Onely in one point I am proud and very proud namely in renouncing an◅ denying the deuill He is indeede a strong man But yet a stronger then he hath thrust him out and spoiled him of all his goods He is a roaring lyon But the lyon of the tribe of Iud◅ hath ouercome him He is an old serpent almost of sixe thousand yeares standing and experience But Christ the new serpent prefigured in the brasen serpent hath bin too cunning for him Therefore though he seeke to winnovv Peter as corne is sifted yet no daunger Christ hath praised for Peter that his faith should not faile Where by the vvay vve may marke the difference betvveen Christ and the tempter Christ hath his fanne in his hand and fanneth vs the tempter hath his siue in his hand and sifteth vs. Novv a fanne casteth out the vvorst and keepeth in the best a siue keepeth in the vvorst and casteth out the best Right so Christ in his trialls purgeth chaffe and corruption out of vs nourisheth and increaseth his graces in vs. Contrarivvise the deuill is there be any ilthing in vs that he confirmeth if faith or any good thing els that he weakneth But Christ hath prayed for vs yea doth still at the right hand of the father make intercession and request for vs that our faith should not saile So that all Sathans power yea the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against vs. In like manner S. Paul beeing buffeted by the angel of Sathan prayed that he might be deliuered The answer of God was My grace is sufficiēt for thee Whether Satan busset vs or not buffet vs still the grace of God shal suffice vs. Much more his glorie who hath glorified vs. For God doth giue both grace and glory no good thing wil he withhold frō thē that liue a godly li◅e Therefore euerie child of God may triumph with Iob saying Stand thou beside me and let any mans hand fight against me For if God be on our side what can the deuill doe against vs if God be with vs who can be against vs N◅ianzen makes a good conclusion This onely is a fearefull thing to feare any thing more then God Feare God and seare nothing else feare no◅ God and feare euery thing For in the feare of the Lord is the confidence of courage Because sai's Gregory he that in a chast and fili◅ll feare is subiected to God by a hopesull kind of boldnesse is aboue all saue God But he that feareth not the Lord may be annoyed by any thing Mice were too strong for the Philistims and lice for the Egyptians So that if God be against vs who can be with vs But if God be with vs who can be against vs Now certainely God is with vs. Doe you doubt of this Then consider how that all great Potentates os the world who of late were some of them scarse our good friends doe now earnestly desire to be made partakers of our peace What doe I speake of men The very heauen the elements and this so seasonable haruest such as hath not beene known if one may take any gesse by these outward things doe plainely declare that God is now with vs and purposeth to powre out his blessings and benefits most abundantly vpon vs. Nothing then remaineth but that as God is with vs so we labour to be with God And as S. Peter admonisheth vs make our election sure by faith and good workes liuing soberly vprightly godlily in this present world That so we may feare no cruelty of man no miserie of the world no entisements of the flesh no terrors of the deuill but in all these things may be more then conquerours assuring our selues that if God be with vs nothing can be against vs. Which that it may be so God graunt for Iesus Christs sake to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glorie now and euermore Amen Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the fellowship of the Holy ghost be with vs that nothing may be against vs this day and euermore Amen FINIS A SERMON PREACHED AT THE Court at Whitehall March 10. 1598. Iohn 20. 27. After saide he to Thomas Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull OVr blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his bodie for foure causes First to approoue his resurrection secondly to appease his father thirdly to confound his enemies fourthly to comfort his friends After said he to Thomas Put thy finger here and see my hands and put forth thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull The first cause why Christ hath his wounds yet to be seene in his bodie is to approoue his resurrection When Iacobs children told him saying Ioseph is yet aliue his heart failed and he beleeued them not but as soone as he saw the chariots which were sent for him by and by his spirit reuined and he said I haue inough Ioseph my sonne is yet aliue In like manner when the dis◅iples said to Thomas we haue seene the Lord he beleeued them not but now that he beholdeth Christs glorious wounds the triumphant tokens o◅ his victorie and the chariots as I may say whereby we are with Elias carried vp into heauen he confesseth indeede that Christ is risen againe and that the true Ioseph is ye◅ aliue Euen as Anna seeing that spaniell cōming homeward which went forth with her sonne at the first knewe certainely that her sonne Tobias himselfe was not farre off but followed immediately after so Thomas seeing those wounds in Christ which accom◅anied him to his graue knew assuredly that no other bodie was risen again but onely the very selfe same bodie of Christ which was buried S. Peter being brought out of prison by an Angel went forth with to the house of Marie where kno◅king and calling to get in a maiden named Rhode before euer she sawe him knewe him by his voice And although they that were within told her she wist not what she said yet shee still constantly affirmed it was none other but he Christs rising out of the graue was as strange as Peters deliuerance out of prison the rovvling avvay of the stone as strange as the opening of the yron gate And albeit Thomas vvas not so forvvard as Rhode to knovv Christ by his voice vvhen he said Peace be vnto you yet as soone as Christ tooke him by the hand and shevv d him his side he made no more doubts but presently beleeued For if Protogenes seeing but a little line dravvne in a table knew straightwaies it was Apelles doing whome he had neuer seene how much more easily then might Thomas know Christ seeing not onely one line but very many lines
grace rebell against God Whereas Iohn Bapâ—…ist hauing a garment of Camels haire and a girdle of leather aboâ—…t â—…is loynes wâ—…s 〈◊〉 â—…nough This leather serued him to as good vse as flaxe and the Camels haire kept him as warme as wooll Maâ—… therfore is not warme by clothing onelâ—… but by vertue of God annexed to tâ—…e clothing Man liâ—…eth not by bread onely but by euerie word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Lastly saith the Prophet He that earneth wages putteth the wages into a broken bagge We see in the world many meÌ„ haue great fees great offices great reuenues and yet can scarse keepe themselues out of debt Oâ—…her some haue but verie sâ—…all wages and yet maintaine themselues well inough and helpe their poore friends also Onely the word that proceedeth out of Gods moâ—…th makes this difference As we may see in Iudas Who indeede earned wages bâ—…t seeing it was the wages of vnrighteousnesse therefore it run out of the bagge as fâ—…st as it was put in Foâ—… first when he â—…ad it he could not â—…old it in his hands but brought it bâ—…cke againe saying I 〈◊〉 sinned in 〈◊〉 innocent blood Then himselfe went and made away himselfe and that which is fearefull but once to name or mention all his bowels gushed out There is a broken bagge But the Patriarch Iacob earning wages verie hardly to wit seruing fourteene yeares for his vâ—…cles daughters and sixe years for his lambs in all twentie yeares in the ende filled his bagge full And though Laban changed his wages ten tims yet he could not one time change that blessing of God which was alwaies vpon him And though he allotted his nephew onely the spotted lambs which commonly were verie fewe to his wages yet the word proceeding so out of Gods mouth this prooued an infinite gaine vnto him Whereupon the blessed Patriarke humbleth himselfe in true humilitie and thankfulnesse to God and saith O Lord I am not worthie of the least of al thy mercies for with my staffe came I ouer this Iordan but now doe I retâ—…e with two troups O that we had such good soules such thankefull hearts in vs as that euerie one of vs would in like sort confesse and acknowledge his owne vnworthinesse and the wonderfull worth and wealth of Gods mercie O Lord sai's he I am not worthie of the least or I am lesser then the least of all thy mercies He makes no mention of his owne paines and trauailes though they had beene verie great in that long seruice but onely of the mercies of God These were the only cause that his bagge was so full Wherefore man filleth not his bagge by earning wages onely but by the mercies of God Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God This teacheth vs that whether we sow or eate or drinke or cloath vs or earne wages we must do all to the glorie of God And all we doe to the glorie of God when we referre the glorie of all we doe to God Not sacrificing to our owne yarne as the Prophet speaketh or kissing our owne hand but kissing the sonne and offring vp to him onely the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiuing at whose hand we receiue all good things For it is not our painefull sowing that giues vs a plentifull crop not our eating that fâ—…edeth vs not our drinking that satisfieth vs not our clothes that warme vs not out earning wages that filleth our bagge but the good word that procedeth out of Gods mouth which blessed all these things vnto vs. Therefore as we must not beginne any of these without grace-saying so we must not ende any of them without thanksgiuing And thus much for the second place of Scripture which is a commentarie vpon this text Man liueth not by brâ—…ad onâ—…ly but by euerie word which procâ—…edeth out of the mouth of God To make good vse then of all that hath beene spoken I shall desire you to obserue foure points First that God can worke great matters with small meanes Thus saith our Lord When I brake the fiue loaues among fiue thousand how many baskets full of broken meate tooke ye vp they said vâ—…to him Twelue And when I brake seauen among fowre thousand how many baskets of the leauings of broken meate tooke ye vp and they said Sâ—…auen Certainely there is no reason in the world that seauen loaâ—…s shoâ—…ld satisfie fowre thousand and much lesse that fiue loaues fiue thousand But Christ hauing giuen thanks and blessed the bread did that by the might of the word proceeding out of his mouth which by the naturall power and condition of the bread could neuer haue beene done Therefore also he repeateth it and questioneth with his disciples about it That by their confession and report all the Church afterwards might beleeue that God can worke great matters with small meanes and that Man liueth not by breade onely but by euerie word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God Secondly that God can work strong matters with weake meanes What a strong violent matter is it to pull the soule of any one sinner out of the bottome of hell and out of the iawes of destruction yet this God doth But how doth he iâ—… This strong matter howe doth he worke it By the weakest means that may be We haue this treasure saith the Apostle in earthen vessels that the excellency of that power might be of God and not of vs. O marueilous words That the excellencie of that power might be of God and not of vs. For if Angels were sent to preach vnto vs it might be thought that the conuersion of sinners consisted in the excellencie of the Angels ministrie not in the power of Gods word Now simple and sinneful men such as our selues are no better then earthen vessels bringing such a â—…reasure vnto vs the excellencie of this worke must needs be wholly ascribed to God And as it is in spirituall foode so it is in corporall It is not the teacher but the doctrine taught or rather not the doctrine barely taught neiâ—…her but the diuine operation of Gods spirit working with the word which coÌ„uerteth the soule And so it is not the bread onely but the blessing of Gods grace vpon the bread which sustaineth our liâ—…e Thus God can worke strong matters with weake meanes and Man liueth noâ—… by breade onely but by euerie word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Thirdly that God can worke some matters with no meanes When King Asa sawe himselfe ouerpressed with the multitude of his enemies he praied thus to God O Lord it is all one with thee to saue with many or with no power If he had said with many or with a small power it would haue beene plaine But with many or with no power is verie wonderfull Or rather it is no wonder aâ—… all seeing it is spoken of God with whome it is a verie ordinarie
Vnskilfull swimmers when they begin to sinke if they catch hold of weedes in the bottome the faster they hold the surer they are drowned and in like sort they that shake hands with the world and embrace the pleasures and prosperitie thereof most greedily plung themselues most deeply into destruction But God hath called vs. And therefore neither aduersitie nor prosperiti◅ can hurt vs. Maruell not saith our Sauiour thogh the world hate you It hate◅ me before it hated you If you were of the world the world would loue you but because you are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore doth the world hate you Well as the world hateth vs so vve must hate it againe As it contemneth vs so we must contemne it againe According to that of S. Paul The world is crucified to me and I vnto the world I am crucified to the world that is The world contemnes me the world is crucified to me that is I contemne the world The world contemnes me and I contemne it For as Gregorie saies He that hath nothing that he loues in the world hath nothing to feare of the world And Cyprian What neede he to feare of the world who hath God his protectour his tutor his defendour in the world He that is of God ouercommeth the world And this is our victorie whereby we ouercome the world euen our ◅aith Whereupon our Sauiour saies Be of good comfort I haue ouercome the world and behold I am with you euen vnto the ende of the world So that the world and the trouble we shall haue in the world shall haue an ende but the comfort we haue in God shall haue no end Behold I am with you saith he And if God be with vs and haue called vs out of the world what can the world doe against vs If God be with vs who can be against vs The third enemie against vs is the flesh Salomon saith this is one thing which maketh the earth euen tremble when a seruant beginneth to beare rule The flesh is and ought to be a seruant Yet it beareth rule in the vnregenerate Yea it striueth to beare rule and beginneth to beare rule euen in the godly A mans enemies are they of his own house It is mine owne familiar friend that listeth vp his heele against me This familiar friend was Paul much troubled withall when he said I see an other law in my members rebelling against my minde and leading me captiue vnto death And Lot who beeing a iust man that could not be ouercome with all th◅ sinnes of Sodom by immoderate drinking of wine fell to ◅llie And Sampson who otherwise impregnable yet yeelded to Dalila Therefore in the bosome it lieth which striueth to lay our honour in the dust But God hath iustified vs. And hauing iustified vs in some measure also hath begunne to sanctisie vs. So that the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh in so much as we cannot doe as we would Not onely the flesh against the spirit but also the spirit against the flesh So that we cannot doe as we would For if we would serue god so holily as the angels we can not because the flesh lusteth against the spirit againe if we would sinne with full consent of wil so brutishly as the wicked doe we cannot because the spirit lusteth against the flesh But euen as Castor and Pollux liue by turnes one one day an other an other so the flesh and the spirit preuailing sometimes one sometimes an other make mixt actions So that neither can our good actions iustifie vs because in them the flesh lusteth against the spirit nor yet can our ill actions condemne vs because in thē the spirit lusteth against the slesh For now that Sara is mortified her wombe is dead and it ceaseth to be with her after the manner of women Now that Iacob hath wrestled with God his thigh is shrunke vp Now that Paul is conuerted he chastiseth his bodie and bringeth it into subiection Now that the blessed virgin is freely beloued she keepeth her selfe within and knoweth no man And therefore sa◅ the Angel Haile Mary freely beloued the Lord is with thee But the blessed Virgin fearing the Angel added Feare not Mary for thou hast found fauour with God As if he should haue said Feare not the angel of the Lord seeing the Lord of the angel is with thee Thou hast found fauour with God to haue the fruit of thy slesh the sauiour of thy foule So that if God haue a fauour vnto vs and haue iustified vs in Christ what can the flesh doe against vs The spirit will not let it doe as it would For If God be with vs who can be against vs The fourth enemie against vs is the deuill And he is the worst enemie of al◅ Therefore sai's the Apostle we hau◅ not to fight with flesh and blood but vvith principalities and povvers and vvith the Prince of darknesse that ruleth in the aver This Prince vvarreth against ◅s tvvo vvaies By persecutions and per◅vvasions For the first he is described ◅n the Reuelation to ride vpon a blacke and a redde horse The blacknesse of the horse snevveth hovv terrible the deuil is the reddenesse hovv bloodie Neither doth he come single but seauen of them at once possesse Mary Magdalen Neither doe they onely sight against vs beeing aliue but the deuill fought vvith Michael th'arkeangel for the bodie of Moses vvhen he vvas dead Neither doe they terribly set vpon vs to get our bodies onely but our soules also Especialy they do this at the day of death and vvill doe more diligently at the day of iudgement Novv their persvvasions are yet more dangerous then their threatnings When they come to vs in the shape not of an vncleane spirit but of an angel of light Thus Satan did set vpon the first Adam Hath God indeed commanded you not to eate of the tree He makes a question of it And if ye eat you shall be as Gods knovving good euill A faire promise but a contrarie performance So he did set vpon the second Adam All these things vvill ◅ giue thee if thou vvilt fall dovvne and vvorship me He vvould hire Christ and giue him good vvagesto serue him vvhich vvould haue depriued our Sauiour of all his eternall glorie But God hath glorisied vs. It is not now to be doubted whether Satan shall preuaile against vs or not but it is most sure he shall not He hath glorified vs. saith S. Paul Though the possession of it be to come yet the assurance of it is past Euen as our Lord auoucheth is an other place He that beleeueth in me hath passed from death to life Not shall passe but hath passed So S. Paul He hath made vs to sit with himselfe in heauenly places aboue No◅ he will make but he hath Therefore Chrysostome writeth verie resolutely