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
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
feared God and praied to God who brought vp his familie in the feare of God who was pitifull to the poore and liberally gaue almes euen vnto strangers 12 The next point we haue to consider of is vpon what occasion hee did send for Peter In his praier at the ninth houre which is our three of the clocke at afternoone an Angell of God appeared vnto him and tolde him that his praiers and almes were come vp in remembraunce before God and bad him send men to Ioppe and call for Simon Peter who lodged at a tanners house neere the sea and he should tell him what he ought to doe After the Angel was departed he sent two of his seruaunts and a souldier that feared God to Ioppe for Peter Heere is the cause expressed why hee sent for Peter God by his Angel commaunded and he obeied In the Angels Oration I note two things in Cornelius other two The Angell comforteth Cornelius and telleth him what hee shall doe Cornelius is afraide at the message and doeth that which the Angel willeth him 13 Angels are ministring spirites sent foorth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation God sendeth his good Angels to comfort nourish gouerne guide and defende his elect The euill Angels are sent either to trie the godly or to punish plague and destroie the wicked This Angel was a good Angel of God sent to comfort and instruct Cornelius the deuout and righteous man He doth comfort him declaring vnto him that his praiers and almes are ascended vp in remembraunce before God which is as much to say as that God doth accept and allowe of them 14 The papists abuse much these woords of the Angell striuing thereby to set foorth their owne righteousnesse to the ouerthrow of the merit and righteousnesse which we haue by Christ. For they inferre thereof that our owne woorkes before wee haue faith are preparations to grace Secondly they attribute our iustification to our woorkes Things more absurd than that they neede confutation For what preparation can there be in vs of our selues to grace when S. Paul saith plainely that wee are not able of our selues as of our selues to thinke any good The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God And howe can our praiers or almes which are not done in faith please God when without faith it is impossible to please him And if Cornelius had faith as it must needes be graunted he had that also was the gift of God as S. Paul teacheth vs. Nowe to attribute iustification to our merits or workes is to make of none effect the merite of Christ to make grace no grace For remission of sins is iustification as the scripture sheweth saying Blessed are they whose sinnes are forgiuen But we obteine remission of sinnes not by our workes but through faith in Christ wee are iustified freely by the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set foorth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse by the forgiuenesse of the sinnes passed And our woorkes are such euen the workes of the best men that when we haue doone all we are vnprofitable seruants Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunts O Lord for in thy sight shall no man liuing bee iustified The Angel therefore meant not that Cornelius was either prepared to grace or iustified by his workes but that God considered his pietie praiers and almes and would encrease his good gifts in him For God both accepteth good woorkes and will reward them He accepteth them for the mans sake in that the man is faithfull and therefore accepted In which sort the sacrifice of Abel was accepted through the faith of Abel Hee rewardeth our workes not for their woorthinesse but for his owne sake for his loue and promise And he promiseth reward to prouoke vs to worke for to that end are wee created and redeemed euen to serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life So doth the Angel comfort Cornelius in mentioning his workes and Gods remembrance of them 15 As for that he willeth him to sende for Simon Peter and learne of him what he should doe this speeche doth import that Cornelius in his praier had desired to knowe howe and by what meanes he should be saued Whereupon the Angel Gods messenger telleth him that he must send for Peter by whom he shal be taught the way of saluation God euer prouideth teachers to such as are desirous to learne and sendeth the woord of truth to such as loue the truth He sent Philip to instruct the Eunuch the Queene of the Ethiopians chiefe gouernour as hee was reading the prophet Esaias touching Christ. Hee prouided Ananias for Paul and Peter for Cornelius The Angel setteth ouer Cornelius to Peter to instruct him To commend the ministerie God will haue his Gospel preached by men and not by Angels Hee will not haue vs looke for reuelations from heauen but to giue eare and credit to the voice of his messengers to whom hee hath committed the word of reconciliation whom he would haue esteemed for their office sake to contemne such is to contemne him that hath sent them He that despiseth you despiseth me saith Christ. 16 At his message Cornelius was afraide The presence of the Angel and the strangenesse of the message abashed him Now if he heard the voice of the Angel with trembling and feare with what awe reuerence should we giue eare to the voice of the son of God Christ Iesus Whensoeuer the gospel is preached Christ is present Christ speaketh to vs. The godly tremble at his word as we reade in Esay To whom wil I looke To him saith the Lord to him that is poore and of contrite spirit and trembleth at my words They who despise or disobey the word of God doe not feare him For hee that feareth God doth reuerence his woord 17 And he that doth reuerence the word of God truly wil no doubt obey it Example whereof we haue in Cornelius Hee obeyed the Angel and straight way sent two of his seruants and a godlie souldier that waited vpon him to Ioppe for Peter Euen so likewise must we giue eare when God speaketh as it is written I will hearken what the Lord God will say Neither may we consult with flesh and bloud when God commaundeth but we must obey we must not deliberate in his causes Reason and experience would haue told Cornelius howe dangerons it was publikely to professe a strange and hated religion it might not only tend to the losse of his office but of his life too He might haue disputed also with himselfe What is Peter Some odde sectarie fled from Ierusalem who for feare least he with his errors should be condemned hideth himselfe in a tanners house What learning what pietie can
he wil both cause the raging of the sea to cease and staie the madnesse of the people 2 But to the ende wee may more particularly gather such lessons out of this parcell of Scripture as may most tende to Gods glorie and our edifying I meane to stande while this time will permit vppon these pointes shewing first that wee must followe Christ into the ship secondly that as many as will saile with him shall be in daunger thirdly that in their daunger they shall not be destitute of helpe if they seeke it at his hands It is not my peculiar cōceit but Tertullian Chrysostom do note that this ship representeth the church of Christ tossed with the surges of temptatiō with the stormy waues of calamity trouble in this presēt world 3 Christ hath alwaies had a Church here on earth it was begun in Paradise sithens it hath remained and continewed euen vnto this daie And as Christ hath his boate so hath Antichrist also his Wherefore it behoueth vs to knowe and discerne the one from the other The arke of the tabernacle of the Lord hath her true ornamentes whereby to be knowne Therein are layde vp the treasures of God most precious iewels S. Paul telleth vs what they are In the arke of the testament was a goulden pot hauing manna and the rod of Aaron that had blossomed and the tables of the testament In the tables was the written word of God Manna was a figure of that mysticall foode wherewith we are nourished to eternall life the rod of Aaron resembled the scepter of discipline So that where nothing is taught but according to the written worde where the sacramentes are sincerely ministred where the rod and scepter of gouerment is vsed there is Christ there is the Church And wee may thanke our God for euer that in his meruelous great mercie hee hath made vs pertakers of these so rich and precious blessings whereby we knowe assuredly that God is amongst vs that he sitteth in the midst of our assemblies that this church is vnto vs as the arke of Noah as the glorius sanctuarie of the Lord as the ship into which Christ Iesus is entred 4 When the Romaines minded to leaue the citie Scipio tooke an ensigne in his hād set forwardes towards the capitol saying Quicunque vult remp saluā me sequatur whosoeuer wisheth wel to the common state let him follow me But most truely it may be saide Whosoeuer wisheth well to his owne soule let him follow Christ. Hee is no seruaunt that refuseth to follow his maisterr he that followeth him not is not worthie of him The sheepe when they heare the voice of their sheepehearde they go after him He is no member of Christ that sundreth him selfe from the heade of that bodie whereof he professeth himselfe a member That braunch that is cut off from the vine withereth and is fit for nothing but for the fire After that Iudas left Christ gaue himselfe to be a sectarie of the high priestes his case was lamentable No man commeth to the hauen but hee which followeth Christ to the ship If wee leaue him whither shoulde wee go There is no other that hath the words of eternall life Let vs therefore doe as his Disciples did forsake all and follow Followe him not onely to the ship but in the ship 5 The follow Christ to the ship which by faith in the gospell are gathered and vnited to his Church the doore and entraunce whereunto is narrow For so Christ describeth it If any man will come after me let him denie him selfe This lesson is generall For S. Luke sayth dixit omnibus he spake vnto all and S. Marke Et turbae discipulis dixit he spake it both to the multitude and to his disciples No man therefore can looke to come vnto Christ by any other way We must beginne with the plaine denying of our selues that is to say the forsaking of our impietie and fleshlie lustes 6 To denie impietie is to forsake false doctrine false worshipping of God and whatsoeuer is against the first parte or table of the law The house of God saith Tobias shall be built for euer with a glorious building as the Prophetes haue spoken of it And all nations shall turne and feare the Lord God truely and shall burie their idols that is to saie they shall forsake their impietie and so be numbred with the Saintes of God When the Ephesians which had vsed curious Artes were conuerted to the faith of Christ they brought their bookes and burned them as many as were worth by estimation fiftie thowsand peeces of siluer By the writinges of Athenagoras Clemens Iustine martyr Arnobius Minutius Lactantius and many other of the Auncientes it appeareth that the verie first thing which those men of famous memorie did in their conuersion from Gentilitie to the truth was openly to proclaime defiance to that impietie wherein they had bene nuzled and trayned vp Constantine considering with him selfe the liues and doinges of former Emperours and finding that their estate had bene alwaies worse which had worshipped the gods of the nations that they which gaue greatest credit to Idolatrous spirites of diuinatiō were but deluded that none had fairer promises of prosperous euentes then they whose endes were most infortunate that his father onely amongest the rest putting his trust in the God which created heauen and earth had by experience all the time of his life founde him a mightie protectour and a bountifull rewarder of them that feare him when it pleased God by this meane to bring him to a loue and liking of the truth he began forthwith to shew great tokens of fauour vnto Christians to haue conference with their Bishops and chiefe professours to restore them whom crueltie had cast out of their lawfull possessions for beeleuing in the name of Christ to erect houses of great charge for prayer and holie exercises of the Church to doe whatsoeuer might any way be deuised not onely for the succour and needeful reliefe but also for the honour and dignitie of Christians Nowe by this that Tobias foresheweth how the Gentiles being conuerted to the truth shall burie their Idols that S. Luke recordeth howe the Ephesians burned all their impious bookes that the fathers in their first conuersion wrote so vehemently against paganisme that Constantine gaue so many and so great tokens of a minde detesting all impietie and burning with the loue of Christ Iesus by this I say we may perceiue how impossible it is to steale a true denial of impietie how impossible for a man which in deede hath denied it not to shewe his deniall in his deedes 7 To denie impietie it is not enough except wee also denie our fleshlie lustes If we looke into our euill and corrupt nature wee shall finde nothing but that which leadeth vs cleane from Christ nothing but rebellion against the spirite distrust in 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