of heauen to burne vp cities it destroied the Tribe of Beniamin Let it not be once named amongst you They that are such shall not inherite the kingdome of God These fowle offenders are here termed Sinners 5 The Iewes were grieuous sinners which slewe their Prophets and stoned such as were sent vnto them But they escaped not his heauie hand whose seruaunts they did so cruelly entreate God plagued this their sinne with strange desolation Hee made their house like Shilo and their citie a curse to all the nations of the earth The Lord hath also sent wise men Scribes and Embassadors vnto vs of them in these our daies we haue killed and crucified none we haue scourged none of them in our Synagogues we haue persecuted none from citie to citie we haue not beaten one and stoned another wee haue not dealt thus cruelly with any one of them but wee haue dealt hardly and vnkindely with moe than one No mans life hath beene touched many mens liuings are They haue not beene murthered and slaine they are defaced reuiled and made contemptible to the whole worlde These messengers ought to be better esteemed for their masters and for their message sake But the sonne of God whose seruants they are wil in his good time reuenge it he will not beare this iniurious ignominie doone to himselfe He that despiseth you despiseth me Such contemners of Christ and of his ministers may most iustly be called Sinners 6 Achab gaue great and open offence in robbing Naboth of his vineyard And God did reuenge this open sinne with an open plague punishing the deuourer with deuourers bloud with bloud The vineyard of the Lorde is set ouer to the spoile it is the onely pray that is left for greedie cormorants to rauen vpon The hedge is broken wilde boares are entred in for to destroie it If God had not set his elect ouer it no doubt ere this day it had beene vtterly laide wast You could haue looked for no grapes of pietie of learning or of religion of it but beeing rooted vp by these violent boares it would haue brought out nothing but sowthistles ignorance superstition and grosse Idolatrie But Woe be to thee that spoilest shalt not thou be spoiled How both the Church and common wealth are spoiled all men see it but fewe wil tell it and no man goeth about to redresse it These greedie gleaners are also in the number of them whom our Apostle here nameth Sinners 7 The sinne of king Saul was heinous in consulting with a witch that had a familiar spirite inquiring of her what chaunce should befall him This grieuous sinne God grieuously and without delay plagued On the next morowe he and his sonnes were slaine all Israel discomfited murthered and put to flight If euerie good gift come from God shall wee seeke helpe at diuels hands If onely God knoweth the heart of man and things to come shall we inquire of secrets at the mouth of Satan The diuell is a lyer and shall we beleeue him Hee is our aduersarie and shall we seeke aide of him Hee is a deceiuer and shall wee trust in him There is no fellowship betweene Christ and Beliall neither ought the seruaunts of Christ to communicate with such seruaunts of Satan Let witches sorcerers and sowthsaiers die the death saith the Lorde Such as communicate with them communicate with diuels and such also are Sinners 8 Doeg sinned greatly in accusing faithfull Dauid and the good high Priest Aâ—imelech to king Saul who being light of beleefe persecuted the one and murthered the other Haman dealing so with godlie Mardocheus brought him almost to the gallowes and his people to great confusion The Arrians accused the right Christian Bishop Athanasius of incontinencie before the Emperor Constantinus but his innocencie through the prouidence of God cleared him Christ was charged to bee a drunkard a companion of sinners a destroier of the Lawe and of the Temple an enemie to Caesar. Such false accusations are more current in these our euill times and latter daies than euer If the Heathen accounted it a discredite to be termed an accuser may we not iustly call false accusers sinners By whose meanes if false accusations may get credite innocencie shall be condemned Christ shall be crucified as a malefactor and Barrabas as an innocent shall be let loose Wherefore the Ciuill Lawe hath wel prouided that the false accuser receiue as much dammage as hee seeketh to bring vpon an other And this Law hath beene sometimes executed He that falsely accused Appollonius was so serued For failing in his proofe sentence was giuen that both his thighes should be broken This is another kinde of Sinners 9 Now as our Apostle remembreth vnto vs open sinners so doth he also couert sinners whom he calleth double minded The Sichemites were double minded in matters of religion who in respect of gaine and profite were content outwardly to yeeld to Iacob and his sonnes to receiue the Iewes religion and to bee circumcised Men for commoditie can transforme themselues into all colours and conditions and in open shewe professe any religion inwardly keeping their false hearts to themselues 10 Which practise the Familie of loue hath lately drawne to a precept and hath newlie broached it as saleable doctrine that men neede not openly be of any religion whereby they may endanger themselues that it is good Christiandome to lie sweare forsweare to say and vnsay to any sauing such as be of the same Familie with whom they must only vse al plainnes keep their mysteries secret from all others to themselues These men may doe any thing to auoide affliction and they haue scripture for that purpose Your bodies are the temples of the holie Ghost you may not suffer Gods temples to be touched As fitly alleaged as Scriptum est by the diuell 11 In a paper which of late came from the Pope as a token to his deare children there were printed the fiue woundes of Christ with this poesie Fili da mihi cor tuum sufficit Sonne giue me thy heart and it sufficeth Whether his Holinesse did meane thereby to allowe dissimulation or no I will not define His practises are mysticall and his broode is so throughly framed in this way that they seeme to take the Popes embleme in no other meaning They halt on both sides they serue all times and turne with all windes By professing all religions they shew themselues plainly to be of none They haue double hearts one heart for the Prince another for the Pope one for Christ and an other for Baal one for a Communion and an other for a Masse These dissembling wolues put vpon themselues sheepes skins to deceiue withall Now are they milde and gentle flattering and promising all loyaltie to the prince conformitie to gouernement and consent to religion But if the times should turne they would turne off the
the safetie thereof for in the peace thereof your peace doeth stand In this sort God is to be feared in this sort of all sorts he is to be serued and by this meane the common wealth is to bee maintained and preserued If we linked together in the feare of God and in true concord and amitie among our selues put to our helping handes euerie one duetifully in his calling to the supporting of this state and defending thereof doubtlesse no enemie no forren power can hurt vs no Bull of Basan shall preuaile against vs but wee and our common wealth in despite of all both corporal and spiritual enemies shall be strengthened and stablished for euer So true is it that kingdome which is grounded vpon good wil standeth fast and sure for euer 36 But as the naturall bodie without sinewes can not growe waxe strong or continue no more can a ciuil bodie without his sinewes The sinewes of the common wealth are the treasures Tributes therefore and subsidies are due to the Prince Giue vnto Caesar those things that are Caesars tribute vnto whom tribute belongeth It is not giuen to the Prince but to the common wealth it is in trueth bestowed vpon our selues The prince in respect of priuate vse neither needeth neither requireth our money It is the common wealth whereunto we owe not our goods onely but our liues also it requireth this at our handes for our owne safetie The prince will be but a steward hereof seasonably to lay it out for publike vse Good common wealthsmen haue not spared to giue their very liues for their countrie as Themistocles Curtius Codrus and others And who can so litle regard the common wealth as by pinching at a peece of monie to pinche it He that seeth his house ruinous and for sparing will not repaire it if it fall vpon his head let him fall himselfe Moses found his subiects maruellous readie in this behalfe when a voluntarie contribution was required towardes the building of the tabernacle they brought in so much that he was forced to crie Sufficit Nowe ynough Cyrus was a gentle and a good prince and he had thankefull subiects their voluntarie gift at one subsidie surmounted all the long heaped treasure of riche Craesus The Princes treasure is wasted in our defence our duetie is to repaire it againe for our safetie This duetie God and our common wealth require at our handes Let vs paie franklie this debt so shall we worke our owne safetie strengthen the common wealth and serue God and our countrie in trueth 37 And thus we learne that if the ministers earnestly praie for and faithfully teache the prince and the people if the prince and the people syncerely feare and serue God feare him as an omnipotent Lord and iust Iudge and withall loue him as a most louing father serue him in cleansing and feeding his Church cleansing it from false doctrine Idolatrie superstition and symonie feeding it with the word by causing it eueriewhere to be preached which will be by prouiding maintenance for the preachers thereof and compelling all subiects to heare Gods word and receiue his sacraments Further if the Prince carefully consider of the common wealth to represse the euil encourage and strengthen the good and ouerlooke the whole and doe choose wise religious louers of the trueth and haters of couetousnesse vnder him to gouerne it If in this great and stately counsell of the kingdome banishing priuate affections it syncerely be sought by Lawe to set foorth and preferre true religion and withall to bridle the desperate tongues of gainesayers If by strength of good Lawes they represse monstrous apparell and excessiue dyet deceitful bargaining vsurie adulterie vnlawfully stolen contracts and so prouide for the poore that Christ in his members may be relieued If the officers of the common wealth keepe good Lawes themselues and faithfully without foolish pitie which is crueltie see them executed vpon others If the people like good subiectes feare God honour the Prince liue peaceably and seeke the safetie of their countrie Lastly if we all linked together in loue liberally relieue the common wealth and frankly supplie the want therof for our owne safetie then doubtlesse the Lord wil blesse and preserue our Prince and vs and stablish this kingdome in peace and prosperitie to flourish and to continue But if we be cold and negligent in Gods cause if we be vnthankefull and disobedient to our good Samuel to our gratious Soueraigne then let vs looke for that which God threateneth here by his prophet Both you and your king shall perish God graunt in his mercie that assisted with his grace we may syncerely seeke and serue him to his great glorie and our great safetie in this life and eternal saluation in the world to come To that immortall onely wise and most gratious God c. A Sermon preached in Yorke at the celebration of the day of the Queenes entraunce into her Raigne CANTIC 2. 15 Take vs the litle foxes which destroy the vines for our vine hath flourished SVch solemne assemblies in so sacred a place to giue God thankes for great benefites receiued are no rare things among Gods people but are confirmed by sundrie examples in the scriptures Nehemias after that the house of God was reedified assembled the people caused the Lawe of the Lord to be openly read gaue thankes vnto the Lord for their deliuerance from Babylon and for restitution of religion and with great reioising and feasting kept that day holie vnto the Lord. When by the meanes of Queene Hester the Iewes had gotten rest and giuen a great ouerthrow to their enemies she likewise with the aduise of hir godly vncle Mardocheus commanded the people to keepe that day the fourteenth of the moneth Adar holie vnto the Lord yerely to feast and giue thanks for Gods great mercies and their maruellous deliuerance When God had deliuered his people Israel from the tyrannie of Triphon by the meanes of Simon the high priest a gouernour and prince of the Iewes Simon ordained that the same day of their deliueraunce should yerely bee kept holie vnto the Lorde with gladnesse feasting and thankesgiuing The feasts of Passeouer Pentecost Tabernacles and such other were commaunded to be kept holie in remembraunce of great benefites receiued at the Lords hands The people of Israel with thankefull hearts remembring what a great benefite they had receiued when hee chose and annointed Dauid to be their king gathered together in a solemne assemblie to celebrate that happie daie and to giue God thankes sang with ioyfull acclamation vnto the Lord This is the daie which the Lord hath made let vs reioice and be glad in it 2 Greater cause to assemble together and to giue God thankes for blessings and benefites receiued had neuer nation or people than we presently haue For as this day now twentie yeres fully finished the Lorde in his mercie
Bernard is the mother of toyes he might haue saide of vices and the stepdame of vertues Amasis king of Egypt made prouision by Lawe against idlenesse once a yere calling euerie man to a reckoning what he had gotten and what he had spent In this reckoning was neither the gaine of carding dicing vsurie briberie cousinage nor extortion allowed Let euerie man walke in that vocation wherewith God hath called him God hath called no man with these vocations Yet dare I not say neither will I that for anie man at any time in any sort to recreate himselfe with cardes or dise is sinne I am not of that opinion Yet it falleth out too often that these exercises are occasions of much sinne And when they are so it were no doubt much better to bee altogether idle than so ill occupied Wee must not plaie but walke 11 And least in walking wee should wander out of the waie the Prophet now teacheth vs wherein we should walke In trueth We must beware of crooked bywalkes the waie of the Lorde is the straite path of trueth Therefore the Prophet maketh this promise I will walke in thy trueth Truth comprehendeth both soundnesse of doctrine and integritie of life Salomon declareth that Dauid walked after this sort My father walked in trueth and iustice before thee In trueth of doctrine and in iustice of life He faithfully performed his promise vnto the Lord. 12 S. Paul complaineth grieuously of some walkers Many there are saith he that walke of whom I haue told you often and now tell you weeping They are enemies of the crosse of Christ. The crosse of Christ is taken here for the passion of Christ which suffered on the crosse Whoso offereth vp Christ againe once offered and sacrificed for our sinnes he is an enemie to the crosse of Christ. To seeke remission of sinnes redemption iustification satisfaction or saluation elsewhere than in Christ crucified is to bee an enemie to the crosse of Christ and to walke not in the high way of trueth but in the bypathes of wicked men 13 S. Paul noteth other bywalkers which walk according to the flesh In this byway walked the Sodomites the Beniamites yea and Dauid sometimes himselfe This was the bypath of the riche glutton which fed daintily day by day whose God was his bellie he serued no other Lord. In this byway walke all wantons flatterers lyers enuious persons stirrers of strife makers of diuision sectaries and such like The ende also of this way is perdition 14 Ezechiel complaineth of walkers which walke after couetousnesse This path is haunted of all sortes of men priests prophets themselues and prophets children yea kings haue beene subiect to this fault They are most miserable which take this way They enioie no quietnesse they tire out themselues with foolish cares they entangle their hearts with noysome lusts they grieue the spirit their toile and vexation hath neither ende nor measure The prophet therefore beggeth at the handes of God Encline mine heart to thy testimonies and not to couetousnesse 15 Ieremie complaineth of walkers in the hardnesse of their hearts They haue hearts trampled on with the feete of men and made as hard as a beaten waie They are become as obstinate against the word and message of God as euer was Pharao There is planted a preiudice in them from which they cannot goe back No enchauntment bee it neuer so wise can haue any force vpon them their eares are so cunningly and so closely stopped 16 Dauid complaineth of such walkers as are led by the counsell of the wicked as Eue by the serpent Absolon by Achitophel Saul by Doeg Roboam by a traine of lewde companions rash heads The waie of all these vngodlie ones shall perish 17 There is also another kinde of inordinate walkers complained of by the Apostle which worke not at all but vnder pretense of zeale and religion forsake all labour and occupie their heads wholy with searching and sifting other mens dooings their tongues onely with barking against such as God hath placed in authoritie their eares with nothing but listening after straunge and newe reports These are spreaders of brutes brochers of newes informers of men how the world shall wagge They are still beating and forging out newe plots of common wealths and vndermining the olde They are one of the woorst kinds of men that liue The vnbridled malapertnesse of such men the prophet Dauid seemeth to touch when he saith The tongue of them walketh throughout the earth They make no difference of any person high or lowe they stay no where Dauid though a king Paul though an Apostle Christ though the sonne of the liuing God escaped not the reach of these venimous creatures Such walking tongues would be tyed short If men cannot bridle them yet of this wee are sure that Slaundering and lying lippes the Lord will destroie 18 Ieremie complaineth also of certaine walkers whom he termeth rebellious traitors walking craftily flattering them whom they purpose to vndermine These bee cunning courtlike men whose countenance wil neuer bewraie that which lieth secretly hid within their hearts Of this crue was Siba who pretended great good to his master Mephiboseth but spying a time begged his whole inheritance of the king And Herod that foxe which made a shewe of religious worshipping him whom his meaning was cruelly to destroie And Ioab which fraudulētly bare Abner in hand that he came to talke with him as a friend but getting opportunitie stabd him to the heart And the sonnes of Iacob who vnder pretense of friendship mariage and ioining in religion with the Sichemites caused them to be circumcised and when they were sore fell vpon them and murthered them without compassion or pitie Let no man defraude or circumuent for the Lord is the auenger of all such things But as S. Paul faith What should I say more Time would be too short if I should remember vnto you all the bywaies wherein the wicked doe walke 19 The prophet Dauid seemeth to bee much grieued at the great swarmes of bad walkers in his daies The wicked saith hee doe walke on euerie side And he yeeldeth the reason Because they are exalted When bad men are placed in great roumes when the base are exalted and lifted vp into places of authoritie then the bounds of wickednesse are inlarged and sinne going on without controlement gathereth strength Christ therefore requireth carefull choise of ministers in his church his desire is to haue them faithfull and wise Paul would place none but such as were well testified to be blamelesse in life and apt to teach with wholesome doctrine The admitters of ministers are too lauish in our daies they haue litle regard or care whom they take S. Pauls lesson Lay not hands on any man rashly is forgotten The preferrers vnto liuings are no lesse faultie they choose of the
is sufficient for them Thy testimonies saith Dauid are my counsellers Their counsell was to him sufficient Hee red not the scriptures at idle times or at leisure they were his meditation continually Reading was not irkesome and tedious vnto him his eies did preuent the night watches to meditate in the word The time was not lost which was so bestowed For by thy commaundements saith he thou hast made me wiser than mine enemies The diligence of that noble Eunuch chiefe officer to the Queene of Ethiopia is greatly commended as a woorthie president for Christian Courtiers to behold and followe Many cannot reade yet al ought to heare I will hearken saith Dauid what the Lord God will say Who doth not reioyce to heare a prince speake gracious and fauorable wordes But I wil heare the lord speake saith the prophet For he wil speake peace vnto his people A bad seruaunt an euill wife a cursed childe a damnable creature that will not gladly heare the voice of the Lord the husband the father the creator Christ taught dailie in the temple and doubtlesse he was daily heard But hearing of the woord may not daily be attended least it hinder more weightie affaires Is there any thing more weightie than the matter of saluation Is the earth of more account than heauen a short miserable life than a blessed and immortall Philip of Macedonia casting off the suite of a poore woman with a short answere that he had no leisure to heare her cause she aunswered boldly Why then hast thou leisure to be a king I may as boldly aske of them which say they haue no leisure to heare Gods word how they will finde the leisure to be saued This word only saueth Receiue ye therfore the word ingrafted which is able to saue your soules 13 If there bee no saluation but by faith no faith but by hearing the woord of God how should the people be saued without teachers The mother Citie of the Realme is reasonably furnished with faithfull preachers certaine other Cities not many in number are blessed too though not in like sort But the sillie people of the Land otherwhere especially in the North parts pine away way and perish for want of this sauing foode they are much decayed for want of prophecie Many there are that heare not a sermon in seuen yeres I might say safely in seuenteene Their bloud will be required at some bodies hands The Lord deliuer vs from that hard account and graunt redresse with speede 14 But why doth the countrie want preachers The people pay tithes of that they haue therefore there must needes be sufficient to maintaine them If things were well ordered this sequele were good But the chiefest benefices were by the Pope long since impropriated vnto a Monkes which deuoured the fruits and gaue a sillie stipend vnto a poore Sir Iohn to say Masse And as they left it so we finde it still Where liuings were not impropriated by the Pope there they are for the most part so handled that patrons maintaine themselues with those tithes which the people giue and ministers haue that which the patrons leaue The worlde dealeth with Gods Clergie as Dionysius the tyrant with Iupiters Idoll They make themselues as merie with spoyling Christs patrimonie as he with robbing Iupiter of his golden cloake which being too heauie for Sommer and too colde for Winter he tooke away and left in stead of it a cotten coate light for the one time and warme for the other To take from them which liue idly and superstitiously in the Church they pleade it to be lawfull because those vnprofitable members were vnwoorthie to enioie the fat of the earth Abbeies being eaten vp and other profites gone now as greedie cormorants they sease also vpon the Church of Christ. It is not fit forsooth that men sanctified vnto heauenly things should be ouermuch encombred with these earthly commodities and therefore euen of great deuotion and zeale they will ease the Church of these her burthens Thus by men that cannot stand without the fall of the Church of God all meanes are inuented to begger the ministerie A deuise no doubt of Satan and a practise of his impes to cause a famine of the bread of life by staruing the Oxe that should treade out the come and to withdrawe Gods people from seeking the Lord by weakening and discouraging such as should guide them in the waie of life Thus you see how God must be sought in his word which woord because all men must heare and learne therefore many must be sent to teache it 15 But because the seede which is cast into the earth groweth not vp vnlesse it be watered with the dewe of heauen neither doth the sound of the woord bring any man vnto Christ except the grace of the spirite be with it which grace God offereth so freely vnto men that there needeth no more but Aske and Haue for this cause it followeth in the Prophet Call vpon him while he is neere We may reade and heare of God as of one farre off But when we praie vnto God we acknowledge that he is as it were within sight when we cal vpon him we speake to him as vnto one which is present He is neuer so clearely and plainely found his presence is neuer so familiarly enioied as by heartie praier Praier consisterh of two parts Thankesgiuing for that which we haue receiued and requesting of that whereof our soules or bodies haue neede 16 The good king Dauid falling into consideration of the infinite mercies of God bursteth out into these carefull woordes What shall I render to the Lord Finding no way to requite hee resolueth thus I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. Perhaps the Prophet had the more care to shewe himselfe thankefull towards God by reason of the griefe which himselfe sustained through mens ingratitude towards him He maketh pitifull complaint that his familiar friends who ate bread at his table who tooke sweete counsell with him whom hee had many waies benefited were vnthankefull and requited him with trecherous dealing An honest hearted man is neuer so grieued as when his friendlinesse is requited with ingratitude If it be saith S. Ambrose a fault to bee matched euen with murther not to requite man with thankefulnesse what a crime is it to deale vnthankefully with God Dixeris maledicta cuncta cum ingratum hominem dixeris Wee haue named all the naughtinesse that can bee obiected when wee haue termed a man vnthankefull saieth another Lycurgus beeing asked why in his Lawes he had set downe no punishment for ingratitude answered I haue left it to the gods to punish All the punishment which man could deuise he though too easie for a fault so heinous The ingratitude of Ierusalem did more wound the heart of the sonne of God Christ Iesus than the speare that pierced him through the heart vpon the crosse Hee
our sinne but no remedie against the sting therof so that it maketh vs feare and with trembling looke for the reward of sinne which is euerlasting death But the spirite of adoption by the preaching of the Gospel telleth vs that in Christ we haue remission of sinnes we are reconciled vnto God and adopted by him we are his chosen children and may boldly and ioyfully call him father And this certainetie of our saluation the spirit of God testifieth to our spirit whereby we put away all seruile feare of punishment beeing assured of Gods constant fauour and eternall loue towardes vs who neuer leaueth vnfinished that which he hath begun nor forsaketh him whom he hath chosen 15 Therefore daungerous and desperate is that doctrine of the Papists which doth teache vs euer to be doubtfull and in suspence of our saluation A lamentable discomfortable and miserable estate Here it is in one woord confounded For Zacharie saith we are redeemed to serue him without feare or doubtfulnesse For where doubt is there is feare and what greater feare than of a thing so fearefull Hee that will serue God must serue him in a quiet and ioiefull conscience with a sure and vndoubted confidence of mercie and saluation in Christ the Lord of mercy With thee is mercie saith the Prophet that thou maist be feared As if hee should say Thou art full of clemencie and compassion and therfore we serue thee with a reuerent and without a seruile feare being perswaded of thy great mercie 16 Feare is euer of the inferior to the superior It is not required in the prince to feare the subiect the master the seruaunt the father the childe or the husband the wife but contrarie in all God feareth not man his creature man ought to feare God who hath created him to feare him as a louing father and not as men doe feare a fierce tyrant 17 The true feare which is required of vs is euer ioined with loue The good childe feareth to offende his father for that loue and reuerence he beareth to him and not in respect or for feare of punishment The honest and well natured wife that truely loueth her husband for the same cause feareth and taketh great heede least in any thing she should offend him Euen with such feare ought we to serue our God who is our father our Christ who is our spouse Of this godlie feare the Prophet Dauid saith Serue the Lord in feare And againe Feare the Lorde all yee his Saints Of this Christ speaketh Feare him which can destroie both bodie and soule This feare great goodnesse and happinesse doe accompany It is the beginning of true wisedome For all wisedome without the feare of God is but earthly fleshly and diuelish They that haue it shall be satisfied with all good things There is no want to them that feare him It causeth men to decline from euill it banisheth sinne woorketh repentance in mans heart and happie are all they that feare the Lorde as they cursed which feare him not If the Angell had feared the Lord he had still kept his place and glorious estate and not beene made of an Angell a diuel cast out of heauen into hell If Adam had loued and feared God hee had not beene banished out of paradise and throwne vpon the face of this cursed earth If the feare of God had not of old wanted the whole world had not beene drowned If the citie of Sodoma had feared God they might haue remained in prosperitie vntill this day If Cain had feared God he had not so trecherously murthered his brother If Cham he had not so shamefully discouered his father If Laban he had not so deceitfully dealt with Iacob If Pharao he would haue let Israel depart when GOD commaunded If Israell had loued and truely feared God they would not haue loathed Manna despised magistrates followed fleshly lusts murthered the Prophets crucified Christ and persecuted his Apostles If the Corinthians had feared God they would not haue beene so contentious so proude so adulterous neither would they so vncharitably haue iudged their brethren in things indifferent they would not haue condemned mariage the institutiō of God neither in such sort prophaned the holy Sacramēts of Christ. The feare of God wold haue brought forth better fruit in all these and the want therof brought forth this bad fruit 18 If the feare of God dwelt in our hearts the Gospel so truly and plentifully preached among vs would no doubt bring forth far more fruite after so many monitions perswasions and entreaties we would leade a better life When there are amongst vs many that breede contention and make diuision that lend out their monie vpon vsurie that pollute their neighbours bed with adulterie that shut vp the bowels of mercie and compassion and suffer Christ to begge crie and starue in the streetes that neither regard the heauenly message of their saluation nor esteeme the messenger by whom it is brought that shewe no reuerence to the woord of God but manifestly hate loath and despise it is it not too cleare and manifest that we feare not the Lord 19 If the feare of God were in vs would wee deale with the seruaunts of God as wee nowe doe The dealing of Hanun the sonne of Nahash towards Dauids seruaunts was not more villanous than the dealings of the world are with the honorable Embassadors of the most high God at this day Dauid sent his seruauntes to the king of the children of Ammon to comfort him straight vpon the death of his father The malitious Ammonites misconstruing their intent whispered in the eare of their Lord Thinkest thou that Dauid doth honour thy father or that he hath sent comforters vnto thee Are they not rather sent as spies to searche the citie and so to ouerthrowe it He had no sooner heard the name of a spie but hands were laide vpon Dauids seruants they were sent away with their beards halfe shauen and their coates cut off in the vnseemeliest place to his owne euerlasting ignominie and shame which so despitefully vsed men sent vnto him of meere loue and heartie meaning For the good king had no other drift or purpose in his heart but this I will shewe kindenesse to Hanun as his father shewed kindnesse vnto me The true Dauid the most mightie Prince the king of all kings hath in fauour mercie and reconciled loue sent his embassadors his ministers vnto you to comfort you in your griefes and to bring you ioiefull tidings of a kingdome which it hath pleased his father to bestowe vpon you These messengers ought of right to be honourably receiued Entreate such with honour saith the Apostle Nay such messengers are woorthie of double honour But behold they are taken as if they were spies they are accounted as the offscourings refuse baggage of the world not as the embassadors of the great
as haue dominion and rule ouer others Whereupon the princely Prophet doth exhort them Ye kings ye iudges of the earth serue the Lorde with feare as iudging them happie whose common-wealth is ruled by such as are professors and fauourers of true religion such as feare the Lord. Which is most true For happie was Israel while Dauid Iehosaphat Ezechias and Iosias ruled because they were religious men feared God But vnhappie when as Ieroboam Achab Amon and Manasses ruled because the feare of God was farre from their hearts they went a whooring after idols and made Israel to sin Howe much the greater care should Christian Princes haue to place none in authoritie but such as Cornelius men that are truly religious and feare God such as Constantius the woorthie christian Emperour retained in his Court when hee cast out them who forsooke Christ saying that they could not be faithful to their Prince who were vnfaithfull to God Neither onely princes but the people also to whom the election of magistrates appertaineth should haue the like care remembring the exhortation that Iethro made to Moses Prouide thou men fearing God 9 And Cornelius praied God continually Faith and feare of GOD doe breake out into his praises and calling vpon him by praier Praier is an acceptable seruice of GOD prescribed by himselfe and practised by his seruaunts to the glorie of his name Call saith he vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Of praier there are two sorts priuate and publike both which Cornelius vsed Publike with his familie which he brought vp in the feare of God priuate in secrete place hauing his appointed houres to praie When the Angel appeared he was in priuate praier at the ninth houre that is at three of the clocke in the afternoone Nowe as Cornelius vsed them both so by his example should euerie christian doe For touching publike praier the Disciples of Christ continued altogether with one accord in it When Peter was cast into prison the church made earnest praier vnto God for him Wee reade of the Pharisee and Publicane both that they went vp into the temple to praie Whereby we may learne that they who refuse to ioine themselues in publike place the church of God to praie with other men they are woorse than either Pharisees or Publicanes Cornelius made his house such a publike place for his whole familie therein to serue God For as hee feared God with his whole familie so is it to be thought that he serued God with his whole familie too Insomuch that there was a church in his house as in the house of Philemon A lesson for all them who haue families that they be religious and feare God indeede they should vse priuate praier in their houses and cause their families to frequent it So shall they make their houses to be churches And Christ will be in those assemblies according to his promise I will be in the midst of them As for priuate praier it is also fruitefull and effectuous For therein without suspition of Pharisaicall hypocrisie we powre out heart before God Anna in the temple so behaued her selfe in her priuate praier that Ely the high Priest esteemed her as drunke and sharpely reprooued her for it To whom she aunswered mildely I am not drunke but in my praier I doe powre out my heart before God Christ appointed himselfe certaine times of priuate praier as in the garden where hee praied in such earnest vehement sort that there dropped from him both water and bloud Dauid had his priuate night praiers wherein such was the earnestnesse of his affection that with his teares night by night he watered his couch It appeareth that Cornelius praied earnestly and heartily for his praier pierced into the heauens and was acceptable vnto the Lord. But God abhorreth praier that falleth out of the lippes and proceedeth not from the heart He detesteth the Pharisees who woorship him with their lippes but their heart is farre from him The Israelites powred out many teares when they praied in Babylon The verie Ethnikes would not dallie in their praier with their false gods It is written euen of the Heathenish Romans that when they honoured their idols with solemne praiers and procession the cryers saide to euerie one whom they met Hoc age Set thy mind on this thing wholly Be attentiue to this and to nothing else Praier is the lifting vp of the minde to God He requireth the heart But alas our praiers are for the most part onely for a fashion that men may behold vs. Furthermore the praier of Cornelius was continuall Praie ye continually without intermission We must pray stil and not waxe faint Which yet is not meant as though we shold cease from all other trauell and giue our selues onely to praier That is the error of the Euchites whose Disciples were the superstitious Monkes that made the house of God a denne of theeues by their hypocrisie But we are taught hereby to praie often for we haue alwaies occasion of praier giuen vs. Daniel praied thrise daily in his house with his windowes open towardes Ierusalem yea though the king forbad it For hee would not bee restrained from praying to his God Dauid testifieth that he praied vnto the Lord seuen times euerie day Satan ceaseth not to assault our faith Let not vs therefore cease to crie vnto God O Lorde increase our faith Our tottering boate is tossed in the stormie seas let vs lift vp our voice to Christ and say Saue vs we perish We are in danger of greedie roaring lions the world the diuell and the flesh Let vs pray O deliuer vs from the mouth of the lyon Let vs crie and the Lord will heare vs. Praier is an helpe vnto him that praieth a sacrifice to GOD a scourge to the diuels saith Austin And thus much of Cornelius his deuotion feare of God and continuall praier the points whereby is shewed howe he liued towards God 10 It followeth to be noted how he ordered his familie hee feared God with all his houshold He plaied not Nicodemus that came to Christ by night hee openlie professed his religion and faith yea and instructed his whole familie therein Neither did he feare to send for Peter to teache him the religion and faith of Christ. First the open profession of his religion is commendable The Romans had forbid by Lawe that any subiect shold professe or receiue peregrinam religionem a straunge religion They considered that it was dangerous to their state to suffer diuersitie of religion They seuerely punished the transgressors of this law Yet Cornelius had learned that it is better to obeie God than man that we must obeie princes vsque ad Aras as the prouerbe is so farre as we may without disobeying God Although the Iewish religion was hatefull to the Gentiles
the moone shall be abashed the sunne ashamed when the Lorde of hostes shal raigne in mount Sion The like we read in Ezechiel threatning destruction and desolation to Egypt I will couer the heauen and make the starres thereof darke I will couer the sunne with a cloude and the moone shall not giue hir light all the lightes of heauen will I make darke for thee and bring darkenes vpon thy lande sayth the Lorde I might alledge the like out of Ioel Ieremie Amos and Micheas but the matter is cleare inough needeth rather to be considered thaÌ„ prooued 19 The wordes being literally thus vnderstoode may be morally applied not without great fruite vnto the vnderstanding and wise hearer which can discerne betweene interpretation of scripture application thereof In the one we giue you the bare sense of the scripture in the other we teach you the profitable vse of it For the vse of scripture may be very well shewed not only by such collectioÌ„s as do probably gather or necessarily coÌ„clude one thing out of another but also by those allegoricall comparisons which shewe how in one thing another is shadowed a spirituall thing resembled in a corporall As for example if heere we refer the sun to Christ that sunne of righteousnes the moone to the Church and the starres to the pastors and doctors of the Church 20 The sunne in this sence is most euidently in this our age darkned Christ is obscured by that great enimie Antichrist the man of sinne who hath set himselfe in Christs peculiar place and will be exalted aboue all that is called God To make any other mediator betwene God and man sauing only Christ Iesus which is not onely man but also God To seeke else where remission of sinnes iustification redemption sanctification or saluation than only in this Iesus in him crucified doth darken make dimme both him and his merites And of this treason the Romish Antichristian Church which they terme Catholike is founde guiltie For the children of this harlot labour by al meanes to obscure the sonne of God to robbe him of the glorie of his desertes in our saluation I would neuer haue beleeued that any professing learning or hauing had but a glimse of the course of the woorde of God could haue beene so grosse in such sort to haue eclipsed the brightnesse of Christ Iesus by giuing his glorie vnto earthly creatures if of late I had not to my great greefe and their great shame heard their owne blasphemous conâ—essions therof Surely the Romish strumpet hath rubbed hir forehead hir children are become altogether shamelesse whatsoeuer shee determineth they make it equiualent with the written word of God There is no absurditie in poperie in which there are ful many and full grosse which they doe not defende to be right good and Catholike The Popes pardons purgatorie masses merites praiers both for to y e dead pilgrimages images reliques yea holy water and holy bread All these they will haue some one way and some another to bee forcible remedies against sinne and death This is their religion and seruing of God thus they honour the Lambe that was slaine for the sinnes of all the worlde If this doe not derogate from him and stoppe the brightnesse of his glorie who is the only once offered propitiation for all our sinnes by whose bloud we are only purged whose death only hath made vs free from death if this doe not obscure the glorious beautie of Christ Iesus if this doe not deface the woorthinesse of his merites what doeth or what can do Hath the glorious sonne of God sacrificed his precious life for our sakes vpon the crosse that Thomas of Caunterburies bloud powred out in an earthly quarrell should make passage to heauen for vs Is there any man in whose heart the light of the glorie of God hath shined which seeth not how this fogge doth darken this blessed sunne 21 Againe this sonne is obscured when as we professe that in our woordes which in our liues and deedes we doe denie After that king Dauid had committed adulterie Nathan the phophet charged him therewith in these words Thou hast caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme When men professe wel liue ill their life is not tolerated for their profession but their profession is slandered by their conuersation When the Iewes which professed the Law did not practise it the Law which they professed heard euill thereby For a bad professor of a good thing is a staine to that thing which he doth professe This is the speciall fault of our wicked dayes these our times are clowdie and full of this darkenesse our light doth not shine to glorifie God but our darkenes doth abounde to the obscuring of his Christ. The mercilesse rich men which wring and oppresse by deceitfull and iniurious dealing which neglect and despise their afflicted brethren the needie members of Christ doe not they blaspheme the woorthie name wherewith both they and we are named It were a great deale better neuer to haue professed then not to practise neuer to haue receaued then not to obserue neuer to haue knowne then not to obey the word of truth Vnto them which heare the word and keepe it being heard a blessing is promised but vnto theÌ„ of whom it is written Dicunt non faciunt They say do not woes againe and againe are denounced This knowe sayth the Apostle that in the last dayes shall come perillous times For men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proude cursed speakers disobedient to parentes vnthankefull vnholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers intemperate fierce despisers of them which are good traitours headie high minded louers of pleasure more than louers of God hauing a shewe of godlinesse but hauing denied the power thereof Let all the worlde iudge whether these be not the cloudes which haue darkned the sunne of our dayes 22 Now as the sun reseÌ„bleth Christ so the moone his Church For as the moone hath hir light from the sun so the Church hirs from Christ. And as the sunne being vnchangeable is at all times exceeding bright and glorious but the moone doth change and some times is at the full sometimes at the wane hir light to the eye of the worlde now encreasing and nowe diminishing nowe filling the whole globe and now in no part thereof appearing so Christ and his Church Christs glorie is alwaies great and alwaies one His Church vpon earth doth varie nowe she flowrisheth and nowe is blacke sometimes shee ouer spreadeth the face of the whole earth at other times she is brought to so narrowe streightes that mortall eye is vnable to espie hir When the Church of Christ is persecuted as it was in the dayes of those cruell Emperours which were of olde and as it is at this daie vnder Antichrist and Antichristian Princes this is as it were the chaunging
that worketh all in all Wherfore as not onely Paul Apollos Cephas but all are ours and we are Christs and Christ is Gods so let vs comfort and strengthen one another in our holy faith holding nothing more deere vnto vs then the saluatiō ech of others and in Gods holy feare commend we one another to that faithful creator who is father of all aboue vs all and through vs all and in vs all To him be rendred all thanks and all honour geuen for euer and for euer The order and matter of the Sermons 1 The first Ho euerie one that thirsteth come to the waters c. Esa. 55. 1. 2 Be this sinne against the Lorde far from me that I shoulde cease to pray c. 1. Sam. 12. 23. 3 Take vs the little foxes which destroie the vines for our vine hath florished Cant. 2. 15. 4 I exhorte therefore before all thinges that requestes supplications c. 1. Tim. 2. 1. 5 Be like minded hauing the same loue being of one accorde c. Phil. 2. 2. 6 Teach mee thy way O Lorde and I will walke in thy truth Psal. 86. 11. 7 Drawe neere to God and he will draw neere to you Iac. 4. 8. 8 Seeke the Lorde while he may bee founde call vpon him while hee is neere c. Esay 55. 6. 9 All the daies of this my warfare do I waite till my changing come Iob. 14. 14. 10 That being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies we may serue him c. Luc. 1. 74. 11 Owe nothing to any man but this to loue one another for hee that loueth c. Rom. 13. 8. 12 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lorde requireth of thee c. Mich. 6. 8. 13 And Iesus went into the temple of God and cast out all them that soulde and bought c. Matth. 21. 12. 14 Then Peter opened his mouth and saide Of a truth I perceiue that God c. Act. 10. 34. 15 We therfore as helpers beseech you that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine c. 2. Cor. 6. 2. 16 Mariage is honorable in all Heb. 13. 1. 17 After these thinges Iesus went his waie ouer the sea of Galile c. Ioh. 6. 1. 18 Then there shalbe signes in the sunne and in the moone c. Luc. 21. 25 19 And when he was entred into the ship his disciples followed him c. Mat. 8. 23. 20 The end of all thinges is at hand Be ye therefore sober c. 1. Pet. 4. 7. 21 Offer the sacrifices of righteousnesse Psal. 4. 5. 22 For the rest brethren fare yee well be perfect be of good comforte c. 2. Cor. 13. 11. A Sermon made in Paules on the day of Christes Natiuitie ESAY 55. 1 Ho euerie one that thirsteth come to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without money 2 Wherefore doe ye lay out siluer and not for bread and your labour without being satisfied Hearken diligently vnto me and eate that which is good and let your soule delight in fatnesse 3 Encline your eares and come vnto me heare and your soule shall liue I wil make an euerlasting couenant with you euen the sure mercies of Dauid OVR Euangelical Prophet Esaias through the spirit of reuelation hath in the former part of this his prophecie 800. yeres before the birth of Christ euen as if the thing had alreadie beene performed such is the certainetie of his prophecie most liuely described and set foorth the natiuitie the preaching the persecution the apprehension the death the resurrection the ascension yea and the latter comming of our Sauiour Christ to iudge the quicke and the dead in such wise that for the substance thereof no Euangelist hath more perfectly or plainly set foorth this great mysterie of our saluation He foretelleth that Christ shall be borne of a virgin that his name shalbe Immanuel that his office shalbe to preache the glad tidings of saluation to the poore in spirit that he shalbe led as a sheepe to the shambles to be slaine that he shall be stricken for our sakes and beare the burthen of al our sinnes vpon his backe 2 His birth foreshewed so long agoe by this heauenly Prophet was in fulnesse of time accomplished as this day in Bethlem a citie of Dauid according to the testimonie of that Angel sent from heauen to proclaime the birth of the sonne of God at the same time saying Behold I bring you tidings of great ioy that shalbe vnto all the people because this day is borne vnto you a Sauiour which is Christ our Lorde in the Citie of Dauid This is that seede of the woman which breaketh the serpents head that meeke Abel murthered by his brethren for our sinne that true Isaack whom his father hath offered vp to be a sacrifice of pacification and attonement betweene him and vs. This is that Melchisedeck both a king and a priest that liueth for euer without father or mother beginning or ending This is Ioseph that was solde for thirtie pieces of monie This is that Sampson full of strength and courage who to saue his people and destroy his enemies hath willingly brought death vpon his owne head This is that Lorde and sonne of Dauid to whom the Lord sayde Sit thou on my right hand This is that bridegroome in the Canticle whose heart is so inflamed with heauenly loue towards his deare spouse which is his Church This is he whom holy Simeon imbrasing prophesied that he should be a light to the Gentiles and a glorie to his people Israel he vpon whom the holy Ghost descended and of whom the father testified from heauen This is my welbeloued Sonne This is that lambe of God pointed at by Iohn and sent to take away the sinnes of the world to redeeme vs from thraldome not with golde nor siluer but with the inestimable price of his pretious bloud to be made our wisedome iustification sanctification and redemption This is the childe that is borne for vs the sonne that is giuen for our cause the king whose rule is vpon his shoulders whose name is maruellous the giuer of counsell the mightie GOD the euerlasting father the prince of peace the same Messias which was shadowed in the ceremonies and sacrifices of olde which was prefigured in the Lawe and is presented in the Gospel and hath beene approoued to the worlde by signes and wonders by so cleare euidence as cannot bee either dissembled or denyed Let vs therefore embrace this babe with ioie let vs kisse the sonne let vs with the Angels of heauen praise the Lord let vs sing their Psalme to the honour of his name Glorie be to God on high and on earth peace 3 The Prophet Esaias hauing in spirite espied Christ and seene the day though farre off wherein the Sauiour of the world should be borne
calleth all the nations of the earth together and exhorteth them to come to behold to beleeue to embrace to tast of the mercies of Christ Iesus which are as water to refreshe their thirstie spirits and as milke to nourish and comfort their hearts All you that thirst come to the waters c. In which exhortation the Prophet obserueth this order First he exhorteth the people to come Secondly he telleth whither and to whom they should come Thirdly he teacheth after what sort they must come Fourthly what commoditie such as come shal receiue 4 Come all that are thirstie Gods mercie is great and generall he hath no partiall respect vnto any person no countrey no kindred no age no condition no sexe is excluded He calleth Iewe and Gentile young and aged riche and needie bond and free man and woman He commaunded his Gospel to be preached to all Goe your waies preache the Gospel to euerie creature In the parable all are inuited to that magnificent mariage and kingly supper Christ himselfe cryeth in general words Come to me all that labour If all bee called and exhorted to come what cause can any man alleage sufficient to excuse his not comming the buying of fermes or the trying of oxen or the marying of wiues They haue base mindes that are withheld by these meanes But if any haue a feareful and a trembling heart who being called stand stil a farre off not because they wil not but because they dare not approche neere them God pitieth yea vnto them especially or rather onely vnto them he saith Come you Be thy sinnes neuer so great feare not to come for he that calleth thee hath stretcht out his armes of mercie at length they are wide open to embrace thee mercie is readie to all that will receiue it and to them that neede it most most readie A comfortable â—esson to all sinners 5 Come all that are thirstie He calleth not them which are full and neede neither meate nor drinke but such as be hungrie and thirstie them he calleth The proude Pharisey that was ful of his owne righteousnesse hungred not after remission of sinnes and they who are ouerfilled with works of supererogation and haue store to serue themselues and others neuer thirst to drinke of the cup of saluation In generall such as are drunke with the vaine trust of their owne merites wil neither tast of this bread nor drinke of this water The couetous man thirsteth after monie euen with the sale of his owne soule to get it The lewde after fleshlie delights and pleasures to the wasting of his patrimonie vpon them The proude after glorie that his itching eares may be tickled with his owne praise But what thirst the Prophet doth meane Christ sheweth in the Gospel where he also blesseth it Blessed are they which hunger and thirst for righteousnesse Such as see their owne nakednesse as feele their owne infirmities as grone vnder the heauie burthen of their sinne as confesse with Dauid I knowe mine owne iniquities as make request with the Publicane God be mercifull to me a sinner as crie with the Leper Lorde if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane such are inuited vnto such our Prophet speaketh He calleth not the iust but vnto sinners he saith Come Goe not away but come 6 Whither and to whom Come to the waters Not to such waters as either the wel or the riuer yeeldeth but to those that issue from the sonne of God to those that shalbe in him which tasteth them a wel of water springing vnto euerlasting life Vnto whom shall we goe thou hast the words of euerlasting life Come to these waters buy this wine and this milke Other bread is no bread Eate that which is good Vnder these names of water wine and milke all things necessary to a spiritual life are comprehended For as with these corporall meates and drinkes the bodie is nourished so in Christ thorough the beleeuing of the Gospel our soule is refreshed perfectly fed vnto euerlasting life Christ is the fresh fountaine whereof who so drinketh shall neuer thirst Christ is that bread which descended from heauen He that eateth that bread which is his flesh shal liue foreuer Christ is that wine which maketh merie the heart of man and quieteth the troubled conscience Christ is that milke which nourisheth and feedeth vs that we may growe to a perfect man Milke is fit for infants water is conuenient for young men wine agreeth with olde age So in the Scriptures there is foode both for such as are simple and weake and also for such as are learned and strong 7 This grace of God which saueth hath appeared to all men this heauenly foode Christ Iesus by preaching the Gospel is offered to all as Manna the heauenly bread by faith to feede vpon and as a liuely fountaine to drinke of to euerlasting life All are of mercie grace and fauour freely called al may come and freely feede without penie or penieworth The grace of God is free remission of sins is free freely graunted freely giuen without monie The price of our redemption is neither golde nor siluer Through grace ye are freely saued For it cannot be grace any way which is not euerie way free saith S. Augustine 8 Wherefore doe ye lay out your siluer for that which is no bread and your labour on that which is not to satisfie As before he exhorted vs to come and buie freely without monie because God is no monie man neither can any man deserue fauour at his hands but whatsoeuer wee haue of him we haue it of mercie so nowe he sharpely reprooueth all such as by monie or merchaundise by desert or merite seeke after saluation He dehorteth vs from false teachers craftie seducers which offer to sel the grace and mercie of GOD for monie Christ proposeth his heauenly treasures remission of sinnes iustification sanctification mercie grace and saluation freely He that sitteth in the Temple of God and termeth himselfe Christs Vicar doeth in like sort offer vnto the people bread water wine milke pardon of sinnes grace mercie and eternall life but not freely he is a merchaunt he giueth nothing and that is nothing which he selleth For although he make large promises to the buyer he selleth that which he hath not to deliuer Eternall life is the gift of God The Pope therefore selleth but wind and smoke for fire shadowes for truthes he deceiueth the buyers with false â—lights false measures false weightes Beware of this merchaunt loose not your labour cast not away your monie it is not meate but poison which he offereth you His phisicke cannot heale your diseases His holy water cannot wash away the spottes of a sullied and defiled soule as he vntruely would beare you in hand His blasphemous Masses doe not appease but prouoke Gods wrath they cannot benefite the quicke much lesse the dead which either neede no helpe or are
23 By this inbred corruption our vnderstanding is so darkened that naturally we cannot perceiue the things which are of God no we count them foolishnesse our will is in such thraldome and slauerie vnto sinne that it cannot like of any thing spirituall and heauenly but is wholly caried vnto fleshly desires 24 If therefore we perceiue the things that are of God and doe like of them if our hearts be enclined to doe his will because this cannot come of our selues our nature bending a cleane contrarie way we acknowledge most willingly and vnfeinedly The good we doe is his it is not ours our beginning to doe and our continuance in dooing well proceedeth onely and wholly from him If any man receiue the grace of God offered it is because God hath framed his heart thereto If any man come when God calleth it is because his grace which calleth draweth If being brought vnto Christ we continue in him we haue no other reason to yeeld of our dooing but onely this he hath linked vs and fastened vs vnto himselfe We neither rise when we are fallen nor stand when we are risen by our owne strength When we are in distresse we are of our selues so far from abilitie to helpe our selues that we are not able to craue helpe of him vnlesse his spirite wrest out Abba Father from vs. We cannot mone our owne case vnlesse he doe grone and sigh for vs we are not able to name Iesus vnlesse by the speciall grace of his spirite our mouthes be opened no we cannot of our selues so much as think of naming him if to thinke of naming him be a good thought 25 When against our naturall inclination to euill his spirite which worketh all in all hath so preuailed that wee now beginne to hate the workes of the flesh hauing an earnest desire to abounde in loue ioie peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meekenesse temperaunce and all other fruites of the spirite yet by reason of the strength of that bodie of sinne which euer fighteth against the spirite our inward man is so weakened that we cannot do the things which we would and the things which we do euen the best of them are so farre beneath that perfection which the Lawe of God requireth that if he should rigorously examine them in iustice no fleshe could euer be accounted righteous in his sight The loathsomest things that can be imagined the cloathes that be most vncleane are not so foule as our very righteousnes is vnrighteous Wherupon we conclude that whatsoeuer wee receiue by way of reward at Gods hand either in this life or in the life to come wee receiue it as a thing freely giuen by him without any merite or desert of ours we doe not say in our hearts The Lord hath giuen vs these good things to possesse for our righteousnesse For seeing it is he which giueth both to will and to doe he crowneth in deede his owne worke when he rewardeth ours and he neuer rewardeth any worke of his owne wherein there is not somwhat of ours which he pardoneth 26 Thus being naked and vtterly destitute in our selues we seeke all things in Christ Iesus Him onely we acknowledge to be our wisedome our iustification our sanctification our redemption our priest our sacrifice our king our head our mediator our phisition our waie our trueth our life In our selues we finde nothing but pouertie and weakenesse praise and honour and glorie wee giue to him The onely marke we ayme at is to set vp his throne to aduaunce his kingdome to make it knowne that in him the Father hath layde vp all the treasures of heauen to the ende that vnto him the thirstie may repaire for water the hungrie for bread the naked for cloathes and wee all for all things needeful to the safetie of our soules and bodies 27 This is not the scope which the Church of Rome proposeth They direct all things to an other end How can ye beleeue saith Christ to the Iewes which receiue honour one of an other and seeke not that honour which commeth of God alone And howe can the faith of the Church of Rome be sound sith they hold such doctrines as tend wholly to their owne glorie their owne gaine and not to the praise and honour of God 28 That they seeke not his glorie but their owne it may appeare vnto any man which throughly considereth of their doctrine First they will not acknowledge that pouertie and nakednesse those filthie garments of corruption and sinne wherein Adam hath wrapped his posteritie But in the pride of their hearts they dissemble it diminish it and make light of it For although they denie not but that mans nature is corrupted yet marke how they paire and lessen this corruption The Prophet Dauid doeth terme it wickednesse and sinne but they make it onely an inclination vnto sinning The Lorde himselfe doeth witnesse that by it all the imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart are only euill they restraine it to the inferior part of the soule and make it onely a mother of some grosser desires The blessed Apostle prayed groned and wept against it as a thing which made him altogeher wearie of his life But after Baptisme they make no more account of those inward rebellious motions against the spirite than they doe of the beating of a mans pulse 29 And as they hide that weakenesse which indeede they haue so they boast of that strength which is not in them For being subiect vnto miserable bondage vnder sinne by reason of that corruption which hath spred it selfe ouer all flesh they bragge notwithstanding of the freedome of their wil as if sinne had not vtterly bereaued vs thereof but stil it were in vs to frame and fashion our owne hearts vnto good things For proofe whereof their maner is to make long discourses teaching that Gods foreknowledge doth not take away free will that men are not violently drawen to good or euill Which things we easily and willingly graunt neither doe we teache or euer did that the freedome of our wil is taken away by the eternall decree of his vnsearchable purpose but this we say and all that haue the trueth doe say the same that the will of man being free vnto naturall and ciuill actions hath of it selfe no freedome to desire things heauenly and spirituall not because the eternall purpose of God but because the corruption of our nature hath addicted vs only vnto euill We doe not teache or euer did that any man is the seruaunt either of sinne or of righteousnesie by constraint For whether we obey the one vnto death and condemnation or vnto life and saluation the other our obedience is alwayes voluntarie it is not wrested from vs against our wils But the question being how we are made willing vnto that which is good this is the difference betweene our aunswere and theirs We say onely by the grace of God
they say partly by grace but principally by the power and strength of their owne nature For being ashamed to affirme with Pelagius that a man may doe the workes of righteousnesse by nature without the grace of God they hold his grace to be a thing indeede necessarie But howe As a birde that is tyed or a man that is in fetters needeth onely to haue those incumberances remooued hauing then a naturall abilitie to flie and walke without any further helpe so man as they say hath in himselfe abilitie to doe good if the grace of God doe but remooue lets Is not this to make nature the principal cause of our well dooing whereas in trueth without the speciall motion of Gods spirite and that in euerie particular action wee are no more able to walke in the waies which GOD hath commaunded than a drunken man to goe without leading who staggereth euen in the plainest ground though all stumbling blockes be remooued though his waie lie neuer so smooth before him such is our weakenesse In consideration whereof the blessed Apostle sayth plainely It is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie We dragge and are not able of our selues to set one foote before an other Drawe me saith the spouse in the Canticles and then we will runne after thee But these men litle considering of what fraile metall they are made perceiuing not how sinne hath weakened the faculties of the soule vaunt of freedome of strength of inward power and make their owne will the chiefest cause of their wel dooing 30 And when they haue doone any thing which to their seeming is wel doone they prise it so high and esteeme so much of it that God as they thinke should doe them iniurie if in iudgement he did not pronounce them iust and righteous for their workes sake If it were possible that God entering into iudgement should finde any so vpright and perfect that by their workes they might be iustified in his sight doubtlesse he should finde his owne seruaunts to be such or else none if any of his seruaunts surely his Prophets if any Prophet rather Dauid than any other But Dauid crieth out Enter not into iudgement no not with thy Seruaunt O Lord. For in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified For whether we consider workes forbidden or commaunded by the Lawe what man is there liuing which can say in the one My heart is pure in the other I haue doone all that is enioyned me For if it were so that we knewe nothing wherein we had transgressed the lawes and statutes of the almightie yet herein could we in no wise be iustified because of secret sinnes hidden euen from our owne selues For which if God shal call vs to our reckoning and marke straitely what is doone amisse O Lord saith the Prophet who shall stand Againe if we had doone whatsoeuer wee could yet because we cannot doe so much as we should we ought to acknowledge our selues vnprofitable whereas we euen the best of vs are farre from dooing that which if we would we might doe 31 Nowe if God notwithstanding for his sonnes sake doe so allowe and accept the worke of our hands that he bountifully rewardeth our weake seruice with an excellent and an eternall waight of glorie how much are wee bound both to praise his mercie and to hate the insolencie of those men who besides al this swelling in the proude conceit of their workes will haue eternall life which is his gift to be their merite nor onely that but the worthinesse of their deserts to be so great that many of them dooing God more seruice than can bee sufficiently rewarded in their owne persons deserue heauen not onely for themselues but for others too These shipwracks of faith they haue made by reason of their inward pride 32 The excessiue desire of outward pompe hath furthermore caused them to disdaine the basenesse of Christ Iesus and of his Apostles to bee ashamed of the meane and lowe estate wherein they liued to make of their Deacons and Priests Cardinals exceeding the kings of the earth in glorie of their Bishop a Monarke vnder whose foote the Emperour himselfe hath beene a footestoole whose stirrop the greatest Soueraignes haue scarse beene deemed worthie to holde at whose bridle kings haue attended as seruaunts that the wordes of the Preacher might bee iustified Follie is set in great excellencie and the riche set in the lowe place I haue seene seruaunts on horses and Princes walking as seruants on the ground 33 This pompe cannot bee maintained with nothing it must haue strong sinnewes And therefore whatsoeuer mans wit might possibly deuise for gaine they haue both founde it out and put it in vre setting Offices Masses Prayers Pardons Sacramentes Heauen and Earth all the treasures of the house of GOD to sale if wee may terme it the house of God which they haue made a shoppe of so vile merchaundise It were infinite to recite what huge summes of money they haue heretofore by religious pretenses euerie yeere gathered within the compasse of this one Ilande What heapes then haue they raked out of other partes of Christendome Which offals and profites if once men beginne as here so in other kingdomes also to withholde from them if men leaue off buying their wares any more if things which are fatte and excellent depart doubtlesse that citie which nowe is cloathed in fine linnen and purple and skarlet which nowe is guilded with golde and decked with pretious stones and pearles shall in one houre be made desolate This they know and it maketh them carefull to maintaine whatsoeuer is commodious and gainefull to them As for the glorie of GOD it is the least part of their care nay they care not howe heynous sacrilege they commit in spoyling and robbing him of his honour 34 It is an honour vnto God when all men by faith point their fingers as it were at Christ Iesus naming him the onelie Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the worlde when he is acknowledged the onely mediatour betweene God and vs when wee confesse that hee is that Priest according to the order of Melchisedech which hauing offered one sacrifice for sinnes hath therewith because it was a perfect sacrifice consecrated for euer them that are sanctified when our faith is so ascertained and grounded vppon his promises that we can bee bolde as Lyons assuring our selues that the eye of the Lorde is on them which trust in his mercie to deliuer their soules from death as the Prophet witnesseth But how doe they giue vnto him this honour who haue deuised so many waies to take away sinne besides the bloud of the Lambe of GOD who as though wee might not be bolde to enter into the holie place by the newe and liuely way which hee hath prepared for vs through the vaile which is his fleshe or as
As verily as he doth liue it is not the goodnesse of their religion but the strength of their faction and the wilinesse of flesh by which they stand 39 Wherefore briefly to conclude this matter and in fewe words to knit vp that which remaineth I haue as you see set before you life and death truth and error wholesome foode and noysome poison If ye tender the safetie of your owne soules be not as children readie to take whatsoeuer is offered you learne to iudge betweene good and euill lay not out monie for that which is no bread spend not your labour in that which cannot satisfie come to the waters whereunto God calleth you 40 The maner of comming is set downe by the Prophet in many words the summe of all is this Wee must not giue eare vnto lying spirits Heare not the wordes of the Prophets that prophecie vnto you and teache you vanitie they speake the vision of their owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord turne away your eares from such and hearken vnto me saith the Lorde Hearken diligently carefully attentiuely The word of life is of power and strength to saue your soules But if ye be as vessels that leake and runne out how should the doctrine of saluation profite you This food refusing all other we are exhorted both to take and to eate If sinners heretikes enemies of the truth say Come with vs shunne them turne away your feete from their pathes offer not you their offerings of bloud present not your selues in their temples tast not things sacrificed vnto their Idols Eate that which is good Labour not for the meate which perisheth much lesse for that whereby men perish but labour for the meate that endureth to euerlasting life which meate the sonne of man shall giue you For him hath God the father sealed He is the bread of life his flesh is meate indeede and his bloud is drinke in deede his word is the power of God vnto saluation his sacraments are seales of righteousnesse by faith in him are all the treasures of peace ioie rest comfort no eye hath seene no eare hath heard no heart hath conceiued the things which are hidden and laide vp in him Whereupon if we feede in such sort that our soules take ioie pleasure and delight in fatnesse then the fruite which hereby we shall reape is this 41 Your soule saith God shall liue and I wil make an euerlasting couenaunt with you euen the sure mercies of Dauid What Shall they then which hearken vnto him and put their trust in his mercie deliuer their liues for euer from the hand of the graue Shal they liue and not see death There is a first and a second death the one onely seuereth the soule from the bodie for a time the other tormenteth first the soule seuered and afterward both bodie and soule for euer The second death shal not touche them of whom the Prophet here speaketh But of the first Iob hath saide Death is the house appointed for all the liuing Wherefore God doeth not promise to prolong the daies of his children continually heere on earth but his promise is that their soules shal liue For touching outward things we cannot certainely iudge the hatred or loue of God by them In these externall euents The same condition is to the iust and to the wicked to the good and pure and to them that are polluted to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not As is the good so is the sinner he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath Howe dieth the wise man Euen as the foole saith the Preacher Nay one is wicked and liueth in ease and prosperitie another feareth God and dieth in the bitternesse of his soule they sleepe both in the dust together the wormes couer them both alike This onely is the difference The wicked is kept to the day of destruction and shall bee brought foorth to the day of wrath But the iust shall liue by faith his soule shall liue The foundation from whence this life floweth is that couenaunt which was made with Dauid I wil set vp thy seede after thee which shall proceede out of the bodie and I will stablish his kingdome hee shal build an house for my name and I wil stablish the throne of his kingdome for euer Now as Dauid so the children of Dauid after him fulfilled their daies and fel asleepe the throne of Dauid was not established in them for euer But of Christ the Angel of the Lorde hath saide The Lord shall giue vnto him the throne of his father Dauid and he shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdome shall be no ende Wherefore in Christ this couenaunt with Dauid is fulfilled The mercies which were promised vnto Dauid are the benefites and as the Apostle termeth them the holie things which we receiue by Christ Iesus This couenant is euerlasting If saith God by the Prophet Ieremie you can breake my couenaunt of the day and my couenaunt of the night that there should not be day and night in their season then may my couenaunt be broken with Dauid As the couenaunt made with Dauid is euerlasting so the mercies therein contained are sure Of the sure mercies of Dauid thus he speaketh in the booke of Psalmes Mine hande shall be established with him and mine arme shal strengthen him the enemie shall not oppresse him neither shall the wicked doe him hurt but I will destroy his foes before his face and plague them that hate him my mercie will I keepe for him for euermore and my couenaunt shall stand fast with him The couenaunt made with Dauid is made with vs his mercies are our mercies if so be we performe that which here is required at our hands If we hearken diligently vnto him that cryeth Come to the waters if we cleaue fast vnto his trueth if we embrace his promises with ioie eating that which is good shunning and loathing that which is euil surely his hande shall be established with vs as with Dauid his arme shall bee our strength the enemie shal not oppresse vs neither shal the wicked doe vs harme but God shall destroy all our enemies before vs and plague them that hate vs his mercies he shal keepe towards vs for euer his couenaunt shall stand fast with vs our soules shal liue he shal make an euerlasting couenaunt with vs euen the sure mercies of Dauid Which mercies the God of all mercie graunt vs vnto whom with the Sonne by whose blood they are purchased together with that glorious Spirite which hath sealed in our heartes ful assurance that they cannot faile be honour and glorie for euer and euer Amen A Sermon made before the Parliament at Westminster 1. SAMVEL 12. 23 Be this sinne against the Lord farre from me that I should cease to pray for you But I will shewe you the good and the right waie 24
Therefore feare you the Lord and serue him in the trueth HIstories as well sacred as profane at large record that good Princes haue euer vigilantly looked into the state of the common wealth which is their charge and perceiuing disorder or foreseeing danger haue speedily caused consultation to be had as well for the reformation as for the preseruation thereof In which consultation three especiall things are commonly offered to consider of The state of religion the state of the Prince and the state of the common wealth Three most necessarie things to be regarded and prouided for If religion be not sound mens soules cannot be safe if the head be not preserued the bodie of necessitie must decay if good gouernment want the common wealth falleth into confusion Our Prophet that good Prince and ruler of the people in the great assemblie of the Israelites remembred vnto them these selfesame things as by the words which I haue chosen to treate of it wil appeare Our Samuel our good and gratious gouernour moued with like affection hath called this honourable and high Court of Parliament for like end Wherein that things wel intended may the better proceede and take best effect let vs in our prayers craue helpe and assistance from aboue Wherein let vs not forget Christs vniuersall Church this particular Church of England and Ireland the Queenes excellent Maiestie our most Soueraigne Ladie and chiefe gouernour that God remembring vs in his mercie may graunt her Maiestie a long happie life with the encrease of all godlie honour and felicitie to the great praise of his name and great good of his Church Let vs also remember in our prayers the honourable priuie Counsel the Clergie the Nobilitie with the whole people of this Realme that God may graunt euerie one grace in his calling syncerely to serue him And especially at this time let vs call vpon God for wisedome and grace from aboue that in this consultation of Parliament all priuate affections and respects to our owne commodities laide aside Gods glorie and the good of his Church and this common wealth onely and syncerely may be sought For these and grace let vs pray vnto God as our Sauiour Christ hath taught vs Our Father c. 2 The better to conueigh my selfe to the matter which I haue in hand I shall craue leaue that I may speake somewhat of this princely Prophet Samuel who descending of noble parentage was by his mother consecrated to the ministerie Of which calling though Christ himselfe thought so highly and honourably that refusing to bee a King he chose the office of a Minister yet so peruerse is the iudgement of the worlde that they thinke no condition more base or vile The minister with his master Christ is contemned this holy office is become odious All men seeke their owne and serue themselues it is accounted slauerie to serue the Lorde 3 Samuel was called of God to be a magistrate wherein he was so faithful and vpright that his aduersaries were forced to iustifie his dooings and to beare him record that he neither was a bribetaker nor an extortioner nor one that had iniuried any man It were wel with our common wealth if all officers could carie away the like testimonie But euill subiects cannot away with good magistrates The prodigall which haue consumed their substance in lewdenesse and vanitie long for a chaunge supposing that their state wil be bettered thereby and perswading them selues that it cannot be made worse All change is perilous and an olde saying is it Seldome comes the better A better this people could hardly haue had yet so vnquiet and discontented they were that the good and peaceable gouernement of Samuel notwithstanding they misliked their present state and desired an other gouernour to be giuen them The worthie magistrate Moses was muttered against The noble king Dauid for a time deposed our faithful Samuel reiected Behold the harde state of good Princes who are for the most part rewarded with great ingratitude Moses deare cousins became his deadly enemies Dauids familiar friends became his most fierce and violent foes Samuel was reiected of such as he most fauoured Crysippus obseruing the course of these things saith that which experience prooueth true Thou shalt bee sure if thou gouerne amisse to purchase Gods if well the peoples anger and displeasure The daunger of this office by reason of the great ingratitude of the people made Moses say to God Send whom thou wilt send it caused Demosthenes rather to wish banishment than place of gouernement and Themistocles to prefer hel it selfe to the iudgement seate When Antigonus should put on a royall diademe he brake foorth into this speeche O cloth of more honourable than happie estate wherewith if a man were so throughly acquainted that he could tell the number of cares and miseries wherewith thou art fraught hee would not stoupe for thee though he might haue thee for the taking vp Wherefore it grieued not Samuel to be eased of so heauie a burthen but God was much grieued to see so great disgrace offered to his annointed They haue not reiected thee but me saith the Lorde To dislike and cast off a good magistrate is to dislike and cast off God because all power is of God God in his wrath for godly Samuel gaue them wicked Saul I pray God in his iustice serue all such alike as seeke after such change as cannot submit themselues with louing and obedient hearts to the good gouernement of woorthie Samuel their natural Prince their good and faithful Magistrate whom for conscience sake they ought to honour and obey 4 Samuel was both a Prophet and a Prince a Minister and a Magistrate So was Melchisedech Moses Dauid Christ. Hee had neede to be a rare man that should wel aunswere sundrie offices When Redde rationem giue account commeth then one office such as the least of these will be thought a burthen heauie ynough for any one besides these to haue borne But the matching of these two offices doth teache what agreement loue and liking should be betweene these two officers They are Gods two hands to build vp withall the decayed wals of Ierusalem If the one hand set forward and the other put backeward Gods worke will be ill wrought The wisedome of God matched Moses and Aaron two brethren the one the minister the other the magistrate that knit together in brotherly loue they might labour together with both handes for the furtherance of Gods building When the word and the sword doe ioine then is the people wel ruled and then is God well serued So long as king Ioas and the good priest Iehoida liued together God was serued according to his word the priest rightly counselled the king gladly followed 5 Samuel zealous for the glorie of God and carefull for the commonwealth preacheth to the Parliament assembled after this sort Be this sinne
might bee shewed in Dauid Ezechias Nehemias Mattathias But one example may serue for all being of our Sauiour who is aboue all and Lord of all Christ at his first entrie into the temple purged it by casting out buyers and sellers Our gratious Gouernor following Christs example hath laboured most earnestly first to cleanse this ground and to purge this church of England hath caused the stones to bee picked out brambles and breers to be pulled vp all rubbidge and whatsoeuer was hurtfull to be remooued the denne of theeues to be dispersed buyers and sellers of popish trash Monkes Fryers Massemongers with like miscreants to bee hurled and whipped out the stumbling stones of superstition the baggage of mans traditions with all monuments of Idolatrie vanitie and poperie to be cast out of the house of God and vineyard of the Lord So that the field of God is cleared the vineyard cleansed the church purged readie for the seede to be sowen and the vine to be planted And all this without resistance or tumult It was the worke of God it is maruellous to as many as duely consider it 7 Nowe it behooueth the vinitor to take great heede what vine he planteth in this vineyard Thornes will not bring foorth grapes nor thistles figges If thou sowe the giddie darnell of humane traditions looke for like fruite for he that conceiueth vanitie shall bring foorth winde But our skilfull housholder our wise gouernor hath planted in this our vineyard neither thornes nor thistles but the true vine Christ growing in the heartes of his elect This vine hath beene diligently watered with the dewe of Gods trueth syncerely preached it hath beene cherished with his sacraments reuerently administred according to his will it hath beene vnderpropped with the continuaunce of authoritie and defence of zealous Christian magistrates pruned with the two edged sword of Gods spirit working by the ministerie of his seruaunts who with the sweete promises of the gospel haue reared vp the drooping braunches ouerburthened with sinne and with the sharpe threatenings of the Lawe haue cut off the lasciuious wilde boughes of wickednesse No flocke better fed no people more instructed no vineyard in the world more beautiful or goodly to behold 8 This vineyard so prepared this vine so planted watered and vnderset hath also beene strongly hedged and fensed with godlie Lawes of good discipline to put backe all enemies to punish all transgresiors to bridle the vnrulie and to keepe men in order that the church of God may liue in all peace and tranquillitie with all pietie and honestie This is the flourishing vineyard of the Lord the beautifull arke of couenaunt wherein are reposed the treasures of God the golden pot with Manna the rod of Aaron and the tables of Moses No church vnder heauen more inriched with treasures and gifts of God so that wee may truely say We are inriched by him in all knowledge and in all speeche in so much that we are not destitute of any gift The Lorde may iustly say to vs as to his people of olde What might I doe for my vine which I haue not doone and wee may well sing the song which the spirite hath indited euen of purpose as it seemeth for vs Vinea nostra floruit Our vine hath flourished 9 And although the ground where this vine is planted hath beene very barren yet hath it brought foorth many goodly and pleasaunt grapes The gospel hath chased away walking spirites it hath cast out diuels banished much ignorance and blindnesse put horrible blasphemie in maner to flight vtterly cleansed that sinke the stewes made vaine and filthie songs lesse currant than they haue beene in former times and caused sinne to bee more shunned although it be God knoweth too much stil frequented But one pleasaunt grape especially the gospel the worde of reconciliation hath brought foorth and that is the sweete fruite of peace peace towards God and peace amongest our selues The gospel preacheth Christ. Christ is our peace and peacemaker He that hath Christ hath peace with God and hee that beleeueth in him hath him By this meanes we haue peace of conscience peace with God The other peace is ciuill peace among men This is a pleasaunt fruite and a great blessing Hee that knoweth the hurt of warre can best iudge of the worth of this benefite The God of peace hath doone this for vs to our singular commoditie and comfort he hath giuen peace in our daies England neuer so long tasted the like Warre heretofore hath torne this Realme in peeces all Nations round about vs starue in the field tumble in warre wallow in bloud expecting no end of their troubles but vtter ruine and desolation In the meane while we sit safe vnder our vine euerie man in peace may quietly followe his vocation God hath not dealt thus with all nations as hee hath dealt with vs the least nation of all It must be graunted some stormes haue beene stirred vp to disturbe this our happie rest But the prince of peace and Lorde of our tranquillitie hath ceased the waues of the sea stilled the rage of the people maruellously preuented their wicked deuises and confounded the deuisers of them There is neither power nor counsell against the Lord. God taketh away the hearts of the enemies and then as fearefull Hares they flee at the wagging of euerie leafe yea they feare where there is nothing to be feared For this great calme for this miraculous peace we haue to praise our God 10 This peace hath fructified and brought foorth his natural fruite which is plentie Warre is a locust deuouring all fruites peace as a sweete and pleasaunt dewe maketh all things fruitfull Peace hath made this Land flow like Canaan with milke and honie God hath opened his mercifull hande and replenished vs with all his blessings the Lord hath shewed vs his louing kindenesse and our Land hath brought foorth her encrease 11 These earthly blessings God hath giuen to trie vs whether prouoked by his gratious benignitie we will walke in his Lawe or no. I will raine downe bread out of heauen that I may trie you whether ye wil walk in my Law or no. After this sort he proued Adam giuing him all dominion ouer his creatures with all the fruite and plentie of the earth So prooued he the Sodomites with a Countrie for pleasure and plentie termed The Lords Garden So prooued he Israel when he gaue them Canaan but they were forgetfull of the giuer and abused his gifts both their peace and plentie they prouoked GOD vnto wrath and they felt his heauie hande their peace was turned into warre their plentie into distresse their pleasure into paine their ioie into sorowe 12 These things are written to warne vs that we should beware of the like sinnes least we feele the like plagues For if wee regard not the fauour of God if wee contemne his woorde the worde of saluation if we
refuse to heare it reade it followe it if the seede of God doe not fructifie in our hearts if the peace wee haue with God bring not foorth pietie if our ciuill peace bring foorth no better fruite than beastly securitie if plentie worke nothing in vs but pride if with Adam in our presumption wee disobey the Lorde if with Sodome when we are ful our care be onely to satisfie our lust if we neglect the poore and deride the iust if with Israel we lust after flesh and despise Angels foode if we hunger after poperie and thirst not after the water of life if wee fall away from God and fall downe to creatures if wee runne a whoring and defile the flesh and prophane the temple of God if we tempt God being wearie of our profession hauing wauering mindes and backesliding hearts if we despise gouernement and speake euil of them that be in authoritie if wee mutter and murmure against the principalitie of Moses and Aaron if wee loath the present state and seeke after alterations then shall all these godlie blessings of God turne into cursings the message of life shall be vnto vs a fauour of death the words of the sonne of God spoken vnto vs for our saluation shall beare witnesse against vs and condemne vs our vineyard shall be laide wast wee shall be made a byword and a woonder to the world and for a iust reward of this our wickednesse our former benefites shall but adde a greater waight vnto our woe But this be farre from vs and from our children for euermore Wherefore to returne and to conclude this part when we shall behold the great mercies of God so plentifully powred vpon vs howe hee hath regarded his vineyard blessed and inriched this his Church with so great gifts and so maruellous treasures you see how truely we may say Vinea nostra floruit Our vine hath flourished This is the goodnes of God towards vs. 13 Let vs nowe cast our eyes another way and see how men haue dealt with the Lords vineyard Great hath beene the fauor of God towards it and great also hath beene the malice of Satan and the ingratitude of man in labouring by all meanes to lay it wast These enemies of the vineyard are termed foxes vnder which name be comprised all heretikes all Schismatikes all hypocrites Atheists Epicures Conspirators Persecutors with all the rable of the wicked They are termed litle foxes either for that they are more rash more wilfull and more hurtfull to the vineyard than the olde foxes because they shunne no peril or else they are so called in contempt For although they seeme mightie strong and fierce yet when God shal arme himselfe against them then they wil appeare sillie weake cubbes not able to kicke against the pricke There is no wilinesse no force no power no counsell against our God If Christ say It is I all his enemies doe stagger and fall flat to the ground The litle cubbes perhaps are animated by reason of their wilinesse and because they know they are many in number It is true The children of this worlde are wise in their generation subtile they are as serpents But God confoundeth the counsels of all craftie Achitophels and taketh foxes in the snares they set for others The number is great and as the maner is of euil weedes it groweth apace they are tenne for one But one Dauid is worth not onely tenne but tenne thousand Philistines because he commeth in the name of the Lord. He that fighteth vnder Christs banner and is protected vnder the shadowe of the wings of the almightie he is safe be he in neuer so great perils Gedeon with three hundred crying The sworde of the Lorde and Gedeon slewe and put to flight an infinite number the huge armie of the Madianites It is all one with God to ouercome with fewe or many So the enemies then of God the enemies of the Church they are but sillie weake cubbes be they neuer so wilie neuer so many 14 But the enemies of Gods vineyard are therefore chiefly called foxes because they are of like condition vnto foxes whom they singularly resemble in foure peculiar properties The foxe is rauenous greedie on his pray And these cubbes enemies to the crosse of Christ haue vnder pretense of long praier deuoured widowes houses spared no estate or conditon of men beguiled Princes of their possessions gotten to themselues the riches and wealth of the whole worlde with false merchaundise selling that for bread which is no bread making their gaine of masses merites pardons and such like stuffe Vnsatiable dogges they are euer barking and neuer satisfied The olde gray foxe is become the Lord of the whole earth the king of kings his Cardinals Abbots and Bishops great Princes and Lordes of whole Countries the litle foxes as Monkes Fryers Massing priests what with singing and what with begging haue raked no small heapes together 15 Foxes doe feede on bloud in desire whereof they kil more than they can deuoure Christ calleth Herod Foxe partly for his sauage and cruel murthering of Infants What thousands of the children and lambes of God these Herodians these Romanists these rauening wolues and bloudie foxes haue deuoured looke into the histories of all times you shall woonder at it and abhorre them Doubtlesse the righteous bloud which they haue shed vpon the earth shall come vpon them the bloud of the Saintes whom they haue cruelly butchered crieth vnto the Lord against them for reuenge and the Lord wil heare it Whomsoeuer thou shalt see take delight in the bloud of persecution he is a Foxe 16 As they liuely resemble foxes in greedinesse and crueltie so in wilinesse also they are like vnto them craftie they are subtile as false as a foxe The foxe will not woorry neere his bele but raungeth farre abroade least he be espied So these subtile deceiuers goe farre off they compasse sea and land to make a proselite of their owne profession they shut themselues vp in their beles in the day time they dare not abide the light but seeke lurking holes and corners disguising themselues in strange apparell least their woonted attire should bewray them wilie foxes deepe dissemblers double hearted double tongued double faced speaking them full faire whom they hate full deadly promising and not performing shifting off and seeking time nowe humble as sheepe but when time serueth as fierce as Lyons By subtile slightes and breache of faith they brought Iohn Hus to the Councel at Constance and there cruelly murthered him they promised him a Safe-conduct to come and to goe but those holie Fathers agreed vpon a newe point of religion that Promise is not to be kept with heretikes and so cruelly and treacherously consumed with fire the Saint of God These faithbreakers be no more to be trusted than foxes 17 The last propertie that I note in the foxe is that hee casteth an euil sauour I will not
that harlot inseparablie henceforward which to doe they must take a solemne oath and in token thereof weare some marke of the beast as a Crosse an Agnus Dei a medall or some such badge of recognisance These popish proctors haue poisoned many and the obseruing of this most wicked oth hath made many sillie soules especially women breake their faith to Christ their loyaltie to their Prince and their promised obedience to their husbands A wicked promise is best vnmade but being made is better broken than performed It had beene a lesse offence for Herod to breake his oath than to behead an Innocent Wee may neither make nor keepe any promise oath or vowe against the Lorde As for reconciliation Be reconciled vnto God He it is which alone remitteth sinne and they onely which are reconciled to him shalbe saued 25 But these destroiers and subuerters of the Lords vineyard cease not thus Some credite they thinke to winne to their owne cause if they can worke the discredit of such as are maintainers of the contrarie To this end they raise vp slanderous reports against our magistrates ministers that the people first misliking them may afterwards be brought with more ease to mislike of that religion wherof they are This is an old practise of the anciēt enemie Daniel was charged to contemne the decree of Nabuchadnetzar Micheas to be a lier Ieremie to be an enemie to the common wealth Elias to be a disturber of the state Christ to be an enemie vnto Cesar Paul to be factious seditious the Christians in the daies of Traian the Emperor to haue their women cōmon in their night assemblies to worship an Asses head in stead of God with many such like shamelesse reports How these foxes haue falsely slaundered both magistrates and ministers of God in these our daies it shalbe needelesse here to recite Their bookes are extant as full of lies as lines Thus you see howe they labour by all meanes to hinder the passage of the Gospel and vtterly to subuert true religion We see also how the Lorde of hostes fighteth for vs how the almightie is our defence how he that keepeth vs slumbereth not how strangely and miraculously hee preserueth his annointed Dauid both from the bloudy hands of Saul abroad and Absolon at home in the midst of so many conspiracies treacheries snares and traps which these foxes haue deuised and laid We see how God preserueth his vineyard how hee maintaineth his church so many waies assaulted maugre all his and all our enemies It is his onely worke maruellous in our eyes it is the Lord let vs praise his name 26 But although God hitherto hath preserued his vineyard from the spoile of these foxes yet his wil and commaundement is that we should not liue in securitie but beware of them watch them and catch them if we can Take vs the litle foxes This last and most necessarie part for order sake may be thus diuided First we learne that foxes are to be taken secondly to whom thirdly by whom and lastly how they are to be taken 27 These foxes are to be taken For so the spouse of Christ or rather Christ himselfe commandeth And why Because they are hurtfull to his vineyard God commaundeth false prophets not onely to be taken but also to die the death Let the false Prophet die Paul wisheth that the disturbers of the peace of the church were cut off He laide an heauie hand vpon Elymas the sorcerer when he stroke him starke blinde Moses at the commaundement of God made a speedie dispatch of Idolaters The Apostle would that dogges euil workemen sectmakers should be shunned that all heretikes not recalling themselues by admonition should be auoided The scabbed sheepe must be remooued out of the flock the leper should be seuered the adulterer cast out the leauen put away foxes taken and tyed short This is the wil of God the request of the spouse the commaundement of Christ. The Lawe of nature God and man crieth Take these foxes 28 But vnto whom Nobis Catche them vnto vs saith the spouse of Christ. Christ came into the world to saue sinners he willeth not the death of a sinner but rather that he should cōuert and liue He came to recall the lost sheepe of the house of Israel his wil is that stonie hearts be turned into fleshie that foxes be chaunged into sheepe that enemies bee reconciled and made friends that strangers be made citizens with his Saints that all come vnto him that all may find rest for their soules He created man for himselfe for himselfe he redeemed him his will is that foxes be taken and brought to him that he himselfe may be glorified in them 29 But who should take them The friendes of the spouse the seruaunts and officers of the bridegroome Christ. There be two especiall seruaunts whom the Lord hath appointed to hunt for these cubbes the magistrate and the minister These are to ioyne their force together to be as brethren Moses and Aaron knit in loue and liking to giue all diligence and mutual endeuour for the apprehension of these foxes For why the vineyard of the Lord is set ouer to their ouersight and gouernement Kings and Queenes should bee as Nurces to tender and cherishe the church of Christ to keepe euerie noysome and hurtfull thing from it Ministers are they whom God hath set to sweate and labour in the vineyard to gouerne and feede the flocke which he hath purchased with his owne bloud These are the Lords two hands to both these he speaketh when hee saith Take the foxes But all the craft is in the catching Wee must therefore learne how they are to be taken 30 The minister hath his nets to take withall the magistrate hath his traps The first is the net of Gods word to cast into the sea for fishes or to set vpon the land for foxes Preach the word be instant in season and out of season The Lawe of the Lord conuerteth soules With this net Iohn Baptist caught at one time a great number of foxes Scribes Pharisies Publicanes souldiers and sinners they came confessing their sinnes and asking What shall we doe Peter cast out this net and in one Sermon brought three thousand vnto Christ. With this net at Cesarea hee tooke Cornelius the captaine with a great multitude Paul by spreading this net gate huge numbers in Asia in Africa in Europe in all parts and quarters of the world Christ himselfe with this nette tooke so many that they saide Behold the whole worlde goeth after him Philip tooke the Eunuche in this net in the same net Lidya Dionysius Paulus Sergius was caught Ambrose set this net for Augustine tooke him in it Verily if this net were diligently set it would catche these cubbes apace For they erre because they knowe not the scriptures and they cannot knowe because they are not taught Woe therefore
Ed. the sixt more syncerely affected towardes the Gospel of Christ. Looke vpon other princes at this day some are drunken with the poisoned cup of that harlot whose venome her Highnesse doeth abhorre some haue imbrued themselues in bloud wherewith her Maiestie did neuer yet staine the tip of her finger when they tumble in warre shee sitteth in peace when they breake othes and couenaunts she keepeth promise therefore God hath blessed the worke of her handes shee found this Realme in warre she hath established it in peace she found it in debt which she hath discharged she hath chaunged drosse into siluer and golde she hath by liuing within compasse and sparing wastfull expences without pressing the people or seeking more than ordinarie and vsuall tribute furnished this Lande with so great a Nauie with such store of armour and warlike munition both for defence and offence as Englande neuer had in former times This I speake not of flatterie it was neuer my fault but rather in synceritie testifying the trueth that seeing your happinesse you may be thankefull and considering the wonderful mercies of God ye may fall into that meditation of the Prophet What shall I render vnto the Lord All his benefites are vpon me I will receiue the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vowes vnto the Lord euen now in the presence of all his people God hath loden vs with all his benefites Farre be it from vs that our vnthankefulnesse should bereaue vs of this felicitie That we heare the sound of bels and not the thundering of gunnes that our goods are not spoiled our houses rased our landes extended our bodies imprisoned our wiues and children murthered before our eies that mercie and trueth are met together that righteousnesse and peace haue kissed eche other that in libertie of bodie and freedome of conscience we may assemble thus together in the house of God to make our praiers to heare his word to receiue these holie and heauenlie mysteries doe we thinke it a small or a light or a common benefite How should we requite the Lord We haue nothing in vs woorthie the name of recompence All that we can render or repaie for that which we haue receiued is before we craue more to be mindefull and thankeful of that we haue obteined alreadie to take vp the cuppe of saluation call vpon the name of the Lord in the presence of all the people let supplications praiers intercessions and giuing of thankes bee made for Kings this one paiment doeth aboundantly satisfie God for all graces benefites and blessings which by the meanes of good Kings haue beene powred vpon vs. 13 Neither let vs praie for our prince only but also for al such as God hath placed in authoritie vnder her For euerie power is of God whether it be Ecclesiastical or Ciuil power We must praie for all those that be in authoritie be they good or bad for the continuance of the one and the amendement of the other Our praier for Ecclesiasticall powers must bee that GOD would place ouer his people good guides louing and wise sheepheards such as may carefully gouerne the flocke ouer which the holie Ghost doeth make them ouerseers such as Peter that will feede as much as in them lyeth such as Paul that will preache in season and out of season that wil soundly instruct sharpely improoue seuerely correct and diligently guide such as Iohn that feare not to reprooue kings to their faces as Elias which wil not spare to punish transgressors that the Church may bee deliuered from such as Iudas and Magus buyers and sellers from false prophets from sacrificing Balamites from deuouring wolues wilie foxes insatiable dogges dumme curres deceitfull workemen makers of diuision Idol pastors vnsauourie salt such as make their bellie their God their preferrement their religion lewdely and worldly minded men Our praier for them in whose handes Ciuil gouernement lyeth must be that for as much as one is vnable to beare the burthen of a commonwealth alone such according to the counsel of Iethro may be chosen as be Salomons not Nabals men of wisedome and not dotterels men of experience that can and of courage that wil both wisely and boldly discharge their duetie men like to Gedeon and not to Pilate such as wil not feare the face of Caesar when they should doe right men able mightily to put downe sinne men that feare God syncerely being louers of the trueth not secret fosterers of superstition men that hate couetousnesse and are not takers of bribes to peruert iudgement men like to Samuel not the sonnes of Samuel Woe be to that people which is led with blinde guides and woe be to that common wealth which is ruled with base bad and euil gouernours 14 Let vs therefore blesse God if we haue good rulers and praie that we may reape the good fruite of them that is to say that we may leade a peaceable and quiet life vnder them with all godlinesse and honestie Herein we haue two things to be considered the duetie of rulers and the duetie of them which liue vnder rulers Kings and such as are in authoritie must seeke the peace pietie and honestie of the people the people thus gouerned must leade a peaceable a godlie and honest life vnder them It was saide to the Iewes which liued in captiuitie but may serue as a profitable lesson for all that haue soueraigntie ouer others Seeke the prosperitie of the Citie In the peace thereof you shall haue peace Salomon hath this commendation especially giuen him in scripture as a notable effect of his wonderfull wisedome He had peace on all sides Iuda and Israel dwelt without feare euerie man sate quiet vnder his vine and vnder his figgetree all the daies of Salomon Our Sauiour Christ is called the Prince of Peace hee brought peace into the world at his Natiuitie the Angels sung Peace on earth at what time he was borne there was peace amongst all people Ezechias likewise sought the peace of his Countrie by earnest and heartie praier Let there be peace and trueth in my daies 15 The long and honourable peace which wee haue enioied and doe enioie is in the eies of all that doe beholde it woonderful the more because the procurer of our peace hath beene carefull therewithal to haue pietie and true religion planted and continued amongest vs. Doubtlesse they that so watche ouer the people committed vnto their charge shewe that they are neither coldly affected towards God nor vncharitably towards their people Dauid Salomon Iehosaphat Asa Ezechias Iosias are commended of God for good rulers because they were religious feared God These louing the Lawe of the Lord themselues laboured by all meanes to make the people partakers also of the like loue These were in deede the Nurces of the Church hauing the same affection and kindehearted inclination which the blessed Apostle had towardes them of
Thessalonica vnto whom he was not onely content to giue the milke of the gospel of Christ but willing that they might sucke euen bloud out of his brest so it were for their benefite So deare and precious they were vnto him Such a nurce was Moses which fed the people with the Lawe of God the foode of life meate sweeter than honie or the honie combe Such a one Iehosaphat in sending abroade preachers to feede the people Such a one Ezechias in washing and cleansing the Church from Idolatrie Iosias in reforming the house of God Salomon in deposing euil priests and placing better in labouring by all meanes to inlarge the glorious kingdome of God These did the parts of good and faithfull nurces and God did highly requite their seruice 16 After pietie honestie and order must be sought This is attained vnto by seeing good Lawes both made and put in execution For the execution of the Lawe is the life of the Lawe and a Lawe not executed is but a dead Lawe And here let rulers first learne to obserue Lawes themselues and so with greater courage and better countenance they may punish by Lawe the transgressors of the Lawe For this cause S. Paul would haue a Bishop whose office it is to reprooue others himselfe to bee vnreprooueable Iudah gaue sentence against Thamar for her incontinencie Bring her foorth and let her be burnt But when he once vnderstoode it was his owne offence the case was altered The Prophet Dauid was driuen to the like Those magistrates doe both wickedly and shamefully which prescribe a Lawe of honest life vnto others and keepe it not themselues It is fowle thing when he that punisheth is more woorthie punishment than the partie punished Paul himselfe being blamelesse executed discipline with great authoritie vpon that lewde incestuous person Samuel a faultlesse magistrate was not afraide to cut off the head of Agag the king with his owne handes Moses could not with that courage haue hanged vp those Gentlemen-fornicators had not his owne life that way beene without staine or blemish When magistrates themselues be cleare they may boldely punish others and see diligently to the straite execution of Lawes For want whereof it commeth to passe that for the most part Lawes are accounted like to cobwebs which take small flies and hold them fast but suffer hornets to breake through In execution of lawes we may not respect the person of the riche or of the poore neither feare nor pitie must remooue vs that which is iust must take place in both For if Lawes be not executed without respect of person if sinne be not seuerely repressed if the people bee not kept in order it wil shake the state all wil be in an vprore no man shall be master of his owne or in any safetie of his life al iniquitie will abound all honestie will be exiled and the magistrate shall beare the sword in vaine To neglect it is to neglect that thing for which this ordinance of God was first appointed For if men without these meanes might be kept in order surely God would neuer haue established gouernement to keepe them in order by these meanes Barbarous therefore and wicked is the opinion of the Anabaptists which condemne all superioritie authoritie and gouernement in the Church For what is this else but vtterly to expell both out of Church and common wealth all godlinesse all peace all honestie 17 Nowe as magistrates and rulers should by good gouernment procure peace promote religion and preserue honestie amongst men so our Apostle requireth at the peoples handes that they vnder gouernement leade a peaceable quiet and honest life There is a double peace the one outward the other inward peace with men and peace with God With God there is no peace but in Christ. Through faith in him wee haue peace with God and not otherwise He hath peace with God whose sinnes are remitted for Blessed are they whose iniquities are pardoned But our sinnes are remitted onely in the bloud of Christ Iesus his bloud doeth purge vs from all sinne Christ therefore is our onely peacemaker with God This is that peace which passeth all vnderstanding He that wil enioie it must be careful to keepe a good conscience Haue a good conscience that when men speake euill of you as of ill doers they may be ashamed For if our owne heart condemne vs God is greater and wil more syncerely iudge vs. A good conscience maketh a strong faith Many by loosing their hold of the one haue made shipwracke of the other 18 The peaceable and quiet life which S. Paul in this place doeth chiefly require is to haue outward peace with men If it be possible and as much as in you lies haue peace with all men Yet not peace with all men so but that we may be alwaies readie for Gods cause to sustaine the hatred of all men in the world We may not for peace sake flatter men in their sinne for that is to be partakers of euill We must haue peace with all if it may be and so farre as in vs lyeth euer preferring a good conscience and a Christian minde For it may not be which may not be honestly Followe those things that belong vnto peace but vnto godlie peace For our God is the God of true of good peace He detesteth them that sowe discord yea the soule of the Lorde abhorreth them Doeg was hated of God for setting dissension betweene Saul and Dauid Achitophel likewise for stirring vp Absolon to striue against his father For as peacemakers are blessed so cursed are all disturbers of peace all breeders and maintainers of sedition Vnto peace we must ioine holinesse true and religious worshipping of God So saith the Apostle Followe peace and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lorde Thou shalt worship the Lorde thy God and him onely shalt thou serue He is a spirite and will be woorshipped in spirit and trueth in inward holinesse not in outward shew of holinesse onely in synceritie and not in ceremonie alone according to his owne will and commaundement not according to the fancie or inuention of man Euerie God saith Socrates is so to be worshipped as himselfe hath appointed 19 This our seruing of God in the Church of God in true holinesse consisteth chiefly in true and earnest praier vnto God in diligent and duetifull hearing of his word in faithfull and reuerent receiuing of his Sacraments In praier we beg of God those things which we wish and hope to receiue and wee praise him for things alreadie receiued This is a sweete and an acceptable sacrifice The hearing of his word is also a seruice wherewith he is pleased 20 And as praying and hearing so the woorthie receiuing of his sacraments is not onely a sealing of his grace vnto vs but also a testifying of our godlinesse towards him His sacrameuts are two in number
him that raiseth vp cōtentions amongst brethren Loue is the Liuerie-coate of Christ whosoeuer wil be numbred with his seruaunts must put it on By this men shall know you to be my Disciples If ye loue one another In those verie creatures which God hath left emptie and voide of vnderstanding there is a kinde of loue a consent we see there is in the stars in the elements in times and seasons amongst the beasts of the field the fowles of the aire the fishes of the sea and fruites of the earth euerie beast doth loue his like to our shame and reproche if hauing so many schoolemasters to teach vs one thing we learne it not especially being so necessarie as it is For in loue and concord our praiers are accepted in the sight of God and without them abhorred Verilie I saie vnto you that if two of you shall agree in earth vpon any thing whatsoeuer they shall desire it shall be giuen them of my father which is in heauen 7 S. Paul therefore to perswade men to this concord vseth a similitude drawne from the members of a naturall bodie wherein he noteth that the bodie by nature is a thing whole and perfect consisting of all his members if any part be wanting or cut off it is maimed Euen so in this mysticall bodie of Christ in this spirituall societie of the faithfull if any part bee cut off the whole is defaced and deformed All the members and euery one of them labour not for themselues onely but for the vse and preseruation of the whole bodie So are we borne not for our selues alone but for others also for whom we should trauell as for our selues The members striue not but are content with their placing be it honourable be it base Euen so should not wee striue for equalitie or superioritie but euerie man content himselfe with his owne calling The members reioice and suffer together Euen so should wee bee kindely affected eche to other mourning with them that mourne and being glad with them that doe reioice That member which hath not this sympathie this mutuall suffering this feeling of other mens hurts is dead and rotten Remember them saith the Apostle that are in bonds as though yee your selues were bound with them and them that are in affliction as if yee your selues were afflicted in their bodies The members are sundrie and haue sundrie offices For if all were an eye where were the hearing If all did commaund which should obeie Euen so in this resembled bodie and ciuil societie there must be diuersitie as of members so of functions The prince is as the head without whose discreete and wise gouernement the Lawes would cease and the people being not ruled by order of Lawes ruine and confusion would soone followe eche contending and striuing against other the end would be the vtter subuersion of all The ministers of the word are as the eyes to watche and not to winke or sleepe and as the mouth to speake and not be dumme For then they performe not their allotted function They are placed as watchemen ouer the Church for the good and godlie direction thereof to take heede both to themselues and to all the flocke whereof the holie Ghost hath made them ouerseers to feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud to warne the people of the enemie euer at hand alwaies readie to assault to teache and instruct the people of God in the waie of their saluation to tell them of their sinnes to crie vnto them and not to cease The Iudges are as eares who should sit in open places to heare the causes and complaints of the people opening the one eare to the plaintife and reseruing the other to the defendants answere The nobilitie are as the shoulders and armes to beare the burthen of the common wealth to holde vp the head and defend the bodie with might and force with wise counsel and good aduise Men of lower degrees are set as inferior parts in the bodie painefully to trauel for the necessarie sustentation both of themselues and others All these members are so necessarie that none can want without the ruine of the whole For euerie one hath need of other by the help of the other is maintained This necessary cōiunction should cause the Prince to loue the people as Moses which wished rather to be blotted out of the booke of life than that they should perish and as Dauid which besought the Lord to turne his wrathfull hand against him and to spare the people It should cause such loue in the people towards the Prince as was both in the people of Israel towardes their Prince and gouernour Iosua when they said All that thou hast commanded vs we will doe and whithersoeuer thou sendest vs we will goe and in Dauids subiects towards him when they stoode fast by him at such time as he fled from his rebellious and vnnaturall sonne not suffering that he should aduenture himselfe in the field but they rather for him to beare the brunt and burthen of the battell Thou shalt not goe thou art woorth tenne thousand of vs. This should cause the pastor to loue his flocke as Paul did loue his brethren I would wish my selfe separated from Christ for my brethren and againe Our good will was to haue dealt vnto you not the Gospell of GOD onely but euen our owne soules too because ye were deere vnto vs. This should cause the people to loue their pastor deerely as the Galathians loued Paul to whom he giueth this testimonie I beare you record that if it had beene possible you would haue plucked out your owne eies and haue giuen them to me Finally this should cause all men to walke in loue euen as Christ our example hath loued vs. 8 It followeth Let nothing be doone through contention or vainglorie After that S. Paul hath exhorted vs to loue and vnitie now he remooueth the lets and enemies of them The breache of all concord is contention and the daughter of contention is dissipation Wherefore our God is not the God of contention but of peace not of confusion but of order his Apostles are not breeders of stirs and mutinies they are messengers sent to make peace to this they prouoke and exhort eueriewhere I beseech you let there be no contentions amongst you Followe peace Let no roote of bitternesse spring vp and trouble you Where the man and the wife the parents and the children striue one against another that house needeth no forreine enemie to bring it to nought it will bee deuoured of it selfe A kingdome a citie diuided by contention how should it stand All times and examples are our witnesses Contention betweene Roboam and Ieroboam brought the kingdome of Israel first to a diuision and then to confusion The contention betweene Simon Iohn and Eleazar chiefe men in the citie of Ierusalem was the last and vtter
deede meere daliances deuised by Satan to no other end but onely to noozle the deceiued in their blindenesse But true humilitie is the lowlinesse of a pensiue and contrite heart This humilitie was in the Publicane which thought so basely of himselfe that he durst not lift vp his eyes towards heauen this humilitie was in Paul when hee confessed himselfe the least amongst the Apostles and the chiefest amongst sinners A man of this disposition which thinkes so basely of himselfe will easily esteeme others better than himselfe But what Should a king then in dignitie place and authoritie prefer a meane artificer or a daylabourer before himselfe or should a wise man esteeme a naturall foole wiser than himselfe No. Saint Paul is no author of confusion neither will hee in any wise haue Gods good gifts debased He descendeth not to these extremities but onely perswadeth vs not to thinke so arrogantly of our selues as in respect of our selues to condemne others Euery man hath the minde of a king in himselfe Goliah thought bigly of himselfe but of Dauid how basely This selfeliking hath infected and possessed allâ—flesh 14 The way to redresse it is to looke vpon our selues and vpon others but not vpon both with the same eyes vpon our selues with the eyes of straite iudgement vpon our neighbours with a fauourable and a charitable eye Whosoeuer therefore thou art that despisest another consider in thy selfe these two things First whatsoeuer thou hast that good is it is of God the author of al goodnes as al that thou hast is from him so to him thou dost stand accountable for it Thou art but a steward of his goods which will call thee to a strict a hard reckoning for euery mite If thou consider this thou shalt find small cause to boast and glorie of thy selfe but shalt giue all glorie to the king of glorie But open thine other eye and looke downe to thy sinnes there shalt thou see an ouglie sight thou shalt be forced to leaue off glorying and to crie with the Prophet Dauid Mine iniquities are gone ouer my head and as a waightie burthen they are too heauie for me Yea if thou rightly looke vpon thy sinnes thou shalt see in that glasse Gods face turned away from thee his eares shut vp against thy praiers Your iniquities saith God haue made a diuision betweene you me If thou truely enter into thy selfe and consider of thy sinne thou shalt say with the prodigall childe Lord I am not woorthie to be called thy sonne and with Peter Depart from me for I am a sinner and with Dauid It is I that haue sinned as for these sheepe what haue they doone Thou wilt thinke of others as Saul did say of Dauid Thou art more righteous than I. But the prince of darkenesse hath dimmed or rather put out both these eyes we can neither see our gifts that be good to be of God nor our sinne as we should to be of ourselues and therefore we esteeme most highly of our selues most vilely of others Which we would not doe if we did louingly and charitably beholde with reuerence the graces gifts of God which are in them For who is there in whom some commendable thing doeth not appeare Lazarus seemed a contemptible thing in the eyes of that riche glutton yet was his patience to bee preferred before the others riches The Publicane seemed ougly and odious to the Pharisee yet his humblenesse was much more worthie praise than the others supposed puritie and holinesse of life There is no man so base but a charitable eye may finde out in him some good and pretious thing And no man may be despised in whom there is any appearance at all of that which is good At the least this we may see in all men that they shewe the workemanship of him which made them they carie the image of him by whom they were created and in them which are our brethren how high soeuer we beare our heads yet thus much wee may consider more that they are as dearely bought as wee the pretious bloud of the sonne of God was shed for them as well as for vs we haue not a foot more than they in that eternal inheritance which God hath prouided for his humble-minded children If these considerations doe not make vs to esteeme others better than our selues yet somewhat they will abate and take downe that proude humor which causeth vs to lift vp our selues so much aboue others And as in looking vpon our brethren we must haue one eye open to behold the graces of God which are in them so the other must be shut and closed vp that those things wherein they are weake may bee hidden For Charitie doeth couer sinnes There can be no charitie in that mans heart whose eies are fedde with beholding the infirmities of his brethren Sem and Iaphet turned away their faces when they went to couer their fathers nakednesse for which charitable deede they receiued a blessing but Cham for looking vpon his fathers fall brought a curse vpon himselfe and his posteritie To teache vs that hee which looketh vpon other mens faults with pleasure and delight doeth well deserue that other men should looke vpon his plagues without compassion S. Paul therefore would haue vs to bee fauourable censurers of our brethren readie to pardon scapes Considering saith he thy selfe least thou also be tempted And it is a good meditation which Augustine prescribeth in these cases Such wee were or may be Wherefore as Christ doth not onely couer our manifold sinnes but also forgiue as it were and quite forget them So let vs like good and pitifull Surgions hide the sores of our wounded brethren from the winde This the Lawe of charitie and loue requireth and this neither taketh away the sword from the magistrate nor yet the rod from the minister but that eche of them seuerally according to the order of his vocation may punish sinne as he must pitie sinners 15 The other preseruatiue of vnitie is Not to looke vpon our owne things onely but euerie man vpon the things of others These words doe suffer a double exposition They may bee referred to the words before by way of preoccupation as if he should say You thinke it hard to preferre others before your selues but you may make it easie Looke not vpon your owne things such as minister occasion of ouerweening but looke vpon the vertues qualities and graces that bee in others Another exposition is to make this a proper meane to keepe and conserue vnitie rather than a waie onely to diminish loftinesse and pride so that the words are to this effect Without vnitie there can be no Christianitie and a chiefe meane to liue in vnitie is that men bee not euerie one for himselfe but eche carefull to doe good to other that wee seeke not greedily our owne commoditie and neglect the commoditie of our
brethren Loue seeketh not her owne But in these euill daies charitie is growen so colde that euerie mans song is I am neerest to my selfe Men scrape and scratch they heape together and laie vp for them and theirs but the bowels of tender mercie towardes others are withered and dryed vp Of these selfeseekers wee haue too many examples Of this crue were the Sichemites for to obtaine substance wealth and cattel and friendes they sticked not to alter their religiō But whilest they thus sought themselues they lost themselues Nabal was one of the same note and the riche man whose heart was set onely vpon the enlarging of his barnes was another 16 There bee that seeme to bee farre from this fault and are not that seeme to looke vpon others but doe it not with a single eye And of this kinde I note foure sorts There bee that giue to others for a Ne noceat which although it be not simple yet is it more sufferable than the rest Achaz spoiled the temple of God to giue rewards to the king of Assyria and so bought his owne quietnesse with a stolen price Yea Iacob is faine and glad to send his brother Esau great gifts that hee may passe quietly by him without hurt The needier sort are forced to consider of the richer for their better safetie The poore seruaunt in the Comedie complaineth of it It is a hard case saith he that the poore must still offer to the rich mans boxe There be others that sometime looke vpon others with some part of liberalitie But either they doe it to auoide an euill name and least they should bee noted for niggards or else they doe it when it is wrung out from them by clamor and importunitie The poore widowe by weerying the wicked Iudge brought him at length to shewe her Iustice. The Disciples may seeme to haue had a spice of this fault by that speeche of theirs concerning the Cananite Send her away she crieth after vs. Another sort giue not because they are but because they would seeme to be bountifull and liberall as the Pharisees which made a trumpet to be blowne that men might knowe when they gaue almes The last and woorst sort giue but they giue to gaine Iason gaue Antiochus the king a graund summe of money But he knewe the office of the high Priest to be well woorth it 17 Our Apostles meaning is not that we should in this wise consider one another but he exhorteth vs syncerely hartily in deede to seeke the commoditie and safetie of others euen as Christ hath sought ours He sought not himselfe but beeing equall with God became man for vs and being Lord of all for vs became a seruaunt to exalt vs hee humbled himselfe hee made himselfe a curse to take away the curse which was due vnto vs. Let that affection therefore be in vs which was in him He is our example Him we must followe in the path of his vertues if wee wil followe him in at the gate of his kingdome Euerie Christian ought so to be affected towards others that hee may say with S. Paul in synceritie and trueth I seeke you not yours 18 Princes are not exempted from this rule of Christian dutie Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe is spoken vnto them All Christians are our neighbours which doe neede our helpe To suffer such to perish for want of helpe is to bee guiltie of their bloud Moses in consideration hereof when he sawe an Israelite in danger to be murthered of an Egyptian in defence of his brother slewe the enemie of God Abraham sate not still when Lot was in daunger When the Christians were persecuted by the Persian Constantinus wrote letters in their behalfe that they might peaceably enioie the freedome of their conscience and the libertie of the Gospel The same Emperor waged warre against Licinius his owne sisters husband in the quarell of the poore afflicted Christians Constans likewise wrote a menacing letter to Constantius his brother wherein hee proclaimed open warre against him vnlesse he did presētly surcease his enterprises against the Christians These zealous and woorthie Princes being neerely touched with those afflictions which others suffered for Gods cause studied for their safetie as for their owne This they did for strangers what would they haue doone if their subiects had claimed succour at their handes would they haue put their owne sheepe in the mouthes of bloudie and rauening woolues which were so careful to deliuer a strange flock from the butchers knife As it is treason for the subiects to forsake their Prince so for the Prince to forsake his subiects it is a fault not sufferable If Christ made himselfe poore to inriche vs if he humbled himselfe to the death of the crosse for our deliuerance when wee were his enemies held in captiuitie vnder sinne and death shall wee spare our paines our purses or our liues for the releeuing of our brethren the afflicted members of Christ Iesus It was a plaine lesson which Mardocheus gaue Queene Hester If she neglected the people of God God would finde a way to deliuer his people but shee and her fathers house should perish Kings and Princes should consider that they are Gods ministers furnished with power and might from aboue to stand with him against his enemies to serue him both with scepter and with sword to bee patrones and defenders of all his seruaunts It is a glorious thing for a prince to fight as Dauid did the Lords warres against the Philistims to be in the fielde vnder Christs banner But to drawe in one yoke with Infidels to bee in league with Antichrist it is both an impious and a base thing By ioining with Achaz Iehosaphat gained nothing and Ochozias as litle by ioyning with Ioram Ioas and Iehu woorthy princes regarded Gods cause and had singular care of the safetie of their people the one tooke away that cruel murtherer of the kings bloud the conspiring and traiterous Queene Athalia the other brake the necke of that idolatrous proude and lasciuious Queene Iesabel Moses and Dauid most woorthie princes looked not onely on themselues but prouided for their posteritie when the one appointed Iosua and the other Salomon to raigne after them The prince that hath not a speciall and singular care ouer his people hath denied the faith and is woorse than an Infidell 19 Neither doeth this concerne the duetie of Princes onely but of Counsellers also Their care should bee greater for the Prince and common wealth than for their owne commoditie I wil not remember vnto you Codrus and Decius Curtius Brutus with such like who loued their countrie more than themselues I wil not put you in minde of those two precepts set down by Tullie out of Plato the one of not seeking for priuate cōmoditie the other of not leaning to one part and neglecting another of the common wealth I like
hath the greatest skil the prince because he hath the highest roume the people because they are most in number If the pastor goe before the sheepe will be the readier to followe after if the fountaines bee sweete the riuers that flowe from them will not be sowre if there be darkenesse in the hils there will bee more in the valleies if those that should giue light vnto others be turned into darkenesse how great shall the darkenesse of others be Examples haue a meruelous force to leade men The whole world is led as they haue others especially their superiors for examples And therefore you that be chiefest in authoritie should by reason be foremost in the waie of trueth Walke in what way you wil you are sure to haue followers Iosias walked in the straite waie to heauen and the people followed Ieroboam in the broade waie and the people were caried after in heapes If you liue in securitie carelesse for Gods matters carelesse for the causes of the common wealth carefull to feede vpon pleasures and fancies carefull to passe ouer your owne times in ease and quietnesse the people will easily take after your your townes and cities will soone be made like to that secure and carelesse citie of Lais. If ye will haue the people of the Land watchfull you your selues must not slumber If you make light of the word of God the people will learne by your example to despise it if you embrace the truth they also wil loue it You my Lords you whom God hath placed before you must goe before for Gods loue striue no longer take your places and goe on that the people of God being guided by you as by lights may follow after in the way of trueth It is a monstrous thing to see the basest liues in the highest roumes Your conuersation must be a glasse for others to looke into Others shall aunswere for their owne faults but you for your owne faults and for others who through your example are faultie To conclude let vs all so walke as becommeth the children of the light let it suffice that in times past wee haue walked according to the vanitie of the Gentiles let vs now returne vnto the Lord let vs cast away impietie and worldly concupiscence and liue a sober a righteous and a godlie life let vs with true repentance craue pardon and mercie at the handes of God and hereafter walke humbly before him not for a day or for a moneth or a Lent season but continually all the daies of our pilgrimage vpon earth He onely shall be saued that continueth walking in trueth to the ende God for his mercie sake let fall plentifully the drops and dewe of his heauenly grace vpon the hil of Hermon and the mountaines of Sion to the fruitefull watering of the whole Land of Israel Teach vs O Lorde euen our princes our prophets and our people thy waies direct all our goings that we may walke for euer in thy trueth This that wee may doe all and euerie of vs in our seuerall callings God the father graunt for his Sonne Christs sake to whom c. The seuenth Sermon A Sermon preached before the Queene IAC 4. 8 Drawe neere to God and he will drawe neere to you Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purge your hearts ye double minded 9 Suffer affliction and be sorie Weepe Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your iote into heauinesse 10 Cast downe your selues before the Lord and he will lift you vp GOD requireth in his houshold steward the minister of his blessed word fidelitie and discretion fidelitie to deliuer to Gods familie such meat without mingling as he hath receiued at his Lords hands discretion to giue it fitly in due season by respecting the time place auditorie like circumstances Al men are not of one kind of constitution Some are able to receiue and digest strong meate high mysteries deepe secrets of God Others must be fed with milke simple and plaine lessons yet auaileable to their saluation These differences are in the foode it selfe The maner of diuiding it standeth in doctrine and exhortation Doctrine is for the ignoraunt to instruct them exhortation for the learned to monishe and strengthen them both may most profitably be ioined together Paul hauing to doe with the ignorant Gentiles learned in profane arts but barbarous in true religion is ful of doctrine Iames dealing with the learned Iewes traueileth more in exhortation Our times are learned times God hath blessed our daies with vnderstanding Wee are inriched by him in all speeche and in all knowledge But we knowe and doe not and that deserueth stripes Miserable is it to be ignorant of Christ not to knowe the path which leadeth to heauen Yet better it were not to knowe the way of truth than not to walke in it being knowne I will therefore followe the wisedome of S. Iames and with his owne woordes exhort you Drawe neere to God and he will drawe neere to you c. In which woords first hee exhorteth vs to drawe neere vnto God secondly he sheweth vs the meanes how we may so doe lastly hee telleth what commoditie we shall reape thereby 2 He exhorteth sinners double hearted men to draw neere vnto God Sinners are such as be notable open offenders who make all the world witnesses of their wickednesse Marie Magdalene is called a sinner because she was knowne to be a great offender Behold a woman that was in the Citie a sinner The Sodomites and the Amalechites are likewise termed sinners for the excessiuenesse of their sinne because their sinnes were notorious and manifest Double hearted men are hypocrites resembling painted sepulchers beautifull without and within full of rottennesse such as say and doe not pretending holinesse for aduantage and working mischiefe in their hearts 3 This exhortation is generall it reacheth to all for wee are al offenders euen against the maiestie of almighty God although not all in the same degree All haue sinned and do need the glorie of God Euerie mans waies are corrupt The imagination of mans heart is euill euen from his youth What man liuing can say My heart is pure Betweene an open sinner and an hypocrite there is a difference in their sight which take them as they seeme there is no difference before God who beholdeth them as they are As God wil not heare the praier of the open obstinate sinner so doeth hee powre his grieuous curse vpon all hypocrites and counterfeite Christians Woe be to you ye hypocrites 4 Dauid when hee committed that great follie was an open sinner and gaue great offence It was told him by Nathan Thou hast made the Lords enemies to blaspheme Mariage is honourable in the sight of all men but fornication and adulterie the Lord doth abhorre and the offenders therein the Lorde shall iudge This one sinne drowned the whole world it called fire out
to spare such as attempted the ouerthrowe of true religion or made the people to bowe themselues vnto strange gods In such cases the verie heads and princes of the people escaped not his iust hands Hee did wisely consider that as it is a point of mercie to pardon priuate wrongs so not to punish publike transgressors against God and the state were great iniustice it beeing in doubt whether their deedes were more pestilent or their example if it were strengthened by impunitie would be more pernicious The scepter of thy kingdome saith the Prophet is a scepter of righteousnesse And he prooueth it thus For thou louest righteousnesse and hatest iniquitie Wilt thou knowe what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Surely saith the Prophet to doe iustice and to loue mercie The song of Dauid had these two parts Mercie and Iudgement Princes are Gods lieuetenants his person they beare and his image they must resemble In him both these are ioined together I am the Lord which shewe mercie iudgement and righteousnesse on earth Mercie without iustice is not mercie but follie saith S. Chrysostome And againe Mercie is then rightly termed mercie if it be shewed so that iustice be not thereby brought into contempt And S. Augustine saith that As it is mercie sometimes to punish so sometimes to spare is crueltie Concerning our selues thus much I can say that if care bee not had thereof in time to keepe backe the rage of sinne by repressing sinners it wil be too late when the Land doth flowe with bloud to thinke vpon it Moses so loued the safetie of his people that hee cried Lord spare them or wipe me out of the booke of life To haue a gouernour like to Moses milde and mercifull yet not carelesse to be zealous in Gods cause nor vnmindefull in iustice to punish great transgressors is a great a rare blessing Which if our God haue bestowed vpon vs for vnto him wee must acknowledge it although in this place I passe it ouer because my desire is not to please but to teache neither did I euer vse flattering woords as ye know but if God haue beene mercifull to vs heerein the Lorde make vs thankefull for it 7 Together with Moses God gaue his people Aaron the Priest which gift he accounteth also as a great blessing Yet Aaron was a man though of great vertue not altogether without blemish We see how for feare of the people more than of God in the absence of Moses he plaied the milkesop erected an Idol and with his bodie wheresoeuer his heart was become either committed Idolatrie or at least permitted it perswaded hereunto as some suppose by Marie the sister of Moses We haue too many followers of the steps of Aaron in this weakenesse Howbeit vnto some God hath giuen a greater measure of strength courage some there are more bold and constant in Gods cause and their duetie some that will not bowe their knees to Baal that wil not displease God for the pleasuring of man some whose libertie and liues are not so deere vnto them but that they can be contented not onely to bee bound but also to die for the testimonie of Christ. Of this better sort although in comparison of the woorse the number be not so great as good yet I suppose that fewe Nations vnder heauen haue moe faithfull and able ministers than this Land hath Beg we at the hands of the Lord of the haruest to send moe pastors and fewer hyrelings moe labourers and fewer loyterers For in respect of the greatnesse of the haruest these workemen though they be many yet are but fewe When God doth giue his people good gouernours and wise teachers when he maketh their men to excell in wisedome their princes to be as Moses and their Priests as Aaron and besides all this raiseth vp women like to Marie amongst them powring out his spirite not onely vpon their sonnes but vpon their daughters also choosing out of them notwithstanding their weakenesse mightie instruments of his power surely a benefite so rare and pretious should winne mens hearts vnto God for euer 8 But the Prophet goeth forward and maketh mention of a third thing which is that God did turne the cursings of Balaam into blessings Remember what Balak King of Moab had deuised and what Balaam the sonne of Peor aunswered him from Shittim to Gilgall that ye may knowe the righteousnesse of the Lord. It fretted the heart of that prophane king Balak to beholde the flourishing prosperitie of Gods people to see Og the king of Bashan and Sihon king of the Amorites conquered and slaine by them This multitude saith he will licke vp all that are about vs as an oxe licketh vp the grasse of the fielde Wherefore mistrusting his owne strength hauing feene trial of theirs he deuised to hire Balaam the wisard to curse them and thought by that meane without all peraduenture to preuaile ouer them But ye knowe Balaams answeres the first How shall I curse where God hath not cursed the second God hath blessed and I cannot alter it the third How goodly are thy tents O Iacob and thine habitations O Israel As the valleies are they stretched foorth as gardens by the riuers side as the Aloe trees which the Lord hath planted and as the cedars beside the waters When hee sawe that God would not suffer his tongue to curse Israel though it were hyred hee gaue Balak this aduise to cause the daughters of Moab to steale away their hearts by carnall pleasure and so to allure them vnto the sacrifice of their gods that they forsaking the true God he might also forsake them This practise was a stumbling block in their way whilest they abode in Shittim they committed fornication they coupled themselues vnto Baal Peor and ate of things sacrificed vnto Idols and diuels Wherefore God plagued them and laid his heauie hand vpon them Howbeit he withdrewe not his mercie and kindenesse wholly from them but in Gilgal tooke away this their shame and sealed againe the couenant of reconciled loue So that as there was no curse which could take away his blessing so there was no counsell that could hinder his good purpose towards his people Yee are not ignoraunt how the Balamite of Rome hath cursed vs our prince our prophets and our people euen as the Philistim cursed Dauid by his gods But we haue found the promise of Christ most true Blessed are yee when they shall reuile you Our God hath turned all his curses into blessings his name be blessed for it The Pope that Balaam hath bitterly cursed the ground whereon we goe and the whole Land wherein wee liue But hath there growen a brier or a thorne the more vpon it for all that mans curse Hee that shall surueie it and viewe it well and marke the plentifulnesse of these latter yeeres must needes confesse that God hath bestowed vpon
hath dealt as mercifully with vs as with them if we deale as vnkindely as they with him we which knowe what befell them for it cannot be ignorant what is likely to befall vs except we take the cup of saluation betimes and call vpon the name of the Lord while he is neere 17 And as his benefites doe require thankes so our owne estate doth need succour Our necessities therfore should make vs earnest suters vnto God that he would be our relieuer Our ship is in peril of tempest the ragings of the sea doe threaten it yet who crieth Help Lord What man is there that weepeth bitterly with Peter or nightly watereth his cowch with teares as Dauid Yet al haue sinned offended the Lord of glorie It is high time therefore to call vpon God that earnestly The superstitious praied without vnderstanding Wherein are we better if our praiers be without feeling The fountaine of praier is the feeling of the heart Powre out that before the Lord cal vpon him from thence crie from the depth and he shall answere Here I am thy readie helper in time of neede 18 But withall take this Let the wicked forsake his waies and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord that is to say Repent Paul to Titus vseth the like description of repētance saying The grace of God teacheth vs that we should denie vngodlinesse worldly lusts and liue soberly and righteously and godlily in this present world Peter out of the Psalme in fewer words saith the same Decline from euill and doe good The Papists set repentance vpon three feete Confession Contrition and Satisfaction But two of them are of wood without life Their confession is to a priest whereas the scripture maketh God and not the priest our Confessor Confitemini Domino saieth the Psalmist Make confession to the Lord. Their satisfaction is but monie matter and God is satisfied not by gold but by bloud with vs he is pleased when our liues are amended Deus morum emendatione placatur qui peccare desinit iram Dei mortalem facit God is pacified by the mending of our maners and he that ceaseth from sin bringeth the wrath of God to an end saith Lactantius We must forsake therefore our owne waies our owne cogitations they are wicked vngodly There is nothing ours but imbecillitie and naughtinesse which with our selues we must vtterly renounce and forsake and flie to Gods mercie that in mercie he may accept vs. No doubt wee haue all wandered out of the waie all haue started aside euerie man hath wandered his owne fond and sinnefull way wee haue prouoked Gods wrath our ingratitude hath grieued him we haue wickedly profaned his sacred Gospell his word we haue contemned and abused vsing it as a cloake to couer our deepe hypocrisie Christ was neuer more professed neuer lesse obeied It is truly verified in our times which the Prophet Oseas complained of in his There is no trueth there is no mercifulnesse there is no knowledge of God in the Land cursing and lying and murther and theft and whoredome haue ouerflowed bloud hath touched bloud Ezechiel teacheth that the sinnes of Sodome that sinke of sinne were Idlenesse of fulnesse of bread pride and vnmercifulnesse towards the poore Are not these the sinnes of this Land of this Citie of this Court at this day Are not these bad waies our waies Halfe Englande liueth idly or woorse occupied we are fed to the full and who is not puffed vp with pride or who relieueth his neighbours want No man is contented with his owne estate but euerie one striueth to clime higher to sit aloft There is want of the true feare of God in all sorts estates and ages Yet we please our selues and walke on as if God either sawe not our sinne or else in his iustice could not punish it Are the eyes of the Lord shut vp or hath God forgotten to be iust Surely our sinnes will not suffer his plagues to stay long from vs. What plagues I dare not presume to prophecie For God hath kept that secrete to himselfe But I stande in feare that we are the men to whom Christ saith The kingdome of God shall be taken from Yov that wee are they whose sinnes will bring the scepter of this kingdome into the handes of an hypocrite If God in his iustice doe this woe worth vs most wretched men The losse of the Gospell is the losse of our soules and the losse of our Soueraigne the losse of our liues Truely when I fall into consideration of the wickednesse of this worlde that all sorts of men fall to sinning with greedinesse that there is skant one left as Elias complaineth that truly seeketh after God that in all conditions iniquitie doeth abound and charitie waxe colde that the zeale of God is vtterly dryed vp in the hearts of men that God is serued for fashions sake and not in trueth what should I thinke but that God hath gathered his lap ful of plagues and is readie to powre them downe vpon vs There is but one way to staie him for which he himselfe doth staie and waite Doe ye not knowe that the lenitie of God inuiteth you to repentance If we wil saue our Nineuie we must repent and turne to our God we must seeke him both prince and people 19 The benefite which commeth vnto those that seeke him is this He will haue mercie on them Although the house of Israel rebelled against the Lord as a froward woman rebelleth against her husband yet he ceased not to call vpon them still by the voice of his Prophets O ye disobedient children returne returne and I will heale your rebellions Surely it perteineth vnto God to say I haue pardoned I will not destroie He looketh vpon men and if one say I haue sinned and peruerted righteousnesse and it did not profite mee hee will deliuer his soule from going into the pit and his life shall see light Loe all these things will GOD worke twise or thrise with a man He desireth not our destruction but our conuersion be we neuer so great sinners For hee is verie readie to forgiue Aske pardon and thou shalt haue it Returne to the Lord vnfeinedly and he will mercifully accept thee 20 And if he be readie to forgiue vs let not vs bee loath to giue vnto him We neede not aske where he is or what he wanteth that we may giue vnto him He is neere at hand straying staruing in the streetes naked hungrie cold harborlesse sicke and diseased ruthfully moning and crying for reliefe Let the pitifull crie of our Christ mooue our hearts to mercie He that shutteth his eares at the crie of the poore shall crie himselfe and not be heard Let that mercilesse Moguntine terrifie men of hard and stonie hearts who was deuoured of rats the vilest vermin for his cruell heart voide of all
king but as contemptible pesants and base outcasts of men Away they are sent loaden with spitefull words with slanderous reproches iniurious dealings all kindes of contumelie and disgrace But note of whome of the Ammonites which feare not God of the prophanely minded Atheist of the carnal gospeller of the zealous hypocrite of such in whom the feare of God or the care of their soules remaineth not of such as also spoile the patrimonie of Christ such as would not sticke I thinke to sell Christ himselfe if they might for monie as Iudas did and to cast lots for his coate with Pilates souldiers This robberie and spoile this despitefulnesse and ignominie done vnto Dauids messengers he tooke in such sort as doone vnto him selfe For the wrong or ignominie done to the messenger is done to the master who sent him and on whose businesse hee goeth Dauid would not put it vp so but reuenged it Hee comforted his faithfull messengers sent them newe apparell and caused them to remaine at an appointed place Iericho vntill their beardes were growne againe for it was ignominious to the Iewes to be beardlesse Afterward he addresseth forth an armie of strong souldiers who set vpon the Ammonites put them to flight made great mortalitie And doeth not Christ our king esteeme the ignominie doone to his messengers as if it were doone to himselfe Hath he not saide He that despiseth you despiseth me No doubt hee shall comfort his afflicted and despised messengers As they suffer for him so shall they raigne and shine in glorie It is a righteous thing with him to render vnto them that are despised rest but vnto despisers tribulation and vengeance in the day when he shal shew himselfe from heauen with armies of Angels in flaming fire to the confusion of his enemies And if in this world also hee take from such vnthankefull Ammonites the Gospell religion all knowledge and learning if for the light he giue them darknesse for truth lies for knowledge blindenes for learning barbarisme for Christ Beliall they haue the iust rewarde which is due vnto them that truely feare not the Lord. Wee must serue wee must serue him we must serue him without seruile feare 20 But after what sort In holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life Here we are to note first that God himselfe prescribeth how men shal serue him then what seruice it is which he prescribeth God accepteth of no seruice but such as he commandeth Ye shall not doe euerie one that which seemeth right vnto you but ye shall doe what soeuer I inioine you saith the Lord. Our seruice is limited to that which God liketh Their worshipping and seruing of God is in vaine which teache doctrines the precepts of men That which men thinke highly of that doth God abhor Saul thought that sacrifice had beene seruice God had liked better of his obedience Oza supposed hee had doone God verie good seruice in holding vp the arke which was like to fall But God taught him that it was farre otherwise The Scribes and Pharisees thought themselues the onely men that serued God because of their long and often praying their much fastings their washings their tithings their giuing of almes but who required these thinges at their hands Where hath God prescribed these kinds of outward seruice and worship to be done as being acceptable to him without inward holinesse and true righteousnesse In the same ranke with these Pharisaicall deuises we may place those papall inuentions of Masses Pilgrimages Vowes auricular confessions and whatsoeuer man hath inuented without the warrant of Gods word seeme it neuer so godlie and holie vnto them For the word of God is the onely rule of our religion our onely direction in the seruice of God 21 The seruice which God hath heere prescribed vs is this To serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our life Heerein is conteined whatsoeuer God commaundeth in his Lawe This is the briefe of both the Tables Holinesse hath relation to the former table and righteousnesse to the latter In holinesse is set foorth our dutie towardes God in righteousnesse towards man Wee must serue God in holinesse in respect of himselfe we must serue man in righteousnesse in respect of God For that which we doe to men if he commaund it we doe it vnto him In as much as ye haue doone this saith Christ to one of these litle ones ye haue doone it to me 22 Holinesse is the end of our election He chose vs before the foundations of the world that we might be holie Our holinesse is a thing which God doth greatly desire This is the will of God euen your holinesse Vnto holinesse wee are not onely constrained by his commandement but allured also by his example Be holie because I am holie Vnto this wee are called For God did not call vs vnto vncleannesse but vnto holinesse So that vnlesse we esteeme vilely of our own election vnlesse wee refuse to satisfie the will to obey the commaundement to followe the example and to answere the vocation in which God hath called vs we must be holie 23 And this our holinesse in seruing of him must not bee smothered in our minde or concealed in our chamber but bee shewed in open place As his benefites towardes vs are more cleare than the noone day so our confession of him and praise of his name must be openly in the face and eies of the worlde especially in the congregation of his Saints For whosoeuer saith Christ is ashamed of me before men I will bee ashamed of him before my father Christ hath giuen vs example he made a good and an open confession vnto Pontius Pilate Daniel being forbid by the king praied openly thrise a day to the God of Israel God commaunded Salomon to build him a temple wherein publikely he would be serued and worshipped of al his people Al the people ascended vp to Sion to the house of the Lorde of hosts there publikely to serue and praise their God Such as will be members of Christ must bee knit together in one bodie and in one place with one minde and one mouth glorifie the Lord. 24 It is true that when the Church is infected and polluted with idolatrie and superstition when the house of praier is made a denne of theeues the temple of God a synagogue of Satan when the truth of God is persecuted with the professors thereof then we are to serue him as wee conueniently may When publike seruice is publike idolatrie then wee are to listen vnto those admonitions Auoide the worshipping of Idols Beare no yoke with Infidels Depart Goe out Touch not that which is polluted Rather celebrate the Passeouer in the wildernesse with Christ than in a temple prophaned and defiled with Idolatrie When the gospell is persecuted secret congregations are allowed When Christ was crucified the
instrument to receiue it withall is faith He that beleeueth is made partaker of it and not of it onely but of eternall life also For he that beleeueth in me hath life eternall saith our Sauiour Christ. But this faith this iustifying faith doth worke through loue and sheweth it selfe by workes The good tree will be fruitfull The beleeuing iustified childe of God will feare God and worke righteousnesse 46 This doctrine of iustification by faith in the death and resurrection of Christ Iesu is witnessed by all the Prophets It is no newe doctrine but olde not onely proceeding from the Apostles but also from the Prophets For Moses and all the Prophets beare witnesse of him And as they so the Apostles after them Whose steppes we must followe and acknowledge that no doctrine is to be established but that which is testified by the Apostles and Prophets The true Church of Christ doth builde her faith on their foundation God will be worshipped and serued according to his prescript woord and not according to the braine of man The Prophets and Apostles with all such as be ministers of the woord are heere and elsewhere called witnesses Yea Christ himselfe termeth himselfe a witnesse of the truth For this cause am I borne and for this cause came into the worlde that I should beare witnesse to the truth And Christ saith to his Apostles Ye shall be witnesses vnto me both in Ierusalem and in Samaria euen to the vttermost endes of the earth 47 The truth is to bee testified by publike preaching Paul commendeth the Thessalonians for beleeuing his testimonie His testimonie was the Gospel which he did preache and testifie vnto them According to the voice that did speake vnto him when he was cast off his horse I haue appeared to thee for this purpose to appoint thee a minister and witnesse both of things which thou hast seene and of the things in which I will appeare vnto thee The truth is also testified by writing By the writings of the Prophets Apostles and Euangelists the truth of God Iesus Christ was most plainely testified As Iohn to name one of them among many This is that Disciple which testifieth of these things The truth is also witnessed when as it is testified in bloud for a martyr is a witnes Christ told Peter that when he was young hee girded himselfe and walked whither he lusted but when he waxed old other should gird him and carie him whither hee would not Nowe this saith Iohn he spake signifying by what death he should glorifie God Many Martyrs haue thus testified the truth with suffering for it But they ouercame by the bloud of the Lambe and by the woord of their testimonie not louing their life no not to the death That minister which will neither testifie it by publike preaching nor by writing will hardly testifie it by suffering but will rather say with Peter I knowe not the man But I must here make an end for the time hath ouertaken me and without repetition as you knowe the maner is To God the father God the son God the holie Ghost three persons one almightie almerciful God be rendred all thanks all glorie giuen for euer and for euer Amen The fifteenth Sermon A Sermon preached at Strausborough in the time of Q. Maries reigne 2. COR. 6. 2 Wee therefore as helpers beseeche you that ye receiue not the grace of God in vaine 3 For he saith I haue heard thee in a time accepted in the day of saluation haue I succoured thee behold now the accepted time beholde now the day of saluation THE Prophet to abate the hawtie conceit which naturally wee haue of our selues in such sort as euery man were his owne God and had no other whom to praise for the graces and gifts wherewith he is beautified and set forth as a mirror for al other creatures to beholde and woonder at indeuoureth to turn away our eyes frō too much gazing vpon our owne excellencie by pointing as it were his finger at him who is author of euerie good perfect gift saying Hee made vs and not we our selues For what end and purpose Zacharie teacheth namely that we might serue him in holinesse and righteonsnesse before him all the daies of our life For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good works which God hath ordeined that we should walke in them Ye are not saith S. Paul to the Corinthians your owne Why so For you are bought with a price Glorifie therefore God in your bodie and in your spirite for they are Gods Forsomuch then as we are all of the houshold of God all one in Christ all members of one and the same spirituall bodie woorshipping one Lord receiuing one baptisme professing one faith expecting one glorie to be reuealed vpon vs in that great day it is our duetie in token of our neere coniunction in the spirite with one heart one minde and as it were with one mouth to present our selues before his mercie seate to praise him to heare his word to receiue the seales of his merciful couenaunt in the Gospel and to offer him our needeful supplications together that in all things it may appeare that we are one as hee and the father are one euen one God to be blessed for euer 2 With what zeale desire Gods people of old were woont to do this we may gesse by that which we reade of y ◠Prophet Dauid who being persecuted of his wicked vnnatural son driuen from y e presence of that glorious tabernacle which with great triumph ioye himselfe had placed in the Citie of Dauid where he was woont with the rest of the people to call vpon the name of the Lord to heare the Lawe and to offer sacrifice vpon those beautiful altars conceiued such a deepe impression of griefe by the sorowfull meditation of those sweete and heauenly comforts whereof his soule had tasted in former times that forgetting quite the losse of all other royalties whatsoeuer he maketh mone for nothing but onely this that he might not nowe be partaker of those inestimable benefites and the comforts of minde and conscience which he was woont to receiue at the hand of God at such time as with the rest of the Israelites he resorted to the tabernacle where God promised to be present and fauourably to heare the petitions there made vnto him Of this his great miferie he complaineth him lamentably in diuerse of his Psalmes but especially in the 84 where he breaketh out into these woords of great zeale O Lord of hosts howe amiable are thy Tabernacles My soule longeth yea and fainteth for the courts of the Lorde mine heart and my flesh reioice in the liuing God He goeth on and magnifieth the blessed estates of those sillie birds which might haue their nests and lay their young euen
vexed and tormented with sinne they make light or no account of it These men loue the bodies of their children as it seemeth better than their soules So this fraile carcase this bodie of claie is much made of To procure things good and comfortable for it we can be content to trauel sea and lande to be at any cost to endure any paines If health may be had though it be in a wildernesse it wil be sought 14 The last and best sort of followers were such as followed Christ to heare his word This is that trauell that chiefly is required of a Christian. Seeke first the kingdome of God This declareth vs to be his children to be his flocke He that is of God heareth Gods woord My sheepe heare my voice Thus you see the causes why Christ was followed of the multitude 15 Christ was quietly set with his Disciples in the mount when this people approched The hill as S. Chrysostome noteth may represent the kingdome of God the inheritors whereof are alwaies delighted to clime vpward to seeke those thinges that be aboue to take pleasure in nothing but that which is from heauen Christ and his Disciples being on the top of the mount were quiet And the Church of Christ euen in the wildernesse in the midst of affliction doth in him finde rest In the worlde saith our Sauiour You shall haue distresse but haue confidence I haue ouercome the world these things haue I spoken vnto you that in me you may haue peace Vpon this assurance Peter being in prison and in cheines slept quietly the Prophet Dauid in the midst of persecution tooke sweete and pleasaunt rest I lay mee downe saith he and sleepe in peace for thou Lord onely makest mee dwell in safetie 16 Nowe followeth the miracle which our Sauiour wrought by occasion of the multitude which was there assembled together with him and his Disciples In this there are many things conteined very woorthie of your good and godlie considerations which for orders sake we may reduce to the persons of the people of the Disciples and of Christ. Concerning the people the words of the Euangelist S. Iohn are these Sequebatur eum turba multa A great troupe followed him But S. Marke more liuely expressing the great zeale and desire they had to the Gospel of Christ saith They ran flocking thither on foote out of all Cities In whom we haue first to obserue that they were not of the Princes nor of the priests which came vnto him but turba the common and vulgar sort Num quis ex principihus Doth any of the rulers or of the Pharisees beleeue in him Not many noble not many wise saith the Apostle The noble and mightie loued libertie of life and feared mutations The wise were circumspect and sawe that the Gospel would marre their workes Onely the people they which were basely accounted of in the worlde they which knewe not the Lawe came vnto Christ. 17 The second thing to be obserued in them is their cheerefulnesse their alacritie their zeale and courage They came not dragging their legges after them they ran vnto Christ. Neither care of things at home nor feare of daunger abroade neither the length of the waie thither nor the lacke of lodging and foode there neither the feare of the Priests the Scribes and Pharisees the knowne and professed enemies of Christ nor any other by respect in the worlde was able to staie them Shall not this people rise vp in iudgement thinke you against vs whom God hath by so many blessings allured and as it were entised to come vnto him and notwithstanding findeth vs so farre from this cheerefull and gladsome following of him that when hee doth followe and seeke after vs we turne our backes and flie from him Could wee doe thus if indeede we did beleeue that he hath the woords of eternall life and that as many as continue with him to the end they shall be saued 18 The thirde thing especially to be noted in this people is that their willingnesse to come was not greater then their readynesse to obey him vnto whom they came For when they were willed to sit downe vpon the grasse although they were so many and had so little in sight before them for what were fiue loaues and two fishes to relieue almost fiue thowsand men neuerthelesse they made no aunswere they gainsaide not but without contradiction did that which they were commaunded Elisha prophecied in the name of the Lorde and promised plentie to the people of Samaria being grieuouslie afflicted with extreeme famine But a Prince in great fauour and authoritie with the king replyed against the man of God Though the Lorde woulde make windowes in the heauen could this thing come to passe The same Prophet sent one to Naman the Syrian with this message Goe and washe thee in Iordan seuen times and thy fleshe shall come vnto thee againe and thou shalt bee cleansed But Naman replied Are not Abanah Pharphar riuers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israell may I not wash me in them and be clensed This is the manner of the wise ones in the worlde when they should obey God they reason and dispute the matter with him as if he knewe not what hee did But the faith of this people did subdue their witte and reason to the sacred worde and will of God 19 This may suffice concerning the people Of the Disciples of our Sauiour it is said that They made the people to sit downe Hence Ministers Pastours and Teachers may learne that sith God hath ordained them as the meanes whereby the elect must be brought to the obedience of Christ Iesus they cannot approue their fidelitie vnto him except they bee carefull to fulfill the worke for which he hath appointed them I say vnto you that many shall come from the East and West and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen In this sense that wee might also sit downe Christ hath established those high and holie functions before mentioned Wherefore S. Paule professeth that for this cause he receiued grace and Apostleship that obedience might be yeelded to the faith amongst all nations For this he laboured as in other places so in Corinth also both deliuering them the doctrine which he had receiued and executing amongest them the discipline which their grieuous abuses did deserue 20 The seconde thing to be noted in the Disciples is that they neither purloyned nor chaunged the peoples foode They receiued bread and they deliuered bread But there are deceiptfull workmen which haue entred by a postern gate into the Church which preache and deliuer not what they haue receiued at the handes of Christ but what Antichrist hath deliuered them For sweete breade they giue soure leauen for wheat darnell for wholsome meate venimous poyson for the word of God the doctrines of man for
Tribes of Israell Where the faith of the Apostles shall condemne the vnbeleeuing Iewes the pietie of the Centurion all vngodly magistrates preaching Paul all vnpreaching prelates Zacheus al vsurars and Lazarus al repining impatient and wicked beggers The bookes shall be layd wide open in the sight of all fleshe The booke of God and the booke of mans conscience the booke of his lawe and the booke of our life It shall be examined in the one what GOD hath commaunded in the other it shall be testified howe man hath obeyed in the one what workes of mercie hee hath required at our handes in the other what fruites of mercilesse affection the grounde of our stonie heartes hath yeelded And according to the euidence both of the one and of the other the eternall and irreuocable sentence shall passe from the mouth of God The periured the vsurer the adulterer the lyer the idolater shall be cast into the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone into that vtter darkenesse where shall be wayling weeping gnashing of teeth endlesse horror and euerlasting woe But the elect which haue liued a sober a iust and a godly life which haue loued the comming of Christ Iesus more than this worlde or their present liues they shall enter into the kingdome of their Lorde they shall be glorified with Christ and possesse with him that euerlasting enheritaunce hauing hearde that most ioyfull sentence Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the first foundations of the worlde 27 Heereuppon Saint Peter inferreth this conclusion seeing all these thinges must be dissolued what manner persons ought yee to be in holie conuersation and godlinesse looking for and hasting vnto the comming of the day of God And Saint Luke this threefolde exhortation Take heede to your selues watch pray continually Take heede of surfetting and dronkennesse least your heartes bee opprest least that day come vppon you at vnawares and vnlooked for least it happen to you as it happened to the fathers in the dayes of Noa they ate and dranke and sodenly the water ouerwhelmed them or as to the Sodomites they burned in lust and sodenly fire consumed them from heauen or as to the Israelites they fedde themselues greedilie surfeted and died with the meate in their mouthes Let their dreadfull endes make vs eschewe their sinnes Beware also of the cares of this life They be perillous thornes and pricke thy heart to death Iudas was carefull by any meanes to gather money and to what it brought him yee all knowe Ananias and Saphira caring howe to liue made no conscience to lye to the holie Ghost their destruction was most sodaine When the riche man was in the middest of his care howe to enlarge his barnes that verie night his soule was taken from him Beware therefore and take heede specially of these two things Let not your hearts be ouerwhelmed with excesse of meates and drinkes nor choaked with the cares of this present life 28 Besides this warinesse and heedetaking it is further required that we bee also watchfull For sith wee knowe not what time the Lorde will come expedient it is that wee shoulde bee in continuall expectation of him that wensoeuer hee come wee may bee readie with ioye to meete him Happie is he that watchfully looketh for the comming of Christ Iesus and hee miserable whom the Lorde shall ouertake vnlooked for S. Ierome did so liue in continuall watching and waiting for this daie of redemption that the sounde of that voyce was still in his eares Arise yee deade and come to iudgement I doe waite sayth Iob all the dayes of my warfare till my chaunge come The like wee reade of the Prophet Dauid whose watchfulnesse was such that the watchman standing vppon his warde being wearie of the discomfortablenesse of the night doth not so eye the rising of the morning as hee did the glorious appearing of the Lorde I haue wayted saith hee vpon the Lorde my soule hath wayted and I haue trusted in his worde My soule waiteth on the Lorde more than the morning watch watcheth for the morning How happy is their estate whom the Lorde in that day shall finde thus readie for him 29 But because we can of our selues neither rightly beware nor diligently watch without the speciall assistance of his spirite therefore as wee are exhorted to watch so are we likewise admonished to pray The Lorde of his infinite mercie graunt that being thus prepared to meete the Lorde in the day when he commeth to iudge the quicke and the deade we may be founde worthy to enter with him into that rest which hee by the shedding of his most precious bloude hath purchased for all the blessed of his father to whome c. A Sermon preached at Pauls crosse MATTH 8. 23 And when he was entred into the ship his disciples followed him 24 And beholde there arose a great tempest in the sea so that the ship was couered with waues but he was asleepe THIS short historie doth by way of a type or figure set forth the state of the Church putting vs in minde that the waie to the kingdom of God is rough that wee must enter into ioy through much sorrowe that here wee must be alwayes on the suffring side that the whole life of a Christian man vpō earth is a warfare that such as will be disciples of Christ must beare the crosse that as many as will bee in the same ship with him must prepare them selues vnto daungerous stormes The sea of this wicked worlde is troublesome the Church of God is beaten and tossed like a boate it is disfigured with sharpe and stormie weather Feeble is all flesh manifoulde are our infirmities faint is our faith and seeing our sinne with the remembraunce of the stipende due for the same wee are readie to sinke into the bottomlesse gulfe of desperation In this daungerous estate wee finde no helpe in our selues But beholde the disciples of Christ haue taught vs by their example where helpe is to be sought in the middest of these manifolde and great distresses And that is onely in Christ who is alwayes a present helper of them which seeke him in time of neede who hath ouercome and victoriously triumphed on the crosse against Satan sinne the worlde hell death and condemnation To him all power giueth place against him no force is able to stand vnto him all things are made subiect He is that Samson which by his owne death hath slaine his foes that Dauid which hath dasht out the braines of Goliah the grād enemy of Gods people that seede which hath brused the serpents head that almighty which rebuketh windes ceaseth stormes easeth the burthens of them that mourne washeth awaie iniquitie freelie forgiueth sinne heareth and deliuereth out of trouble If we crie with the disciples in our distresse Helpe Lord he will in mercie awake and heare vs through his mighty power
If a prince giue out his letters patent of a gift so long as the seale is not put to the gift is not fullie ratified and the partie to whom it is giuen thinketh not him selfe sufficientlie assured of it Gods gift without sealing is sure as hee himselfe is al one without changing yet to beare with our infirmitie and to make vs more secure of his promise to his writing woord he added these outward signes and seales to establish our faith and to certifie vs that his promise is most certain He giueth vs therfore these holie and visible signes of bread wine saith Take and eate this is my bodie and blood giuing vnto the signes the names which are proper to the things signified by them as we vse to doe euen in cōmon speach when the signe is a liuelie representation and image of the thing 13 Let vs therefore bee thankefull vnto our redeemer Christ for these his great benefites and so vnspeakeable and vndeserued mercies and let vs receiue this holie sacrament as a sure pledge that the vertue of his death and passion is imputed vnto vs for iustice euen as though we had suffered the same which hee did in our owne naturall bodies Let vs not be so peruerse as to drawe backe when Iesus Christ calleth vs so louingly to this royall feast but with good consideration of the woorthinesse of this gift present we our selues with a feruent zeale that we may come woorthily to this holy table Let eche man trie himselfe and so eate saith the Apostle Let vs enter into our selues therefore and examine the estate of our hearts and soules and consider in what case we stand If we be not of the sanctified houshold of God not Christs seruaunts and faithfull Disciples shall we dare presume to presse in being aliens and strangers to the Lords as most comfortable so also most dreadfull table No let no impenitent blasphemer of God no whoremonger or vile and vnrepented sinner presume to touch or tast this foode for such shall not feede vpon Christ and his merits but they receiue their owne damnation But such as wil woorthily feede at this blessed feast must earnestly and truly mourne for their sinnes past in a setled purpose and resolution neuer willingly to defile themselues againe And such as will be partakers of this bread that came from heauen Iesus Christ our one and onely Sauiour must also be as one bread or loafe and as one bodie ioined together in brotherly loue and all other offices of godlie and Christian charitie For if thou come to this banket without this vesture of loue it shall be saide vnto thee Friend howe camest thou hither not hauing on thy wedding garment A wofull speeche and an ende most miserable Let this suffice for the first point which is the blessed Apostles exhortation not to receiue the grace of God in vaine 14 Concerning the second member wherein wee are put in mind that this is the time to shewe our selues woorthie receiuers of grace he applieth to his purpose the words of the Prophet Esay who speaking vnto Christ as in the person of his father saith In an acceptable time haue I heard thee and in a day of saluation haue I helped thee The acceptable time is that whereof S. Paul speaketh When the fulnesse of time came God sent his sonne made of a woman It was indeede an acceptable time and full of grace wherein the sacrifice of Christ was so gratiously accepted and his praiers heard of God And it may well be called a day of saluation wherein his father gaue him a triumphant victorie ouer those so bitter torments of death An acceptable time was it a day of saluation not so much in respect of him who at all times was accepted as of vs who without him and his death had beene refused For in that day was your redemption wrought by our redeemer and sinners saued by his passion who had no sinne And as hee died and rose so he praied and was heard for vs. I pray for them I pray not for the world I pray for them whom thou hast giuen me saith our Sauiour Nowe the acceptable time and day of saluation which Esay spake of S. Paul doth very aptly and effectually applie to his present occasion Beholde nowe is the acceptable time beholde nowe is the day of saluation For the Fathers liued in hope of this acceptable day of grace and fauour to come but the verie time beginneth from the suffering of Christ Iesus and continueth euen to the worlds end And vnto euerie one of vs so much of this acceptable time is granted as we haue time granted here to liue Which being not long because our life is but as it were a span it may fitly be called a day or rather an houre of saluation This day therefore grace is offered vs of God Against whose maiestie forasmuch as all haue sinned and by sinne are depriued of his glorie wee must needes acknowledge that for the recouering of our losse wee stand all in present neede of his grace Nowe is the time wherein our soules doe groane to be releeued with grace and mercie For who can say My heart is sound I neede no Physitian What one man is there amongst vs all who hath loued God as he ought to doe or tendered his neighbours case as he would his owne We may dallie with our selues and thinke that we suffer not for our owne transgressions that we are not cause of that great plague calamitie which presently is come vpon our countrie Beloued do not deceiue your selues Our God is a righteous iudge who blesseth the innocent and heapeth punishment vpon the offending soule For truly if we searche our selues as we ought to doe with a single eye if we examine out thoughts take a reckoning of our words and peise our deedes and waies in an equall ballance aske our hearts and they wil tell vs enquire of our conscience it wil declare vnto vs that euerie one of vs hath wel deserued more than hath happened vnto any of vs Yea wee shall finde that all haue not suffered halfe so much as euerie one hath deserued Our first parents for tasting the fruit that was forbidden them were themselues cast out of their pleasaunt habitation and punished in all their posteritie to come for euer Haue wee being terrefied by the horror of their example withheld our hands and bridled our affections from euerie vnlawful and forbidden thing Corah Dathan and Abiram with their fauourites and confederates were swallowed vp of the earth for whispering against Moses and against Aaron Did we neuer once mutter against our good and lawfull magistrates against our iudges and against the Lordes ministers Dauid for numbring of his people procured such a plague that 70. thousand were consumed with it and are wee so vnspotted that we haue not in as heinous a matter as this offended God would
to God we were but the Lorde and our owne consciences doe knowe how farre otherwise the case doth stand I will not enter into particulars nor open the sores of any man but send you home into the closet of your owne heartes to see it And if we prosecute the comparison in such wise as hath beene touched I nothing doubt but euerie one of vs may iustly lay the cause of this heauie displeasure of God and grieuous plague vpon himselfe euerie one may say and crie out with the prophet Dauid It is I that haue sinned I that haue committed iniquitie and deserued this great vengeaunce The smart whereof as wee doe outwardly feele so if it inwardly pierce vs to the quick of our hearts and soules if we be truly wounded and humbled in deede with the grieuous remembrance of our former sinnes this is of all other the most acceptable time for vs to receiue the sauing health of God who as he taketh his time to offer vs grace so we must also take ours to receiue it beeing offered To day saith the Apostle if you wil heare his voice harden not your heartes It is to day so long as he speaketh by his Prophet saying Returne euerie one from his euill waie make your waies and your workes good If this nation against whom I haue pronounced turne from their wickednesse I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring vpon them It is to day so long as that voice of Iohn the Baptist is heard Repent So long as wisedome vttereth her voice in the streetes and crieth Turne so long as our Lord and Sauiour saith Come it is to day These so often callings and so sweete admonitions ought to be of force sufficient to set vs forward to repent to turne and come to our mercifull Sauiour in this day of saluation and to follow the worthie examples of our wise forefathers who being stirred vp in like sort haue awaked and haue beene saued That very daie that Nathan the Prophet tolde Dauid of his fault hee repented and was receiued to mercie The Niniuites likewise were a wise and a circumspect people they tooke their time euen the acceptable time of their repentance which else had come too late So they which repented at the preaching of Iohn made speede to retire from their owne by-paths and ro turne into the waies of God As many as receiued fruitfully and effectually the grace which the Lord did offer by the hands of Peter preaching the remission of sins they also tooke the opportunitie of that selfesame houre so were saued All these things as S. Paul witnesseth are written for our instruction that wee might learne wisely to redeeme the time and to knowe the day of Gods most gratious visitation 15 Especially nowe sith we doe not onely heare the sound of his voice but also feele the smart of his correction There is no hope that euer we wil receiue the grace of God if in the midst of our afflictions we refuse it His case is desperate whom aduersitie cannot cure whom eternall death hath so possest and benummed that the very sharpest medicines are vnable to woorke vpon him Turne you therefore saith wisdome at my correction When men are heauie laden with griefe and sorowe then are they fittest to call for and to receiue refreshing Examples hereof are almost infinite After Iosephs brethren were brought into comber and into feare of their liues they remembred their fact committed against their brother and it grieued them much which before had much contented them Whilest men are at ease and haue rest in the flesh grace is no grace the promises of God cannot haue their effectuall and powrefull operations no not in the very elect of God Looke vpon Manasses in his throne and in prison vpon the people of Israel at home in peace and abroade in banishment vpon Noah Dauid Ezechias all the Saints and seruaunts of God in their flourishing estate and in their grieuous troubles and yee shall finde that the gratious offers of God were neuer receiued woorthily in deede but in great extremities When a man is striken with sorowe vpon his bed and the griefe of his bones is sore saith Elihu in the booke of Iob so that his life causeth him to abhorre bread and his soule daintie meate If in such a case there be a messenger with him or an interpreter one of a thousand to declare vnto man his righteousnesse how that God wil haue mercie vpon him and wil say Deliuer him that he goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation such a message of grace no doubt will then be heartily accepted or else be in vaine for euer It is affliction that maketh the kingdome of heauen to suffer violence When we are in miserie in trouble in distresse of bodie mind then especially is the acceptable time thē is the high day of our saluation Thou didst chastise me saith the Prophet Ieremie and then I came to vnderstanding So that the most especiall time to shewe our selues woorthie receiuers of the grace of God is when his chastisements are vpon vs and his anger doth afflict our soules Wherefore most properly beloued in the Lord to you it may be spoken Receiue not the grace of God in vaine This is the acceptable time this is the day of your saluation Although the grace of God haue heeretofore beene offered and vnkindely refused yet nowe that the hande of his heauie displeasure nowe that the rodde of his correction is laide vpon you O receiue it not nowe in so acceptable a time in vaine 16 The onely way to shewe our selues woorthie receiuers of grace is by heartie and vnfeined repentaunce to acknowledge that we haue sinned in peruerting righteousnesse and to amende that which we knowe and acknowledge to bee amisse If wee thinke to be receiued into his fauour without this brethren wee deceiue our selues He is gratious but to the penitent and will haue mercie vpon sinners but vpon sinners which forsake their sinnefulnesse It is true that he wil heale whom he hath spoiled and whom he hath wounded he will builde vp he wil quicken the dead and raise vp them that are throwne downe yet so if they say Come and let vs returne vnto the Lord. The first effect therefore of grace in the heart of man is vnfeined repentaunce With the doctrine whereof we are throughly ynough acquainted We haue no neede to be taught what the name doth signifie the nature properties and parts thereof are knowne Onely the practise wanteth whereunto wee are so slowe and so hardly are drawne that in this one point we wearie out all our teachers about this one thing they wast they spend themselues And in the end we are most commonly as wee were at the first like the Leopard that chaungeth not his skinne To bring men to repentance is such a worke