thirtenth Chapter ¶ That true faith requireth an earnest consideration of mans estate and the loue of God towardes him appearing in the death of Christ THus haue we waded in the bottomelesse sea of Gods loue infinite mercy wherewith he loueth and embraceth the worlde not minding to finde any ende or to search the grounde thereof for we confesse with the Prophete Thy mercy O Lord reacheth vnto the heauens and thy faythfulnesse vnto the cloudes thy righteousnesse is like the mightie mountaines and thy iudgementes are like a greate deepe but by this which is sayde we haue assaid somewhat to tast of the goodnesse of God following herein the prouocation of the Prophete whiche calleth men to the consideration of Gods mercy by this call O tast and sée saith he how gracious the Lorde is Blessed is the man that putteth his trust in his mercy And thus far haue we tasted the loue of God as we might onely picking out the swéete marrowe of that bone which S. Iohn hath cast vs for the comfort of our soules to feede on God so loued the world c. In the which shorte and swéete sentence duely considered and weighed as it is worthy what find we but saluation shewing it selfe vnto vs in a bright glasse and that as is aforesayde it is a knot knitting vp the whole mysterie of our redemption wherefore in the handling thereof we haue passed to this point as that we haue losed and vndone the same and as grace was giuen haue layde out the partes thereof to the viewe of the Reader Now that we may gather vp those pieces and close the knot againe let vs stand a while and sée what rockes we haue passed let vs looke backe and view the wonderfull worke of God declaring his loue to our saluatiō we know therfore what a losse we had in Adam being depriued vtterly of the fauor of God for so God loued the world in the first foundation that we stoode in the state of innocencie comparable with the glorious Angels of heauen we were fashioned of earthe but not endangered to turne againe into earth we were made men but like vnto God ours matter and substance was earthly but our forme and fashion was heauenly the patterne whereafter God made vs was his own image being in subiection to god our creator but reigning as souereignes ouer all Gods creatures blessed in oure selues in our séede walking on a blessed earth enioying at will the fruits flours of pleasant paradise that image of heauē all our senses they were sette vpon pleasure wythout any lothsomenesse what sounded in the eare but the swéete and cōfortable voyce of Gods blessing Gods blessing was alway in our eies yea what was in oure mouth but Gods blessing Our labor was rest our reste was continuall our paines was pleasure and oure pleasure was eternall we sweated not for we had no neede to trauell we were ignorant of euill tasting of no corruptiō free from infirmities standing in the presence of God without feare beholding his glorious countenance without shame hauing health without danger of sickenesse enioying life without feare of death the fleshe and the spirite neuer striued the body obeyed the soule and the soule saued the body they were knit togyther with a fast bynding bande so that they might not departe the one from the other yea then was the body in better case than is nowe the soule separate from Chryste the soule was not subiecte to death nor the body in case to be corrupted of the duste neyther hell nor the graue nor dust nor death no not the feare of them mought touch or trouble vs so standing as God hadde appointed And such was the loue of God that he gaue all those heauenly commodities as a state of inheritance to our firste father to him and his heires for euer O goodly gift of God wherein the date is euer and a day and nothing betwixt heauē and earth excepted but only that the fruit of one tree might not be tasted But O fraile flesh O lykerishe lippes of earthly Adam that knewe not himselfe and considered not how mercyful and louing a God he had of his creator it did not content him to be a mā but he would be a God a Gods name he did not content him to rule and reigne ouer the insensible and vnreasonable but he woulde set his foote as farre forwarde as his Creator in whose handes he was as the brittle claye in the potters fingers Therefore when that man had so giuen ouer the seruice of God as rashly to break his holy commaundement and to deuour the forbidden fruite what then myghte the righteous Lorde doe of his iustice but plucke downe that presumptuous stomacke but set his face with furie against rebellious man but hate him but curse him and cleane caste him off as one that despised his goodnesse vnworthy of his fauour and vtterly to be reiected as the seruant of the Serpent the slaue of sinne and a méete helhounde for the Deuill Verily so are we without Chryste cursed creatures children of disobedience childrē of perdition euer rebelling againste the ryghteous God seruing the fleshe with his appetites gyuen ouer to concupiscence the lost sonnes of the lost father nothing heauenly but altogyther earthly vsing the worlde and the present life as a shadowe whose ende is eternall darkenesse and as a course to runne headlong to Hell being nothing but naked soules ashamed to stande in the sight of God no not the best of all were we as holy as holy Dauid but must be faine to saye after hym I haue sinned as whose righteousnesse are but rotten ragges all to bespotted with the foule blurre of sinne whose hope is desperation whose life is without lyght and whose desert is death So are we falne and our féete serueth vs not to get vp againe we are taken prysoners in captiuitie with the Deuill and we are not so ryche as to redéeme our selues for our desertes are but such that when we haue reckened all that we can doe yet are we but vnprofitable seruants but who is he that commeth so neere perfection as to performe that duetie to set his brother equall in loue wyth himselfe and to sette God before himselfe and that in al times all places and al respectes and who then is he that dare aduenture the tryall hereof and to stande to the extremitie of the lawe S. Paule hath tryed that way and gyueth vs a faire warning as that the lawe stoppeth euery mouth no flesh shall be founde righteous by that rule Let vs then cast aside those figge leaues whyche can not hide our nakednesse that is the deserts of the fleshe the deedes of the law for this waye we maye be sure to méete with that curse Cursed is he that abydeth not in all that is written in the lawe Let vs not make so litle of the loue of Christ and so much euacuate his crosse as to iustifie our selues by any lawe
broughte as a shéepe before hys shéerer that openeth not his mouth so was he brought before Annas Cayphas Herode and Pylate of whome he heard euill wordes ynough to moue his pacience but it was vnmoueable therefore he gaue them the hearing and answered their quarrelling questions with humble silence for pacience and silence they were two of the sharpest weapons he mainteyneth his kingdome withall Another saying of our Sauioure is this I gaue my backe vnto the smyters and my chéekes vnto the nippers I hid not my face from shame and spitting how that was tried true we know when our Sauiour was so roughly handled of Souldiers vnder Pilate now layd on with fistes now smitten with rods and how shamefully he was bespetted the Euangelist dothe most faithfully report and howe he helde hys backe to the tormenters what backbyting he had as well by euill entreatie as misreportes thereof Pylats bitter scurge may be for witnesse sufficiente another Scripture saythe he is broughte as a shéepe to the slaughter in suche manner did our Sauiour goe out of Ierusalem to the place of hys execution called Caluaria where hee was offered vp an innocent lambe and slayne as a sacrifice with bloude for our offences And so dothe the Prophete crie in the person of Christe pouring out hys complaintes and declaring the terrible pangs that he had on hys Crosse I am saythe he become a worme and not a man a shame of men and the contempt of the people all they that sée me haue me in derision they make a mow at me and nod the head saying he trusted in the Lorde let hym deliuer hym let hym saue hym séeing hée loueth hym agayne hée saythe I am lyke water poured out and all my bones are out of ioynt mine hart is lyke waxe it is moulten in the midst of my bowells my strength is dried vp lyke a potsherde my tongue cleaueth to my iawes and thou hast brought me into the dust of deathe for doggs haue compassed me and the assembly of the wicked hathe enclosed me they pierced my handes and my féete they gaue me gall in my meate and in my thirst they gaue me vineger to drinke they parted my garmentes amongst them and cast lottes vpon my vesture rebuke hathe broken my hart and I am full of heauinesse and I looked for some to haue pitie on me but there was none and for comfort but I founde none These were the sighes and sobbes vttered of the Prophet to be verified of our Sauioure whiles he was in that terrible horror and dreadfull anguish of soule as he lay like a lambe broken to the crosse and most bitterly bléeding to deathe for so farre dyd he submit himselfe in the cause of our redemption that he is made the most perfect patterne of all pacience so did the loue of God work in him that he was consumed euen of very zeale to hys house so was he turmoyled and tormented brused and broken racked and rent into péeces for euill deseruing seruauntes for our disobedience hée performed the vttermost poynt of obedience as Sainte Paule saythe he was obedient to the death the deathe of the crosse The fourtenth Chapter ¶ The sweetenesse of Gods loue fealt by a true and liuely fayth THis was the price paid for our redēption this was the purchase of our pardon euen the most precious bloudshéeding of the only begottē son of God so hath the merciful Lord stretched his loue towards the world in Christ euen to the top of the crosse and so to the bowels of the earth the bottome of the graue from whence he is risen to the right hand of the father ther to reigne vntill he haue troden his enimies cleane vnder his féete Now we to whome belonged nothing but shame and reproch may fréely glory without all suspition of vanitie we that in ourselues had no cause but to lament haue nowe good leaue to reioice reioicing in the Lord now may we withoute all feare triumph ouer our enimies with that sure Souldier of Christ say O death wher is thy sting O graue where is thy victorie May we now stay ourselues but to fal in admiration of gods infinite mercie and say with the Apostle O the déepenesse of the riches of God with the Prophet O Lorde what is man that thou visitest him or what is the sonne of man that thou so regardest him No man can haue greater loue than to giue his life for hys friendes What then mighte we now aske more at Gods hands what péece of loue is there nowe left which god hath not fully bestowed vppon vs for Christ is that good shephearde which layth downe his life for his shéepe O Lord what is man that thou shouldest so regard him O that mē would consider this loue of God which S. Iohn maketh so much of that he repeateth it again and againe In this saith he appeared the loue of God toward vs bycause God sente hys only begotten sonne into the world that we might liue through him And agayne herein is loue saith he not that we loued him but that he loued vs and hath sente hys sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes Let this sentence be well weighed The loue of God is a well conteyning the water of life whose operation is reconciliation whose riuers are righteousnesse whose streames wipe awaye the sands of sinne whose little drops refresh the hote hart of man flaming and boyling with the smoking fire of Gods furie and besides this it is a fountaine not forced but fréely springing of it selfe so saythe S. Iohn it is not a reward for a desert it is not loue for loue one for another but it is loue for hatred mercy without merite fauoure for falshoode pitie for obstinacie pardon for rebellion the payment of honoure for the debte of shame bringing hope for desperation and lyfe vnlooked for in place of deserued death thus dothe S. Iohn lay foorth the loue of GOD before vs as it were still harping on thys one string God so loueth the vvorlde and on thys playeth S. Paule also not without great pleasure in such sort that I thinke where it entreth the eare it may not but muche moue the hart for first he putteth the Ephesians in mind of their old estate in what case they stoode before they were called to the grace of the gospell that they so knowing them selues might the better knowe God hys goodnesse towardes them ye were saith he dead in trespasses and in sinnes yée in time past walked according to the course of the world and after the Prince that ruleth in the aire euen the spirite that worketh in the children of disobedience and here ioyning himselfe and his fellowes with the Ephesians among whome we also had our conuersation in times past in the lusts of our flesh and were by nature what were they the children of wrath as well as others Such were they such children are we
Sara Kings also should come And to cōfirme vs in opinion that this is the very true promised seede by the whiche Abraham should become a blessed father and we his happie Children and by the which Adam should subdue the Serpent S. Paule proueth vnto vs arguing of the forme of the promise he sayth not to the seedes as speaking of many but and to thy seede as of one as thoughe he hadde sayde of all the Kings comming of Sara yet was there but one by whome we shall obtaine the kingdome of heauen of all the seede of Abraham whyche was innumerable as the starres of the heauen and the sande of the Sea shore yet was there but one séede whyche brought this blessing with it and that was as he there sayth onely Chryste and as S. Iohn here speaketh the onely begotten sonne of God for it was not that earthly Isaack that fleshely sonne of Sara but it is this heauenly Isaack the onely begotten sonne of God that bringeth his blessing on his backe neyther was it that Iacob the begotten of Isaack but the onely begotten of God in whome the promise was performed this is that wise warie Iacob that supplanteth and vndermineth all enuious Esaus this is the mightie and sturdie Israell that subdueth all powers to whom al knées be they neuer so stiffe shal crouch here beneath and aboue in earth in hell and in heauen this is the very séede out of which springeth all blessing all that are blessed among the begotten of men it is by this begotten of God this seede blesseth both the begetting and begotten the sonne and the father the first as Alpha and the laste as Omega without this heauenly Iacob had that bene but a detested Esau and not a beloued Iacob without this Isaack had that other bene in worse case than wilde Ismael and in this Isaack stoode the chiefe ioy of Abraham yea before Abraham was this Isaack was for but in respecte of him had blessed Shem bene an accursed Ham it is written that Noah foūd grace in the sight of the Lord had it not bene for this gracious Lord he had not founde suche grace for it was the hope of this grace giuen by Chryste that bore the Arke and saued him from those roaring floudes And this Isaack stoode by Abell shadowing him with his blessing while Caine was cursed and this is the selfe seede that saueth Adam from the serpent And that blessed among women the mother of our Sauioure wherein stoode hir blessednesse but in that the Angel said Thou hast found fauor with God for loe thou shalte conceiue in thy womb beare a sonne and shalt cal his name Iesus and she of hir selfe from henceforth shall all nations call me blessed From that tyme when God had so shewed his fauour as that she was ouershadowed by the power of the highest and had conceiued that fruit of the wombe then from that time became she blessed and not she onely but all those nations calling hir blissed haue part with hir in the blissed séede in the conceiued fruite Iesus This therefore is the loue wherewith God so loueth vs that he sending his onely begotten sonne his dearely beloued Chryste we stand in possibilitie to become the blessed sonnes of blessed Abraham let vs therefore the children with our father reioyce in this daye whereof the Aungell speaketh and wherof the Lorde himselfe sayth Thou art my sonne this daye haue I begotten thee This day was such as many Kings and Prophets desired to sée yea happy were they that were so happie as to hope for this day for all the blessed among the fathers rested in this hope This was the comfort of Iacobs féeble spirite nowe entring into the graue for thus he gloryed before his son Ioseph visiting him in Egypt in his sicknesse and to him was it ioyfull tydings to hear that saying at his fathers mouth God almightie appeared vnto me at Luze in the lande of Canaan and blessed me in the which blissing was cōteined the promise of the hoped and performed sauiour and a litle before his last breath he declareth his hope by these words O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation and this was the comfort wherewith the prophetes comforted themselues and the people of God declaring it in suche sorte as though the insensible creatures the heauens and the earth the mountaines and the valleyes should be refreshed withall such was the prophecie of Esaye Reioyce O heauens and be ioyfull O earth burst forth into prayse O mountaines for God hath comforted his people and will haue mercie on his afflicted And by the prophet Zacharie thus said the Lord Reioyce with great ioy O daughter Sion shoute for ioye O daughter Ierusalem behold thy King commeth vnto thée And by Micheas And thou Bethléem in the land of Iuda art not the least among the Princes of Iuda for out of thée shall come the gouernour that shall féede my people Israell and to the comforte of the gentiles thus he saith speking as it were to his Chryste Beholde thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not and a nation that knewe not thée shall runne vnto thée bicause of the Lord thy God and the holy one of Israell thus was Chryste alwayes a comforte for the hope of the fathers to rest vpon and by him was their hope full with ioy So did God loue them his chosen of Israell that he hath sent thē the gouernor that should féede his people he hath sent them the good shepeherd that should saue the lost shepe But this loue is suche that it resteth not in the compasse of Ierusalem for S. Iohn saith it is the loue wherewyth God loued the worlde God hath sent his sonne and he hath sent him as well for the light and ioye of the Gentile as for the glory of the Iewe and we that knew not God may now know him and nowe if fayth fayle not it shall please God as well to be called the God of Englande as the God of Israell for he hath sent the promised seede of Abraham that shall blesse the one nation as well as the other and he hath sente his sonne to bestowe his loue vpon all partes of the worlde that in him all people shoulde be blessed The tenth Chapter ¶ What Chryste is and in what state he wrought the worke of our saluation NOwe this hithervnto spoken we haue béene thus farre in the fauor of God and haue tasted howe gracious the Lorde is that we know euen for the loue he beareth vnto vs he hath sent vs a redéemer whiche shall be a reconciliation for vs and shall quicken vs lying in the shadowe of death that we might not perishe but liue for euer and who it is that he maketh our redéemer as by the fleshe the blessed séede of Abraham a true man and yet the onely begotten sonne of God him he hath not spared to make a Messanger of saluation
for if righteousnesse be by the law then Christ died with out a cause Neyther will excuses serue to saluation for then shoulde the Serpent haue bene cursed alone as vpon whome all the blame was layde but if the Serpent seduce and be followed if the Deuill tempt and be not withstoode both Adam Eue man and woman they must néeds drinke of the cup of Gods curse This for the knowledge of oure selues what the world is which God so loueth and so setting before vs our reward by iustice the terrible torments intollerable flames of hel fire with the bitter byting worm that neuer dyeth whiche Satan threatneth leading vs forward fast fettered with the chaine of sinne what might we do but lye sweating in the myserable pitiful pangs of desperation what comfort might we finde one in another but teares and torments sorowes sighes crying and howling wéeping and wayling groning and gnashing of téeth But the merciful God the louing Lorde when we stoode at this point in manner at defiance with God although he sawe that al flesh had corrupted his way although he knew the imaginations of mans heart to be euil euen from his youth and saw that we alwayes bare a styffe stomacke agaynst him and his holy will yet hath he not vtterly cast vs of but blessed be his name for euer he hath shewed vs a glad and chearefull countenance hée taketh pitie vpon vs it grieueth him we should deserue his wrath but it woulde more grieue him that we should die the deserued death Wherefore he hath shewed vs marueylous kindenesse and more mercie than when we stoode first in his fauour yea more mercie I will not say than man might deserue but more than we coulde deuyse to aske For beholde he hath opened vnto vs all his treasure and endlesse riches of his infinite mercie choosing out as it were the best iewell of all hys store and stocke euen that precious pearle his owne glorie in whome is all his delight his onely begotten hys best beloued sonne in whome dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godheade bodily in whome are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge who is the verie expresse Image of the inuisible God him he hath not spared to make our Messias and to sende vs a sauiour to rayse vs from that foule fall of our first father to regenerate and make vs a new to conquer the world to slay the séede of the serpent and sée that we shoulde not perish but liue and reigne with him in his kingdome euerlastingly and how Christ hath approued himselfe a sauioure and how he persited that knotty worke of our redemption and made all sure that it might not perish what he suffered before he said it is finished we haue séene some shewe thereof but O that we could consider it worthily and weigh it in a iust ballance then should our harts vndoubtedly waxe hote with the feruent loue of God so maruellously declared in hys sonne our sauioure bearing this in mind alwayes that whatsoeuer he suffered he suffered for vs hauing still that voice of our Sauiour ringing in our eares and fresh in our harts the zeale of thy house hath consumed me Christe was sicke of that consumption euen of zeale to make vs an holy house to his father and what soeuer was done by Christe on the earth let vs recken altogyther vppon the ende whereof he himselfe protesteth the sonne of man came to saue that whyche was lost and whatsoeuer was layde vppon him let vs recken that ours by ryghte and that we deserued a thousande folde more than so for we alas like giddy shéepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one of vs his owne way we were oppressed with burthen of sinne but by him we are eased and refreshed for he hathe layde vpon him the iniquitie of vs all that are come vnto him with our heauy lode surely he hath borne our infirmities and caried our sorrowes he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastizement of our peace was vpon him and with hys stripes we are healed he came downe from the high heauens to raise vs that were fast slipping to the déepe darke hell he refused not to take vpon him the burthen of our flesh that we might by him be quickened in the spirit he liued amongst vs men that we by him might liue with God he suffered suche euill entreatie at that Foxe Herods handes least we might be a portion for Foxes and a pray for woolues he followed that thanklesse office of preaching that we myghte not perish but liue by hys worde for though the deuill say nay yet Christ sayth truely that man liueth by euery worde procéeding out of the mouth of God and therefore rather than hée woulde leaue vs vnprouided of that necessary foode whiche he brought from heauen he tooke well a woorth the misreports of the wicked blasphemers That we might call on him as a Sauioure he suffered himselfe to be called a Samaritane a sinner a surfetter and for our souls hâ—altâ— it was that he wrought so many a miracle by the meanes of one body cured visibly sauing a thousand soules by inuisible operation of faith so Christ himselfe saith vnlesse you sée signes and wonders you will not beléeue therefore to lay that salue to our sore also he professeth himselfe a Phisition and a Surgion nothing disdaining the company of such as were in miserie and despised of men he shut not his eyes to the blinde he came to the lame that coulde not come to him he looked on the Lepres he visited the sicke he wepte with the sorrowfull he lamented wyth Lazarus fewer times bidden to feastes than he was founde at burialls But this is to be accounted the least part of al the paines sorowes of our sauiour The cup the cursed cup of his crosse what hart is so harde that may consider that without great admiration of Gods mercy with howe bitter temptations did he take the tast therof before his hour came with what heauinesse of hart did he vtter his complainte vnto his disciples and againe to his father when he sweated that bloudy water let vs heare then our Sauioure himselfe vttering his complaints by the mouth of the Prophets Thus saith one he is despised and reiected of men he is a man full of sorrowes and hath experience of infirmities we hidde our faces from him we estéemed him not thys we knowe howe it was accomplished in that the hanghtie high Priestes and proude Pharisies regarded not but vtterly dysdayned our Sauiour by another Prophet he saith he that eateth bread with me lifteth vp his héele against me This we saw performed by saucy Iudas who when he had dipped with our Sauiour in his dish streight after gote him out and made vp his bloudy bargaine and as Christ forewarned his disciples deliuered the sonne of man into the handes of sinners another Scripture is he is
all as we are the children of Adam withoute the loue and the beloued son of god But now Christ is come what news bringeth he But God saith the Apostle which is rich in mercie through his greate loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were deade by sinnes hath quickened vs togither in Christe by whose grace ye are saued and hathe raysed vs vp togither and made vs sit togither in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus O what is man that God should so loue him as thus to poure vpon vs the whole store and riches of his mercy and to bestow vpon vs his chiefe iewell his only begotten sonne and by him to exalt vs euē from the déepe hel to the high heauēs Surely God hathe maruellously shewed hys gracious goodnesse vpon the children of men but in this that he so loued the world as to giue vs hys son euē as the heauens the earth so dothe this farre surmount al the prosperity that any people al the felicitie that any mā at any time hath euer enioyed it was much that God blessed Abraham so as to gyue him the deaw of heauen the fat of the earth enriching him with great store of treasure and flocks of cattell but what was this to the blessed séede that blesseth all nations and Salomō in al his royaltie what was he but a lilie in the garden and a floure in the fielde but that he was assured of that promise made vnto hys father that vnto Dauid shuld be raysed a righteous branch and a king should reigne and sit vpon hys seate whome we should call the Lord our righteousnesse God as he had before the comming of our Messias chosen to hymself the Israelites a peculiar people whōe he tendered as the husbandman his vine so his hande wrought maruellously wyth them and bestowed innumerable benefits vpon them goodly and glorious were the frutes and floures that God caused to flourish in that vine but if we be braunches well graffed in the true vine then may Englande well compare with Israell For whatsoeuer they receiued otherwise we haue receiued as fully and wyth as large conditions in Christ the sonne of God they had but the figure more than we we haue the body and substance represented as well as they their 's was the shales but we haue parte in the kirnell they had the shadow aboue vs but we enioy the true sunne of righteousnesse equall with them there was a greate iubilie no doubt among the Israelites when that voice was firste heard on the mount Sinai I haue séene the affliction of my people whiche is in Egypt and I am come downe to deliuer them but what was this to the ioyfull tidings brought of the Aungell vnto you is borne in the Citie of Dauid a Sauioure and by another Aungell he shall saue his people from their sinnes Herein was loue as Sainte Iohn sayth farre in deede mighte that people séeme to be in the fauoure of God that he did so mightily by his seruante Moses deliuer them out of the hands of hardharted Pharao and that cruell countrie of Egypte But O Lorde what is man that thou so louest him as by the crosse of thy Christe to plucke him out of the bloudy clammes of that roring and rauening Lion Satan and to saue vs from that hote burning Egypte the fiery furnace of hell God made Moyses a maruell and a mirroure before his people but he neuer gaue hym thys commendation Thys is my beloued sonne Naye to which of the Angels said he at any time Thou arte my sonne this daye begat I thee yet thys beloued sonne whome the father maketh so much of is made our Moses to fulfill the lawe and our Messias to fill vs full of grace he hathe broughte vs out of all bondage it is he that hath led captiuitie captiue and nowe are we free in déede when the sonne hathe made vs frée Dauid refresheth hymselfe maruellously wyth the memorie of those benefytes of GOD whyche hée bestowed vpon hys people when they were nowe passing from Egypt toward the promised land wherefore he vttereth such sayings in hys psalmes and songs recording therin the goodnesse of God he deuided the Sea and led them through In the daye also he led them with the cloude This was theyr Baptisme vnder Moyses as Sainte Paule saythe Nowe if we be baptised in Christe Iesus with water and the holy Ghost then haue we drowned Pharao in the floud and haue buried vp Sathan safe in the Sea then are we couered and clothed with the true cloude so that the heate of hell may not hurt vs so saithe S. Paule All ye that are baptised into Christ haue put on Christ and so saithe S. Iohn of the water falling frō that cloude The bloud of Iesus Christe cleanseth vs from all sinne Dauid goeth forward and saith as he led them in the daye tyme with a cloud so he did all the nighte with a light of fire This was a great token that God was with them but this was but a shadow of him that saythe I am the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walke in darknesse but shall haue the lighte of life This is the lyght that is the lyfe of men this is the light that shineth in the darkenesse here hathe the Gentile gotten as muche as the Iewe for this is the true light that lighteth euery man that commeth into the world Againe saithe Dauid for the glory of the Iewe he claue the rocke in the wildernesse and gaue them drinke as of the great depthes but Paule saithe also for the comforte of the Gentile the rocke was Christe for out of the rocke rent on the crosse gushed out that plentifull aqua vitae whyche serueth to satisfie the thirst of euery soule that is it which shall wash away all our vncleannesse That although our sins were as crimsin they shall now be made white as snowe though they were red lyke Scarlet they shall be as wooll though they be rusty for sinne as those that haue lyen among pottes yet shall we be as the wings of a Doue that is couered with siluer and whose feathers are lyke vnto the yellowe golde Wherefore without this water was that nothing in comparison but as our Sauiour sayth in hys reasoning wyth the woman of Samaria concerning Iacobs well Whosoeuer shall drinke of thys water shall thirst agayne but who so drinketh of the water which I shall gyue him shall neuer thirst agayne and it shall be vnto him a well of water springing vp into eternall lyfe Another maruellous benefite of God doth Dauid glory in saying God opened the dores of heauen and rayned downe Manna vpon them for to eate and gaue them of the Wheat of heauen and so man did eate Aungels foode this was a sure token of Gods singular loue towardes them but this was but a shadowe to that which Christe bringeth with him for