and bring forth a sonne whose name shall bee Emanuel that is God amongst vs. And hereunto witnessed all the Patriarches and Prophets euen from the first beginning of the world vnto the time of the comming of our Sauior Iesus Christ And therfore because the whole Scriptures the Patriarches the Prophets spake thus plainely of Christ and declared his comming Christ said Scrutamini Scripturas illae enim testimonium perhibent de me search you the Scriptures for they do beare witnesse of me Likewise againe to the Scribes and Pharisies hee said Si Mosei crederetis crederetis mihi If ye beleeued Moses ye would beleeue mee for Moses also hath written to mee hee hath told you of me said Christ therefore if you beléeued him yée would also beléeue me And thus all the whole bodie of the Scriptures bare record of the comming of Christ the Patriarches knew long before that Christ should be borne the Prophets prophesied of his comming into the world But when Christ should be borne when his glorious comming should appeare that neither the scriptures declared neither the holy Patriarches knew nor the Prophets were able to shew And therfore said Christ Abraham voluit videre diem meum Abraham would faine haue seene my day he saw it therefore he reioiced But how did Abraham sée it with bodily eyes no but in faith because he was in faith able to sée it therefore he reioyced What then if he had with his eyes séene Christ if he had talked with him if he might haue touched and embraced Christ what ioy would hée haue made how would he haue reioyced and béene glad No doubt as the birth of Christ was most acceptable and welcome to al good men in that time so was his comming much longed for of the holy Patriarches and Prophets before time for they well knew that his time should be a time most acceptable that then all things should be in quietnesse vnitie and concord in euery place peace through the whole world And therefore said Esay the Prophet Et vocabitur princeps pacis He shal be called the Prince of peace And to declare this more plainly the same Prophet saith Then shall the Wolfe dwell with the Lambe the Leopard shall lye downe by the Goat Bullocks Lyons and cattell shall keepe company together the Cow and the Beare shall lye together and there shall be no crying no wayling no noyse heard in the streets And therefore this Prophet Esay in another place considering the great ioy the great felicitie that Christ should bring into the world when hée should be borne cryed out and said Disrumpe coelos descende O Lord said he breake the heauens and come downe And so another Prophet in like foreséeing this great felicitie that should ensue the birth of Christ said Quis viuet videbit haec O who shall liue to enioy this merueilous felicitie When Christ was come into this world though then not borne but in his mothers wombe Iohn the Baptist béeing a babe and in his mothers belly also yet at the Maiestie of his Lord and at the presence of Christ he sprang for ioy and leapt in his mothers wombe So likewise at the birth of Christ for ioy that the Angels in heauen conceiued thereat they sang Gloria in excelsis Deo in terra pax hominibus Glorie be to God on high and in earth peace vnto men After that time whē Simeon that holy prophet had in spirit perceiued the true Messias Sauior of the world to be born had receiued Christ into his armes he cried out said Nunc dimittis seruum tuum Domine secundum verbum tuum in pace Now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Now euen now that this sight is prouided before the face of the whole world that so long hath béene looked for now that light is appeared which shall be the light of the Gentiles Now O Lord said be let thy seruant depart in peace I haue lyued long ynough to sée thy saluation Thus good brethren all the Scriptures throughout the Patriarches the Prophets shewed long before vnto vs the ioy and felicity that should come vpon the whole world at such time as Christ should be borne And therefore to confirme all this that they before had prophesied of him Christ here said vnto his disciples Blessed are the eyes which see that ye see Blessed are your eies said Christ for your eyes haue séene Gods promises performed that promise which he made to Adam saying The seed of the woman shall breake the head of the Serpent Your eies haue séene that promise made vnto Abraham The seed wherein all nations shall bee blessed That promise also your eyes haue séene performed which God made vnto Dauid saying Of the fruit of thy bodie wil I set vpon thy seat You haue séene and do now sée that Emanuel of whom Esay prophesied You I say haue séene that thing whereunto all the Patriarches al the Prophets the whole body of the Scriptures do beare witnesse You do see and behold him whom Abraham would gladly haue séene You sée him whom Esay calleth the Prince of peace him in regard of whom the Prophet cried out and said O who shall liue to see this great ioy You sée him at whose presence Saint Iohn the Baptist being in his mothers wombe sprang leapt vp for ioy him at whose birth the verie Angels in heauen sang Gloria in excelsis him whom Simeon pronounced to bee the Sauiour of the world All this said Christ you sée you my disciples your eyes do sée all this and therefore blessed are your eyes happy and blessed are the eyes that sée whiche yée sée In the beginning saith S. Paul God spake diuersly and by sundry meanes vnto his people sometimes by dreames sometimes by reuelation sometimes by prophesies sometimes by Angels and sometimes by his owne voice but now in these dayes hee hath sent amongst vs his owne sonne by him saith he God hath declared his wil vnto vs cléerely and plainly euen by the mouth of his owne son When S. Iohn the Baptist baptized Christ in the riuer of Iordan it pleased God the Father to crye from heauen and say Hic est meus filius dilectus ipsum audit This is my beloued sonne heare him hearken vnto his voice giue eare vnto his doctrine for he it is to whom both the law the Prophets haue their respect And S. Paul saith Mysterium abscōditum a saeculis nunc autem reuelatur per Iesum Christum the mysterie that high mysterie of mans saluation that hath beene so many hundred yeres hid is now reuealed by Christ our Sauiour so long it hath béene hidden saith Saint Paul and now it is opened and shewed vnto the whole world by Christ Therefore blessed are your eyes said Christ yea blessed are the eyes which sée that yée sée for your bodily
sithence the first foundation of the world but was in subiection and vnder obedience either of the the one or of the other And as God is the father of light the God of all good men so is the Deuill the father Prince of this world the Lord of darknesse the king of this age as saith S. Paul and ruler of the wicked And like as all good men fight vnder the banner of God their Lord so all vngodly fight vnder the standard of the Deuill their Prince And euen as the iust man hath his reward of God so hath the wicked man his stipend of the Deuill And thus be Infidels Turkes Iewes and all Heathen people vnder the power and dominion of the Deuill vnder the standard of Sathan and therefore are they not able to thinke any good to conceiue one good thought because they fight vnder his Banner because they haue giuen ouer all their members to be ordered of the Deuill without any féeling of good without any feare of God And thus as I said do the Turkes thus do the Infidels thus do all Heathen people at this day and so did the Iewes in the time of Paul In vmbra mortis ambulauerunt saith he They walked in the shadow of death But after that it pleased God the Father by the comming of his déere Sonne Iesus Christ to reueale himselfe vnto them to open and declare his Gospell among them then began the people to renounce the Deuill to forsake his Law and seruice and to betake themselues wholy to the gouernance of God And therefore S. Paul the further to incourage them thereunto willeth them in this Epistle of his That like as before time they gaue ouer their members to the seruice of vncleannesse from one wickednesse to another so should they now giue ouer the same their members to the seruice of righteousnesse For to this end was Christ borne into this world to this end liued he here among vs to this end preached he and taught the people Gods holie word that we by his example and the doctrine of his Gospell should liue an vpright and holie life And therfore Zacharie that holie prophet being filled with the holie Ghost prophesied and said before Christs birth that Christ should for this cause appeare in this world That we being by him deliuered from the feare of our enimies might serue him in purenesse and holinesse all the daies of our life And S. Paul likewise saith Ye were darkenesse but now ye are light walke therefore as becommeth the children of light Therefore are we deliuered from the power of darkenesse saith S. Paul that we should walke in the light and haue no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse And so in like Vocauit nos Deus non ad immunditiem sed ad sanctitatem God hath not called vs to vncleannesse but to holynesse and sanctitie of life Thus hath he called vs that we not only in Body but in Soule should be pure vnspotted And therefore S. Paul vnto the Romanes Know you not saith he that all we which are baptized into Iesus Christ are baptized into his death Therefore are we buried with him by Baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead euen so also should we walke in a new life And for this cause this same Paul likewise saith Exhibete vos tanquam viua membra Shew your selues as quicke and liuely members And in an other place Exhibete corpora vestra sacrificium sanctum acceptatum Deo Giue ouer your bodies for a sacrifice holie and acceptable before God And also Nescities corpora vestra esse templa Dei Know you not that ye are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you These and such other many lessons hath S. Paul giuen vs to call vs vnto purenesse and holynesse of life Let vs therefore good Bretheren liue holy consider that God hath not called you to vncleannesse but to puritie of life consider if yée be baptized with Christ into death you must also walke with him in a new life let your bodies be a sacrifice holie acceptable vnto God shew your selues liuely members of Christ and the Temple of the holie Ghost Vocauit nos Deus saith S. Paul Vt viueremus sobriè God hath called vs God hath appointed vs to liue in sobernesse to liue in purenesse to liue in holynesse and this not in one part of our Bodies not in one part of our Soules but in our whole bodies in our whole soules For Christ our Sauior suffred not his bodie to be crucified in one part Sed à planta pedis vsque ad summum capitis But euen from the sole of the foote to the crowne of his head was he beaten rent and torne and miserably tormented in his whole Bodie His Bodie was scourged with whips his head prickt with thornes his hands and féete nayled to the Crosse his side pierced with a sharp speare For Christ speaking of himselfe saith Foderunt manus meas pedes meos They haue digged my hands and my feete they haue made holes thorough them And thus sithence Christ suffred all his whole Body to be tormented for vs sithence he suffred all his members to be crucified for our sakes let vs applie our selues and all our member to serue and please him in holynesse and vpright lyuing all the dayes of our liues And therefore saith s Paul here Ye haue now betaken your selues vnto Christ therefore let your conuersation be according liue as becommeth the seruants of Christ For euen as before this time ye gaue ouer your members to vncleannesse from one wickednesse to an other so now giue ouer your members to the seruice of righteousnesse And such good Bretheren was the life of all Christian men in the beginning of Gods Church such was I say their life lyuing They subdued their flesh they mortified their members and gaue them ouer wholy vnto Christ and so made them members vnto righteousnesse When Christ walked here on this earth was conuersant in our flesh and this nature of ours at what time he entered into the house of Zacheus which was a Ruler of the Publicans desired to sée Iesus by and by Zacheus was turned into a new man and by and by he stoode forth and said vnto the Lord Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I giue vnto the poore and if I haue defrauded any man I restore him foure fold Thus was he only by the presence of Christ turned into a new man thus he of an vncircumcised Publican was made the child of Abraham and of a sinfull and wretched creature he became forthwith a Christian And so in like when Christ had but once called vnto Mathew and bad him follow him immediatly he left the Toll-gathering he left the receipt of the custome he left his owne proper game and profit and ran after Christ
knocketh let vs open the gates of our hearts vnto him hée calleth let vs heare him hee cryeth and willeth vs to come vnto him O therefore let vs runne let vs make hast let vs flye vnto him I haue euer stretched out my hands to an vnfaithfull people saith God by his Prophet Esay all the day long haue I stretched out mine armes vnto a people that will not heare me all the day long haue I stretched out my hands vnto them and yet they will not know me I haue sent you the acceptable time I haue giuen you the dayes of grace the dayes of mercie the dayes of saluation O then let vs not receiue this acceptable time in vaine let vs not take this grace of God in vaine Let vs remember how many thousands of people perish this day for want of the gospell of God and knowledge of his holy word Wée are they whom God hath called to bee his children whom hée hath appointed to bée saued whom he hath receiued to his grace and mercie If wée haue any great policie if wée haue any great wit if wée haue any learning riches wealth and felicitie in this world let vs consider that we haue them from God alone that God giueth vs our policie that God giueth vs our wit that God giueth vs our learning that hée alone giueth vs our riches our wealth and all other felicitie that wée haue in this life O then let vs not take these great gifts of God in vaine let vs not take these graces of his in vaine Let our liues so shine before men that they may sée our good works and glorifie our father which is in heauen Amen THE SEVENTH Sermon Rom. 12. vers 16. 17. 18. 16. We desire you that ye thinke all one thing that yee haue like affection one to another Be not high minded be not wise in your owne opinion 17. Recompence to no man euill for euill 18. If it bee possible haue peace with all men DEerely beleued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ This Epistle or letter of Saint Paul written vnto the Romans is diuided into two seuerall parts In the first part Saint Paul instructeth and telleth them of the beginning of their religion of the foundation of their faith of the grace whereunto they are called by the merits and death of Iesus Christ And for because he saw and well perceiued that euen such of the Romans who had receiued the faith to bée farce from the works of the faith and the profession of the gospel of Christ therefore he instructeth them that they know the testament of Christ that they know the couenant of their saluation and that they should remember that where before time they were strangers from God cleane without any promise of grace enemies vnto God and the children of perdition were now called vnto God were become the sons of Abraham Gods deere friends and the children of adoption and this not of any desert of theirs not by any merit of their owne but onely through the great grace and méere mercy of Iesus Christ For the whole world was couered vnder wickednesse the whole world I say the Iewes onely excepted was ouerwhelmed in sinne and had no promise at all of any saluation by God But yet when Christ Iesus the Sauiour of all the world appeared and the Iewes would not acknowledge him their redéemer it pleased God by him to saue the whole world and call vnto his grace aswel the Gentile as the Iew the vncircumcised as the circumcised and this did he onely of his infinit and great goodnesse And therefore Saint Paul in the conclusion hereof crieth out and saith O the deepnesse of the aboundant wisedome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out Who knoweth the mind of the Lord who was his Counsellor Who hath giuen vnto him first that hee might bee recompensed againe And therefore hée concludeth thus Quia in illo ex illo per illum omnia illi omnis honor gloria For of him through him and for him are all things to him therefore bee glorie for euer Thus doth Saint Paule conclude the first part to know the couenant of their saluation to know the greatnesse of Gods mercie whereunto they are called and to giue the prayse and thankes therefore to him alone In the second part which I now handle hee instructeth them of a vertuous life of honest conuersation and vpright liuing among all men For it is not enough to change our Religion it is not sufficient to alter our faith but we must also change our old life wee must walke in newnesse of life we must walke in holinesse wee must walke as becommeth the professors of a new Religion as becommeth them that are of a right faith as becometh all such as confesse God and his Gospel And therfore S. Paul writing vnto the Hebrews saith Seeing that we by the means of the bloud of Iesus haue libertie to enter into the holy place let vs draw nigh with a true heart in a sure faith let vs prouoke vnto loue and to good workes So in another place he saith You were sometimes darknesse but now ye are light in the Lord walke therfore as becommeth the children of light So God himselfe when he had chosen the Iewes to be his people and them alone amongst all other Nations to worship him said O Israel what is it that I require or seek for at thy hands but that thou loue mee and keepe my commandements This is the onely thing that I would haue you to doe that you kéepe my Law and walke in my Precepts Therefore Saint Paule himselfe also after hee had declared and set forth at large the great goodnesse and mercie of God he said I beseech you that yee make your bodies a quicke and liuely Sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God which is your reasonable seruing of God Renew your spirits make your selues new harts that it may shew and appeare in you that you are reconciled vnto GOD that you are the children of adoption and professours of Gods holy name Therfore bee not high minded bee not wise in your owne opinions recompence no man euill for euill prouide aforehand things honest in the sight of all men and if it bee possible haue peace with all men Marke well my brethren these words by the way If it be possible haue peace with all men Christ though hee was the author so peace and the true peace it selfe yet could he not haue peace with all men Non veni pacem mittâ—re in terras sed bellum sed discordiam I am not come saith Christ to send peace into the world but war and dissention for from hence forth there shall be fiue in one house diuided three against two and two against three The Father against the Son and the Son against the Father The mother against the daughter and the daughter against the