the course of iudgement cannot bee broken of except offences be pardoned Secondly it is added He turneth away thine enemies namely those that haue held the captiuitie hitherto Moreouer the king of Israel euē the lord is in the mids of thee God is said then to be present with vs when by manifest arguments he doeth declare his goodnes and grace towards vs. And from hence hee bringeth in this saying Thou shalt see no euil any more That is to say there shal not herafter be any thing that can bring any trouble vnto thée And these things verily were in part performed whē being dismissed by Cyrus they cam to their own again For thē God took away their iudgements ceased to prosecute sute against them He turned also their enemies far from them when by the Medes Persians he bereaued the Babylonians Caldiās of their kingdome and all their strength Besides this hee shewed in deede his presence and fauour when to them being returned again he restored their temple and outward worship which consisted altogether in the sacraments or outward signes of his heauenly grace goodnes and did wonderfully defende them against the craftie deuises of those nations that lay next vnto them against the open force of foren enemies Redemption of Christ is common But because these things as we said before were foreshewes and entraunces of that redemption which shoulde be in Christ in him also they haue their accomplishment and do containe the whole matter of our saluatiō For we were all offenders and most cruell enemies hunge on euery side ouer our heades Satan accused vs and did ouercome vs not onely by the law but by the testimonie of our owne conscience Death gaped for our soules which entred in by the fal of our first parents and the sentence was pronounced vpon vs miserable sinners Cursed is he that doth not fulfill the words of this Lawe to do them al the people shall say Amen And there remained no other thing but that the execution should followe this sentence which would sinke al men in eternal destruction But here Christ came betwéene who that he might take our cause vpon him put on man of the Virgin Mary and soone after tooke away and vtterly abolished all that whole proceeding of Gods Iudgement For he purged our sinnes by the worthines of his death hee put away the hand writing of the law our own conscience fasted it to the crosse Moreouer he tyed vp our enemie the diuell and the head of the old serpent being altoo brused spoyled him of his kingdome Col. 1. and ouercame the world that it might not preuaile any more against vs but as for our flesh he kéepeth it vnder by the spirit of regeneration holdeth it in duetie and that hee might leaue nothing vndone he hath made death which was the punishment of sinne as it were the doore of euerlasting life For by it we passe out of this valley of teares and wretchednes into the places of the blessed Al which things Paul throughly perceiuing wrote long since Rom. 8. There is now no cōdemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Wherewith those wordes agrée which Christ himselfe spake in Ihon Iohn 5. Verely verely I say vnto you he which heareth my worde and beleeueth him that sent me hath eternall lyfe and shal not come into iudgement but hath escaped from death to life And the sonne of God hath not only performed these thinges for vs but also is present with vs euen in the mids of vs as he hath promised although hée hath caryed his bodie away vp to heauen that hee might be there as an interest or pledge to beare witnesse of that heuenly and blessed life of our bodies which in time to come they shall haue yet he neuer forsaketh his church but is present with it with his worde his spirit his grace and desert with his protection and safegarde wherevpon it followeth very necessarily that we can sée none euill namely such as can destroy vs. The crosse verily must be borne and as Dauid saide Psal 34. Many are the troubles of the godly but God deliuereth them out of all who also causeth that all thinges for them worke together vnto God He promiseth the continuall abod and comfort of the word But the Prophet goeth forwarde and addeth newe promises whereby the godly may bee confirmed in the fayth Nay he affirmeth that there shall neuer want faythfull Preachers of GOD which may alwayes offer set before thē those promises For in that day saieth he it shall be sayde to Ierusalem feare not and to Syon let not thine hands be let downe And so he repeateth that Prophecie which erstwhile wee brought out of Isay and the meaning is this That your king Messias which I sayde should alwayes be amongst you will at all times stirre vp Prophets teachers which may comforte and incourage thee being in daunger that you giue not ouer for any temptations c. And truely as appertaining to their returne from Babylon there wanted not then such as might cheere them being tyed many wayes and with new exhortations daily confirm them Of the nūber were Ezra Nehemia Haggey Zachary many others But this promise doth principally belong to the kingdom of Christ who to his Church as the Apostle witnesseth alwayes giueth some Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists som pastors some doctors c insomuch that he wil haue the ministerie of his word to remain for euer with his Church whereby it may be both gathered together and preserued And it is worth the diligent marking that both here in many other places the ministrie of the word is reckoned among the argumēts of cōsolatiō that we may learn to iudge of it rightly regarde it as we ought to doe But vnto many it séemeth a matter of small weight and the godly themselues doe not alwaies acknowledg the gret goodnesse therof especially when they haue peace and quietnes at will But when either the daungers of persecution or inward broylings doe aryse by and by with great and carefull desire of the minde they aske after the word which before they despised and cared not for The summe of the doctrine of the Church But let vs in like manner note the summe of that doctrine which must continually bee reteined in the church The Prophet in these two poyntes doth comprehend it Luke 24. Feare thou not let not thine handes be letten down And they agrée with that parting which Christ himselfe made who deuided the preaching of his Gospell into like many partes when hee commaundeth to preach repentaunce and remission of sinnes in his name For herevnto belongeth which he saith Feare you not For as much as the tremblinges of the conscience can no other way be pacified then by sure remission of sinnes which we obtaine in Christ alone Of that part the Angell beginneth when to the shepheardes
⧠The Sermons of Master Ralfe Gualter vpon the Prophet Zephaniah written in Latine Translated into English by Moses Wilton Seene and allowed Imprinted at London by Thomas Dawson at the three Cranes in the Vintree for Tobie Cooke dvvelling in Paules Churchyarde at the signe of the Tygers head 1580. To the right worshipfull Syr Thomas Barrington Knight Moses Wilton wisheth increase of that peace which the worlde giueth not AS God by that tryall that hee giueth vs of his mercie knoweledge and goodnesse doeth most forcibly hale vs on in that obedienc which hee so often calleth for in his word so right worshipful there is no mā that by any meanes can sooner procure vnto himself good liking and loue of others than by curteous dealing and shewing him selfe godlily disposed in all thinges For though mens harts in these dayes are become very like the stone of Sycilia the which the more it is beaten the harder it waxeth yet wee see many mens hearts enforced to relent by gracious dealing not vnlike to the Diamond which being moystned in the warmeblood of a Goat may be bruised thoughe otherwise it cannot bee hurt with any fire be it neuer so hoat nor broken with any violence be it neuer so strong We see the horse which erst while was outragiously fierce yet by gentle handling to be meekned to the saddle the dogge in like maner whose nature is agreeable to his name is by gentlenes brought too doe that that is not incident too his nature I my selfe haue seen a stout harted child shed many salte teares at the louing speach of him that with many sharpe stripes could not wring out one Many thinges els might be sayd to shew this matter but these that are already set downe being ioyned with the practize of the wicked mentioned in the tenth Psalm may suffize for the proofe therof for there it is written that hee by crouching and bowing himselfe bringeth that too passe against the poore which by opē defiance he could neuer compasse therfore in the same sense ver 9. he is cōpared to a fowler c. wherefore he must bee more contrary then an enemy more churlishe then a dogge more vntamed then a wilde horse more hardharted then the Diamond whose minde cannot be mollified towardes him of whose curteous dealing and godly disposition he hath had sufficient triall And as he cannot but without great vnthankfulnesse remēber the one so can he not without greate vngodlines but highly regarde the other With al which falts I might iustly be charged if after so good experience had of your worships so good dealing towards me I should not if by any meanes I coulde shew some token of my minde as well thankfull for the same as also reuerently esteeming of those blessinges of God wherewith it hath pleased his goodnes to beautifie you Among the which this especially deserueth neuer to be forgotten that he hath begotten in your mind a loue of his trueth with an earnest desire to heare haue the same preached hauing lefte very many I might say the most part of like calling as yet either in vtter hatred or careles contempt therof For leauing no small number eyther by authoritie to be corrected that in hast or els reserued I feare me for some notable purpose which they grone for wish instantly to liue vnto because their soules are drunken as yet with the cuppe of that whore of Rome whose constant children they long to shew them selues leauing I say no small number of these eyther to be seene vnto by the Magistrate or to the accomplishing of that purpose wherof they now begin to be in good hope by reason they haue bin suffered so long who is he almost amonge those bigger ones that thinketh not that God is greatly bound vnto him if after wayting for him an howre and somtimes more vntil he haue dressed himself in the English disguise and wil scarse at the length come to the hearing of his word where if he continue hearing the Lorde speake aboue one howre he forthwith complayneth of tediousnes and was before no more carelesse to come then he is now carefull to be gone yea oftentimes he flingeth out as one wearie of the Lorde and all his companie and therfore leaueth him to speake to whome he will neyther regarding the presence of God from whence he departeth nor yet making any reckoning of that iniurie which by his example he offereth to many whom he imbouldeneth to like carelesse contempt of GOD his word The hearing wherof is euer so much more burdenous vnto him by how much lesse he perceiueth to agree with his accustomed vanitie And yet for all this he beareth himself in hand very mightily that he is a maruellous good protestant yea and he will either kill him or die on him that shall affirme the contrary thinking in deede that he hath deserued well at the hāde of God if now and then he giue any of his Ministers the hearing of a Sermon though it be with great yrksomnes of minde hungring in the meane time after the world and the pleasures thereof whereunto he is tyed inseparably But let him and all such knowe for a suretie that by this kinde of dealing they are so farre from deseruing well of the Gospell that it sustaineth reproofe by this their so little loue to heare it so small purpose of hearte to consent vnto it and no bringing forth of the fruites therof yea let euery man know that althogh he bestow his time in the hearing reading or meditating thereof yea his goodes and life it selfe in the defence of the same yet can he not chalenge any wel deseruing of the trueth but the trueth may iustly of him because the goodnesse thereof which is the worke of Gods spirite hath so rauished his minde that nothing is nowe deare vnto him but it alone For who can recompence the word for begetting him to God doth wisdome cry vnto vs because she is vnperfect without vs No no it is for our profit that shee would so louingly imimbrace vs as for her selfe though we al perish she is neuer the worse if none perish she is neuer the better And shal we thinke that our comming to heare her doth in any respect beautifie or adorne her that is perfect without vs some thinke so I wote it well yea I would the most were not perswaded so for then more should be adorned by her for she lodgeth not but with the meeke harted ones O good Lord who hath bewitched vs with this minde Surely the very pride of our mind that suffreth vs not to go to the hearing of Gods word with an humble and reuerent purpose of heart calling vpon God to be profited therby but rather to furnish out the shewe of hearers thinking so to come within the preaching of the worde and to bring it within the compasse of our daunger Whervpon it cōmeth oftē to passe that more thankes are giuen to some hearers for
mindes vppon them to mount aloft to the consideration of heauenly things but all to be drench them in earthly cares Moreouer as the wine being troubled with the dregs cannot be vsed vntill they settle them selues into their place or els the wine be dreaned into an other vessell so the care of riches is woont to disturbe the whole race of mans life to hinder godlynesse to make men vnfit and vnworthy to receiue the kingdome of heauen neyther can any other order bée taken for our safetie then by making our wealth subiecte vnto vs that it may serue for our necessary vses and not rule ouer vs but that we should set our minds frée and at libertie from the care and disquietnesse thereof Moreouer dregs in an other signification are taken for extreame miserie or calamitie as where Isay writeth that the Iewes shall drinke the Cuppe of the Lorde euen to the dregges Isay 15. although the first signification doeth not vnfitly agrée to this present place for as much as hée spake before of the wealthy Marchauntes and by and by after threatneth the taking away of their riches yet the prophet séemeth to me to haue considered a more deepe and hidden matter as namely the naturall corruption of the minde which being taken or drawne from the sinnes of our first parents except it be corrected by the spirite and worde of GOD is gathered together as it were a certaine vlcer or masse of filthy mater hydden in the flesh secretly increasing and créeping on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vntill at length it breake out into open vngodlines and manifest denying of God And vnto this sense the Prophet himselfe agreeth in adding that They say in their heartes the Lorde will doe neither good nor ill For in these words hée sheweth the thoughts of the wicked which as most filthy dregges haue their abyding place in their heartes wherewith they being deceaued imagine a God vnto them selues who as the Epicure sayeth walketh too and fro by the poles of heauen and regardeth not the affaires of men doing neither good to them that worship him nor harme to them that despise him where wée are taught to what passe they come which leauing the worde of God followe the dreames of their owne reason The properties of hypocrites And do professe the same very greatly They dissemble in good earnest for a little space a very feruent care of godlynesse and doe professe the same very greatly but hauing respect to their mindes wherin there is some perseuerance of the heauenly diuine power they spende their whole tyme and trauell about idle and those starke steruing superstitions But when they perceiue that they cannot profite any thing at all thereby and that they can not in verye déede attribute much to those thinges which they know that they themselues and suche like haue inuented all feare of the mighty power of God being at length shaken of they deny GOD and do wickedly despise all kinde of holines although not openly yet in their heartes as the Prophet saieth alluding to that saying of Dauid Psal 14. The foolishe man hath said in his heart there is no God and by this it is euident without all nay that these thoughts or rather perswasions abide in their hearts because they liuing most wickedly and wholly ouerrun with sinne doe notwithstanding promise themselues that nothing shal miscary with them adding moreouer as if it pleased them to mocke with God whom erst while they denied in their hearts that they are not afraid to thrust vpō him their superstitious and idle ceremonies which they knowe to be manifestly agaynst his wil reuealed in his word Such persōs may bleare mens eyes with their vain shewe but they can in no wise deceiue God who neuer wanteth lightes and lampes wherewith he pearceth to the finding out of the most hidden corners of the heart and doeth afterward reprooue their vngodlinesse openly and being brought into light he doth worthily punish them in the sight of the whole worlde Examples we haue in those which when they haue ouerlong despised God being at the length ouercome by the testimony of their owne conscience fall into despayre and being as yet aliue in the flesh do behold before their faces those furies of hell which very often doe offer vnto them occasiō and cause of selfquelling And although these thinges come not alwayes to passe in this life yet the day will one day come when they shall stande before the Tribunall seate of Christ where their vngodlinesse shal both be reuealed they worthily punished for the same but in the mean sea sō this place must be drawn to the iudgments wherw t God in this life punisheth sins that we may learn that the hand of God is present euery where that they can be hiddē in no lurking place though neuer so secret whom he hath ordained vnto punishment For that we may stay vpon the historie of our owne Prophet we reade that Zedechia and those heades of the people that were left when they sawe that the Citie was taken of the Babylonians fledde away by a certaine by way or priuie passage Iere. 39. but by Gods iudgement which followed them they were taken by the way and being brought againe from their escape and running away were grieuously punished for their vngodlinesse but in the last winning of the citie which was done by Titus they were found in the very priuies and there put to death that fled thither to hide them selues Wee méete such examples in hystories euery where which might serue vs to learne to feare and obey God But because he began to speake of the punishment he doth define it that they may knowe what it shal bee 2. Tim. 3. Namely the winning of theyr citie spoyling of their goods In which two kindes he comprehendeth all thinges that are wont to followe the sacking or rifling of a citie Their goodes saith he shal be spoyled and their houses lie wast And so he teacheth them that in short time and without any greate adoe they shoulde bee conquered that were thought inuincible and that they may acknowledge the iudgemēt of God in these things he boroweth threatnings from the lawe wherby hee may more plainly expresse this matter They shal build houses saith he and not inhabite them they shall plāt Vineiards not drink wine therof We haue spokē els where of these spéeches so that we néed not make any stay in them yet it shal be profitable to note how miserably they are deceiued which take great paynes by hooke and by crooke to heape vp riches and doe not geue vnto GOD his honour who only blesseth our trauels They imagin that mans blessednesse consisteth in the abundance of riches but they being for the most parte preuented by the suddayne and vnlooked for iudgement of God do reape but small commoditie from their wealth which they haue gotten with such pains and trauell Viewe the Parable which