bow'd her long she could no way Lift vp her selfe then certainly Christ said be loosd of thy disease Laying on his hand she straight found ease The ruler of the Synagogue Was fill'd with indignation As if his conscience had a clogge Or of a proud presumption Six dayes ye may well healed be And rest the Sabboth day said he Then said the Lord thou hypocrite Do ye not on the Sabboth day Your oxe and asse without respite Loose from the stall and driue away And should not she whom Sathan bound The Sabboth day go safe and sound When Christ said this his enemy Was sore ashamed and the rest Reioycing did God glorifie Which by their words was well exprest For they gaue God the onely prayse That wrought such works in those their dayes The parable of the mustard seede and of the leauen What is the kingdome of God like Or whereto shall I it compare Christ saw that some did not mislike His deeds and doctrine which were rare It is like to a mustard seed That man doth sow to serue his need This seed of seeds though sure the least Yet sowne it waxeth to a tree Wherein the litle birds may neast As oftentimes we do them see Or leauen in three peckes of flowre Till all be leauend and made sowre This mustard seed that is so small And therefore subiect to disdaine And eke the leauen there withall Doth signifie Christs Gospell plaine Gods word though weake it seeme to be Works great effects in some we see The parable of the strait and broad way And as through eu'ry towne he went And taught going to Hierusalem That few be saued is it ment Said they thus answerd Christ to them The strait gate striue to enter to Though many faile that so would do The goodman of the house when he Is risen vp and shuts the gate Your might or merite litle be To cry Lord open is to late Depart saith he hence speedily You workers of iniquitie We eaten haue say you againe And dronke oh Lord so oft with thee And thou hast taught vs but in vaine Depart saith he away from me Your sinnes are onely cause of this That you shall loose eternally blisse There ye then weeping all shall be And gnashing of your teeth full sore When Abraham in heau'n ye see And ye shut out as is before The Patriarks and the Prophets rest In heau'n aboue for they are blest And many shall come from the East And from the North and South also And many likewise from the West The heau'nly kingdome come vnto And then the first the last shall be And so the last first you shall see Christ called Herod a soxe and cryed against Hierusalem The Pharisies to Christ did say King Herod doubtlesse will thee kill Depart therefore and get away Ere he do worke on thee his will Thus would they seeme his friends to be That sought his death aswell as he Go tell the foxe said Christ from me Behold I cast out deu'ls to day And eke to morow I make free And heale the sicke that do me pray The third day I do make an end I care not what the foxe intend To morow as to day I must And yet the third day walke also It cannot be you may giue trust To this that now declare I do Saue at Ierusalem alone Shall of the Prophets perish none Hierusalem that oft doest kill And stone those that are sent to thee Thy childrens good I wished still Yet canst not thou thy saftie see But from thee when I shall be rest Thy house then desolate is left Christ healed one of the dropsie on the Sabboth day Againe as Iesus would eate meate With one of the chiefe Pharisies They friendly seeme him to intreate To colour out some braue deuise Their snares and traps for him they lay And watch him on the Sabboth day Behold a certaine man was there Infected with a dropsie sore Some Lawyers there at that time were Which watched him so much the more Christ asked if it lawfull be The man on that day to make free They held their peace for to reproue His words and deeds they did intend The matter he no more did moue But healed him and made an end Who doth said Christ his oxe espy In pit this day and lets him lye Christ forbad men to presse for the highest roomes at feasts taught men lowlinesse and to vse liberalitie vnto the poore A parable Christ Iesus spake When he the guests had marked well How each the highest roome would take See that saith Christ you do not mell With chiefest roomes when you are bid Least thence your betters do you rid When thou art bidden to a feast Go and sit lowest in the place Then saith the master come my guest Sit higher vp this giueth grace For who so him exalteth hye Shall be brought low reprochfully When thou doest make a feast command To call the poore the maim'd the lame And blind to such stretch forth thy hand This will gaine thee deserued fame And thou thy recompence this trust Shalt haue in heau'n among the iust And one of them that then there sate Said he is blest that eateth bread In heau'n and happy are their state That their liues there might alwayes lead In heau'n as this man doth confesse Sure resteth all true happinesse Christ declared how a certaine man made a great supper and bade many of the excuses of certaine guestes and their vnworthinesse Christ Iesus said a certaine man Made a great supper or a feast Come ye as soone now as ye can His seruants said vnto each guest For all things are now readie made To welcome whom our maister bade But they began to make excuse The first said I haue bought a farme I must go see it as they vse Thou maist excuse me without harme The next of Oxen bought yokes fiue And must go proue how they do thriue The third had married then a wife Sure he might well excused be For he was bound to lead his life With her and liue no longer free You know what wilfull men deserue All their excuses may not serue The seruants told their maister these Whom thou hast bid come not at all Which did him verie much displease And said another sort goe call Go bid the poore the lame the blinde And such as in the streetes ye finde The seruants said Lord it is done Yet there are roomes vnfurnished In the high waies seeke some out soone That my house be replenished For those men that were bid before Shall neuer tast my supper more Then to the multitude that went With him Christ turned backe and sayd If any man with good intent Come after me now vnaffrayd He must hate father and each friend To beare my crosse vnto the end Who meanes to build a stately towre And doth not cast the cost before He may repent him in that
hundred waight with him he bare They both his bodie downe did take And it in linnen cloths did lap Ointments and odours they did make Which with the bodie they did wrap They buried him as maner then Was for to burie Noble-men Christ in a sepulcher they lay That Ioseph in a rocke did hew Wherein no man vntill that day Was euer layd this Ioseph knew That had thereof the propertie As Luke and Iohn do testifie So when they had in solemne wise Interred Christ ere they were gone They did betweene them both deuise To roll vnto the doore a stone And then they did with heauie heart From thence vnto their home depart And Marie Magdalene did see And so did Marie loses to Where Christ in graue was laid to be Then homeward both began to go Oyntments and odours to prepare They then of Christ though dead had care Yet rested they the Sabboth day Because of the commandement Though they kept them from thence away They caried still a full intent When that the Sabboth had an end To visit Christ their Lord and frend Now that the Lord might manifest Christ Iesus resurrection Vnto the Iewes and all the rest That were of the same faction He caused them to their great shame To be the witnesse of the same They spared not the sabboth day To manifest their malice more Their zeale was such they would not stay Or rather raging as before The high Priests Scribes and all the rest Assembled them vpon that feast And so they vnto Pilate went And humbly did desire his aide Expressing wholly their intent They in this maner to him sayd Christ that deceiuer oft would say I will from death rise the third day Command the graue we do pray thee To be made sure till that be past Lest his disciples which may be Do steale him while those dayes do last And to the people then do say That Christ from death rose vp that day So the last errour worse shall be A great deale then the first hath beene They raged yet as when that he Among them late aliue was seene Ye haue a watch said Pilate go And make it sure do euen so All thence they went then hastely The sepulcher for to make fast A watch prouided carefully They seald the stone this was the last And this the Lord did so effect To confound whom he had reiect And to their sauing health likewise Whom he had chosen long before To thee therefore God onely wise Be praise and thanks for euermore One mightie God in persons three All honor we do giue to thee Amen THE SIXTH AND LAST PART OF THE HISTORIE OF OVR LORD AND SAVIOVR IEsus Christ as it is written by the Euangelistes containing his resurrection from death and his ascension to heauen To the tune of the 81. Psalme Christ rose from death the day after the Sabboth called the Lords day Marie Magdalene and others came to the sepulcher and sawe a vision of Angels BElight and glad in God reioyce Which is our strength and stay Be ioyfull and lift vp your voyce To Iacobs God alway For he hath sent his sonne indeed Our flesh on him to take As he had long before decreed For his great mercies sake Which flesh in base and poore array Christ clad him selfe withall And in this flesh he tooke away The cause of all our fall First needs he must be perfect man Sith man did first offend And God also who onely can So great a fault amend Thus Christ as he appointed was Both God and man in deed Brought by his death that thing to passe Which nothing else could speed This Christ wrought our redemption From deuill death and hell We haue by him saluation As holy Scriptures tell And when all men had lost this light As farre as man could see For darknesse is our sharpest sight If faithlesse that we be Yea then when all our hope was past To see Christ Iesus slaine Out of the graue God brought at last Our sauing health againe And to be witnesse of the same And triumph ouer hell That flesh and bloud might to their shame Consider of it well The weakelings of the world he chose Whom worldly men despise For to confound the wits of those That thought them worldly wise I meane the rising vp againe Of Iesus from the dead Lest that our hope had bene in vaine And we with fancies fed For if the dead did not arise Our hope were vaine I say And we as beasts should in that wise Continue in the clay But Christ the first fruits of the dead Is risen vp in deed As we the members of that head Shall sure hereafter speed And to stirre vp the slouthfull feare That his Disciples had Weake women did first witnesse beare Of that which made vs glad They when the Sabboth day was past Or while it did endure Deuised how they might at last With oyntments sweet and pure Enbalme Christs body in the graue Therefore at Sabboths end Odours and oyntments sweet they haue To worke what they intend With them the Sabboth day was done Assoone as sunne was set And then the women all begon For nothing then did let Their oyntments sweet for to prepare And this they did by night That they might be this was their care There by the day was light Then Mary Magdalen by name And Mary Solom to Were they which thus together came With other women mo And as they went all by the way This doubt did then arise The stone to roll the women say We cannot all deuise Yet to the sepulcher they go The first day of the weeke Where they at sunne appearing so Found that which they did seeke I meane when they came to the place Behold the stone was gone Gods Angell shewed them this grace To roll away the stone Whose face did shine like lightening His garments white as snow Which vnto them in the dawning These ioyfull newes did show How from the dead Christ risen was But they amazed were To see such things come so to passe Did put them in great feare The earthquake first and then that sight Vnusd of them to see Did make the women all affright And wish at home to be And sure no maruell fith also The watch was fraught with feare Notable once to moue or go They so astonied were When Marie saw the stone away She went thence home with speed To Simon Peter where he lay To shew him of the deed And to the rest for this she thought From graue the bodie they Which we with teares and sorow sought By night did sure conuey Then Peter went with Iohn away To see what they had done They would no longer make delay But both together runne Yet this Disciple him out went And Peter left behind Though both did runne with full intent The truth thereof to find When Iohn vnto the graue did come He stouped downe
causes of fasting Christ answered the Pharisies and Iohns disciples Then Iohns disciples came and said The Pharisies fast oft and we But thy disciples vnaffraid Do eate and drinke abroade with thee Then Iesus said the children sure Mourne not while that the feast endure But when the Bridegroome shall be gone Then they will all fast at that day No man doth patch a new piece on An old garment it rents away The law obserued is by thee The Gospell makes the other free New wine will burst the bottels sure If they be old therefore I say Sith ceremonies may endure No longer time but must delay Let new wine haue new vessels then And be contented with these men Christ healed a woman that had bin sick of a bloudie issue twelue yeares and raised Iayrus daughter from death As Christ with Iairus thence did go To raise his daughter lately dead A woman sick twelue yeares or moe With touching him of health was sped And after that where they did see The maide from death deliu'red he Christ gaue sight to the blind When Iesus did from him depart Two blind men meeting him did crie Thou sonne of Dauid ease our smart Beleeue ye then said Christ that I Can helpe ' yes Lord said they then he Did touch their eyes and made them see Christ casteth out a deuill and maketh the dumbe man to speake Againe they brought a dumbe man there Possessed with a deu'll but he Cast out the deu'll to their great feare And the dumbe spake which Christ made free The people maruaild yet some said He had done it by Satans aide So Iesus went from place to place Teaching and healing eu'ry one To all that sought he did giue grace He was of great compassion The labourers are few said he Yet is the haruest great yee see At the poole of Bethesda Christ healed a man that had bene diseased 38. yeares and being accused defended his fact After all this against the feast Of Passeouer which then was nie Christ Iesus that tooke little rest Vnto Ierusalem did hie That holy Sabaoth of the Lord The Iewes obseru'd with one accord Christ at Ierusalem then found A multitude of sicke and lame About Bethesda lying round Abiding till the Angell came When as the Angell stird the poole The water still made one man whole Christ by that poole a man did see That had lyen sicke there very long Wilt thou be whole oh man said he Sir I want helpe among this throng Rise thou said Christ thy bed vp take For perfect whole I do thee make Christ heal'd him on the Sabboth day Whereat the Iewes were grieued sore And sought our Sauiour Christ to slay Rewarded thus he was therefore The Iewes accusing Christ do moue Him iustly them for to reproue To whom the father witnessed And Iohn did testifie the same The Scriptures also verified As did his works so full of fame That he the sonne of God should be The stubburne Iewes him would not see Christ defended his Disciples accused for plucking eares of corne on the Sabboth Three feasts the Iewes kept yeare by yeare And chiefest Sabboth dayes did call Of the same feasts it doth appeare The Passeouer was first of all This they the feast of sweet bread name On this day they from Egypt came The next was that whereon God gaue The law by Moses vnto men That day in reuerence we haue The holy Ghost was giuen then This some the feast of weekes do say Some Pentecost some Whitsonday The feast of Tabernacles last Came of these three in order there Those feasts were neuer fully past Till all their dayes accomplisht were The first and last day of each feast Were counted chiefe of all the rest The seu'nth day also through the yeare Is was and so shall be for aye With them and Christians eu'ry where In solemne wise a Sabboth day Though theirs and ours do disagree One day with them obserue not we Christ passed thorough a corne field Vpon the second Sabboth day This doth to many matter yeeld To reason when he went that way Some say it was in Easter feast The last and chiefe day of the rest That day the first doth answer well And so the second Sabboth day Men might it call it did excell The middle dayes as all men say And there withall time of the yeare This reason good makes to appeare Some thinke it was on Whitsonday Because this Sabboth second was As they suppose and that no way The first did the same Sabboth passe These reasons both may please all such As selfe-will leades not ouermuch That day a Sabboth day was sure When the Disciples plucked corne Which thing the Iewes could not indure They did the act most vilely scorne Not knowing him that went that way To be Lord of the Sabboth day The cause they did not waigh withall That hunger then did cause the same The Pharisies on Christ did call And his Disciples fowlie blame They did prefer tradition Before their owne saluation But Christ said vnto them againe What Dauid did who hath not read Now his example doth remaine Though Dauid lye a good while dead These do as he did them before When he and his did hunger sore He had the meate that was forbid These breake you thinke the Sabboth day They do as he and his then did Find fault with him yet no man may The Priests do in the Temple so The Sabboth breake yet free they go One greater then the Temple is And here he standeth verely Mercy will I not sacrifice Learne what this meaneth faithfully Then will you not condemne this day These innocents that hurt no way The sonne of man is Lord likewise Yea euen of the Sabboth day Shall I then these so much despise Or suffer them for foode decay Though fault with them you find so soone The law allowes what they haue done The day is made all men to serue And no man made to serue that day Should not man then his life preserue Vpon the Sabboth if he may The law that bindeth man so fast To finish I am come at last Christ healed one in the Synagogue on the Sabboth day that had a withered hand and answered his accusers Now Christ disposed to beat downe Their grieuous superstition Went shortly after to their towne To reason of this question And to the Synagogue he went The fittest place for his intent For there was alwayes most resort Which was our Sauiours Christs desire That many men might haue comfort All his affection was on fire This his deuise to further then Fell out a worke among those men A man there with a withered hand Was present in that very place They said giue vs to vnderstand If law allow men so much grace As to be cured on this day Christ to accuse they sought a way Christ answered to them againe
and play This worke shalt thou do euerie day But God said vnto him againe Thou foole this night ile fetch from thee That soule of thine that is so vaine Whose then shall all thy riches be So shall it euer be with those That too much trust in wealth repose Therefore take you no thought I say How you shall make prouision But giue your selues to learne the waye That leadeth to saluation Almes watching and all wisedome ye Shall vse and with all men agree The parable of the watchfull seruant A faithfull seruant and a wise Made ruler of his maisters men His maisters trust will not despise But feedeth them in season then When he is absent as he were Still present with his seruants there That seruant happy is in deed Whom his master when he doth come Shall finde so doing he shall speed Be sure of some especiall roome His master will make him therefore Ruler of all he hath in store But if the euill seruant say My master will not come as yet And smite his fellowes day by day And still with drunkards drinke and eate His master will come when that he Expecteth not him for to see And will cut him of from the rest And giue to him his portion With hypocrites this is the least That after condemnation He shall both weepe and gnash for wo His teeth that he applyed so Wake therefore and be warie men For ye know not what houre or day Your master comes least sleeping then You with the reprobates decay And watch that with th'elected sort Receiu'd ye be to your comfort Christ receiued infants brought vnto him and blessed them At that time some did children bring That Christ his hands on them should lay But his Disciples did the thing Dislike and would haue said them nay But Iesus said forbid not these For such my heau'nly father please Assuredly to you I say Gods kingdome who receiueth not As doth a child there shall not stay Of him no place may there be got In armes Christ tooke the infants tho And blessed them and let them go Christ conferred with a rich young man that would be iustified by the law When Iesus was gone on the way There came one after him apace Which kneeling downe to him did say Good master shew me so much grace That I may know how I may haue Eternall life good Lord I craue Then Iesus answerd him againe Why doest thou call me good said he There is none good this thing is plaine Saue God alone I tell it thee Eternall life thou mayst not see If broken these commaund'ments be Thou shalt not kill by word or deed Nor yet commit adulterie Thou shalt not steale for all thy need False witnesse is plaine trecherie Thy parents honour not for pelfe Thy neighbour loue thou as thy selfe I haue said he obserued all That thou commandest from my youth What lacke I yet before I shall Haue life I pray thee tell me truth Sell all if thou wilt perfect be And giue the poore that want by thee This made the yong man very sad Who then with sorrow went away The great possessions that he had His feruent zeale did soone allay The rich t'enioy eternall blisse Said Iesus sure a hard thing is Whereat amazed as they were And thought that few could saued be Christ said to them do you not feare But marke and listen vnto me What men impossible do take God possible the same can make Life euerlasting promised to all them that follow Christ. Then Peter said we follow thee Forsaking all what shall we haue When I in throne of maiestie Shall sit though you do nothing craue Vpon twelue thrones you shall sit by And iudge all Israell certainly For who so shall his house forsake His parents or what other friend For my name and doth well it take Or wife or wealth what God doth lend The same an hundreth fold shall he Enioy and life eternall see And Christ pronounced in this place That many first should be the last And that the last obtaining grace Should be the first the first outcast And that this sentence is certaine By parable Christ made it plaine The parable of the labourers sent to the vineyard The kingdome sure of heau'n is so Much like to a houshoulder heare That to hire labourers would go Assoone as day light did appeare With whom for pence he did agree All day to worke this was their fee. About the third houre of the day When he came to the market place The idle thence he sent away Into his farme to worke apace Likewise the sixt and ninth houre he With other moe did so agree Againe th'eleu'nth houre there he found Some other idle standing by Go hence he said to my farme ground Why stand vee thus so idlely No man hath hired vs you see Go to my Vineyard then said he When eeuen came the maister said Vnto his steward call them soone For I would haue the workemen paid That all this day my worke haue done Begin and pay the last of all As he is seru'd the other shall A pennie then each of them had From last to first as he did go Which made the first men very sad They thought their pay should not be so Go to said he this is your hire You may no more of me require This parable may teach vs all As Peter true humilitie Not to presume on Christ to call As meriting felicitie Least we of first the last may be And last be first in each degree The crueltie of Pylate towards certaine Galileaas and of the Towre of Siloam When Christ had ended thus the same Which neuer shunned any paine Though in Iudea was a fame That he should of the Iewes be slaine He went about his fathers will Therefore the Iewes sought him to kill Then some told him how cruelly Those Galileans vsed were Whom Pylate caused for to die Without respect he slew them there And mingled with their sacrifice Their bloud which was a strange deuice Then Iesus said suppose ye these Were greater sinners then the rest I tell you nay your sinnes doubtlesse May cause that you shall so be drest So of the eighteene whom the towre Of Siloam slue all in an houre The parable of the barren Figge tree This parable Christ did declare A certaine man a Figge tree had Which for three yeares he still found bare When fruite would make the owner glad Come Gardiner cut downe said he Why are we combred with this tree The Gardiner then said againe Lord let it stand this yeare also Till I once more haue taken paine To dig it round and dung it to If then no fruite this tree do beare It shall no longer tarrie there Christ healed a woman that had had a spirit of infirmitie xviiij yeares and was so bowed together that she could not lift vp her selfe As Christ taught on a Sabboth day A woman whose infirmity Had
May be detected openly Hierusalem which killest so The Prophets that are sent to thee And stonest some t'augment their wo How often would I tell it me Thy children gather for their good Which they most frowarly withstood Yea euen as a carefull hen Doth clocke her chickens so haue I And yet will not these wicked men Be saued from their miserie All wast and desolate shall be Their dwellings left that lothed me For vnto you marke it I say Ye shall not hence-forth see me more Vntill ye blesse the very day And wish good hap for euermore To him that commeth so with fame To you in great Iehouahs name As Iesus by the treasurie Beheld what men did offer there The rich and poore most bounteously Did cast therein as may appeare Of all the rest a widow then Cast in two mites among those men To his Disciples Iesus said I say to you assuredly She in this treasurie hath layd More then their superfluitie She cast in all she had in store They want no whit they had before Of the destruction of the temple and Citie and of the end of the world When Iesus then had finished To purge the temple as ye heard And had also accomplished His iudgements heare before declard He left the temple then to go To Bethanie whence he came fro And this the third day after was The feast of Palmes or Palme sunday But ere he thence away could passe Thus his Disciples to him say Come Lord and see this building here How beautifull it doth appeare And Iesus said to them againe See ye these things and marke them all There shall not verily remaine One stone hereof that shall not fall A stone shall not be left on stone But shall be cast downe eu'ry one And his Disciples came againe As he vpon mount Oliues â—ate And sayd do thou now tell vs plaine When this shall be and of the state Of thy comming and the worlds end And what signe then thou wilt vs send And Iesus answered and sayd That you be not deceiu'd take heed Great cause ye haue to be affrayd Least you as others then should speed For many shall come in my name And deceiue many with the same And ye shall heare of warres I say And rumours of warres there shall be Let not all this your minds dismay Or trouble though the same ye see These things to come no man may let But sure the end is not as yet One nation shall first arise Against another nation And realme with realme shall in this wise Fall into great contention Pestilence and famine then And earthquakes shall vexe diuerse men For these assuredly shall be And that in diuerse places so That who so shall those troubles see And plagues shall sore lament for wo. Of sorowes and also of care All these things but beginnings are Then you deliuer'd vp shall be By men to be afflicted sore They shall kill you take this of me Ye shall be hated more and more Of nations for my names sake Which you contentedly must take Offended then shall many be And one another shall betray And hatred in the highst degree Shall among men beare too great sway False Prophets also shall arise Which shall deceiue the worldly wise And then because iniquitie Shall be increased day by day The loue of many verily Shall be as cold as clod of clay But to the end who doth endure Shall saued be of this be sure When this Gospell of the kingdome Shall preached be in eu'ry place Throughout the world sure then shall come The end within a litle space This witnesse to both good and bad Encreaseth ioy or maketh sad These are the signes that Christ foretold Should come ere thy destruction Thou Citie that to sinne art sold Still working thy confusion Hierusalem thou wilt not see Nor yet receiue health sent to thee Therefore seducers shall arise Warres and rumours of warres shall be The pestilence in raging wise And famine in the highst degree Earthquakes which may not be withstood And persecution of the good Offences publike in each place And verie wicked trecherie False Prophets many wanting grace Deceiuing many subtilly Of maners much corruption Stained with all pollution Loue cold among the greatest sort Of brethren then shall likewise be Yet for the faithfull this comfort Ere then they shall be sure to see The Gospell preached euerie where And then the end shall soone appeare And therefore this shall be the end Which you must marke aduisedly For few shall then find out a frend There will be such calamitie When former signes are come to passe The end is worse then all that was For then Ierusalem shall be With men besieged round about Let them consider then that see What Daniell spoke it is no doubt The great abhomination Of thy iust desolation This standing in the holy place When ye do see marke what I tell Let him that reades while he hath space This prophecie consider well Then let them which in Iewrie be From thence into the mountaines flee Let him that is on the house top Not come downe thence to fetch away Ought that he hath in house oâ— shop Least lingring there by such delay He loose the oportunitie Offred for his commoditie And he that in the field is then Let him not go backe home againe To fetch his clothes though this to men May seeme to be exceeding paine The time shall then require no lesse Then I to you do now expresse Then wo to them with child shall be And them that do giue such also For these are most vnapt to flee And therefore subiect to all wo. That your flight be not see you pray In winter or the Sabboth day For then great troubles shall be sure Such were not since the world began Nor shall be while the world endure That saued scarce should be a man If for th'elect it happened Those dayes should not be shortened If any then to you do say Lo here is Christ or Christ is there Beleeue it not for at that day False Christs and Prophets shall appeare And shall shew signes and wonders such As will deceiue men very much Those false Christs and false Prophets shall Gods chosen very neare deceiue If possible it were at all As then you shall full well perceiue Behold I haue told you before Haue alwayes care hereof therefore Wherefore if they vnto you say Behold he in the desert is Go not forth after him that way For you shall find vntruth in this In sectet if they say he be Beleeue it not it is not he For as the lightning from the East Doth come and that most sodainly And shineth forth into the West So shall it be assuredly The sonne of man shall come I say In like sort at the iudgement day For where the dead carcasse doth rest The eagles will resort thereto If that it be by East or West Such
fowle vnto their pray will go Gods chosen shall to Christ that day Resort as these vnto their pray After those dayes immediatly And all those troubles then forth-right The sunne shall darken by and by And eke the moone shal◠not giue light The starres of heauen they shall fall And powres thereof shall shake withall And lo in heau'n shall sure appeare The signe of Christ his comming then And much shall mourne then eu'ry where All kindreds and all tribes of men Then in the clouds Christ comming he Most glorious all men shall see And he his Angels foorth shall send With sound of trumpe that is so shrill On the elect they shall attend And gather them as he doth will From the foure winds and eu'rie where In one together to appeare The Parable of the Figge tree Now learne the parable I say Of the figge tree whose boughs shut out And bearing leaues do well bewray Sommer at hand without all doubt So all these things when ye do see Gods kingdome neare know then to be This generation verily Passeth not vntill all be done As you haue heard effectually The Lord will it accomplish soone Both heau'n and earth shall passe away But my words sure shall not decay Christs comming shall be as the dayes of Noa◠were sudden and vnlooked for No man doth know that houre or day No not the Angels be ye sure My father onely this I say Doth onely know that day and houre For as the dayes of Noë haue bene So shall Christs comming then be seene As in the dayes before the flood They did both eare and drinke also Marrie and else what they thought good Till he the Arke had gone into All this we may in Moses see How he and his from flood were free And all the rest did nothing know Till that the flood tooke them away It shewes how they were verie slow For to repent their sinnes that day Christs comming shall as suddenly Be seene as that was verily Two men shall in the field be then The one of them receiu'd shall be The other of those verie men To be refused sure is he Two women grinding then at mill The good receiu'd but not the ill A warning to all men to be watchfull Wake therefore and be warie men For ye know not what houre or day Your maister comes lest sleeping then You with the reprobate decay Watch that with the elected sort Receiu'd ye be to your comfort Of this be sure if the good man The houre the theefe will come may know He will keepe watch all that he can To saue his house from hurt I trow Be likewise readie alwayes then For Christ will come ye know not when A faithfull seruant and a wise Made ruler of his masters men His masters trust will not despise But feedeth them in season then When he is absent as he were Still present with his seruants there That seruant blessed is in deed Whom his master when he doth come Shall find so doing he shall speed Be sure of some especiall roome His master will make him therefore Ruler of all he hath in store But if the euill seruant say My master will not come as yet And smite his fellowe day by day And still with drunkards drinke and eate His master will come when that he Expecteth not him for to see Him he will cut off from the rest And giue to him his portion With hypocrites this is the least That after condemnation He shall both weepe and gnash for wo His teeth that he applied so The Parable of the ten Virgines The kingdome sure of heau'n shall be Vnto ten virgines likened Which tooke their lampes and went to see If they could meete as happened The bridgrome comming by that way For whom all they together stay Yea virgines they were all in deed Such find this spouse assuredly As chastly haue in heart decreed On Christ to call vnfainedly And not on idols for they must Repose in Christ their onely trust Yet onely fiue were wise of these And fiue were foolish certainly Which had their lampes the bride to please And went to meete him solemnely The former fiue had oyle all night The last had none to saue their light Now while the bridegrome taried long All slumbred and slept heauily There was at midnight heard among The Vingins sodainly this cry Behold the bridgrome comes this way Go meete him forth without delay Then all those Virgins quickly rose And trym'd their lampes away to go The foolish Virgins sayd to those That wiser were giue vs also Some of your oyle our lampes to saue Our lampes are out no oyle we haue The wise thus answer'd them againe Lest there be not inough we feare For vs and you therefore take paine To go and buy some oyle elsewhere Their foolishnesse deserued blame For while they went the bridegrome came And they that then were ready went Into the wedding with the bride And they that there were not present Were shut out at that very tyde And when they came and knocked fast This answer they receiu'd at last I know you not that cry and call Lord Lord do open vs this gate Nor you may not come in at all Your knocking now is to to late Sith ye know not the houre or day That Christ doth come watch still and pray The Parable of the Talents For the kingdome of heau'n it is Like to a man that went from home To a strange countrey farre from his But causd his seruants first to come To whom he did deliuer tho His goods ere he from home would go To one he gaue then Talents fiue And to another onely two He one vnto the third did giue Each one had something then to do As they were able and straight way He did depart that very day Then he that the fiue Talents had Went and did occupie the same And gayn'd to make his master glad Fiue Talents more before he came He that likewise receiued two Did gayne therewith as many mo But he that had receiued one Within the earth did digge the fame And hid the money with a stone To keepe vntill his master came Thus eu'ry one did occupy Their masters Talents diuersly And after a long season came Their master home to them againe They reckned with him for the same And gaue accounts of all their gaine One after other as they could What they had done to him they told He came first that fiue Talents had And brought with him fiue Talents mo And sayd ô master here be glad Thy money is and gaines also For I haue gained as much more As I haue receiu'd of thee before To him his master said againe Well done good seruant sure thou hast That thou therewith did'st take such paine Thou shalt receiue reward at last Enter thy masters ioy to take Of much I will thee ruler make He came that did receiue
Nazareth to be King of the Iewes confessed he And though the high Priests did repine That Pilate then should write him so This sentence sayd he it is mine It shall remaine will ye or no. In Hebrue Greeke and Latin he Did cause the same so writ to be All this while by his crosse did stand His mother and her sister to Marie Cleopas was at hand And Marie Magdalene also Though griefe did pierce them to the heart They would not yet from Christ depart Then Iesus to his mother sayd And the Disciple standing by Though they were both then all dismayd To see Christ vsd so cruelly Thy mother see said he to th'one And to the other see thy sonne And this Disciple was the same That Christ did so entirely loue Though Iohn doth here conceale his name Yet dutie did so deeply moue His heart that he obediently Christs hests performed faithfully The wicked Iewes that passed by Reuil'd at Christ and wagd the head The high Priest Scribe and Pharisie Continued so till Christ was dead They mocking him from most to least Till he was dead did neuer rest Thou that the Temple doest destroy And build it in three dayes againe Now saue thy selfe from all annoy Why dost thou so here suffer paine The sonne of God if that thou be Come from the crosse that we may see Then of the euill doers one Began to raile on him also If thou be Christ Gods onely sonne Command that we from hence may go Helpe now sayd he thy selfe and vs That here do hang tormented thus The other answered and sayd Doest thou not feare the liuing God Art not thou sinfull man dismayd That feelest iustly of his rod For we are punisht worthely But this man vndeseruedly Thus vnto Iesus then said he When thou doest to thy kingdome come I pray thee Lord remember me And graunt me there with thee a roome Then Iesus sayd to thee I say Thou shalt be there with me this day From the sixt houre the ninth vnto That day was darkned through the land The sunne gaue then no shine also The Iewes would not yet vnderstand No not though that the temple there Renting did put them all in feare About the ninth houre Iesus sayd Crying aloud as then likewise My God why hast thou thus delayd Or seem'st thy sonne so to despise He seekes sayd some that then stood by Elias helpe assuredly And other said now let vs see If that Elias will him saue Then Iesus sayd I thirst giue me To coole my thirst some drinke I craues And said all things are finished As God the Lord hath promised Mathew Marke as Iohn also Say that some there that then stood by With sponge and vineger did go That they had filled hastily And offred it vpon a reede But Christ drunke not of it indeede Then with a loud voyce Christ did crie Into thy hands I do commend My spirit now most hartily O father deare the same defend And so he bowing downe the head Gaue vp the ghost and straight was dead Then as is sayd the vaile did rent Of their great Temple into twaine From top to bottome it was splent Which neuer could enclose againe The earth did quake and stones did riue And graues did yeeld their dead aliue And many Saints did rise and go After his resurrection Into the citie to and fro And made their apparition To many of the godly there That of Gods wrath did stand in feare When the Centurion that stood by And they that were abiding there Saw what did happen certainly They fell into exceeding feare Surely this man was iust sayd he And needs the sonne of God must be The people that came to that sight And did behold what things were done Smiting their breasts returned right Confessing him to be Gods sonne Of his acquaintance some did stay But most were fled and gone away The women boldly there did stay And stood aloofe and looked on Though his Disciples fled away These did behold his passion For God would haue those weakelings there Witnesse of such things for to beare The Iewes because they did prepare That day against the Sabboth day As men that had exceeding care Lest they offended any way For that day was the chiefest feast Among the Iewes of all the rest Now that the bodies might not be Remaining on the crosse that day They all together thus agree To begge of Pilate that they may Breake all their legges and them downe take Lest it should them polluted make The Iewes they all did greatly feare In outward things for to offend Their Sabboth they obserued there Religiously they did pretend Yet spared not most wilfully To kill the guiltlesse cruelly And now when leaue they gotten had The souldiours did performe the deed Both they and these were verie glad That so they of their suite did speed Therefore they first the theeues did take And both their legs a sunder brake And when they vnto Iesus went And found him then already dead His legs they brake not as they ment But then a souldiour opened Hâ—s side so sweet with cruell speare Which he in hand as then did beare And there-out straightway issued As bloud then water freshly both He that saw when it happened Doth witnesse it as verie troth And knoweth that he here doth giue The truth that you might it beleeue All these things were so done in deed That they the Scripture might fulfill For God before had so decreed And man could not resist his will Whom they thrust thorough they shall see His bones shall not one broken be Christ was taken downe from the Crosse enbalmed and buried by Ioseph of Arimathia and Nicodemus When euen-tide was now at hand That day of preparation A night then kept throughout the land With solemne obseruation Their Sabboth then must haue no let For it began when sunne was set Then Ioseph came that was so iust A noble counseller in deed Which did in God repose his trust And of his kingdome hop'd to speed To those he did not giue consent That Christ our Sauiour did torment His worldly wealth was not a let And banished he had all feare His master he could not forget That did for him such torments beare Whose body Ioseph then was glad To begge of Pylate which he had But Pilate maruell'd if he were Already dead and sent to call The Captaine witnesse for to beare That hâ—d bene present there at all And when he heard the truth then he To Iosephs will did soone agree Then Ioseph went to take away The body which he begged so He would therein make no delay But straight to take it downe would go The feast drew on Ioseph would haue Christ Iesus body layd in graue And Nicodemus likewise came Which a Disciple was also Though secretly for feare of blame This man with Ioseph then did go Of mirrhe and â—loës pure and rare An
trade For when they knew they should go free And fall to no disgrace Although the gouernour did see That they did lye apace They spread abrode this false report Which no way can be so That his disciples did resort By night his graue vnto And had Christs bodie stolne away To make men thinke that he As he before aliue did say In three dayes will I be And this among the Iewes is sayd Vnto this verie day For they are not at all affrayd That he was stolne away By Pilates winking came to passe That this escaped tho He as the high Priests blinded was For God would haue it so The high Priests did the Gouernour Perswade he was content The watch men had their hire therefore And so away were sent And being gone they spread this fame That Christ was stolne away Which sure the Iewes do to their shame Beleeue vnto this day Christ appeared to Peter Christ first to Marie did appeare To comfort sinners all Then to the other women there To answer Euahs fall And thirdly vnto Peter he Did shew him selfe also From former feare to set him free For Christ did see his wo. Of the two Disciples that went to Emaus and what happened to them by the way Of the Disciples the same day As two to Emaus went This from Ierusalem then lay As writers do consent Threescore furlongs or foorthright As we accompt do take Seu'n miles and one halfe mile we might Of the same furlongs make This Nicopolis since we name The Romains cald it so It was a towne sometimes of fame And very pleasant tho They talked both of what was done As well to Christ before He dy'd as this which now begonne For to amaze them more For they had heard the women tell That Christ rose vp againe And was aliue yet knew not well Which they should do of twaine Beleeue or not or what to do For all men saw him die But women onely say these two These newes do testifie And as they thus then reasoned Behold it came to passe That Christ him selfe as happened Or purposely it was Did ioyne him selfe in iourney wise With those Disciples then And sayd what do ye thus deuise And looke as wofull men Yet all this while their eyes were hold They could not both perceiue What man he was that was so bold Though they did him receiue Most willingly to walke the way And trauell with them to As may appeare by what they say As they together go Art thou said Cleopas my friend A stranger onely here And if thou be a while attend And giue vnto me eare For at Ierusalem of late The thing hath happened That we so much do wonder at Was thus determined Then Iesus sayd what things were those They sayd to him againe The thing that we do now disclose A number do disdaine Iesus of Nazaret was this A Prophet mightely In word and deed allowd iwis Of God and man lately Him the high Priests and rulers all Deliuered to be Condemned in their iudgement hall And crucifi'd was he But we did hope that he would sure Deliuer Israell Tis since he did his death endure Three dayes we know it well And certaine women that we haue Among vs verely Astonied vs for at his graue Where they were certainly Though they there found his bodie gone They did returne and say Of Angels that a vision They saw this very day Which sayd that Christ did liue indeed So that on this report Some of vs did with hast and speed Vnto the graue resort And they did find apparantly All as the women sayd But saw not him assuredly Which made vs all dismayd O fooles said Christ and verie slow Of heart for to conceiue What hath bene sayd do ye not know Or will ye not perceiue The Prophets all haue this foretold That Christ should suffer so Then to his glorie enter should And to his Father go And he at Moses then began And the Prophets by name Interpreting from man to man Their sayings of the same And all their writings left behind Of Christ from first to last He then imprinted in their mind And would from them haue past For to the towne they did draw neare Whereto as then they went He seemed not to tarie there So trying their intent But they constraining him did say Abide with vs all night Farre spent alreadie is the day And now the towne in sight So he went in to take his rest Whereof they both were glad And then to supper them addrest Content with what they had He sitting downe the bread did take And when they both did see He first gaue thankes and then it brake They knew him Christ to be For both their eyes were opened And they did know him well But marke what after happened For thus it then befell While they with ioy surprized were He went out of their sight And left them both abiding there To take their rest all night Herein we may assuredly Perceiue Christ Iesus vse And learne to eate meate thankfully Lest we the same abuse Christ vsing now his wont before In breaking bread to pray Did lighten them that verie sore Were blinded by the way And yet againe twixt ioy and feare They were amazed so They could not see how from them there He then away did go Not that he did his shape at all Exchange as some men say But from this earth their minds to call On heau'nly things to lay For now no more on earth is he At he before hath bin As mortall man so found to be In all excepting sinne But sitteth sure in heau'n aboue Now in great maiestie His Father for vs still to moue And worke our libertie Then they betweene them selues did say Did not our hearts reioyce While he talkt with vs by the way And while we heard his voyce Our hearts did burne while we heard how He op'ned more and more The Scriptures vnto vs so slow To marke the same before And in that houre they rose againe And did returne with speed They letted not for anie paine They went backe both indeed Vnto Ierusalem they hie Where the Apostles were For they did there together lye Amazed much with feare Whom when they found they ioyfully Began for to report How by the way most happily Christ did to them resort Yet ere they came the newes was spread That Simon Peter he Had likewise surely lately sped Of Christ a sight to see While these confest what he had done And told them by the way And how to know him they begonne By breaking bread that day Iesus stood in the midst and sayd Peace be vnto you all It is my selfe be not affrayd Perceiue it well you shall This was that verie day at night That he did first arise That Christ appeared in their sight While closely in this wise They shut them in a secret place The Iewes they feared so That they durst not be seene a