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
cannot be where the other is not Walke honestly because the daies are euil denie impietie and worldely lustes liue soberly iustly godlily in this present world looking for that blessed hope and appearing of the glorie of the mightie God our Sauiour Iesus Christ. If we wil be Christs Disciples let vs treade in his footsteps If we follow him here in peace pietie and honestie we shall receiue in his kingdome that crowne of eternal glorie which God the father for his sonnes sake grant vs to whom with the holie Ghost three persons and one God be all honour and glorie now and for euer Amen The fifth Sermoni A Sermon preached before the Queene PHILIPPIANS 2. 2 Be like minded hauing the same loue being of one accord and of one iudgement 3 That nothing be doone through contention or vaine glorie but that in meekenesse of minde euerie man esteeme other better than himselfe 4 Looke not euerie man on his owne things but euerie man also on the things of other men 5 Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Iesus THE Apostle of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ with a most vehement spirit and most earnest obtestation doeth here exhort the Philippians if there were any consolation in Christ any comfort of charitie any communion of the spirite any bowels of tender affections or any compassion in them they would to the fulfilling of his ioie followe peace vnitie loue and brotherly concord remoouing withall the lets thereof and shewing the meanes how vnitie loue and concord may be continued and preserued And that his exhortation might be of greater authoritie and so take better effect he setteth downe our Sauiour Christ as an example who is the God of vnitie and peace the Lorde of loue and the liueliest patterne of all pietie and sweetenesse of maners requiring of vs as we professe Christ in name and worde so in minde and in deede to be so affected as Iesus Christ himselfe was 2 Be like minded hauing the same c. We haue here an exhortation and an example so linked and tied together the one depending vpon the other that they cannot well be sundred My purpose therefore is iointly to laie them both before you and in explicating the one to propose the other The exhortation is this Bee like minded hauing the same loue being of one accorde and of one iudgement That nothing be doone through contention or vaine glorie but in meekenesse of minde euerie man esteeme other better than him selfe Looke not euerie man on his owne things but euerie man also on the things of other men Vpon this exhortation followeth the example Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Iesus The exhortation standeth vpon three parts First he mooueth vnto vnitie saying Be ye like minded hauing the same loue and this vnitie by way of interpretation he diuideth into two members Be of one accord and of one iudgement Of one iudgement in matters of religion and of one accord in brotherly loue In the second part he remooueth the lets of this vnitie and concord saying Let nothing be doone through contention and vaine glorie These are great hinderances to vnitie and concord Lastly he telleth the meanes whereby agreement and loue may be vpholden maintained saying In meekenesse of minde let euery man esteeme other better than himselfe Looke not euery man to his owne things but euerie man also to the things of other men Here hee setteth downe two preseruatiues and defences of vnitie and loue the one in humblenesse of minde to thinke better of others than of our selues the other not to looke vpon our owne things onely but euerie man also on the things of other men 3 The Apostle requireth of vs a double vnitie in Religion and in brotherly concord Both are so necessarie that the one cannot stand long if the other fall Vnitie in religion is a thing most to be desired What is the woorst thing of all others Dissention What the best Vnitie peace and agreement Thus thought Gregorie And we reade that the Gospel had his beginning in vnitie The multitude of them which beleeued had one heart and one soule Schisme had his beginning of dissention I am of Paul I of Apollos I of Cephas this was that which rent the church of God in peeces The Church is called the kingdome of God the Arke of Noah the bodie of Christ to teache vs that it should be at vnitie in it selfe For a house a ship a bodie diuided cannot continue By themselues they are brought to ruine Wherefore together with the blessed Apostle I beseech you brethrē by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye all speake one thing and that there be no dissentions among you but bee yee knit together in one minde and in one iudgement 4 But we must consider which is true vnitie For euerie agreement is not that concord whereunto we are in this place exhorted Lucifer with other Angels consented together Eue and Adam and the serpent were all of one minde so were the builders of the tower of Babel so were they of Sodome a puero vsque ad senem from the childe to the man of graie haires so were Dathan and Abiram with their complices so were the woorshippers of the golden calfe so were the sacrificers in Dan and Bethel so were Pilate and Herode so were the Iewes that cried with one voice Let him be crucified and so are they which haue ioined themselues in holie league with no other intent than those wicked confederates had of whom the Prophet saith They assembled themselues together against the Lord and against his Christ. But it is vnitie of the spirit vnitie in the truth vnitie in Christ and in his gospell whereunto our Apostle here exhorteth vs. The name of peace is goodly and the opinion of consent saith Hilarie is a faire and a beautiful thing but who doubteth that the linked peace of the Church and of the Gospell is that peace only which is of Christ which he spake of to his Apostles after his glorious passion which he commended at his departure as the pawne of his euerlasting commaundement All other peace is no peace indeede Nor is he ioined to the Church saith Cyprian who is seuered and sundered from the Gospell S. Paul moouing men to vnitie in religion saith This is all one thing but he addeth further according to Iesus Christ. The citie whereof the Prophet speaketh which is at vnitie within it selfe must be builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles and of the Prophets For what a concord is that which is at strife with Christ Vnitie must be in veritie Thy word is veritie in this we must agree Let vs not heare This I say This thou saiest but This saith the Lorde For vnitie in religion not grounded vpon Christ and his Gospel is not concord but conspiracie 5 And here
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
they would learne two short lessons of S. Paul and learne withall to followe them the matter easilie might be amended The one is to loue men not their monie Non quaero quae vestra sunt saith S. Paul I seeke not yours but you This lesson is hard but good and the other is like it I can doe nothing against the trueth but for the trueth saith the Apostle Nothing in a bad cause but in a good cause all things These lessons well learned would quickely cut off many euil pleas and driue back causelesse controuersies 15 You to whom the sword of iustice and iudgement is committed take heede vnto it Let it not spare mightie men for their sinnes are mightie sinnes If such offend their fall draweth down others with them God therefore commaunded Moses to hang vp the princes of the people vpon gibbets that they might be examples of punishment who had beene examples in sinning The good Consul Iunius Brutus spared not his owne sonnes but cut off their conspiring heads And Aulus Fuluius in the like case did the like thing Pilate abused his office when vpon sute hee spared Captaine Barrabas the murtherer and killed Christ our sauiour Spare not traitors murtherers or theeues least you bee partakers of their sinnes Your lenitie towardes them is crueltie towards the common weale the enemies of whose peace they are Serue God in feare loue his trueth promote his Gospell The seate the iudgement the sword is the Lordes defend therefore his cause see to the keeping of his statutes enlarge his kingdome aduaunce his glorie for he hath promised to glorifie them that honour him but they that despise him shall be full base hee shall make them vile and contemptible 16 Doing of iudgement may also generally be taken for iust dealing Iustice is a vertue which giueth euery man his own Render vnto euerie man y ◠which is his Let euerie man performe his office fulfil his dutie let euerie man do right one to another do as you would be done vnto If this Law were obserued the people shold be eased of great expenses iudges iustices of great trauel Christ saith if a man take thy coat frō thee rather than striue giue him also thy cloake There is verily a fault amongst you because ye goe to Lawe one with another why doe you not rather suffer wrong Why doe yee not rather sustaine any kinde of tollerable harme Abraham gaue place to Lot and would not contend his onely reason was wee are brethren But brotherhoode is nowe adaies no argument of agreement our times are so vnlike their times and we so vnlike them There were no better meane in my opinion to bridle these quarelling and contentious mindes of wranglers than to burthen such as faile in their cause with great expenses amerciaments It would make them beware of quarels and vniust contending if they were sure to paie well for it Doe iudgement deale iustly one with another paie vnto al men that which is due that which is not due seeke not to haue at any mans hands 17 The second duetie to our neighbour is mercie Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely to doe iudgement and to loue mercie Bee mercifull saith our Sauiour as your father is also mercifull This mercie as Christ there teacheth wil shewe forth it selfe in three properties First it will bridle that vncharitable rashnesse of iudging and condemning others Nolite iudicare Iudge not Mercie will not bee hastie to iudge There be iudgements ciuill and iudgements Ecclesiasticall iudgements publike and priuate iudgements Christ neither forbiddeth the magistrate neither the publike minister to iudge according to the Lawe neither the parent or master to iudge and correct their offending children or seruaunts It is vncharitable priuate iudgement which God forbiddeth when men vnaduisedly take vpon them to giue sentence of others as if God had resigned his owne right into their handes they condemne whom they list and say what they list euen as they fancie so they iudge This man is a Saint and that man a sinner he the seruant of God and hee the childe of death Who art thou that so iudgest anothers seruaunt Is it not to his own master only to whom he stands or fals Who art thou that takest such seueritie vpon thee that dealest so vnmercifully with thy brother He is a sinner so thou either art or hast beene or maist be iudge therfore thy selfe trie and examine thine owne woorkes Iudge I say thy selfe and iudge not him least thou be condemned of the Lord for both not iudging and iudging If a brother be ouertaken with a fault ye that are spirituall shew mercie restore him with the spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted Verily this mercilesse iudging of others is the cause why wee fall into many perils and secret temptations Loue mercie therefore and iudge not Hee that iudgeth with the Pharisee with the Pharisee shall be iudged 18 Another fruite of mercie is forgiuenesse They who are hastie to iudge are for the most part in forgiuing slowe But forgiue and yee shall bee forgiuen Howbeit such as sit in iudgement ought to correct and not to remit because they deale not with iniuries doone to themselues but to the lawes and common wealth or church But in priuate iniuries wee must all remember the words and followe the example of our Sauiour Be mercifull and forgiue Christ forgaue them that put him to death Stephen them that stoned him Ioseph them that solde him the king his vnthriftie seruaunt 1000. talents If wee forgiue not others it is in vaine to praie that which wee dailie praie Forgiue vs. For so doth Ecclesiasticus wel teache vs. He that seeketh vengeance shall finde vengeance of the Lord and he will surely keepe his sinnes Forgiue they neighbour the hurt that he hath doone to thee so shall thy sinnes be forgiuen thee also when thou praiest Should a man beare hatred against man and desire forgiuenesse of the Lord Hee will shewe no mercie to a man that is like himselfe and will he aske forgiuenesse of his owne sinnes If hee that is but flesh nourish hatred and aske pardon of God who will intreate for his sinnes And our Sauiours commaundement is If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offering before the altar and goe thy waie first bee reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Whereunto S. Chrysostome alluding saith That God had rather want thy sacrifice due to him than reconciliation should not be made betweene thee and thy brother 19 The next and third fruite of mercie mentioned by our sauiour is Giue and it shall be giuen vnto you He that loueth mercie giueth almes but the couetous man is cruell God is so carefull to haue the
prouidence of almightie God ioy and delight in earthlie thinges blindenesse of minde hardnesse of heart All this we must mortifie this we must shake of we must quite relinquish our own wils and submit our selues wholy to the will of God Shall we refuse to do this when Christ him selfe hath said I seeke not to haue mine owne will but the will of him that sent me And againe it is meate vnto mee to doe his will And in his greatest agonie Not as I will O father but as thou wilt This is a doctrine harde to practise and put in vre It is the fault of our corrupt flesh we thinke too highly of our selues we are too much wedded to our owne wils the blessed Apostle as we thinke speaketh like a man besides himselfe when hee saith If any man seeme to bee wise amongest you in this worlde let him be made a foole that he may become wise This is but the entrance vnto christianitie yet how few are there which be come thus farre The rich yong man in the Gospell seemed to be verie forward in the way but Christ discouereth his affection sheweth that he had not denied him selfe and therefore was no fit disciple for him It made him heauie and pensiue to thinke of leauing so great possessions and of weining his heart so soone from the worlde He coulde haue bene contented to denie impietie but Christ would haue worldly concupiscence also to be denied For the grace of God our Sauiour sayth the Apostle hath appeared to all men teaching vs that denying impietie and wordly desires we liue soberlie and iustly and godly in this present worlde 8 This is the way wherein Christ must bee followed by as manie as desire to be shipped with him to bee of the number of his people This is the doore of entraunce into the Church When wee are once entred and receiued into the ship as wee followed him thither by beleeuing the Gospell by denying impietie and worldlie lustes so there wee must followe him by walking as wee haue him for our example purging our selues euen as he is pure shewing forth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darknesse into his meruelous light Be ye holy for I am holy sayth the Lorde As according to his similitude and likenesse wee were at the first created so now according to the same similitude we must also bee framed and fashioned anew Sith we were first light and became darkenesse afterwarde and are made now againe of darknes light in the Lord it is no reason that wee should any more frame our selues vnto the lustes of our ignoraunce but as he which hath called vs is holie so likewise ought we to bee holie in all manner of conuersation When the Iewes boasted that they had Abraham to their father their vanitie was reproued If ye were the sonnes of Abraham sayth Christ ye woulde do the workes of Abraham but now ye go about to kil me a man that haue told you the truth which I haue heard of God Hoc Abraham non fecit Abraham did not this It is in vaine for vs to boast of the name of christians except the image of Christ be seene in our life cōuersatiō If we follow him not we are not his 9 We are exhorted to be followers both of God and of men Be ye followers of God as most deare children Againe Be ye followers of thē which through faith patience inherite the promises God is the rule as of faith so of life wherefore absolutely Be ye followers of God but of men alwaies with this caution Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ. The Thessalonians S. Paul cōmendeth for as much as they were followers of him of the Lord. If our fathers elders guides teachers be a rebellious generation a generatiō that set not their heart aright and whose spirit is not faithfull vnto God then are they no presidentes for vs to follow but be followers of vs so long as we are followers of Christ are examples vnto you in word in conuersation in loue in spirite in faith in purenesse Whatsoeuer thinges are true whatsoeuer thinges are honest whatsoeuer thinges are iust whatsoeuer thinges are pure whatsoeuer things pertaine to loue whatsoeuer thinges are of good report if there bee anie vertue if there be any praise thinke on these thinges which ye haue both learned and receiued and hearde and seene in me these thinges doe and the God of peace shalbe with you 10 Their estate in the worlde which follow Christ in such wise as hath bene shewed is here resembled by a ship tossed and grieuouslie shaken with a tempest It is euer hath bene yea wilbe their lot whether they be vpon sea or land to be in perill to stande in feare to haue winde and weather against them As manie as follow him must denie them selues hauing denied them selues they must take vp the crosse The crosse signifieth al afflictions which may be deuided into two kindes afflictions of punishmēt and afflictions of triall the former are common vnto all the later are proper to the elect of God 11 The sinne of Adam brought miserie vnto man and a curse vnto all the creatures of God Hence it commeth to passe that with sorrowe and teares wee enter into the worlde and when wee are in it we haue a short continuance yet in that shortnesse good Lord vnto how mane chāces chāges are we subiect In the end wee die and who doth knowe what becommeth of vs our graues keepe vs secret As the waters passe from the sea and as the floude decaieth and drieth vp so man sleepeth and riseth not he lieth in the dust and shall not be raised from his sleepe till the heauen be no more O how bitter is this to such as put their trust in vncertaine riches how dreadfull is the remembrance of death vnto the wicked But they onely are not subiect vnto death the sorrowes of the graue take holde on all in asmuch as all haue sinned Howbeit in these afflictions which come as punishmentes vnto all there is a difference They come not vnto all with like intent of him that sendeth them they fall vpon the godly for their correction but they bring confusion vnto the wicked 12 There are other afflictions proper to beleeuers tribulatiōs which God doth sende as speciall tokens of fauour to his dearest Saints trials which are vnto thē that beare them patiently seales assurāces that they are counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which they suffer For the world which hateth both the truth and the light cannot but hate all such as loue the truth and as walke in the light Out of this fountaine spring all those molestations which the godly do suffer for righteousnes sake at the hands of wicked and vngodlie men Dauid saw this