ for it cost him the setting on as we say Now if we cōsider what a grieuous cruel slanderous death this was which he abode besides what anguishes his soule endured whē he was called before the iudgemēt seat of God his father to abide our condēnation if we cōsider wel of all this geare I say we shal find that our Lord Iesus Christ hath made a woonderful paymēt for the discharging of our sins Loe here howe we at this day are fréed of thē And héerof we are throughly to cōsider for the diuel hath cōtinually gone about to darkē this doctrine because it is the chiefest article of our faith In the beginning of the world God would haue sacrifices offred vnto him for the forgiuenesse of sinnes And why was that Forsooth it was to this ende and purpose that men should not trust vnto him but by the meane of a sacrifice and the shedding of blood And therefore they all protested in their sacrifices that they were not able to come néere vnto god except they had béen redéemed by the purging of their sinnes iniquities which was to be done by our Lord Iesus Christ And yet by the way neither Iew nor Gentile but trusted to their own merits thought themselues able to make satisfaction vnto God by thē Here then we sée that the diuel euē at the time wtdrew miserable sinners frō our lord Iesus Christ frō the payment which he had made by his death passiō And yet now sée in what case the papists are For they wil cōfesse that wee haue full remission of our sinnes by the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ yea but that is as they
more shamefast sober in requiring of any thing at the hands of amortall man thē we wil be when we come before the Maiestie of god Now the Prophet héere pulleth downe all the Peacocks plumbs when he calleth vs transgressors as if he should haue said O you cursed wicked ones what are you that dare presume to cal vpon God by the name of father Frō whence haue you this dignitie What is he the dareth once enterprise to come before the presence of the Maiestie of god and say I am one of thy children Away saith he and goe hide your selues for you are al malefactors and in comming before God you come before your Iudge and therefore you ought to tremble be vtterly ashamed Howbeit the onely remedy to assure your selues is this that when you call vpon the name of God you haue an inuincible defense by the power intercession of the Mediatour For without him there is no hope of your saluation but are altogether dead in your sinnes And therefore vnderstand you that you had néede haue the sonne of God to be betwéene you him to make intercession for you by playing the Priestes part We sée then here why the Prophet namely calleth vs al trespassers transgressors to wit to the end we might know that the gate is shut vpon vs are vnworthie to come neare vnto God and that we are all oppressed confounded if we run not to that help For without this remedy we must néedes perish and rotte in our wretchednes and miseries Now when we are thus humbled then may we come to our Lord Iesus Christ Because we knowe that it is he that speaketh for vs that by him also wée may boldly call our selues the children of God For when wée come to pray say O our father which art in heauen we must néedes acknowledge that our mouthes as cōcerning our selues are filthie therfore not worthie once to call God our Creator it is so farre of in déede as that we ought not to bee so presumptuous as to take our selues for his children And yet our Lord Iesus Christ speaketh for vs Heb. so by his mean our prayers supplications are sanctified For so it is said in the Epistle to the Hebrewes That by him it is by whom we render vnto god the sacrifice of praise all our praiers and that he is our mediator in whose name at this day we cal vpon God our Father And therefore wee may boldly glorifie our selues in that he will take vs for his children Wée sée then howe we are to put this place in practise Now we sée that our Lord Iesus Christ hath verified this when he prayed for his as appeareth in the Gospell after S. Iohn Looke vnto them Iohn 17.11 holy Father which thou hast giuen mée for now I goe out of the world Those that thou gauest mée I haue kept none of them is lost but the lost child but those whom thou gauest me in charge haue I kept Nowe I pray for them not onely for them but also for al those which shal beléeue on me through their preaching I pray not for the worlde but for those whom thou hast giuen me that thou wouldest blesse sanctifie them that they might also be one as we are When then we see the sonne of God pray and sée him also who is God eternall so to abase himself as to become a peticioner and offer vp his supplication vnto God his father in our name should not we here acknowledge an infinite goodnesse And wee are in the first place alwaies to consider of that which hath gone before to wit that wée shall doe nothing els but prophane the name of God with calling vpon him if we do it not in the name of Iesus Christ And why so Forsooth because our mouthes are filthie vncleane yea we our selues full of corruption no better then stinking wormes but because our Lord Iesus Christ abased himselfe euen vnto the state of a Begger to become a peticioner vnto god his father for vs there should be a sure setled staiednes in vs whē there ariseth any question in the framing of our prayers at this day It is true that as the Prophet Isaiah saith that Iesus Christ praied for the trāsgressors euē so likewise saith he himself that he praied not for al the world for such as take pleasure in their iniquities continue obstinate for such men are quite cleane cut of frō this benefite priueledge which is onely reserued for the children of God And therefore if we remain still in the world be separated frō our Lord Iesus Christ without doubt no whit of the prayer which he made vnto God his father apperteineth vnto vs neither shall it doe vs any good But let vs hearken to that which he saith Behold Iohn 17 6.2◠I haue shewed thy word vnto them they beléeued it I pray for thē saith he and not onely for them to wit the Disciples But also for all those which shall beléeue their preaching And therefore let vs at this day vnderstande that wée are made companions with the Disciples and Apostles of our Lord Iesus Christ and that this prayer which hée once made will very well serue our turnes and leaue an open way for our prayers so that we receiue the doctrine of the Gospell in faithful obediēce Wherfore we néed not now stād in doubt how to frame our petitions For since we know that Iesus Christ hath prayed we haue no more to say howe shall we be assured that the power of this prayer shall doe vs good Forsooth let vs beléeue the Gospel and then we shall follow the Apostles and Disciples and be linked together with them Would we make the sonne of God a lyer who is the euerlasting and vnchangeable trueth I thinke there is none that would Now hee hath spoken it with his owne mouth that all they that will receiue the preaching of the Gospell are linked to this prayer and comprehended within it Since then it is so although on the one side wee are miserable transgressors and therefore not worthie to come néere vnto God yet when we by the meane of the Gospell doe imbrace through faith the promises therein conteined then may wée present our selues vnto the Lord because he wil not only accept vs forasmuch as his onely Sonne hath made intercession for vs but that we may also at this day call vpon him and be likewise as hee himself saith Companions with him Isaiah 8.18 Heb. 2.13 for these are his wordes Behold mee and the seruants which thou hast giuen mée He offereth himselfe héere in the first place as hath already béen declared in the viii Chapter and then bringeth with him his whole company Now it is said that hee and all the company which were giuen vnto him were there redy to worship God his Father And therefore there
is no doubt but that we shall all be linked together in this prayer in all the prayses thankes giuing vnto the Lord and that Iesus Christ doth as a man would say powre out and become as it were the chiefe chaunter to bring vs into our prayers so that by his meane the sound of our voices do in such sort ioyne together as that they make very swéet pleasaÌ„t harmony For when we the Angels of heauen shal pray together to God will not this be a most excellent priuiledge But when the sonne of God wil vouchsafe to be so familiar with vs as to say come your wayes I will be your spokes man would not this meruellously rauish vs Moreouer his was figured in the Lawe whenas the high Priest did not onely offer vnto God the Sacrifices but ioined also with them prayers supplications And therfore vnder the auncient shadowes no Priest could make intercessioÌ„ vnto god and be made acceptable without the sheading of blood howbeit hée ioyned also with blood prayers that the sinnes of the people might be forgiuen and that God might receiue such to mercy as were worthie to be reiected Thus we sée that our Lord Iesus Christ hath taken away the figures of the lawe and hath fulfilled and ended them in his owne person That is hée hath offred vp blood for the washing away of our sinnes not the blood of Calues Hebr. 9.14 and shéepe as the maner was in the lawe but euen his owne precious blood which was consecrated by the holie Ghost to the ende wée might be wholly sanctified by him And yet hée ioyned prayers with the effusion of blood And therefore we sée why at this day he is called our Mediatour and maketh intercession for vs. And when Saint Paule speaketh of prayers hée saieth 1. Tim. 2.5 That there is one God and Mediatour euen the man Iesus Christ Hée might verie well haue sayde There is one God and one Iesus Christ who is the eternall word of God and of the selfe same essence glorie and maiestie Nowe hée vseth not this kinde of spéech But hée saieth there is one God and one Mediatour betwéene God and men euen the man Iesus Christ As if hée should haue sayde Hebr. 4.15 Hebr. 7.27 9.7 Behold the Sonne of God who after hee had taken vpon him our nature and was made man lyke vnto vs sinne except maketh now intercession for vs. Nowe the Priestes in the olde time néeded to pray for them selues and so they did and for the sinnes of all the people in which number they were also comprehended But our Lord Iesus as touching him selfe néeded not so to doe neither is there any cause why he should for his parte craue pardon for any sinnes that hée had committed but maketh intercession for vs. Rom. 8.31 And therefore when Saint Paule would enbolden vs to come vnto God hée namely saith If God be on our side who shall be against vs For although we haue many enemies yet let vs not be afeard and vnto whom must we yéeld an account of the bestowing of our whole life Who also is our Iudge Forsooth euen the man Iesus Christ and he him selfe also is our Aduocate to make intercession and an agréement betwéene God and vs. It is euen he that must obtayne grace for vs. Wherfore we may with good courage come before the maiestie of God yea boldly present our selues before his iudgement seat since we haue Iesus Christ to stand there betwéene him and vs. Thus then we sée what is the effect of that which we haue to consider of when as this saying of intercession is here spoken of To be short as often as the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ is talked of let vs ioyne theretoo eftsoones the prayer which he made once for all to the ende it might remaine for euer and woorke his effect For it is not nowe needfull for our Lorde Iesus Christ to kneele on his knees before God his Father to pray vnto him In deede it is saide that he will make alwayes intercession for vs. But howe Forsooth euen by the power of his death and passion and by the prayer that is made at this day For through the power thereof we are heard as if he him selfe at this day spake for vs and besides as I haue saide all our prayers are sanctified by him otherwise they should be but prophane And to say truely as often as the faithfull prepare themselues to pray vnto God They where the Papists sprinkle holy water as they call it about and charme coniure or rather mask mumme should féele that their praiers are besprinckled with the blood of Iesus Christ to the ende they might be pure and cleane and that God might receiue them as a swéete smelling sacrifice And herevpon let vs vnderstande that our Lorde Iesus Christ was not a sacrificing Priest for a day onely but kéepeth that office still euen vnto this day and for euer that we might alwayes féele the fruit therof Now if this had been rightly knowne men woulde not haue exceeded as hath come to passe in so many villainies superstitions For we sée howe the Papists at this day wander about lyke miserable stray beasts not knowing which way or path to take to pray vnto God For they haue an infinite number of Patrones and Aduocates and euerie man buildeth vpon his owne Patrone and Aduocate In déede they haue many common and ordinarie ones but yet after al their kyries as they say euerie man will say his deuotions to the Saint which he hath forged vnto him self Thus we see how Iesus Christ is robbed of his honour and glorie And this is out of all doubt that when they are not contented with Iesus Christe it must bee that the Deuill hath possessed them and put them in such a furie as it were to despight God who speaking of Iesus Christ in giuing him that office they haue giuen the right of it to this bodie that As the Papistes as this day call the virgine Marie their Mediatrix Nowe the Deuill goe with all their prayers For this is as much as if they forsooke God and our lord Iesus Christ And it cannot be chosen but that the virgine Mary her selfe cryeth out for vengeance against them Iohn 5.45 because they haue made a detestable Idoll of her and robbed Iesus Christ of the honour of this sacrifice ratefied by God with a solemne oth and haue done all they can to falsefie the whole scripture The Papistes think that the virgine Mary will help them but shée will rather as I haue alredie saide call for vengeance against them for the wrong which they haue done her For if they should spit on her do her all the villainies that were possible to be done without doubt they could not deuise to do her a greater shame then to call her a Mediatrix And why so Psal 110. â—
vseth these tearmes yet doeth he it only to fit himself vnto the time wherin he was because we shuld not say but that we haue a greater measure of knowledge For to say truely GOD neuer shewed himselfe so manifestly in the olde Testament as hée hath nowe doone to vs by Iesus Christe For where God had appointed the offerings to bée sacrificed in the old Lawe which were but figures and shadowes to bée oftentimes vsed that it might bée séene that men could not come néere vnto God but by the meane of a Mediator wée haue at this present the personall presence of the Mediator himself who once for all hath fulfilled euery thing by his alone Sacrifice And therefore there is nowe no Sacrifice to bée doone for the purging and sanctifiyng of sinnes Mala. 1.11 but onely the Sacrifice of thankesgiuing vnto our GOD who therewith is well pleased through our Lorde Iesus Christe And although it is said in the Scripture that at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christe Altars shoulde bée set vp throughout the whole worlde to Sacrifice vnto the Lorde our God yet must wée leaue the figure and rest in the trueth For inasmuch as the Altar was a signe of the worship of God because it is saide that Sacrifice should bée doone all the worlde through the meaning is that God shoulde vniuersally bee worshipped No doubt of it the Pope with all his Colledge of Cardinalls and all other his deare friendes the Romanistes wyll conclude vppon this place that there must néedes bée Sacrifices had And therefore when they woulde haue their Masse allowed they bring in this testimony of the Scripture Howbeit if it were so as they make themselues beléeue Surely surely they muste néedes conclude that Iesus Christe hath not yet appeared nor that his kingdome is yet come Neuerthelesse wée sée the contrary And therefore séeing the Prophets haue thus said it is not only to shew that God should be vniuersally worshipped in spirite trueth and not in figures Moreouer héere is to bée noted that the saying of Prophesie is not meant by the Prophet to tell of things to come as in the olde time it was taken but the meaning is that whosoeuer shal haue the gift of Prophesie shoulde bée able to teache and apply doctrine to the ende wee might bée brought to the knowledge of the trueth and profite therby And so the promise that was made vnto vs of the cōming of Iesus Christ conteyneth thus much that we should be more déeply séene in heauēly things then heretofore we haue béen For we sée in very déede that S. Paul calleth it the wisdome of God ◠Cor. 2. vnder which all things should be subiect Wée are nowe therefore briefly to conclude vpon all things That as our Lord in sending Iesus Christe his sonne into the worlde to make vnto vs a more liuely assurance of our saluation Euen so by sending vnto vs his holy spirite hée hath made vs greater partakers of his graces then euer hée did before The Prophet Ioel soone after setteth downe in this place That God will doe wonderful things in heauen aboue and signes in the earth belowe blood fire and vapour of smoke that the Sunne shall bee turned into darkenes and the Moone into blood These wordes shewe that greate and maruellous things must come to passe whenas Iesus Christ shall manifest himselfe And why so Forsooth because the the worlde shall then bée changed For they which woulde followe Iesus Christe must wholy alter their nature And therefore is the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe called the latter dayes Moreouer this is not spoken for a day or for a moneth But the Prophet referreth all that is héere spoken vnto the whole time frō the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe vntill the day of iudgement so that wée must inclose the wonders which shall bée doone at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe from the time of his comming vnto the last day And to say truely the forwarder wee goe the greater thinges will hée doe as wee dayly finde by experience Nowe that we vnderstand the meaning of the Prophete let vs apply the same to our owne vse For where it is said in the first place that God will powre out his spirite vpon all flesh we are to consider that the greatest benefite which we can possibly haue is to bée partakers of the graces of his holy spirite And this is the most excellent gift which God bestoweth vpon vs in respect wherof all the worldly liberalitie which he rendreth vnto vs is nothing For whensoeuer wée are bereaued of this gift Iesus Christe is taken from vs and vntill suche time as wée are clothed with him all whatsoeuer wée doe tendeth to our condemnation Wherefore God saith that we cannot be his children without wee bee bedeawed and sprinkled with his holy spirite Nowe if wee bée not his children wée shall neuer be partakers in the communitie of Iesus Christe For although God offereth vnto vs his graces yet is Iesus Christ nothing vnto vs vntill such time as wée haue receiued the holy Ghoste Let vs then conclude héereupon that vnto the time that wee are partakers of the holy Ghost wée are reprobate and the children of perdition because it is hée which sanctifieth and maketh vs holy in the sight of God So then vntil such time we be as called by the knowledg of the holy scripture which wée can no way haue but by the gift of the holy ghost to lift vp our mindes on high wée are fast tyed to the earth as if it were in Hell And héereupon it is that Saint Paule speaketh when he saith Rom. 8.14 That they which haue receiued the holy Ghost guiding themselues according to the will of God declared in his word are I say the children of God and they without all doubt are the children of the Diuell who following their carnall affections giue themselues ouer to their pleasure and delight Thus we sée how necessary a thing it is for all those that would bee acccounted the children of GOD to haue the knowledge of Gods trueth Moreouer wée cannot excuse our selues if wée receiue not his graces because hée offereth them vnto al but wée are so accursed as that we forsake the benefite which hée would bestowe vpon vs. And héerein is knowne the goodnesse of God to vs warde that although wée striue alwaies against his will yet ceaseth hée not for all that to offer himselfe vnto all as it is héere said by the Prophet That young and olde men and women shal all receiue of one and the selfe same spirite And it is to this end that no man might bée able truely say O Sir I am vtterly vnlearned and therefore it is impossible for one to vnderstand the Scriptures whereby I might receiue the holy ghost Why I beséech you hath God promised vnto the learned alone the grace of his holy spirite to none other Nowe surely this is a very
strange kinde of excuse And therefore when wée sée that God so liberally dealeth as that hée will neither exclude age nor sexe from receiuing of the holy ghoste are not wée very accursed to withdraw ourselues from him when as hée is desirous to come néere vs And to say the truth the prophesie that is héere spoken of is to be accomplished at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe Wherfore since he at this day hath all power and dominion it must néedes bée manifested wée must also vnderstand that the thing which was foretolde is most true And therfore since the thing that was spoken of hath so manifestly appeared cursed are we if wée doe not our best to walke in the feare of the Lorde and receiue the graces whiche hee offereth vs. Wée haue alredye saide that hée taketh exceptions too none Howbeit wée are so wicked as that wée cannot take in good part the thing offered vnto vs. What is the cause thereof surely surely our infidelitie Wherefore neither young nor old can excuse themselues of this fault in not submitting themselues vnto the obedience of God séeing hée hath called all thereto Neither is it to be wondered at although they so little profit in this doctrine For if we marke it the elder sort will growe so obstinate and ouer growne in wickednesse as that no exhortation will doe them good And the younger sort are as dissolute as Diuels For if they bée exhorted they waxe so madde as that to any mans thinking they would tread vnder foote both God and his worde and as many as deliuer it Now Iesus Christe who is the wisedome mildenesse and méekenesse of the Father wyl haue nothing to doe with such foxes and Lions And if they be told that they must humble themselues vnder the mightie hand of God to the ende they might vnderstand that they haue a Father in heauen who will not care onely for their bodily nurriture but will also entertaine and gouerne them by his holy spirite they passe not an hawe of al this but take leaue to doe what wickednesse soeuer they lust Now because the time will not serue to procéede any further héerein we will reserue the handeling of the residue vntil Sunday next And sith we cannot be acceptable in the sight of the Lord our God but by the meane of our Lord Iesus Christ let vs fall downe before his maiestie in his name and beséech him so to instruct vs by his holy spirite as that wée may vnderstande that the Prophetes spake by him for our instruction and that we also might learne to benefite our selues so that it might turne to the glory and praise of his holy name and the edifying of our neighbours And so let vs most humbly say O Almighty God and heauenly father c. The third Sermon of the descending of the holie Ghost Actes second 18 ANd surely in those dayes I wil powre out of my spirit vpon my seruants vpon my handmaides and they shall prophesie 19 And I will shewe wonders in heauen aboue and tokens in the earth beneath blood and fire and the vapour of moke 20 The Sunne shal be turned into darknesse and the Moone into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come 21 And it shall come to passe that whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lorde shall bee saued VPON Sunday last past we declared vnto you howe that at the comming of Iesus Christe God so powred out his great treasures in the worlde as that both men women young and olde were partakers of his grace Now the riches which the Lord God of his bountifull goodnesse so liberally bestowed were no earthly riches which could perish come to naught But euen the holy Ghoste himselfe from whom commeth all the riches and treasure of saluation And besides wée haue shewed that God hath not doone it only for a time but is also redy to continue the same which hée hath spoken yea and at this day he inricheth vs with his graces if the fault be not ours But wee bée so accursed as that wée are voyd of them by reason of our vnthankefulnesse For his liberalitie is as great at this day as euer it was in the time of the Apostles whenas hée sent downe vnto them the holie Ghost euen to make vs partakers of the self same grace which hée liberally bestowed vpon them howbeit wée are so incredulous and faythlesse as that we stoppe that way vpon him by which he would come vnto vs. For when hée calleth vs by his worde to make vs partakers of his holie spirite wée drawe arsewarde so that a man would thinke wée had conspired to set our selues against him And where both olde and young men and women are called to be partakers of this grace and ought to endeuour them selues by all meanes possible to receiue the holie Ghost and more and more to perseuere and continue in receiuing of the same we sée the elder sort to be more hard hearted and obstinate then the rest and the younger people to be giuen ouer to all kinde of lewdnesse so that if they be tolde of their dissolutenesse they wax so madde and furious as that it should séeme they would marre all And when men should be manlyke and sharpe witted to giue diligent héede vnto the word of God they are become as blockish as bruit beastes And where the women also shoulde be humble and walke soberly and honestly they are extreame dissolute and too too gallaunt and full of all superfluous vaine vanities And therefore if nowe we sée not men enioy the graces of the holie Ghost which God here speaketh of that hée will poure out vpon his seruantes and handmaydes it is not because hée hath chaunged any whit his determination and purpose but by reason we will not suffer him to do vs good For when he commeth neare vs we drawe backward Wherefore hée is not the let why we doe not all receiue his graces For the Prophet saieth as wée haue heretofore saide That God will poure out his holie spirite vpon all flesh Hée namely sayeth vpon all flesh which is vpon all people without exception True it is that Iesus Christ was sent vnto the Iewes not onely to pull them from out of the bondage of the Deuill but to make them partakers also of the giftes of the holie Ghost Howbeit wée are at this present gathered altogether into one Church and therfore there remaineth nothing but to shewe the effect of our Christianitie and of the graces which God hath bestowed on vs and thē let vs not doubt but that we shall receiue the giftes of the holie Ghost since it is saide that God hath not poured them out vpon one or two but generally vpon all men Wherefore it is not enough for vs to boast that we are Christians without we shew the effect thereof that it may be knowne that we vainly take not vpon vs this name of Christianitie For
in such sort neither but that he alwayes hath a great prerogatiue ouer his children for it is good reason he should be the head of his Church And to say the trueth the glory which hée communicateth with vs is not derogatorie from his neyther yet is it therby made any whit lesse howbeit we must be transformed as Saint Paule saieth to the Phillippians Phil. 3.21 and where wée are nowe so full of infirmities as is lamentable it cannot be chosen but that our life must be made like vnto the heauenly life of our Lord Iesus Christ And so when Saint Paule spake after that maner hée namely had regarde vnto the state of the faythfull as it is in this worlde For we are noted pointed at with the finger and our tongues pulde out wée sée howe the wicked and vngodly make a iest at the children of God and it is méete we shoulde bée made thus contemtible to the end we might learne to looke for no glorie here in this worlde Howbeit God will when it pleaseth him haue vs exalted aboue them all but his meaning in the mean while is that we should suffer such slaunders and reproches that we might looke vp into heauen and séeke for our triumph and victorie there For to what purpose were it for vs to be glorified and made much of here in this life and to haue God in the meane time to be dishonoured In verie déede the wicked with open mouth make a scorne of God and make no reckoning of them which wil not spit in his Maiesties face And would we then be honoured by them Surely if we should desire it must it not néedes be said that we are too too faint hearted Wherefore according to my first saying that forsomuch as the faithfull are at this present contemned and naught set by and that some laugh them to scorne and other some oppresse them so that their flesh is eaten to the bones and troaden cleane vnder foote therefore the Apostle calleth vs backe vnto the latter day saying That we shall at that tyme appeare wonderfull euen like vnto the Sonne of God him selfe for which cause let not vs feare but that the glorie which he wil giue vs shall so terrefie our enemies as that they shall be made our footstoole according to that saying of the scripture Howbéet Saint Paule here namely setteth downe who they are that must looke to be partakers of the glorie of the Sonne of God Psal 110. and hée declareth the fruites of all those that haue beléeued in these wordes Saintes For hée sheweth that they which are carried away with the pollutions corruptions of this worlde must not looke to haue any parte or portion in this enheritance nor yet be partakers of any thing which belongeth vnto the Sonne of God Neuerthelesse in this saying They which haue beleeued hée sheweth that fayth is the verie right springhead and beginning of all holinesse Thirdly hée sheweth that if our fayth be pure and right that it is impossible but that we must eftsoones be sanctified Thus wée sée thrée pointes which we are to obserue The first is That if we foyle and tumble our selues in our filthinesse and corruptions we are quite cut off from the Sonne of God and therefore let vs not looke to be any whit the better for his comming but call to minde the saying of the Prophet in these wordes Desire not the comming of the day of the Lorde Amos. 5. For it shall be a day of terrour and feare and not of health and ioy For by reason there were in those dayes a great number of hypocrites who cloaked them selues with the name of God the Prophet telleth them that it will cost them deare After the same verie maner shal we sée the most wicked at this day with opeÌ„ mouth and wyde throate say What I beséech you good Syr thinke you that we feare not God and that wée will not be as good Christians as the rest Thus no doubt of it will they say and yet in the meane while a man shall sée nothing in them but wantonnes and all vngodlines and as religious as Dogges and Swine And examine their lyues and we shall finde them altogether disloyall and faythlesse like Foxes full of treason periurie crueltie and bitternesse vnto their neighbours giuen to all kinde of harme and outrage and full of all corruption so that whosoeuer giueth them most they will be sure to be no losers They will kéepe open shop to take of all handes insomuch that they will not onely sell their fayth and credite but their honour and honestie also euen in open sight and will kéepe open fayre and market to vtter all wickednesse To be short they will shewe them selues extreame impudent contemptuous persons and yet forsooth they will not sticke to bragge that they are the frowardest men in all the Church of God and thinke that God will helpe them as if hée were greatly beholden vnto them And therefore as we sée it to be thus at this day euen so the Prophet speaking to those that were in his dayes saith What what kinde of bragges are these that you make of the Lordes comming Why thinke you to receiue any benefite by his comming No no But be assured that it will be a terrible and a most fearefull day to you And so according to my first saying we haue to note out of this place of Saint Paule that if wée would haue the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ auaileable to vs and doe vs good and to be the Redéemer of our saluation wée must learne to consecrate our selues to holinesse of life and to separate our selues from the corruptions of the worlde and the fleshe And thus much for the first point But to the attaining héereof let vs note that we must begin with fayth according to that which we haue lately said For to say truely fayth Actes 15. 6. is the spring head of all holinesse as it is saide in the Actes where Saint Peter sayeth That God cleanseth the heartes of men by fayth And this was spoken to this end and purpose to shewe that whatsoeuer glorious shewe we make that we shall alwayes be corrupt and stinking before the Maiestie of God vntill such time as God cleanseth vs by the meane of fayth As for the third point we are admonished that if we haue a liuely fayth it cannot be chosen but that we must eftsoones be sanctified to wit that we cannot but be refourmed to the seruice of God and be consecrated to honor him And howe is that Forsooth because that wee embrasing Iesus Christ by fayth hée will dwell in vs according to the saying of all the whole scripture and namely Saint Paule vseth these words to the Ephesians Iesus Christ saith hée dwelleth in your hearts by fayth Ephe. 3.17 I beséech you tell mée doe not these thinges hang yll fauoredly together That Iesus Christ dwelleth in vs and we in the meane while giue our selues to all villainy and filthinesse Do wée thinke that hée will dwell in a Swine stie And therefore we must consecrate our selues vnto him Moreouer hée cannot be with vs but by his holie spirite And is not this the spirite of holinesse righteousnesse and cleannesse Will not this be a straunge medley when as we will bragge to haue fayth in Iesus Christ and yet liue wantonly and wickedly and be stayned with all the corruptions of the worlde This is as a man would say I holde the Sunne and it shineth not and as if a man would turne vpside downe the whole order of nature For it is more like that the Sunne should be without light then that Iesus Christ should be without righteousnesse And therefore let vs make this obseruation that we take not this cloake of hypocrisie vpon vs and say that we haue fayth in the Gospell and that we beleeue in good sadnesse without our life and conuersation be answerable and shewe that we haue receiued Iesus Christ and that through the grace of his holie spirite hée consecrateth sanctifieth vs to the obedience of God his Father We sée then that we must not come with falâ—â— ensignes to vsurpe this name of faith being a most holie thing And therefore let vs take héede we prophane it not But if we beleeue in the Sonne of God let vs effectually shewe that we haue done so And then no doubt hée wil make vs féele his power and giue vs grace paciently to tarry his comming And although we must in this worlde suffer many iniuries for his names sake yet shall we in the end be clothed with his glorie and righteousnes as hée hath promised which hée wil make vs féele so wée receiue it without doubting And now let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him that after hée hath made vs to feele them that hée wil deliuer vs from them and because hée cannot doe it but that there must néedes bée an yll remnaunt left behinde that it would please him to support vs vntill such time as hée hath quite and cleane ridde vs of all this corruptible fleshe of ours and brought vs to his heauenly kingdome which wée wayte for at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ And so let vs all say O almighty God and heauenly Father c. ¶ Jmprinted at London by Thomas Dawson for George Bishop 1581.
withall he beginneth to prepare vs to that which hee will speake afterward that is to say to what ende this word which is Iesus Christ was sent vs of God his father that is The mysterie of our redemption very great and needfull to the end he might be manifested in the flesh for our saluation He ment then to declare howe greate the mystery of our redemption was and what neede wée had of it in saying that wee haue not comprehended the brightnesse that was in vs as if hee shoulde say It could nothing at all haue profited vs to haue the light that shineth in vs vnlesse we had withall béene redéemed and that this worde had executed and performed the loue of God towarde vs in repairing his image The light of our owne miserie is a good meane to make vs feele the mysterie of our redemption which was defaced in vs through our sinne and wholie disfigured in the first man Marke I say howe Saint Iohn mindeth to prepare vs to know the effect of our redemption and besides hée ment also to shewe vnto vs how that the word of God declareth it selfe in his creatures in as much as all things are preserued by his strength and power And withall hée exhorteth vs to knowe and confesse the graces that God hath bestowed vpon vs more excellent in déede than vpon other creatures to the ende wée might magnifie and prayse him The endes of our light and knowledge moreouer to knowe that séeing hée hath from the beginning imprinted his owne liuely image in vs and hath made vs féele his power it is good reason wée should learne to holde our selues fast to this worde and to confesse both generally and particularly the good thinges that God hath done for mankinde to the ende that the light which hée hath plentifully communicated vnto vs of his grace and goodnesse onely may not be quenched or put out through our malice but that Iesus Christ may in such sort dwell in the middest of vs that being guided and gouerned by the holie Ghost wée may haue such accesse to the father that hée may at the length bring vs into his heauenly glorie Thus I haue handled these thinges as shortly as was possible for mée What men should looke at in expounding the scripture respecting alwayes to touch the marke wherat the Euangelist in this place aimeth notwithstanding if there bee any thing that hath béene omitted because a man can not remember all let euerie one speake thereof that which God shall haue giuen him in that behalfe and if there be any doubt propound the matters to the ende that putting them out they may be made cleare and manifest and that the Church of God may therby bée more and more edified when thinges shall not remaine in doubt but shall be vnderstood according to their true meaning after that wée shall haue disputed and reasoned vpon them as is séemely and according to God and godlinesse A Sermon of the birth of our Lorde Iesus Christ Luke Cap. 2. 1 ANd it came to passe in those dayes that there was a commaundement from Augustus Caesar that all the world should be taxed 2 This first taxing was made when Cyrenius was Gouernor of Syria 3 Therefore all went to bee taxed euerie man to his owne Citie 4 And Ioseph also went vp from Galilee out of a Citie called Nazareth into Iudea vnto the Citie of Dauid which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and linage of Dauid 5 To be taxed with Mary that was giuen him to wife which was with childe 6 And so it fell out that while they were there the dayes were accomplished that shee should be deliuered 7 And she brought foorth her first begotten Sonne wrapped him in swadling cloathes and laide him in a manger because there was no roume for them in the Inne 8 And there were in the same countrey shepheardes abiding in the fielde and keeping watch by night because of their flocke 9 And loe the Angell of the Lorde came vpon them and the glorie of the Lord shoane about them and they were sore afraide 10 Then the Angell saide vnto them be not afraide for behold I bring you tydinges of great ioy that shall be to all people 11 That is that vnto you is borne this day in the Citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. 12 And hee shall be a signe to you yee shall finde the childe swadled and laide in a Maunger 13 And straightway there was with the Angel a multitude of heauenly souldiers praysing God and saying 14 Glorie be to God in the high heauens peace in earth and towardes men good will WE knowe beloued in the Lorde that all our felicitie ioy peace is this euē to be conioyned knit together with the sonne of God for as he is our head so are we likewise his body and do also receiue from him our life health and all whatsoeuer blessednesse else And beside we see in very déede howe miserable our estate should be if wée can not to him to be preserued vnder his protection But by the way we are neuer able to attaine and reach so high séeing we are scarcely able to crawle vpō the ground without he were alredie come néere vnto vs by reason of his birth who hath taken vpon him our flesh and is therby become our brother Neither could we at this present flye vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ sitting at the right hand of God his father 1. Tim. 2. 5. Isaiah 7.14 Math. 1.23 in the glory of the heauens without he had abased himself to become a mortal man his estate condition to become also like vnto ours And here we may likewise sée why the name of man was giuen vnto him whē as hée is called the Mediatour betwéene God and man and so by the selfe fame reason is called Immanuel which is as much to say as God with vs. And therefore as often as wée séeke to be relieued and eased of our miseries by our Lord Iesus Christ and to make him our sure and vndoubted defence wee must first of all begin at his birth Nowe wee are not onely here taught that he was made man like vnto vs but was also so despised and made of so smal account as that he was scarcely taken to be named among the number of men For he was as it were banished denied all harboure and company and was lodged in a Stable and laide in Manger Since thē it is thus let vs here acknowledge that Gods of his goodnesse hath bountifullie spreade abroade his infinite treasures when as hee woulde in this sorte abase his deare Sonne for our sakes And let vs also acknowledge that our Lorde Iesus Christ hath so suffred for vs as that so often as wée séeke him we néede neuer to goe verie farre about to finde him nor yet to vnite our selues truly vnto him For for that cause was he
second That wée should abhorre our sinnes as we ought and to bée truely ashamed to humble our selues before the Maiestie of our GOD. The thirde that wée might in such sorte estéeme of our saluation as that it might make vs forsake the worlde and whatsoeuer thinge else belongeth vnto this transitorie lyfe and to bée in loue with this enheritaunce which was so déerely purchased for vs. And héere we sée whereon we must cast our eies and bestow all our senses when it is told vs that the Sonne of GOD hath redéemed vs from euerlasting death and purchased for vs euerlasting lyfe Wée must therefore in the first place learne to render vnto God the prayse due vnto him Now to say truely he might if hée had pleased haue deliuered vs from the bottomelesse depthes of death after an other sorte But his good will was largely to bestow and powre vpon vs the treasures of his infinite goodnesse when as hée spared not his onely sonne And our Lord Iesus would héerein giue vs an excellent pawne of his wonderful care towardes vs when as he offred himselfe willingly to death For we shal neuer bée touched to the quick nor enflamed to praise our God without we on the other side doe examine our estate and be as it were throwne downe into the bottomlesse pit of hell knowing what a thing it is to haue prouoke his wrath and to becom our mortall enimie hauing him as a terrible and fearefull Iudge so that it were a great deale better that heauen and earth and all the creatures had conspyred against vs then that wée shoulde once come néere his Maiestie so long as he is against vs. Wherfore it is very méete that sinners should be wounded with the féeling and conceiuing of their sinnes that they might know themselues to bée most miserable and feare their estate to the end they might thereby knowe how greatly they are beholden and bounde vnto God in that he hath compassion vpon them and séeing them in a desperate case hath very good will to helpe them without regard of any their worthinesse but onlie for their myseries sake And so also is it as we haue already saide because we are too too much intangled here below and when as God calleth vs vnto him our mindes and affections so kéepe vs backe as that we had néed to make much of the heauenly life as it is woorthy and knowe with how déere a price it was purchased for vs. And héere wée sée why it is told vs that our Lorde Iesus Christ did not only meane to suffer death and offered himselfe a Sacrifice to appease the the wrath of God his Father but also to the ende that hée might truely and indéede be our pledge he refused not to abide the anguishes and griefes which were prepared for all such as in conscience are touched and féele themselues guiltie of euerlasting death and condemnation before God Let vs then heare rightly note that the Sonne of God was not contented to offer vp his fleshe and blood and yéeld himselfe vnto death but would withall appeare before the iudgement seate of GOD in the name and person of all sinners ready there to be condemned and that because he beare our burden And therefore we must not be ashamed séeing the sonne of God hath submitted him selfe to such an infirmitie Neither was it without cause that Saint Paule exhorteth vs not to be ashamed of the preaching of the Crosse albeit it be to some foolishnesse and an offence to many For the more that our Lord Iesus Christ was humbled we sée thereby that the offences for the which wée were in arrerages and behinde with God could not be abolished without great extremitie And in déed we know that he was made weake that wée might be made strong by his power and besides hée would abide all our sufferinges sinne excepted to the ende hée might be readie at this day to helpe vs. For if hée had not felte in his owne person the feares doubtes and torments which we endure he would not be so enclined to be mercifull vnto vs as hée is Wée say that he who knoweth not what hunger and thirst meaneth will neuer be stirred vp to haue compassion vpon those that féele it because they haue alwayes taken their ease and liued in pleasure Now it is true that although God in his owne nature suffereth not any of our passions yet ceaseth hée not for all that to be curteous vnto vs but that is because hée is the fountayne of all goodnesse and mercy Neuerthelesse to the end we might be assured that our Lord Iesus Christ knoweth our weaknes to help it that we might come the boldlier vnto him haue a more familiar accesse The apostle saith Hebr. 2.10 that he would for the same cause be tēpted euen as we are So then we haue to obserue in this text which we haue read that whē our Lord Iesus was come into this village of Gethsamene namely into the Mount Oliuet it was to offer him self willingly to death And herein his will was to be discharged of the office charge that was committed vnto him For why cloathed he him self with our flesh nature without it were to repaire all our rebellions through his obedience to the end to purchase vs full perfect righteousnes before God his Father And therefore offered he him self to death because we might not be reconciled by any other meane neither yet appease the wrath of God prouoked by sin but by this onely obedience Thus we sée why the Sonne of God came fréely vnto the place where he knew that Iudas should finde him And let vs knowe that it so fell out because our father Adam through his transgression had throwne vs all downe headlōg into the bottomlesse depth that the sonne of God who had power ouer all creatures might be subiect and take vpon him the state of a seruant as he is likewise called the seruant of God of all his Sée also why S. Paul Isaiah 42.1 in shewing vs how we must stay our selues when we call vpon God with full assurance be heard as his children saith that we are reputed righteous through the obedience of our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5.19 For this is as it were a cloake to couer all our sinnes offences so that the thing that might hinder vs for the obteining of grace might not come into a reckoning before God But we on the contrary part sée that the price of our redemption cost very deare when as our Lord Iesus Christ was so tormented that hee aboad the very terror feare of death insomuch that hée sweat droppes of blood was as it were lyke one besides himselfe desiring if it were possible that hée might escape that distresse And therfore since we sée it to be thus it is good for vs to come to the acknowledging of our sinnes For it is no time for vs to rocke our selues here
death that there was no more hope of saluation for vs but now the sting therof is broken yea the poyson therof is so cleÌ„sed wiped away that we being humbled by death it serueth vs at this day for a medicine and is no more deadly because Iesus Christe hath swallowed vpp all the curse which was in it Nowe let vs sée what it is that wée haue too kéepe in mynde whiche is that sonne of God in crying out O my Father if it be possible let this drinke be taken from me did not regard onlie the suffringes in his bodie neither the shame of men nor yet the leauing of the worlde for he could easily abide all these things But hée respected his comming before God and before his iudgement seate to make an account for all our sinnes and to behold al the curses of God which were prepared For when as there was but one only sinner what was this to the wrath of GOD And when it is said that God is against vs wil display his power to confound vs Alas what shall become of vs Now it hath so fallen out that Iesus Christ did not onely striue against suche a feare but against all the cruelties that might bee heaped vp together And therefore when wée sée GOD call to a reckoning all those who haue deserued euerlasting condemnation and are guiltie of sinne and that hée himselfe is there to pronounce suche sentence as they haue deserued who will not conceyue all the deathes doubtes and terrors which may bée in euery one And then what a destruction will there bée in this Nowe it hath fallen out that our Lorde Iesus Christe himselfe alone without anie helpe hath borne such a burden Let vs therfore iustly weight the sorow of the Sonne of God therevpon let vs returne to the thing which wee haue already touched which is yâ— on the one side we might knowe how déere our saluation how precious our soules were vnto him when as hée woulde bring himselfe into so great extremitie for our sakes and in acknowledging that that wee haue deserued Let vs sée what our estate had béene if hée had not holpen vs. And in the meane while let vs reioyce when as wée sée death to haue no more power ouer vs that may hurt vs. In verie déede wée shoulde naturally alwayes feare Death and flie it But it is to this ende that wee should thinke vpon that inestimable benefite whiche the Sonne of God hath purchased by his death alwaies consider that it commeth through death it selfe which death importeth the wrath of God which wrath is as it were the gulfe of hell Moreouer that when we are to fight against this feare we might know that our Lord Iesus Christ hath so prouided for al these feares as that wee might euen in the middest of death it selfe come with bolde countenance before our God True it is that wée shoulde before all thinges humble our selues and must as we haue beforesaide bée touched with the iudgement of God and with the terror thereof if wée intend to hate our sinnes and bée displeased with them howbeit in the meane while when God calleth vs vnto him wée must then come with chéerefull countenance And see also what boldnesse is graunted to all the faithfull 2. Tim. 4.8 for Saint Paule saith That our Lorde Iesus Christe hath prepared a crowne for all those which looke for his comming Wherefore if we hope not for life in comming before the heauenly Iudge without doubt hée will refuse vs and not know vs neither will hee allowe of vs although wée professe our selues to bée Christians And surely we cannot waite for our Lorde Iesus Christ without we bée resolued and perswaded that he hath so fought against the feares of death that wée are thereby made free and that hée obteined victory for vs. And although wée are to fight to the ende wée might féele our infirmities and thereby haue recourse vnto God which might continually draw vs to a true confession of our sinnes so that God himselfe might bée declared to him alone to bee iust yet notwithstanding let vs assure our selues that Iesus Christe hath so fought as that he hath got the victorie not onely for himself but for vs also And neuer doubt but that by this meanes we may now ouercome all cares feares and terrors and call vpon God séeing wée are assured that he continually stretcheth foorth his armes to imbrace vs. And héere we sée what we must obserue which is we must know that this is no speculatiue doctrine when it is saide That our Lorde Iesus Christ hath abiden the horrible feares of death because he felt that he was before our iudge as our pledge to the end that in the power of that combate we might get aduantage ouer our infirmities constantly abide in calling vpon the name of God doubting but that hée will heare vs and bée continually ready of his goodnesse to receiue vs vnto himselfe so that by that meanes we shall passe both through life and death fier and water and so might all féele that our Lorde Iesus hath not fought in vâ—ine for the obteining of such a victory for all such as come vnto him in faith Héere then wée see in summe what it is that wée must remember But yet by the way wee sée that wée must fight against our affections and without wée so doe it is impossible for vs to remoue our finger but that wee shall eftsoones prouoke the wrath of GOD. For beholde our Lorde Iesus Christe who was both pure and sounde as wée haue already declared But if any man aske what his will was it was in very déed the weake will of a man but yet no sinfull will as the will of those who were corrupted in Adam for there was not one spot of sinne in him Loe héere a man voide of all sinne But howeuer it was yet must he in the ende striue and indeuour to forsake himselfe and cast all this vnder his féete that hee might yeeld his obedience vnto his father And nowe let vs see what shall become of vs what are our affections and thoughtes Rom. 8.7 Euen so many enimies saith Saint Paule as fight against God Wée see heere that God saith that we are altogether wayward that whatsoeuer the mind of man deuiseth is nothing els but leasing and vanitie yea we shew our selues euen from our childhood to be seasoned with the whole infection of sinne For the very yong children who come into the worlde and whose wickednesse appeareth not are notwithstanding young serpents full of the poyson of malice and disdaine And héere wée sée what our nature is euen from the beginning what then will wee be I beséeche you when wée come to ryper yéres Surely as I haue already saide we are so very wicked as that we cannot thinke one only thought which shal not be very many rebellions against God insomuch that we shall neuer be
generall Let vs also liue together in mutuall and Brotherly concord because he himself hath susteined and borne the condemnation which God his father had pronounced against vs all And therefore let vs bende our selues that way and let euery of vs not onely come thither by himselfe alone as I haue already said but also bring his fellowes with him and stirre one another vp constantly to marche forward hauing alwayes respect that our life is as were away which wée must goe through withall and not stay in the middest thereof but from day to day so profite and also take paine to bring them néere who are farre of as that it may be our whole ioy life glory and contentment and in such sorte helpe one another vntyll the time that GOD hath fully and wholy gathered vs together vnto himselfe Let vs nowe therefore fall downe before the Maiestie of our good GOD and acknowledge our sinnes beséeching him to cause vs so to féele them as that wee bée not onely displeased with them but also that wée may bée more and more rydde and cleansed of them and so fight against our selues as that he alone may beare rule in vs and wée well agrée vnto his holy will And in the meane while let vs likewise beséech him that it would please him to haue mercy vpon his miserable worlde and that as it was his will in generall his onely sonne shoulde bee a redéemer for all his Gospell preached to all so also that hée would not suffer vs at this day to bée hard hearted flie form such a benefite But that wée might haue an eie and eare thereto and one of vs drawe on another vntill such time as he hath brought vs to bée perfect with himselfe So that wée may all say with an humble heart O Almightie God and heauenly father c. The second Sermon of the Passion Matthew xxvj 40 AFter that he came vnto his Disciples and found them a sleepe and said to Peter What could ye not watch with me one houre 41 Watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation the spirite in deede is ready but the fleshe is weake 42 Againe he went away the second time and prayed saying O my father if this Cup cannot passe away from mee but that I must drinke it thy will bee doone 43 And he came and founde them a sleepe againe for their eyes were heauie 44 So hee left them and went againe and praied the thirde time saying the same wordes 45 The came hee vnto his Disciples and saide vnto them sleepe hence foorth and take your rest beholde the houre is at hand and the sonne of man is giuen into the handes of sinners 46 Arise let vs goe beholde he is at hande that betrayeth mee 47 And while hee yet spake Loe Iudas one of the twelue came and with him a great multitude with Swordes and staues from the high Priestes and Elders of the people 48 But hee that betrayed him had giuen them a token saying whom soeuer that I shall kisse that is he lay hold on him 49 And foorthwith he came to Iesus and said God saue thee Maister and kissed him 50 Then Iesus saide vnto him Friende wherefore commest thou then came they and laide handes on Iesus and tooke him WE haue this morning séene howe the Sonne of God was strengthened by prayer for the abiding of so hard and dangerous a combate as the appearing before the iudgement seat of god his father to receiue sentence of comdemnation as our pledge or borrowe For it behooued that mans weakenes should be séene in him and yet was this nothing at all derogatorie from his diuine Maiestie although hée was thus made of no reputation for our saluation And wée haue héere besides to note that he prayed not onely once wherein wée sée that hée hath by his example exhorted vs not to faint although we are not hearde so soone as wée woulde Wherefore they that are faint hearted because God answereth them not at the first shew that they knowe not what prayer is For the right rule for vs to come vnto God is to perseuer and continue And therefore the chiefest exercise of our faith is prayer Yet faith cannot be without hope Then there is no question of it that God shoulde féede our homours so soone as wée haue once opened our lippes and framed our petitions But it is méete that hée shoulde delay them and make vs oftentimes to languishe that wée might know what it is to pray earnestly and without hypocrisie and that wée might also declare that our faith is so established vpon the worde of God as that it brideleth to the ende wée might paciently abide vntill such time as the fit opportunitie be come wherein we should be holpen Let vs therefore marke that our Lord Iesus Christ did not pray onely once to God his father but went also againe the second time Moreouer wée are to call to minde the thing before touched to wit that our Lord Iesus Christ hath not here framed a light praier but yet was such an one as if hée were determined to be quite ryd of him selfe yea that hée who is the power of God his father and who vpholdeth the whole worlde yet because he must shewe him selfe a weake man kéeping our place and setled in our person hath shewed that when hée went againe to pray that hée did it not to make a shewe therof as many prophane people imagine that when Iesus Christ appeared hée suffered nothing but to the ende to teach vs that wée are no way able to escape the hande and punishment of God and his curse but by this meane Nowe it is hére declared vnto vs as it was this morning that our Lord Iesus Christ was put to the extremitie because that the burthen which hée had taken vpon him was not to be borne without the inuincible power of the spirite of God had holpen him Neyther must wée thinke this to be any superfluous kinde of spéech when hée repeated these wordes Mat. 6.7 For that which is said in the other text That when wée pray vnto God we must not vse much babble as they doe who vse many repetitions thinking thereby to obteyne verie much is not meant but that we should continue in prayer but it is spoken to this ende to finde fault with the hypocrisie and superstition of those who thinke as a man would say to rend the eares of God therewith to make him beléeue and persuade him to doe that for them which they desire which folly wée haue séene reigne in the world And yet euen among vs how many are there which vse this kinde of sorcerie for although they say not their Aue Maria yet when they haue saide their Pater Noster doe thinke that they haue obteined verie much and thinke that God taketh a reckoning of all the words which they haue thus repeated in their prayer Now I call that right sorcerie for they villainously
prophane the prayer which our Lord Iesus Christ deliuered vnto vs wherein hée hath commaunded vs in a short summarie whatsoeuer wée ought and is lawfull for vs to craue at the handes of God And yet this is no let why a man who is sore gréeued but that he may oftentimes returne and pray vnto God and when hee hath powred out some sighes hée may also begin againe And therefore when wee goe vnto him without ambition and for no glorious shewe and besides think not by our ouer much babbling to haue gotten any thing but are driuen by an earnest affectiō then is our perseuerāce right after the example of our Lord Iesus Christ Now this point is to bée marked of vs which wée haue touched to wit that the chiefest point of all our petitions is this to haue God so to rule ouer vs as that wée agrée with one accord to submit our selues vnto his good will And this I say is a necessary point for vs. For looke vpon our Lorde Iesus Christ although all his affections were iust holy and agréeing vnto righteousnesse yet because hee was a naturall man it was méete hee should fight against anguishe and sorrowe that might any way lay holde on him and holde him captiue vnder the obedience of GOD his father And therfore how shall wée do in whom is nothing els but wickednesse and rebellion and so corrupt as that wee are not able to apply our mindes to nothing whatsoeuer but that God is eft soones offended therewith Since then it is so let vs when wée pray vnto GOD so bridle our selues as that none of vs followe our owne lustes as wée are wonted But let vs vnderstand that wée shal haue greatly profited whenas wée can subdue them to the ende that God might haue maistrie ouer vs There is also a very notable saying Whēas our lord Iesus Christ saith vnto his Disciples Watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation for although the spirite in deede bee ready yet is the fleshe weake Hée then héere sheweth that the principallest spurre to pricke vs on to call vpon God is this That wee must fight and that our enimies are at hand and very strong we not able possibly to resist them except our aide come from aboue and that God fighteth for vs. And this wée knowe that when a man is assured of himselfe hée desireth to followe altogether his pleasures and to sléepe at his ease for wee are not willingly carefull nor studious except necessitie driueth vs thereto Surely it is an excellent thing to bée at rest and quiet But wee thinke wée shall neuer bée at rest without wee become as it were like bruite beastes And therefore it is euen so as that necessitie must driue vs to bée watchfull Wherefore it was not causelesse that our Lorde Iesus tolde vs that wée must abide many allarmes For that which hee once spake vnto his Diciples apperteineth vnto vs all in generall because wée must all our life long bee continually ready to abide many temptations For the Diuell is our perpetuall enemie if wée bée the members of our Lord Iesus Christ And therefore there will bée open warre without ende or measure Let vs also sée with what an enimie wée haue to deale withall it is not with one alone but the number of them is infinite Moreouer the Diuell hath an excéeding number of waies to cast vs downe into the bottome of Hell one while hée trippeth vs openly another while hée playeth vnder the boord and by his craft wyll sodenly bée vpon vs an hundred thousande times before wee thinke on him And if there were none other thing in it but euen the saying of Saint Paule Ephe. 6. 12. it were sufficient enough to make vs to bée carefull and to take héede for thus hée saith That our enimies are mightie which rule in the aire ouer our heads and wee héere lyke vnto poore wormes of the earth créeping below Saint Peter also vseth the like reason 1. Pet. 5.8 and saith That our enimie is like vnto a roring Lion which séeketh his play and neuer resteth And héere wée sée what wée are to obserue in that our Lord Iesus saith That wée must stande vpon our garde least wee enter into temptation Moreouer although wée bée wakefull and kéepe good watch yet can wée not bée so frée but that the Diuel will lyft him self vp against vs and assaile vs many and sundry wayes Neither can wee breake his blowes so farre of but that before wée enter into the fight wée had néed beware that wée be not tempted ouer head and cares as wée say And therefore let vs learne that although the faithfull and children of God desire to bée at rest yet must they not desire to bée heere at theyr ease but be contented to haue God to make perfect his power in their infirmitie For Saint Paule also saieth that hée must doe the like ◠Cor. 12.9 And this is say I the state and condition of all the children of GOD euen to fight in this worlde because they cannot serue God without some striuing For although they bee weake and may be letted yea euen oftentimes throwne downe 1. Iohn 5.4 let it suffice them that God helpeth them and alwayes rest vpon this promisse That our faith shall continually ouercome the worlde Neuerthelesse the remedie is set before vs which is wée must fight True it is that Satan will neuer leaue to beginne againe to assayle vs but yet Iesus Christe on the otherside commaundeth vs to watch Moreouer he sheweth that they which presume vpon their owne strengthes that Satan will an hundred thousand times sooner ouerthrowe them then that they shall get any one maistrie of him What is it then that wée must doe Forsooth wée must humbly confesse that there is nothing in vs and therfore must runne vnto our good God And thus wée sée what our true armour weap on is what it is that putteth from vs all feare and terror and what it is that must assure and resolue vs to continue safe and sounde euen vnto the ende to wit whenas we call vpon the name of god For as Solomon saith his name is an inuincible strong Tower Pro. 18. 10. and that the righteous which runneth to it shall bée exalted And that is it which is spoken by the Prophet Ioel Ioel. 2.32 That although the world were turned vpside down yet whosoeuer shal call vpon the name of the lord shal be saued Acts. 2.21 Which thing is namely applied vnto the reigne of our Lorde Iesus Christe to the ende wée might be perswaded that although our saluation were as it were wauering and wée as it were see a thousande hazardes yet that God will protect vs and wée féele his power alwayes néere vs and ready to helpe vs if so bée wée wyll séeke vnto him by prayers and supplications which is the very summe and effect of that wee are to remember Nowe that
hée could if it pleased him euen with the breath of his mouth ouerthrow whatsoeuer stood against him By this we haue to learne to feare the wordes of our Lord Iesus Christ and although he is not here conuersant amongst vs after a visible sort neuertheles since the Gospel is preached by his authoritie that he saith he that heareth you Luk. 8.16 heareth mée Let vs learne most reuerently to receiue whatsoeuer is preached in his name submit our selues thereto and we shal finde that this saying which thus made the souldiers and those that were sent against him too fall must be our onely foundation stay For what is all our ioy comfort without the sonne of God appeareth vnto vs that we sée him nigh vs sheweth vs what a one he is wherefore it was that God his Father sent him vnto vs And so let vs vnderstand by this saying I am hee That when it shal please our Lorde Iesus Christ to manifest him selfe as he doth to all his faithful that he therin declareth vnto vs why he calleth vs vnto him selfe why he is come downe vnto vs why he dwelleth in vs by the power of his holie spirite and thus we sée wherein all our felicitie and quietnesse resteth But if we will become rebellious and contemne the worde of God as a number of prophane men doe wheron we ought to build our saluation let vs be assured that it will be a lightening to throw vs all downe headlong into the pit of hell And so let vs feare and although our Lord Iesus Christ openeth vnto vs the gate and saieth after an other manner beholde mée which hée hath not done to those who were his professed enemies let vs come vnto him Moreouer let vs also learne so patiently to beare the treasons which wée sée to bée at this day in the Church as that we yet abhorre and detest them and so shewe our selues truely and in déede to cleaue fast vnto the Sonne of God because he is our head and since we haue his truth let vs liue so together one with an other as that we may be vnited together in true brotherly cōcord And this is it that wée are to remember But howe euer it be let vs learne this principall point for our instruction which we must gather out of this Text to wit That the Sonne of God became fully and wholy obedient that he might repaire our transgressions It is verie true as I haue alreadie saide that all the members of God must be ruled after his example and it is great reason since hee who is Lorde and maister ouer all so humbled him self that we should be readie both in life and death to obey our God But yet let vs vnderstand that this is an especiall obedience which our Lord Iesus Christ shewed in this behalfe to wit by reason of the fruit effect which came thereby The Apostle tooke the death of our Lord Iesus Christ for an example verie wel for it strengthened them when as they were to abide the combat for the testimony of the Gospel then slept they not for we sée their watchfulnesse and readinesse in the following of their calling neither feared they the torments of death but offered them selues when God called them thereto for the glorifying of his name and the confessing of our Lord Iesus Christ But they chiefly stood vpon this that all our spottes are washed and cleansed by the sheading of the blood of our Redéemer that he fully satisfied God his father for all our debtes for which we were bound and hath obteined for vs perfect righteousnesse And therefore wée must vnderstand the difference that is betwéene the head and the members learne that by nature we are wholy giuen to doe euil and although God hath partly regenerated vs yet doeth our fleshe stil resist against his maiestie notwithstanding through the power vertue of the obediēce which we sée to be in our Lord Iesus Christ let vs not leaue of to do those things which may please our God according to his heartes desire And although we cannot doe the good we would but do the euill we would not and oftentimes slip or els are too too slack let vs looke vnto that which the Sonne of God hath suffered for the amending of all our offences and behold that he hath so combatted as that he was not against it when as our sinnes offences were layd vnto him as this morning hath more at large béen spoken Seeing then that our Lord Iesus Christ hath fully wholy made satisfactiō that although we at this day haue done our best to obey God cannot come to that perfection we ought but continually traile our legges after vs haue many thinges in vs which may be amēded yet let vs know that we shal not but please God our imperfections be continually abolished through the obedience of our Lord Iesus Christ so that they shal neuer come in account against vs before his maiestie And besides let euerie one according to the measure of the faith grace which he hath receiued striue to fight vntil the time we attaine vnto the heauenly rest And although we sée our weaknes to be so great conuinced that wée are not able once to thinke a good thought and being cast downe not able to rise againe except God reach vs his hand and strengthneth vs euerie minute Let vs beséeche him to augment in vs the graces of his holie spirite as he hath promised vs and hath set Iesus Christ before vs to be our head and Captaine to the ende wée might get that victorie which hee hath obteined for vs the fruite whereof we alreadie féele and then shall perfectly and throughly féele Let vs nowe fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God in such acknowledgement of our offences as that it may rightly humble vs before him and bring vs to true repentance and more and more labour to make voide whatsoeuer is against his righteousnesse And because we cannot be without conflicts and enemies that it would please him to powre vpon his the succour which hée hath promised and make vs so to féele it as that we may resist vnto the end all temptations and learne also to thanke him for all our victories without attributing any of them vnto our selues to the end we prouoke not his wrath through arrogancy but beséeching him to continue his graces continually in vs and prosecute more and more the thing which he hath done and begunne in vs. That hée will not onely bestowe this grace c. The third Sermon of the Passion Matthew xxvi 51 ANd behold one of them which were with Iesus stretched out his hand and drew his swoord and strooke a seruant of the high Priest and smote of his eare 52 Then Iesus said vnto him put vp thy sword into his place for all that take the sword shal perish with the sword 53 Either thinkest
history which we are now in hād with the secōd reasō is much more to be cōsidered of For the matter which we haue already touched is general but this saing properly belōgeth vnto the death and passiō of our Lord Iesus Christ when hée saieth Thinkest thou that I cannot pray to my father and he will giue me more then twelue legions of Angels Now a legion in those dayes was woont to be four or fiue thousand men And therfore saith hée sée what an heauenly army I am able to haue and yet am I contented to put all this quietlye vp why then comest thou to take vpon thée héere more then God would haue thée to doo or can abide thou shouldest doo Now it is very lawfull for vs to call vpon God and to beséeche him to defend our lyfe and as he accompteth it to be precious euen so must we desyre him that it would please him also to kéepe and preserue it But our Lord Iesus telleth hym that hee woulde nor ought not now to doo it And wherefore then woulde Peter vse violence contrary to that order which God hath permitted and established by his worde If a meane which of it selfe is lawfull ought not to be practised what shall become of that whiche God hath forbidden and declared to be punishable We then héere sée as I haue already said that the sonne of God submitted him selfe to all rebuke and shame and desired rather to be bound and fast manacled as a malefactor and a condemned person then to be made a lyer by any myracle and would haue god to stretch forth his arme to warrant him And héereby wee may vnderstande how greatly he estéemed of our saluation Howbeit héere is one point which I haue already noted to wit that he sendeth vs back to the will purpose of God his father For wtout this also it shuld séeme strange that he would not craue the aid which he right wel knew he might haue it should séeme he tempted God whenas he would not pray for it For we are promised that the Angels shall be round about them which feare God yea shal beare them in their handes Psal 34.7 Psal 91.11 that they shal not hurt them selues against a stone no euill shal come to them in their waies now when God promiseth vs any thing he would that the same should put vs in minde to praye vnto him for it And therefore as often as we are in néede our recourse must be vnto him that he might place his Angels to guide vs euery one according to his roome and office And this order we sée the holy Patriarks Fathers practised For thus said Abraham the Angel of the Lorde who neuer fayled mée Gen. 24.7 shal be in thy way with thée make thy iourney prosperous This order thē vsed the holy fathers Wherefore then would our Lord Iesus Christ haue the Angels to help him Luk. 22.43 For bicause as S. Luke reciteth he was therevpon before comforted and the Angels serued him to the ende to mittigate the anguish wherein he was Why it should séeme then that he contemned the necessary ayde of God no not so but he respected that which afterwarde he saide How shoulde the scriptures be fulfilled c. As if he should haue saide that if we doubted of any thing we might and ought then to beséeche the Lorde to looke vpon vs with his eye of mercy and compassion so make vs by all meanes possible to féele his power and vertue But when we are resolued that of necessitie it must be so and know the will of God to be such then must we none otherwise beséech hym but to fortify vs with an inuincible and constant power neuer to gaine say it nor yet be carried away with our affections but wholye goe with chearefull courage and countenaunce whether soeuer it pleaseth him to call vs. As for example if our enimies persecute vs and we know not how God hath determined to deale with vs nor what wyll be our ende we are to beséeche him that as our life is deare vnto him and hath taken it to kéepe that he would also shew our delyueraunce by the effect And when we are persuaded that God meaneth to call vs vnto him selfe we must leaue of all kinde of questining and fully resolue our selues to obey his maiesties vnchangeable decrée and ordenaunce And thus we sée the meaninge of our Lord Iesus Christ For he prayed all his lyfe long yea before he entred into the mighty combat which he abode he besought his heauenly Father that if it were possible that that cup might pas ouer him But hee by by concluded that since God his father had so ordeyned it say that he must discharge that charge which was cōmitted vnto him which was to offer vp an euerlastīg sacrifice to blot out y◠sins of the world when he sée him selfe to be called thereto that it was a resolute conclusiō set down the same I say was the very cause why he absteyned from praying to God for the contrary And therfore he would not that eyther Angels or yet men shoulde helpe him nor yet to haue God his father cause him to féele his power for his deliuerance from death but it sufficed him that hee had this spirite of constancie willingly to goe to doe his office Loe héere the full content and meaning hereof We nowe sée in the first place that the will of GOD must so stay and bridle vs as that when wee thinke thinges to be farre vnlike and against al reason to estéeme more of the ordinance of God then of any thing that our fond and vayne brayne can comprehend Wherefore we must throw our imaginatiōs cleane vnder the féet whē we perceiue that God hath otherwise prouided And this is one péece of the obediēce of our faith whē we thinke God to be so wise as that he hath power authority to doe whatsoeuer pleaseth him And although wee can make reasons to the contrary let vs wel vnderstand that they are but smoke vanity that God knoweth al things frō whō no secretes are hid yea and his wil to be the rule of al wisedome and righteousnesse And besides whatsoeuer our mind saith to the contrary it is by reason of our grosse vnderstanding for we know that the wisedome of God is infinite and scarcely haue wée thrée drammes of wit It is there fore no maruell though men grow wilde and sauage whē God ruleth thē not as they would thēselues And why so Forsooth bicause we are very ydiots And in very déede so long as our wit and reason beare any rule it is euen very beastly Wherefore because we cannot finde out the bottomlesse depth of Gods iudgementes let vs learne to honour that which is kept secrete from vs Let vs I say humbly reuerently honour it and say that whatsoeuer God doth is iust and right though we cannot
with opē mouth to triumph in the death passiō of our Lord Iesus Christ Luke 22.51 in his taking wherof mētion here is made Thus we sée what we haue to remēber in this place héervpō the euāgelist saith that our Lord Iesus healed the seruaunt whom Peter hurte not because he was woorthy to be healed but for the saluing of the offence that was geuen For this had béen a defaming of the doctrine of the Gospel and of the redemption of our Lorde Iesus Christ I call that the redemption of our Lorde Iesus Christ which hee purchased for vs if this hurt had not béen healed so that it might haue béene sayde that hée had withstood the Gouernour of the Countrey and all the Priests and that he kept in that place as it were a standing for théeues robbers And this was to haue darkened all the glory of the sonne of God and to haue made the Gospel for euer to haue béene slandered We sée also that this zeale of Peters was diuelishe For the Diuell went about to make Iesus Christe and all his doctrine to be infamous And héere we sée to what end all our painted deuotiō tendeth whē we wil serue God as pleaseth our selues euery mā take leaue to doe whatsoeuer he thinketh best in his owne eyes Wherfore Iesus Christ ment to take away this offence to the end hée would not haue his doctrine to bée slaundered Howbéeit wée may héere sée the abhominable vnthankfulnesse of such as are not mooued by suche a myracle For behold the Souldiers who came to manacle our Lorde Iesus Christ sée what a number of wayes the power of the Spirite of GOD wrought in him For but a little before he had with a woord of his mouth made them turne backe and by and by hée healeth a man who hadd his eare cutte of and yet all this did them no good Wée see then that when the Deuil hath once bewitched vs and bleared our eyes that neyther the graces of GOD nor yet all his power can touch vs but that we will followe and goe on in our furie and rage and haue as it were euen a swines snowte to roote in euerie thing and let God say and doe what he please yet will we continually remayne obstinate which is an horrible thing And therefore we are to beséeche the Lorde to graunt vs wisedome that wée may profite by his graces and be brought to loue him and that we may be also touched when he lifteth vp his hand to shew vs that he is our iudge so that we be not afeard to return vnto him in true repentance And this is in effect the thing that we are to learne hereby But howe euer it was our Lorde Iesus Christ stopped the mouthes of the vngodly when as hee had healed Cayphas seruant Herevpon it is saide that Iesus was led to Cayphas house and was there examined to the ende Iohn 18.13 Nowe for the making shorte of the matter wée wil not speake of that which Saint Iohn writeth of Annas who was Cayphas father in lawe and it may bée that Iesus Christ was led thither for honours sake or els because the way so serued hoping that all were there assembled Well Iesus was ledde to Cayphas house and there examined And it is namely sayde That the high Priestes sought false witnesse against him but they founde none And in the ende That there came twoo false witnesses and sayd That he saide he woulde buylde vp the temple agayne in thrée dayes héere wée say that our Lorde Iesus was charged not that the high priests were moued with any zeale as many times they which persecute innocentes thinke they doe God high seruice for in very déede wée see how Saint Paule was driuen with such a fury 1. Tim. 1.13 as that hée was like vnto a théefe for so he calleth himselfe who wasted and spoyled euery where and yet thought himself to be a very zealous man But it fared not so with Cayphas and his company For what was it that they sought but onely vniustly to ouerthrowe Iesus Christ And thus wée see that it was very ambytion that draue them manifestly to stande agaynst God which is a most horrible thing For Cayphas and all his company were the children of Leui euen an holy Tribe which GOD himselfe had chosen and not menne for God had so appoynted yt by his Lawe In very déede there was a villanous and horrible corruption amongest them because the priesthood was bought at those dayes and whereas it should haue béene an office for tearme of life as God had ordayned it euerye one circumuented his fellow and whosoeuer brought the greatest summe of mony carried away this dignitie Now this was a villanous and detestable corruption that they woulde make them selues lyke vnto théeues and vnlawfull dealers in so holy and honorable an estate neuer the lesse the Priest alwayes continued in the tribe of Leui which God had consecrated to doe him seruice And yet we sée that they became all the enemies of God Satan had made them all drunke yea they were all starke madd against the redéemer of the world who was the ende of the law Let vs therefore héereuppon note that they whiche are in dignitie and in high degrée will not at all times so faithfully doo their duties but that they had néede beware of themselues euen as of those which might become the enemies of God And héerein wee may sée the ouer grosse folly of the Papistes when they rest vpon this title and dignitie of priesthood For put the case that God had commaunded there should be a Pope which neuer was commaunded and that his seat should be at Rome which is yet a lesse matter howbeit if all this were true yet wée sée that in the person of Cayphas and his like as many as haue bene aduaunced to honor may abuse their power and authoritie And therfore let not vs be so foolish as to occupie our heades about maskes neither yet let God lose his authoritie when soeuer any honorable title is geuen vs as we sée the Papists doo when as they forsake all the holy scripture reuerence their idoles Let vs learne then not to lessen the glory of God vnder the coulor of any worldly dignity but let him haue all his soueraigne dominion Psal 118.22 And thus much for this point And as for any offence which we may conceiue in our owne fantasies let vs marke that which is saide in the Psalme as also our Lord Iesus Christ hath before alleaged That hée is the corner stone which the builders forsooke Mat. 21.42 And who were they that were the builders of the house and Church of God forsooth the Priests for it is they that should indéede discharge them selues of that office yet they forsooke the head corner stone which god had laid And although this stone was refused yet was it laide in the chiefe place of the building that
is to say God left not to accomplish that which he had ordayned by his councell when he raised vp his onely sonne and had aduanced him agreat deale more then hee was before abased Phil. 2.10 For euery knée must bow to hym Now when it is sayde that the Priestes went about to séeke false witnesses against him they dyd it not simply to forge or feinge a falt against hym but that they might haue some coulor and cloke to vexe and greeue our Lord Iesus And this is verye true that hee spake these wordes destroye you this Temple and within thrée dayes I wyll build it vp agayne And héere wee sée the wordes of our Lord Iesus Christ as they procéeded out of his mouth Ioh. 2.19 Now the witnesses which were brought in rehearce the very selfe same words wherfore a man would say that these were good and faithful witnesses yet the holy ghost calleth them false witnesses because they turned this saying wickedly For our Lord Iesus spake of his body which was the true temple of his diuine maiestie For the materiall Temple which was builte in Ierusalem was but a figure shadow therof as we know But the whole fulnesse of the Godhead had his being in our Lorde Iesus as S. Paul witnesseth yea corporally and substantially And therefore héere is to be noted Col. 2.9 that we must not simply looke into the words of a testimonye but to the meaning of the speaker Now this is a verye good and profytable instruction for vs because wée are so greatly giuen to wickednesse and leasing that if wee haue any coulor it is inough and doo thinke that God hath pardoned vs when wee haue by any such false meanes charged any man And therfore we must not stay simply vpō words neither yet vpon the maner fashion of thē but looke to the worthines of the cause For they which may at al times defend say that they haue deposed nothing but that which was said or done are yet takē before god for fals witnesses as here we sée wherupō it is said that Cayphas said vnto Iesus christ What is the matter answerest thou nothing seest thou not that these men witnes against thee And yet Iesus Christ al this while held his peace put vp al these reuiling and slaunderous words Now it may bee thought a strange thing the Iesus Christ who had very iust occasion to disproue such a false testimony did not once gaine say it howbeit as I haue before said and as héereafter shall more at large appeare Iesus christ was not thē to defend his doctrine as before he had done And therfore we are wisely to distinguish of al the circumstaūces for after Iesus christ had fasted in the wildernes god his father sent him to puplish the doctrin of the gospel Now wée sée that all that time he alwaies mightily defended the doctrine whereof he was a minister and wée see also how hée set himfelfe against whatsoeuer might bée said to the contrary And thus wée sée how hée discharged his duetie because he was appointed and sent to bée a Minister of the worde But héere is one special regard to bée had and that is this that hee must bée the redéemer of the worlde and be condemned not because hée preached the Gospell but that hée shoulde bée throwne downe into the bottomlesse depth suffer for our cause by reasō he beare as it were in his owne person all the curses and transgressions of those who deserued euerlasting death Wherefore because Iesus Christ tooke vpon him this office to beare the burden of all such as haue deadly offended the Maiestie of God that was the reason why hée helde his peace And so let vs note that when it was méete for Iesus Christ to defend the doctrine of the Gospel and that it so stood with his office calling he faithfully discharged the same But when in holding his peace he plaied the part of a redéemer as though hee was contented willingly to be condēned it was not for his owne cause that he held his peace but as I haue alredy said for our sakes True it is that he spake as we shal ofttimes sée but it was not in his owne defence which did but so much the more kindle the rage and fury of the vngodly against himselfe And thus wée see that it was not his meaning to escape death but was contented willingly to be ouerthrowne to the end he might declare that he had quite forgotten himselfe to discharge vs before God his father Now hée neither respected himselfe his owne life nor yet his honor For he cared not to abide all the shame and slaunder of the world so that our sinnes might bée taken away and we pardoned of our cōdemnation And héereupon it is said That the high Priest charged him by the liuing God to tell him whether he were Christ the blessed sonne of God hée answered That it was so But that they should sée his Maiestie when it woulde bée too late for them because such their dealing shoulde bée their destruction and ouerthrowe Nowe our Lorde Iesus Christe spake not this héere to make the high Priest and his company to yéelde gently but rather to pricke him faster on and as he was before full of malice crueltie this was to make the fier to burst out into a greater flambe Howbeit wée haue saide that Iesus Christe respected not himselfe but rather discharged that office wherof he had taken the charge which was to be the redéemer of the world Moreouer we sée heere in the first place that the contemners of God and such as Satan hath altogether possessed wyll vse some coulored kind of religion For a man would think that the hye Priest dyd his dutie in charging Iesus Christ by the name of the liuing God But sée into what a mischiefe we are plunged when Satan hath once blindfoulded our eyes for he then throweth vs headlong into such shamlesnesse as that we haue no more reuerence vnto God then we are ashamed before men Now this answere of our Lord Iesus giueth vs to note that he meant to declare to Cayphas and the rest that although he were for a time as a man would say abased yet would not that lessen his maiestie but that he should be alwaies taken to be the only son of God But yet there is one thing farther to be considered of which is for our better confirmation that although he was thus abased for our saluation he lost no part of his heauenly maiestie but was contented that men should oppresse him to the end we might be fully certified that we should be founde honourable before God because that all the shames which we haue deserued should be abolished And therefore because our Lord Iesus helde his peace and defended not his good cause let our mouthes now be opened to call vpon God as if we were iust for he is our aduocat which speaketh for
vs now then because our Lord Iesus held his peace he dyd it to this ende that he might now fréely make intercession for vs vnto God his father and although we are but miserable wormes yet haue we accesse to God to call famyliarly vpō him which open mouth to chalenge him for our father And this is it which he ment to shew vs saying Heereafter shall you see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the power of God We must therfore let slip all regard which might bring with it any offence when as we sée our Lorde Iesus to be thus abased And let vs also sée what the ende of it was His meaning then was to bee condemned without resistaunce before the iudgment seat of God that we might frankly go thither without feare Let vs therefore in summe learne that as often as we heare the passion of the history recited vnto vs so to sigh and grone since the sonne of God must néedes so wonderfully suffer for vs as that in the meane while we tremble at his maiestie vntill such time as he appeareth vnto vs and be so fully resolued that when soeuer he shal come it shal make vs effectually to féele the frute which he hath purchased vnto vs by his death and passion And besids let vs feare to be of the number of such as he thus threatneth saying Heereafter shall you see For it is méete that the wicked and reprobate should féele how terrible the iudgement seat of God is and how great his power is to throw them headlong into hell when as he setteth him selfe against them And when Saint Paul also wil speake of the condemnatiō which the wicked cursed of God shal abide he saith that they shal tremble feare at the countenaunce of his infinite maiestie Since thē it is so let vs learne to humble our selues before our Lord Iesus 2. Thes 1.9 let vs not looke to beholde with the eye the maiestie which he wyll shew at his last comming but let vs looke vpon him at this day as our King and as he is head of the Angelles and of all creatures and receiue him as our souereigne Prince giuing vnto him that honour which to him belongeth knowing that since he is made our wisdome redemption rightuousnesse and holinesse in God his father that to him wee must giue all praise 1. Cor. 30. and be filled with the fulnesse which we must draw out of him And therfore let vs be well aduised to doo this honour vnto our Lord Iesus Christ although we sée not at this day his iudgment seat set vp but let vs beholde it with the eyes of faith and beséeche God to inlightē vs with his holy spirite that we may be strengthened to call vpon him in the last hour so that it may carye vs beyonde all our wittes and vnderstandings that we might so glorifie our Lorde Iesus Christ at this day as he deserueth And this is the effect which we are to kéepe in minde But as concerning that which is sayde that Cayphas and the Priestes condemned him to death let vs learne not to feare the obstinate bouldnesse of the vngodlye and enemies of the trueth Now this is a very necessary doctrine for vs at this day for wee sée the mightie men of this world with open mouth speake euill of the Gospell yea we sée some euen amidst vs which professe the Gospel and would be taken for people reformed and from whom as it should séeme there commeth nothing els out of their mouths but the Gospell who notwithstanding lyke Deuilles incarnate or rather lyke wylde and cruell beastes whom Satan possesseth do condemne the doctrine of the Gospell And we néede not go verie far to sée al these things Wherfore that we might be strengthned against such offences and learne alwaies to glorifie our God Let Cayphas and such lyke vomit out their blasphemies as much as they lust and say that Iesus Christ is worthy of death must hold his peace at such a poynt because it is naught And let them also infect the ayre with their villanous and damnable blasphemies neuer so much yet let vs hold vs to this saying of our Lord Iesus Christ that although we at this day so falsely condemne his trueth and stand in doubt of it and that it be also falsified euill spoken of and turned cleane contrary to the meaning thereof yet is he strong and mightie inough to defende it and let vs paciently looke for his apparaunce for our redemption And in the meane while let vs al learne to humble our selues giue hym all the glory since it was his wyll so to abase him selfe and to make him selfe of no reputation in the world for our saluation Let vs now fall downe before the maiestie of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him to cause vs more more so to féele them as that wee may bee brought with true confession to séeke for the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ as behoueth vs to doo come vnto hym lyke famished hungry soules make accompt that the benefits which he hath purchased for vs are not to be valued to the end to make vs féele our selues to bee so much the more bound vnto him that we might thereby be stirred vp to giue our selues wholy to worship him and be displeased with our sins iniquities vntil such time as we be euen ashamed of them and that God hath mercy compassion vpon vs and not suffer vs when we are once come vnto hym neuer to forsake hym but to be more and more confirmed towardes him and not to care for what soeuer offences the Deuil shal lay before vs and that we might in such sort perseuer vnto the ende in the confession of his Gospell as that our Lorde Iesus Christ might acknowledge and allow vs at the latter day for his Schollers Now that it would not onely please hym to bestow vpon vs this grace c. The fourth Sermon of the passion Matthew Cap. xxvi 67 Then spatte they in his face and buffeted him and other smot him with their roddes 68 Saying prophesie vnto vs O Christ who is he that smote thee 69 Peter sate without in the hall and a Mayde came vnto hym sayinge thou also waste with Iesus of Galyle 70 But hee denied before them all sayinge I woat not what thou sayest 71 And when he went out into the Porche another Mayde saw hym and sayde vnto them that were there this man was also with Iesus of Nazareth 72 And againe he denied with an othe sayinge I knowe not the man 73 So after a while came vnto him they that stood by and sayd vnto Peter Surely thou art also one of them for euen thy speach bewraieth thee 74 Then began he to curse himselfe and to sweare sayinge I knowe not the man and immediatlye the Cocke crew 75 Then Peter remembred the wordes of Iesus whiche had sayde vnto
dealt with him whom God had appoynted to bee the euerlastinge Shepheard of this people And this is most certaine that because the people could not abide that God shoulde bee their Gouernour yet our Lorde Iesus hath alwaies played the office of a mediator although he neuer shewed him selfe in our humane nature And this is it which we ought héere still to remember to the ende that we for our partes might learne séeinge that God hath bene so fauourable vnto vs to gather vs together as it were vnder his protection and to take vs to be of his fould and deliuereth vnto vs our Lord Iesus Christ for our shepherd let not vs in such sort wound him as to gréeue his spirit through our rebellious and vnthankful dealing and not pay him as we saye with nifles and trifles but let vs take him for our God and Kinge since he hath pleased so to vouchsafe it and consecrate our selues vnto him all the dayes of our lyfe and not pay hym with counterfet coyne but yéelde vnto him both our bodies and soules For it is good reason that wee should yéelde vnto him all gouernment ouer vs and we to be only his séeing he séeketh onely our saluation Now to conclude it is sayd that when our Lorde Iesus was brought before Pylate hee made no answer and that Pylate asked him saying why speakest thou not doest not thou see that these men witnesse against thee and that he held his peace insomuch that the Iudge wondered at hym Now wee are héere in the first place to call to minde that when our Lorde Iesus Christ appeared before an earthly Iudge it was to this ende that we might be deliuered from the condemnation which we haue deserued to féele Isai 45.23 before the heauenly Iudge For we know that we cannot goe from that which is spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah that euery knée must bowe before the maiestie of God And therefore since God is the Iudge of the whole world how is it possible that wee can stande before his face for there is none of vs all but must needes be enforced to say that we are worthy to be condemned an hundred thousand times And although we haue lyued but one yeare yet haue we committed an hundred thousand faults which deserue euerlasting condemnation and is so engraued in our hartes as that we cannot denie it Wherefore since God is clearer sighted then we how can it bee that he should not condemne vs séeing euery of vs must néedes in sundrye wise condemne hym selfe howbeit we sée our Lord Iesus Christ to bée driuen to this extremitie as that he was accused before an earthly Iudge and so prophane a man as that there was nothing in hym but couetuousnesse and ambition And therefore since the sonne of God was brought thus lowe it was to this ende that wee might vnderstand and know that wee might bouldlye present our selues before the maiesti of God for the receiuing of vs so that we should neuer néede to feare couragiously to come before his tribunal seat because we are sure that he wyll haue mercy vpon vs. Moreouer we know that Iesus Christ hath power authoritie dominion to be Iudge ouer the whole world and that when Pylate had thus condeÌ„ned him it was to this end that we might bouldly come vnto him because we know that he shall come to be our Iudge And againe that we might vnderstand because he held his peace that his meaning was to abide to be condemned for vs and not answere for his iustification since hee knewe hee must bee condemned for our sakes For although he was without falâ— yet bare hee all our sins vpon him And therfore it is no wonder though he helde his peace and were ouercome for otherwise hee could not haue performed the office of a Mediator without he had bene condemned and confessed that he was worthy to dye for our cause And this is the meaning why our Lorde Iesus Christ held his peace that wee might with open mouth call vpon God and beséech him of pardon for all our sins and transgressions Let vs now fall downe before the maiestie of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him to touch vs vnfeynedly and to the quick that wee might grone and wéepe before him for the same And although they be great and gréeuous yet that hee would not suffer vs to be desperately shut out but to bee alwayes subiect runne vnto him And forsomuche as of our selues we are blockish and shall be neuer able to attayne thereto let vs beséeche hym to looke vpon vs with his eye of mercye as hee hath ordayned our Lorde Iesus Christ to haue care ouer vs as a Shepharde hath ouer his Shéepe that he woulde also so gather vs vnto himselfe as that we folow not the war of destruction from the which he hath pulled vs but walke in that good way wherinto hee hath brought vs. Let vs also beséeche him so to continue vs in it as that we prouoke not his heauy wrath against vs and therby forsake vs for being any longer our Shepherd But to defend vs with his favour and grace and offer vp such sacryfices vnto him as that wee might know that he hath not lost his labour in gouerninge of vs but that we might answere his holy calling And for somuch as it hath pleased him to draw vs vnto him and châ—se vs for his people and enheritance although we are no waye able to satisfie the hundreth part of our duty yet that it would please him to vpholde vs through his goodnesse and that we might alwayes make an estimation of the benefit of the death and passion whiche our Lorde Iesus Christ hath suffered vntill such time as we are rydde of all our sinnes and bee clothed with the perfection whereunto he hath at this day called vs. That hée woulde not onely bestow this grace vpon vs but vp on all people and nations of the worlde c. The fyfth Sermon of the passion Matthew xxvii 11 And Iesus stood before the Gouernour and the Gouernour asked him saying arte thou the King of the Iewes Iesus sayde vnto him thou saiest it 12 And when he was accused of the chiefe priest and Elders hee answeared nothing 13 Then sayd Pylate vnto him hearest thou not how many thinges they lay agaynst thee 14 But he answeared hym not one worde insomuch that the Gouernour marueled greatly 15 Now at the feast the Gouernour was wonted to delyuer vnto the people a prisoner whom they woulde 16 And they had then a notable prysoner called Barabbas 17 When they were gathered together Pylate sayde vnto them whether will yee that I let lose vnto you Barabbas or Iesus which is called Christ 18 For hee knewe well that for enuy they had delyuered him 19 Also when hee was set downe vpon the iudgement seate his wife sent to hym sayinge haue thou nothinge to do with that iust man for I haue suffered many
thinges this day in a dreame by reason of him 20 But the chiefe Priestes and the Elders had perswaded the people that they should aske Barabbas destroy Iesus 21 Then the Gouernour answeared and sayde vnto them whether of the twayne wyll yee that I let lose vnto you and they sayd Barabbas 22 Pylate saide vnto them what shall I doe then with Iesus which is called Christ They all saide vnto him let him be crucified 23 Then saide the Gouernour But what euill hath he done Then they cryed out the more saying Let him be crucified 24 When Pylate sawe that hee preuailed nothing but that more tumult was made he tooke water washed his handes before the multitude saying I am innocent of the blood of this iust man looke you vnto it 25 Then answered all the people and said his blood be vpon vs and on our children 26 Then let he Barabbas loose vnto them and scourged Iesus and deliuered him to be crucified WEe haue héere before alreadie séene that our Lord Iesus so willingly offered himselfe to be made a sheriffee for the repairing and blotâ—ing out of our iniquities through his obedience as that hée was verie wel contented to be coÌ„demned And here we sée why it is saide that he answered to none of the accusations that were brought against him Hée was able â—ust â—iâ—ally to haue done it but he held his peace as it is also laide of him by the Prophet Isaiah Which thing was not done Isaiah 53. 7. onely to shew his patience but also that we might be able at this day fréely to glorie that we are iust and innocent before God although our owne consciences accuse and condemne vs because we knowe hee hath receiued vs to â—â—â—â—y and that also in sinnes are taken away by reason of the perfection thee was found to be in our Lord Iesus Christ And thus we see how that the Sonne of God hath purchased vs libertie that we might be able boldly to glorie that we are the children of God and taken before him to be righteous to wit when he would make no reply for the setting foorth of his purenes of life Now in verie déede a man would at the first sight thinke it verie straunge that he held his peace yet saide that he was King of the Iewes For these things séeme to be cleane contrary Howbeit Ioh. 6.15 S. Iohn goeth on further and saith that hée declared that his kingdome was not of this world and besides said that he was the Sonne of God For he protested that he was come into the world to defend the trueth And all this agreeth verie well together For it must néedes be that our Lord Iesus should shewe him selfe to bée the King of the Iewes and the Sonne of God also without yee would haue denied the Prophecies howbeit hée did not this to acquit himself but choose rather to hold his peace and vse few words because he would be condemned We haue then here to note that when we heare the silence of Iesus Christ spokeÌ„ of it was because he would make no excuse and therfore held his peace and yet was he coÌ„tented to speak as much as was néedful We sée also why S. Paul saith that he made a good confession before Pontius Pylate 1. Tim. 6.13 For if our Lord Iesus would haue stood to his defence the Iudge was alreadie persuaded of his innocency And so by his speaking he might haue had the day And this was it that made Pylate so to wonder and yet our Lorde Iesus was contented â—o vnâ—nesse as much as God had enioyned him to do not 〈◊〉 that he should teach for that was no place for the purpose buâ— to confirme and ratefie the doctrine which before he had deâ—â—eâ—â—â— Nowe we are on the one side to note by the way that the offence which chiefliest troubled the Iewes was that he had made a garâ—oâ—â— hindred the payment of tribute to the Emperour of Rome which was a thing to moue the Gouernor being a Pagan whom the Emperour had sent thither to wrath In deed this is very certaine that our Lord Iesus shewed himself to be a king Iohn 6.15 but yet no earthly Prince for we sée that wheÌ„ the Iewes would haue crowned him he withdrew himselfe and hid him in a mountaine and thereby he cut the throate of this slaunder because he should haue made the Gospel to haue béen euil spoken of if he had peruerted the politike order and gouernment of the world For be that came to call vs all to the kingdome of heauen and to make vs partakers therof meant not to abolish earthly kingdoms séeing they are vpholden by him and his power And therfore it was not méet that the Gospell should carry with it any such blame as that Iesus Christ was come to vsurpe any worldly power or authoritie And héere we sée why he namely saieth vnto Pylate that his kingdome was not of this world And to say the trueth what were it and if the kingdom of Iesus Christ were earthly For what should we get by putting our trust in him 1. Cor. 15.19 when as we sée our estate to be so miserable in the worlde Truely the very Infidels are in better case then we considering the afflictions which we must abide In déede it is true that God sendeth his scourges ouer the face of the whole earth and they which desire as much as is possible to be freed from them shal neither will nor choose but be subiect to a number of miseries and afflictions And yet for al this we shal alwayes be more roughly handled For God must first begin to chastise his owne house and Church And therfore if our Lord Iesus had béen an earthly King it shoulde séeme that we were méere straungers vnto him Moreouer let it bée that wée had all the pleasures in the world and that by the meane of the Sonne of God wée were héere as in a Paradise yet shoulde our life bée but a shadowe and our felicitie verie short and transitorie And therefore we ought verie well to knowe and be fully persuaded that the kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christ is heauenly that wée might bende our selues to the euerlasting life wherevnto wée are called Thus we sée that the kingdome of Iesus Christ is euerlasting because it consisteth not of any thing in this corrupt worlde Let vs therefore patiently beare all our aduersities considering it neither diminisheth nor lesseneth the grace which our Lorde Iesus Christ hath obteined for vs for they are eueÌ„ so many helps to our saluation as Paule witnesseth Rom. 8.28 And when the worlde shall despise and mocke vs we suffer many slanders abide hunger and thirst drawe our legges after vs and be harried on euerie side yet must we haue this consideration that God accepteth of vs. And this is as if hée chocked vs by the thinne and saide Looke vp a soft and set not your mindes
vpon these worldly matters This then is the summe which wée are héere to obserue And to say the trueth it is not without cause that our Lorde Iesus spake so confidently that hée was borne and came into the worlde to say the trueth and that whosoeuer woulde haue any good taste shoulde stay him selfe vpon his worde By this wée sée that this is a doctrine of great weight â— to vnderstande that the kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ is not héere on earth For if this had béen a light saying hee would haue passed it ouer lightly But when he said that he came into the worlde to tell the trueth this was as if he would haue vs giue good eare meditate in our heartes and apply our mindes to this doctrine this was to make vs forsake the world and all the creatures thereof that wée might come to this heauenly King and séeke after the spirituall benefites which are communicated to vs in him to the ende we might enioy them in such measure as he knoweth â—o be most profitable for our saluation And let vs of all that which we sée to bée the verie summarie of the Gospell note well this saying That Iesus Christ came into the world to speake the trueth to the end we might herevpon conclude that whensoeuer we shall giue diligent eare vnto his worde that it shall not be in vaine because this is a certaine resolute conclusioÌ„ that whatsoeuer he had giuen them the choyse either of Iesus or Barabbas who as S. Iohn saith was a théefe Iohn 18.40 and the other Euangelistes say that he was a notorious naughtie man both a murtherer and a sower of sedition and trouble in the Towne Now this was a detestable pestelence of al others and yet the people cryed out Let vs haue Barabbas and let him be pardoned and Iesus Christ crucified By this custome of letting loose a prisoner at Easter we sée with what foolish deuotions men are carried For they thought the feast to be so muche the more honourable in the loosing of a prisoner and that they did God great seruice and yet all was verie abhominable For it is saide That he that iustifieth the wicked Prou. 17.15 he that condemneth the iust euen they both are abhomination vnto the Lord And therfore it is méete that they which sit in the place of iustice should be of vpright mindes For when he armeth them with his sword he saieth not do as you thinke good your selues For his meaning is that they should haue a fatherly care ouer the people and to be verie warie how they lift vp them selues cruelly to wrong others by abusing of their credit and authoritie but would haue them rather be gentle and pitifull Yet must they punish wickednesse for God so commaundeth them But what do we men Forsooth we think we honour the feast of Easter when as we offende God and manifestly transgresse his worde By this wée are admonished not to folowe our owne fantasies when the matter concerâ—eth the seruice of God but altogether doe his will Let vs not therefore fayne a deuotion which séemeth good in our owne eyes but be contented to do the thing which God hath ordeined allowed And here we sée what ariseth vpon this kinde of custome to wit that we make lawes accordingly at this day so that whatsoeuer is receiued for a common order séemeth to be lawfull And yet howsoeuer it séemeth to vs God vtterly condemneth it Nowe wee sée what abuse hath come heerein which is this that this corruptioÌ„ hath made Barabbas to be preferred before the sonne of God A man here would at the first sight thinke it very straunge that our Lord Iesus should be thus lightly estéemed of and a théefe and murderer greatlier priuiledged then he that he shoulde finde such fauour grace amongst men Iesus Christ to be so shamefully slanderously handled For was it not enough that the sonne of God was crucified aboad a most slaÌ„derous kind of death without he must also be greatly tormented The death of the crosse was but as a punishment for théeues it was not onely as at this day the gallowes should be but it was as if he should haue abidden the whéele Was it not then enough that after Iesus Christ had béen buffeted spetted on brought euen downe to the pitte of hell but that he must in comparison be shewed to be accursed of al the world For if we should iudge of it according to natural reasoÌ„ looke vpon the outward shew surely we should be coÌ„founded but we must lift vp the eies of faith a great deale higher come vnto that which before we haue said to wit that all this was gouerned by the counsel of God And therfore let vs not stand vpon that which the people Pylate did but let vs behold the vnchangeable decrée of God which is that for the better humbling of vs his wil was to haue his Sonne so shamefully to be cast down yea to be cast vnder the féete of al the malefactors of the world béeing crucified betwéene two théeues as hereafter shal be seene We sée theÌ„ what it is for vs to obserue wheÌ„ it is here said that Barabbas must be let lose and Iesus Christ bée made the most abhominable man of the world Yet for all this Pilate went about to haue deliuered our Lord Iesus but it was by a deuilish meane to wit by buffeting of him which they then called punishing would haue let him gone wheÌ„ he had so punished him as one that had committed a fault For by this he pretended to appease the stirre of the people Now if our Lord Iesus had bin thus deliuered what had become of the Gospell and of the saluation of the world For this correction which Pylate brought him to was a signe and token of dishonestie for euer as if the Gospell had béen a wicked doctrine considering that the Iudge of the countrie condemned it and the person of our Lord Iesus Christ was clearely refused And yet had we all bin lost because there was none other meane to recoÌ„cile vs vnto God but by the death of his onely sonne And thus we sée that the death of our Lord Iesus was the very open way vnto life So then we sée that the Deuill did the best hée could not to haue our Lord Iesus to dye and yet who clapped the Priestes their like vpon the backes to pursue Iesus Christ vnto death but the Deuil himselfe This is very true for hée bewitched them as we sée that God sendeth the spirit of trouble madnesse vpon all the vngodly so that they are one against an other euen as the waues of the Sea beate one an other euen so was the Deuill carried when as on the one side he went about to abolish the memory of our Lorde Iesus Christ besides on the other side meant to hinder the redemption of mankinde But God so
muste needes submit my selfe vnto him But within a while after hée became worse then euer hee was euen so fared it with Pilate Nowe this is to admonishe vs that wee make not accompt of the feare of GOD as of a blaste of winde but let it bee strongly rooted in our hearts For how did Pilate feare God Forsooth it was such a feare as made him only to be more inexcusable And here wee may sée why God awakeneth the cōsciences of those that are a sléepe and would vtterly cast of the yoke which bringeth them to a more narrow consideration of themselues so that they shal be made spite of their téethes to acknowledge their miseries and féele their sinnes although they woulde walter themselues asléepe in them And therefore all the doubtes which all the contemners of God and the wicked haue are euen so many adiournaments or dayes ouer which God graunteth them to make them voide of all excuse of ignorance But anon after they let slippe the Reine and runne at randon without any stay as héere wée sée Pilate did At the beginning hée was greatly afearde but soone after hée returned to his olde byas againe For thus he saide to Iesus Knowest not thou that I haue power to loose and condemne thee Let vs héere in the first place note that if he had béene a théefe yet could not he once remoue his finger without God had giuen him power Howe then durst Pilate warrant himselfe such an outragious licence to condemne and pardon as pleased him And surely it were much better to set at libertie all Théeues to robbe and spoyle in the woods then to set men in so honorable a place who take pleasure and delight in their authoritie and neuer haue any care of conscience but bring the whole worlde vnto confusion Nowe wée sée héere as I haue said that Pilate his feare neuer tooke déepe roote in him but was onely a puft of winde Wherefore let vs learne to haue asure and constant feare of God that we may walk in his obedience and valiantly fight against whatsoeuer might put vs by and alwayes thus restraine our selues as that we prouoke not him to wrath who hath all power ouer vs. And this is it which wée are héere to consider of Let vs also besides consider that the glory which Pilate attributed to himselfe is notwithstanding turned to his great shame For his enimies coulde neuer speake worse of him then for this to wit that hee woulde be taken to be a man of no discretion to discerne betwixte good and bad and yet hée boasted himselfe of it Héere therefore wée sée that the higher the dispisers of God think to aduance them selues they must alwayes feele that they are the more shamefully to bée throwne downe and God so giueth them ouer into a reprobate sence as that they bragge of their iniquities that they might become detestable both in heauen and earth What is there then for vs to doe Forsooth let vs learne to glory in that which is good and haue an eye to doe the thing that is lawefull For they which glory in their mightinesse and in their authoritie without doubt doe prouoke the Lorde to anger because they haue many times gotten their riches and credit by vnlawfull meanes as by rioting crueltie and all kindes of extortion Wherfore when they glory héerein it is as it were to set them selues against the Lord. For he that hath gotten euery way by spoyle will say I am wealthie and sée he wil say I haue gotten whenas he hath sucked the blood of the poore out of them But howe Surely by deceipt and wicked practises in robbing the one and glutting the other Another man through abition and vnlawful meanes is aduaunced to some honor and héerevpon forsooth this man would bée greatly feared And this kinde of dealing is manyfestly to stande against God And therefore as I haue said let vs learne to glory in that which God alloweth and liketh of True it is that although there bée valure in vs yet is it not lawfull to vsurpe the commendation which God reserueth to himself and for the which wée ought to honor him because all that we haue commeth of his frée gifte Wherefore wée must not without doubt glory in our selues as if that which God giueth vs apperteined vnto vs But I say our glory shoulde be onely in this that it hath pleased God to adopt vs for his children and hath giuen vs his grace to walke in his feare and power also to abstaine from euill And héerin ought to be all our glory And besides if wée bée of no reputation in the worlde let vs beséeche him to graunt vs pacience and rather desire to liue in this estate then to bée exalted and yet to reioyce and bée glad but not as the worldlinges doe who make thēselues such sporte as that there is nothing that is able to holde them in And therefore the summe and effect wherein wée must glory is this to wyll and desire no more then God woulde haue vs to doe and set our selues against whatsoeuer hée misliketh of although the worlde and all such as commit tyranny and excéede in doeing wickedly reioyce in it Wherefore let vs gladly and willingly leaue all these glories desiring nothing els but to haue God to acknowledge and allow vs for his children And this is in effect the thing which wée haue héere to consider of Nowe for a full conclusion it is saide That when Pilate sawe he preuailed nothing and that the people made a greater stirre hee washed his handes and saide I am innocent of the blood of this man Wée haue already saide that our Lorde Iesus muste bée founde innocent euen by the Testimonie of the iudges owne mouth For where it is laide that Iesus Christe was condemned and suffered vnder Pontius Pilate it is not sufficient for vs that wée haue vnderstood the History But wée must eftsoones acknowledge that Iesus Christe was not onely innocent but was also the fountaine of all holinesse and perfection Why then was he condemned Iohn 1.29 1. Pet. 1.19 Galat. 3.13 it shoulde séeme that héere are two diuers and sundry thinges For it is saide that hée is the vnspotted Lambe of God And because hee was the Lambe of God it was méete that hee shoulde bée condemned as a Sacrifice This worde Lambe importeth that hée must bée offered vp And what is it that the law calleth Sacrifices Forsooth it is sinnes and curses And wée sée why it is said that our Lord Iesus was accursed for vs to wit he receiued vnto himselfe the curse which was due for our sinnes Thus wée sée in what qualitie and state hée was condemned because GOD had established that hée shoulde bee as it were the Lambe which shoulde be offered for a Sacrifice Howbeit it was méete hée shoulde bée knowne to be without spot and his puritie be openly séene to the ende wée might take holde of our sinnes vntyll the time
they that passed by reuiled him wagging their heads 40 And saying thou that destroyedst the temple and builded stâ—â— in three dayes saue thy selfe If thou bee the sonne of God come downe from the crosse 41 Likewise also the high Priestes mockinge him with the Scribes and Elders and Pharisees saide 42 Hee saued others but he cannot saue himselfe If hee bee the King of Israel let him nowe come downe from the crosse and wee will beleeue him 43 Hee trusteth in God let him deliuer him now if hee will haue him for he said I am the sonne of God 44 That same also the theeues which were crucified with him cast in his teeth AS concerning the matter which before we haue handeled we must yet a great deale better consider that the kingdom of our Lorde Iesus Christe is not of this worlde For wée sée that he was shamefully dealt withall and made a very iesting stocke and in stéede of a kingly Diademe hée had a crowne of thorne in stéede of a Scepter a Réed and besides whatsoeuer shame might bée deuised against a man it was done to him And therefore if we shal let our senses stay vpoÌ„ the thing which is héere rehearsed it will bée a maruellous obiect of offence as it were to estrange vs from our Lorde Iesus Christe and so consequently from all hope of saluation But wée must looke vpoÌ„ the spiritual kingdom wherof mention hath héere before ben made by faith and then conclude That although wée make a iest at the kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christe yet doth God and the Angelles estéeme of it according to the worthinesse thereof Yea and we are to call to minde that the sonne of God was after that sort entreated in his owne person to the end hée might take vpon him all the rebuke shame which wée iustly had deserued For how can wée come before the Maiestie of God so long as we are defiled with sinne and iniquitie But because our Lorde Iesus was contented to haue his face spet on to bée buffetted and abide all reproche sée howe wée at this day are acknowledged and allowed to â—e the children of God and herein standeth all our trust and confidence We haue moreouer continually to consider that GOD will cause vs a little better to féele our sinnes and iniquities to the end wée might abhorre and deteâ—â— them when as wée sée that the Sonne of God must repayre and amende them and suffered so muche to purchase vs grace and pardon and the heauenly father also not to spare him for the doyng of it Thus when we sée that our sinnes were such as wrought so great a confusion and shame to the Sonne of God we ought to be humbled and be altogether ashamed of our selues yet notwithstanding we must take a good heart vnto vs and be so fully assured as not once to doubt when we shal come before the Maiestie of God that our Lord Iesus Christ hath purchased our pardon seing he was coÌ„tented for our cause to be so lightly regarded For by this mean he hath gotteÌ„ vs glory worship eueÌ„ before God his Angels Now it is here said that our Lorde Iesâ—â— was 〈◊〉 to the place called Golgotha to wit a place of dead mens â—kulles The Hebrue woorde from whence this is deriued signifie thâ— to rowle or bowle Howebeit they then vsed it so because that wheâ— any carcase is through rotted and turned to dust the head is then very drie and like a round bowle Wherefore they called the name of this place Golgotha because that many malefactors 〈◊〉 there punished there their heades remayned And here we are to remember the saying of the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrues Heb. 13.11 That our Lorde Iesus Christ was led out of the Towne as the burnt offrings were woont to be whose blood was carries into the Sanctuarie for the wyping away of the sinnes of the people Now it was saide that that sacrifice was as a man wâ—â—â—d say accursed and therfore it was méete it should be carried a great way of Thus we sée that the sonne of God would take vpon him this state and condition that we might in very 〈…〉 to that God hath now fréed and pardoned vs For we are woorthie that GOD should geue vs ouer and powre vpoÌ„ vs his hâ—rrible 〈◊〉 so loÌ„g as he séeth what we are Wherfore there is now other way for vs to obtaine pardoÌ„ but to come vnto our Lord Iesus Christ receiue al our succor from him because he discharged vs of a greate burden whenas hee woulde as it were beâ—â—â—e accused and abhorred for our sakes that we might finde fauour before God and so obey his holy will For although Pylate his Iudge had oftentimes iustified him yet for al that must he take vpon him in his owne person al whatsoeuer was requisite for our redemption for hée was our pledge and surety and therefore must wholly answers for vs. So then wheÌ„ we haue vnderstood that our Lord Iesus was thus cast of as one not worthy to be accoÌ„pted amongst the felowship of men yea euen so stinking as that he could not be abidden wheÌ„ we sée al this I say let vs learne to follow him forsake the world as here in this place we are exhorted And if it so fall out that wée must néeds be made iesting stockes and bée cut of as rotten members and bée abhorred and detested Let vs paciently abide al this geare and not sée it vntill such time as that day commeth wherin our sorowes shalbée turned into ioy God shal wype away the teares from our eyes and that the thing which is nowe thought to bée as shameful shall then bée wholly turned to honour and glory For without al doubt looke whatsoeuer wée suffer for the name of Iesus Christ is more honorable before God then all the pompes and glittering shewes of this worlde And this is it which wée are to consider of in this place Nowe the Euangelist goeth on and saieth that they which passed by mocked our Lord Iesus but especially the Priestes the Scribes and such like And what was the matter I beséeche you Forsooth thus they saide If hee bee the Sonne of GOD let him come downe and saue himselfe for hée hath saued others and if hée bée the king of Israel let him nowe shewe himselfe so Héere wée sée howe terrible blinde these wretched people were whom Satan had so possessed as that they had neither féeling nor yet discretion Wée sée also the Priestes who shoulde haue béene the Angels or messengers of GOD for hée had appoynted them for that purpose Malach. to the ende his worde and will might be knowen from their mouthes VVee sée likewise the Scribes who were acquainted with the lawe and yet by thinking to make our Lorde Iesus no bodie declared that they troade vnder foote the Holie Scripture al the Religion whereof they so much bragged For when the Messias was spoken of
but miserable wretched caâ—tifes yet let vs not for all that cease to reioyce in God by reason of the tast which he giueth vs by faith of the heauenly glory enheritance which hée hath so dearely purchased for vs from the which we cannot be put if we hope for it Let vs now fall downe before the maiestie of our good God and acknowledge our offeÌ„ces beséeching him to make vs more more to féele the gréeuousnes of them to be so touched with theÌ„ as that our repentance might continually be mightiller coÌ„firmed that we might grone for them and so walk in the feare of our God as that he might be glorified by vs to the end we might shew wherfore hée hath redéemed vs and learne to consecrate our selues in all puritie to him and to this great Sauiour who hath sanctified him selfe that we might also be pertakers of his holinesse And that it would please him to poure the graces of his holie spirite vpon vs that by the same meanes wée might be cleansed of all the infirmities and corruptions of our flesh That hée would not onely graunt vs this grace but vnto all people c. The seuenth Sermon of the passion Matthew xxvii 45 ANd from the sixt houre there was darknesse ouer all the lande vnto the nineth houre 46 And about the ninth houre Iesus cryed out with a loude voice saying Eli Eli Lamasabachthani That is to say My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee 47 Then some of them which stood there when they heard that saide This man calleth for Elias 48 And by and by one of them ranne and tooke a spoonge and when hee had filled it full of vineger and put it on a reede hee gaue him to drinke 49 The rest saide Let bee Let vs see whether Elias will come to saue him 50 When Iesus had cryed againe with a loude voice hee yeelded vp the Ghost 51 And behold the vayle of the Temple was rent in two peeces from the toppe to the bottome and the earth did quake and the stones rent 52 And graues were opened and many bodies of Saintes which slept arose 53 And after they were come out of the graues after his resurrection came into the holie Citie and appeared vnto many 54 When the Centurion and they that were with him who watched Iesus sawe the Earth quake and the thinges that were done they feared greatly saying Truely this was the Sonne of God WE saw and heard yesterday that al the scorners and blasphemers of the Maiestie of God were no wayes able to hinder and let that the death passion of our lord Iesus should not bring foorth and manifest the power force thereof euen amiddest the most horrible coÌ„temners and vnthankful people of the world For marke and beholde that notwithstanding the hornorablest of the Iewes chiefliest scorned the sonne of God yet had hée compassion of the poore and miserable théefe and graunted him euerlasting life And therefore no man ought to darken and lessen the glorie of the Sonne of God Nowe if any man alledge say that the state of the miserable théefe is not to be compared with the chiefe Gouernours of the Church being the Priestly trybe whom God had chosen for the teaching of the lawe it is out of all doubt that when we speake of the saluation which God of his fré mercy purchased for vs we must not looke for any worthinesse that is to be founde in vs But rather agrée to that saying of Saint Paule 1. Tim. 1.13 That this is a true doctrine that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners And therefore when wée consider of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ it is méete that all men should yéeld and confesse them selues to be most miserable and shameful to the end God might poure vpon them by that meanes the treasures of his mercy without any other regard to helpe vs saue that he seeth vs most miserably to be plunged ouer head and eares And because that this théefe was a most abiect man and that God had so sodeinly called him yet séeing the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ which hée suffred for all mankinde was auaileable vnto him the same should a great deale the rather confirme vs. Wherefore it is out of all question that God here thrusteth out his hand as it were to all those who thinke them selues worthie thereof and deserue it or at the least to such as the common people thought the most excellent But when hée pulleth damned soules out of the pyt of hell and when hée sheweth himselfe merciful vnto those who were vtterly voide of all hope of life herein shyneth his wonderful goodnes And this is it which giueth vs an entrance into saluation for although hypocrites confesse that they are greatly beholden vnto God for his grace and fauour yet shut they the gate vpon them selues by reason of their arrogancy for their pride is such as that they cannot submit them selues vnto our Lord Iesus Christ And therfore let vs in the first place be fully resolued that Iesus Christ calleth vnto him miserable sinners which are ashamed of themselues stretcheth out his armes to receiue them For if this be not in vs we shal neuer haue the heart to come vnto him But when we shal be throughly persuaded that hée purchased saluation for those who would acknowledge and submit theÌ„selues to be most miserable and wretched sinners and be vtterly ashamed coÌ„fesse their giltines as in déed they ought before the iudgement seate of God let vs be well assured that we shal soone attain to be partakers of the righteousnes which is héere offred vs which is the obteining of fauour and grace at the handes of God Now héere vpon followeth That from the sixt houre vnto the nineth there was darknesse ouer all the lande Hée speaketh thus cleane contrary to our common maner of spéech for wee woulde say from six houres to nine houres But the Euangelist hath followed the ordinary maner of spéech that was then vsed For wheÌ„ he speaketh of the third houre hée meaneth not at thrée of the clocke but the fore part of the day And here in summe are two things to be considered of The one is that they counted the houres otherwise then we doe at this day for they reckoned the day to beginne from the Sunne rising vnto the going downe which was twelue houres where we take the day to be foure and twentie houres accounting from midnight vntill midnight folowing And therfore the clocks were to be set in such sort as that the houres in Sommer shoulde not be longer then they were in Winter and as the dayes were longer or shorter euen so were the houres longer or shorter The other point is this They deuided the day into foure partes quartered it froÌ„ thrée houres to thrée houres calling euery quarter by the beginning of the first houre Insomuch that the time
as much as hée was man Let vs note that this complaint féeling and feare whereof we nowe speake hath no manner of way derogated from the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ For in that hée was man hée trusted altogether in God as we haue alreadie heard and as was yesterday sufficiently handled This then was the verie true patterne of a right perfect and sounde fayth Now it is here said that he was so sore tormented as that it séemed that God his Father had forsaken him and yet had hée alwayes a perfect fayth without béeing ouerthrowne or shaken any kinde of way Why then saieth hée Wherefore hast thou forsaken mee This procéedeth from a naturall mans conceit Thus we sée that our Lord Iesus Christ as touching weake flesh is as a man forsaken of God yet he giueth not ouer his trust that hée had in him Now in déed we sée two pointes in these words which at the first sight séeme cleane cōtrarie one to the other yet they agrée very wel together For whē he saith My God my God with such a redoubling he sheweth therin the constancy of his faith He saith not wher is God what hath he forsakē me But hée cōtinually sticketh fast vnto him And therfore it cannot bée but that he was perswaded fully resolued that hée should haue fauourable accesse alwaies vnto God his father Héereby I say wée sée a certaine and vndoubted testimonie of the faith of our Lorde Iesus Christe whenas in the middest of all his extremities and torments he ceassed not to call vpon God his father without hypocrisie because he was assured that he woulde be merciful vnto him so long as he called on him And thus wée sée I say a sufficient declaration of the faith of our Lorde Iesus Christe and yet for all that hée redoubleth it because it was an harde and dangerous combate as if he meant to set himselfe against all the temptations wherewith Satan coulde any way assaile him and sought to strengthen his faith to the ende hée might continually perseuere in calling vpon God Nowe hée eftsoones saith Why hast thou forsaken mee and this hée spake according to mans reach For it coulde not be chosen but that hée must grow to that point as wée haue said and yet not be ouercome thereof according to that saying of Saint Peter Acts. 2.24 that it was impossible for him to bée kept vnder with the sorrowes of death that is to say that death had taken holde of him as of a miserable wretched and oppressed man But yet it was impossible for him as saieth Saint Peter to bée holden downe And so he wanne the victorie euen in the middest of the fight and this is so much the greater glory vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe Dauid had partly a féeling héereof for this is most sure that in the middest of all his greatest afflictiōs hée perseuered in calling vpon God and trusted in him But because hée was a weake and fraile man his faith was oftentimes shaken as he confesseth himselfe Howbeit there was a speciall matter to bée considered of in our Lorde Iesus whereof wée spake on Sunday last and that was this that al his sufferinges were rightly squared and ordered by reason of his integritie and purenesse in whom was no corruption of nature But it oftentimes commeth to passe that our sorrowes yea our feares and cares proceede from a iust cause and yet they shall alwaies be intermedled with sinne because all our passions are corrupt But there was no vnquietnesse nor yet disorder in our Lord Iesus Whereupon it followeth that his torments were not such but that he had alwaies a sure and an vndoubted trust in God and so firmly and constantly called vpon him because hee right well knew that he would saue him euen in the greatest extremitie And thervpō it is said That some of those which were about him mocked him This man say they calleth vpon Elias let vs sée and if Elias wil come help him It is to bee thought that the Souldiers who knew not the law might haue saide so wel enough and yet it had bene but a foolish kinde of speach for they knewe not what the meaning of Elie was And it is not like that the Priestes who were acquanited with the lawe woulde speake this blasphemye What were they deceiued in the saying of our Lorde Iesus no for the Prophet Elias was not named after that sort The name therefore was not abused because there coulde be no doubt in it séeing the word of Elias is otherwise pronounced the word Elie that is to saye my God was as common as was possible and to the cause could not rayse any doubt And therfore they dyd this of a malicious impudencye vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ when hee saide Elie. And if this séeme straunge to vs I beséeche the Lorde there be not the lyke examples among vs at this day For we shall sée the Papistes euen at this day slaunderouslye backbite and depraue whatsoeuer we teach to wit whatsoeuer is taken out of the pure worde of God and doo wittinglye and in good earnest blaspheme to make our doctrine hatefull with poore and simple soules and such indéede as neuer heard vs once preach Yea they falselye depraue whatsoeuer wee say and turne it which way they please as may easely be séene to coulour their leasings with and to entertayne the myserable blynde and ignoraunt soules with their fond and fantasticall lyes We sée héere how the enemies of God whom Satan possessed had of a malicious purpose taken exceptions to the words of our Lorde Iesus Christ euen so at this day as I began to say fareth it with the papists And this is not onely séene in poperie but there are also amongst vs certaine beggers which will not stick to saye that we goe about to make them beléeue that Iesus Christ was in a desperate case and past all hope whenas we say that he suffered the torments of death and that he was cast downe as it were into the bottom of hell for so much as he presented himselfe there in our behalfe and beare the burthen of our sinnes howbeit al this is no whit derogatorye from his constant and vnchaungable faith And héere these dogges professors of the Gospell neuer cease blaspheming wherein they shewe themselues to bée farre worse then those which are in this place spoken of Since then wée sée that the Diuell hath at this day whetted the tongues of his Supporters and that euery of them with a beastly shamelessenesse vometeth out his poyson against the puritie of doctrine let not vs thinke it strange séeing our Lorde Iesus was thus slaundered but paciently beare these blasphemies and beséech the Lorde as it is saide by the Psalmist To cut out their villanous tongues Psalm 12.4 which are so full of vyllanie and cursing tending to none other ende but to the blaspheming of his name and darkening of his trueth Nowe
héereupon the Euangelist telleth That there was a vessel ful of vineger yea as before hath béene saide mingled with Gall and that one tooke a Réed or as Saint Iohn saith a long Isop braunch and tyed a spunge at the ende therof to put it to the mouth of our Lord Iesus Now Saint Iohn speaketh of this matter more distinctly For hée saith That Iesus Christe knowing that all thinges were ended saide that hée was dry and thereupon saide againe It is finished Wée sée then what is héere for vs to note when this drinke was giuen to the sonne of God to wit that hée desired not to drinke because hée was drye for hée refused it as wée haue heretofore séene And why did hée so Because forsooth this drink was giuen him to shorten his life Nowe our Lorde Iesus meaning was altogether paciently and quietly to waite vpon the leasure of God his Father Thus we sée what the cause was why he would not hasten his death but helde himselfe quiet and obedient vntyll such time as all was finished although hee had not as yet yéelded vp the Ghost nor was risen againe for the meaning was that he had shewed his full obedience hytherto so that there was no let why he might not nowe render vp his soule vnto God his Father Héere wée then see howe this place is to bée vnderstood which is this that our Lorde Iesus declared that there wanted nothing to the finishing of our redemption sauing his departure out of the worlde which hee was very ready to doe and to yéelde his soule vnto God Wherefore when hee sawe that he had discharged the office of the Mediatour and had doone whatsoeuer was requisite for the appeasing of the wrath of GOD for our sakes and satisfied for our sinnes he determined to call for this drinke And héere is a most notable and excellent saying All is finished For this is certaine that our Lord Iesus spake not of any trifling or ordinary thing but hée meant that in his death we haue all whatsoeuer that is to bée had for our cōming vnto God and the obteining of his grace Not that his resurrection is héereby taken away but it is as much as if he had said that he had faithfully done his dutie and came not like an halfe Sauiour but perfourmed the charge committed vnto him euen to the vttermost leauing nothing of his fathers wil vnfulfilled And since it is so we are taught to put our trust fully and wholy in our Lorde Iesus Christe because wee knowe that euery part and percell of our saluation is finished in that which hée hath done and suffered for vs. And héere wée sée also why his death is called an euerlasting Sacrifice by which the faithfull and chosen children of God are sanctified Will wée then be throughly assured that God is our father Would wée haue frée libertie to call vpon him Woulde wée haue peaceable and quiet consciences Woulde wée bée fully assured that wée are reputed for righteous that wée might be acceptable vnto God Let vs then abide in Christe Iesus and wander neither to nor fro and knowe that in him lieth all perfection They therfore which séeke after other helpes would be supplied this way that as if there might bée something wanting in the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ doe cléerely forsake the power whereof wée now speak To bée short they trample the blood of our Lorde Iesus Christ vnder foote because they dishonor him And therefore what other thing is there in all Popery but an vtter deniall of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christe For inasmuche as they thinke to doe good workes which they call merites by which they thinke to purchase the fauour of God surely they deny the saying of our Lorde Iesus Christe All is finished And this prooueth it to bée so for when they thinke to bée saued before God and would bee pardoned of their sinnes whether runne they but vnto their foolish deuotions For euery man will frame vnto himselfe some masking mawmetrie at his pleasure so that all the religions of Popery is so many blasphemies to make this saying of our Lord Iesus Christe of none effect All is finished What shall wée then doe Let vs vnderstande that there is not a droppe of vertue nor merite in vs without wée come vnto this fountaine wherein is all fulnesse And thus we sée that our faith must be setled in our Lord Iesus Christe Moreouer let vs chiefely vnderstand that when hée offered himselfe for a Sacrifice that it was for the pardoning of vs for euer and as the Scripture saith to sanctifie vs perpetually And therefore let vs looke for none other sacrifice but him In very déed this abhominable diuelishe Masse is called in Popery a dayly sacrifice they say Psal 110.4 Heb. 7. 21. that Iesus Christ was once for al offered for a Sacrifice for the obteining of the forgiuenes of our sins yet neuertheles that hée must bé dayly offered vp which is manifest blasphemie because they falsly take vpon them the office which was appointed to our Lorde Iesus Christe whenas hée was ordeined to bée the onely euerlasting Priest yea and God bound it with an othe that his Priesthood shoulde last for euer And therefore when mortal men will thrust in themselues to come before God offer vp Iesus Christe doe they not robbe him of the honor which hée reserued vnto himselfe alone and which may not bée giuen to any other creature Since then it is so wée sée that these miserable blinde soules thinking to make peace with God prouoke his wrath and vengeance denying the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christe And therefore ought wée so much the more magnifie the grace of God for that hée hath drawne vs out of such a bottomelesse depth that when we thought to haue come néere him wée set our selues openly against him For wee rob him of the benefite of his death and passion when wée seeke after any other Sacrifice then that which he offered in his owne person Nowe it is saide That he cryed againe with a loude voice and yeelded vp the Ghoste and this was it Into thy hands I commit my soule or my spirite And héerein wee see that our Lord Iesus so fought against the sorrowes of death as that he became afterwarde a Conquerer and tryumphed because he had ouercome the hardest matter of al. And this is the thing which belongeth to vs to wit we must apply it vnto our owne vse For wee are assured that the sonne of God did not onely fight for vs but also that the victory which hee obteined for vs apperteineth vnto vs and that we shoulde not at this day be afeard of death because wée knowe that the curse of God which was so terrible is abolished and that death in stéede that it might haue deadly wounded vs serueth vs now for a medicine to yéelde vs life Nowe as hée had
before saide after the example of Dauid My God my God why hast thou forsaken mée Euen so likewise taketh hée at this present the prayer which Dauid made in the one and thirtie Psalme Into thy handes I commend my spirite In very déede Dauid saide these wordes when he was in the middest of all his dangers Psal 31.6 as if hée shoulde haue saide O Lorde I beséeche thée receiue mée into thy protection for my soule is as it were in my hands is there euen at randon for I sée how I am thrust out to all hazardes and my life hangeth as by a thréed and therefore thou must protect mée Wée sée héere then that Dauid by this prayer made God his protector and yet gaue hée not ouer but still called on him whenas he was at the point of death alwayes assuring himselfe that God woulde saue his chosen not only in defending thē héere in this worlde but also when hée calleth them vnto himselfe For the chiefest regarde that God hath on vs is this that when hée hath taken vs out of this worlde hee hideth vs vnder his winges that we might inioy his presence 2. Cor. 5.8 according to the saying of Saint Paule to the Corinthes For when our Lorde Iesus made this prayer hée sheweth that he died quietly whenas he ouercame all the combates which hee susteined for vs and triumpheth in our behalfes both for our profite and for our saluation And a none after he declareth by the same meanes that God is his Sauiour kéepeth his soule as a sufficient pledge For this much his request imported when he said My God thou shalt preserue my soule euen when I am dead When our Lorde Iesus speaketh after this sort it is as muche as if hée assured vs all that wee cannot doe amisse in submitting our selues vnto our GOD séeing that hée for the defending of vs vouchsafeth to take the charge of vs and that we shall neuer perish vnder his hand Now we haue eftsoones to consider that when Iesus Christ saide Into thy handes O Lorde I commend my spirite that hee obteined this priuiledge which Saint Stéeuen gaue him in the seuenth of the Acts Acts. 7.59 which is hée was made the preseruer of all our soules For what was it that S. Stéeuen saide when hee went to his death Forsooth these were his wordes Into thy hands O Lorde I commende my spirite And héere wée sée that Saint Stéeuen shewed the benefite of the request which Iesus Christe made to wit that wée may nowe come vnto him and that wee ought to doe so declaring that since God his Father had made him a Shephearde for vs that wee shoulde not doubt but to bée at peace come life come death knowing that all shall bee for our profite and turne to our benefite and as Saint Paule saieth that when hee had Iesus Christe hee had riches enough Phil. 1.21 and cared neither for life nor death for all shoulde be gayne vnto him Wherfore let vs nowe learne that when death shall assaile vs that Iesus Christe hath broken the sting which might haue stoong vs deadly to the heart and that death shall no longer hurte vs and that when our Lorde Iesus yéelded vp his Spirite vnto God his Father it was not onely to haue it conserued in his owne person but that hee myght haue this Priuiledge that ours might bee preserued eftsoones by the power of this request whenas wee shall come vnto him as vnto one vnder whose protection we cannot peryshe as hee himselfe declareth And this is that triumph wherof wee haue spoken which alreadie profiteth vs. For our Lorde Iesus sheweth howe precious his death is when as hee went so fréely vnto his Father as that wee might bee brought vnto him and to shewe vs the way But the principall point is this that wee might vnderstande what benefite wée receiue thereby because he hath cancelled the Obligation that was against vs that hée hath so purchased full satisfaction for our sinnes as that wee may bee bolde to come before God his Father so that death it selfe is no way able to harme nor hurt vs. And although wee see many thinges in vs which might make vs afearde through the féeling of our miseries let vs not for all that cease to glory in him who so abased himselfe for vs to the ende hée myght rayse vs vp with himselfe And although there is nothing in vs but shame and rebuke yet séeing that Iesus Christe hung vpon the Crosse God woulde haue him by the mouth of Pilate to bee called a King And so although the kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christe is nothing estéemed of héere in this worlde yet let vs account it to bée the foundation of all our glory and let vs also vnderstande that although wée be put to shame vnder his conduct yet that wee haue whereof to reioyce because our estate shall be alwayes blessed forsomuch as that whatsoeuer miseries afflictions and rebukes wée shall abide are more honorable and precious before God then all the Scepters pompes and the most honourable thinges wherein wée take any pleasure and delight Thus wée sée how wee must come vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe and so stick vnto him as that we might vnderstand of what valure the riches are which he bringeth vs but especially when hée guideth vs by his Gospell let vs forsake all the commodities and pleasures of this world and also abhorre them whenas they shal withdrawe vs frō the right way To be short let our Lord Iesus haue the honor which he deserueth let not vs for our parts be like vnto Réedes carried with euery wind but being established in him let vs call vpon God we shall haue victory ouer life death ouer which he hath alreadie triumphed And besides let vs whiles we are yet in this worlde yéeld him this honour to wit euen to acknowledge that he is our defender which he will do whenas we truly come vnto him neither wil he I say doe it after an ordinary maner but euen myraculously For although death shoulde cast vs downe headlong yet is it his office to drawe vs out of it and guide vs vnto the heauenly inheritance which he so dearely hath purchased for vs. Let vs nowe fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God acknowledge our offences beséeching him that hee will make vs féele them otherwise then we haue done And that we might bee so touched with the lothing of them as that we might returne vnto our God with heartie repentance And not for a day onely but to cōtinue it with sighing and groning And although we shall beheld within this prison of bondage yet let vs alwayes lift vp our harts vnto the heauens and come familiarly vnto our God since he is so enclined to mercy and calleth vs of his owne accord without tarrying till wée séeke him And when wée see that our Lorde Iesus doeth not onely come néere vs to
Iesus was taken from the crosse to wit that hée was thrust into the side to sée whether he had yéelded vp the Ghoste or not For they hastened not his death so fast as they dyd the two Théeues But when they thought him to bee dead they thrust a Speare into him and then they knewe that he was dead which pleased well the souldiers Now it is true that if we shoulde not be able to bring in the lawe for a testimonie we should haue somewhat a cold pull of it But S. Iohn giueth vs a full proofe that our Lorde Iesus Christe was the true Paschall Lambe since he was by the wonderfull prouidence and counsell of God preserued that there was not abone of him broken Exod. 12.46 Num. 9.12 For it said in Exodus that the Paschal lambe should bée eaten but there should not one bone of him bée broken And why were not the bones of Iesus Christe crushed since it was the common maner at those dayes Surely their will was not to spare him and hée was hanged betwéene two Théeues because they thought him to be the most vyle and detestable person Wée sée then héere that this was the worke of God in kéeping backe the handes of the Souldiers and his will also was that his Sonne should make a spéedie dispatch to the ende hée woulde preserue him and that it might bée an euident signe vnto vs in this place that in him the trueth of this auncient figure shoulde be fulfilled Héere then are wée to obserue that the bones of the Sonne of God were preserued from breaking because we might take him for our Paschall Lambe who shoulde preserue vs from the wrath of God whenas wée are marked with his blood And therefore must wée come to this point that since he is our Paschall Lamb wée must eftsoones bee dewed and sprinckled with his blood for without that the shedding of it will doe vs no good But when we shall accept him with this Sacrifice and séeke remission of our sinnes also thereby because we know that vntyll hée hath washed and cleansed vs wée are very filthie then are wee be dewed with his blood through the spinckling of the holy ghost vpon our soules and so are made cleane and God accepteth and taketh vs for his people and we are assured that although his wrath and vengeance bée ouer all the worlde yet looketh hée on vs with his eye of mercy and alloweth vs for his children Wée sée then in this place what wée are to consider when it is saide That the bones of our Lorde Iesus were not broken to the end we might vnderstand that the thing which was declared by figure in the law was verified in his body And besides it is also saide That water and blood issued out of his side and hee that sawe it beare witnesse thereof When wée sée that water blood issued so out wée must remember that it was hee as Saint Iohn sayeth in his Canonicall Epistle 1. Iohn 5.6 who by his sacrifice wrought our purgation and peace for the blotting out of all our sinnes In very déede Blood when one is dead wil waxe thicke by nature and from it will very thinne water come because the colour and thickest of the blood wil goe from it But howeuer it is Saint Iohn saieth that GOD woulde shewe for what cause the death of his sonne profiteth vs to wit Heb. 9 2◠in the first place hée is at peace with vs by reason of the shedding of blood for as it is saide There can bée no remission of sinnes without the effusion of blood For beholde why Sacrifices were vsed from the beginning of the worlde And God hath saide that hée would be mercifull to all miserable sinners which put their truste in him But yet he woulde haue sacrifices to bee offered as if hée should haue said that men should be fréely forgiuen their sinnes because they can bring nothing of their own with them to obteine it But must haue a mediator to recompence it Wée sée then that the blood which ranne downe from the side of our Lorde Iesus witnesseth vnto vs that the Sacrifice which hée offered was a satisfaction for all our iniquities so that we are discharged of them before God True it is we must cōtinually féele our selues to be gilty that we might bée humbled and brought to true repentance and bée cléerely voide of all presumption But howeuer it is wée are assured that God acquitteth and pardoneth vs in the name of his sonne when we come to acknowledge our sinnes and iniquities And why so Because the sacrifice of his death is sufficient to blot out the memory of al our transgressions It is the water then that cleanseth Wherefore to the end we might be washed from all our spots let vs vnderstande that the meaning of our Lord Iesus Christe was that water shoulde issue out of his side to declare that hée is in very déede our puritie and that wée must séeke for none other remedy to washe vs from all our filthinesse And thus wée sée howe water and blood came from him by which meane wee are throughly saued in him and therefore must make no wandlesses to séeke our ayde els where But when wée shall consider more néerely of the matter wée shall sée a very notable similitude betwéene the blood and the water which issued out of the side of our Lorde Iesus Christe and the Sacraments of the Church in which the thing that was perfourmed in his death is allowed and sealed vnto vs. For after hée had suffered whatsoeuer was requisite for our saluation and fully satisfied GOD his Father by sanctifiyng and purchasing vs full righteousnesse hée would that all the whole matter should bée witnessed vnto vs in the two sacraments of his owne institution I speake of two because there are no moe instituted in his worde But Baptisme and the Supper For all the reste is but a vaine imagination deuised by the rashe boldenesse of men Thus wee see that our Lorde Iesus Christe powreth out the vertue of his death and passion aswel vpon Baptisme as on the holy Supper For Baptisme is a witnesse vnto vs that hée hath so washed and cleansed vs from all our filthinesse as that God receiueth vs vnto his fauour as if wée came cleane and neate before him Now wée must vnderstand that the water in Baptisme worketh not this effect For howe can a corruptible Element washe and cleanse our soules But the matter is because water issued out of the side of our Lorde Iesus Christ And therefore when wée woulde that Baptisme should doe vs good let vs goe vnto him who was crucified for vs and when we would féele the fruit therof let vs runne vnto our Lord Iesus Christ who would haue vs séeke for euerie parte and parcell of our saluation in him without wandring and whéeling hither and thither And besides wée haue in the holie Supper a testimony that Iesus Christ is our
that our Lorde Iesus Christ hath purchased vs life by his resurrection so that wee must goe strait to him wtout séeking any other meanes to direct vs then such as hée hath assigned vs. We haue also alreadie saide that hée hath ordeined two Sacramentes for our better confirmation If the manner of the Iewes buriall had béen necessarie for vs no doubt Iesus Christ would haue had it continue in his Church But hée would not that we should stay our selues vpoÌ„ this earthly and childish Elements And therfore it is enough for vs to vse the plaine order of burying leaue the swéet ointments which figure vnto vs the resurrection and was manifested in our Lord Iesus Christ Wherefore we should but separate our selues from him if we would be thus basely and simply instructed For marke what Saint Paul saieth Colos 3.2 That if our affection be on things aboue we must séeke it in fayth and in spirit and be conioyned vnto our Lord Iesus Christ Colos 12.8.9 18. that we should bend our selues to him and not be nusseled in any thing which might withdraw hinder or kéepe vs backe from being vnited to him as vnto our head since his body is said to be the Temple of God And thus much wée are to consider of for buryall Howbeit this is also to be remembred that hée was laide in a newe Tombe which was not made but by the singular prouidence of God For he might verie wel haue béen buried in a Tombe which had serued for that purpose long before For Ioseph of Arimathea had many auncestors and in such wealthy mens houses there was a commoÌ„ Tombe made for the nonce Notwithstanding God had otherwise prouided for the matter and would haue our Lorde Iesus Christ to be laide in a newe Tombe wherin neuer man had béen laide Neither was it without cause that hée was called the first fruites of the resurrection and the first borne of the dead who had béen made partakers of life before our Lord Iesus Christ For we read that Lazarus rose again Wée sée also that Enock Elie were taken vp and neuer felt any naturall death but were gathered together into an incorruptible life Howbéeit al this hangeth vpon the resurrection of our Lord Iesus And therfore we must take him to be as the first fruites In the law the fruites of the yéere were consecrated to GOD by the only bringing of an eare of Corne and a bunche of Grapes to lay vpon the Auâ—ter Now when this was offered to God it was a generall consecrating of al the fruits of the yéere When the first born also were coÌ„secrated to God it was a declaratioÌ„ of the holines of the tribe of Israel that God accompted it for his inheritaunce which he had reserued to himselfe and contented himselfe with this people as if a man would be contented with his Patrimonie EueÌ„ so let vs vnderstand that when we come to our Lord Iesus Christ we are al coÌ„secrated and offered in his person to the end we might at this day receiue life through death that it should no more be deadly as before it was And thus we sée what we are to obserue as concerning the new Tombe that is that the buriall of our Lord Iesus Christ must bring vs vnto his resurrection Neuerthelesse let vs looke wel to our selues for al whatsoeuer that must serue our faith hath béene accomplished in the person of the Sonne of GOD And although wée haue a sure testimonie that it is sufficient for vs yet by reason of our grosenesse weakenesse wée are very farre from comming vnto Lorde Iesus Christ And therefore let euery of vs which acknowledge our offences séeke remedy for them be of good courage For we sée how Ioseph Nicodemus did Now here are two things to be considered of for our example The first is that they had no cléere insight in the fruite of the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ Wherefore their vnderstanding was grosse and their faith very weake The other is that notwithstanding this extremitie yet fought they against all temptations and came to looke for our Lorde Iesus Christ who was dead to put him into the Tumbe protesting that they hoped to come to the blessed resurrection which was promised them And although we feele our selues weake yet let it not discourage vs. It is true indéed that we are weake and God may reiect vs when as hée shal roughly entreate vs. But yet when we shall féele these wantes let vs vnderstand that he will accept our desire although it be imperfect Moreouer since at this day our Lorde Iesus is risen in glory and although we must here suffer many miseries and calamities and that a man would thinke he were daily crucified in his members as in déed the vngodly as much as in theÌ„ lieth doe yet let not vs quayle for al this because we knowe that we cannot be put beside that which is promised vs in the doctrine of the Gospel and although wee must runne through a number of afflictions yet let vs alwayes haue an eye vnto our heade For Ioseph and Nicodemus neuer had the aduantage that wée at this day haue which is they neuer beheald the power of the spirite of God which is shewed in the resurrection of our Lorde Iesus Christ and yet was not their faith for all this wholly morgaged And since our Lorde Iesus calleth vs now vnto him and telleth vs allowde that hée is ascended into heauen to the ende he might gather vs altogether let vs constantly perseuere both to séeke him and follow him and that it is no hurt for vs to die with him since we shal be partakers of his glory And Saint Paule exhorteth vs to be like vnto Iesus Christ not onely as touching his death but also as concerning his buriall For there are some that coulde bée contented to die with our Lord Iesus Christ for a minute of an houre but it wold grieue them to doe it any longer And for this cause I haue sayde that wée must not die for a while but wée must also paciently abide at last to be buried I call this dying whenas God séeth vs so suffer for his names sake for although wée bée not at the first condemned and brought to the stake yet when wée are afflicted this is a kinde of death which wée must paciently abyde But because wée are not by and by humbled it is méete wée shoulde bée longer time scourged and bée contented and paciently beare it For as the Diuel neuer ceaseth to deuise whatsoeuer may withdrawe vs and make vs growe woorse and woorse Euen so must wée al our life long fight against him And although this be a very hard and grieuous condition yet let vs tary til the time bee come that God calleth vs vnto him and not bée wéery in confessing our fayth and therein followe Nicodemus but not in his temerousnes For when he first came
partakers therof And to say the truth if it were not so what shoulde the story of the resurrection availe vs but when it is said that the Son of God was so manifested would haue the benefit therof to be cōmunicated vnto al the world we may now the better tast of it So then let vs vnderstand that our Lord Iesus his meaning was that we should be certified of his resurrectiō bicause that whē we know in truth that our Lord Iesus is risen againe that therin consisteth all the hope of our saluation rightuousnesse Not that he hath not cleansed al our filthines by his death passiō but because it should not remaine continue stil weak And therfore it behoued that hée should poure abrod the vertu of his holy spirit that he might by his resurrection Rom. 1.4 be declared to bee the sonne of God as S. Paul in the Epistle to the Romaines and in diuers other places sufficiently declareth Thus now we sée that we must assure our selues that our Lord Iesus is rysen againe leaueth the way open vnto vs that wee might come vnto him looketh not that we should séeke him but hath prouided that we might be called by the preching of the gospel that his message should sound in the mouthes of those his heralts whom he had chosen Since then it is so let vs vnderstand that the rightuousnes whiche wee at that this daye haue for the attaining vnto the heauenly Kingdome wee enioy by the righteousnesse of our Lord Iesus Christ because he will not seperat him selfe from vs. And héere we sée why he calleth the Disciples his brethren Indéede this is an honorable name and was reserued for all those whom he accompted as his houshold Seruants and this kinde of speche no doubt he vsed Iohn 20.17 to shew the brotherhood that hee would should betwéene him and them And so also is it common to vs as Saint Iohn more plainly declareth Now to say truly Psal 22.23 we must haue recourse vnto that saying of the Psalm out of which this place is taken I will declare thy name vnto my Brethrē which place the Apostle in the exposition of the person of our Lord Iesus Christ did not only comprehend the 12. hebr 2.11 Apostles by the name of the Brethren of Iesus Christ but geueth also the same title generally to as many as follow the sonne of god and would haue vs to enioy the selfe same honor We sée also why our Lorde Iesus saide I goe vnto my God and to your God vnto my father and vnto your father now this was not ment by a few but it was spoken to the multitude of all the faithfull And although our Lord Iesus Christ bee our eternall God yet is hee contented notwithstanding euen in the person of a mediator to abase himself and come néere vs and to haue all thinges common with vs in respect of his humaine nature For although hee bee the naturall Sonne of God and we by adoption and grace yet this community remayneth that the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ is by his meane ours also in diuers respectes For it is not méete that wée should be exalted as hie as our head and soueraine and surely this could not but be a wonderfull confusion if the head of a mans bodye should not be aboue all the rest of the members for otherwise it would séeme a very monster and a confused lump and therefore it is also very good reason that our Lord Iesus Christ should kéepe his chiefe degrée because he is by nature the only sonne of God and yet this letteth not but that we may be ioyned with him in Brotherhood that we might fréely and with good assueraunce call vpon God and bee hearde because we haue familiar accesse vnto him We sée then what the meaning of this saying is when our Lorde Iesus calleth his Disciples Brethren to wit he dyd it to this end that we at this day should haue the like priuiledge with them by the meane of faith And yet this is nothing derogatorye from the power and maiestie of the Sonne of God when he thus conioyneth himself with such wretched creatures as we are and be as it were one of our company Wherfore we ought to bee so much the more in an admiration with the matter whenas we sée him vse such his goodnes towards vs as that by his resurrection hée hath purchased for vs the heauenly glory for the purchasing wherof he abased himself became of no reputation Since it is so that our Lord Iesus vouchsaueth to allow vs for his Brethrē to the end we might come vnto God let vs boldly séeke him and come vnto him whiles hée thus gently inuileth vs neither doth he maruellous cōsiderately vse his word only to draw vs but addeth withal a visible sacramēt also the we might be brought thereto according to our smal ability And to say the truth let it be that we be neuer so weak blockishe yet shall we not be able to excuse our slacknes if we come not vnto our lord Iesus Christ behold the table wherunto he hath called vs to what end forsooth it is not to the end to fil our bellies although that therin God declareth himself to haue a fatherly care ouer vs and our Lorde Iesus also sheweth that he himselfe is indéede the life of the world Wherefore when wée daily eate and drinke it witnesseth thus much vnto vs that our Lord Iesus declareth his goodnes vnto vs But in this table there is a special cōsideration to be had for it sheweth vs that we are the brethrē of our Lord Iesus Christ to wit Iohn 17.21 that because as S. Iohn saith he hath vnited vs vnto himself he hath also vnited vs vnto God his father so by little little telleth vs that he is our meat our drinke we are takē to be of his own substaunce that wee might haue al our spirituall life in him And this is more then if hée called vs his brethren an hundered times Let vs therfore vnderstand and know the vnitie that wee haue with our Lord Iesus Christ to wit that he will haue his life to be common with vs and his lyfe to be our life yea that he wil effectually dwell in vs and not by imagination and after an earthly maner but after a spiritual how euer it is he so worketh in vs by his holy spirit as that we are knit faster suerer vnto him then the mēbers to the body And as the roote of a trée thrusteth out his substaunce and strength into all the braunches euen so receiue we our substaunce life from our Lord Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 5.7 And this also is the cause why Saint Paul saieth that our paschall Lamb was crucified and offered vp and that we should now kéepe holyday and bée partakers of the sacrifice And as in the old law when any
is not onely spoken of the person of our Lord Iesus Christ but also of the whole course of his Gospell and of the whole order which he taketh for the maintenance gouernment of the faithfull And therefore if we would be assured of our saluation in Iesus Christ we must in the first place not be ashamed that he was so disfigured after the maner of men being sent into the world was taken to be as one most accursed and soone after his Gospel was in such sort slaundered as we sée it to be euen at this day For if we be ashamed to receiue our Lorde Iesus Christ crucified without doubt we are excluded from all hope of saluatioÌ„ For how are we saued by him How belongeth the heauenly enheritance to vs without he had béen made accursed for vs not only accursed before meÌ„ but also by the mouth of God his father Thus we sée that Iesus Christ the fountaine of all blessing hath neuertheles borne our sinnes and was made like vnto the old sacrifices which were called sin offrings 1. Cor. 5. â—â— because the wrath of God was shewed in theÌ„ men were freed pardoned by them And howe could Iesus Christ be called our life if he had not swallowed vp death by his death Either how could we be exalted by him but because hée went down into the bottom of hell to wit he susteined the horrors that were vpon vs and wherwith by reason of our sinne we were held vnder For it must néedes be that God must be our Iudge for euer this is the most fearfull thing that may be to haue God our enemy And it behoued that Iesus Christ should enter into it as our pledge as one that should make satisfaction for vs and sustayne our coÌ„demnation that we therby might be pardoned And therefore let vs thinke it no strange thing to sée him thus disfigured if this in our reason be foolishnesse let vs vnderstand as S. Paul saith that the foolishnesse of God surpasseth all the wisdom of the world Hée calleth that the foolishnesse of God in that our Lorde Iesus Christ was so abased surely if we wold here set down our iudgement we would say without doubt that it were an absurde thing For to what purpose could it be any way possible that hée who was to be worshipped both in heauen and in earth shoulde be so shamefully dealt withall Thus we sée howe that we in our arrogancie presumption will as rashly and boldly as may be continually condemne whatsoeuer God doth for our redemptioÌ„ howbeit God in his secret counsell sheweth that he hath more wit theÌ„ we any way are able to coÌ„ceiue of And therfore let vs in the first place hold this for a sure ground that séeing our Lord Iesus Christ was not only coÌ„temptible abased but also made of no reputatioÌ„ for our sakes not to forget as S. Paul saith to giue him the honour beloÌ„ging vnto him for his glory was no whit empaired therby althogh al men knew it not yet did his gratious goodnes shine so much the more clearly And besides we ought to treÌ„ble wheÌ„as we sée that the soÌ„ne of God refused not to be as it wer disfigured being the very image of God his father Hebr. 1.3 For all this he did because hée would repaire this image in vs. And this is certaine we are so spotted as that when we shal appeare before the maiestie of God it cannot be chosen but that he must reiect vs vntill such time as our Lorde Iesus Christ hath set his brand vpon vs whereby we might become acceptable vnto God and finde fauour at his hands So when we heare that hée was vgly yll fauoured let vs looke well to our selues vnderstand that hée must take vnto himself all our spots blots to the end we might be clensed of them bringing now with vs before the iudgement seate of God nothing but righteousnes holines which we could neuer haue had except God had communicated the same vnto vs in Iesus Christ And herevpon he saith That the mouthes of Kings shal be stopped when as he shal haue beene thus exalted and that they shoulde sée suche a chaunge as neuer was thought of Here then we are told that we must not rashly iudge when as we sée our lord Iesus Christ to be thus abased naught set by but we must consider to what end the Lord hath so brought him which is that such an excellent name was giuen him aboue all other creatures as that euery knée should bow before him as it is said in the second to the Philippians Phili. 2.9 For wheÌ„ S. Paul hath exhorted vs to modestie shewed that we should not estéeme of our selues he setteth before vs our Lord Iesus Christ as a glasse pattern Who saith hée being the true God thought it no robbery to be equal with God made him selfe of no reputation taking vpon him the forme of a seruant yea became obedient euen vnto that most slaunderous and cursed death the death of the crosse and that before God and men and all this hée did to the ende hée woulde take vpon him whatsoeuer was dewe to vs. Wherefore saieth hée God the Father hath exalted him and giuen him such a name as that euerie knée should bowe of things in earth and thinges vnder the earth that euerie tongue shoulde confesse that the Lord is Iesus Christ to the glory of God the Father and that if we would sée what the maiestie of God is glorifie him as hée is worthie we must néedes come vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ And this is in effect the meaning of the Prophet That we must not for the basenes of Iesus Christ for a time but beléeue in him and set our whole heart on him and also consider to what end he was thus handled and that whensoeuer we speake of his death we must foorthwith remember his resurrection ioyne them both together For these are two inseperable thinges That Iesus Christ would suffer in the weaknes of our flesh and ryse againe in the power of his spirit and that in this last point 1. Tim. 3.16 2. Cor. 13. 4. Rom. 1.4 as S. Paul saith he shewed himself to be the true sonne of God And we sée also besides the pretence of the Prophet in this place We haue before saide that this was not onely séene in the person of Iesus Christ but also in his Gospel For how was Iesus Christ known and what obedience did the world yéeld him wheÌ„ the Gospell was preached We sée that they vnto whoÌ„ the greatest authoritie was giuen did not only scorne condemne men but also beat them and scourged them and in the ende put them to most shamefull death And therfore since it is so Let vs ouercome all such offences and being armed as the Prophet héere speaketh of Let vs consider to what ende it was that our Lord
that he must be tied kept frō doing his duty for feare the people would haue stoned thē all to death for they saw well enough that this malice would stretch it selfe foorth to the whole family kindred And at last behold Iesus Christ was crucified So that thē a man would haue thought the gospel had béen cléerely buried with him the remembrance thereof quite put out Who would haue said that the Apostles had euer béen able thus to haue set foorth the doctrine of the Gospell For marke what simple men they were such as neuer knew what learning meant altogether vnacquainted with the holy scripture vtterly without skill abilitie and besides a refuse people whō no man wold vouchsafe to heare although in very déed they had spokē with the tongues of Angels And what is to be séen herein but euē a very wildernes wher are the honorable shewes preparatiōs that should make kings princes to stoupe to the gospel For sooth heere are none at al. But on the cōtrary part behold naked swordes fire faggot to stop the course therof Wherfore we right wel sée that it was like vnto a smal graffe planted in a barrē land And who would say that it should grow to be a trée to ouershadow all the world vnder the which euery mā might shroud himself who was euer able to immagine this séeing so vnlikely beginnings Therefore it is not wtout cause that the prophet Isaiah declareth that the world which is too too much addicted to glory wil neuer vouchsafe to looke vpon our Lord Iesus Christe but rather despise him because he is like vnto a little twigge science of a trée taken out of a barren land where was neither water moysture substance or yet strength Now this is namely laide before vs to the end we might not bée drawne away through any such offence but be able redily to come vnto our Lord Iesus Christ And therefore when wee heare after what sort the Gospell shal be preached vnto the world and that we sée the like of it at this day to wit that the church shal be as a small handfull of rascall people and that wée shal be abhorred of all those that beare the greatest sway in the worlde let not vs for al that be faint harted For we sée how our Lord Iesus Christ appeared at the first although his meaning is that his kingdome should bee conserued after this maner at this day yet let not that stay vs from yéelding our obedience vnto him 1. Cor. 1.25 And since we know as S. Paule saith that the foolishnesse of God hath surpassed the wisdom of man let not vs be so arrogantly minded as to set our selues against it But let vs vnderstand that as God his meaning was to make his sonne of no reputation so likewise entended he to exalt him aboue the heauens and let not vs finde fault with that which he hath ordeined in his secrete counsel but therein rest our selues Moreouer let vs well cōsider of these words That he shall sprout vp before him For if we through our pride and disdaine think to tread Iesus Christe vnderfoote kéepe him vnder we deceiue our selues because he shal grow vp in despite of mans incredulitie malice vnthankfulnesse and enmitie but it shall be before God It is true also that he groweth vp aswell before the faithfull because they must obediently worship him acknowledge that the excellēt name which god hath giuē him is worthie to haue euery knée bow vnto it But the Prophet hath namely said that hee shall grow vp before God setting héere a ballance as it were betwéene such mē as goe about to ouerthrow suppresse the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ and besides God his father who will giue him his hād wil bring it so to passe as that nothing shal be able to kéepe him frō attaining vnto the fruite of his glory and Maiestie whereunto hee is called Thus wee sée the very naturall and true meaning of these wordes That to the outward shewe our Lorde Iesus is but as a twigge in a dry or barren grounde because there is no meanes in this worlde to make him growe vp and yet bée as be may he shal growe vp But how Forsooth euen before God And therefore let it not dismay vs when wée shall sée men make a iest at the Gospell to become as a flaunderous and shamefull thing by reason of the pride of the faithlesse But when wée shall sée the enimies of the trueth ware to arrogant and lift vp their hornes against our Lorde Iesus Christ and furiously fight against him let vs turne away our faces from it and not be so foolishe as to set light by the sonne of God because it is not the blinde such as Satan possesseth and who are altogether bewitched that doe praise and magnifie him and his worthines but let vs rather looke vnto God and then shall wée be throughly instructed in our faith For since Iesus Christe so groweth vp before God his Father it is good reason that we for our partes shoulde magnifie him and yéelde him the honour that belongeth vnto him To bée short let vs learne to stay our selues wholy vpon god thē we may boldly fréely stand against all the world And although there bee no reckoning made of the word of God yet let vs yéeld our obedience vnto it as it were vnto himselfe And why so Forsooth because that God should be far dearer vnto vs then an infinite number of those gainesayers which would withdrawe vs from comming vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ And this is a very necessary point for vs euen at this day For as wée haue saide we sée that the mightiest and wisest men of this worlde fight notwithstanding against the Gospell yea euen they which are not contented to be called Christians only but which also will be aboue all others in the highest degrées and yet are these men I say but Satans supporters to abolish the trueth of God such as set thēselues against our Lorde Iesus Christ his word If this I say feare vs let vs consider wel of the which is héere said That if we sée men so obstinate hard harted as that they wil not receiue the sonne of God when he offereth himselfe vnto them wée ought to set our selues against euen the mightiest of thē because then are but doung in respect of God In very déede as for the present time they are of so great Maiestie as that to our séeming all the world should bowe tremble before thē But if we would lift vp our mindes vnto God looke vnto him wtout doubt wee woulde care no more for al these fray baggles then for a rush Thus we sée how we should lift vp our faith to the end that nothing which is héere below might bee any let why Iesus Christ should not rule ouer vs. And this is it which we
goeth on with the matter we are to ayme coÌ„tinually at this marke that where the faythlesse are abashed wheÌ„ as they sée how God the father hath after this sort afflicted tormented his sonne Iesus Christ do take occasioÌ„ of offence to estrange themselues far from him we ought so much the rather to be stirred vp to séeke after him to be farther in loue with him since he spared not himself to take vpon him our whole burthen that we might be eased therof And therfore when as wée sée that our Lord Iesus Christ hath made such an â—xchange for vs and taken vpon him to paye all our debtes to the ende to discharge vs and woulde bée condemned in our behalfes and in our person that wée thereby might be pardoned sée what a merueilous occasion hée hath offred vs to drawe néere vnto him yea to be altogether earnestly in loue with him because in him resteth all our quietnesse Nowe it is saide That he was afflicted by the hande of God but it was for our transgressioÌ„s For if we looke into the iudgement of God the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ shal be to vs as an vnprofitable thing neither shal we receiue any fruite or benefit thereby For the principal point is that we might be at an attonement with God who is our enemy vntil such time as our offences are buried because that he who is the fountain of righteousnes cannot abide to loue iniquitie And therefore so long as he imputeth vnto vs our sins seeth what we are he must néeds be our iudge But when as Iesus Christ coÌ„meth betwéene vs him speaketh for vs we are then acceptable in the sight of God because he hath made satisfaction for all our iniquities For the coÌ„demnation which our Lord Iesus Christ suffred cannot be vaine Now hée in very déed had committed no fault neither was he guiltie in any thing And therefore he was coÌ„demned that we might be pardoned 1. Pet. 1.19 for the which cause he is called the immaculate Lambe which sheweth that hée beare our burthen And for this cause also is it said that his blood is our washing For we are abhominable filthy foule vntil such time as the blood of our lord Iesus Christ cleanseth vs. Wherfore it is not for naught that the Prophet bringeth vs back to the consideration of Gods iudgement saying That Iesus Christ was afflicted that hée might beare our coÌ„demnation To be short so often as we think for what cause it is that the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christ hath done vs good let euery of vs put himself ouer vnto the iudgement seat of God and there we shall finde that we are worthie of death Now what is the rigour of Gods iudgemeÌ„t how horrible is his vengeance Surely it is euen to swallow vs vp to cast vs all down headlong into the bottomles pit of hell Howbeit because God spared not our Lord Iesus Christ but laide the rigour of his iudgement on him that hée became our pledge we may nowe be assured that God will no longer pursue vs nor call vs to any further reckoning neither yet punish vs according to our deserts and offences And why so Forsooth because Iesus Christ hath clearely discharged vs of them all Now this is true that God was neuer otherwise affected towardes his onely Sonne then as hée had pronounced when as hée saide Mat. 3.17 17.5 Ephe. 1.6 This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him God then had long before saide that Iesus Christ contented him verie well and that in him was his whole delight And in déede as S. Paule to the Ephesians saith it were impossible for vs to be acceptable before the lord God in the name of his onely sonne without in the first place hée were the best beloued and in the highest degrée Notwithstanding this was no let to our discharge because God had laide his rigour vpon our Lorde Iesus Christ For although hée loued him yet would hée afflict him for our offences For hée had no regarde to the righteousnes sinceritie and perfection that was in him But rather tooke him as one that beare the person of all sinners vpon him Thus we sée howe Iesus Christ was charged with all our sins iniquities not that hée was any way guiltie of theÌ„ but would haue theÌ„ all to be imputed vnto him and take the reckoning vpon him and the payment Wée sée then howe the wordes of the Prophet are to be vnderstood when hée saieth that Iesus Christ was not crucified onely by the handes of men but that hée also stood foorth before the iudgement seate of God answered for vs and submitted him selfe to beare the burthen which wée were worthie to haue borne Marke also why hée sayeth 1. Pet. 2. 24. That hee beare all our sinnes and transgressions for so are also the wordes of Saint Peter who naming the Crosse meant to signifie Deu. 21.23 that that kinde of death which the sonne of God suffred was a visible and open testimony that our iniquities were layde vpon him because it was saide in the lawe cursed be hée that hangeth on trée Iesus Christ was hanged thereon to the ende wée might vnderstande and knowe Gala. 3.13 that hée was as one accursed in our behalfe according to the saying of Saint Paule to the Galathians For hée there telleth vs that therin wée are to consider of the wonderfull goodnesse of God and of the infinite loue of our Lord Iesus Christ to vs warde when as hée was not onely contented to dye for vs but suffred also a most cursed death to the ende wée might be blessed of God And although our sinnes and iniquities haue terrefied vs for it could not be chosen but that wée must be afeard of the iudgement of God when as we heare the thinges that are héere set downe to wit that wée are abhominable by reason of our thus offending our good God and that our conscience so telleth vs yet let vs be assured that hée will forgiue vs our sinnes receiue vs as his best beloued children yea euen as iust righteous people because our curse was abolished by this Gallow trée wheron our Lorde Iesus Christ was hanged Loe héere the meaning of the Prophetes spéech for the more liuely setting foorth of the matter Nowe hée eftsoones setteth downe That hee was afflicted because the correction or chastisement of our peace was laide vpon him hée set downe no straunge thing but declared him selfe more familiarly that hée might shewe howe the thing was to bée vnderstood and taken which was that our Lorde Iesus Christ was beaten and smitten by the hande of God to the ende wée might bée discharged And therfore hée beare the correctioÌ„ of peace which was due to vs. In déede some men vnderstand it that it was méete that our Lorde Iesus Christ should be thus punished for our sakes
thinke onely before baptisme For thus they reason little children say they receiue the grace of God and are pardoned of Originall sinne in baptisme by the power of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ But say they whē we are once baptized then sin Iesus Christ alone is not sufficiēt to make vs acceptable vnto the Lord and to blot out the remembrance of our sins but we our selues also must make recompence And this is the cause of the deuising of their workes of superogation as to wander vp down lyke Rogs a Pilgrimage to haue many trentals of Masses such lyke diuelish inuentions So that if a man aske the Papists why the roge vp and downe a pilgrimage as they doo to sée their mowing apes and marmesets why they fast such and such a daye why they build Churches and why they cause masses to bee songe forsooth wyll they say euen to redéeme our selues before the Lord our God for it is very méete that when we haue vnderstood of our sins that we should make satisfactiō for thē to the end God might acquite discharge vs of the same Sée here how they make the death passion of our lord Iesus Christ of none effect so the papists are not able to go on one foot forward to do their deuotiōs but that they blaspheme God opēly deny the death passiō of our Lord Iesus Christ cast thēselues down into hel mouth thus we sée whether their diuelish deuotions which they cal good lead thē And therfore we are to obserue the words of the Prophet whē he saith that the correction of our peace was laid vpō our Lord Iesus Christ because that by his meane God is appeased set at one with vs for hée beareth all the sinnes iniquities of the world vpon him So thē let vs here note that when we sée what maner ones we are we shuld alwaies stād in feare because God is our enemie our iudge And besides wée must in the secōd place cōclude that there is no other meane either in heauen or yet in the earth to make vs at one with God but by the price which our lord Iesus hath paid satisfied euē by his death passiō Haue we this let vs then with bold chéere countenance come before our God yet not so but that we must alwaies humble our selues be ashamed of our sinnes Howbeit that wil be no let vnto vs but that we may frankly cal vpon our God as vpō our father neither coulde wee glorify our selues wtout he reputed vs to be iust al our debts payd because we are pardoned by the power of the condemnation which Iesus Christ suffred Thus we sée how this place must be practised of vs Marke also why hee saieth That wee are healed by his woundes In very déede we shal neuer bée able to sée throughly into our sinnes because hipocrisie blindfoldeth our eyes pride hath alwaies mighty rule ouer vs therfore wee greately deceiue our selues and make our selues beléeue that God is highly beholden vnto vs or els wée are so blockish as that wée neuer thinke to come to a reckoning Now it falleth out here that the Prophet sheweth that wée are but dead if it were not for the woundes of our Lord Iesus Christ and therfore that we must néedes séeke to be healed by him When then wée would féele the benefite which commeth vnto vs by the death and passion of the Sonne of God Let vs note that looke howe many sinnes as are rooted in our nature although they appeare not are euen so many deadly woundes and diseases I beséech you if there shall be an Apostume about the stomake of a man or in his bowels should it be euer a whit the woorse for the man if it were séene that it might be launced If a man then thinketh him selfe to be whole and sound because he will not sée his disease surely he must néedes be voide of all wit and reason And therefore our diseases must bée so much the more deadly when as they are secret and not knowne And ouer besides the sinnes which we beare about with vs the rootes of which are hid in vs there are sinnes in vs which we commit daily which sufficiently declareth that our nature is froward and cursed and that wée are altogether peruerted Wherfore since wée are wholly infected with spirituall leprosie and that our iniquitie is rotten in vs what shall wée doe in this case what remedie is to bée had Shall wée séeke for helpe at the Angels in heauen Alas they can doe no good and therefore we must go vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ because hée would bee disfigured euen from the crowne of the head vnto the soale of the foote would be al to wounded scourged and buffeted with one blow vpon an other crowned with thorns tyed fast nayled to the Crosse and at last persed through the side with a speare And here we see how wée are healed here is the right medicine for our disease wherwith we must be contented whervnto also we must apply our whole affection knowing that we are neuer able to be at quiet with our selues but that we must stil be extreamly tormented vexed were it not that Iesus Christ comforted vs and appeased the wrath of God for vs. Now when wée are sure of this it giueth vs occasion to sing praises vnto his holy name where before wée could doe nothing else but grone and be vtterly confounded And this is in summe the thing which we are to learne out of the words of the Prophet Now S. Matthew alledgeth this place Mat. 8.17 when he maketh mention of all the diseases which our Lord Iesus Christ healed how he made the blinde to sée the lame to goe the deafe to heare set a foote suche as were half dead sick of the palsie cast deuils out of mens bodies This saith hée declareth that it was not for naught that the Prophet Isaiah said that hée beare our infirmities and susteined our griefes Without doubt the Prophet speaketh not héere of bodely diseases Wherefore it séemeth that the Euangelist hath applyed this testimony but yll But hée in declaring that our Lorde Iesus Christ healed outward diseases meaneth to bring vs to an higher consideration because he would haue vs to beholde as it were in a figure the reason of his comming into the world And therfore whē we heare that our Lord Iesus Christ healed the sicke of the palsy but especially raysed the dead that hée also healed al maner of diseases let vs vnderstand euē in the view of the eye according to our grose weak capacities that he hath told vs that he is our spirituall Phisitiō let vs also learn as I haue alredy saide that all the vices wherevnto we are enclined are so many corruptions in our soules And as there are many euil humors in the body euē so likewise
are there many other like things To be short there are many secret diseases euen so fareth it with our soules because they are ful of vices before the lord God they had also néed of a phisitiō And who shal he be we shall not finde him either in heauen or in earth except it be he whō the heauenly father hath giuen vs to wit our Lord Iesus Christ And therfore if we can reach to the vnderstāding how our Lord Iesus Christ hath brought health to our soules let vs come to figure out the which is here shewed vs whē he made the blinde to sée for this is out of al doubt that our soules are both blinde beastly Besides Iesus Christ made the dumbe to speak Nowe we giue our tongues to nothing els but to wickednes vntill such time as Iesus Christ hath giuen it the right vse And we are more then deafe because the word of God can haue no entrance into vs therfore it is our Lorde Iesus Christ that must giue vs also our hearing To be short whē we shal ioyne the words of S. Mathew with the meaning of the Prophet Isaiah to wit that we for our partes are full of corruption villainy that there is no health in vs our soules full of all deadly sinnes But that our Lord Iesus Christ hath ryd vs of them all that in comming to him wée shall finde health when I say wée shall thus ioyne one with an other then shall we vnderstand that except we haue recourse vnto this Redéemer we must néedes alwaies lye stone stil in our sinnes and miseries rot altogether in thē And thervpon he goeth on farther and saith That we haue all declined gone astray Here the Prophet meaneth better more liuely to tell as yesterday we handled it that wée cannot in good earnest feele our necessitie to be healed by our Lorde Iesus Christ vntill such time as euery of vs hath truely examined his owne estate knoweth what is within him For what is the reason why we are so cold slack whē we are told of comming vnto our Lord Iesus Christ Truely it is because wée haue no capacitie but are like verie blockheads For we shall sée howe these common drunkardes are knoden together in their intemperancy will neuer giue ouer vntil such time as they gnashe their téeth are able to doe no more If a man speake to them of phisicke Phisitions hée shall be but scorned for his labour they will wagge the head yea despise all helpes Nowe there is not a worse kinde of drunkennesse then this blockishnes wherin all miserable sinners are ouerwhelmed vntill suche time as they féele what it is to haue God their enemy So then euery man will giue him selfe ouer to all kinde of lewdnesse by that meane the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christ shall be cōtemned no account made of it And therefore it is not without cause that the Prophet for the awaking of vs for the bestowing of the most desired benefite that may be which is brought vnto vs by our Lord Iesus Christ sheweth that we haue all erred gon out of the way Now ouer and besides that I haue saide that as there are prophane contemners of the iudgement of God euen so also are there foolish presumptuous and arrogant men Wherfore there are two sortes of people which cannot doe them selues any good by this infinit grace and fauour which the Sonne of God hath purchased for vs because the one sort of them thinke them selues to be righteous and haue workes and merites able to answere the iustice of God As we sée these Popish hypocrites who doe not onely thinke themselues to be discharged before God but doe also sell some parte of their merites as if they had a superfluitie of them and that man or woman is well at ease and happie that may be partaker of their perfection and holinesse because they are in an Angellike estate Now these men thinke that they haue no néede of the death and passion of Iesus Christ but they will partly cōfesse that they haue néede and yet we sée it cleane otherwise because they kéepe faires and merkets of their merites and haue of them to sell and resell to the ende they would haue others to settle them selues and trust vpon such profanation Moreouer forsomuch as there is in Popery both men and women hypocrites they are euen so many hornes or powers set vp against God For this pride is alwayes in them to say what good Syr I beséech you if I deserue not to what purpose were it for mée to haue so many good deuotions to cause so many Masses to be soonge to haue chaunted so muche to haue runne so many times from one Aulter to an other to haue praied to such a Saint to haue made such such a feast To bée short they haue alwayes this cursed hellish opinion with them that God is bound greatly beholdē vnto them Thus we sée howe Satan so deceiueth them with such illusions as that they cannot possibly féele to what end the death passion of our lord Iesus Christ serueth them The other sort trust not to their merittes for drunkardes whoremongers and wanton people will not say wée are like vnto litle Angels we haue liued well we haue béen earnest in our deuotions But wil sport them selues as I haue alredie said and think to escape the hand of God by mocking and scorning And for this cause the Prophet calleth vs all here saith Consider yée poore soules in what case you stād vntil such time as God hath shewed you his compassion in our Lord Iesus Christ his Sonne For you haue al erred are al like lost shéepe Mark his meaning for he saith We all because he putteth in himself Yea verely for we haue alredie séene that the Iewes were included within this general curse of men because they thought that they should haue bin exempt out of it For they were euer thus foolish arrogāt as to think that because God had adopted chosen thē that they were a great deale more worthy then the rest Now the Prophet foldeth them vp here in euerlasting death vntil such time as they séeke for the remedie of their deliuerance in Iesus Christ We are then all included within this cōdemnation he putteth in this word All to the end there should be no exceptiō of any as if he should haue said And therefore let no mā brag of himselfe no not an inch to be iust before God to ouer slipt the remedy wherof I euē now spake for he that is the perfectest in the iudgemēt of men shal be foūd guiltie before the maiestie of god We sée héere then the meaning of the Prophet howbeit he is not for al that thus contented but saith That euery man is declined from his way But why repeateth he the saying of al to
corrupt wil hunt after euill in stéede of good vntil such time as our Lord Iesus Christ hath corrected reformed vs put into vs a right affection to obey him And this is it which the Prophet meaneth to declare Now let vs conclude that all such as tosse to fro doe depart frō our Lord Iesus For the Prophet saith That all the Patriarkes Prophets euery one of the holy Fathers and Martyrs haue néeded to be reconciled vnto God through the death and Passion of our Lord Iesus Christ For if Abraham the father of the faithful If Dauid the mirrour of al righteousnesse and if others such like as Iob Daniell who are called as it were the myrrours of all holinesse and perfection If these I say were poore strayed and lost shéepe vntill such time as they were recōciled by our Lord Iesus Christe Alas what shall become of vs And therefore when we shall séeke after our Mediators and thinke by their meanes to escape the destruction wherein wée are do wée not shew our selues too too vnthankefull vnto our Lord Iesus Christ And are not wée in the meane while too too voyde of sense and reason to craue any thing at their handes who also haue néede to runne for help to the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ For if necessitie inforceth vs to séeke for remedie we must goe vnto him vnto whom all the faithfull in euery age had recourse For neither Saint Peter nor yet Saint Paul ne the virgin Mary nor any whatsoeuer that are exempt frō it And therefore let vs learne to goe to the spring head and fountaine and drawe cut of that which is wanting vnto vs. For our Lorde Iesus hath wherewith to satisfie vs all and wée must not feare that the fulnesse of his grace can any way bée drawne dry but bée assured that he will giue to euery one his parte and portion thereof which will come to séeke for it Wherefore let vs come vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe and he will satisfie vs all But whosoeuer declineth from him either one way or other suche a one cannot bée holpen with that remedie which is offered vnto him but refuseth it asmuche as in him lyeth so that his vnthankfulnesse is a let for the inioying of the grace that is presented vnto him And so much the more shall wée bée inexcusable since this is dayly preached vnto vs. For God was not contented to haue sent his Sonne for a time to thrust him out to bée slaine and to beat him in his wrath although hée loued him as his onely sonne for notwithstanding he woulde cast him downe to the outward shew and vsed all the rigour that was possible against him yet was hée alwayes his best beloued sonne as alredy hath béene said howbeit all was to the end that we might bée pardoned yet was hée not I say contented with this but dayly deliuereth vnto vs this treasure to the end wée might inioy it hée declareth vnto vs that Iesus Christe who was thrust into the side hath at this day his hart as it were wyde open that wée might bée assured of the loue hee beareth vs and that as his armes were tyed fast to the crosse euen so hath he now stretched them out to imbrase vs and pull vs vnto him and woulde haue all these thinges to doe vs good and as hée hath shed his blood so would hée that wée should at this day bée plunged therein Wherefore when God so neatly inuiteth vs and that Iesus Christ also séeth before vs the benefite of his death and passion and telleth vs that his blood is alwayes freshe according to the saying of the Apostle to the Hebrewes that it is not like dry blood which becōmeth nothing Heb. 10 2◠but because it is sanctified by his heauenly power therefore this blood is continually fresh for the Apostle hath vsed this spéeche that wee might vnderstand that his power is not lessened but hath continually his full and whole strength such as it had from the beginning to the end wée myght all come and submit our selues vnto our Lord Iesus Christe And after wée haue confessed our sinnes and be ashamed of them let vs not doubt but that he is sufficient to giue vs such remedy as that we may conclude that God hath receiued and allowed vs as his own children and accounteth vs as righteous and perfect where before wée were abhominable in his sight Thus wée sée what we haue to learne out of this doctrine And because we sée that at this day some iest and mock and other some waxe proude presumptuous and thinke by their righteousnesse to satisfie God let vs deny all such blasphemies and in true faith and repentance séeke for our Lorde Iesus Christe and with all our affections submit our selues to him whenas we shall féele our selues thus charged with so insupportable a burden Let vs nowe fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God acknowledge our offences beséeching him to cause vs so to féele them as that wée may grone for them all our life longe and be moued to haue recourse vnto him and not to wander and roile in our foolish wicked and diuelish opinions But in vnderstanding that al our blessednesse and whatsoeuer els belongeth to our saluation is in our Lord Iesus Christ that it would please this our good God to make vs come wholy vnto him and so kéepe our faith as that we neuer be turned away from it And that it would please him also by his holy spirite so to worke in our heartes that we knowing our selues to bee fréely forgiuen of our sinnes might also acknowledge what a great pryce it cost and howe deare and precious it was vnto his onely Sonne that thereby wée might bée so much the more styrred vp to magnifie him And forasmuche as wee must bee healed by him that it woulde please him to cleanse vs dayly of all our faultes and sinnes vntyll such time as hee hath brought vs vnto that perfection wherunto wee ought to growe al our life long that it would please him not onely to shew vs this fauour but also vnto all people and nations of the earth c. The fourth Sermon of the Prophesie of Christe Isaiah liii 7 HEE was oppressed and afflicted yet did hee not open his mouth hee is brought as a sheepe to the slaughter and as sheepe before her sherer is dumbe so he openeth not his mouth 8 Hee was taken out from pryson and from iudgement and who shal declare his age for he was cut frō out of the land of the liuing for the transgression of my people was hee plagued WHen the Prophet had shewed that euery of vs was to looke into himselfe and vnto his owne sins if we woulde receiue any benefite by the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christe hée now saith that he suffered not cōstrainedly but willingly for if he had not done so we should neuer haue
wée might be exempt from it and that now in the middest of al our weaknes we should haue neuertheles life euerlasting which must be obtained by fayth vntil such time as it be throughly manifested vnto vs at his comming in the last day And this is the effect of that which wée are to learne out of this place Now the Prophet goeth on further and saieth That hee was cut of from out of the lande of the liuing receued the wounds which were due to his people This is a confirmation of that which wée lately handeled to wyt that the age of our Lorde Iesus Christ should not serue for himself alone but also for the whole body of his Church wherevnto hee is vnited and bounde as it were with an inseperable bonde For the Prophet sheweth that without it it might be saide that the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ should be vnprofitable Now this were a blasphemie not to be borne to think that the son of God came downe into the world to abide so cruel a death and to haue the iudgement of God fall so on his head as that he beare the punishment for our sinnes and was taken to bee the greatest malefactor in the world yet al this not to profit his faithful seruants ani thing at all yt might well inough be saide that this were as a man would say a very iest Wherfore the prophet bringeth vs back to this cōsideration that we should well vnderstand for what end purpose our Lord Iesus was thus scourged beaten And this came not by fortune as hath ben before declared Nether must wée looke only vnto that which men did and to those which vniustly slew him but wée must lift vp the eies of our faith vnto the counsell of God by which he had ordained that Iesus Christ should be sacrificed to the ende hée might purchase remission of our sinnes for vs. Wherefore since it is so we are alwaies to conclude that Iesus Christ suffered not for himselfe but receyued the woundes which were due to vs we are héere in this first place exhorted to enter into the knowledge and examination of our sins whenas the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christ is set before vs. It is very true the God therein powreth out the infinit treasures of his goodnes for indéede when S. Paul hath saide that we ar iustified by our lord Iesus that in staying our selues vpon his death passion we may boldly present our selues before god be glad that hée wil alwaies except of vs. After Saint Paul I say hath handled this doctrin that although we be miserable sinners yet wil not God cast vs off but vpholde vs because hée receiueth vs in the name of his only son he goeth on farther sayeth I beséech you Brethren euen in the bowels of the goodnes and mercie of God Wherin he sheweth that in the suffering of Iesus Christ we haue a testimony of the infinit loue of god as if he wold lay open his hart and shew vs his bowels to testefye vnto vs how deare and precious wée and our soules are vnto him Howbeit this is not sett downe to the ende wée shoulde sléepe and take pleasure in our sins For the more that God sheweth himself lyberal in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ so much the more ought wee to féele what a gréeuous thing it is for vs to become his enemies and fight against his iustice and cause him to set himselfe against vs for the grace which God sheweth vs in our Lord Iesus Christ ought to draw vs continually to repentaunce Now the papistes at this day go about falsely to accuse vs of the doctrine which we preach which is this that we must be saued by the frée mercy of God haue our whole recourse vnto Iesus Christ bicause we knowe that therein wee haue all our perfection of rightuousnes Now forsooth Sir say they you haue made a great speake for then euery man may liue as he lust and they néede neuer care any more for the offending of God Indéed these dogs may bark thus because they neuer knew what it is to tast of the forgiuenesse of sinnes For these hipocrites make a skorne at God and at all religion and haue neuer learned what it is to transgres the law of God And wee also sée how iollily they thinke themselues discharged if they haue once song a Masse bleated and masked and they think that God is as well pleased with this as a young Child is pleased with a pudding Thus we sée how these skorners of God can blaspheme the gospell but when we haue come once to the acknowledgment of our sins and know to what ende the inestimable grace of God is preached vnto vs without doubt wée shoulde bee touched with repentance and be mortally wounded with the horror of anguishe and payne when wée sée God to bee our enimie because wée haue prouoked him to wrath And this is héere the meaning of the prophet that Iesus Christ hath sustained the wonds which were due to vs. Wherin he sheweth that we can neuer liuely féele what good the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ hath done vs except we be inwardly throughly touched with the offending of our God wherby wee haue made him to become as our Iudge enemy vntill such time as we be reconciled vnto him by his méere goodnesse and mercy Now this is sufficiently declared to vs in the holy Scripture but héerein resteth the whole matter that wée applye our witte and studie thereto Math. 11.28 Neuerthelesse be as be may we sée that our Lorde Iesus Christ calleth none but such as doo labor and are heauy laden By this he excludeth all such as sléepe in their iniquities and flatter them selues in them or els which giue them selues to al lycenciousnesse without any feare of God And therefore they which are thus giuen ouer to all wickednesse cannot possibly come néere vnto our Lord Iesus Christ for who shall giue vs an entraunce vnto him but the voyce whiche calleth vs Euen so fareth it with them who are so proude and presumptiouslye blinde as that they make them selues beléeue that they are righteous through their owne deserts and surely he shutteth the gate against all such kind of people so that they can haue no hope that our Lord Iesus christ bringeth them any comfort or solace And why so forsooth because he thus saith come vnto mée who are they All the world Indéed this is true that he calleth all the worlde howbeit hee maketh a distinction of it for thus he saithe all yée that labor and are heauy loden For after he had called all such as had néede of his helpe hée sheweth that none can be partakers thereof but such as doo labor and are heauy loden And therfore when we shall féele our burden and so groane vnder it as that we are able to beare no more sée what a way
it meant was thus conuerted vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ let vs take good héede howe we play the sluggards but rather follow the Counsell of the Psalmist who saith To day if yée heare his voyce harden not your heartes Psal 95.8 And therefore let vs take such a tast of the doctrine which is here preached vnto vs as that wee may bee brought vnto our Lord Iesus Christ and so accept of him as that we may cleaue vnto him with a sure and constant faith that we may profite thereby and be strengthened euen to the end so that after we are truely humbled we may come and offer our selues vnto our God and beséeche him of pardon and forgiuenes and although we are vnwoorthy yet let vs not leaue lifting vp of our heades vnto heauen and fully assure our selues that God will accept of vs in the name of this great and mighty Redemer And although he was for a little while cast downe yet let vs come backe to this poynt that he was notwithstanding exalted aboue the heauens that as S. Iohn saith he might draw vs vnto himself Iohn 22.32 for thus it is said when I shal be exalted out of this world I will draw al things vnto my selfe Let vs now fal downe before the maiesty of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him to make vs otherwise féele them then héeretofore we haue done and that it would please him to open our eies and 〈◊〉 touche our hartes as that wee may submit our selues wholy vnto him and holde the meane whiche is set downe vnto vs in his worde that is to hate our selues and detest al our sinnes so that wée may be able to receiue the grace which he hath once shewed vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ and which hée would haue vs now inioy by the meane of the Gospell And so let vs all most humbly say O almighty GOD and heauenlye Father thou hast promised to héere all our requestes c. ¶ The fift Sermon of the Prophesie of Iesus Christ Isaiah L. iij 9 And he made his graue with the wicked and with the riche in his death though he had done no wickednesse neither was any deceit in his mouth 10 Yet would the Lord breake him and make him subiect to infirmities when he shall make his Soule an offering for sinne he shall see his Seede and prolong his dayes and the wyll of the LORDE shall prosper in his handes THe Prophet continueth héere the doctrine before specified to witte that there was such inimity betwéene God and vs as that the wrath of God could by no meanes be appeased but by Iesus Christ his answering of the same euen to the vttermost For by how much the more the suffering of the son of god was by somuch the more mai we gather how greeuous our sinnes are and how wonderfully God abhorreth them considering as wee haue héeretofore saide and as héereafter shall be more at large spoken that there is no superfluous nor vnprofitable thing in the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ And therefore for somuch as he was terribly tormented hee hath on the one side witnessed vnto vs his infinite goodnesse and loue and we on the other side are to looke what it is that our iniquities haue deserued before the maiestie of our good God Now it is heere sayde that ouer and besides that which hath beene alreadie recited that our Lord Iesus Christ was put to be skorned and shamed of the vngodly that they might euen glory and triumph ouer him for there is no doubt but that the Prophet by this word Graue ment to expresse that Iesus Christ was subiect to all rebuke and shame and that God woulde forsake him as it were for a season to the end the worlde might make no reckoning of him accordingly as it is set downe vnto vs in the Gospell For they did not onely crucifie Iesus Christ but they also put out their tongues at him rayling and scoffing and as much as in them lay went about to make him desperate Which thing was very well foretolde by the Psalmist to witte that the most wicked and vngodly should put out their tongues at him For this was the speech they had he hath saued others say they and therefore let him now saue him selfe if he can Why calleth not hee vpon his God Psal 22.8 Mat. 27.42 we shall see whether hee so greatly loueth him or no. We see then how the wicked wounded our Lord Iesus Christ and how furiously men outraged against him and it was to this end and purpose that we might finde so much fauour at the handes of God as to haue our sinnes couered and although Satan hath wherefore to accuse vs yet shall all the shame whervnto he is any way able to put vs be clearely buried Wherefore since our Lorde Iesus Christ would néeds beare all our blame and shame it was to this ende that all our filthinesse might be couered before the Lord our God so that they should neuer be able to come in minde any more And when the prophet speaketh héere of the Riche it is as much as if he had saide the most outragious kind of people For we know that when men are riche and in authoritie they goe about to make them selues to bée feared alwayes abusing their power and credit And this also we sée that very few or none of these men kepe any temperatnesse and measure either yet become gentle and mild when they may hurt But as for the poore soules although indéede they are fearce and cruel enough yet are they kept backe from dooing any harme euen by maine force thereby the mischief which they would gladly doe is not seene Howbeit as for the rich and mightie ones they are without all order and thinke whatsoeuer they doe is lawfull To be short the Prophet his meaning is that our Lord Iesus Christ was thrust into the hands of men to the end he might be so vilainously handled as that he was not woorthie to be accounted amongest the contemptible petie companions but to be taken as a worme of the earth and to haue all the mocks and skornes that might be to be laid vpon him Thus we sée the summ and effect of this first part Now he by and by after sayth That he had for all this done no wickednes whereby he ment to shew that that the son of God as touching himselfe being innocent would take vpon him all our burdens wherewith we were ouercharged for there was no mortall creature that was able to beare and suffer that which our Lord Iesus Christ dyd And so by that meane the prophet againe declareth vnto vs that it was not for his owne deserts neither yet was he guiltie of any thing whenas they thus cruelly and tirrannously vsed him but abod all this geare for our sakes And to say the truth if we looke well into the life of our Lord Iesus Iohn
such sort lead the whole course of this life as that he is séene to liue vertuously in the feare of God yet is hée neuer able to refraine his tongue but that there wyll appeare some light inconsiderate lying or dissembling spéeche in him To bée short it is saide that there was no deceite to bée founde in our Lorde Iesus Christe to shewe that in all his wordes and deedes hée was a myrrour of all holinesse Nowe it is most certaine that all the miseries which we féele are the very fruites of our sinnes For had we aboade in the same puritie wherein God set our father Adam our punishments should cease and bée abolished in the worlde And therefore the fruit of our sinnes is the cause of our punishments So then wée are to conclude that forsomuch as there was not found the least blot that might bée in our Lorde Iesus Christe he therefore beare the punishment which we were worthie of and deserued And marke besides why the Prophet addeth that God woulde make him subiect to infirmities This worde Infirmitie hath a large scope in the Scriptures for it importeth all the thinges which make men contemptible as wée sée in many places thereof For pouertie sicknesse griefe of minde or contemptiblenesse and a man that hath no good grace either to speake or do well neyther yet good gesture or behauiour nor habiltie of wit and discretion are al called in the Scripture infirmities To bée shorte this is to bryng vs backe to the thing which the Prophet hath already touched to wit that our Lorde Iesus Christe was like a deformed Creature and suche a one as in whom was no shew of reputation and credit amongst men And yet not such a one neither but that there appeared in him sure and certaine markes and tokēs that he was to bée honored as the onely Sonne of God Iohn 1.14 But it was in such sorte darkened by his sufferings and his infirmitie such as that there was no power or vertue séene in him and it séemed that there was no grace nor fauour in hym why hée shoulde bée estéemed and had in honour Wée must also call to minde the thing that hath béene before recited to wit that he was beaten and scourged by the hand of God suffered the horrible anguishes of his iudgement in his body beare the fearefullest torments that might be and ouer and besides all this he was so vily thought of as that he was not estéemed to bée placed amongst the most wicked and slauishe company Thus wée sée howe the Sonne of God was punished Wherefore since the case thus standeth let vs vnderstande that forsomuche as God spared not him that wée for our partes shall not bée spared and yet notwithstanding hée hath giuen vs occasion to humble our selues to the ende wée shoulde not waxe prowde and take in hand to iustifie our selues or els not cast our sinnes behind our backes but dayly thinke vpon them and bée ashamed whenas wée sée howe deare a recompence was made for them For is this such a triflyng matter If a miserable and wretched théefe shall haue committed many theftes and robberies and after that his wicked déedes were knowne the sonne of a King shoulde bée brought to be arrained and condemned for the same and so beare the punishment therof the théefe to be discharged and pardoned should he reioyce and make a scofe at him whenas he sée the sonne of a King to bée put to death and suffer the punishment that he deserued Euen so at this present fareth it with vs. For beholde howe Iesus Christe the onely sonne of God is imprisoned and wée deliuered hée condemned and wée pardoned he put to all shame and we receiued to honour at last hée descended into the bottomeles pit of Hell and the kingdome of heauen is set open for vs to enter into And therfore when we here al these things is it for vs to be drowsie headed liue securely and to delight and flatter our selues in our sinnes and iniquities Wherefore let vs well consider of the meaning of the holy Ghoste and alwayes weigh these wordes That it was the wyll of God to haue him thus afflicted as if hée shoulde haue saide Actes 2.23 4.28 That it is not for vs to thinke that our Lord Iesus was forsaken as that the wicked ones might torment him at their will and pleasure For as Saint Peter saith in the Actes of the Apostles They could doe nothing against him otherwise then had béen determined before by the secret counsell of God And therefore it is not for naught that the Prophete bringeth vs alwaies back to this that we must lift our minds vnto God acknowledge that he being iudge of the world would be satisfied for our sinnes offences euen in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ his only sonne to the end we might be discharged of thē and that it was not without cause that Iesus Christe was so rudely hādeled that we might looke vp the cherefullier and that we might vnderstād that God would not remēber our faults with made vs to be as it were detestable in his sight Wherefore when wée shall haue knowne all this we shall haue greatly profited not onely for a day but also all the dayes of our life For to say the trueth it is a doctrine wherewith wee must so acquaint our selues as that although we thinke we know it wel enough yet that we must not cease more more to cōforme our selues thereto And for that more liuely expressing héere of sée why the prophet goeth on further and saith That hee will make his soule an offering for sin to wit that Iesus Christ will forget his own life for the redéeming of our liues the price of our sinnes and iniquities Héere the Prophet againe setteth before vs the willing obedience of the Sonne of God For as hee hath saide that as it was the will of the father hee shoulde bee afflicted euen so likewise hée nowe saith that the Sonne yéelded himselfe willingly thereto thrusting himselfe forwarde to become a Sacrifice without force or constraint For the common maner of offering vp of Sacrifices vnto the Lorde God was alwayes done of a francke will and deuotion And therfore it must necessarily fall out that our Lorde Iesus Christe shoulde yéelde and offer vp himselfe to the death which he suffered For without that as yesterday was declared our rebellions had neuer béen repared before God But when he offered vp his soule to wit that he was prest and redy to suffer the condemnation that we deserued in this we may sée that we haue by his death full assurance of saluation And this he himselfe saith in the Gospell after Saint Iohn No mā Iohn 16.18 saith he shal take away my life but I wil fréely offer it vp my selfe In déede his life was taken from him when he was crucified and wée sée also how vngently furiously they dealt
Satan And therfore wée are so much the rather to make an obseruation of this doctrine That as God hath not set downe in the Law and saide You shall not serue mée this way and that as pleaseth you But placed and ordeined the sacrifices Ceremonies conteined in the Law thereon stay them selues without deuising any newe and strange kind of Seruice meane to obteine fauour grace Euen so likewise must we at this day be contented with the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christe because we know that that is the only meane by which God will be mercifull fauourable vnto vs by which also he wil receiue adopt vs vnto himselfe Thus we namely sée what it is that the Prophet meaneth to offer héere vnto vs. Now it is moreouer said That he will prolong his dayes that he shall see his seed to be permanent that the wil or plesure of the Lorde shall prosper in his handes Héere he bringeth vs yet once againe back vnto the consideration of the glory excellencie of our Lord Iesus Christ to the end wee might be so muche the more assured that we may come vnto him for if hée had remoued in death as a vanquished person it had béen impossible for vs to haue béen euer iustified quickened by his grace For how could death a lone haue brought righteousnes life with it as of it selfe but because of the sacrifice of his death he rose again therin resteth our ful whole cōfidēce Thus we sée that we haue obteined victory ouer sin to the end we might be takē to be righteous death is abolished in vs that wée might haue life In déede this in the first place hath relation vnto the person of the Sonne of God For as wée haue alredy said hée dyed according to the infirmitie of his fleshe 2. Cor. 13. 4. howbeit the heauenly power of his holy Spirite was shewed in his resurrection and heereof hée gaue this testimony for these were his wordes destroy yée this Temple and within thrée dayes I will rayse it vp againe Iohn 2.19 Loe héere howe the Sonne of God as touching his person did sée a great age For hee rose not againe to shew himselfe vnto the worlde for a whyle and then dye againe But after hée had shewed himselfe vnto his Disciples and made them witnesses of his resurrection hée ascended into heauen and so exempted himself from all humane frailtie This then it is whereon wee must builde our faith in him when as wee sée him to haue in such sort ouercome death and the Diuell and triumphed ouer him as that after that hée was offered vp for a Sacrifice hée was receiued and exalted vnto this power and dignitie whereof mention hath alredy béen made But wée must also note by the way that all this belongeth to the whole body of the Church for it is not the purpose of Iesus Christe to separate himselfe from it Heb. 2.11 And in déede it is further said that hee shall see his seed True it is wée are called the brethren of Iesus Christe For wée coulde not bée called the children of god but by the same name And therfore hée who is the onely beloued must receiue and ioyne vs so vnto himselfe as that we might haue that by adoption which is onely his by nature howbeit this is no let vnto vs from being as children ingendred of his séede For what is the true séede of the Churche Verily euen the worde of the Gospell as Saint Peter telleth vs. 1. Pet. 1. 23. 25. And in déede it is the very selfe same which we haue already séene veryfied vnto vs out of the Prophet Isaiah That the worde of the Lorde endureth for euer because by it wee are made incorruptible Isaiah 40.8 whenas wee receiue profite thereby according to that measure that it is giuen vnto vs by the holy ghost this then is the séede by which wee are regenerate into euerlasting life Howbeit wee must fyrst come vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe And how commeth it to passe that the Gospell hath this office and Property to beget vs to bée the children of GOD Forsooth the reason is this because the blood of our Lorde Iesus Christe was a true séede to quicken vs. And therefore it is not for naught sayde héere That hee shall see a seede of long continuance or an euerlasting seede So then wee are againe to conclude that the benefit which our Lorde obteined by his resurrection was not particuler for him selfe alone But that wée might haue parte thereof and be called vnto his company because we are members of his bodie Nowe wée are héere by the way admonished not to séeke for one droppe of life in our selues but to take it wholly from our lord Iesus Christ Why howe will God then acknowledge vs to be his children Howe shall wée haue any place in his Church Howe shall wée be taken to be of his flocke Forsooth wée must come to this point Because wée are partakers with our lord Iesus Christ Thus wée sée howe God accepteth of vs this is our begetting and first birth And nowe let our fréewill men goe and brag of their frée will by which they suppose them selues to be readie to receiue the grace of God For what abilitie is hée able to haue to doe eyther good or yll that is not yet begotten in the wombe of his mother Wherefore let vs vnderstande thus much that since our chiefe and first creation is this that we are begotten in Iesus Christ that wée are able to doe nothing neither yet that any thing procéedeth from our power and strength but that all whatsoeuer wée haue commeth from that frée goodnesse of his whereof we are made partakers And this is the summe and effect of all that which wée haue to consider of But by the way to the ende wée might also haue a great deale the better taste of his death passion it is saide Because hee gaue his soule an offring for sinne to wit for satisfaction or for sacrifice that hee should see his seede For wée right well shewe that wée would blot out all hope of saluation if wée glorified not the goodnesse of God in the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ And to say truely they that proudly disdaine to cleaue vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ because hée was crucified rightly declare that they haue not knowne the ende thereof For without it what should become of vs Surely wée shoulde haue no Church in the worlde there should be no saluation and to be short there should bée no hope of any goodnesse For without doubt wée should bée all remedilesse confounded lost and condemned without Iesus Christ had offred vp his soule bought vs againe by that onely meane 1. Cor. 6. 30. And for this cause the Scripture also oftentimes sheweth vs that wee were redéemed with no small price And thus much we
Hebr. 5.6 7.17 Forsooth because it is said that Iesus Christ was appointed to be the Sacrificer of God his Father And how Truely euen with a solemne oth I haue sworne saieth hée and doe not repent mée of it Here then we sée whervpon we should lay our foundation to wyt vpon the intercession of our Lord Iesus Christ because as Saint Paule saieth to the Ephesians we may come neare vnto God Ephes 3. ◠and present our selues vnto him when as our Lord Iesus Christ shall guide vs the way who as I haue alredie saide is hée that must bring vs into the fauour with him Now what would the Papists doe Forsooth euen make the sacrifice of our Lord Iesus Christ of none effect and to be nothing at all And when they will come with such a Deuilish boldnesse as to ouerthrow the vnchaungeable decrée of God how can they hope any way to be heard Let vs therefore conclude that all this doctrine was cleane buried in Poperie And why so Verely I know they will say that we are vnworthy to come before the Maiestie of God That is verie true and who doubteth thereof But let vs consider by the way where it is that we must séeke for our dignitie must we not séeke it in Iesus Christ alone And yet will they runne to the virgine Mary to Saint Michaell and to the Apostles and besides they will haue their Saintes of their owne deuising whiche were neuer heard of in the whole worlde before or else whiche were canonized at the Popes pleasure euen in the bottome of hell Loe here are their goodly Patrons and Aduocates But let it be that wée graunted the Papistes all this That their Saints which neuer were or els which were half Deuils phantasticall spirites had béene Apostles and Martyres and had liued as holily as were possible had not they I beséech you as great néede of a Medyator as the rest This is most certaine that the Virgine Marie could not finde grace before the Maiestie of God without the head and principall it was as néedfull for her that Iesus Christ should be her Redéemer as well as oures The Apostles Martyres Patryarches Mat. 11.28 and Prophetes had also the selfe same néed to runne vnto this common Redéemer of all men And what shall we doe when we goe about to séeke him Wherefore forsomuch as the Apostles doe sende vs vnto Iesus Christ and haue tolde vs that it is hée that must be our guide and stay and who inuiteth vs so louingly saying Come vnto mée c. Let vs not draw backward nor royle abroade but boldly drawe néere vnto him For hée spake not these woordes onely for the behoofe of the Apostles Martyres or for the Virgine Mary But his meaning was to entertaine vs all with him selfe as in déede it is most necessarie for vs. Let vs I say learne not to wander too and fro when we pray vnto God and let vs also vnderstande what a good turne hée hath done vs when as it hath pleased him to draw vs from out of this bottomlesse confusion of Poperie and sheweth vs an open plaine way to come vnto him to wit Because Iesus Christ is our Intercessour Let vs rest our selues there without turning either to the one side or yet to the other For this is out of all doubt that if our prayers be not ordered and squared according to the worde of God they are altogether vayne and of none effect and God vtterly reiecteth them and besides they can not be made in Fayth without the certaintie of them procéedeth from the trueth of God Now then if wée would build our Prayers vpon fayth they must be agréeable vnto the worde of God and wée must followe that which hée commaundeth vs and that is wee must take Iesus Christ for our Intercessour Aduocate and Mediator Thus wée sée what a proppe it is which hée giueth vs and what the foundation is wherevpon wée must stay our selues that we might not be shaken like Réedes with euerie winde Wée sée also why hée so often saieth Ioh. 14.15 15.16.16.24 Whatsoeuer yée aske my Father in my name hée will giue it you Yea and we our selues likewise sée that although the faythfull who liued vnder the law sée not so clearely as we at this day sée by reason of the Gospell yet had they Iesus Christ euer before their eyes euen vnder that figure which was giuen them For thus they say Psal 84.9 Looke vpon the face of thy Christ O Lord and heare vs for thine annointed sake Daniell likewise saieth O eternall God heare vs for the Lordes sake and this kinde of saying is in the Psalmes verie often repeated In déede all this was spoken by Dauid but it was because hée was a figure of our Lord Iesus Christ And besides Dan. 9.17 when Daniell saieth For the Lordes sake hée verie well declareth that it was the Redéemer that was promised and whose comming was then neare at hand Howbeit Iesus Christ speaketh more plainly Iohn 16.24 and saieth Hethertoo haue yée asked my Father nothing in my name But aske now and it shall be giuen you As if hée shoulde haue saide Hethertoo yée haue not knowne that mine office was to be a Mediator betwéene God my Father and you And in déede hée was not as yet ascended into heauen neither had he yet brokē the vayle of the Temple that we might haue accesse vnto him Hebr. 9.24 But we may nowe come verie familiarly vnto him because the vaile of the Temple is broken and Iesus Christ is entred not into a materiall Sanctuary as the Priests in the old law did but into heauen in the maiestie of God his Father that there with him wée might finde grace So that the Throne of God is not now a Throne of maiestie to feare vs but hée graciously and after a Fatherly louing maner calleth vs because wee came vnto him in the name and by the mean of this Priest which was appointed for vs. Thus then we sée that the intercession of our Lorde Iesus Christ is alwayes profitable and an inuicible strength for vs and that so forcible also that whē we come vnto him he will so heare vs as that we shall by proofe féele that whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lorde shall be saued Ioel. 2.32 Rom. 10.22 And although the Prophet Ioell spake these wordes before the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ yet the faithfull who liued in the time of the lawe did so practise it as that we our selues by their example ought to be conformable and assured we I say that haue the full perfection and accomplishment of all that was shadowed vnder the law that whē we come to pray and call vpon our God in the name of him who was established our Mediator we should in trueth alwayes féele him to make intercession for vs to the ende that all our petitions might be heard Let vs nowe fall downe
Egypt wée shoulde there sée their wonderfull vnthankfulnesse For when God commaunded them to goe against their enemies and promised them that they should haue victorie they woulde not goe on but murmured against him Why say they whether shoulde wée goe It shoulde séeme that hée goeth about to destroy vs and to sende vs lyke shéepe to the Butcherie Loe such was their rebellion Contrariwise when God saide stirre not they would néedes march on and would not be staide What say they wee loose time why march we not forwarde Héere we sée howe that wée will march when God sayeth we shall not againe when he saieth march on there is no man that will step one foote forward To be short it séemeth we woulde endeuour our selues to gainsay God Loe here our dealing Surely we are much of the boldnesse of mad men For they are strong and a mad man will be strong enough both to kill him selfe and others For when God woulde retire vs we are madde and would make hauocke of all thinges and againe when God would haue vs march on we are so slack as that euerie finger is a thumbe And therfore we are to beséech the Lord to graunt vnto vs the lyke grace that hée gaue vnto his Apostles that we stay when he commaundeth vs to stay and march on whē hée biddeth vs. Thus we sée why hée hath appointed to euery one his seuerall office and charge When he ordeined housholdes hée declared what authoritie the man should haue ouer his wife and family and what the womans obedience was vnto the husbande and the childrens to the Parentes so hée ordeined a lawe for euerie one And to the same purpose and effect was his ordinaunce for the administration of Ciuill gouernment For hée declared vnto Magistrates what their duetie was and howe they ought to vse the authoritie committed vnto them and to the Ministers of his worde likewise hée set downe a lesson in writing Thus wée sée that Iesus Christ hath so well ordered vs Rom. 14.25 as that if we haue any regarde vnto him we will attempt nothing which hée commaundeth vs not We sée also the saying of Saint Paule That whatsoeuer is not of Fayth is sinne Nowe if God leaueth vs in doubt of any thing that we haue to doe we cannot but continually sinne and therfore he hath set downe a rule vnto vs what we shal doe and what we shall not doe Wherfore let vs looke well that we be ruled by him and attempt nothing on our owne foolish braine Moreouer we sée that the Apostles staied in Ierusalem because Iesus Christ had so willed them yea although they knewe that God had ordeined them to that calling And although Iesus Christ had giuen them the holie Ghost by breathing vpon them neuerthelesse they might very well know that they were not as yet fenced as was méete Ioh. 26.22 but looked for the promise of the Father This promise as wée shall héereafter sée was the holie Ghost Wherefore wayted they forsooth it was euen for vs. Wée sée then héere that although Iesus Christ was ascended into heauen yet that hée had care of vs helpeth vs from thence neither is hée so farre from vs but that hée keepeth vs companie and gouerneth vs by his grace And héere wée sée why S. Luke sayeth that hée was taken vp into heauen after that hée had by his holie spirite giuen commaundement to his Apostles whom hée had chosen And hée went not thus away without thinking of vs. Howe then Forsooth hée gaue a charge vnto his Apostles and shewed them howe they shoulde gouerne them selues after they had receiued the holie Ghost And now wée haue héere a pledge that wée shall neuer want his helpe so that wée sticke vnto him Moreouer this is one notable comfort for vs that Iesus Christ béeing ascended into heauen hath all power and authoritie in his owne hande and is aboue all Creatures because hée is made Gods Lieutennaunt to the ende hée might rule all thinges both in heauen and in earth Nowe that wée might make our profite by this let vs marke that although God hath so highly exalted Iesus Christ as that all Creatures are subiect vnto him Col. 1.16.17.18 yet is hée our head and that this his great rule and Empire is all for our benefite if so be we are his members But hée can not be our head without we be truely vnited vnto him This then is the full assuraunce of our saluation which is that because Iesus Christ is ascended into heauen and ruleth all thinges insomuch that the verie Angels are his subiectes both they and all the rest of the Creatures shoulde minister to vs herein And againe hée so fast and sure holdeth in the Deuilles as that they can doe nothing without his leaue Wherefore we are assured that they can doe vs no hurt And why so Forsooth because they were not able any way to stand against him Moreouer wée must ioyne this glorious power with that knowledge which wée héere haue not as though it was doone but for that present but the power thereof extendeth it selfe euen vnto vs because it reacheth ouer heauen and earth Nowe this witnesseth vnto vs that hée is with vs whenas wée vnderstande his word because hée hath so promised and hée vseth not to lye as men doe Thus wée sée howe sure wée are of his presence and wil defend vs by his holy spirite For els what should become of vs Euery thing woulde make vs quaile because wee are as fraile as is possible Contrariwise wée sée howe the Diuell is armed at all pointes against vs. And therfore it is néedefull that God shoulde assist vs with his holy spirite that wée might withstande all his forces Wée sée then that although the body of our Lorde Iesus Christe bée farre from vs yet are wée néere him through his power and might which thing hée sheweth vs in the Supper and therefore are to apply this doctrine to our selues For the bringing of which to passe wée must not approch vnto him as many doe which come vnto him like beastes but let vs vnderstand what it is that is there giuen vs. When wée see God giue vs foode for our bodies it is a great blessing But wée come not thither to fill our paunches Why so Because it signifieth vnto vs that wée ought not to séeke for our bodily sustenance therein For as Saint Paule saith 1. Cor. 11. 22 Wée haue houses to eate and drinke in and therefore wée came not hither to fill our bellies Wherefore then Forsooth it is a testimonie that Iesus Christe will féede our soules What shall our soules bee fed with bread and wine No no that is not the meaning For there is nothing wherewith they can bée fed but with Iesus Christe For they must bee mainteined with euerlasting life which the Angels themselues cannot giue For as they had no being from eternitie so also may they haue an ende And
aydeth vs. Rom. 5. 4. Thus we sée that although God deliuereth vs not foorthwith yet leaueth he not vs euer languishing For so long as we are able to say that we haue life God promiseth to assist vs against all assalts and to deliuer vs howbeit we must warre against all the temptatioÌ„s of our flesh so long as we are in this world That is very true But if we looke into the shortnes of our life shal we finde it to be of any long continuance No 2. Pet. 3.8 For a thousand yeares are as but one day with God If we coÌ„sider theÌ„ of this it wil be no charge vnto vs to abide it all our life long Let vs now sée wherefore hée said that it should be within a short time after And so let vs learne to make our profit vpon this place which is not onely to vnderstand that Iesus Christ spake it to his Apostles but that it was also spoken to vs. True it is that we receiue not the holy Ghost in a firie maner and yet this office was not giuen to Iesus Christ in vaine and we haue also the power thereof neither hath hée taken Baptisme a way with him But euen as hée hath left vs the signe so likewise is it eftsoones a manifest proofe that he will alwayes bée present with vs to make this Sacrament availeable vnto vs by his holie spirite And we must also acknowledge that we are altogether polluted to the ende we might goe to Iesus Christ and bée made cleane by him In déed this counsell would neuer come from our selues and therefore must God by the admonitions which he hath set downe for that purpose bring vs to Iesus Christ for the finding out of the trueth of Baptisme And let vs noâ— be 〈◊〉 foolish as to thinke that any creature is able to helpe vs But let vs goe directly on to Iesus Christ and acknowledge him to be wholy ours Surely when it is saide That he baptizeth although we sée him to be far froÌ„ vs aduanced vnto this excelleÌ„t maiesty aboue al other creatures a man would thinke that this might bée an occâ—sion for vs to mistrust but because hée is our brother wée haue a ready way to come vnto him Let vs therefore beléeue that hée will stand to his promise and that whatsoeuer hée hath said is vndoubtedly true and besides that it will not bée long too Wherefore when wée haue abidden a day let vs also bée ready to tarrie a moneth and looke vnto that euerlasting kingdome and so without doubt wée shall not onely steppe for ward but also continue to goe on vntil such time as wée haue attained vnto the marke which is set before vs. And according to this doctrine let vs fall downe before the face of our good God and beséech him not to punishe vs for our sinful life past but so renue vs with his holy spirit as that we cease not marching on vntil such time as we be come vnto this glorie wherof he hath already giuen vs some taste and féeling And so let vs say O Almighty God and heauenly Father c. The third Sermon of the Ascention Actes first 6 VVHen they therefore were come together they asked of him saying Lorde wilte thou at this time restore the kingdome of Israel 7 And hee saide vnto them it is not for you to knowe the times and the seasons which the father hath put in his owne power 8 But yee shall receyue power after that the holy Ghost is come vpon you and yee shal bee witnesses vnto mee both in Hierusalem in all Iurie and in Samaria and euen vnto the worldes ende IF wée could enter into the consideration of our weakenesse whenas God forsaketh vs we should doe our selues greate good Nowe vnder this woorde weaknesse I meane all our vices and imperfections as very féeble thinges and easily to bée ouercome with euery temptation according to the corruption and peruersenesse of our grose wits and mindes Wherefore whenas wée shal haue déepely considered of these thinges wée must pray vnto God and beséech him to haue an eye to the remedying of all the miseries wherunto wée are subiect Thus we sée I say how wée shal greatly profite our selues by the consideration of these things We haue therfore to note the matter which Saint Luke setteth downe héere in this place because hée declareth how grosse mynded the Apostles were hauing béen taught by the space of thrée whole yéeres from the mouth of our Lorde Iesus Christ all whatsoeuer belonged to their saluation Héere then wée sée that they are like vnto young Schollers as if they had neuer vnderstood one woord of that which was taught them And what is the reason Forsooth wée should bée continually vnable to any goodnesse without GOD shoulde firste correct this ignoraunce which is a thing that ought greatly to humble vs. And therefore wée must vnderstand that our hearing of whatsoeuer is saide vnto vs will bée to no purpose and that because it is spoken as vnto a Blocke vntil such time as God taketh away the grosnesse of our corrupt nature for els wée shall neuer vnderstand what hée saith vnto vs by reason his woord is farre beyong our reach Neither néed wée any other proofe to coÌ„demne the ignorance of the Apostles theÌ„ their own words For the questioÌ„ which they asked Iesus Christ was foolish of no valure but only a superfluous curiosity whenas they saide vnto him wilt thou at this time restore the kingdoÌ„ of Israel now by saying at this time they declared that they would eueÌ„ at the first dash haue come to honor without any more paynes taking whereas they were called to take paines for the plaÌ„ting of the gospel throughout the world they wold in no wise away with that but be forth with filled with al maner of prosperity with was a double fault besides wheÌ„ they spake of the Kingdome they â—ayled also in that For they thought our Lorde Iesus Christ should haue béen an earthly King and reigne after the manner of worldly Princes and so they being neare about him should take no paine nor haue any harme but liue honourably with great offices and in high dignitie And they fayled also in naming of Israel because they restrained the grace of God to Israel which hée had promised to all the world Thus we sée that they spake neuer a word which was not false and erronious Moreouer Iesus Christ reproued them with the answere which hée made them and although hée saide not flatly you are deceiued yet the wordes which hée vsed declare no lesse but that hée spake them to their reproofe when as hée saide It is not for you to know the times and the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power hée reproued them of this fonde curiositie for where they shoulde haue enquired after some necessarie or profitable matter their mindes roued at curious thinges and of no valure Howbéeit we must
it is true It should séeme then that his meaning is that wée ought not to make enquiry after these thinges No not so for that is not the thing which the father hath in his owne power whereof Iesus Christ spake vnto his Apostles that it is not for them to know of it but hée spake of thinges which hée reserued a part vnto himselfe and the knowledge of which is cléerely forbidden vs and therefore not for vs to know of it Now hée hath declared vnto vs the thinges which come by order of nature that winter must bée cold and Summer whot For if wée haue any great colde in Summer let vs vnderstand that such a peruerting of the order of nature commeth by reason of our sinnes and that for the horriblenesse of them wée iustly deserue that all thinges shoulde bée turned out of course Howbeit God ceaseth not to helpe all those things So thē since God hath declared this vnto vs hée hath not reserued it to himselfe alone For hée would not haue vs to imagine his power to bée a superfluous power but the thing which hée would not haue vs know hée so kéepeth backe as that wée shall neuer bée able to vnderstand it This saying then of Iesus Christ it is not for you to knowe the times seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power is as much as if hée had sayde Bée contented with that which I haue sayde vnto you and hold you there For if you would enter into disputation with him to enquire after that which he would not haue you knowe It woulde turne to your confusion séeyng hée hath not spared to let you vnderstande whatsoeuer hee thought to bée méete for you to knowe Nowe if wée woulde goe beyonde this this were as a man would say to set our selues against him Let vs sée then what we are to note out of this place to witte wée must learne to submit and kéepe our selues within a compasse and not séeke after that which God would not haue vs know and diligently vnderstand and search to know whatsoeuer hée woulde haue vs for to learne And ouer and besides all this let vs not bée too too inquisitiue and say Why is this and wherefore is that But let vs take héede of such curiousnesse as of a deadly Plague Now this can no man doe without euery of vs violently striueth against his owne nature for we are naturally inclined to such foolishnesse as to leaue the principall matter which is most necessary for vs and to occupie our heads about that which is neither necessary nor profitable but onely foolish and vaine curiousnesse as euery of vs for our own part sheweth himself As for example behold wée haue the Gospell the very fountaine of all wisedome which teacheth vs to beléeue in God to runne onely to him and cal vpon him to the end we might fight against all our carnall affections to submit our selues wholy obedient vnto him Loe this is the very meaning of our Lord throughout all the Scripture Now wée thinke this to bée but a small matter to vnderstand euery of vs séeketh to sticke vnto such thinges as God woulde not haue vs knowe wée woulde faine contruoll our Lorde and wee thinke hee had doone better if hée had doone otherwise Marke how it fareth with vs. And therefore as I haue said If we would put this doctrine in practise and not bée curious wée must euery of vs brydle his nature because it driueth vs into such imaginations whereby man is not contented to consider of God in the creation of the world although these workes therein are enough wherewith to satisfie vs. But what Wée forget euen those his workes which he wrought for our redemption a worke without length depth breadth and heigth and goe about to enquire why God so greatly busied himselfe in the creation of the worlde Ephes 3.18 séeing it is not yet seuen thousand yéeres since it was made But let vs note that before God created the worlde hée had made Hell to throwe suche curious searchers into And surely hée had great reason in it for ouer and besides that this curiositie of entring into such thoughts is worthie reprehension what a boldnesse is this to lift our selues vp against GOD in lifting vp our selues against his workes as though wée thought them not to bee good We sée therefore that we must content our selues with the things which God hath giuen vs to vnderstand for although we haue beheld them all our lyfe long yet haue we not haue had time inough to vnderstand the least part of them And let euery man know that he must obey whatsoeuer Iesus Christ hath saide and not enquire after that which the Father hath reserued to himself to wit the thinges which are not declared by his word Héereby we sée that he sheweth vs our vncapablenesse which hée more and more confirmeth in this that followeth saying But you shall receiue power after the holy ghost is come vpon you and then shall you be better able to vnderstand the thing whiche God hath declared vnto you In this Iesus Christ aduiseth vs that wee doo rashly in enquiring to vnderstand farther of any thing then God declareth vnto vs For it is as if wée who haue no winges would flye beyond the Moone séeing that if wée knew our state wée would be very warie how wée aduaunced our selues as wée are wonted to doo And héerein we are diligently to note this saying The power of the holy ghost comming vpon you Which is as much as if he had said vnderstand yee poore and miserable wretches What you are what spirite haue you to vnderstand so hie thinges how is it possible for these thinges to enter into you Learne therefore to humble your selues rather and acknowledge your ignorance and pray vnto God In summe wée haue héere a generall aduertisment that whiles God leaueth vs to our owne wittes we are as bruitishe as maye be and the least thing in the world will dull vs so that wee shall not be able to vnderstand the least percell of scripture although it be handeled before vs péecemeale And therfore this vnderstanding must come from God who of his méere goodnesse bestoweth it vpon vs. For although we haue the Scriptures expounded vnto vs it is none otherwise then as if the Sun shined vpō vs being stark blinde Wherfore there remaineth nothing for vs but to beséech the Lorde to helpe our ignoraunce Let vs now come to the seconde errour which is they woulde haue bene honorable at the first and besides they would haue lyued according to their harts desire without any paines takinge Now this is a falt which is common vnto vs all for there is neuer a man in the worlde but desireth to reigne with Iesus Christe in that euerlasting kingdome which he hath promised But when we are tolde of the bearing of his Crosse and of fightinge against Satan the world and our owne flesh when we
in doubte to bée drawne this way and that wee must altogether endeuour our selues to haue a regard to our consciences and then is Iesus Christe our Phisition who is able to remedy vs. And according to this doctrine let vs fal down before the Maiestie of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him not to remember our life passed but to giue vs warning thereof to the end that wée being ashamed of our selues it would please him so to gouerne vs as that after this life wée might reigne also with him And so let vs say O Almightie God and heauenly father c. The fourth Sermon of the Ascention Acts first 9 AND when he had spoken these thinges while they beheld hee was taken vp an high and a cloude receiued him vp out of their sight 10 And while they looked vp stedfastly towarde heauen as he went behold two men stood by them in white apparrell 11 Which also said yee men of Galilee why stand ye gazing vp into heauen This same Iesus which is taken vp frō you into heauen shall so come euen as you haue seene him goe into heauen NOw we haue at this time to hādle the matter which S. Luke héere setteth down of the Apostles beholding of the Ascention of our Lord Iesus into heauen Now it is not enough for vs that we knowe the hystorie but wée are also to note that hée setteth downe this as a chiefe Article of our Faith and surely the Articles of our faith are not onely profitable but also necessary for our saluation Howbeit wée shall neuer profite our selues greatly by the Ascention of our Lorde without we know it to be true in déede And therefore Saint Luke saith that the Apostles sawe him ascend and saith besides that they abode stil gazing there vntill such time as they were told that they must tarry no longer but returne to Ierusalem to doe their office as was commanded them vntill the iudgement day Thus we sée what he saith of the Ascention of our Lorde to the end it might not be called againe into question Very true it is that is saide that they are blessed which haue beléeued and not séene Wherefore wée must beléeue this Ascention rather then if wée had séene it for since the Apostles see it Iohn 20.29 and tell vs of it it is not for vs any whit to doubt thereof Let vs nowe come to the wordes of S. Luke That a clowd receiued him vp out of their sight Now here might a questiō be asked why the heauens opened not that the Apostles might haue séen the glorious estate of our Lord Iesus But there was great reason why they should loose the sight of him by meane of a cloude because our Lord knoweth well enough our condition and therefore for the correcting of our high minds it is good we should be restrained Yea verily for if the Apostles had séene into heauen wée woulde haue taken occasion thereby to haue growne hautie as wée sée in déede we are thereto ouermuch giuen For we are too too mad headed and without modestie to desire to vnderstand euen those secretes of God which hée woulde not haue vs to knowe And therefore it was expedient that this clowde shoulde be betwéene them and him By this then wée are let to vnderstande that we must be humbled and not be so arrogant as to ascend vp into the heauens to search after the workes of the Lord. And this instruction are we to learne by this place Now it is saide that there appeared two Angels but Saint Luke calleth them men according to the common maner of the Scripture For because Angels are naturally spirituall wee cannot sée them except they shewe themselues in some visible shape Wée sée now the reason why our Lorde would from the beginning haue them appeare in mens shapes Howbeit he left alwaies som token with them that they might bée knowne to be Angels For if we vnderstand thē to be only as mortall men we would neuer do them that honor which vnto them apperteined which woulde derogate from the giuing credite vnto their message And therefore God alwaies set a marke on them that we might know them For beholde why it is héere saide Iohn 20.12 that they were clad in white apparrell and in the resurrection also of Iesus Christe they appeared in white garments Héerein then the mind of our Lord was to declare that wée should reuerently receiue them and vndoubtedly credite their message Thus I say we sée why S. Luke heere sayth that they were apparrelled in white garments Now we are héere to note all the circumstances of this matter for God would not haue any one of them to be lost nor yet ouerslipt such is his infinite wisedome ouer all the worlde If the Angels then haue such a Maiestie in their appearance vnto vs what shall we say of the glorious appearing of our good God For the brightnesse of God his glorious Maiestie is not only as the brightnesse of the Sunne but farre excelling the brightnesse of an hundred thousand Sunnes if they shoane héere all at once in the world So then whenas wée sée that the Angels should be so precious vnto vs as that wée should so wonderfully reuerence them we must consider what the Maiestie of God is to bée spoken of yea euen the very thinking of him shoulde cause vs meruellously to worship him and acknowledge our selues to be no body in respect of him who is maiestie it selfe And thus wée sée what is meāt by the speaking of the maiestie of Angels although they appeare but in mens shapes Now let vs come to their spéech Yee men of Galilee say they why stand yee gazing vp into heauen It is cōmonly thought that the Apostles were héere called Galileans by way of reproche for wée sée that the Galileans were of no greate estimation in the world And therfore this was the opiniō that went of thē as if the Angels should haue said O yée miserable blockheads know ye not that as hée is ascended vp into heauen that so hee shall also come againe Howbeit you perceiue not why this was thus spoken and in this sense And therefore let vs vnderstand that the angels called the Apostles galileans because they were taken to be such Iesus Christ was also so called and when the Disciples should haue béen accused to be of the company of Iesus Christ it was asked thē Matth. 2◠Are not you also of Galilée And sithēce the death of our Lord Iesus the wicked haue vsed this saying as may be perceiued by the wicked Apostate Iulian who at his death said Thou hast ouercome mée O Galilean being angry and dispited with Iesus Christ because he felt that hée had ouercome him And so were the Apostles called héere Galileans because they were taken for those countrie men Moreouer it is not without cause that the Angels héere reproue them For they knewe that Iesus Christe should ascend into
corrupt and defiled For let our mindes be searched our affections and desires examined and they will be founde altogether soule and stinking And therefore we must be as men new perboyled that God might purge vs after a straunge maner Agayne wée are on the other side as colde as may bée Wherefore wée had néede to bée enflambed with the loue of GOD and where wée are wholly geuē to the world let vs looke vp into heauē which must bée brought to passe by his word Thus we sée to what purpose this historie serueth vs at this day In the first place it is to the end we might receiue the doctrine of the Gospel as a certain and vndoubted truth because it beareth about with it the marke of God is sealed with his holy spirite and is also an excellent testimonie of our adoption Wée sée then how we are brought to obedience by reason that God hath allowed and confirmed his Gospel to the ende our faith shoulde not be changeable and wée become wauering for the altering of our mynde and opinion But that wée shoulde goe on continually in the right way vntil such time as we haue finished our course Here we sée howe by the power of the spirite of God our faith shal ouercome the worlde Colos 2.23 For as wée haue already said and as S. Paule also saith if we should buylde vpon the wisedome of men what should become of it But so long as we haue the spirite of God for our ground woorke let vs be sure neuer to bee shaken In the meane while wée haue to cōsider with our selues because God maketh vs at this day Partakers of the thing which we haue of late declared that is let vs call vpon him with one accord although I say we are deuided in tongues besides let vs become new mē through the doctrine which is preached vnto vs in such sort as that we might know that there is fire in it to change and cleanse our minds wits hearts frō al the corruptiōs of this world For although Gods chosen people are brought home agayne by the meane of the Gospel yet sée wée the enemies of the truth become more cruel and rebellious so that it is euen sufficient to set all the worlde together by the eares as by experience at this day may bée séene For during the time that the Gospel was not preached all the world liued carelesly and quietly and there were not many questions nor disputatiōs And how so Forsooth because the diuel then raigned without gainsaying But when our Lord Iesus appeared with the pure doctrine of the Gospel what skirmishing was there foorthwith Wée sée also at this day what contentions there are amongst those which beare the name of Christians So much the rather therefore are wée to beséech the Lorde to make vs féele wherefore the holie Ghost descended vpon his Apostles and to beséech him also to graunt vs that grace that we may obediently testifie that it was to gather vs together that where before we were seuered wee might nowe bee conioyned vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ as members of his bodie and let him bee our true head Moreouer for the attayning thereto we are also to beséech him so to strēgthen vs as that our hearts may be set on fire where now they are key colde and also to perboyle vs that the corruptions of our nature might be scoombed of and to be short that we might bée so renued as that wee might be quite and cleane separated from the worlde Wée shal oftentimes sée how the word of God becommeth a fire but it is after another sort euen to cōsume those which speake against it according to that saying of the prophet Ieremiah where he sheweth that it fared euen so with the children of Israel whom the worde of God consumed like straw and stubble for their wickednesse and rebellion And I beséech you let vs sée how many at this day can pleade not guiltie because they stubbornely lifte vp themselues against God like foming wild beasts or els some scorning and profane men who set themselues against God not geuing any authoritie or honour vnto his holy word In very déede these people shal neuer make the worde of GOD vnprofitable not yet without power but it will consume them like a whot consuming fire to cender and ashes Let vs therefore make this obseruation why it was the wil of God to haue the holie Ghost appeare in fyery tongues Surely it was to this end and purpose that the faithfull might vnderstande that they had great néede to be so touched to the quicke as that GOD might chaunge and renue them Thus wee see in summe what wee are to consider of for the better applying of this historie to our vse Howbeit ouer and besides al this let vs marke the twoo principall poyntes of fayth and then let vs returne to our selues and vnderstand what wée woulde doe if GOD wrought not therein First of all there is in faith knowledge and certayntie and next of all is assurednesse and constancie Now whē God speaketh we are euē deaf at his words bicause our mindes are altogether set vpon this world and indéed we wil account all the wisedome that is conteined in the Gospell to be verie foolishnesse vntill such time as God hath enlightened vs. 1. Cor. 2.14 In the first place therefore God must open our hearres for the vnderstanding of this trueth for sticking thereto otherwise we shall be both deafe blockish without apprehending of this word Thus much then for this point Nowe for the second point it shall stand vs in hand stoutly to withstand all the assaultes attempts wherewith Satan assaileth vs and to be well armed appointed for the same purpose And how is it possible for vs to be so vntill such time as God hath put to his helping hand and there is no way to help that but by the onely power of the holy Ghost And therefore although we be an hundreth times taught the Gospel yet forsomuch as wée are light fickle brained we should soone be pulled from it if God did not strengthen vs therin yea and at this day it is so full of perils threates as that the silly faithfull soules can no sooner open their mouthes to call vpon God but that they are foorthwith at the point to be put to death neither can they any sooner confesse their faith but that the fire is lightned vtterly to abolish the memorie of our Lord Iesus Christ Since then it is so mightily stood a-against as that they who should defend the Christian faith Satan hath enflamed thē if it were possible vtterly to ouerthrow al must not God therfore shew his power herein We are then at this day taught by experience admonished what néede we haue to put in practise the thing cōteined in this history thervpon pray vnto the Lord beseech him that as his wil pleasure was to testifie
shall neuer perish as hée himself hath said Iohn 6.39 10.28 Wherfore let vs submit our selues vnto our lord Iesus Christ if we will féele the benefite accomplishment of the thing which S. Luke here speaketh of to our saluation to wit that God doth not onely speake to our eares his voice resounde in the ayre But his doctrine also pearseth our heartes that wée might be so enflamed perboyled renued as that we might cast away the corruptions of this world So that as we would be taken allowed for his people we might in trueth call vpon our God in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto whō we are conioyned to this end that he might perfectly vnite vs vnto God his father And therfore behold why this holy Table is at this present made readie for vs. For as I haue before said we cannot possibly be partakers of any of the graces of the holy Ghost but by being the members of our Lord Iesus Christ Now how can we attain therto without he offer himself vnto vs biddeth vs vpon such a condition as truely ioyneth vs vnto him and he so dwelleth in vs as that whatsoeuer hée hath is oures whereby we might enioy the benefites which were graunted to him in our name Isaiah 11.2 It is said in the prophesie of Isaiah That the spirit of God rested on him howbeit it was not because he had any néed of the same nor yet for his own priuate vse But it was for the benefite of his whole body to wit the whole Church Let vs then know that since the Supper is at this time offred vnto vs that the meaning of our Lord Iesus is that we shoulde séeke all our felicitie in him And because we are very farre from him he of his great goodnesse commeth neare to vs. In very déed hée leaueth not his heauenly glory For we must not thinke that hée descendeth héere below as the Papists imagine to bestowe his body and blood vpon vs But although wée are farre from him yet ceaseth hée not to refresh vs with his body and blood neyther let vs leaue so farre foorth as shall be néedefull for vs to bée perfectly vnited to him Nowe marke why I say perfectly although in very déede hée maketh vs go on in some measure but yet how euer it is let not vs leaue to ioyne our selues to him And let vs vnderstand that hee will not deceiue vs of our hope séeing hee hath declared vnto vs that hée is our head and wée his members and that if wée suffer him to gouerne and guide vs wée shall finde him to bée a good and sure guide and the power of his holy Spirite to bée infinite to defend vs. In the first place then when wée come to this holy Table Let vs vnderstand that it is a secrete surpassing our capacities and therefore wee must héere giue place vnto faith And let vs know that the thing which wée cannot conceiue and vnderstand is notwithstanding accomplished by the secret and inuisible grace of the holy Ghost for sée how we are made partakers of the body blood of our Lord Iesus Christe Moreouer since hée dwelleth in vs and that wée are truly and in déed his body let vs not doubt but that whatsoeuer Isaiah speaketh of the graces of the holy Ghoste they belong and are proper vnto vs In very déede wee receiue not the holy Ghoste perfectly Ephe. 4.7 because there is a measure of the gift according to the saying of Saint Paule and wée must increase in it more more Besides it is not without cause that our Lorde Iesus hath so distributed it to vs by certaine and sure portions and degrées For it is néedefull that his power shoulde bee made perfect in our weakenesse to the end wée might hang alwayes vpon him 2. Cor. 12.9 and carefully call vpon his holy name that wée myght also bée humbled because wee know that there are many things in vs which may be amended Wée see then that wee should vnderstand that Iesus Christ dwelleth not in vaine in vs because hee will effectually witnesse vnto vs that his holy Spirite will powre foorth his power to strengthen vs in him that we might forsake this world and come vnto heauen It is said in that place of Isaiah That the Spirit of wisedome rested vpon him by which hée meaneth to shew that we are nothing but darknesse and miserable blinde foules and in steed of thinking our selues to be both able and skilfull wee shal alwaies peruert and falsifie the trueth of God vntill such time as hée inlightened vs and graunted vs an heauenly cléerenes which commeth not vnto vs either by birth or yet by inheritance And it is said besides that he hath the spirite of the feare of God and al because our desires are so many enimies against the will of God vntill such time as they be refourmed Rom 8.7 and altogether chaunged Besides it is said also that he hath the spirite of power to the ende we might vnderstand our weakenesse so that we coulde not choose but quaile if we were not strengthened from aboue wée shoulde then feele al these things whenas we should come to the receiuing of the testimonie which is héere set downe vnto vs and we should be persuaded that as mortall men distribute the bread and wine euen so will our Lord Iesus worke therein because it is done by his authoritie in his name is no deuised thing of mans braine but that Iesus Christe is the Authour thereof Thus we sée wherunto we must apply this history Moreouer let vs bée so vnited vnto this head as that wee may worship our God with one heart and one mouth and in the meane while let vs ioyne our selues together For it is not said that the apostles ioyned with all in one accord Because al the whole towne of Ierusalem was an enimie vnto them and yet although they were but few in number and a contemptible people they ceased not to persist and ioyne themselues together vnder the Ensigne or banner of God in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Euen so thē séeing there are such a number of Curre Dogges barking against vs and that the Diuell raiseth vp so diuersly many troubles let vs ioyne our selues together so much the more constantly and let not the bond of our concord bée loosed Rom. 12.18 that wée may by that meane be able to set our selues against Satan all his supporters True it is that we ought generally to séeke for peace with all men without exception For we should loue those which hate and persecute vs and wish them good although they deserue it not and yet wee must be their enimies for otherwise we should separate our selues from Iesus Christe And therefore let vs set our selues against all the world and let vs besides vnderstand that we must forsake our selues to be ioined to our Lorde Iesus Christe and he doth
vs no hurt nor wrong in raysing vp the incredulous people against vs whenas we goe about to make an accord amongst our selues and to ioyne and vnite our selues together in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and let vs also vnderstand that he alloweth and liketh of our accord and although we are but a handfull of people yet let vs boldly contemne the worlde and all Satans adherents gods enimies And although in respect of them wée are nothing let vs not doubt but that God alloweth of vs and dwelleth amongst vs. At what time that S. Luke described this matter here in this place the Sacrifices were vsed in the Temple as they had béene before time and the Priest was there present in all his dignitie and pontificalibus There was also the common order of all their glorious and glittering shew so that a man would haue thought that God had been tyed to this people Now the holy Ghost descended but vpon one house nay rather but vpon one chamber wherein the poore fearefull Disciples were euen like silly lambes coÌ„passed about with wolues A man would haue thought that the state of these people was miserable and yet see the holy Ghost appeared vnto this little and simple company Euen so although we at this day be contemptible in the worlde no great number yet let vs not doubt but that the Sonne of God will poure out the power of his holy spirite vpon vs and cause vs to féele his graces so farre foorth as he séeth to bée néedefull and therfore let vs be so coÌ„tented with this inestimable benefit as that we enuie not the prosperity of the vngodly enimies of God and that hee doth vs no wrong that the worlde despâ—eth vs and bee taken for rotten meÌ„bers let this bée but as a matter of nothing vnto vs so that we remain vnited and ioyned together I meane in that vnite which we haue by the meane of the Gospell and of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the fountaine of all goodnesse and life and in whom also is all perfect ioy Now let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him to forgiue vs them to correct vs for them wholy to rid vs of them And so let vs al say O Almightie God and heauenly Father c. The second sermon of the descending of the holy Ghoste Actes 2. 13 OThers mocking saide These men are full of newe wine 14 But Peter standing forth with the eleuen lift vp his voice and said vnto them Yee men of Iury and all yee that dwell at Ierusalem be this known vnto you and heare my wordes 15 For these are not drunken as yee suppose seeing it is but the third houre of the day Ioel. 2.28 16 But this is that which was spoken by the Prophete Ioell 17 And it shall come to passe in the laste daies saith God that I will powre out my spirite vpon all fleshe and your sonnes and daughters shall Prophesie and your young men shall see visions and your olde men shall dreame dreames THese wordes which Saint Luke hath héere set down in the beginning of this percell of Scripture serue for a notable example of the wickednes and vnthankefulnesse of men For beholde how the Apostles who were very wel knowne to bée plaine countrie men of base estate spake diuers and sundry forreine tongues and languages excellently handling the true religion and declaring the saluation which was in Christe Iesus Nowe this thing in déede was sufficient to haue caused theÌ„ who heard it spoken of many dayes after to fall into a great admiration and therefore it could not be chosen but that they which presently beholde with their owne eares heard them speake must néedes bee stirred vp to bée brought to the true obedience of the worde Howbeit they would not acknowledge the workes of God whereby they ought to haue magnified and glorified him but euen made a iest at them Well this fault was not onely in the worlde at those dayes but wee may sée it also in this our age For God worketh so mightily and effectually alwaies as that wee are no way able to comprehend his doings and yet for all that wee are no whit moued to thanke him for them but especially for that great benefite of calling vs to the knowledge of his Gospell which hée hath largely bestowed vpon vs. But coÌ„trariwise do we not see a rabble of scoffers mocke and iest at the wordes of the Lorde and make as great an account of preaching as if it were an olde wiues tale tolde vnto them In which their doing beare they that reuerence vnto the worde of God which they ought without all doubt no. Notwithstanding although there bée a great number of suche scoffers as neither profite by the word of God nor yet by his miracles as some such there were in the coÌ„pany of the Apostles yet let vs not be any whit offended at them but continue firme and constant least we fall into the like condemnation for the contempt of the wonderfull works of God for our not honouring of him as hée ought And this is a good obseruation for vs in the first place Now S. Luke saith that Peter in the behalfe of all the Apostles shewed that the scoffers and contemners of God were greatly ouershot to scorne and iest at such a myracle which they manifestly saw before their eies and that they ought not to haue attributed it vnto any such drunkennesse wherof they accused the Apostles For he saith Yee men of Iewry and all yee that dwell at Ierusalem bee this knowne vnto you and heare my wordes for these are not drunken as yee suppose seeing it is but the thirde houre of the day We haue héere first of all to obserue that the men in olde time reckoned the houres otherwise then we doe For they made the first houre to begin at the rising of the Sun and so they had alwaies twelue houres from the Sunne rising vnto the going downe thereof and as the daies grew loÌ„ger or shorter euen so made they their houres Moreouer they deuided the day into four quarters to wit the first quarter beganne at the first houre and continued vntill the third the second from the thirde houre vnto the sixte the thirde from sixe to nine and the fourth from nine vnto twelue So that the sixt houre was as it were noone and the third was betwixt eight and nine in the morning as wée reckon Let vs now come to the reason which S Peter brought by which hée shewed that they were not drunke as the Iewes thought For it is as much as if hée had saide It is nowe about the thirde houre of the day and that is as I haue alredy saide betwixt eight and nyne in the morning and therfore it is not likely that men would bée drunke at that time of the day and such men especially which gaue themselues to serue
calleth vpon the name of God shall be saued and thereupon necessarily ensueth That hée which calleth not vpon him shall be damned And forsomuch as we are so colde and so easily withdrawne from the calling vpon the name of God The Prophet by the saying going before his meaning was to declare that we must not leaue of calling vpon his Maiestie no not when we are in the mydst of all the greatest troubles which may come vnto vs For although heauen and earth should conspire against vs yet must we euen then call vpon the Maiestie of our God both with heart mouth and with all power and strength Howbeit it is not enough that we say with open mouth a Pater noster in Latin or els Our Father which art in heauen in our mother tongue except it bée saide with the right affection of the heart grounded vpon faith For otherwise we may say ouer this prayer tenne twentie and thirtie times and yet they shall be but wordes wherewith to beat the ayre I will not speake of the entermedling of the Aue Maria amongst thinking by such silly gawdes that they truely call vpon the name of God as hée requireth For surely such kinde of people are farre from the true calling vpon the name of God but are euen like Witches and Sorcerers who can not forget their olde Deuilish superstitions And therefore we must not meruayle ouermuch at such relikes of Satan Rom. 10.14 because they neuer had nor yet haue any fayth in Iesus Christ For how shall they as Saint Paule saieth call vpon him whom they haue not beléeued And this place is worthie the noting Because Saint Paule telleth vs that when the calling vpon the name of God is spoken of that wée must séeke after him as after our Father since we knowe that all the benefites which we haue come from him and that hée is redie to receiue vs so soone as we turne vnto him For els what courage might we haue to craue any thing at his handes if wee were not sure of this And therefore let vs be fully persuaded that when we in trueth call vpon the Lorde our God that hée will receiue vs. Wée sée then by this what a fantasticall imagination the Papisticall fondlinges haue For thus they say That we must in no wise presume that God will heare vs when we call vpon him and their reason forsooth is this forsomuch as we knowe not whether we be in the state of grace or not For this say they were too too great presumption to thinke Why what is then to be done Forsooth They tell vs that we must pray doubtfully and that it is sufficient if wée remit all to their mother holy Church to wyt that wée must haue this answere alwayes readie in our mouthes I beléeue as the holie Church beléeueth Thus we sée howe that they would haue our fayth to be doubtfull and vncertaine Now Saint Paule telleth vs that God lyketh not of this geare For hée sayeth That the Gospell is not preached vnto vs to make vs stande in doubt but to assure vs of our saluation And therefore we may easily iudge what Popish fayth is wherein we were nusled in the time of ignoraunce Wherefore let vs vnderstande that God hath bestowed a singular grace vpon vs in pulling vs out of that darknesse of errour and superstition wherein we were and hath giuen vs his Gospell to bring vs into the way of saluation When we then shall consider of all these thinges we ought to sigh and grone séeing that God of his great goodnesse hath chosen vs amongst all the rest of the nations to bestow the knowledge of his most holy and blessed worde Now this is the mischiefe that is in Popery as hath béen alredie saide when as they say that we may not in full assuraunce call vpon God for that say they is presumption and therefore that hée is to be called vpon doubtfully Neither are they the simpler and common sort of people which doe mainteine this But euen the greatest and chiefest Doctours and such as are thought to haue all the holie scriptures imprinted in their heartes In déede they will not be ouer earnest in defending of their Mawmets although to say truely they take verie great paine to maintein them But when any occasion is giuen vnto them to vomyt out theyr blasphemies they will be so stout as that a man woulde thinke they were Bedlem lyke And why so Forsooth because the Deuill woulde haue them hinder vs from calling of the name of God as we should Euen so then as many as pray vnto God as the Papistes doe let them be assured that God misliketh of them For as hath alredie béen saide we must not pray vnto God after this maner as to say repeate and oftentymes mumble vp the Lordes prayer Because all they that so doe are no better then Sorcerers and Witches It is true in déede that we shoulde not from the heart make ouer long prayers For when we doe pray wée should forsake our selues and forget our owne nature the Deuil and all his entisementes to the ende wée might the more readelier come vnto our Lorde God And after this sort it is that we must deale Moreouer let vs be well assured of this that if we knowe not rightly to call vpon the name of God we haue nothing Let vs therefore throughly consider of this saying That we are all damned as many as call not vpon God For it is written in Genesis speaking of the cursed lyne of Cayne Gene. 4.26 That they builded them selues houses strong Towers and yet for all that they had not the true calling vpon the name of God But it is saide That after Adam had begotten Seth that the name of God was a fresh called vpon And therefore God at that time was worshipped and honored For after that Seth had béen once taught the worship of God hée himself also soone after taught his children to doe the like Now we sée that about the worship of God it is onely saide That the name of God was called vpon This then is the most principall pointe that we ought to holde For although this name of Christian flyeth about amongst vs yet doe we but abuse it if wée call not vpon the name of God Neither can we as Saint Paul saith and as it hath béen héeretofore touched call vpon him without wée haue first beléeued in him In verie déede the farther from blowes the bolder we are For we shall sée a number of Scoffers when they are vpon their Ale Bench that will be then as good Christians as any in the world and a man would thinke them to be the true Champions of Iesus Christ and had gotten at his handes whatsoeuer was possible to be had of him And besides some of them would promise to worke wonders whensoeuer the time should come and to heare them speake a man would suppose that if Christianitie were vtterly lost it
therefore to what ende should we vse counsell aduise Thus wee sée what reason these fantastical felowes woulde yéelde vnto their follies which are ouer greate arrogancies for God to leaue vnpunished For although god calleth vs not into his secret counsel to declare vnto vs his wil determinatiō yet let vs know that he gouerneth vs by his hand that the wicked can doe nothing against vs except the Lorde geueth them leaue And yet there remayneth a certayne order in nature the meaning therof is not but that we must vse aduise for God hath saide vnto vs that he woulde haue vs liue by the bread which he giueth vs to eate that our diseases should be healed by phisick Wherfore it were ouer great arrogancie for vs to refuse the meanes which God giueth vs to cure helpe our infirmities And he that thinketh to get honour by this meane shal bring himself to vtter destruction For when wée say that the prouidence of God prouideth for al things yet must wée not refuse the meane which he hath appoynted Saint Peter saith a little after this that it was impossible for the fleshe of the bodie of Iesus Christ to turne to corruption And why so because that God only had so ordained it and not that it could doe naturally so For when he was conceiued in the wombe of the Virgin Mary he tooke vpon him our nature and was made like vnto vs sinne excepted And by that reason his fleshe was subiect to corruption euen as ours is if God had not in that sort preuented it Heb. 4.15 If a mā had séen the bones of our lord Iesus Christ they might wel enough haue béen bruised broken yet we sée that it was impossible for thē to be so because that God had in such sort appoynted it that they were not naturally so here we sée what we haue to note cōcerning that which might be alledged out of this place not that wee are to deale in speculatiōs to inuent a thousand sophisticall or brabling questiōs wherin the papists are cunning but let vs in al hūblenes consideratly stay our selues vpon this that GOD doeth not onely foresée all thinges but desposeth them also at his will and pleasure And therefore let vs learne to commende our selues vnto him Iohn 12.31 whenas we abide the grieuous assaults of the diuel of the world whereof he is saide to be the Prince and when wée thinke that it cannot be chosen but that the wicked wil oppresse vs Iohn 12.31 let vs shroud our selues vnder the wings of our good God that he might giue vs wherewith to resist them and so being armed with his power wée may bee able to put by all the temptations that may come vnto vs. For although all the Diuels wicked ones would ryse vp against vs hee knoweth well enough how to bridle them and hold them fast bounde so that wee as wee haue before saide runne vnto him and rest vnder his protection Thus wée sée that we must looke vpon the prouidence of God by faith and not after our owne reason Now in that we haue saide that the wicked doe nothing but that which God ordeineth a number might reply and say what good sir and if it bée thus it might bée said that God shoulde bée the cause of the euill and the wicked were to bée excused For answere hereof we must in the first place vnderstand what the will of god is yea that he setteth downe vnto vs in his law We know that he hath forbidden stealing If then I goe steale What Doe I then his will Surely when the wicked goe about to doe any mischiefe they goe not to doe the wil of God for they know wel enough that God vtterly misliketh al wicked dealing And therefore when they doe any euill they withstand the will of God Wherefore it followeth that God would not haue them doe any euill but suffereth them to doe it for the cause they are in excuseable forsomuch as they doe contrary to his commaundement And therefore we must not say that God is the cause of euill for he committeth not the faultes which wée commit For wée sée that he giueth the Diuell leaue to punish such are worthie thereof The Diuell committeth euill and hath none other regard but to doe mischiefe and yet God maketh him to serue him to another cleane contrary end God suffereth a Théefe to robbe a true man of his goods Iohn 1.21 And why doeth he so Forsooth to prooue his pacience that it might be knowne We sée what Iob saith in all his troubles The Lorde hath giuen and the Lorde hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. And yet théeues robbed and spoyled him What meaneth hée then hereby Doth Iob accuse God of theft No forsooth you must not so take it for hée knewe that théeues were wicked and that they came not thither but against the will of God and to the intent to doe mischiefe howbeit he had a further reach and considered that it was not done without the prouidence of God And therefore Iob attributed not the wicked déede vnto God but hée knew what men were in their kind Hée saw that the Chaldeans and Sabeans were the scourges of God They robbed and reaued they killed his seruants and draue away his Cattel to bée short they impouerished him and lefte him nothing and yet hée continually praysed God because hée right wel knew that it was not done without his ordinaunce And euen so must wée doe For if the wicked trouble vs wée must not looke vnto them but our faith must ascend a great deale higher to wit wée must vnderstād that the prouidence of God is aboue them al. After this sort then must wée iudge and not enter into vaine speculations Wée sée now at this present that the vngodly crucified Iesus Christ and yet was it not done without the ordinance of God Howbéeit God wrought it to another ende It was the will of the wicked to bring Iesus Christ to naught and it was the will of God that his blood and death should bée an euerlasting Sacrifice and our redemption to bée made and accomplished thereby And therefore when wée behold this wée haue occasion to glorifie GOD and hée that doth not so his owne conscience reprooueth him Nowe S. Peter saieth that Iesus Christ rose agayne wherby to shew as we haue already said that wée must alwaies ioyne his resurrection with his death For if wée looke into his death onely wée shall sée him altogether full of all shame and reproche and disfigured like a Leper But when wée come vnto his resurrection wée sée how mightily the hand of God exalted him giuing him al power both in heauen and earth Wherefore Mat. 28.18 so soone as wée haue saide that Iesus died let vs by and by vnderstande that hée rose againe He died according to the weaknesse of his flesh but in that