our harts ioyful and glad as when we vnderstand what inestimable and great riches of his grace God in his Prophets hath promised to vs sinners and when we see those promyses of him fulfilled now in the Gospel and dayly also to be in fulfilling and seeing we haue Christ himselfe the very Sonne of God a most sure pledge of the performance of those promyses may we not well I say reioyce and be glad ¶ Anna. I am very desirous to heare of you if time serue you the order of Christes Sermon out of Moyses and the other Prophets What and how in euery place they prophesyed of Christ that thereby I may when my faith is strengthned haue ioy in the lord And though you spend some time in explicating these prophesies yet happely it may be a work worth our labour and you shal neuer a whit misspend the time nay I think the time that is so spent godly profitably very necessarely spent seeing S. Paul warneth vs that the word of Christ should dwel plentifully in vs. ☞ Vrb. We read in the acts that Paul made a long Sermon of Christ out of the Law and prophets euen from the morning til night Why then should not we speak often much and willingly of our Lord Iesus Christ our only and incomparable Treasure with whom we shal liue and dwel for euer But first note what Luke wryteth in his last chapter where he sayeth when Christ had blessed broken and geuen the bread to his Discyples their eyes were opened and they knew him And a litle after he saith that Christ opened their vnderstanding that they might know the Scriptures Wherfore we also must pray to Christ that he would feed and refresh vs with his bread of the knowledge of him that he would driue away the thick cloudes of our vnbeleef that he would mend and take away our ignorance and dulnes that he would send down into our minds the light of his holy spirit wherby we may learn to know him out of the holy scriptures Paul saith we haue not receued the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the thing which is geuen vs of God. Let vs therfore pray with humble feruent harts Almighty God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ our Father and the Father of all mercy and God of all comfort and consolation haue mercy vpon vs heare vs we beseech thee O God for thy deerely beloued sonne Iesus Christs sake for all his workes and benefits which he hath done for vs and for his precious passion and death which he suffered for the redemption of vs Send thy holy Spirit of truth into our harts that it may geue and ingraft in vs true and constant faith so that the light and brightnes of thy Gospel and the glory of Christ may appeare vnto vs and lighten our harts that we may learn and vnderstand the vnspeakable and aboundant riches of thy mercyes O Father of glory geue vs thy Spirite of wisdome and bring vs to the knowledge of thee and thy deerely beloued Sonne Iesu Christ Open and lighten we beseech thee the eyes of our minds vnderstanding That we may perceue what is the hope of our vocation and what is the rich glory of our heauenly and euerlasting Herytage which in Christ and through Christ thou hast geuen vs That by true faith vnderstanding and knowledge of thy eternal wisdom which is Iesus Christ we may in deed be made as we are called true christiās That we may worship thee alway in Spirit and truth And that we may now and for euer shew forth thy glory whereby thou hast blessed vs in Christ our Sauiour Graunt this O Father through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen ¶ Anna. Amen ☞ Vrb. Now Christ being our gouernor and our good guid let vs begin the treatise and opening of the matter which we haue taken in hand But first of all wife see you harken with as great reuerence diligence desire as if Christ were present seeing Christ sayth He that heareth you heareth me And looke also that you beleeue al things which shal here be spoken and declared vnto you to be as true and certayn as if Christ himself visibly and in his bodely shape had spoken them vnto you out of the Prophets And as if he should in his own person declare vnto you by his own mouth how and for what cause it was conuenient he should be born suffer dye and rise again and so ascend into his glory ¶ Anna. Begin then Husband at Moyses and tel me I pray you what he wrote of Christ ☞ Vrb. Moyses hath written much of Christ as Christ himself witnesseth in Iohn where speaking to the Iewes he saith If you had beleeued Moyses you had also beleeued me for he wrote of me And Moyses euen in the beginning as soone as heauen earth and man were made saith that the Serpent to wit Sathan deceiued Eue and entyced her to make a lye and seduced her and she afterward perswaded and deceued Adam and so God being despised and set aside brought him and threw him headlong into the same calamitie and thus they beleeued a lye wherin they cōmitted an horrible offence because they broke Gods commandement and did not obey the Lord their God as their duety was but were obedyent vnto the Deuil which from the beginning is a lyar and a mankiller into whose power and tiranny they fel both in body and soule by their transgression and disobeydience and so death by the sinne of Adam came in both vpon Adā al Adams posterity in so much that by the iust iudgement and iustice of God all men should haue entered by the death of this body into euerlasting death And thus did death through sinne mightely raign in all the world Alas what is more horrible then this power of sinne and this extreame calamity which casteth vs into euerlasting damnation What burthen is there heuyer or harder then this and what more cruell mischiefe could there haue hapned then this But God here in the middest of this danger being mindful of his mercy as the Prophet saith of him found a most present and soueren salue for this sore to wit he offred vs his grace and promysed that he would pardon our sin and destroy death by a certain marueilous meane to wit by his only begotten Sonne who when the fulnes of time that is to say when the determined time was come was sent into the earth from heauen and salued this sore that is to say redeemed and deliuered the poore prysoner mankind out of the tyranny and power of darknes and Sathā and that after a strange and secret sort For he tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant and being made man subiect to all misery calamity and troble of this life yea and death it self but yet free from all faulte and pure without sinne vouchsafed to dye for vs that
bringeth vs vnto God reconcileth vs vnto God as a Mediator maketh intercession for vs vnto God that we may with a sure trust ioy of hart make our prayers vnto the father in the name of our eternall high priest Christ As Paul sayth For there is one God one mediator betwene God man which is the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a raunsome for all men And Iohn saith My babes these things write I vnto you that you sin not if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust he is the reconciliation for our sins not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world And Paul saith Through Christ we both haue an entrāce to the father by one spirit And again by whō we haue boldnes enterance with confidēce by fayth in him Christ also saith Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shal aske the father in my name he will giue it you So Paule maketh his prayer through Christ as our high priest by whom for whom only we our praiers are acceptable vnto God the father As it is said to the Hebr. By Iesus Christ we offer the sacrifice of prayse alwais to God that is the fruit of the lips which confesse his name Furthermore it is worthy marking that where the prophets do promise to the people of God deliuerāce from sin death al other euils that there Iesus Christ is promised For we see this is the purpose of God that he wil not helpe any deliuer any nor be gracious to any but only for Iesus Christes sake As Peter sayth in the Acts. We haue saluatiō in none but in Iesus Christ For among men there is giuē none other name vnder heauen wherby we must be saued Now looke on the prophesie For both the name worke of Christ is liuely described in it He is called Iehoschua or Ieschua that is a sauiour who must deliuer helpe saue Which worde we find written in the prophets sometime with moe sometyme with fewer letters but yet significatiuely plainly set downe Dauid saith All the endes of the earth haue haue sene Iescuah the saluation or sauiour of our god And in the 119. he calleth him often Teschuatecha that is a deliuerer or a sauiour It followeth My soule fainteth for thy saluation In all these places the prophet sheweth how hartily he desireth Christ how earnestly he loketh for Christes cōming as S. Augustine saith vpon this Psal. And here you see that Christ the onely sauior was euer euen from the beginning of the world the only hope trust as well of the fathers elected in Christ in the old testament as he is now our god our hope our comfort in the new testament For no man can attaine saluation vnlesse he beleue in Christ and be a christian Esa. saith My righteous one or my righteousnes is nere my saluation goeth forth My saluation shall be for euer my righteousnesse shal not be abolished Here this name Ieschua or Iesus is often repeated for the prophet speaketh in this text of Christ And againe he saith The lord hath made bare his holy arme in the sight of all the Gentils all the ends of the earth shall see the saluation of our god And again I euē I am the lord beside me there is no moschia that is sauiour There be many such testimonies as these in Esay 33.46.66 in many other places He is called in the 54. of Esa. a redemer For he that made thee is thine husband or he shal rule ouer thee which was thy maker His name is the lord of hostes or Iehouah Zebaoth And thy redeemer the holy one of Israel shall be called God of the whole earth Here this word Goel is vsed which signifieth a sauior or deliuerer which epitheton in the scriptures is alwais attributed vnto Christ And Es saith The redemer shal come vnto Sion vnto thē that turne frō iniquity in Iacob saith the Lord. S. Paul to the Rom. citeth this text of Christ our only deliuerer in Sion And therfore Ose saith thus I wil redeme them frō the power of the graue I wil deliuer them frō death O death I wil be thy death O graue I wil be thy destruction Death where is thy sting hell where is thy victory But we wil speake more hereof in another place And yet mark here by the way that this word Goel or redemer in the prophets signifieth not only man but also very god And therfore is he much more mighty then sinne death and hel and he both wil can saue deliuer vs And thus vpō such a sure and sound foundatiō as you see is our catholike faith grounded Now note the doctrine of the Apostles grounded and stayed vpon these testimonies of scripture in the new testament Paul saith Christ is our redemption Christ gaue himselfe for our sinnes that he might deliuer vs from this present euil world We haue redemption by the bloud of Christ Christ deliuereth vs frō the wrath to come We loke for that blessed hope appearing of the glory of the mighty god of our sauior Iesus Christ Vnto you is born this day in the city of Dauid a sauiour which is Christ the lord The new testamēt is ful of such sentences Againe the Psalmist witnesseth that Christ is our shepeherd that we be his shepe that he carefully kepeth preserueth vs fedeth vs in his pleasaunt pastures vnto euerlasting life And he speakes only of Christ saieng Come let vs worship and fall downe and kneele before the lord our maker For he is our God we are the people of hys pasture the sheep of his hād And the 100. Psa saith thus Know ye that euē the lord is god he hath made vs and not we our selues we are his people and shepe of his pasture Esa. saith He shal feed his flock like a sheepeherd he shal gather the lambes with his arme and cary them in his bosome shal guide thē with yong And Christ in Ioh. calleth himself that good shepeheard which giueth his life for the sheepe he promiseth them eternal life saying No man shall plucke them out of my hand And Luke saith He is a faithful shepeheard which seketh the lost shepe when he findeth it he laieth it on his shoulders with ioy bringeth it home Iere. saith He that scattered Israel wil gather him will kepe him as a shepeheard doth his flocke For the lord hath redemed Iacob and ransomed him from the hand of him that is stronger then he This is not to be vnderstood of the carnal but euen of the spirituall Israell whether they be Iewes or Gentiles And Zach. sayth Arise O sword vpō my shepeherd vpon the man that is my felow
For that same word in that holy tonge is vsed also actiuely in this same signification in which the Latine translator doth here vse it calling it a Sauiour or deliuerer And the 70. Translators do nothing differ from our interpreter For they vse in this place this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth sauing The Iewes also before the comming of Messias at Babylon vnderstood this word actiuely For their Thargum hath it thus sakai vporik which is to say innocent a deliuerer or sauior The prophet also calleth him Poore the Hebrue word is Eny which signifieth carefull contrite in hart sory tormented hūbled and one of a lowly humble mind in whom is no hautines no cruelty no pride no swelling But one in whom is all meekenes lowlines humility and myldnes and one whose good will toward others is such that he is much troubled and greued at their hurtes and misfortunes Wherupon S. Mathew alledging this prophesie vseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is meeke And of this his meekenes and humblenes he gaue some testimony when he rode to Ierusalem vpon an asse And yet for all this the highest and chiefest estates of Ierusalem did so tirannically hate him that as enuious bloudsuckers they sought all occasions they could to kil him But Christ nothing moued with their enuy and as it were not regarding his death which he knew certaynly the princes of Ierusalem with the Pharises and Scribes went about did this present daunger of his lyfe not regarded euen from his very hart bewayle both the blindnes of the men and the calamity and destruction of the city yea they were the greatest things that troubled him For his bitter teares sufficiently witnessed both his griefe for them good wil towards them This his heauenly hart which appeared so mild and so pitifull toward his neighbor was farre from all ostentation For he nothing esteemed riches worldly traine pompe and vanitie as appeareth by the whole course of his lyfe which he led here in lowlines pouerty trouble grief danger and grieuous sorow and he himselfe is witnes of this where he saith The Foxes haue dennes but the sonne of man hath not where on to lay his head But this his humble entring into the city all without ostentation doth plainly inough argue his humilitie pouerty Zachary saith not that he rode to Ierusalem like an armed emperour reioicing triumphing in scarlet in purple glistring robes and in cloth of gold vpō a lusty palfrey magnifically sadled princely trapped with a great troupe and gard that he might amase men The prophet sayth not that Christ came so But he saith he sate vpō an asse a beast which is vile poore contemptible and ridiculous And in that his so doing he shewed a very great lowlines humility modesty and meekenes yea such that no man neede be afrayd of him This was fulfilled vpon Palme sonday when Christ sent his disciples to fetch an asse with her colt from Bethfage vnto mount Oliuet and came into the city vpon her as the euangelist Mathew saith witnessing of the fulfilling of this prophesie It foloweth in the prophet And I will cutte of the chariots from Ephraim and the horse from Ierusalem Here the prophet sheweth the nature and condiciō of Christ his kingdome For seyng he had called Christ a kyng which should come vnto his people he must also haue a kingdom But marke what and what maner of one his kingdome is It is not an earthly or a worldly kingdom neither is it ruled or gouerned and mainteined by hostes of men munition or mans power and strength nor by any such means as earthly kingdoms are ruled and gouerned And therfore he saith that he wil take away and destroy their chariots horses bowes Which kind of munition in this world princes vse eyther to establishe their kingdomes or to repulse the force and violence of their enemies which either seeke the vpper hand or els to increase and inlarge the territories of their owne dominions Esay also describeth the kingdom of Christ much after this sort saying The law shall go forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem and he shall iudge among the nations and rebuke many people they shal breake their swordes also into mattocks and their speares into sithes nation shall not lift vp a sword against nation neither shall they learne to fight any more By Ephraim Zachary vnderstandeth the ten tribes of Israel which beyng vnder Roboam fell away from the house of Dauid to Ieroboam set vp a kingdom of their owne Whereby the Prophet meaneth that whē Christ should come these two kingdomes Iuda and Israel should not continue any longer deuided but bee made one vnder the true king Christ Which thing came then to passe when Christ his Apostles preached in Galily and in all those countries euen to Ierusalem when Christ the true prince in Israel gathered together into the vnitie of the Christian fayth all his people by preaching of his Gospel It followeth And he shal speake or he wil teach peace c. That is Christ will not establish or preserue his kingdome with armour because he is called the kyng of peace He shal raign gouerne his kingdom not as the world doth but spiritually by his word in which the very true peace safety tranquillity health and chiefe felicity is preached and deliuered not to the Iewes alone but to all the whole world euen the Gentiles also This peace doth farre and infinitely excell the peace of this world For it is a most perfect peace with God our most mighty lord He which is at peace with God to wit with whom God is well pleased and to whom God is fauourable mercifull and gratious that man may stoutly stand without feare He is out of danger he sayleth in safety he as one sitting on an high rock or a sure and inuincible tower may looke and laugh at his enemies below and he both may ought hartily to reioyce and be mery in the lord And such now be we for we haue peace with God or towards God through Christ our onely mediator and aduocate As Paul witnesseth to the Rom. saying We were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne Christ is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken the stop of the partition wall in abrogating through his flesh the hatred that is the law of commaundementes which standeth in ordinances for to make of twaine one new man in himselfe so making peace And that he might reconcile both vnto God in one body by his crosse and slay hatred therby and came and preached peace to you which were a farre of and to them that were nere for thorough him we both haue an entrance vnto the father by one spirite Esay also hath delectably and pleasauntly prophesied that Christ and his Apostles should be the ioyfull messengers of that
most plentifull and perfite comfort and singular hope seyng the true and naturall sonne of God nothing neding our helpe would so humble and debase himselfe that beyng our lorde he did vouchsafe to become our seruant and tooke vpon him and bare our heauy lode and burden of sinne and put himselfe in our place and suffred death for vs and payd our dets which we our selues should haue payd If at this his comming he had shewed himself lordlyke and had come in the mighty power and greatnes of his godhead and had vsed and shewed his might maiesty where should we poore wretches miserable sinners haue appeared whither should we haue fled or with what face could we now approch come so often into his sight seyng we so oftentymes offended him and know so much euill by our selues but now seing he commeth in such humility like a seruant and sheweth such humblenes modesty and gentlenes in his person may not we hope to receue of him grace and forgiuenes of our sinnes yea although we were drowned in a most deepe whirle poole of sinne and though we were guilty of neuer so much wickednesse Truly this seruice of Christ is to God a most delectable acceptable and precious seruice which he greatly estemeth and deliteth most to haue offred vnto him And this order Paul kepeth in preaching Christ De doth not first extoll magnify and set forth the great wonderful power and maiesty of Christ but he first preacheth that crucified Christ and telleth vs that of his owne free will he became weake for vs and humbled himselfe most lowly for vs and was despised and abased for vs And when he hath well beaten these things into his auditors eares then he sheweth into what power deuine dignity he was exalted through his humility As we may reade for example in the 2. chap to the Philip. It followeth I will stay vpon him The Hebrue word Asmech doth signify to put vnder to vnder proppe to lay ones hand on a thing to leane to or stay on a thing so that the substance and stay of the humaine nature in Christ may very well be here vnderstood to wit that his humanity is vnited to his deuinity in vnity of person according to S. Paules saying to the Col. In him dwelleth all the fulnes of the godhead bodily Let him therfore which seketh God seke him in no other place but in this chosen seruant nay rather in our only lord Iesus Christ and in him he shall not seeke God in vayne but shall finde him most fruitfully In him only shall he feele the fatherly loue of God toward vs. It followeth My elected Christ is the true elected and dearely beloued sonne of God whom God so tenderly dearly and ardently loueth that for this his beloued elected and only begotten sonnes sake He hath through Christ Iesus beloued chosen and predestinated vs that he might adopt vs to be his children which were worthy nothing els but heauy wrath and sharpe punishment It followeth In whom I am well pleased The father frō heauen spake these very same wordes in Mathew and can we then doubt any thing hereafter of the grace of God in Christ If God the father be well pleased in Christ surely he will be well pleased in all them which are his sonnes which do beleue in his sonne Christ as the gospell euery where teacheth vs. I haue put my spirit vpon him and so it is sayd in Iohn The Lord hath not giuē him his spirit by measure For he was annoynted with the oyle of gladnes aboue his fellowes And Iohn sayth The spirit discended from heauen like a doue and it abode vpon him And Esay sayth The spirit of the Lord God is vpon me therefore hath the Lord annoynted me c. He shall bring forth iudgement vnto the Gentils Here Esay setteth forth the person of Christ in very pleasant and louing wordes saying He commeth vnto vs not as a prince swelling in pride or hautines of hart bragging himselfe of his regal power and desiring and neding the prayse and helpe of men but he commeth as a gentle milde and courteous teacher who deliteth to instruct vs and to bestowe and poure foorth vppon vs all his dignities benefits and gracious goodnesse And here he speaketh of Christes doctrine that is of the gospell saying that it should not onely be preached amongst the Iewes but through the whole world euen amongst the Gentils also And he calleth the gospel or the doctrine of Christ his iudgement because the holy ghost by the Gospell rebuketh the sinnes of the world reiecteth condemneth the righteousnes of the whole world and al the strength merites of this our sinfull and corrupted nature and teacheth vs that they are all folish and of none effect to the deseruing of the grace of God euerlasting life and that they deserue not the name of that righteousnesse which is allowed before God and which may be set against his seuere iudgemēt And in this gospel he setteth forth offreth vnto vs the righteousnes of Christ which is the alone onely most true perfit righteousnes which is able to coūteruail the wrath of god And he biddeth vs trust in Christ which thing alone doth iustify make vs acceptable before god There be many sayings testimonies like to these cōcerning the calling of the Gentils to the gospell plentifully set forth in the scriptures in euery place as Psal. 17.18.21.45 56.64.66.71.85.45.101.106 116. Esai 2.9.11.27.42.49.51.54.55.60.65.66 Iere. 3. 16. Hosea 1.2 Mich. 4.5 Zeph. 2.3 Zach. 2.8.9 Math. 2.21 28. Luk. 2.23 Ioh. 10. Acts. 2.10.11.13.14.15.18.22.26.28 Rom. 3.4.9.10.11.15 Eph. 2.3 Col. 1. 1. Thes 2. 1. Pet. 2. It followeth in the Prophet He shall not cry nor lift vp his voyce That is Christ shall not come after the maner of a mighty Prince swelling in pride neyther lyke a tyrant vaunting of his power and might which maketh all men feare and dread him but he shall come like a most louing and comfortable teacher and as one which wil rule and gouerne his kingdome with all humility facilitie curtesie and gentlenesse And therfore his voyce shall not be fearefull fierce rough seuere or cruel but sweete louing comfortable pleasant ioyfull and amiable He shall haue none of that stately high mynded disdainful and hauty behauiour which the princes of this worlde shew and vse Who if they go a progresse or trauaile any where are mightily garded and haue about them great troupes of horsemen footemen timbrels trumpets shawmes hornes and cornets so that euery man must needes quake and be afraid to heare and see such a stirre there shall no such a doe and hurly burly be sene in or about Christ he shall not cry he shall not turne any man away with bitter hawry and cruell wordes neyther shall he disdaine terrifie and driue men away with his hye proud and great lookes but he
liuely word where Christ is called a father for euer so depely and thorowly sinke into our harts and because we do not meditate so of it do not so wel vnderstand it nor so stedfastly beleue it as Paul did For our harts would not so faile vs as they do if we beleued and certainly knew what a God what a King what a lyfe and what a father Christ is vnto all those that faithfully beleue The name is Sarscholam that is a prince of peace Christ hath a kingdom wherin is peace security safety freedome from death Satan and all other dangers But here is all the labor and trauel to come vnto to attaine to dwel in that euerlasting kingdom If we be once there then are we safe without gunshot then are we sure then are we in a most happy state If sinne pricke vs in our consciences Christ is by by at hand defendeth vs He toke our sinnes vpon him and satisfied for them and became our righteousnes He put out as Paule saith the hand writing of ordinances that was against vs which was contrary to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the crosse Of this true heauenly peace the scripture speaketh in many places As to the Rom. where Paule sayth We haue peace toward God through our lord Iesus Christ Sinne had made vs the enemies of God as Paul calleth vs in the same place But Christ himself wiped away our sinnes and reconciled vs vnto God so that now he is not an enemy or iudge vnto vs but a welbeloued father For if when we were his enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled we shal be saued by his lyfe And not onely so but also reioycing in god through our lord Iesus Christ by whom we haue receiued the atonement And nowe in Christ Iesus we which once were farre of are made neere by the bloud of Christ for he is our peace This therefore is true peace when we haue peace with God through our mediator peacemaker Christ For what would the peace and friendship of all the world and worldly creatures auaile profit vs if God were our enemy and angry with vs but if God who taketh more care for vs and loueth vs better then any father doth hys children fight for vs if we be at one with him if he wish vs wel and if he profit vs what can now hurt vs how can the earth with all the creatures therein euen once touch vs Thus you heare that when we beleue in Christ we haue this peace with God thorough Christ so that we may now say If God be on our side who can be against vs and he that kepeth Israel will neither slumber nor slepe Wherefore although we haue affliction in this world yet haue we perfect peace in Christ our peace-maker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Sarscholam that is the prince of peace or peacemaker He obtained merited peace for vs with God the father giueth vs his spirite the spirit of peace that we may also haue peace with our neighbour He wisheth vs this peace saying Peace I leaue with you my peace I giue you not as the world giueth it c. He also preserueth vs that we be not hurt of our enemies that we may be safe from all dangers By these epithetons names of Christ many mysteries are to be noted as that he is true God that he shold die because he was borne a mā but that he should not abide in deth because he was to raign eternally Wherby is plainly truly proued that both Christ we shal rise againe For we which beleue in Christ both are his members enheritance and kingdom shal be for euer The sonne hath prayed for vs his praiers are heard The father hath giuen vs his sonne with him shall we dwel for euer Our mansion house our lodging our abiding place is already prepared And Christ saith in Ioh. Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am In the wordes following the prophet Esay prophecieth of the euerlasting kyngdome of Christ how it should be great seyng he was to be king not only of the Iewes but euen of the Gentils also dispersed through the whole world how he should daily increase and inlarge his dominion euen to the last day and how he should execute confirme establish and for euer preserue and gouerne the same by iustice and iudgement but of this part of the prophesie I will speake more by Gods grace in the title of the kingdome of Christ You haue heard before where I expoūded the 5. of Micheas and the 2. of Luke where and how the child Christ should be borne Well then Christ was borne at Bethelem Iuda in December in the midst of Winter and was swadled layd in a manger For Ioseph and Mary could not be lodged in any Inne for there was no roume for them The holy prophet foretold this sacred and blessed birth of Christ as you haue heard And the angels from heauen afterward did declare it vnto the shepeheardes in Luke where the angel saith Be not afraid for behold I bring you tidings of great ioy that shal be to all the people that is that vnto you is borne this day a sauiour in the city of Dauid which is Christ the lord And straight way ther was with the Aungell a multitude of heauenly souldiours praysing God and saying glory be to God in the heauens and peace in earth towards men good wil. The shepeherdes which saw this birth of Christ published and shewed it abroade The starre also in the East and the wisemen which came thēce vnto Bethelem were witnesses of the birth of Christ Simeon also Anna in the temple saw this childe who was the promised author of our saluation and they bare witnes that Messias was present And this doth the whole church of Christ beleue confesse preach and declare through all the world and the name of God is preached and praised in euery place And these glad tidings to wit that Iesus Christ our saluation is borne in Bethelem is preached in euery place And Ierusalem that is the catholike church doth reioyce and skippe for ioy for this natiuity bringeth vnto vs all felicity saluation and consolation ⧠Of Christes flying into Egypt ¶ Anna. WHat say the Prophetes of Christes flying into Egypt ☞ Vrb. Mathew saith in his 2. chap. when the wise men of the East returned from India they returned into their own country an other way and went not to Herode After their departure the angel of the lord appeared vnto Ioseph in a dreame saying arise and take the babe his mother flie into Egypt there lie vntil I bring thee word for Herod wil seke
of Math. he made a poore man see he made the dūme speake the deafe here he cast forth a spirit and restored the dry hand and in the 15. of Math. he healed the Cananites daughter which was troubled with a deuil he restored the lame the blind the deafe the dumme the maimed many other diseased to their former helth And so by these his mighty actes strange maruels he sheweth that he was the true Messias of whom Esay writeth thus Hee wil destroy death for euer or he deuoured it or swalowed it vp For he called the dead to life again As the princes of the sinagogs daughter the widowes daughter and Lazarus which had lyen in the graue 4. dayes and did stinke The raising of these to life was a foreshewyng certification confirmation sure argument of his true resurrection from the dead Of which we in the last day also shal be pertakers when the lord shall sūmon all the dead raised out of their graue before his tribunall seat in the twinckling of an eye We may finde his other miracles wōders which he wroght est down in the euangelists so that it is not nedefull here to speake any more of them ¶ Anna. Now I know why you still apply and include those miracles that Christ did in the gospel as his restoring of the sick to helth and the dead to lyfe in the article of the resurrection of the dead to wit that we may more surely aod deepely by these miracles imprint and ground in our harts the hie mistery of the last rising agayne of the body and that we may therby confirme and kepe the fayth hope of our resurrectiō But now explicat proue out of the prophets the other articles of Messias to wit of his passion descēding into hel resurrectiō of his kingdō ¶ Of the death descending into hell and the glorious resurrection of Christ of the causes and infinite commodities of his passion resurrection and of his euerlasting kingdome Vrbanus THese in deede were the chiefe articles which Christ taught Cleophas his companion as they went to Emaus And seyng the holy prophets prophesie of these ministeries of Christ in one place annexe them together we will also speake of them together as it were knit them vp in one and open them seuerally or ioyntly as the prophesies giue occasion And first of all let vs heare the worthy prophet Dauid in the 8. Psalm where he sayth What is man that thou art so myndful of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him for thou hast made him little lower thē God crowned him with glory worship thou hast made him to haue dominion in the works of thine hands Thou hast put al things vnder his feet all sheep oxen yea and the beasts of the field the foules of the aire the fish of the sea and that which passeth thorough the pathes of the seas O lord our lord how excellent is thy name in all the world This psalme which the new testament doth soundly opē vnto vs prophesieth of Messias saying that it should come to passe that for a tyme Christ should be humbled debased and as it were forsaken of God the father And that tyme was the space of 3. dayes when he was taken deliuered to the Iewes and Gentils and when they beat him with whips crouned him with thornes crucified him killed him and buried him The Hebrues text is thus Vathechasrehu meat meeloim that is for a tyme thou sufferedst him to be without God or thou shalt suffer him a while to be forsaken of god For it seemed that God had forsaken him all the tyme of his passion euen vnto the third day because he suffred him to be slaine and buried And the Iewes thought that Christ had bene dead in deede and vtterly destroyed Neither did they vnderstand that comfortable decree of the Lord how that therefore he sent his sonne that he might by his crosse reconcile his father to vs and that Christ suffred not of constraynt but was willingly and gladly obedient vnto his father euen vnto the death the death of the crosse The Greeke text is thus As Paule also citeth it to the Hebrues in the 2. chap. where this Psalm also is applyed to Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Thou hast made him a little inferiour to the Angels The Caldee Bible hath in that place mi maleachia that is from the Angels As our Lord sayde vnto Peter when he had cutte of the eare of the high priestes seruauntes and so thought to helpe Christ Thinkest thou that I can not nowe praye to my father and hee will giue me moe then 12. legions of angels how thē should the scriptures be fulfilled which saye it must be so Christ would here stand great neede of help that therby he might succor vs For for our sakes he came into the erth humbled himself and suffred himself to be forsaken to wāt al help so that no angel could help or deliuer him Paul vnto the Hebr. expoundeth these words of the Psal. applieth them vnto Christ saying For in that he hath put al things in subiection vnder him hee left nothing that should not be subiect vnto him but yet we see not all thinges subdued vnto him but we se Iesus crouned with glory honor which was made a little inferior to the angels through the suffring of death that by gods grace he might tast death for al men for it became him for whō are al things by whom are al things seyng he brought many children vnto glory that he shold consecrate the prince of our saluation through afflictions for he which sanctifieth they which are sanctified are al of one And so the prophet marueleth that this true man sonne of man was for the little time of his preaching and passion here vpon earth forsaken contēned humbled or abased but after a little that is after 3. dayes highly glorified honored crouned made lord of al creatures in heauen earth And that afterward his name became renomned famous and admirable through the whole world As Paul out of this Psal. teacheth at large to the Ephes where he sayth That the god of our Lorde Iesus Christ the father of glory might giue vnto you the spirit of wisdom reuelation through the knowledge of him that the eies of your vnderstanding may bee lightened that ye may know what the hope is of gods calling what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in his saintes what is the exceding greatnes of his power towards vs which beleue according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him vp frō the dead set him at hys right hand in the heauenly places far aboue al principalitie power might dominion and euery name that is named not in this world only but also in that that
our body here is a natural body and to the fustentation therof we must if we wil liue eate drinke slepe disgest purge And the same body is weried and in the ende corrupteth and fadeth And therfore as sone as that soule departeth frō the body the corps beginneth to smell putrify so that no man can abide the stinke therof This is the dishonor which for sinne is laid vpon the body But in the last day the lord wil trāsfigure our body into such brightnes make it so beautiful that it shal be like the sunne so shal alway abide continue a firm sound immortal body without bodily meat fed of god for euer And therfore saith Paul pointing as it were to his body with his finger this corruptible body wherin I now stād sit walke speake this same body I say must put on incorruption this mortal must put on immortalitie When this corruptible body hath put on incorruption this mortal hath put on immortalitie then shall bee brought to passe the saying that is written Death is swalowed vp into victory ¶ Anna. Now I haue heard the fruit of Christes passion resurrection which I take to be this That what Satan in Adam our nature by sin had corrupted destroyed the Christ by his death resurrection hath recouered restored to wit he hath destroyed sin ouercome death giuen life that we which beleue in Christ may be deliuered from our sins freed from the tiranny of deth the diuel be made heires of euerlasting life Now shew me what maner of kingdom Christs kingdom is which is so magnifically set forth promised vnto vs in the law prophets and euangelists ☞ Vrb. The kingdom of Christ which is promised in the prophets is a spirituall kingdom not of this world it is a kingdom of euerlasting blessednes mercy truth righteousnes peace life wisdom light ioy security liberty euerlasting saluatiō in which Christ the king of glory being taken vp into heauen exalted at the right hand of god doth by the gospel the holy ghost in fayth raigne inuisibly gouern defend al that beleue in him euen in the midst of their cruel deadly enemies to wit the world Satan heretikes persecuters of the church sin death Moreouer he is our intercessor in heauen to god the father he forgiueth vs our sinnes he sēdeth his holy spirit into our hartes he renueth repayreth our corrupted depraued decaied nature and he restoreth in vs the most beutiful image of god which through sinne was blotted out destroyed in vs To be briefe he sanctifieth vs defendeth vs preserueth vs in all dangers euils and so he in this life euen vnto the day of iudgement gathereth vp into his kingdom which is the true catholike church of the godly the children of God dispersed throughout the whole world He ouercōmeth in them sinne death the prince of this world by this means he prepareth maketh thē redy for that great glorious day of our full perfect redemption And although the godly die in the mortal body yet will he raise thē all again at the last day and they shall liue with Christ for euer But vntil the day both the euil and the good the godly the vngodly shal be mixt dwel together and the vngodly wil colourably seeke to beare a face and outward shew of godlines wil also be taken in place for godly nay they will be the chiefe in this earth and sit as magistrates vaunt themselues to be the heads of the church as Annas and Caiphas did in Christes tyme yea they wil root out curse and vehemētly persecute the true godly to the vttermost For in deede the true church is so hidden in this world the some times in great temptations it cannot for a space see it selfe ¶ Anna. What meaneth the miserable people the Anabaptists what madnes moueth them to seeke to cōgregate a church heare in this world which shold be pure vnspotted vndefiled and without all blot and where in they wil haue no sinner seing that euē the godly offend fal in many things the greatest part of those which are called christiās are mere hypocrits very wicked mē ☞ Vrb. These miserable mē vnderstand not the scriptures And therefore they know not what is the true church what maner of church it is or what the state of the true church is in this world Christ only is he which at the last day shal purge the chaffe that is the vngodly frō the good wheat which is the godly christians In the meane time that godly are compelled here to dwel liue among the vngodly And yet shall they not haue any discōmōditie or losse therby if they learne not at thē to liue be vngodly The godly may bear publik offices haue such politike functions as the ciuile magistrate doth ordain so long as they be not cōmaunded compelled to do that that is contrary to the commaundement of God and his holy word yea they both may with a safe conscience also ought as far as belōgeth to the body tēporal goods vse al humane publike ordināces and cōtracts which make for that maintenāce of this life society If so be they may be suffred to kepe retaine the true doctrine of the sauing gospel liue as it cōmādeth ¶ Anna. Seing you haue alredy described the kingdom of Christ I pray you discouer me the kingdō of Satan ☞ Vrb. Sathans kingdom is quite contrary vnto the kingdom of Christ it is a kingdom of euerlasting perdicion of lies of death of sinne of ignorance of blindnes of darkenes of heauines of affliction of sorrowe and of continuall captiuity and damnation And this kingdom of condemnation beginneth in this worlde and hath in it all the vngodly which will not beleue and obey the Gospell in whom the euill spirit worketh and is effectual And therupon is called in Iohn the prince of this world the god of this world This spirit blindeth the mynds of that vnbeleuers so that they see not the most cleare light of the gospel of the clearenes of Iesus Christ which is the image and caracter of God. ¶ Anna. How doth Sathan raigne in this world ☞ Vrb He is the strong man armed in his house of whō Luke speaketh who kepeth the wicked in his hande and hath thē in his power driueth thē whether he will at his pleasure Paul saith he bindeth thē holdeth thē in strōg lies errors darknes bewitcheth their harts and casteth thē hedlong into al wickednes filthines vncleannes and moueth and inflameth thē to all vngodlines Satan is alwais an enemy and an aduersary vnto true christians in all their godly enterprises procedings He stirreth vp fals teachers and draweth many into horrible heresies He alwais maketh
moueth sedition bloudshed warre strife brauling grudging debate hatred He neuer slepeth he is alwayes watching he daily traueleth laboureth very sedulously and all to this ende that he may hurt man bryng him into some misery destructiō of body soul name goods He stirreth vp most cruel persecutiōs sharp stormes and poisonfull hatred against the godly To be short what euil calamity wickednes abhominations diuelishnes is done in al the earth he is the causer therof and to speake at a word he hindereth as much as in him lieth the gospel kingdom of Christ and laboreth both day night with all his might with hand and foote with tooth nayle that the territories therof be not augmēted enlarged But al his force studies and practises shall be frustrate For we haue on our side with vs the angels the good spirits of god which repugn and resist Satan Yea we haue Christ himself with vs who is a fiery brasen wall about al that faithful that the euil spirits do thē no harme nor iniury but that they may be in safety and with out danger Satan is an horrible enemy in deede so forceable that vnles god by his holy angels hindered and destroied his deuises withstood and resisted his assaults there should be no family in the whole world in which he should not euery day cause worke wickednes slaughter calamity tumultes sorrow debates mourning all kind of mischief nay rather he would disturbe destroy dissolue ouerthrow and make a confusion hauocke of the whole world he is an euerlasting irreconcilible bloudy deadly sworn enemy to al the godly And he maketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bellum continual war without any truce vpon the godly euen to the last day And therfore we must both morning euening euery day giue thanks to God because that of his fatherly mercy towards vs he doth so wondrously so mightily and so gloriously defend and kepe vs from so cruell horrible mischieuous mighty and noisome enemies ¶ Anna. We ought so to do in dede And I wil do it with all my hart with all diligence as my duty is For we are bound to be thankfull to our good father God almighty because he hath in such great dangers so carefully prouided for vs preserued vs from all enemies and euils For we haue often seene how these wicked sprites lay wait for vs and seke by al meanes to endamage vndo and destroy vs But God hath opēly frustrated all their assaults And now I pray you recite expound the prophesies of the mystery of our fayth to wit of the death resurrection and kingdome of Christ which we haue now in hand ☞ Vrb. I wil first begin to recite the testimonies of the Psalmes as I haue done before For of al the prophets Dauid is the floure for he prophesieth much plainly euidently of Christ who should be born of his familie or tribe according to his humanity of all his workes mysteries You haue heard before how the kingdom of Christ was described in the 2. Psal. where God the father did not onely constitute his sonne king ouer the Iewes but also gaue him the Gentils of the whole world for his inheritance Wherupon it followeth that Christ should not abide in death although he died as true mā of the seed of Dauid For it was requisite that accordyng to the decree and statute of God the father he should be king ouer the whole world Which thing could not haue bene in any corporall worldly maner as the Iewes dreamed that Messias should rule haue in this world a great corporall kingdom And therfore it was necessary that the state and condicion of Christes kingdome should be altogether of another sort then the kingdomes of this brickle frail life are Christs kingdom was to be euerlasting he which is in that kingdō shal for euer haue euerlasting righteousnes peace safety life felicity eternal saluation And therfore he endeth the psal with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conclusiue exclamation Blessed are all they which trust in the lord But he speaketh not of a tēporal blessing here in this world For the king himself and his chief nobles his welbeloued prophets and apostles had no great plenty here of worldly welth and pleasure of this life but were miserably afflicted and always subiect to many grieuous perils calamities In the 3. Psal. Dauid saith I take my rest and sleepe I rise agayne for the lord sustaineth me The old church a thousand yeres ago vnderstood this prophesie of the true death and resurrection of Christ as appeareth by Arnobius And againe Dauid saith O giue saluatiō vnto Israel out of Sion when the lord turneth the captiuitie of his people then Iacob shal reioyce and Israel shal be glad Here Dauid in sprite desireth and godly and feruently prayeth Messias who onely is called in the holy scriptures the true sauiour and redeemer seeing both the Iewes and Gentiles by him are deliuered from all euils and perils that they may through him and in him enioy euerlasting blessednes S. Augustine also taketh these wordes to bee ment of Christ And take this wife for an infallible rule for you in the scripture that in so much as there is but one onely deliuerer giuen of God vnto men by whom they may be iustified and saued that Christ is truely properly certainly ment signified and vnderstood in all those and such places where there is mention made eyther of saluation sauiour redeemer or deliuerer whether it be spoken in figures or playne and manifest wordes For seyng Israel and Iacob that is the catholike church beyng congregated of the Iewes Gentils should be glad reioyce in Christ they must liue in peace and security That cannot be vnles such troubles be taken away the conscience be comforted death abolished These words therfore importe and plainly shew that our redemer out of Sion or as it is in Thargum our redemption saluation which is Christ himself shal take away destroy all those things that trouble afflict that godly to wit an euil conscience tribulation sinne persecution and all kind of vexation death it self c. For of necessity he must lead captiuity captiue that is he must ouercome Satan who hath vs in captiuity and he must deliuer vs from his tiranny Christ in the Psalmes sayth My flesh also doth rest in hope For thou wilt not leaue my soule in hel or in the graue neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruptō Thou wilt shew me the path of life In thy presence is the fulnes of ioy at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore We can haue no surer nor better expounders of the prophets then the Apostles and Euangelistes And Peter and Paul haue expounded this prophesie to be ment of Christ saying that he should
dye and be buried but not corrupt and rotte as our sinfull flesh doth and that his blessed deuine soule should not be cast in hell or graue but be vnited againe to the body that he should rise agayne from death sit at the right hand of God giue vs euerlasting lyfe It was meet that he should be the first fruites of thē which were dead that by his glorious resurrection he might open vs the true gate vnto lyfe and make the way for vs by which we also must go to him But Peter and Iohn the other Apostles before Christs rising againe vnderstood not this although they had heard it oftentymes vntill they saw the lord aliue agayne Wherfore it is no wonder though Cleophas and his companion vnderstood it not Dauid saith O lord my God I cryed vnto thee and thou hast restored me O lord thou hast broght vp my soul out of the graue Thou hast reuiued me from them that go downe into the pitte Arnobius and Augustine vnderstande this prophesie of the death and resurrection of Christ And againe he sayth God shall deliuer my soule from the power of the graue for he will receiue me Selah The church vnderstādeth these wordes also to be ment of the death descending into hell and risyng agayne of Iesus Christ And in another place he sayeth Thou hast shewed me great troubles and aduersities but thou wilt returne reuiue me And wil come again take me vp frō the depth of the earth These wordes also doth Arnobius expound of the death of Christ of his descendyng into hel and of his resurrection And againe in the 86. Psal. Christ saith to God the father Thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest graue S. Augustine and with him the whole church of Affrica vnderstand this to bee vndoubtedly ment of the descending of Christ into hell of his rising againe The 22. psalm doth more fully and plainly then any other describe the passion resurrectiō and euerlasting kingdom of Christ And there are the very same wordes in which Christ in his great agony his extreme necessitie called vnto his father vpon the crosse And that psalm describeth Christ his passion also setteth forth the fruite of his death resurrection saying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me All they which see me haue me in derision they make a mo nod their hed saying He trusted in the lord let him deliuer him let him saue him seyng he loueth him They perced my handes and my feet I may tel al my bones yet they behold and looke vpon me They part my garments amōg them and cast lottes vpon my vesture Behold how exactly how liuely how truly and how excellently the holy ghost foretold Christes passion vsing the very same wordes which the Iewes vsed when they mocked Christ hanging on the crosse And the Euangelists are witnesses that al these things happened in his passion which were fore told of it And they recite the very same words to the end they may proue that it was the good will both of God the father and the son that Christ suffered seing the holy ghost prophesied many yeres before that all these things should happen vnto Christ Yea the spirite foreshewed also that Christ by this his passion should enter into his glory be lord ouer al things As before ye haue heard in the 8. psalm But in this 22. psal he saith I will declare thy name vnto my brethren and in the middest of the congregation will I praise thee Do you see he shal first suffer his passiō but he shall not bide in his passion and death For euen thē shal he magnify his fathers name and make it famous and wel known through the whole world by this glorious and famous preaching of Gods mercies in that he spared not his owne onely sonne but gaue him for our sakes to the death of the crosse that we might therby obtaine the benefite of euerlasting lyfe For so it followeth in the psalm The poore shal eate and be satisfied they that seeke after the lord shal prayse him their harts shall liue for euer This eating and satisfieng of the poore is a spiritual satisfieng when the poore sinners eate the true bread of heauen that is when they heare the gospel of Christes humanity passion and resurrection and kepe it in their hartes by fayth For then are they fed by it vnto euerlasting life according to that of Iohn I am the liuing bread which came down from heauen if any man eate of this bread hee shall liue for euer Neither can mans cōscience be otherwise satisfied and set at quiet that it be not vexed and troubled by any other thing but onely by Christ apprehended by fayth It followeth All the endes of the world shall remember themselues and turne to the Lord and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee For the kingdome is the lordes and he ruleth among the nations This is when men by the preaching and doctrine of the Gospell are put in mynd of gods great benefites and are constrayned to acknowledge worship confesse glorify and call vpon Christ their lord who is appointed of God the father to be the head of all things and king ouer all nations of the whole world Here haue ye the kingdome of Christ which is the holy catholike church spread ouer the face of the whole earth And now in all things and places where that euill spirit the deuill before ruled by lying hauing seduced all people and led them into all kindes of errors and idolatry that they might be as Paul sayth without Christ without the worde without hope and without God in the world there I say in those partes shall Christ now be heard It followeth their seede shall serue him and the lord shal be preached from age to age But if Christ shal haue seede that is to say spirituall children borne by the gospell as well of the Iewes as Gentiles as you see by this text he must then can he not be ouercome by deth nor abide in the graue For how could he then regenerate and congregate the Gentiles together into the catholike fayth and rule such an empire which should fill the whole world whose dominion should not extende through one piece of the earth onely but thorough the whole circuit of the wide world and so cōtinue for euer world without end For whosoeuer beleueth in Christ shal be partaker of euerlasting lyfe Wheresoeuer therfore the prophets set down the kingdom of Christ saying that it shall haue continual peace health and felicitye there is set downe and in dede declared the deth and resurrection of Christ and all christian men For if Christ shal be a king and set vp and haue an heauenly and euerlasting kingdome it must needes follow that he should leaue this temporall mortall lyfe by death
the humility passion of Christ which of his owne free will he would suffer because they vnderstood the purpose of Gods workes to wit that he would make Christ the Lord and head of the church and that he would with great admiratiō build vp Sion the holy church through all the world They desired to see such a king and his great kingdome reuealed vnto them by the spirite yea to see hym euen with theyr corporal eyes as Christ witnesseth in Luke where he sayth Blessed are those eyes which see that ye see For I tell you that many Prophets and Kinges haue desired to see those thinges which ye see and haue not sene thē and to heare those things which ye heare and haue not heard them And agayne Dauid sayth The Lorde sayde vnto my Lord sitte thou at my right hande vntill I make thine enemies thy footestoole The Lorde shall sende the rod of thy power out of Sion thou ruler in the midst of thine enemies He shall drinke of the brooke in the way therfore shall he lift vp his head In this Psalme is a most comfortable prophesie of Christ howe hee must be placed at Gods right hande that is that he shall be exalted vnto most high glory honor dignity power But yet so that before he must drinke of that brooke that is of the cup of his passiō so by it passe into his glory Wife looke you haue this psalme in great price loue it derely for it setteth forth vnto vs two special things wherin true and sound consolation al our saluation doth consist to wit the euerlasting kingdom deuine power of Iesus Christ He sitteth at the right hande of God that is he hath all power he is most mighty all things are in his handes he is and that euen according to his blessed glorified humanity lord king of all things both in heauen and earth all things are in his subiection Therfore it well followeth that he is able to deliuer vs from all necessities calamities both temporal and eternall neither can any creature do vs harme if we bee in the kingdome of Christ by true faith Moreouer God the father assuredly promised by an othe that he would giue vs Christ to be an eternall priest Here is Christ vpon Gods othe appointed to be our priest and he is touched with the feling of our calamities no lesse then if they were his own He hath purged and taken away our sins by his owne sacrifice vpon the crosse and hath reconciled vs vnto the father yea he doth still make intercession for vs with his father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without ceasing and he teacheth geueth vs by his worde and holy spirit all things which are necessary for the obtaining of euerlasting helth and saluation Wherfore although Christ according to his humanity was the sonne of Dauid that is his sonne by flesh bloud yet neuerthelesse Dauid saith that Christ is his lord not only according to his deuine nature as he is the creator and lord of al things but also as saint Augustine sayth according to that his humaine nature glorified in which he sitteth at the right hand of god For he is the euerlasting king of Israel which truly erected and for euer established and confirmed the kingdome of Dauid Moreouer he is a true priest the true Melchisedech who only could and ought to giue that euerlasting blessing for that he is that blessed seed of Abraham in which onely we are blessed that is we are deliuered from sinne death and are iustified saued Christ in Math. putteth forth this questiō to the Pharises which were puft vp with an opiniō of their own learning saying Why did Dauid call Christ his Lord who was his sonne that is to say of his stock But althogh they semed learned vnto themselues although they swelled with the pride of their owne knowledge yet they were ignorant of this which they ought especially to haue known Again Dauid saith The lord hath prepared his throne in heauen and his kingdom ruleth ouer all And again Thy lord shal raigne for euer O Sion Thy God endureth from generation to generation Hee saith Thy lord O Sion shal rule for euer He speaketh not here of any earthly kingdom in earthly Sion but of that euerlasting Ierusalem And in the 103. Psalme he witnesseth the same where he sayth thus The lord hath prepared his throne not in Canaan but in heauen And againe All thy workes prayse thee O Lord thy saintes blesse thee they shew the glory of thy kingdom speake of thy power to cause his power to be known to the sons of mē the glorious renoume of his kingdom Thy kingdom is an euerlasting kingdom thy dominion endureth throughout all ages All these things are spokē of Christ his kingdom In the 89. Psal. the kingdom of Christ is called an heauēly kingdom where the prophet speaketh of the promise made by God vnto king Dauid in the 2. of the kinges where God promiseth that he will giue a sonne to Dauid which shal be a peculiar notable worthy excellent king a king of all kings whose kingdom shal neuer decay and wherin is forgiuenesse of sins euerlasting mercy and therfore both lyfe and helth For where sins are forgiuen there is the tiranny of death quite abolished destroied And here we haue true helth promised for this kings sake borne of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh in whom that eternall couenant of grace is made established The words of the Psalm be these I wil sing the mercies of the Lorde for euer with my mouth wil I declare thy truth from generation to generation For I sayd thy mercy shall be set vp for euer thy truth shalt thou establish in the very heauens I haue made a couenant with my chosen I haue sworne to Dauid my seruant Thy seede wil I establish for euer set vp thy throne from generation to generation Selah Righteousnesse and equity are the stablishment of thy throne mercy truth goeth before thy face blessed are the people that can reioyce in thee they shall walk in the light of thy countenance O Lord they shall reioyce continually in thy name and in thy righteousnes shall they exalt them selues for thou art the glory of their strength and by thy fauour our hornes shal be exalted For our shield appertaineth to the Lorde and our King to the holy one of Israell I haue found Dauid my seruaunt with my holy oyle haue I annointed him Therefore my hand shall be established with him and my arme shall strengthen him The enemy shall not oppresse him neither shall the wicked hurt him But I will destroy his foes before his face and plage them that hate him My truth also and my mercy shall bee with him and in my name shall his horne be exalted
vs what Christ is and what he doth for vs and howe much he profiteth vs He geueth vs also vnderstāding that we may be able to iudge what a holy lyfe is and what is vngodly and wicked and what is consonant and agreing to true religion and what is repugnant therunto He also helpeth vs by hys good redy and holsome counsayle that the godly may know how they ought to behaue themselues vnder the cros and suffer al things patiently valiantly yea he ministreth consolation to the sorrowful and afflicted he geueth vs also strength in tribulation and affliction that we may haue stedfast hartes and that we may valiantly ouercome all euils and aduersities hee geueth vnto euery one knowledge wisdome that the godly man in the kingdome of God may know how to vse hym self towards euery man whether he be strong or weak in fayth He geueth vs also the feare of God which is the beginning of true wisedom And by that we see that our god raigneth and gouerneth his people far otherwise then earthly kinges do For earthly emperours cannot see the inward parts of the hart and in the innerchamber of the brest those things whiche lye hid within whereby it commeth oftentimes to pas that they iudge some man good and honest by the eye and eare whiche is a very wicked man in hart But Christ our king beyng one which searcheth all mēs harts iudgeth truly as the history of the gospell witnesseth in Mathew where he hath to do with the pharisies and in that and diuers other places seeth their secret thoughts regardeth not that their false visor and shew of godlines But reproueth that fals shew of holines fained integrity And according to their deserts calleth them hypocrites But what kind of subiects I pray you hath this king and who be his people Verely their title cognisance which Christ himself did also beare in the 9. of Zacharye is here vpon earth pouerty affliction and misery Here you see a spirituall kingdom if it had ben a worldly kingdom thē should not the king haue ben a poore miserable wretched king but a rich honorable pompous magnificent and cherefull king his subiects also should haue ben mighty honorable and flowing in delights and commodities in this world but in thys kingdome all things are spirituall yet shall they not always be poore miserable and afflicted it is but for a tyme that they shal be here thus crossed followe their maister Christ in suffering affliction For as a kyng after hys trouble and persecution becommeth great and ascendeth to the highest step of honour so shall all the godly after theyr crosses here at the last day become glorious as the children of God. But in the meane tyme as Saint Paul saith we must dye vnto the world we must be afflicted persecuted and contemned in the worlde for our true lyfe is hid with Christ in god When Iesus Christ which is our lyfe shall appeare euen then we also shall appeare wyth him in glory In the meane tyme our ould and crooked Adam must here be chastned and kept vnder by the crosse of affliction For the flesh and ould Adam shall not inherite the kingdome of Christ Contrarily there must be erected in vs true holynes that is fayth in Christ seeing that God euen for Christes sake pardoneth our sinns and by grace in Christ iustifieth vs and taketh vs for righteous Neither is the rod or scepter of this our king earthly but heauenly namely his holy and saluing worde and holy ghost and with this rod before the last iudgement he smiteth the earth that is our ould Adam which is from the earth earthly He rebuketh smiteth and punisheth our wickednes that we being accused by the word of Christ may hate and flye sin and turne to better lyfe and afterward lyue godly and vertuously all the dayes of their lyfe He doth by his word also hurle downe all earthly and erronious opinions by which men are seduced He smiteth consumeth and killeth as Paule sayth Antechrist With the spirite of his mouth For as Gods kingdome here is not of this world euenso also his armor is not worldly but spirituall to wit righteousnes fayth and truth For we fight agaynst the power of hell and sathanicall army by fayth in Christ which is our righteousnes by prayer proceeding of fayth which God heareth as he hath promised But where the prophet speaketh of wolues lambs that is a figuratiue and darke speach For the prophet regardeth not these brute beastes but he geueth vs to vnderstand that the church should be congregated of sundry sortes of men and that those which before had bene at deadly fead and enmity amongst themselues should by the gospell become so great frendes meeke and secure that they should not one meane harme to an other This is the fruit of the preaching of the gospell to wit the wyld rude and sauage Gentiles with the cruell and swelling Pharises and the mighty potentates of this world are by the gospell mollified tamed humbled conuerted and brought into the church of Christ It followeth in the same chapter of Esay And in that day the roote of Ishai which shal stand vp for a signe vnto the people the nations shal seke vnto it and his rest shal be glorious And in the same day shal the lord stretch out his hand agayne the second time to possesse the remnaunt of his people which shal be left of Ashur and of Egypt and of Pathros and of Ethiopia of Elam and of Chimer of Hamath of the Iles of the sea And he shall set vp a signe to the nations assemble the dispersed of Israel gather the scattred of Iuda from the 4. corners of the world c. Here the prophet foretelleth how ample and large the kingdom of Christ shal be he sheweth vs what shall be the state of the tyme of the new Testament to wit that although the roote of Eshay which is Iesus Christ the sonne of Dauid be despised and refused of his own people yet should he be so glorious so mighty and so famous a king that all the people throughout the whole world should worship honor him For he shold be set vp for a signe or banner vpon which all men in battail fasten set their eyes This is a most comfortable ensigne which maketh the hart ioyful constant and bold and it is a signe of victory This signe is our king Iesus Christ lifted vp exalted vpon the crosse by which crosse Sathan is ouercome and our soules deliuered And as the Iewes in the desert did run vnto the brasen serpent which Moses set vp when they were deadly wounded of the serpēts euen so Christ is set vp before vs and vnto vs that all men may flie to him and with faith loke vpon him and stedfastly behold him and so be healed of that
conscience and acknowledge God our Father by Iesus Christ the mediator of the new testament And therefore did they so earnestly looke for him as Christ sayth Abraham in spirite saw this day of the new testament in which Christ should by the Gospel and the holy ghost be manifested and declared vnto the world and he was glad The ould testament was a preparatiue of the new testamēt into Christ in which the outward letter doth not onely sownd into the eares but the spirit also doth inwardly quicken illuminate the hart but these thinges were hid and few did knowe it But in the the new testament these are plaine and manifest whereupon Paule calleth the Corrinthians his Epistle written not with ink but by the spirite of the liuing God not in tables of stone but euen in the fleshly tables of the hart The Iewes receaued the law from God who promised them temporall goodes and blessinges and they on the other side againe promised vnto the Lord that they would keepe it but they performed not their promise neither fulfilled they those thinges which the Lord in his law required at their hāds For they assayd indeuored to keepe it of them selues without the help of Messias but it was vnpossible And then the Lorde made a better testament or a new couenaunt with his people which dependeth not of our workes or worthines which are vncertaine wauering weake vncōstant and vnstable but euen of his owne promise of Christ which is most sure and vnfaileable and without our desert This couenaunt was a couenant of grace a sure couenaunt a continuall and firme couenaunt for it is grounded on Gods mercye in our Messias For the truth and mercy of God abideth for euer and the giftes and calling of God are without repentaunce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore first he sendeth Moyses to teach them the law and to shew the world their sinnes and the curse dew for their sinnes that so he might make them come and cōfesse their faultes and humble them selues before god aske his pardon The Lord had promised from the beginning his grace and blessing in Messias the seede of Abraham and Dauid This promise is the gospell or new testament instituted confirmed at the fulnes of tyme by the bloud of Iesus Christ and therfore was it needefull that Christ should come vnto whome the law sendeth and turneth all men that they may haue grace and truth graunted by Iesus Christ ¶ Anna. Cleophas and his companion vnderstoode not this For if they had they would neuer haue been so heauy but haue thought this with them selues The time is now come wherin our Iudaisme with our ceremonies shall haue an end and Iesus of Nazareth by his wonders hath declared him self to be the true Messias Surely Ieremy prophesyeth that the old Testament when the fulnes of time should come should be abrogated and the new couenant of grace should take place And this must be confirmed by bloud but not by the bloud of sheep and calues but by the death of Messias as Esay and Danyel witnes And this couenant which God made with the people of God shall contynue for euer This is that true delyuerance of Israell And now at the last shall the kingdome of Israell in deed be rightly restored erected establisted for euer God wil not recant this and therfore must it needes be done because God hath spokē it And as he hath not hetherto altered the course of the day and night euen so wil he not change this his promise To be short the hope of Israell shall not be frustered but as we trust so according to the promise of God shall it come to pas For God cānot lye neither did he make this promise vpon any such condition that our saluation shold consist vpon our works and therfore it is sound perfect and sure And therefore must Israell and Iuda needes be saued and Christ aryse again from the dead that he might preach and publish the new couenant ☞ Vrb. You say wel And seeing that the circumcision and other rites were to be abrogated they might easely haue coniectured that the kingdome of Israell could no more stand or tary then the externall priesthoode with his outward and figuratiue ceremonies Wherupon it may wel follow that the Gentiles also should haue accesse vnto Messias be receaued into his spirituall kingdome For seeing the externall circumcisiō with the priesthood sacrifices and genealogies which were drawen from Abraham did cease and were no more esteemed and neither ought nor could doe any thing to the iustifying of sinners but the harts were to be circumcised and the law of God by the holy Ghost to be written in mennes minds what differences I pray you is there now between the iustification of the Iewes and Gentils Anna. None in deed at all but as Peter saith God ordayned from the beginninning that the gospel shold be preached euen to the gentils and that they should become as faithfull christians as Abraham Isaac Iacob and the Patriarches Apostles were For God promysed that he would receaue them into his kingdome for he bestowed on them the holy Ghost as wel as on the Iewes Neither did he after make any difference betwen the Iewes and Gentils The stop of the partision wal is broken down and the Lord hath clensed the harts of the gentils through faith so that now Christians or the church of the faithful are onely the people of God without any further differēce and they are as Christ saith faithful only saued Neither can any man be saued any other way but only by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ ☞ Vrb. This is the foundation of our faith And wheras Ieremy promysed afterward that al from the least vnto the greatest should know the Lord in his new testament you must vnderstand it of all the Isralites which are the children of promise For to them the Lord geueth the catholick faith and the holy spirite by his gospel and he draweth them that they may come vnto Christ and that his spirite may teach them and they know the voice of their shepheard and follow not any strange teacher Now harken how Ezechiel prophesieth of the time of the office and of the kingdome of Messias in his 11. chapter where he hath these words Thus saith the lord God I wil gather you again from the people and assemble you out of the countreis where you haue been scattered and I wil geue you the land of Israel and they shall come thether and they shall take away all the Idols thereof and all the abhominations therof from thence And I wil geue them one hart and wil put a new spirite within their bowels and I wil take the stony hart out of their bodies and wil geue them a hart of flesh that they may walke in my statutes and keep my iudgements and execute them and they shall be my people and I wil
commaundements and word of God. Is not this promise full of comfort where he sayth I will heale Israells backsliding that is he will pardon all their offences and neuer be angry with them any more for their sinns In which promise Christ the throne of grace is included and comprehended For these determinations of God is that he will forgeue sin to no man that he wil loue no man and that he wil receaue none vnto grace by any other meanes but by his deerely beloued sonn who is become our onely redeemer mediator recōciler bishop priest propiciatory or throne of grace as Paule affirmeth saying We are accepted in his beloued by whome we haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgeuenes of sinns according to his rich grace It is manifest therfore by the firme foūdation of the apostles doctrine that Hoseas here speaketh of Christ although he name him not seing that there is no other reconciler which can turne the wrath of God from vs but onely Iesus Christ Wherefore I haue often sayd that where the Lord promiseth his grace redemption forgeuenes of sinns righteousnes lyfe and health that there is Iesus Christ promised by whose death and pretious bloud we are reconciled to God the father and receaue forgeuenes remission of our sinns true righteousnes and lyfe euerlasting There followeth in the text more promises but expressed in figuratiue wordes For he taketh a similitude of the dew of roses of Libanō and of the oliue tree which wordes import nothing els but the great felicitie of Israell or christifidelians after that they beleue and are receaued in the grace of God and obtaine forgeuenes of their sinns Is it not an exceeding great felicitie to obtaine forgeuenes of our sinns to be counted righteous before God and to receaue the holy ghost with all his gifts and by the same to be healed vp in fayth Which is the receauing of that great pretious and heauenly earnest peny that is the spirite of God the father and the son which doth assure vs that we be the children of God and so his heyres and coheyres with Iesus Christ what I pray you can he want which hath the Lorde for his inheritance This prophesy chefely taketh place in the tyme of Christ when the gospell brought forth fruite throughout the whole world and christs heauēly kingdome was builded in euery place that Christ the king of glory be imbrased for our God and sauiour through fayth by which we are made the children of God and shall prayse him for euer together with his holy angells to whome we shall be like in the world to come in the resurrectiō of the dead the glory whereof exceedeth all that the hartes of earthly creatures can conceaue but it is now hid For we are as yet but blessed in hope but when our king the prince of glory shall come in his maiestye to iudgement then shall our felicitie be made manifest To be short the Lord shall be the defence bulwark comfort helpe solace and sound felicitye of Israel But the Prophet speaketh of a greater defence comfort helpe and benefit thē this world hath or can vnderstand The kingdome therfore of Christ is a kingdome of blessing wherin we inioy aboūdance of all goodnes The prophets prophesied that this deliueraunce helpe comfort and kingdome should be a continuall and spirituall not a tēporall kingdome which aboundeth in fraile vayne and transitory welth of this world as the carnall Iewes dreame and imagine ¶ Anna. What I pray you doth Iohell the prophet prophecy of Christ ☞ Vrba Ioell in his 2. chapiter prophesieth that the kingdome of Christ shall be illuminated and beutified with the rich knowledge of God and that it shall receaue the holy ghost with all his gifts and that espetially in the mount Sion to wit in the catholicke church where shall be true deliueraunce helpe and redemption from sinn and death and that afterwarde there shall be no more respect of persons betwene the Iewes and Gentiles but whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord Messias shall be freely deliuered from all his sins These are the wordes of the prophesye Ye shall also know that I am in the middest of Israell and that I am the Lord your God and none other and my people shall neuer be ashamed And afterward as Peter cited this prophecy on whitsonday in his sermon at Ierusalem In those dayes that is in the tyme of Messias I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh And your sons and daughters shall prophesy your ould men shall dreame dreames and your young men shall see visiōs and also vpon the seruants and vpon the maydens in those dayes will I power my spirite and I will shew wonders in the heauens and in the earth bloud and fier and pillers of smoke The sun shal be turned into darknes and the moon into bloud before the great and terrible day of the Lorde come But who so euer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued For in mount Sion and in Ierusalem shall be deliueraunce as the Lord hath sayd and in the remnant whome the Lord shall call This prophesy tooke place in Christs time for Israell had then experience in deed that god was with thē in mans flesh And the holy ghost was then much more gloriously royally and aboundātly geuē them thē before the natiuitie passiō resurrectiō of Messias For before they were but few which had the spirit of prophesying but when Iesus Christ was ascended vnto the right hand of his father then the holy ghost withall his giftes was wonderfully and richly geuē vnto many as the hebrew word Eschpoch declareth which signifieth to poure out The holy ghost was visibly poured vpon faythfull Christians when they were baptised and the Church in all places had his teachers who had the spirite of prophesying And the knowledge of Christ is now spread abroad and dispersed throughout the whole world But where the prophet speaketh of Sion and Ierusalem it must be vnderstood of the church of faythfull Christians wherein Christ hath his habitation as in his owne kingdome Who so euer will be saued from sinne death and tyranny of Sathan he must beleue in Christ call vpon Christ and be brought into the church of christ for without that Church is neither health nor forgeuenes of sins Neither is there any cause why any sinner should respect this or the citie aboue other as the Iewes did earthly Sion Ierusalem seeing Ioell sayth that the Lord would poure out his spirite vpō all flesh not only vpon the Iewes in Ierusalem or in the land of Canaan but euery where through the whole worlde where the Gospel is beleued It followeth therfore that whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of god shall be safe and not the Iewes onely which serued and called vpō God at Ierusalem for then was that time come of which Christ sayth in Iohn that the heauenly father requireth
Paul teacheth to the Gala. In former times the house of Dauid had a great prerogatiue for it was more famous and noble then the citye of Sion For it was the kinges stocke and tribe and the citizens of Ierusalem were then more noble then the rest of the Iewes but it shall now be otherwise For all shall be alike For there shall be one spirituall freedome or redemption wherein none shall more arrogantly or gloriously vaunt him selfe then an other but all shall reioyce in the lord In the wordes following where he speaketh of Dauid God promiseth that the faythfull Christians shall be strong in the Lord of which strēgth Paul speaketh to the Phil. I am able to do all thinges through the helpe of Christ which strengthneth me All the godly receaue the spirite of Christ by fayth and haue Christ in their harts by faith Wherfore whosoeuer trauaile vnder the crosse are weak in that appertaineth to the flesh yet in the Lord are they very strong They haue all one fayth one spirite and one Lord and therefore shall they all ouercome sin death and the world Which thing otherwise the whole world with all his might power and pollecye could not euer bring to passe Neuerthelesse this their force or fortitude is not of themselues but of god Therfore sayth Zach. In that day to wit the day of this tribulation shall the Lord defend the inhabitantes of Ierusalem that is all the godly or those that faythfully trust in the lord Wherefore though some of them fall and offend yet shall they be as Dauid Who according to his outward parson was not of any great or portly stature but the strength of God was wonderfully seene in him so that he could and did ouercome that huge monsterous and dreadfull Goliah It is a common thing euen for the righteous and most godly in this life to sin stumble offend and fall But they haue in this place the promise of the lord that he wil not by by reiect them for their fall and sin For though they be weak yet shal they alwaies be most victorious Dauids Surely it is to be required that there be greatstrength and power in him who being but one man alone fighteth against the whol world sathan sin and death and so that he getteth the victory And surely thus to doe is a Dauidlike deed Moreouer these strong men and house of Dauid shal be as the house of God and as the angel of the Lord before or amongst them That is all these inuincible christians such as Dauid was who doe obtayn victory euen in this weaknes of flesh they shal be in the church the true house of the Lord and like vnto the angels of the Lord that is in whom the Lord dwelleth And they which doe instruct others to true godlines shall be so glorified that they shall be most famous amongst christians euen like the angels and messengers of Christ Now he promiseth moreouer that it shall come to pas that the enemies of Christ and the church shall be quite destroyed For he which hurteth the godly hurteth the apple of Gods eye Here you heare agayne what kind of kingdome Christes kingdom is to wit a kingdome which is forced to stand vpon watch and be ready in armure For it hath against it most mighty enemies it must therfore be of some power strength nay of very great strēgth if it shal conquere so great enemies But that can not be by any corporall or worldly meanes but spiritually by faith as the prophets words doe plainly import and signifie But such and so great is the obstinate blindnes of the Iewes that they dreame that the prophets speak of an earthly kingdome of Christ here in this world which shal vse corporall armour and strength and haue worldly pompe and glory Although therfore the godly be sore troubled with very many enemies yet for all that shall they be and remayne without danger but through patience so that they suffer and take al things wel and patiently which come vpon them The prophet also describeth the spirituall weapons wherewithall Christ armeth and defendeth the godly in his kingdome saying I will poure saith he my spirite of grace and prayer or compassion vpon the house of Dauid That is I will geue my holy spirite vnto my seruants that it may lighten them with the true knowledge of the gospel that they may know that I am mercifull vnto them for Christ his sake and that I doe pardon their offences wherupon they may haue quiet and appeased consciences Besides this when the stormes of afflictions doe come vpon them and sore and vehemently vexe their flesh then shal the holy ghost teach them rightly to pray in the name of Iesus Christ who himselfe doth pray for the godly with sighes which are not able to be expressed And these are the weapons wherewithall the congregation of the godly doe ouercome when the cros is at hand and tribulation hangeth ouer their heads The godly straight way fly to the name of the Lord and call vpon it and receaue help in due time but our Iewes and Anabaptists when persecution commeth resist their enemies with force and armes and yet notwithstanding will they boast themselues to be the people of God which is the cause that they are alwayes so miserably confounded Now the prophet telleth what it was that purchased the holy ghost for the godly to wit the passion and death of Christ They shall see and looke vpon me sayth the Lord whom they haue pearced Here God speaketh in his own person who before spake in the prophets person and confesseth that he is pearced that is nayled vpon the cros and wounded And it is here proued by this text that Christ is true God and man who should suffer and die for vs And it followeth also that Christ with all Christifidelians shall rise again For he had promysed before that he wold geue his holy spirite vnto the godly that he wold destroy the enemies of the godly and that he would preserue and defend the godly If therfore he must keepe and preserue his elect for euer and duely punish all the gentils and their enemies it must needes follow that he must rise from death and rayse vp his seruants and gouern thē for euer And here obserue this that God and man Christ is one persō for he saith they shal loke vpon me whom they haue pearced Christ was pearced according to his manhode and not according to his Godhed alone He speaketh plainly of one person alone He saith me and deuideth not his Godhead from his manhode For he him selfe the euerlasting sonne of God was pearced but according to his humanity not according to his great and infinite deity as Paul sayth to Cor. The Iewes crucified the Lord of glory That is the God of Zeboth Psal. 25. And thus Christ by the gospel is preached and seen how
heritical members and yet hath alwayes scaped and in the end obtained victory and triumphed ouer them all For the word of the Lord abideth for euer ¶ Anna. This Easter Sermon is more plenteous and of greater authoritie with me then all the pompe and wealth of the whole world Nay what are a hundred thousand worldes with the vanitie of all their wealth power and pompe in comparisō of such great promises of God as we haue in Iesus Christ Euen nothing at all I hartely thanke God our heauenly father that he hath vouchsafed me to liue vnto that happy daye that I might heare such an apostolicall Sermon And I hope that I shall euer hereafter be better for it while I liue And I trust I haue receaued such comfort here by that that I shall euer hereafter celebrate that ioyfull feast of Easter with spiritual comfort in Christ For this gospell which was promised in the prophets so many ages agoe is now preached openly throughout this world in these latter dayes doth not exclude me For euery one which beleueth in Christ and calleth vpon his name shall be safe Here is no merite of mine spoken of as necessarye to lyfe and saluation but onely the infinit merit of Iesus Christ which is preached of all the prophets and Euangelists The mercifull and euerlasting God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ our Father be praysed for euer and euer for the holsome misteries of the holy Gospell of Christ Iesus which he hath so mercifully opened and so richly geuen vnto vs vnworthy sinners ☞ Vrba Now you know what S. Paul meaneth where he sayth that Iesus Christ is our wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption geuen vs of God and you see what is the true hope helpe and comfort of Israell ¶ Anna. I see it and I beleue it The Lord increase my fayth And I beseech thee O most merciful Father for Iesus Christes sake our onely reconciler that thou wilt also vouchsafe to reueale the comfortable gospell of thy vnspeakable grace promised geuen in thy only begotten son Iesus Christ by thy holy spirite vnto our beloued children which thou hast geuen vs to the inlarging of the kingdome of Christ and to the glory of thy most blessed name that they by the inward instruction of thy spirite may vnderstand and beleue this Sermon of thy son and through thy holy spirite continew vnto the end in that fayth of Christ and hope of the Gospell and true Israell All the riches of this world are nothing to this christian fayth I wish vnto my deere children no other felicitye no other dowries no other riches nor no other inheritaunce but that they may truely and constantly bebeleue this sermon which if they doe then are they rich enough in this world and in the world to come though they should neuer so poorely here begge their bread all the dayes of their lyfe For by fayth in Christ we haue God the father God the son and God the holy ghost one true God by the inestimable benefits and merite of Christ who for our sakes became man that we might be made the children of God and that God might be our louing Father And now what can we want seeing we haue thee O Lord the onely true and louing god to be our Father through Iesus Christ our Lord who is our owne proper righteousnes lyfe and and saluation ☞ Vrba God keepe you and me and our Children in this fayth and then are we fafe then shall we be passing well then shall we haue perfect ioy of spirite and then shall we dayly and hourely with ioy celebrate the ioyfull feast of Easter till we with our beloued childrē passe out of this fraile and trāsitory lyfe into the heauēly kingdome of Iesus Christ our Lord and true God which hath ben prepared for vs from the beginning of the world of which thing I am assured The Lord cōfirme our fayth and hope vnto the eternall glory of his holy name ¶ Anna. Amen ☞ Vrba But you must euery day wife when you haue geuen God thankes and made your prayers thorowely ponder with your selfe these thinges of the gospell of Christ which I haue ben now a good long time in speaking and you must kepe them in your hart as a most rich treasure and pretious iuell ¶ Anna I will doe it by Gods grace and God blesse me and all good Christians ☞ Vrba Amen ¶ Anna. Amen FINIS The Lordes name be praysed And O Lord I beseech thee geue plentifull fruite of these my Labors Amen Amen * ⎠* Luke 9.26 Iohn 8.51 1. Ione 5.1 Reuel 12.12 1. Pet. 5.8 Luk. 22.31 Ephe. 2.12 Acts. 23. Luke 24.16 Rom. 6.23 Gen. 25.33 Reuel 12.12 Iohn 5.25 and August l. 4. de trinitate c. 3. Reuel 12.4 1. Pet. 1.7 Deut. 8.3 Rom. 15.4 Math. 4.4 Emaus signifieth the bright morning Cleophas signifieth all glory Gene. 10.9 Luke 24.13 Acts. 8.23 Math. 13.44 and 45. Iesus signifieth a Sauior Iohn 20.25 Math. 21.22 Ieremy 5.9 Rom. 15.4 Ephe. 2.3 Ezechi 3.18 Genesis Psalmes Prouer. Esay Ieremy Ezechias Daniell Micheas Zephany Aggias Zachary Abdias Mathew Iohn A Iesus Sy. 30.23 B Phll. 2 18. A 2. Cor. 7 10. A holy greyfe Christ the way to god A Ioh. 14. v. 6. Esay 66.14 C Mat. 11.27 B Col. 2.9 D Esay 53 11. How needfull it is to know Christ E Cor. 2.1 F Iohn 17.3 G 1. Cor 1.23 Lukc 24. A Col. 3.16 Pray before we read or heare the word B 1 Cor. 2. ¶ A praier A Luke 10. A Iohn 4 46. The first promise of grace B Gen. 3 C. Rom. 1 Gal. 3. The misteries of the promise in the seede of the woman T' at is the Caldey bible Only by Christ not by our selus or workes are we sauid e. Rom. 5.15 f. Gen. 3.15 Feare not though the deuill fishe he cannot bite g. Rom. 6.14 h. Ebr. 2. The promise which was made to Adam was the Gospell The promise renued to Abraham i. Gen. 12.3 and 18.28 and 21. and 18. k. Gen. 26.4 l. Gen. 28.14 M Rom. 1.1 N Act. 3.24 O Esay 53 10. The end of threats in preaching p. Gal. 3.24 q. Heb. 10.1 r. Heb. 7.18 s. Act. 17.1 t. Luk. 24.44 what the Prophets looked for v. 1. Pet. 1.10 a. Luke 24.47 Repentance the first step to grace b. Psal. 51.5 c. Rom. 5.12 What we are by nature The naturall man. D Gen. 8.21 E 1. Cor 15 22. F Ephe. 2.3 H Ephe. 2.1 K 1. Thes 4.5 L Psal. 116.11 M Ier. 17.9 N 1. Cor. 2.14 O Gen. 3 19. P Gen. 2.17 Q Rom. 6.23 The law r. Deut. 27.26 ſ. Psal. 119.21 t. Mat. 19.17 u Gal. 5.19 The frutes of our flesh naturally x. Gal. 3.22 Where then be papistical merites The cause why we are threatned with the law To whom Christ was sent Y Ro. 3.20 Z Gal. 3.24 Z Gal. 3.21 The end why the law was geuen Fayth saueth a. Gen
of hell 168 Elect their state afteer the resurrection 103. 123. 178. 163. 153. where they be till the last day 123. doubt some tyme that God hath forsaken them 133. 149. 199. their mariage with Christ 183. the true elected who be 48. how they are brought to heauen 195. figured by Ierusalem 196 Election tokens thereof 170. 58 Elohim what it signifieth 74 Emanuell what it signifieth 35 Emaus how farre from Hierusalem 27 Epicure Gospellers 56 Eyes cleare whose be 216. Seuen in one stone what it meaneth 206 Fayth encreased by prayer 3. which is the true fayth 16. the righteousnes of God. 4. semeth sometimes to be wanting in the godly 128. the fruites and operation of it 126. 61. is our righteousnes 120. 145. the righteousnes auaileable before god 64. wherein it is 52. the chiefe poynt of it 83. the foundatiō of it 73. how it purgeth sinne 58. a worke of the first commaundement due onely to God. 80. it maketh vs priestes 93 how it is to be exercised 129 Feare of perditiō a signe of electiō 58. Smell feastes 56 Feudatory what it meaneth 31. Feeling of sinne of what effect 15 Figures of Christ 20. 23 Figures of the law and thinges figured 24 Flesh the frailetie thereof 13. fretteth inwardly 60 G Gentiles called 120. 49. 51. 54. 150. 157. 108. 166. the Iewes saluation and theirs all one 172. how they are sprinckeled 140. the milke of the church 152. Germans Christmas caroll 84 God what he is 72. his names 75. his essentiall name 77. where to be sought 48. his couenaunt to Abraham 182. 4. 7. his mariage with Israell 183. his finger what it is 170. his care for his Church 4. his fatherly correction 151. he gaue the promise before the lawe 15. he swereth 112. 16. what it is to sit at his right hand 112. not to be sought without Christ 83. can not cōdemn vs if we beleeue 143. his honor what it is 81. 198. 177. his sanctuary what it is 177. his strange workes 140. bindeth his mercye to vs with an oth 16. his promises are of two sortes 180 Godly described 174. sometimes sad as without fayth 128. how they be sayd to be hurt by the wicked 9. 112 somtimes tempted 149. 133. their propertye 153. alway persecuted 131 Gospell the doctrine benefits ministers thereof 4. 6. 7. 45. 49. 143. the operation of it 49. 120. 58. the promise made to Adam 4. 7. the tydings thereof 45. the trumpe therof 124. the holy Ghost geuen vs when it is taught 121. geuen without mony 149. ought to be pondered necessaryly 156. the end of the prophetes 11. onely geuen to the poore in spirite 58. the scepter of Christ 74. the sword of the spirite 129. False Gospellers who be 65 Grace of god vpon what first promised 4. 7. why promised before the law 15. is greater thē sinne 9. pledged vnto vs. 52 Ground good what it is 58 H Hearing of scripture requireth praier and beliefe 6 Heauen our state therein 123. 103. 178 163. 153 Hell hath no rest 46. figured by Egipt 168 Herod king of the Iewes 17 Holy ghost his grace and giftes 119 87. why he was sent 91. his sword 129. geuen vs by hearing the gospell 122. what he teacheth 4 Hope due onely to God. 122 Hose the contents of his prophecy 178. his daughter 179 Hunger how refreshed by christ 132 160. without mony 149. nothing els in Sathans kingdome 132 Hypocrisye 105 I Iacob his house in scripture what it signifieth 191. true Iacobites who be 130. he wrastled with the Lord. 181 Iehouah what it signifieth 76. 37 Ierusalem destroyed 66. a figure of the Catholicke church 42. the heauenly Ierusalem 164 Iesse the tribe thereof when and why condemned 18. 20 Iesus a name of Comfort 36. 37 Iewes what it signifieth 67. their error of Christ his comming and kingdome 41. 55. 68. 41. their blindnes in scripture 138. 77. 158. 68. shall become Christians 68. 150. 184. vnderstand no histories 68. their name is odious 160. they haue the same saluatiō that christiās haue 172. their obiection against the Christians 68. 43. 35. burned with fire out of the ground for repairing Ierusalem 67. their contraction in Mariage 28. their gouernment 17. when and why it ceased 17. 66. 18. 44. make a Iest at Gods promise made to Iacob 17. 19. their sinagoue called Edom. 157. apply the prophecies of Christ to Hesechia 35. offended at Christes death 21. 140. their opinion of Christ 32. they spitt at Images 67. their captiuitie in Babilon 63. their pretence to extinguish Christ 165. Ilandes called to the gospell 51 Images abhorred by the Iewes 67 Immanuell what it signifieth 35. Ingratitude punished 66 Ionas the sume of his prophesy 193. a figure of Christ 185 Ionathas his saying of what comfort the scriptures were 86 Iosua why so called 36 Iuvile the yeare of it 60 Iudas and his bagge is where christ is 56 Iudges of the world 96. 61 Iudge how we ought 50 Israell the kingdome of it deuided 182. K. Knowledge of Christ what it is and how necessary 2. 3. 148. it is our righteousnes 145. it is lyke to eyes 7. 206 Knowledge hangeth vpon beliefe in deuine matters 73 L Law what it is 11. what it requireth of vs. 13. 170. why it is vrged vpō vs. 14. why it is was geuē after the promise 15. the figures thereof 24. a prison 59. the operation of it 49. the sacrifices of it 24. it must be spiritually fulfilled 60 Libertye of Christians 189 Lord named fiue times 203 M Machabies their gouernment 19 Man his fall from his pure creation 12. 13. his state without Christ 200 his hart how newe 173. cursed if he trust in man. 80. Marchants of righteousnes who be 149 Mary a pure virgine 28. 33. denyed so to be of the Iewes 34. her petegree why not drawen in scripture 28. falsely sayd to haue troden the serpents head 8 Mariages how cōtracted among the Iewes 28 Maydens their bringing vp among the Iewes 34 Melchisidech his priesthood 21 Merites none in man. 13. of no force 146. haue no fruite of the Gospell 58 Messias what it signifieth 39 Ministers hipocriticall who be 56. 57 Merite of the world 205 Misteries in the first promise of grace 8 Monarches of the world 62 Monastaries to be abhorred 142 Mortificatiō commeth by the crosse 120 Mony who they be that laye it out vpon nought 149 Moyses and Christ cōpared 45. 49 Mylke sould without mony 149 N Names of God in Scriptures 45 of Christ 85. how full of comfort 37. 38 New name what it is 154 Name of Christians 160 Naturall man what he is 13. 142. how blind 42. 64. Nezacon what it is 68 O Offended many be but not through Christ 118 Originall sinne 7. 12. 143 Ornamēts of Christ how they differ from princes ornaments 61 P Patience neuer fayleth of helpe 134 Perseqution followeth the Church 131 Pharao a figure of the Deuill 168 Pharises and papistes alike 136. described
true worshippers which worship and call vpon him in spirit and truth Behold the kingdome of Christ hath not any bond or limits prescribed to it The gates of heauenly Ierusalem are so broad that euery one that will may easely enter in There is no need now that any should be circūsised that is that any should come to Ierusalem to offer vp the bloud of beastes Nether is it necessary that he should be of the stock of Abraham after the flesh onely let him beleue the gospel of the power and grace of Christ and let him cal vpon Christ in al places so maye he haue enteraunce vnto the true Sion This is the most redy compendious and onely way and dore vnto Sion where the true helth and saluation of Gods grace is found This is the notable and large way of deliueraunce not onely of the Israelits according to the flesh but of al men beleuing and calling vpon Christ wheresoeuer they be Thus you read in the acts when the keper of the prison in Philippa asked Paule and Silas what he should do to obtayne saluatiō then Paule aunswered beleue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued thou and thine houshold They commaund him not to goe to the Temple in Ierusalem or Sion For the Spirituall Ierusalem was then begun to be spread abroad among the Gentiles throughout the whol world And wheresoeuer any beleue the gospell and cal vpon Christ the same are saued and are in the spirituall Ierusalē that is in the Church of the faythfull and haue one true God one sauiour one teacher one spirite one fayth and one hope with all the saints in the world Ioell in his 3. chapiter also amongest other thinges prophesieth of the true and spirituall Ierusalem to wit of the Church of the faythful saying thus The Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the Children of Israell So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Sion my holy moūtaine then shall Ierusalem be holy and there shall no strāgers go through her any more And straight way followeth But Iuda shall dwell for euer and Ierusalem from generation to generation For I will clense their bloud that I haue not clensed and the Lord will dwell in Sion Here we see that though the Church of Christ be persecuted with many and bloudy enemies yet shall that continew for euer and that those which hurt the christians but euen lightly shall not escape scotfree but Christ will punish them and him selfe abide in Sion This prophecy to wit that God himselfe will alway dwell in Sion that is the Church of Christ is often times repeated of the prophets and it hath more comfort and consolation in it then hart can thinke Saint Paule alleged this promise as an vnuincible fortresse for a cōfort for himselfe and for the church in al afflictions saying If God be on our side who can be against vs. As if he should say the kingdome of Christ the spirituall Ierusalem is strong enough and sufficiently well fensed it neede not feare any foe for the Lord himselfe dwelleth in it and who then can ouercome it What is this whol world what are all the deuils in hell what are al the tyrants in the earth what are all creatures in the worlde in respect of God surely nothing but weake wormes flyes and gnats ¶ Anna. Now followeth Amos. What doth he prophecie of Christ and his kingdome ☞ Vrb. He prophesyeth of Christ in his 9. chapter and he calleth him the Tabernacle of Dauid Because Christ was born of the stock of Dauid and he calleth him a fallen tabernacle for he speaketh according to the opinion of the Iewes For while the Iewes were now and then captiues and dispersed afflicted and while the promise of Messias which was that he shold come of the stock of Dauid was in their opinion protracted and long delayd they greatly regarded it not but for the most part despysed it as though God wold not performe it Yea after the captiuity of Babylon when Christ his comming drew neare and those seuēty weekes of yeares which Danyell speaketh of drew towardes their end the famely of Dauid fell in decay and was cleane without power and honor So that thē it was neither esteemed nor regarded and al men thought that Messias that great king of Israell could not rise of that stock For the parents of Christ dwelled not in Bethelem in Iuda in the citie of Dauid or at Ierusalem in Sion but in Nazareth a citie of Galiley so that the house of Dauid and Messias who was promysed to come of Dauid seemed vnto the Iewes a ruinous tabernacle quite fallen down When therfore it came to pas that Christ was born in Bethelem the citie of Dauid the tabernacle of Dauid was restored and that kingdome which was promysed should rise of his seed was then perfectly erected and that which before seemed fallen ruinous and destroyed was then at the last repayred and amended and that promise which was made to Dauid to wit that his seed should raign and rule in his throne was then mightely fulfilled And the Thargum saith that Christ his kingdome is promised by this tabernacle of Dauid and doubt ye not but that this exposition of Ionathas is good and true These are his wordes Akin Iath malcuta debeth Dauid that is I will raise vp the kingdome of Dauids house that is the kingdome of Christ But marke this although Dauids kingdome before was mighty so that he ruled not onely ouer the 12. tribes of Israell but also ouer the Idumites Sirians Moabites Philistines and other nations moe yet was all that his gouernmēt but a ripe of the true Dauid Christ Iesus and his euerlasting kingdome nay being compared vnto Christes kingdome all his kingdome was but as decayed broken and shaken ruinous and torne tabernacle But when Christ came then was the horne or kingdome of Saluation erected in the house of Dauid and that kingly throne of Dauid was then geuen to the true king For Christ by the gospell calleth all the tribes of Israell into his spirituall kingdome and he called the gētiles through the whole world by his Appostles that both the Iewes and Gentiles might receaue this sone of Dauid acknowledge him for their kinge and that he be king ouer all men from sea to sea The most mighty Lord in all the world euen the Lord of all creatures And this is the stopping vp and repairing of the falne and rent tabernacle and this is the restoring strengthning of the thinges which were decayed therin Now heare the wordes of the prophecy In that day will I rayse vp the tabernacle of Dauid that is fallen downe and close vp the breaches therof and I will rayse vp his ruines and I wil build it as in the dayes of ould that they may possesse the remnant of Edom and of all the heathen