among the wicked of the earth hath taken them and according to his good will being before the foundation of the worlde was layde hath chosen them to be his people This is the minde of our Prophet saying To giue knowledge c. If we should aske of the Papistes whereby we apprehend Saluation they will say to vs partly by christ and partly by the worthinesse of mans workes Such blasphemies they bray out of their helly hartes But deare reader be not deceiued by their delusions lend thy selfe some leasure to take view for thy wealth of that which here is sayd Were it that saluation could be atteyned by the workes of the law as true it is the law of-God sayth he that doth fulfill the law shall lyue by the law yet are there two absolute reasones ouerthrowing all meritte in man what or whosoeuer by the Lawe The firste is the impossibilytie that is men to perfourme the law The other is the frayltie of man which fulfylling if he could yet can not alwayes stand frée from transgressing the Law of god And at what time he falleth his righteousnes tombleth downe with himselfe in to the dyche and so frustrate is his vaine trust before reposed in his owne holines For the first he that shall by the works of the Lawe become iust before God must in hearte be pure from Sinne for as out of a filthy puddle can naturally come no swéete water so out of a wicked hart can procéede no pure action nor is God pacified from wrath by any worke which procéedeth from a sinfull and a corrupted conscience Search seeke from east to west north south among the sonnes of men behold no where shalt thou find a man whose hart is pure from sinne Nay whose harte is not altogether a lump of that Massie poison so that if God should loke strayghtly vpon him his holinesse should not be able to abyde the tryall of the lord Finally the wisedome of the fleshe is death and is at set battle in enimytie wyth God for it is not subiect to the Spirite nor the Law of God neyther in deede can be So that I conclude with Paule that they which be in the flesh and that is euery Popishe iusticiarie cannot please god Wherfore since the founteine of mans harte is corrupt and poysoned what pleasant action can proceede from his conduites But ye will say the regenerate man meriteth Yet Paule sayth to the man regenerate what hast thou that thou hast not receiued I suppose Paule was regenerate when he wrot his Epistle to the Romanes and yet he of himselfe sayth that his hart is combred wyth the Canker of sinne So that he dare not boast of meritte but rather cryeth out for woe agaynst that guylt of his Regenerate fleshe saying I sée another Lawe in my members rebelling agaynst the Lawe of my mind and leading me Captiue into the Lawe of Sinne that is in my members Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodye of this death I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lorde His desert here he confesseth to be suche that were it not God through Christ our Lorde he caried nothing with him but a body he meaneth soule and body deseruing by meritte euerlasting death And of his impossibilitie to perfourme the act of Iustification by workes he in that place a little before sheweth saying for I know that in me that is in my fleshe dwelleth no good thing for to will is present wyth me but I finde not meanes to perfourme that which is good for I doe not that good thing that I would but the euill that I would not that doe I. If in the best sort of men and most perfect Sinne hath such power how shall the Papistes the ofscourings of the Church boast of their worthinees Nay neyther we or our Fathers are able to fulfyll the law and therefore God sent his sonne in the similitude of sinful flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the lawe should be fulfilled in vs that is to say by christ imputed to vs which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit And that no man should bost of his workes being regenerate he more telleth vs that God the father which raised vp his son christ from death shall also quicken our mortal bodies not for any worthines in vs but because of his owne gift euē bicause his spirit dwelleth in vs Thus his diuine wisdome hath disposed the matter that both the action the cause of our true righteousnesse may not descende one steppe from the maiesty of his throne of grace Assure thy selfe therefore Christian reader that in man is no meritte vnlesse to death for Sinne which maketh al men culpable before god So it is his goodnesse to haue mercy vpon all Therfore if thou wilt atteyne to true righteousnesse it is by the lawe not of works but of fayth in Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleue For the redemption is not in man regenerate or carnall but in christ who hath reconciled vs to the father in his bloud declareth our righteousnesse to come by the forgiuenes of our sinnes so preaching cōfusion shame to vs the glory to him selfe And albeit that fayth which saueth is called a worke yet is not the worke comming from the poure of man for it is the worke of God and his onely gift by the which we obteine christ in whom we haue plentifull redemption from all our sins Now let vs speak of the second branch that is of mans impossibility to stand alwayes fulfilling the law The Scripture saith cursed is euery man that continueth not in al things which are written in the law to doe them And againe when a righteous man tourneth away from his righteousnes and committeth iniury he shal euen die for the same If once departure from well doing demerit death and the iust falleth seauen times and since there is no flesh that sinneth not nor any be he neuer so pefect that alwaies continueth in well doing I aske where shall we finde the meriting man or who shall dare to present him before the Lorde the reuenger of sin Or yet what is he that can deliuer himselfe from the danger of Gods Curse due to his transgressions Vaine therefore and diuelish is the confidence in such Popish doctrine and pernicious is the euill which this opinion bringeth to the soule and great is the iniurie by it committed against christ Iesus the price of thy forgiuenes The man meritor thrusteth Christ Crucifyed vnder his féet setteth himselfe vp in his stead for his owne sauiour by his workes But cast thy accompt by scripturs audite at the foot of the same thou shalt find this debt apparant to such wastfull spenders of their Lordes treasure that such as haue sought
An Exposition of the Hymne commonly called Benedictus with an ample comfortable application of the same to our age and people By A. Anderson Preacher Stay prophane vain bablings for they shall encrease vnto more vngodlines 2. Timothe 2.16 But if you haue bitter enuying and strife in your harts reioyce not neither be liars against the truth This wisdom discendeth not from aboue but is earthly sensuall and diuelish For where enuying and strife is there is sedition and all maner of euill woorkes Iames. 3.14.15 16. ¶ Imprinted at LondoÌ„ by Henry Middelton for Raufe Newbery The booke to the Reader To prayse the Lord is my desire To helpe his Church all that I can To quench if could such burning yre As Satan late hath caste in man VVhile pen doth carpe at brothers ill Sinne taketh rest the Church doth spill For other state some men do craue And cut themselues from this we haue In hart they hate thy state and life â–ª They ioy to see thee at such strife And they at ease do by disdaine Inuent all meanes t' encrease thy paâ—â—â— Their Pope and Masse they long to see Our Christ his law and vnitie They do blaspheme through our discent In cases new of gouernment Thy brawle their broyle would come to end If cease thou couldst thus to contend Ioyne hands in one embrace remorce To banish sinne bend all thy force Thy selfe restraine Gods truth respect His Church and peace of his elect Vouchsafe vs Lord thy Christ his grace Our Queene thy sprite but sinne deface Amen A.A. ¶ To the right reuerend Father in God THOMAS by the mercifull prouidence of God Bishop of Lincolne his good L Anthony Anderson Minister of the good Gospel of God wisheth all health and peace in Christ our only Sauiour THe holy Apostle sayth that whatsoeuer thinges are writteÌ„ afore time are written for our learning which sentence reuerend father as often as I do remember by the hand leadeth mee deepely to consider with reuerent regard what I read in the holy Scriptures and vrgeth me by feruent prayer to craue of God the geuer of all good giftes in Christ the true vnderstanding of the Scriptures sense and the hidden treasures therein comprised And so hath it pleased the lord of life to open the windows of heauen his name bee euer praised and from thence by his spirite most familiarly to speake vnto mee by his written word So that to his great prayse and my endlesse comfort I see that no iot of his Law is voyd of most excellent comfortes to the heart that simply in integritie of soule seeketh to quench his thirst in this fountaine of health the Gospell of God. In this word I find the knowledge of God Christ his sonne with promise of his holy spirit shall in all his elect open their hartes and write in them the true vnderstanding of his lawes Ezec. 36. The which most excellent gift by the learned books since the time of the Apostles and penned trauels of sundrie godly fathers in the Church aswell before our times as in these our dayes doth appeare to be eueÌ„ now most florishing in the church of God his name be alwayes praysed therefore And wherefore did the Prophets by his spirite speake or Christ and his Apostles preach or the godly Fathers before vs or these our learned writers in this age VVherefore I saye with hart mouth and penne haue they trauailed But to vtter the testimonie of gods gift confesse his name to the people of the earth to the life of the elect the inexcuse of the reprobate So will the Lord haue his spirite euer resiant in his Church to the end of the world To follow these Fathers as they followe Christ I accompt it my part hauing for further example amongest the many worthy workes of our writers now your L. profitable worke lately set forth to the better tast of Gods good wil in his expressed word in the appoynted Lessons at common prayer Of which worke I cease to speake further and seeke to follow as I can such good examples to the ende before touched VVhat if my Mite be not much worth Yet as it commeth from the Lord of heauen so shal it no doubt profite thither to his habilitie and that is my whole desire Let the learned eares accept as in inferior place this my small coyne yet good curraÌ„t siluer I trust tried by the touch of truth and geue him licence to passe to the lesse learned and poore countrey people whose state requireth yet mornings milke not all able for solidate questioÌ„s or deepe digested misteries Their soules are precious in the sight of God their liues ought to be deare in our consciences their wounded hartes require some soueraigne medicine of gentle digesture and quiet operation yet so that their ignorance weaknes may be remoued which God for his mercies sake in Christ vouchsafe them richly in his loue This is not the least cause why I haue stirred vp the small gift of God in me to exercise the same vpon this Hymne vsed in and at the morning prayer Iudging as by order through vse the wordes are readie at the lippe to vouch the Prophetes speech So if their tender hartes had some helpe to open therto the hidden cause of ioye in that holy letter no doubt I say the same of them shuld both with hart and mouth ioynd in one consent of grateful harmonie crie out the praises of the Lord in the temples of the holy Ghost which is the song that deliteth only the musical eares of Gods maiestie Assuredly al other chaunting notes and changing keys seeme they neuer so pleasant in the eares of men are far estranged from the good like of god al if set vp in his house of prayer This people worship me saith God with their lippes but their hartes are farre from me In vaine do they serue me c. And albeit I cannot touch the stile worthie so high a matter or set downe such deepe doctrine as the nature of the place requireth or yet approch such the hidden treasures as are here layd vp or the finenes of this our age expecteth yet nay the lesse the wydowes Myte is my boldninge comfort And on the other part the sorowfull lookes of the slothful Miser to whom the Lordes Talent was imparted maketh me afraid to queÌ„ch the spirit or stay the firie word kindled in my hart if I may vse Ieremies wordes at this present But be it that I should blushe to present my simple skill to the scanning of the wise and sharpned sight of the loftie learned deepe Doctors of our time knowing that my owne weaknes is to sundrie of them knowne also inable to this exploit in respect of infinit others â–ª yet I ioye at this refuge my conscience beareth me witnes tofore GOD and men that the onely end and scope of this my pen is chiefely to promote Gods glory
But because he chose them from among the nations not for their worthynes but in his mercie to be a peculiar people to him selfe from heauen by his presence he guided them to them he gaue his statutes ordinances his Priestes and Prophets wyth them he made his speciall couenant and gaue vnto their Tribes the Sacramentes seales of his faythfulnesse to them he promised that of the kindred of Israell he would rayse vp his holy Child Iesus which should be and before all times was of the same our eternall God determined to be the sauiour of al the true Israelites These be the causes why he termeth him the God of Israell Because he hath visited and redeemed c. Thrée principall causes mouing forth such prayses the Prophete here declareth first that our God notwythstanding that the sinnes of his Church seperateth his presence from her and in stead thereof draweth his vengeance vpon her as it were with cordes yet the malice of her sinnes cannot break the faythfulnes of him her god But according to his worde by othe also warranted he would vouchsafe in her most miserie so louingly to visit the same his Church and people Secondly he visiteth his chosen Church with inestimable loue moued wyth compassion vpon the vewe of her great miserie who for her sinnes was by his iustice Captiued into seruitude not onely to Caesar but also to Sathan and so holden of him in thrall that no way could she auoyde Sathans force or at the tribunall seat of Gods iudgement escape the iust sentence of condemnation necessarily following her wickednes as a méete merit to the same At his appoynted time according to his good pleasure he wyth his apparant fauor so visiteth the same perplexed Church that from her Captiuitie in sinne and sathans bondes and also from the iust sentence of his great wrath he by his sonne Christ hath perfectly raunsomed so redéemed her not by violēt force taking hir from her bondage as erst frō Pharao nor mouing the hartes of her Conquerors to pitie her miserie and fauor her deliuerance as somtime he did when she was in Babilons captiuitie but aunswering his iustice wyth the bloud and death of his immaculate and iust sonne Iesus hath payed there by the due price of her sinne and deliuerance from his wrath and from Sathans malice to the end that she so redéemed should leade a purchased life voyd of sinne and by his holy spirite redéeme hereafter such ill time as erst they wasted with gréedinesse to iniquitie and by newnesse of life walke as children which in the dungeon of darknes haue séene so great light that as by their former actions his holines was blasphemed so now by their good woorkes his name may be glorified Thirdly when he sayth He hath redemed his people he sturreth all Israell to a double ioy First that their gouernour and Lorde is no lesse then the Lord God who hath made all things that be the Lord of Aungelles of Men and Deuilles and hath al at his becke ruleth al at his pleasure staieth the rage of Lyons and defendeth the innocencie of Doues and the simplicitie of his beloued shéepe As also that he is a visiting God doth not onely create but dayly direct by gouernements from an hye the steps rhodes of all thinges and in his ielousie ouer the wicked for their crueltie to his people visiteth their sinnes wyth scourges and wyth the sworde of his plagues But his people he in visiting finding in them like corruption of nature the mountains of sinne the lyke little regarde of dutie to God and remorse of themselues doth not wyth the wicked destroy them but as a most mercifull Father regarding for his names sake not their deserued plague but the enemies rage against them doth acknowledge them for his and from the shadow of death the Lyons denne the burning Ouen the manifolde captiuities and fierie cheynes of sinne because they are by his owne worke his people he redéemeth them and translateth them into the kingdome of his deare sonne our sauing health Christ Iesus Now let vs good readers applie the wordes of this verse to our selues which not onely in the morning but at all times of prayer finding the lyke causes working in vs we ought wyth ioyfull hartes to the Lorde vnfainedly to say and sing Blessed be the Lorde c. First this Lorde and God belongeth to vs now as to Israell of olde For as they were after the fleshe the sonnes of Abraham So many of them not hauing the fayth of their father lost the promise to him and his séed and we now are in their stéede grafted into Christ by whose spirite and worde preached we are made the children of Abraham not by birth in fleshe for we are of another stocke Gentilles but by the gyft of fayth whereby our heauenly father maketh vs the members of his son Christ who is the true séede of Abraham wyth the rest of the true Israellites Therfore as many as are the children of faith may they and ought they as sonnes of Abraham in déede to sing wyth thankefulnes vnto god Blessed be the lord c. The visitation of our Lord then had and now continually of him vsed chalengeth alwayes ioy of vs For in visiting the wicked wyth his sworde he cutteth the occasion of euill from his people In visiting his people with his rod he deserueth great prayse for to the same his people whensoeuer he sendeth his Rodde to correct their sinnes his stafe of diuine prouidence is also by his mercie therewyth exhibited to be to them a staye of comfort and defence All which most wisely he guideth wyth his merciful hād oftentims not taking from his seruants the smarting salue of his correction vntill the itching sore of their iniquitie by the power of his spirite be taken from them As a most louing Father he visiteth vs for in the middest of his anger he is euer mindful of his mercies He striketh vs but for a season but he consumeth the wicked in his wrath he beateth vs to our good to bring vs vnder his yoke But with his visiting plagues he breaketh in sunder and beateth into morsels the children of iniquitie for the which his holy workes sake we ought euer thankfully to say wyth harte and tongue to the Lorde our god Blessed be the lord c. Thirdly haue not wée manifest cause wyth Zachary dayly to prayse God when wyth him féeling our deserued death readie to deuoure vs and our sinnes prouoking Gods iustice to condemne vs to perpetuall captiuitie to imprison vs in eternall cheynes of darkenesse wyth Sathan he by his spirite doth assure vs that we are his children and enboldeneth vs not whisperingly for feare bringing painefulnesse But to crye out wyth courage enriched wyth his loue that he is
righteousnes by the works of the law haue lost the same this remaineth recorded for the iust that all which sought it by faith not by works haue atteined to true righteousnes in déede What then doth it profit good men to worke good works The good wors of holy men profite 2. waies First weighing their valoure wyth our dutie they cast downe our Peacoks tayle and Egles hearte béeing so farre shorte of that they should they call mans crye to vouche his state vnprofytable to his Lorde And so wyth crauinge Pardon for his sinnes fogetting his fewe déedes now past he hasteneth wyth humblenes to the degrées of encrease to walke and please God as he ought towards the throne of grace where he séeth by fayth himselfe drawne vp wyth courage to rest in Christ for lyfe since his spirite liueth in him Secondly they worke a most assured corroboration in our hartes whylest we consider of whom we haue suche grace Euen that our hartes of Adamant are changed to fleshye not fleshly harts into the same Gods holy spirit is put powred by the power of which we are cause to walke in his lawes and kepe his statutes Al which though we do not or can in such sort as we should yet because his holy finger hath written his sacred lawe in our hartes and put the sinne into our inward parts is himselfe become by his couenant in christ our god and hath chosen vs for his holy people for this cause I say he accepteth vs as iust though we be all sinners and our works are acceptable in his sight and are not wythout their rewarde yet of his mercye deuoyd of our merit thus through our infirmitie worketh he his owne praise So ende we the firste parte of this verse To giue knowledge c. The second pointe is to note whose sinnes are forgiuen and so consequenly what kinde of persons atteine truely and in déede to this saluation by his Prophets preached and this I note of this word To his people For albeit that Christ is of the father giuen to the whole world to be vnto them their sauiour and that there is no age or people vnto whō the death of christ is not sufficient to their saluation and is therfore by himselfe and the worde vouched the sauiour of the world yet are not al people by him saued nor any but suche as here be called his people Now haue we also to consider that neither all that call or chalenge to be his are so in déede For then should not the Infidell Saracene with the Turke onely be cōdēned because they refuse life which is only in christ Iesus to be foūd but also of that nomber which professe christ in shew and receiue the badge and seale of righteousnesse in Baptisme and in the dayes of their flesh inuocate christ as God and call the Father Lorde be furthermore accompted to be of the church and People of God of this multitude shall infinite walke the wandring path to eternall payne Not euery one that crieth Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of god c. These are for a time in but at no time are they of the church of god These eyther haue Satan to pull the séede out of their hartes least they should beleue and be saued or beleue with ioye for a season and in fierie triall vade and consume to dust and ashes and turne to their erst conceiued death But saluation standeth at the end of the race happie is he that endureth to the end for he shall be safe Or els do they with the fayth in Christ and gospel of the sonne of God intermedle the cares of this world pleasures of the flesh which do choke the growth of the séede that no Wheate can come to ripenes for the Lordes barne they begin in the spirite but they end in the flesh These albeit they are bidden ghestes yet shall they not once tast of the Bridegromes supper For they being called dayly and the Lord with open armes euer readie to embrace them refuse to come therefore shall desolation deuoure them neither shall Ierusalem saue them or the Sinagoge of Sathan the Church of Rome deliuer them from the wéeping state and wofull paynes prepared for all hypocrites Where in stéed of popish piping and carnall delights shal be mourning and howling in perpetual chaines nayled fast to damnation his gaol And that because they neither heard or sought the Lord with integritie of soule or worshipped him els then with their owne inuentions hauing their harts a long estranged from his delite And albeit they were nourished vp in the bosome of his beloued spouse yet they are to him as Mice in the housholders barne whose purpose is to féede them fat and fill their young of the corne but not at any time to haue the presence of the Masters face For whom also the husband prepareth engins destroyers them to consume though for a time he permit them to their deuised pleasures Such shal be the end of al Papists carnall protestants fained hypocrites which séeke thē selues altogether and not the lord at all As daily those persons passe their time in such wicked lustes But of farre other nature are the true people of god As the other in the day of trial cannot be knowne of him for he shall say depart frō me I know ye not ye workers of iniquitie so the lords people are knowne to him by their name they are borne againe of the spirit They are sanctified by the holy Ghost They are graffed into Christ their vine They are predestinate to life Chosen to bee the f sonnes of god Called to the knowledge of the word of saluation and taught of god The spirit of the sonne is by the loue of the most louing father powred into their harts which causeth thē to crie to him Abba father Their stonie hartes hée mollifieth and turneth into hartes of flesh and into them for their direction and life he putteth his spirit by whose power through the woord sowne and taught he teacheth them his Lawes and geueth them grace to walke in his statutes Thus wrought by GOD they bring forth holy fruites They onely heare his voyce All straunge sound and charminge incantation they vtterly auoyd charme they c neuer so wisely They hunger after the truth and thirst the Lordes righteousnes They claspe their harts by fayth in Christ that through him alone they may apprehend the louing countenance of the heauenly Fathers face They lay their sinnes vppon his crosse and craue by comfortable cries in earnest and ardent prayer to be clothed with his righteousnes They euer confesse their many sinnes and assure them selues by fayth of his saluation They driue away terror and rest in the harbour of a quiet conscience and in most humble wise approche
his throne of grace as deare children adopted in Christ to their best beloued father They loue to labour in godly workes as by his word they are commaunded They séeke to liue by faith in Christ as by the Scriptures they are taught They ioy to suffer and beare his crosse and aspiring by lowlinesse of mind they pray his aide and helpe there in with comfort continuing vnder the same They appoynt no time for their release but paciently abide his lotted leysure They looke not on the present troubles but weigh their sinnes his decréed purpose and place as opposite to their aspect the ioye that is set before them They runne with patience the race for them appointed and despising the present shame they still endure the crosse alwayes looking to Iesus christ the authour finisher of their life They blesse those that curse them they loue their enemies and do good to all but their chiefe delight is to ioyne with the houshold of faith They challenge to themselues by nature confusion for sinne and shame for their infirmities and to God the father in Christ our Lord by the instinct of his holy spirit they attribute all honour and glory and forgetting their workes past assay to go forwards to the price set before them expressing thēselues by their good workes to be the Lords building who hath made them an holy habitation and a royall priesthode In hym they offer vp themselues for a spirituall sacrifice dayly yéelding forth the fruites of holy lippes to his priest and willing obedience to his holy will. They by the spirite desire not to followe but defie and kill the lustes of the flesh They fight against Sathan and his impes continually They beare an vnfained hate to alsuperstitious vanities They contemne and despise the beggerly ordinances of the wicked world disdayning to become bondslaues to sinne any more They reioyce in their deliuerance walke in the way of the lord with a sincere hart single mind Though slide they may eftsones by frayltie yet neuer flatte fall they by falshode from the Lord their god Lo these are they of whom our Zacharie speaketh and the Angell poynteth Joseph vnto whē he affirmeth Iesus to saue his people from their sinnes And all if these haue so many fraylties be of such weaknes that they cannot as they would or do as they should perfectly walke before the Lord Yet shall they not feare for his Christ is theirs with him they haue in him iustificatiō sanctification redemption and perfect wisedome By whose vertues and merites they are euer presented before God as a iust and holy people peculiar to the lord To these can come no condemnation or any accusation shal be admitted against thē nor any gilt procure sentence to their losse For it is the Lord that doth iustifie them Finally no power shall or can conuenting conuince them For they haue in their hartes the word which is Gods power to saluation And God him selfe standeth on their side for their defence So that it is more possible for light to become darknes good euill and euill good which neuer shall come to passe then that the Lordes people should not be deliuered from death or yet want the knowledge of their saluation Which knowledge teacheth them to féele in hart and find by truth that the same sauing health consisteth not in their remuneration but commeth of god for his Christs sake by full remission of and from all their sinnes The Lord graunt vs to labour so in his vineyarde which professe his name that we may be not called only but appeare in déede his chosen people Then shall we be sure of our deliuerance in Christ our Sauiour And thus much for these wordes his people in this present verse mentioned The third last branch of this verse is to consider by what meanes his people are brought to féel perceiue that their saluatiō doth consist in the remission geuen of god Namely by this that the same is made knowne to their consciences by the ministerie of the word preached vnto them For all if the price of Christes bloud bée they most soueraigne salue for mās sinne as by the which it is wholy washed away Yet onlesse the Church of God haue sence and perfect féeling hereof in her inward partes and depenesse of hart the same shall nothing profite her For the which cause Christ promiseth being once lift vp as the serpent in the wildernesse was to draw all men to looke and come to him by the instrument of fayth and to his heauenly father in that his most comfortable prayer a little before his death for the comfort of his elect he witnesseth that life eternall consisteth in the knowledge of God the father and Christ his Sonne Also reprouing the Iewes for their rebellion he chargeth their ignorance to bée the cause therof as also shewing his Disciples of their persecuted state perils to death affirmeth ignorance to be the forcing meane hereto This shal they do saith he because they neither know the father nor yet me Paule the Apostle testifieth this to be the meane to apprehend saluation euen to come to the knowledge of the truth Thereto he ioyneth it to the branch preceding saying God will haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth Lo a thing most incident to saluation is to haue knowledge of the truth To conclude who are they which are taught of god but his people And what are they taught of him but the truth of his word Which he writeth with his finger in their hartes as the scripture saith that they may be a knowing people and not ignorant as the Papistes teach but falsely the same to be the mother of deuotion But Christ sayth that ignorance is the mother of error which leadeth to damnation Behold now the scope of this Baptists office was to prepare the Iewish harts by the knowledge of their sinnes and repentance for the same to preuent Gods Iustice by fruitefull acceptation of the Gospell by Christ presently preached to haue him for there God and by him saluation and full deliuerance from their sinnes For the which cause the Angell also before to Zacharie adorned him with noble titles and not to him only doe they belong but to all the true preachers of God with him wherefore they are here of thée deare Reader the better to bée weighed as wordes that doe import the glory of his heauenly Embassage to thine earthly hart Hée is first sayd to bée full of the holy Ghost a thing most necessarie to bée in the true preacher of the word as without the same he can neither preach much lesse profite the people of the Lord. The Apostles from christ therfore receiued the fulnes of his spirit by portion to their aptnes power to execute their
crosse in his bitter death at what time the angrie countinance of his God with the full paines of hell for mans sin was wholy laide vpon him hee was compelled with vehemency to cry my God my God why haste thou forsaken me The fruite of this death is such that as no one of vs hath put our hand to this crosse with him to cary his Fathers wrath for our sin so hath he obtained such redemption as none of vs that beléeue a right in him shal or can tast any part of condeÌ„nation Further to vs our Saluation is most frée But in respect of the price it is the ful satisfaction of the fathers iustice and the valour is the bloud and death of our redéemer Christ Iesus The end is that we being deliuered froÌ„ sinne c should depart from iniquitie and dedicat our selues to the lord in newnesse of life as chilldreÌ„ redemed froÌ„ sin death Regard with feare therefore thy Christ hys death yeeld not thy self to sathans snare for he that willingly by wilfull lustes wil treade his death vnder his féete cannot be partaker of his glory and lyfe The third thing to obserue is the allusion which our Prophet vseth in this place to the former prophesies calling him the day spring or as other the learned translate the word a Braunch For the former translation great comfort is giuen therby to thée deare reader the word rightly considered in such sence as it ought that is to vnderstand by Oriens not the place wher the Sonne riseth but the Sonne himself so doth Malachie vse that metaphorical spech when he calleth Christ the sonne of righteousnes vnder whose winges or beames lyeth health Note heare our Zachary alluding to this Scripture teacheth Christ to be the trewe Messias the same which was of them promised to bee the lord of life by whom the church shuld haue her light full safety Further looke into the Metaphor the sunne is the guide of the world the beawty of the Heauens the light of the starres and firmament by him the vapours noysome and pestilent are taken from men the spring the Harneste the times and seasons haue their comfort and validitie of him The Moone the figure of Gods churche hath her whole light of his light of him depryued she is in her darkenes and eclipsed state by his presence the night vanisheth the stormes and tempestuous tymes are abandoned as barrennes turned into fertilitie euery crooked occurrent vadeth and all comfortes to men and creatures els present theÌ„ selues To aplie the same with a thousand more fruite thou oughtest whensoeuer thou saiest this Psalme to thy heauenly Lorde the only begotten of God the Sonne of righteousnes which is the light of the world the glory of the father the gouernour of al things the way the truth life it self to al that shal be saued which by him self redéemeth vs with his fathers mercy clotheth vs by his spirit regenerateth sanctifieth guydeth vs in him to lyfe euerlasting The Sun entring the house euery dark corner is full of light what filth remaineth is by him manifested So where christ by faith appeareth in mans hart all ignorance is banished and the light of his word reproueth all iniquitie and driueth all error forth of mans soule The learned Beza translateth the word not Oriens but Germen and in his learned Annotations geueth his reason vpon the nature of the Hebrew word tsemach which saith he signifieth not Oriens but germen a branch he affirmeth there the Prophet to allude vnto the wordes of Zacharie before and Ieremie which promised Christ to spring vp as out of the withered stocke of persecuted Dauid of whom the world should make smal accompt but his groth should be maruailous therfore he addeth from aboue that so he may shew his comming vp to be contrary to the plants of the earth This is the stone which commeth out of the mountaine without hands doth preuaile against al the mountaines of the world though the builders refuse him he is chiefe of the corner This Christ is that despised branch which séemed withered beaten for his own sinne but in the daies of his flesh he so visited vs that by his stripes we â—â—e made whole This is the gréene â—â—irident trée vpon whom the cruell Jewes bestowed their whole tirannie This is the trée â–ª vine of whom the faithfull branches receiue their light knowledge saluation and power to passe the passage of heauenly peace This is that branch by maÌ„s iudgement so eaten into the earth as no bâ—dding or spring shuld be permitted him which by his owne power defendeth his owne cause against the Monarches of the world yéeldeth foyle to the gates infernal spoyleth Satan of his pray This is the Lord king of heauen earth to whoÌ„ the powers aboue the spirits below and â—â—n in earth do stoupe fall before his throne as to their only Lord and God in whose hand is life and death Now deare reader this branch is thine geuen thée of God to be thy staffe of defence in the day â—f battel and hath come himselfe to visite thy weake state â–ª geue to thée his mightie aide The Church of God shall dwell â—ost safely vnder the shadowe of this branche for whosoeuer striueth against her â—re sure to find him present in her to whom he hath distended from aboue to geue comfort to her miseries which he câ—â—leth here darknes and the shadow of death he that lifteth at her shall find her as an heauie stone which shal crush them to péeces Further note hee suffreth oftentimes his holy ones to be led into darke troubles and poyntes of death but then is it his nature to visite them So hée came to Joseph in Pharaos chaynes He suffred the Israelits to be driuen to the brinke of the seas backset with Pharaos whole power but then he visited them gaue the light of life lead them in peace the way of the troublesome waters Hezekia Susanna Sydrach Misach and Abednego Daniel Jonas Paule Stephen and many the fathers since hath he by their trial brought forth Sathans power sheâ—ed in his deliuerie his secrete iudgements and their weakenes not able to wound or confound his instrumentes which of them selues are of most féeble force For neyther Sennacheribs blasphemie the Priestes accusation the burning ouen the Lions den the Whalles bellie Aretas ire or Saules furie could cutte shorte his deare children of his presence in thâ— middle of these their deathes but euen when their liues were thought with Peters in Herods person to be subiect to present death then did the Lord beyond all expectation deliuer them Finally to some such as he beyond al time hath predestinate in time to be called hath he appeared to their conciences and body in the extreme darknes of their furie in
our Father and that his Christ is by his goodnesse geuen to vs and by his spirite hath he grafted vs into his Christ as the braunches are into the true vine by whose sappe euen his sayd spirite wée haue not onely our Arra and earnest penie of his assured couenant But also are set so sure into eternall lyfe that it is impossible for sinne satan flesh or whatso euer to condemne vs For it is our Lorde which hath redéemed vs his people and we are by fayth grafted into him our Lorde So that to vs can come no condemnation nor any want of that which is good Therefore agayne wyth the whole Church of God we most ioyfully ought to say Blessed be the Lorde God c. For he hath visited and redeemed his people Finally note here that the Papistes in their Mattins vsing or rather into abuse bringing and chaunting this song did neuer a right as Zacharie the good Priest did therewith praise the Lord for they worshipped him with lippes alone without vnderstanding the causes why but he first waigheth the cause before hée poureth out by waight the Lordes praise His hart was wholy fraught with conceiued matter of ioy they voyd thereof laden with terrible doubtfulnesse dare not presume say they to bost of their deliuerance which popish vice as it is their deuotion in their life so it purchaseth for them after death the dregges of Gods angrie Cup as dreaming Dirgis and restlesse Masses to purchace requiem where none is to be had and a neuer ceasing paye till land and reuenewes wyll serue no more And yet if eftsones of them it be asked neuer can it by them be aunswered the soule the Lord visiting hath redéemed for then their poperie should decay But thankes be vnto God who by his vnfallible truth in his writtē word hath assured as many as beleue in him of eternall life yea and that presently after and from the moment of naturall death our Lord and redéemer so saying hee that beleeueth in me shall not die for euer c. but shall passe from death to life O ye Papistes learne to repent which God if it be his good wil graunt you for Christes sake and to perceiue with vs the causes why we blesse the Lord for he hath erected vp an horne of saluation in the house of his seruant Dauid for the Church of true Israell as this our good Priest and Prophet Zacharie speaketh on this wise saying Vers 2 And hath raysed vp the horne of saluation vnto vs in the house of his seruaunt Dauid Albeit sayth the Prophet that in the eyes of all men Israel was cast downe his strength worne out and his light extinct his hope gone and no glory left in the house of Dauid yet do I now sée thée O Lord mindfull of thy former promises For in that thou hast sent my sonne the Baptist thy messenger and enriched the wombe of the virgin with child thou hast assured vs of thy erected Christ in the Tabernacle of Dauid which is to vs a most mightie saluation by thy spirit in the mouth of the same Dauid promised saying There will I make the horne of Dauid to bud for I haue ordained a light for mine anoynted And the time now thou hast respected to the inestimable comfort of thy Church in which Herod and thy enemies haue perished in shew thy Dauids line and haue vsurped his throne As thou before time hast promised saying Jn that day will I rayse vp the Tabernacle of Dauid that is falne downe and close vp the breaches therof And J will rayse vp his ruines and J will build it as in the dayes of olde A horne he calleth Christ our Sauiour significantly thereby checking the pride of Sathan in his members that séeke to destroy the kingdome of Israell as also declaring that he shal be of strēgth to ouercome their strength yea and that his place and dignitie is no where els thē from the Lorde who doth anoynt this Christ aboue his fellow Priestes Princes with the Horne of his Euerlasting strength for his people Vnderstand therfore that this word Cornu a horne in scripture sometime signifieth kingdom and princely power as in Daniell and in Samuel Sometime it is taken for strength and great might as in Daniel againe and in the Psalmist All the hornes of the vngodly will J breake but the hornes of the iust saith he shal be exalted The sum of the Prophets wordes are as if he had sayd To vs depriued of strength hope and comfort by the mightie enemies of god in the world the Lord in despite of them that throw vs downe to the dust hath erected in the midst of them his promised Christ which is to vs that beleue in him a mightie king a strong saluation That and the only sauing health of God giuen to al nations that feare him and call vppon his name Yea and that in the same linage and stocke which the mightie of the world are now in hand to destroy euen in the house of his seruant Dauid Since to vs this horne with his honour and strength is erected let vs consider something further of these the Prophets wordes And first note that in Christ alone which is borne of Dauids stocke the virgin Mary not in the popish wheaten and coniured counterfet Christ hath the heauenly father placed our sauing health and in no other wherefore in him alone must wée repose our trust as in whom the fulnes of the Godhead and his whole fauour dwelleth corporally and in whom alone he resteth with vs pleased whose name is the Lord our righteousnes Secondly he is of God set vp to be our saluation therefor may we not els where séeke for health of Man or Angell neither feare any other power for neither sinne Sathan world or Hell can take our sauing health from vs that rest in him nor separate from him his merites those which the father hath geuen to him Thirdly the same horne that to the wicked is terrible and vgly destroying their kingdomes and tiranny is to the faithfull the horne of their health in God from the sicknes of their sinne And also it is to them life into heauen from and against the death in hel As the same water which drowned the wicked of the world neither sparing Shippe Citie Towne or Castel at the same instant caried the Arke of the obedient Noah and his familie from destruction Yea and as naturall death it selfe is to the wicked the doore to eternall fire So is the same naturall death by this our strength Christ Iesus who hath ouercome death and her sting to vs that rightly beleue in him the passage to eternall ioye and blisse Let the Papists therefore tremble at the presence of this our strength for neither they or the gates of hell shall or can preuayle in battayle against vs because God
concerning the purpose of God in this Baptist Thus he saith And thou little babe shalt be called the Prophet of the highest c. By these words we are put in mind stil of Gods aboundant mercy in his Christ who not only maketh Zacharie an old comfortable father but openeth also vnto him the arcane counsel of his diuine disposition And by the spirit of prophecy assureth him and the Church committed to him of the heauenly benefite their spirituall deliuerance in this Christ their true Messias of whom this little babe that yet can nothing say shal be the most noble preacher and Prophet When hée calleth him the Lords Prophet he acknowledgeth him to be the interpreter of the lords Law and Oracles the Doctor and preacher in to the Church of God by whose mouth the Lord him selfe speaketh to the same opening to them his secretes and manifesting his holy will as appeareth by that which followeth To geue knowledge of Saluation c. Which prophecie of the father was fulfilled in his sonne the Baptist in the the first yeare of Tiberius at which time Christ was about thirtie yeres of age And John began to preach publiquely saying Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Two notable thinges in the wordes of this his text he promiseth to his sonne by his warrant receiued frō god First that albeit he be in respect of natures worke and the worldes reputation but a small child and of lowe degrée yet hath the lord chosen appointed him from his cradell nay before his creation to be the instrument most apt to the Lordes labour The second is the nature of his office which is to prepare make straight the way of the Lord as the Angel before had sayd to Zacharie in the vision Who being corrected for his doutfulnes assured him selfe and others most constantly of the Lordes promise which was that this holy Prophet the Baptist should be great in the sight of God and should not geue him selfe with the wicked Priestes of the earth or the false prophets of Israel to gorge their crawes with bibbing cheare but should lead an austere temperate diet hauing his hart wholy set vpon his office which the spirit of God selected him to from his mothers wombe that he should turne the children of Israel to their Lord God by that heroicall spirite which God erst gaue to Helias to turne the harts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisedome of the iust men to make ready a people prepared for the lord This was the most excellent office of the Baptist in consideration wherof this Zachary song this Psalme to the lords praise Now let vs note here good reader that not by chāce but by gods prouidēce al things are guided to his glory the churches profite Not any mā is by chāce set into place autoritie or any office but are appointed of god in his wisdome yea before they are to be men beyond his search sute or expectatiō to the seruice of his god As Moyses Aarō Saul Dauid Samuel Amos Jeremie Esay Christ him selfe Paule the Apostles els and all others before and since The very wicked Magistrates their office and authoritie is of the Lord by him kinges doe raigne good or euil In that they are kinges of his good wisedome it is but as they are euill it is of their owne frowardnes Satans malice from which persons neyther may the action of Gods iustice in any wise be seperate Pharao his hart the Lord hardened Nabuchadnezar hée stirred vp against the children of Israel Pilate and Herode with the Gentiles and cruel Jewes were in their malicious harts furiously bent and did in déede gather them selues together against Christ the annoynted of the lord But it was to do whatsoeuer the hand and the counsell of the Lord had before determined to be done All which emphatically Zacharie voucheth vnder this word Thou shalt c. Wherefore let vs depend vpon our heauenly fathers prouidence and what gouernement raigne pollicie or order so euer we sée prayse God for the good pray God to amend rectifie or remoue the euill at his good pleasure and for his spirit to direct our steppes knowing that as a sparowe falleth not to the ground without the heauenly fathers prouidēce So shall nothing come to passe without his good pleasure to his elect And the euent shall euer be to them because they feare the Lord good and prosperous Oh that ye Papistes Atheists and other the Macheuils of this our age could consider this then would ye not so range at the Gospell or so enuie the professors therof or yet contēne so gracious gouernmēt as is set ouer you vs by the which not by casualitie but by diuine destinie gods word is so amplie preached forcibly beaten into your eares that were you not appointed to the slaughter in the day of wrath impossible should it be for you to remayne rebellious But so is it Gods good pleasure to rayse vp little Baptists and lowly babes to possesse that grace which you wise and mightie Giants of the world despise and persecute All prayse be to thée O heauenly father therefore and continually vouchsafe thy blessing to this our nation graunt our Dauid to consider thy choyse of her Maiestie which was not from the fold of simple shepe but out of the Lions téeth the Papists clawes out of the Towers prison and tirans death to féede thy people of England in the sinceritie of her harte and the porcion of her gracious giftes bestowed vppon her Moreouer I note to thée good reader the yet more mercie of our good GOD who spilleth not but spareth the worlde for the electes sake and before he sendeth destruction for sinne he exhibiteth to that people his Prophetes to call them to repentance that he in lyke sort may torne from the euil which he hath determined agaynst them As to Adam in Paradise he appeared by him selfe To Cain by his voyce from heauen To Pharao by Mosses To Achab his age by Hely To the Iewes before the destruction by Esay Je. sundry others To Ierusalem by Iohn Baptist Christ Iesus and his Apostles forty and od yeares after his death and all to call these to repentance and true turning to the Lorde by the warning of the Trumpe of God the mouthes of the Preachers But alas these ages as they are past before vs so haue they left to their posteritie as yet their former vices of securitie and contempt of the preachers voyce So that Esay may well say at this houre Lorde who beleueth our saying or to whom is the arme of the Lord knowne But woe ouertooke them and so shall it all such as despising the light of the worde wallow still in the myre of mans deuises agaynst god Where God offereth his worde therewyth
thy quiet but chiefely Gods blessing for thy soules health in his Christ against the spirite of error and Sathan himselfe Secondly to him vz. to his office exercise is ascribed a certaine power to turne the harts of the fathers to their childrē This power is by his preaching the word the spirit of god directing him where note that the word preached is of power to conuert bicause it is the b mallet of God to beat downe sinne and his two edged sword to cut downe vice The mylke of GOD to nourish and alter the crooked nature of mans corpupted fleshe The séede to make him a fruitfull ground the pleasaunt Odor to delight that faythfull scent The faythfull witnesse and the poure of God to ouercome Satan and his assaultes To beate downe strong holdes and euery height that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and to bring and leade captiue to the obedience of Christe euery thought and full power the worde hath to be reuenged of all the obstinate when the obedience of the faythfull is fulfilled It is not for other cause that God doth spare the wicked then that the Godly should first be brought to more perfection and the wicked should waxe more rype in their iniquitie and that the Godly by their tyranie might dayly be exercised and that for a season they deuoure the noysome creatures of the earth that else would more hurte the children of god But when the Aples be rype the Lorde will pull the trée and cast the fruite into the fyre For the wicked as he cannot forget so wil he in his appoynted time poure out the dregges of his angry must be taken away and remoued Euery valley must be exalted euery mountaine brought low the croked must be streyght framed and the rough wayes made playne and this preparation must be by the preaching of the Gospell so expoundeth Luke the place or rather the Angel when he saith to Zachary that J. Bap. should make ready a people instructed for the Lorde As Jhon behaued him nobly so dyd the Apostles faythfully and the Fathers of olde sincerely in this their charge Remaineth that the Princes and Preachers now be diligent therein as best beséemeth their vocation to prepare his holy wayes The way of the Lord is in mans hart which agaynst the comming of his God the king of al kinges he must so prepare that there be nothing to offend his eye or hinder his louing comming If an earthly Prince shal come to a Towne or Citye how are the wayes skoured the path made playne the streates so sanded that the very Horse shall not haue wheron to trip The house paynted the Conduites running wyne the place perfumed and so garnished that his delight may féede wyth pleasure vpon the view of this prepared way This would the Baptist haue vs to thinke vpon when he alludeth to the comfortable comming of their mightie kings and the pompous preparations of the people for his receipt But sith Christes comming is into the soule of man by his Spirite the path of mans conscience must be prepared in desēt sort aswel in matters of cōscience touching religiō as in the reformatiō of his former wicked life for no mā cā be in christ Iesu vnles he be made a new creature The path of our religiō ought to he framed vnto vs by the word of God neyther ought we or may we wythout mere sacrileadge adde thereto or diminishe in the worshippe of the mightie loue in Christ eny thing at all Thrise Cursed be the Papistes therefore that leape vp into Christes Throane and thrust him to the walles setting vp a will worship of their owne inuention hauing no other warrant then the fleshe that framed that Idolatrie But the Scripture holde all them accursed that set vppe false worship vnto him or that builde their nests in mans strength or put their trust in fleshly wisdome or turn the glory of God to a mortall man or set their affiaunce in their inuentions O ye mightie magestrates in and of the church of christ to you this chiefly doth be long so to prepare this heauenly path the no offensiue matter be there left to stay or stop his godly presence from our harts You are to enter the path appoynted to the lord his vse to remoue out of the way euery base beggerly matter that is to the dishonor of God set vp as to his worship or garnishing falsly of his house the rudiments of men which can neuer edifie in the Church of god And to commaund send abroad the Preachers and forerunners of this king to cry for preparation to euery rugged hart depressed conscience with the weight of sin that by the comfort of christs gospel they may be brought to lift vp the eies of their faith to the lord in Sion There Iesus christ is set vp for their saluation there shall their heauie harts laden soules haue new refreshing in him the Lord crucified of his Father againe raysed to lyfe for their iustification And you Baptists of the Lord your dutie is to pull out of mens hartes by sound moderate doctrine the God Maisim and euery height that exalteth it selfe against god The pryd of mans hearte by the power of the worde must you beate downe which proudly say wyth Popish spyte Sic volumus so we will haue it and not by the word to measure the time cause whether so it ought to be All such as set vp their hornes on high against Christes lowly members and nothing lyke of that the path might somthing be skowred such be they which fight for lyfe with tooth and nayle as the prouerbe is to kéepe vppe the troublous thickets and the loftie hye hilles that can not stoupe to the Lordes lawe The Papistes Atheistes and Hypocrites of our dayes I meane which all though they be woll shrubbed and shred yet they begin euen nowe before the springe to budde and hope againe in time to florish as the gréen bay trée But were they lopped dazie height or proined the wyth princely Dauids a cutting knife they as the shred willow florish in a momēt but neuer eftsoones could they take roote The ragged hartes which wyth the Hare skipe here and there to flye from trueth whose smothed lippes imbrace dissimulation your seasoned sound with Helias hart oh ye Prophets of the Lorde must ring wyth power into their eares For most abhominable is the halting Hypocrite he is a Thornie Hedge and Bushe of Briers to wounde and stinge as many as be partakers of his companie The harte chaffed wyth flyght séeketh to the Riuers of water for his comfort But the Hypocryte pursued by Satan to his destruction hath no lust to looke after the water of lyfe which God doth giue to all that fathfully thirst therefore Oh let them know that