sonne These many such wonders then happened all beeing euident signes and perfect demonstrations of the newe borne King the rather to worke in mens haâ—ts and to stamp in them a neuer dying knowledge of this wonderful byrth of Christ our Lord. By the Starre they knew him and by the starie they sounde him And so if wee vvill know Christ and finde him as they did we must examine our selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thys star hath appeared vnto vs or not There is Duplex stâ—lia This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of two sorts There is a spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vs and another with â—â— vs. The starre without is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Word The starre within 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of faith and charitie without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not see Christ In the first of the Reuel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called a starre in the hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Christ himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 morning starre The Minister must haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a starre which is to be alwayes bright and shining and to be euer in motu to shine in doctrine and to shine in his manner of lyuing to goe before his people in example of good life and doctrine to be a guide vnto them as this star was a guide to the wise men to direct them to Christ To be euer in motu that is to exercise his gifts of teaching and preaching godly conference continually without cealing without intermission Like a starre that sâ—â—â— trauelleth and keepeth his course night and day The star of fayth which is within vs containeth fiue circumstances noted in the 〈◊〉 of Iohn The multitude of beleeuing leâ—s when they heard that Christ shoulde come to Ierusalem in testimony of theyr fayth tooke branches of Palme-trees shewing theyr gratitude so our fayth must receaue Christ 〈◊〉 Palmis with palme branches that is with praise and thankfulnes They were greene branches â—ircntes rami so must our faith be greene it must neuer wither it must alwaies operari it must branch forth into good works like to frucâ—ifying greene-boughes They confessed him Hosanna blessed is the King of Israell that commeth in the Name of the Lord. So sides fayth cannot bee without confession They also called vpon him Hosanna to shew the necessity of â—â—â—â—cation Lastly they followed him so faith alwaies followeth Christ and is euer vvith christ like the beloued disciple that leaned vpon his bosome We haue seene his starre and are come to worship him Heere is sette downe the end why they came They came to worshippe him For they opened theyr treasures and presented vnto him Gold Frankincense Myâ—th By theyr rich presents you may gesse at the rich assection and loue they bare to Christ They came to giue all holy worship to him that was the King of glory And therefore in testimony of theyr loialty obedience they bring vnto him gystes worthy such a King as it were to defray the tâ—bute of an vndeuided loue gold Frankencense and Mirth Behold a free-will-offering which fayth drew forth and pure deuotion presented an offering better accepted then all the fâ—â— of Raâ—s What gyfts might bee of greatâ—â— value then these So is it shll with the godly they count count nothing too deere which they bring to Christ Looke the 〈◊〉 of Exod. Pure Myrth Frankencense were appoynted by a specâ—commaund for the oyle oâ— holy oyntment and for the persume among other thinges of price there noted In the 36. of Exod. the people brought so liberall and so 〈…〉 towards the building of the Sancâ—â—â—â— that Mâ—â—s was 〈◊〉 to proâ—â—â—me they 〈◊〉 giue ouer Such and so free is the hurt of the righteous when fayth dooth 〈◊〉 it and the grace of Gods spâ—â—â—t inflames it such was the gift of these Wise men This readâ—nes in them must incourage vs to present and giue out of the â—â—easures of harts 〈…〉 to the â—ord And thys we may 〈◊〉 doe since God requireth of vs not golde oâ—â—â—uer or the like but hee requireth vs to offer but our selues a 〈…〉 euen our soules bodies to serue the Lord. Offer not to me thy goods or thy welth or thy gold but saith God if thou vvilt giue me any thing giue me thy hart Sliuer it mine and golde is mine sayth the Lord Aggei We cannot enrich him if wee giue him all that we haue if we giue him al the world and the kingdoms thereof we giue him but his owne For Terra est Doâ—ani â—t plâ—ntiuâ—â— eâ—â—s The earth â—s the Lords and the fulnes thereof GOD required in former ages large sacrifices Oxen Sheepe and Calues but these sacrifices haue nowe an end and are long agone determined but the offering that best pleaseth GOD now is that proclaimed by Salomon 〈…〉 giue 〈◊〉 thy hart And that spoken by Micah in his sixt chapter Where-withall shall I come 〈◊〉 the Lord or how my selfe before the 〈…〉 GOD shall I come before him with burnt â—â—â—rings or with Calues of a 〈◊〉 old Will the Lord bee 〈…〉 of Raâ—â—es or with tâ—nne 〈…〉 of oâ—le or shall I giue my first 〈◊〉 for my transgression euen the fruite of my bodie for the sinne of my soule He hath shewed thee ô man what is good what the Lord requireth surely to doe iustice to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe and to walke with thy God So then ye honour Christ aright and ye then worship him in spirit truth in presenting these treasures of the hart Thys wil be better accepted then the sacrifycing of a Bullocke that hath hornes and hoofes If you thus glorifie Christ hee will also glorifie you and when hee commeth in glorie he will take vs to himselfe and giue vs better habitations then his owne Sonne found with vs when hee dwelt among vs euen glorious mansions in his Kingdome of glory To him be glorie for euer ⧠The true Louers Canticle 1. IOHN 4. 10. 11. Heerein is loue not that that wee loued God but that God loueth vs and sent his sonne to be areconciliation for our sinnes Beloued if God so loued vs wee ought also to loue one another THis loue holdes me to it like an adamant I cannot be deuided froÌ„ it for that it is such a matter as carâ—ieth vvith it doctrine of greatest substance and of greatest necessity Some-what already hath been spoken in the former Treatise concerning this loue now comes more to be spoken therof in this place by course of the text Not doubting but that this argument of loue being presented againe before â—our eyes as at a second view it will the rather be planted in you Eyther the one or the other that former or this latter discourse must needes slampe so deepe an impression in the tables of your harts as no perpetuitie of time shall be able to out-weare Saint Mathew first in his Gospell commended vnto vs the loue of God in sending his sonne into the
beware to transgresse and how to carry our selues in a greater measure of sobrietie Surely great and beioynd measure intollerable is the vanitie of sinfull men in thys behalfe for we dishonour God in our bodies where we should glorifie him GOD hath made vs Christian men but we shewe our selues no men but beasts among men Hee that loueth father or mother more then me saith Christ is not worthy of me We do worse we loue our follies our vanities and our pastimes more then God Some are giuen to one vanitie some to another as all sinnes are not found in one and yet in one are many founde and noâ—e without some and all are in vs and among vs all Our true reioycing were rather this to bestow the time in meditation stil to praise God for this rich treasure to penne godlie songs and psalmes of thankfulnes like Dauid to be deuising with Micah what wee should giue vnto the Lord for that which he hath giuen vs. Wee hang our houses with Holies and greene boughes but we our selues should rather be holy boughes euen trees of righteousnes as we are called by Esay 61. If wee will needes feast let vs yet beware of the abuses in feasting Iob can best counsaile vs heerein We reade in the 1. chapter of his booke That when his sonnes and daughters had made an end of banquetting in theyr houses euery one his day hee like a carefull Father sent for them and sanctified them and sacrificed for them And this did Iob euery day for he feared his sonnes had blasphemed God in theyr harts Iob doubted that his children had committed many slips and that they carried not themselues in such a Christian-like sobriety as was required in those holy feasts and therefore hee did both send for them and sacrificed for them Parents ouer their children and maisters ouer their housholds should be armed with like godly iealousie For if this religious care were had both of our selues and ours fewer offences would be committed or at least beeing committed they would bee soone salued by prayer and sanctisication as Iob did For this example is pend and registred for our good and for our imitation that in all our feastings and meetings and merry-makings wee should remember our selues pray that God would pardon our corruptions and prophane carriage of our selues in time of our feasting For it is an hard and difficult matter at such times to keepe our selues so cleare but some corruption or other will cling vnto vs. Sinnes then are soonest swallowed lyke the dainty morsells that passe downe our throates and so sinne goes downe as fast and is deuoured with pleasure like the Apple that Eue tasted The pleasantnes of it to the eye and the toothsomnes of it to the mouth pricked forward her desire and so in eating shee fell and so in eating vvee fall And therefore it is sayde Woe to the full for the full are apt to sorget God The deuill neuer fell to tempting till the houre of eating came And when hunger called for meate hee also called for his temptations and presented before them the most delicious meate such as hee well knewe was fitting to theyr swnet-mouthd humours It behooueth vs therefore especiallie to beware howe wee feast not for that feasting in it selfe is euill nay it is a thing commended and commaunded in Scripture as the feastes of Tabernacles and the feastes of Sabaoths and Iubilees and new moones c. And Christ wrought his first miracle at a feast The abuse it is that wee speake of which often is committed in our feastinges For in our pleasures the deuill hath hidde hys snares and therfore a godly man giues this prouiso or caueat Handle your pleasures sayeth hee as you handle Bees that is first take out the sting and after you may play with them without harme It may be that my Sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their harts So let vs say of our selues as Iob spake of his Sonnes It may be in this tyme of our banquetting we haue sinned and blasphemed It may be our good cheere and delicious fare and our carde-playing and our dauncing and our reuelling and our other vanities haue made vs forgette GOD and our selues and forget Christ who is the feast-maker the cause and Author of our meeting at this time Now then that I haue shewed you the difference betweene the true reioycing and the false aduise your selues which you will follow As Iosuah said at his farewell when hee was to be gathered to his people to goe the way of all the worlde Now saith hee choose you whether you will serue the Gods of the heathen or serue the Lord. So I say whether you will hence-forth serue your lustes or serue God If God be God serue him If Baal be God serue him Eyther sticke to vanity or sticke to God God hath not redeemed you to sinne any more but that you should subdue and vtterly kill the whole body of sinne for it is said Be ye holy as I am holy But know that if you runne on in your vanities you runne from God who hath created you and from Christ who hath redeemed you and from the spirit of God by whom you are sealed If wee sinne wilfully nowe after we haue receaued the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and Heb. 10 26 violent fire which shall deuoure the aduersarie Full of dreadfulnes is that in the 6. of the same Author to the Heb. It is impossible that they which were once lightned and haue tasted of the heauenly gift and were made pertakers of the holy Ghost haue tasted of the good worde of God and the powers of the world to come if they fall Heb. 6 4. away should be renued againe by repentance seeing they crucifie the sonne of god and make a mock of him But beloued wee haue perswaded our selues better things of you and things that accompanie saluation though wee thus speake God forbid that I should thinke that all the good seede of the worde so plentifully sowed in your harts now the space of forty yeares should fall to the ground in vaine Paul hath not so planted you noâ— Apollo watred you in vaine that you should still proue faithlesse and barren but there must needes be in you some increasing in knowledge some growing in religion some prositing in vnderstanding The thornes choake not all nor doe the birds deuoure vp all nor is all fallen vpon stony ground to hinder the growth of the word And yet if all this should be so there is hope neuerthelesse in the fourth part it beeing the better part and the fructifying part will make amendes for all the rest yeelding increase an hundred fold like the seede of Isaac Licet pars minima sit TripluÌ„ in duplo The Anatomie of Tale bearers LEVIT 19. 16. Thou shalt not walke about with tales among my people GOD hath made
righteousnes thereof but the carnall man saith Nay I will first seeke afvanity and after my lusts after my pleasures The greatest nuâ—ber are like Haman or Belshazzar or like the â—â—â—ple â—iâ—h man in the Gospell Veâ—y sewe â—â—â— Dauid or Solomon or Ioliah thaâ—â—â—bâ—â—â—â—or wisedom that seeke after the sauing knowledge Few like this Iaylor that will run to Christ or his Ministers as he did to the Apostles to demaund how they may be saued Well where the graces of God are implanted and where the sweete motions of his holy spirit sind enterance there hath vanity no place but all the whole man the soule and spirit and body all is carried away with heauenly desires as Paule was rauished with new visions when he was rapt vp into the third heauen But this cannot be till wee haue bidden the world farewell with the deceaueable glory thereof vntill the olde man be vtterlie abollished and the whole body of sinne be destroyed And vntill wee be moulded as it were a new like Adam in Paradise before his fall The couâ—se of this woâ—lde is such that whatsoeuer in face we professe yet our maner of liuing bewrayes our contrary desire Wee all would seeme to haue the smooth voyce of Iacob but wee can be content to carry within vs Esaus hart and hands Where the Iaylour questioneth how hee may be saued the greater part of men of this age demaund howe they may be damned No man asketh how he may be made more holy but how be more wicked not how he may becom more humble but how he may waxe more proud not how hee may goe like Iohn in Cammels haire and girt about after the homeliest fashion with the girdle of a skinne but how he may iet it and ruffle it in silkes and veluets like them that are Velut Heâ—od in reguli vâ—stiru splendidus in Kings Courts This Iaylour had been a wicked prophane cruell man but now hee lamenteth his former cariage of himselfe and he now careth to know nothing now but howe to be saued As if hee should say I haue taken great paines to be wicked I haue deuised by all meanes how to exercise cruelty against the children of God but if I knew now how to recouer Gods fauour how to become a Christian I would refuse to vndergoe no paines in the world Nothing should stand in my way no perrill were it euer so hurtfull no persecution were it euer so hot and raging should with-hold me from the recouery of Gods rich mercies the happie mans onely prerogatiue Heere wee may see the growth of Gods graces in his children first God planteth and soweth in our harts a desire of well doing a desire to knowe Gods will secondly a holy knowledge and thirdly a practike obedience of the same will of God according to the measure of our knowledge A desire a knowledge and a practise like Herba culmus spica the seed that is sowne comes vp by degrees first it is grasse then the blade and then the eare So first wee must labour to haue knowledge and that will soone appeare if we haue in vs a desire to learne as this laylour had And last of all to worke accordingly and so the Christian man is fully perfited and so groweth vp in holines and righteousnes after the similitude of him that made him What must doe Must importeth the present oportunity which in no case ought to bee neglected specielly in matters of saluation Men are least carefull in this behalfe they deserre their conuersion till theyr last and latest time Beeing loath to part with sinne as Lot was to goe out of Sodome they would not leaue sinne till sinne leaue them This Iaylor teacheth you otherwise if you aske him when it is best to enter into this holy resolution when it is time to turne to God and so be saued He tells you now you must doe it now is the time Aske Solomon Hee tells thee in the dayes of thy youth remember thy Creatour Aske God himselfe he tels thee To day heare my voyce If thou wilt knowe the time of the day aske Abraham Hee tells thee it must be in the morning as he in the morning of the day rose vp to sacrifice his sonne so thou In mane vitae tuae In the morning of thy life If thou let the day slip till the morrow to thee belongs that curse Vae qui dicitis cras cras cras non Christianorum sed Coruorum vox est miserè crocitantium Woe be to you that say to morrow to morrow to morrow is not the voyce of Christians but the vnlucky croaking of Rauens and Crowes Praesens tempus tantum nostrum est The present time is onely ours Dum dicitur hodie Whilst to day wee liue Qui non est hodie â—ras minus aptus erit He that endeuoureth not to day will be lesse apt for any good to morrow All men would gladly goe to heauen but they cannot resolue to goe yet they would a while liue vpon the earth they are not of this laylours mind nor of Paules minde I desire saith he to be dissolued And what must I doe He doth not so much as giue the Apostles leaue and respite to refresh and feed themselues he was so earnest As Abrahams seruant did not eate meate till hee had first tolde his message so the laylour would not suffer the Apostles nor himselfe to eate meate till he had told them his message Hee cared like Mary rather to feede the soule then the body not respecting the perishing food but rather that which should feed him vp to eternall life This sheweth a carefull desire in the laylour but we must proceede further than to a naked desire He that onely desireth to doe well and eyther goes no further or retires backe againe where hee beganne is like to the smoake which goeth vp towards heauen but neuer comes there Or like a cloude that mountes aloft as long as the sunnes heat lasteth but the sunne once set it falleth downe to the earth faster then it mounted vp This laylour went further then so for as we find him in this place desiring to know the meanes of his saluation so in the next verse to my Text wee finde him vsing the meanes of his saluation The Apostles were diligent to preach vnto him he as diligent to heare them As our bodies grow so must our soules first we creepe and then we grow and then we runne so we must grow in the spirit encrease in knowledge and profit in Religion till the man of God be perfect As this laylour sayde What shall I doe to be saued so let euery man say What shall I doe to haue knowledge vvhat shall I doe to haue fayth vvhat shall I doe to haue charitie vvhat shall I doe to haue zeale All these are so many meanes of thy saluation and shall carry thee to heauen faster then the fierie chariot caried Elias thither when he was
present another preacheth a third man standing by readeth heere is no order but confusion and God is not the God of confusion Let all things in the Church be done decently and in order Thus haue you seene Christ our Lorde entering into the Temple in deuotion and in zeale correcting the abuses that hee found there Teaching them withall the right vse of the Temple and what exercises of holines the place requireth that so they might not come together to condemnation Let it be considered what is sayd and the Lord giue vs vnderstanding in all thinges that hauing attained in some measure to the fulnesse of knowledge that is in Christ Iesus and beeing stablished in euery good worke and word our fruite may be holines and our end euerlasting life Let vs pray the spirit of Grace to enter into the temples of our harts and thence to purge and cast out all corruptions whatsoeuer To God onely wise our Sauiour be rendred all honor glory praise with thanksgiuing now and euer Amen ⧠The history of our Lords Birth ¶ A Sermon preached by the Authour at Shrewsburie vpon Christ his day MATH 2. 1. 2. When Iesus then was borne in Bethleem in Iudea in the dayes of Herod the King behold there came Wise men from the East to Ierusalem saying Where is hee that is borne King of the Iewes For wee haue seene his star in the East are come to worship him TWo principall motiues or reasons beloued in our Lord induced me to make choise of this Text. One vvas the occasion of our meeting at this time which is to solemnize keep in memorie the Natiuity of our Lord Sauiour Christ Iesus The other the great necessity of the doctrine in these wordes contained For they deliuer vnto vs the history full discourse of Christes Incarnation beeing one principall branch in the misterie of our Redemption So you see how both text time our meeting matter or cause of our meeting all conspire together and are alike sutable There shoulde be no matter of greater force to draw men together than this vvee haue nowe in hand for it is able to furnish vs with all necessary knowledge like the roule that Ezechiell tooke from the Angell which wheÌ„ he had eaten it filled both Ezch 3 belly and bowels hee straightwayes began to prophecy We liue not in those times wherein vve may offer rich presents vnto Christ like the Wisemen nor can wee nowe poynt at the bodily presence of Christ as Iohn did not can we feast him in our houses as Zacheus did nor can we embrace him in our armes as once Symeon did when hee came by inspiration into the Temple Christ nowe looketh not for these curtesies nor can we performe theÌ„ if we would But this and all this we do when we come to heare Christ preached vnto vs when we open our harts to entertaine the worde as Lydia did and when wee embrace with alacritie and cheerfulnesse the doctrine of Christ And as I haue told you one capitall branch of this doctrine is this concerning his natiuitie Men are carefull very diligent in calculating theyr owne byrth-dayes and theyr childrens natiuities for a more certaine account they kalender them vp to the end they may not be forgotten and thys they â—may doe for reason requireth it law alloweth it and ciuility commends the same But a thousand times more careful ought we to be both Prince prophet people to kalender and keepe in memory the natiuitie of our Lord Sauiour conscience â—inforceth it custome calls for it and vvhich is most of all Christâ—â—â—â—â—e commaunds it For vnto this name and to no other vnder heauen are we baptized Of Christ wee are called Christians We are his schollers his seruaunts his disciples and therefore very careful should we be to honour our Lord Maister in keeping holy his day For as Christ in earth sought nothing but the glory onely of his Father so his father now in heauen seekes nothing but the glory of his sonne And as the same sonne beeing here on earth humbly debased himselfe as a seruaunt vnder all men to obey his Fathers will so hath it pleased God his Father againe to exalt him not onely to surmount the glorie of all Princes and Potentates whatsoeuer but also with such power maiestie hath he aduaunced him that euen the very knowledge and beleese of his glorious Name is able to giue euerlasting life to all sinners be they neuer so greeuously burdened or laden whosoeuer will come vnto him to seeke any refreshing So proued by his oâ—n testimony in the 6. of Iohn verse 40. Thy is the will of him that sent mee that euery maâ— that beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day Haue not wee great reason then to remember this day of Christ a day as Saint Augustine calls it of all dayes the beginning of all daies the beginning of eternitie to the beleeuers Hee was borne to make vs rich hee vvas layd in a stall euen among beastes to exalâ— vs to the company of Angels Hee was borne an exile a banished person from the cradle driuen to flie into Egypt as Moses did to Mydian to the end he might make vs free Vt Moses in vluas Hee came from heauen to the earth to the end hee might dravve vs from earth to heauen Hee tooke vppon him a naturall â—ody to make vs heauenly bodies He was made flesh to make vs spirits he was made the sonne of man to make vs the â—onnes of God To as many as receiued him â—o them gaue hee power that they might be the â—onnes of God Great reason haue wee then â—o remember him that did all this for vs. And this much shall briefely suffice to â—tirre vp your mindes to a carefull contemâ—lation of Christ and his glory Now let vs â—eare S. Mathew speaking When Iesus then was borne at Bethleem c. For the increase of our fayth and for an â—ndoubted certaintie heere is layd downe â—he true story of Christes birth with cirâ—umstances thereunto belonging The maner of our Lords birth is at large â—eliuered by this our Euangelist in the forâ—er chap afore my Text beginning at the 8. verse The other circumstances runne â—eere in these wordes as first The place â—here he was born In Bethleem 2. When â—n the dayes of Herod 3. Who came first to â—im The wise men 4. How did they know â—ee was borne or howe were they directed â—â— finde him They were guided by a starre 5. To what end came they to him Iâ— worship him This day and time was foretolde by the Prophets commended to men by Angels and celebâ—ated by the godly Fathers of the Church Esay long before the comming of Chrâ—â—â— prophecied saying Loe a virgine shall â—â—â—ceaue Esay 7 and beare a sonne and they shall 〈◊〉 name Emanuell And againe Vnto vs a â—â—â— Esay 9 is
when he cryed out in greefe anguish of his soule Why doost thou turne away thy face and why forgettest thou my Psalm 30. tribulation And in another place Christ suffered Peter to sinâ—k to be in danger of drowning before he would stretch out his hand to support him As heere hee sent not his Angell to deliuer him forth of prison till the verie night before his execution And when they were past the first and second watch they came to the yron gate which opened vnto them of it owne accord This is a further circumstance of his miraculous deliuerance They passed throgh all the watches and the watch-men neuer perceiued it They came to the yron gate and it opened voluntarily Sencelesse thinges made shewe of pittie when neither King nor people could yeeld compassion The chaynes linkes fell from him before and heere the yron gate giues way to Peter both working out together his deliueraunce These things must admonish vs of the forcible effect of prayer Haec effrinâ—at carceres soluit catenas ferreas aperit portas impetrat liberatores angelos Prayer it is that breaketh the strongest prysons looseth the yron bands openeth the well-barred gates draweth the Angels out of heauen to come to the earth to worke our deliuerance Nowe I knowe of a truth that the Lorde hath sent his Angell and deliuered mee out of the hand of Herod and from all the wayting for of the people of the Iewes Heere is layd downe Peters thankfulnes after his deliuerance Hee acknowledgeth the louing kindnes of the Lorde who had so graciously set him free from the tyrannie of his enemies that thirsted after his blood We must learne by this example to giue thanks for what-soeuer benefits God shall powre vpon vs. For to receiue Gods benefits and not to be thankfull for them is to contemne God in them The Lorde expecteth no retribution at our handes Quis enim dedit ei Who hath giuen vnto him as the Apostle speaketh Yet hee will haue vs to he thankfull that is the speciall dutie that he requireth of vs. Who so offereth me thankes hee honoureth me and to him that ordereth his conuersation aright will I shew the saluation of God If one man doe pleasure or gratifie another there will be an expectancy of thanks at least and shall not the Lorde much rather require the same of vs from whom we receaue our selues our liues and all that we are worth the bread we feede vppon the ground we tread vpon the light wee looke vpon all comes from God and what-soeuer is within vs or without vs all temporall and spirituall graces whereof each one is more worth then a thousand worlds The consideration whereof caused the prophet Dauid to call vpon himselfe others for this thankfulnesse in his Booke of psalmes saying O that mâ—n would praise the goodnes of the Lord and that they woulde tell out the wonders that bee dooth for the chyldren of men Hee calleth all the blessings of GOD Mirabilia Wonders all haue in theÌ„ matter of admiration the rather to stamp in vs an impression of gratitude We haue well waded vnto this thankfulnesse when wee haue learned to say with Dauid and with the like spirit that he did I will make it knowne to the worlde what God hath doone for my soule Psalm 84. All the day long will I be telling of his wonderfull workes Thus haue you briefely heard the summe of thys historie of Peters imprisonment his deliueraunce You haue seene on the one side the people solliciting Herod consenting to the death of Peter They in theyr wicked purposes and the King in his cruell practises conspired his ouerthrow But on the other side the congregation of the faithfull powred forth their important peticions for Peter and these more strong then the yron bands preuailed for his deliuerance Prayer went vp from them and the Angell came downe to him and so was Peter deliuered Herode of his purpose disappointed the Church comforted Gods Name highly magnified Heauens High-way ACTS 16. 30. 31. Syrs what must I doe to be saued And they said Beleeue in the Lorde Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thine houshold THese words consist of question an aunswere The occasion of the question grewe thus noted in the precedent verses When Paule and Sylas had beene imprisoned in the Citty of Philippi for the testimonie of Gods truth and beeing now in the lowest dungeon it pleased the Lorde to worke theyr deliuerance in a miraculous manner as appeareth in the 26. verse For suddainly there came an Earth-quake so that the foundation of the pryson was shaken and anone all the doores opened euery mans bands were loosed and the Iayler beeing striken with a great terror would straight-wayes haue slaine himselfe had not Paule staid his fury Where-vppon after a more sober consideration finding all the prisoners to bee there euery man sure and forth-comming and withall acknowledging the mightie power of God he comes in great humility before Paule and Silas he brought them forth and sayd Syrs what must I doe to bee saued Where we are to note the suddaine and strange yet not so strange as powerful and mighty operation of Gods Spirit in this Iaylor He who euen nowe would haue spoyled himselfe seekes to saue himselfe hee that but now was most desperate is becom deuoute and most desirous to be informed in the way of his saluation So in a moment hee becomes of an heathen man a Christian man as if hee had beene made anewe his affections cleane changed his wicked resolution altered his crueltie turned to Christianitie All thys came vpon him in a moment as vvisedom came vpon Saul when a kingly spirit vvas giuen him Sirs what must I do to be saued Heere it is verified I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And again I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israell Behold the power of God in his effectuall calling of sinners Saul in his greatest rage when hee tyrannized most against Gods Saints was vpon a suddaine made of Saul a persecuter Paule a professour The same powerfull Spirit wrought in the conuersion of Zacheus making him of a publican a zealous Christian So of stones God can and still dooth raise vp chyldren to Abraham as in this place he wrought in thys wicked and cruell saylor nowe to seeke the meanes of his saluation He who ere-whiles had chained others is nowe chayned vp himselfe and by the mighty power of God driuen to seeke releefe at his handes whom before hee despised and shut vp in the basest place of his house Feare made him runne to the Apostles as shame draue Adam to the fig-trees And he who before was lofty and proud disdainfull nowe stoopes downe and humbles himselfe and discouers his ignorance as Adam did his nakednes Sirs what must I doe to be saued It is a voyce of passionate fearefulnesse