that deceyued thee he shall make his enimies his footestoole and he hathe troden thy enimies vnder his féete for this is thy séede that hathe crushed his heade he hath obtayned a crowne of glorie and he maketh thée also a glorious conquerour Al this no doubt did S. Iohn consider in the loue of God whē he wrote this worthy saying of our Sauiour God so loueth the world that he hath giuen his only begotten sonne that he shoulde liue with vs bycause we were deade to him that he shoulde dye for vs to the ende we myghte liue with him that he shoulde enter into the earth to make vs an entry into the heaens We haue by this séene some shadow of the maruellous worke of God concerning oure redemption we sée the louing worke of God the father whose proper praise it is that he hath sent his sonne we haue seene also the painfull worke of God the sonne who hath suffered as we sée nowe haue we to consider the worke of the holy spirite likewise whose worke it is that we enioye those benefites sente vs by the father brought by the Sonne for in whose hart that spirit worketh not to him is the Crosse of Chryste altogyther fruitlesse to him is Iesus no Iesus that is no Sauioure and he may inioy no part of that loue of God whiche bringeth life with it for what now God hath sent his sonne is that sufficiente for vs haue we withoute any further adoe taken possession of heauen are we streight by thys in the bosome of Abraham shall we now take no further care is the Crosse of Christ accepted an excuse indifferently for all shall euery soule be saued Nay let no man deceiue hymselfe Christe indeede hathe made an entry into Heauen he hath set open a gate vnto vs but yet a strayght gate where fewe shall enter neyther yet is the gate of Hell cleane shut vp no it standeth wide opē with a gaping mouth and many shall go that way In the generall flocke Christe hathe his sheepe and they are the fewer he hath also his gotes and they are the greater part There is in Gods field good corne but that is ouergrowen with euill chaffe there be some likewise that shall be receiued with the right hand O happie are they for Christe is theirs altogyther there are also whose place is prouided on the left hande O vnhappie are they for they haue no parte in Christ let vs therefore looke vnto our saluation whiles yet the light shineth for as much as there is a little flocke which that good sheephearde hath chosen to himselfe let vs get into the folde with them and following his councell let vs striue to enter in at the strayt gate and that in tyme least the dore be shutte against vs when it shall be to late to knocke Christ is sent vnto vs let vs beware that we receyue him Christ hath brought this rewarde with him to as many of vs as do receyue him that we shoulde not perishe but liue for euer Let vs therefore prouide that we léese not oure part in that precious pearle what then is there nowe to be done Verily nowe we haue séene the loue of God declared by Christ there is but one steppe betwixt vs and home but one worde betwixt vs and lyfe euerlasting neyther hathe the holy Euangelist left that out of his place for those are the footesteppes he poynteth out vnto vs the loue of God the father the patience and crosse of Christ finally faith the good gift of the holy Ghost for this is the condition who so beleeueth in Christ sent from God he should be sure not to perishe but to haue life euerlasting Nowe then must we make prouision for beléefe that fayth faile not this must be all our care for what shall it profit vs though Christ come into the worlde and come againe if he bée not receyued of vs By fayth he must be receyued or else he must be refused his owne receyued him not sayth S. Iohn and why but for lacke of faith for to as many as receyued him to them he gaue power to bée the sonnes of God and what were they euen to them sayth he that beleeue in hys name accordingly as S. Paule saith to the Galathians by fayth are ye the sonnes of God the beleeuers then they are the beloued sonnes of God they are the right receiuers of Christ when that Christ the glorie of God first appeared amongst vs then did the Angelles proclayme peace betwixt heauen and earth and from God good-will towardes men for Christ indeede is the true Melchisedech that is the King that brought peace wyth hym into the worlde But what shall all this auayle vs if we beléeue not for so sayth our Sauiour himselfe he that beléeueth in the sonne hath euerlasting life and he that obeyeth not the sonne shall not sée lyfe but the wrath of God abydeth vpon him so wrath remayneth for the infidell what then for the faythfull there is peace kept in store for him as for a faythfull subiect to the king of peace for we béeing iustified by fayth haue peace with God through our Lorde Iesus Christ that is the saying of the Apostle Christ is appoynted for the fall of many who are they but the faythlesse he is ordeyned also to bée the rysing of many and who are they but the faythfull for so sayth oure Sauiour likewise who can not belie himselfe hée that beléeueth in him he shall not bee condemned hée that beléeueth not is alreadye condemned bycause hée beléeueth not in the name of the onely begotten Sonne of god Christ is also a stone of diuerse operations hee is a precious stone and hée is lykewyse a stumbling stone To whome then is it precious but to suche as by ioyning the iewell of fayth therevnto haue the right vse thereof So sayeth the Scripture Beholde I put in Sion a chiefe corner stone electe and precious and hée that beléeueth therein shall not be ashamed and here Saint Peter maketh this conclusion saying to you therefore which beléeue it is precious this part is for the beléeuer nowe must the infidell take that which is left they haulting for want of the steadie foote of fayth make themselues of Christ a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offence although Christ be set vp vnto them a signe of saluation yet they like the Cocke on the dunghill do spurne him aside not knowing what vertue there is layde vp in that precious stone for such as by fayth doe finde him wherefore that Prophecie is their portion whosoeuer shall fall on this stone he shall be broken and on whome soeuer it falleth it shall grinde him to powder the misbeléeuers they stumble and lie vnder the stone they fall and are fallen on therefore must they be broken and that grinding stone shall grinde them to powder O the rocke of infidelitie that maketh Christ the rocke
Sara Kings also should come And to cōfirme vs in opinion that this is the very true promised seede by the whiche Abraham should become a blessed father and we his happie Children and by the which Adam should subdue the Serpent S. Paule proueth vnto vs arguing of the forme of the promise he sayth not to the seedes as speaking of many but and to thy seede as of one as thoughe he hadde sayde of all the Kings comming of Sara yet was there but one by whome we shall obtaine the kingdome of heauen of all the seede of Abraham whyche was innumerable as the starres of the heauen and the sande of the Sea shore yet was there but one séede whyche brought this blessing with it and that was as he there sayth onely Chryste and as S. Iohn here speaketh the onely begotten sonne of God for it was not that earthly Isaack that fleshely sonne of Sara but it is this heauenly Isaack the onely begotten sonne of God that bringeth his blessing on his backe neyther was it that Iacob the begotten of Isaack but the onely begotten of God in whome the promise was performed this is that wise warie Iacob that supplanteth and vndermineth all enuious Esaus this is the mightie and sturdie Israell that subdueth all powers to whom al knées be they neuer so stiffe shal crouch here beneath and aboue in earth in hell and in heauen this is the very séede out of which springeth all blessing all that are blessed among the begotten of men it is by this begotten of God this seede blesseth both the begetting and begotten the sonne and the father the first as Alpha and the laste as Omega without this heauenly Iacob had that bene but a detested Esau and not a beloued Iacob without this Isaack had that other bene in worse case than wilde Ismael and in this Isaack stoode the chiefe ioy of Abraham yea before Abraham was this Isaack was for but in respecte of him had blessed Shem bene an accursed Ham it is written that Noah foūd grace in the sight of the Lord had it not bene for this gracious Lord he had not founde suche grace for it was the hope of this grace giuen by Chryste that bore the Arke and saued him from those roaring floudes And this Isaack stoode by Abell shadowing him with his blessing while Caine was cursed and this is the selfe seede that saueth Adam from the serpent And that blessed among women the mother of our Sauioure wherein stoode hir blessednesse but in that the Angel said Thou hast found fauor with God for loe thou shalte conceiue in thy womb beare a sonne and shalt cal his name Iesus and she of hir selfe from henceforth shall all nations call me blessed From that tyme when God had so shewed his fauour as that she was ouershadowed by the power of the highest and had conceiued that fruit of the wombe then from that time became she blessed and not she onely but all those nations calling hir blissed haue part with hir in the blissed séede in the conceiued fruite Iesus This therefore is the loue wherewith God so loueth vs that he sending his onely begotten sonne his dearely beloued Chryste we stand in possibilitie to become the blessed sonnes of blessed Abraham let vs therefore the children with our father reioyce in this daye whereof the Aungell speaketh and wherof the Lorde himselfe sayth Thou art my sonne this daye haue I begotten thee This day was such as many Kings and Prophets desired to sée yea happy were they that were so happie as to hope for this day for all the blessed among the fathers rested in this hope This was the comfort of Iacobs féeble spirite nowe entring into the graue for thus he gloryed before his son Ioseph visiting him in Egypt in his sicknesse and to him was it ioyfull tydings to hear that saying at his fathers mouth God almightie appeared vnto me at Luze in the lande of Canaan and blessed me in the which blissing was cōteined the promise of the hoped and performed sauiour and a litle before his last breath he declareth his hope by these words O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation and this was the comfort wherewith the prophetes comforted themselues and the people of God declaring it in suche sorte as though the insensible creatures the heauens and the earth the mountaines and the valleyes should be refreshed withall such was the prophecie of Esaye Reioyce O heauens and be ioyfull O earth burst forth into prayse O mountaines for God hath comforted his people and will haue mercie on his afflicted And by the prophet Zacharie thus said the Lord Reioyce with great ioy O daughter Sion shoute for ioye O daughter Ierusalem behold thy King commeth vnto thée And by Micheas And thou Bethléem in the land of Iuda art not the least among the Princes of Iuda for out of thée shall come the gouernour that shall féede my people Israell and to the comforte of the gentiles thus he saith speking as it were to his Chryste Beholde thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not and a nation that knewe not thée shall runne vnto thée bicause of the Lord thy God and the holy one of Israell thus was Chryste alwayes a comforte for the hope of the fathers to rest vpon and by him was their hope full with ioy So did God loue them his chosen of Israell that he hath sent thē the gouernor that should féede his people he hath sent them the good shepeherd that should saue the lost shepe But this loue is suche that it resteth not in the compasse of Ierusalem for S. Iohn saith it is the loue wherewyth God loued the worlde God hath sent his sonne and he hath sent him as well for the light and ioye of the Gentile as for the glory of the Iewe and we that knew not God may now know him and nowe if fayth fayle not it shall please God as well to be called the God of Englande as the God of Israell for he hath sent the promised seede of Abraham that shall blesse the one nation as well as the other and he hath sente his sonne to bestowe his loue vpon all partes of the worlde that in him all people shoulde be blessed The tenth Chapter ¶ What Chryste is and in what state he wrought the worke of our saluation NOwe this hithervnto spoken we haue béene thus farre in the fauor of God and haue tasted howe gracious the Lorde is that we know euen for the loue he beareth vnto vs he hath sent vs a redéemer whiche shall be a reconciliation for vs and shall quicken vs lying in the shadowe of death that we might not perishe but liue for euer and who it is that he maketh our redéemer as by the fleshe the blessed séede of Abraham a true man and yet the onely begotten sonne of God him he hath not spared to make a Messanger of saluation
but giue the vertuous your wedding ring then see how you haue headded your arrow And then sée the blissed estate you stande in he is yours for better or for worse for richer for poorer he shal be to you an husband to your childrē a father to your friendes a fauorer to your enimies a terror he shall willingly beare part of all your blowes and burdens he shall double your prosperitie he shall mourne when you wéepe he shall laugh whē you are glad his loue is sure sealed euen ioyned by God himselfe He is not like the riche of whō the sonne of Syrach saith chap. 13. if thou be for his profite he vseth thée but if thou haue nothing he will forsake thée He is not like the light louer for beauty of whom the wise Plato saith He that loueth thée for thy fauor whē that decayeth he wil giue thée ouer But he shal be one with you both body soule he shall walke forth with you here your pilgrimage on earth and shall lead you the way to eternall rest He shall be blissed in all his affaires if Dauid be a true Prophete 1. Psal. His wife also shal be blissed he shall haue séede and blissed séede for Psal. 114. Blissed is the man that feareth the Lord and delighteth in his commaundements his séede shall be mightie vpon earth the generation of the righteous shall be blissed riches and treasure shall be in his house his righteousnesse shall endure foreuer Psal. 128. Blissed is euery one that feareth the Lorde and walketh in his wayes when thou eatest the labors of thy hands thou shalt be blissed and it shall be well with thée thy wife shal be as the fruitful Vine on the sides of thy house euen your husbands wife shal be such a one if your husband be such a one thy childrē like the Oliue braunches round about thy table This Dauid promiseth and prophecieth confirmeth it againe saying Loe surely thus shall the man be blissed in marying that man that feareth the Lorde You will saye peraduenture I woulde thinke my selfe wel bestowed vpon such a man but the craft is in the catching the doubt is in the obteyning But goe you forward in your race of vertue and then you shall not goe farre before you méete with a mete match It is an olde saying The like loueth the like The sonne of Syrach sayth chap. 13. All fleshe will resort to their like and euery man will kéepe companie with suche as he is himselfe A vertuous woman saith he chap. 26. is a good portion and a gift to be giuen to some iust Ioseph or some true Tobias You know that euery good gifte commeth from God as the firste father and founder yet in this case God appeareth more euidently to strike the stroke to worke as it were immediatly within with his own hand So saith Salomon Prouerb 19. House and riches are the inheritaunce of the fathers but a prudent wife commeth of the Lorde Wherefore although there be good tokens markes whereby to make your choise as by the fruit to iudge the trée as Eccl. saith .27 The word declareth the hart the talk is the trial of men yet bicause these are rather probable coniectures than sure demonstrations for fame oftētimes lieth the eye deceiueth the tong dissembleth therefore whē you haue cast the whole the summe yet God is al in al this matter the onely maker of good mariages Be frée then from worldly businesse be cleare from carnall affections cast your hope vpon God depende vpon his prouidence commit the matter wholly to his hands resort flée to him with oft earnest prayer For that whē al other ways be tried is the plainest to séeke the surest to trust the rediest to find for such as seek good wiues good husbands You haue a good example in the .24 of Genesis howe Abrahā proceeded in the mariage of his sonne Isaack you haue there the prayer that the seruaunt of Abraham made to whom this charge was cōmitted howe he entring his iorney desired God to prosper him to shewe mercy vnto his master Abraham that God according to his faithful prayer gaue him a token wherby he chose the faire vertuous virgin Rebecca For hir parents whē they perceiued that God wrought with mā could not deny their goodwil vnto Isaack but answered This thing is procéeded of the Lorde we can not therfore say vnto thée neither euil nor good You haue there also the exercise of Isaack how he was occupied in the mean time while Rebecca was taken out of his rib Moyses sayth He went out to pray in the field towards the euening that Rebecca first founde him so occupied This is al sister that I haue now to be said giue your selfe ouer wholly vnto God to be your guide Let your eyes be so earnest bent vpon hym as they were wont to be vpon your maistresse whome you haue heretofore serued then shall God no doubt giue you as a portion to the righteous he shall so ioyne you that mā may not separat you Christ shal be present with you as at the mariage of Cana he shall conducte you with his holy spirite he shall turne your water into wine he shal make the sowre swéete and prosper all your affaires In meane time while God worketh be not you idle but practise your self in Isaacks exercise and God shall sende you an husband of his kynde euen a faithfull sonne of Abraham a chosen childe of god God shall sende his Angell to leade that man vnto your house euen as he brought Tobias vnto Sara at the house of hir father Raguel And as my poore prayer maye helpe the Lord I beséech him guide you with his holy spirite and prouide you an head for your comfort graunt you long to liue and euer to loue togither with the encrease of your godly children FINIS Iohn 9. Iohn 14. Psal. 119. Num. 24. Apoc. 22. 1. Epist. 4. Psal. 107. Gene. 24. Psal. 8. Gene. 2. 1. Sam. 15. Rom. 6. Iohn 15. Iohn 8. 1. Iohn 3. Iohn 9. Gene. 3. Psal. 49. Esay 1. 2. Esdr 7. 2. Esdr 8. Psal. 51. Esay ▪ 43. Luke 18. Gala. 3. 1. Iohn 1. 1. Iohn 1. Psal. 51. 1. King. 9. Prouer. 10. Iob. 7. Rom. 7. Cap. 7. Rom. 3. Without Christe is nought but desperation Psal. 130. Iob. 10. Gene. 8. Luke 2. Iohn 8. Gala. 3. Alpha. Omega Gene. 6. Luke 1. Psal. 2. Gene. 48. Gene. 49. Cap. 49. Cap. 5. Esay 55. Luke 2. Math. 8. Luke 7. Psal. 2. Psal. 110. Psal. 2. Iohn 19. Iohn 7. Psal. 118. Luke 7. Math. 20. Iohn 6. Luke 22. Psal. 41. Luke 22. Act. 2 Iohn 18. Luke 22. Iohn 18. Math. 26. Iohn 19. Iohn 19. Math. 27. Iohn 19. Num. 21. Iohn 3. Gene. 22. Psal. 15. Math. 18. Rom. 4. Luke 13. Galath 6 Cap. 1. Cap. 3. Iohn 3. Rom. 5. Luke 2. Iohn 3. 1. Pet. 2. Esay 28. Esay 8. Math. 21. 1.
for his owne glorie then for the benefite of man Of the waters God created the great Whales euery thing liuing and mouing which the waters brought forth in abundāce according to their kinde euery fethered foule according to his kinde God saw al that he had made and lo it was very good and al these things were made as good for the necessitie of man God made these creatures for man yea he made them blissed for man saying bring forth fruite multiplie Now when God had thus prouided all things to mans hand set them in so blissed estate then came the course of our creation then he said let vs make man how after what forme in what moulde was he cast In our Image saith the almightie according to our owne likenesse not as other his creatures therfore that this high point of Gods loue might with the déeper consideration enter our harts Moyses repeateth it double Thus God created man in his image in the image of God created he him neyther did he make him sole and comfortlesse but male and female created he them neither when he had made man straight he cast him of set him as it wer a grasing with other his creatures so taking no further care of him but without long delay he gaue him his heauenly blessing he made him a souereigne and a ruler ouer all other his creatures and streight gaue him possession of them God blessed them and sayd bring forth fruite and multiply and fil the earth and subdue it and rule ouer the fish of the sea and ouer the foule of the heauē and ouer euery beast that moueth on the earth Now beholde the loue of God towardes man in his firste creation God viewed all the glorious workes of his fingers and they were all pleasant in his sight but he did moste glorie in man as the perfection of all his workes wherefore hée coulde not but delight in him while he kepte himselfe in that estate man was nowe a blessed man when God had blessed him and blessed euery thing about him wherefore Dauid rauished in manner with the consideration hereof bursteth out in vehemencie of spirite and sayth what is man O Lorde that thou art mindfull of him or what is the sonne of man that thou visitest him for thou hast made him a little lower than God thou haste crouned him with glorie and worship thou makest him to haue dominion ouer the workes of thy handes thou hast put all thinges vnder his féete all shéepe and Oxen yea and the beastes of the field the foules of the aire and the fish of the Sea and that which passeth through the pathes of the Seas besides all this he made him a Prince of Paradise and placed him in a garden of pleasure where he turned him on no side but euery eye was full of the blessing and loue of God. The fifth Chapter ¶ The fall of Adam and his miserable estate by occasion thereof THus God loued the worlde euen in his first foundatiō wherin he shewed manifolde tokens of a fatherlye fauour towardes man but this was not that speciall loue here meante there was yet no néede of that loue let vs therefore nowe consider the occasion of this our necessitie why God shoulde so shewe his mercie towardes vs as is here mentioned let vs search the sore so shall the salue séeme more precious He that can not in himselfe finde what he is of himselfe let him loke vpon Adam as the childe on the father and the true image of vs all so iustly valewing our selues what we are whom God so loueth we shall haue occasion to set the greater price on that loue and it may be as a spur vnto vs stirring vs vnto a further thankefulnesse Nowe therefore when God had so mercifully dealte with Adam settling him in that place of pleasure giuing him such libertie as these wordes do import Thou shalte eate freely of euery tree of the Garden yet leaste the pot might set vp himselfe against the potter least by presumption man shoulde aduance and equall himselfe with his creator it was the good pleasure of the almightie God to giue him this brydle to byte on and to kepe down that stomacke which he foresawe woulde shortly swell with pride so to restraine his libertie as in those wordes is expressed But as touching the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalte not eate of it for whensoeuer thou eatest thereof thou shalte dye the death This was the holy commaundement of our heauenly father whiche it had bene the parte of man willingly to haue obeyed alwayes to haue obserued neuer to haue resisted so might he haue kept his possession in Paradise For all the benefites which God had moste plentifully bestowed vppon man he desired but this one thing that is obedience to his will. This was a sacrifice wherewith he woulde be pleased he hath alwayes cryed for obedience euen from the firste man hither vnto but he could neuer get it at any mans handes excepting Christe the righteous For Adam how did he behaue himselfe what obedience shewed he he stopped his eare at the voice of the liuing God his louing Lorde who dealte so mercifully and liberally with him it was forgotten whiche God sayde thou shalte dye and that voyce of the serpent ye shal not dye howe soone did that enter the eare For the man he gaue eare to the Woman the Woman to the Serpent they brake the commaundement they eat of the excepted trée so the blinde led the blinde and they fel togither into the ditch they became subiecte to the curse of God who called them to accompt for their disobedience and gaue to euery one his seueral curse here is the point here lieth the matter a bleeding this is the olde sore as they say bred in the bone that will neuer be gotten out of the fleshe passing mans cunning to cure without a speciall remedie prouided of god O Adam how wert thou bewitched thou wert once in an highe and heauenly estate but thou arte falne flat to the earthe thou werte sure in Paradise but now thou art endaungered to become a firebrand of hell it was swéete meat perchance thou tastedst but thou shouldest haue remembred the sowre sause that followed Coulde not these blessings and manifolde benefites receyued of thy creator coole thy presumptuous courage coulde not the feare of falling into the contrarie plagues and calamities stay thy wilfull appetite O howe didst thou forget that threatning thou shalt dye the death that double deathe the due rewarde of thy sinne But thou shouldest haue bene obedient obedience had bene the waye to haue kepte thee vpright but nowe thou hast receiued thy wages the wages for sinne is death Whilest thou keptst thy selfe within the bounds which thy louing Lorde hadde appoynted for thée then waste thou an happie Adam O thanke God for that nowe arte thou vnhappie and in miserie thanke thy selfe
euill and he that followeth euill counsell bycause he hath sinned he muste be payde with the wages of sinne here then are we as far to séeke as at the firste here then are we as farre out of the way as before here is no sure ground for vs to stand on yet that sting of death sticketh as déepe in vs as euer it did The eight Chapter ¶ The distresse and dispaire of man in the viewe of his owne wickednesse HOwe then is there no remedie to be founde must we néedes lie stil sweating in the greace of our own fleshly wickednesse is there none to delyuer vs from this body of death if it be so then sucke on Serpent then death take thy pleasure then craue thy righte graue open thy mouth Hell swallowe vp thy portion for thou God haste forsaken vs thou hast yéelded vp all thy right whyther shall we flée then where may we finde rest for our soules Thy face thou mightie one is alwayes against vs we sweate we burne we frie with the furie of wrath all places are to hote for man to reste on so is thine indignation kindled If I saye I haue done iustly then thou reprouest me as a lyer if I haue sinned then thou wilt streightly looke vnto me and wilte not holde me guiltlesse of mine iniquitie and séeing thou markest iniquitie straightly who shall abide it wherefore then hath thine handes fashioned me O that I had perished in my conception and that none eye had séene me and that I were as I had not bene that my graue had bene my mother beholde I goe and shall not returne euen to the lande of darkenesse into a lande I saye darke as darkenesse it selfe into the shadowe of deathe where is no order but the light is there as darknesse my dayes are as the smoke and my life as the shadowe O ye wormes I am your foode O corruption thou art my father O death thou art my mother out of thee was I taken and into thée I return to thée I bequeath that whyche I hadde from thée this lumpe of earthe this masse of fleshe To whome shall I betake my spirite I maye not long possesse it my selfe séeing thou wilte not haue it thou holy one I muste néedes yéelde it vp as a praye vnto myne enimie The ninth Chapter ¶ That Chryste from the beginning hath bene is and shall be the only staye and comforte of all sortes of men BVt thou sonne of man staye thée a whyle in pacience doe not so gyue ouer thy soule as to saye thy sinne is greater than it may be forgiuen humble thy selfe acknowledge thy rebellion but despaire not cast not thy selfe headlong into Hell is there no remedie to be found on earth then lifte vp thyne eyes to heauen there is a comfort there is a comfort cōming there is a sauing healthe in hande thy wounde is great indeede but there is a strong medicine a tempering thy fall was grieuous but thy rysing vp shall be as wonderfull many and mightie are thine enimies but there is one that shall fight for thée whose name is the Lorde of Hostes and he shall subdue all power Beholde thy creator hath not vtterly cast thée off thou hast found fauor in his sight S. Iohn saith God loueth the world yea suche store of mercie there is with God that although we were his enimies yet he is become our God againe and wyll stand an enimie against our enimies and although he seeth that the imagination of mans heart is euill euen from his youth yet he doth not vtterly cast vs off Goe to then Lorde we beséech thée we haue séene thy iudgements how terrible they are we are full fedde with the gall of thy bitter vengeance now if it be thy good pleasure turne thy face from our sinnes and blot out our offences create in vs a new hart renew a right spirit in our bowels shewe thy selfe once againe a mercyfull God we knowe we are not worthy to be called thy children we haue sinned againste heauen and against earth they bare part of our curse againste thée againste thée haue we sinned but if it be thy good pleasure turne thy louing countenaunce towardes vs Surely there is mercie wyth God he hath heard the gronings and afflictions of his people he is moued wyth compassion and pitie towardes vs beholde we that were shattered in pieces lying still in the sounde of sinne and buried vp in death the Lorde of his infinite goodnesse goth about togather vs vp and to set vs vpright agayne he intendeth to cast Adam in a newe mould and to make him a newe creature not of earth earthly but of heauen heauenly For there is a Lambe a killing whose bloud shall washe awaye our sinnes there is a stone framing it shall be layde in Sion it shal fall vpon our enimie it shal grinde his heade and crushe it in pieces we are but héele hurted but he shall be wounded on the head And it shall be thine owne childe Adam thyne owne séede Eue that shall thus subdue the Serpent So good and gracious is the Lorde he promiseth a victorie his owne mouth hath spoken it and wyth his mightie hande hath he brought it to passe for God so loueth the worlde that he hath sente what hath he sente euen that sauing séede that innocent Lambe prouided from the beginning he hath sent his onely begotten sonne bringing with him that pearle not to perishe with that heauenly treasure to haue lyfe euerlasting héere then maye we caste anchor all other remedies failing vs this is it we muste trust vnto this is the sure pledge of Gods fauor towardes vs without this comforte we had bene altogither comfortlesse but nowe is our ioy full and plenteous This is that ioyfull tydings sent from heauen brought by the Angell belonging to all as well as to those ioyful shepherdes be not afrayd saith the angel for beholde I bring you tidings of greate ioy that shall be to all the people that vnto you this day is borne a Sauiour in the citie of Dauid which is Christe O glorious daye wherein shineth suche a sunne the verye sun of God the bright sunne of righteousnesse in that day so bright were the beames of the sunne that they shyned euē into the dim eyes of Abraham this was the glorious day which he saw with such ioy Nowe by this is God truely become the God of Abraham Isaack and Iacob here is the performance of the heauenly promise and blessed bargaine made for him vs all betwixt Abraham and his God for when it might séeme a hope against hope that aged Abraham should haue any suche séede the Lorde knew that Sara would laugh and wonder at his worde yet the Lorde of his loue wherewith he loued the worlde established his couenaunt wyth them that in them sholude all nations be blessed yea we of England Irelande haue our parte in this blessing and of
vnto the worlde and this we knowe that God hath not giuen him to any other rather than to vs he is our Sauiour if we be so happie as to receiue him for we being graffed in Christe are members of that worlde which God so loueth Nowe adding to this the knowledge by what meanes Christe wrought this reconciliation how he hath throughlye appeased the wrath of the father whiche we see was so kindled against vs and vnderstanding what price he payde for our redemption then shal the loue of God appeare vnto vs by a brighter light as it were in a cléere sunne shining Oure Sauiour saythe my father worketh and I worke we haue séene the worke proper to the father in that he hath sent the sonne and thus farre forwarde we sée our Sauiour in his worke as that according to the determinate will of the father he is come downe into the earthe and hath debased himselfe to the base estate of our frayle flesh so by this the work of our regeneration is in a goodly forwardnesse now doth Adam beginne to moue himselfe to waxe warme and to reuiue with a newe spirit here lyeth the Serpent a bléeding but by this is not the victorie gotten Let vs sée then howe Christe quitteth himselfe and reuengeth our quarell What force what weapons doth he vse far other than man would imagine He ouercommeth with kindnesse his armour is preaching paynes pacience shame rebuke reproch harde handling euill entreatie tauntes in the teeth and sclaunderous reportes scornes and scourgings false accusations vniuste iudgement and in the ende bitter and bloudye death This was the maruellous working of God that oure Sauiour shoulde passe those harde pykes to saue vs from the sworde of the enimie And beholde as soone as he entred into the world he straight gaue the onset he felte incontinently of our infirmities for sée the Lorde of Dauid the King of Kings in his byrth howe simply he lyeth wrapped in swadling cloutes Thus is it described in the Gospell A stable was his best house and a cratche his Cradle for saythe the Euangelist there was no roume for him in the Inne whose was the earth and the store thereof at whose commaundemente were the heauens there was no roume for him to reste in Well therefore might that complainte be made to the confusion of vnkinde beastly man The Foxes haue holes and the birdes of heauen haue nests but the sonne of man howe is he intreated he hath not whereon to reste his heade Neither was he suffered to haue that litle roume wyth reste but he was faine to flée touch and to auoyde from Bethléem into Egypt as when Herode in his furie sent forthe his slaughter men and bloudie butchers with this cōmaundement that they should slea all the male children that were in Bethléem and in all the coastes thereof from two yeares old and vnder seking thereby as it was forewarned by the Angell to murther the childe Iesus whom he heard should be borne King of the Iewes Such a welcome hadde our Sauiour into the world and afterwarde in processe of time being conuersant in Hierusalem and the countrey about with what trauell preached he the kingdome of God how few receiued that glad tydings howe many a myracle did he and what thanks had he and how small were the number of suche as beleeued and woulde be content to be called the followers of Chryste not disdayning the name of a Christian Now when he was most busy about the worke of our saluation as when he was moste occupied in feeding with the worde and conuerting by miracles the reporte that many made of him it was no better but that his owne helde hym as a straunger some sayde he was a sinner some a seducer of the people some a glutton and a drinker of wine some a man starke mad yea some gaue him this good word that he wroughte by the power of Belzebub Bitter wordes for the sonne of God yet this was his paciēce to beare Of the better sorte some tooke him for Elias some for Iohn Baptist and some were so good as to call him a Prophete but fewe were there found of faithfull Peters that iudged so ryght of hym as to say Thou art the sonne of the lyuing god And wyth whome had our Sauioure his conuersation here on earthe he was to be had in suche reputation as of whome the almightie father forespake by thys Prophete euen hym that was bothe a king and a Prophete I haue set my king vpon Sion myne holy mountayne and suche a one was he as Dauid acknowledged to be hys Lorde and souereygne The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde sitte thou at my right hand c. It had bin therfore the parte of Princes to haue bin alwayes in hys presence and the duetie of Kings to haue kept him company or rather to haue attended on hym as whose shooe latched they were not worthy to vnloose But true is the Prophet in his saying The Kings and Princes of the earth they assembled and bente themselues againste hym there was no company nor comfort with them for the méeke King of Sion and the poore Prince of Ierusalem For we see howe Herode persecuted and hunted him as the Foxe the shéepe from Bethléem to Egypt from one place to another and it was treason to Cesars person to call Christ a King he might not be taken for Cesars friende that woulde speake on Christes parte to mainteyne hys kyngdome But oure Sauiours kyngdome was not of thys worlde therefore no maruell though the kings of the earth were so cruelly set againste hym Our Sauioure was also the annointed of God a Prince and a princely Priest for euer of whose body Melchisedech was the shadowe he was that Doctor admitted and authorised to teache with that heauenly and thundering voyce of the father this is my beloued sonne in vvhome I am vvell pleased heare hym it woulde haue besemed therfore those high priests looked they neuer so high that ruffling garde of Pharisies those greate Doctors the Scribes to haue had their conuersation with him of whome they should receiue their saluation if they had harkened to him then mighte they haue reckened themselues wise if they had followed that good shepehearde then mighte they haue gloried truly as otherwise they dyd vainely that they had bene the leaders of the blinde But Christ was not for their tooth neyther any méete man for their company he was a stone cast aside of those builders although hée approued hym selfe the chiefe corner stone they could not reproue hym yet they refused him they myghte find no fault with hym yet he could find no fauour with them he put them many times to silence and stopped their mouthes in reasoning and argument yet they spared no wordes in misreporting him he soughte all meanes to winne them yet they disdayned him as one vnworthy to haue place amongst them for when that carnall spiritualitie