that worketh in you both the wil and also the dede / euen at his owne pleasure And se that with all mekenes ye submyt your selues vnto the vocacion of god / not seking the lyberty of the fleshe / nether yet despysyng good workes / for faith doth mortefye the fleshe and her workes / the spirite of god whiche resteth in a faythfull man helpeth our insurmitie and fyghteth without intermission agaynste synne / the deuyll and the worlde ¶ The power of faythe THe power of fayth is to iustefye vs that is / to dispoyle vs frome all our vices and laye them on Christê backe whiche hathe pacefyed the fathers wrathe towardes vs and to endue vs with an others ryhtwysnes / that is Christê / so that I and all my synnes are Christes / Christ with all his vertues are myne / for he was borne for vs and geuen vnto vs. Esaye ix Roma .viii. To obteyne this ryghtwisnes god the father requireth nothing of vs but that we beleue in hym and make hym no lyar He that beleueth that god of his mercye hath made vs these promises that for his truthes sake he wil fulfyl them / he setteth to his seale the god is true But he that beleueth not or doubteth of this as much as in him is he maketh him a liar .i. IohnÌ„ v. for why sholdest thou doubte in hym excepte thou thoughtest that he were a lyar wold not kepe his pro messe which he made Now yf thou counte God whiche is the verye truthe to be a lyar / arte thou not worthye a thousande dampnacyones ¶ The worke of faythe FAyth worketh by charite / for when my ragyng conscience which fealeth her synÌ„e is pacefied set at one with God thrughe fayth / then remembrynge the feruent loue of god towardes me I can not but loue my neyghboure agayne / for there is no man that hertelye loueth the father and can hate the sone / and althoughe the sonne be naught and vnthriftye yet for his fathers sake he wyll helpe to better hym and euen lament and be sorye for the sonnes wyckednesse Lykewyse yf we hertely loue god for his infinyte benefytes done vnto vs / then can we not hate that creature which he hath made after his own lykenes / whoÌ„ god the father loueth so tenderly that he gaue his owne sonne vnto the death to redeme him / yea whom he hath adopted thrugh Christe to be his sonne and heyre Nowe all be it we se no kyndenes in this man for whiche we sholde loue hym yet hath god shewed vs kyndnes ynough for the which we ought to loue hym so coure hym at al tymes Let vs therfore loue hym for the loue that god his creatoure hathe shewed vs / beare his infyrmitye / yf he faule let vs lyft hym vp agayne / and endue hym with our mysdome all our workes euen as Christ hath done with vs / and this is an euydent token that thou louest god / when thou louest thy brother .i. IohnÌ„ .iiij. and seakest al meanes to helpe hym / these are the good workes that folow fayth / and are euydent tokens that thy faythe is ryght and pure Thus seest thou how good workes / flowe out of faythe through charite / charite or loue is the fulfilling of that hole lawe Ro .xiij. ¶ Good workes AMonge good workes the chyef are to be obedyente in all thynges vnto kynges / prynces / Iudges / and suche other offycers as farre as they coÌ„maunde ciuyle thynges that is to say such thynges as are indyfferente / and not contrarye vnto the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of god / for then must we rather obaye God then men / actes in the fyrst chapitre although we shold lese both our substauÌ„ce and lyfe therto To honour rulers To promote peace To praye for all comynaltyes And to applye al our studyes to profyte them ¶ The nexte are to be obedyent vnto father mother To prouyde for our householde both nouryshyng our famylye with bodelye sustenaunce / and also to enstructe them with the worde of god / and so to be theyr gouernour carnall and spirituall ¶ Then muste we loke howe we oughte to behaue our selues towardes our neygh boures knowlegynge that al the gyftê which are geuen vs of god / are not geuen vs for our owne selfe but for the edefyenge of the coÌ„gregacyoÌ„ .j. Corynth .xij. yf we bestow them not on that maner we shall surelye geue a rekenyng for them before the lorde Emonge these ought we to haue respecte vnto the preachers and mynesters of the worde / that they maye be had in honoure and well prouyded for And aboue all thinges good bretherne addresse your selues vnto that necessary worke prayer Remembre to praye for all estates / for that is a worke that Chryst his apostles full dylygently exhorted all men vnto / promysynge them that they sholde obtayne theyr perycyons IohnÌ„ .xvj. also .j. IohnÌ„ .iij. yf they be accordynge to the wyll of god and for his glorye .j. IohnÌ„ .v. ¶ Here endeth the exposition vpon the lj Psalme called Miserece meidens Imprented at LondoÌ„ in Flete strete by IohnÌ„ Byddeii / dwellynge next to Flete brydge at the sygne of our lady of pytye / for wyllyam Marshall Cum priuilegio Regali
and tyrauntes And wheÌ„ he was yet ones more enquyred of the by standers and was accused to be one of his disyples / he began to curse to swere that he knewe the not / what thynke you he sayde I suppose that he sware by god and by the lawe of Moyses that he knewe the not / addynge such wordes Thynke you that I am the disciple of this Samaritane whiche / deceyueth the people whiche is inspyred with the deuyl / and destroyeth our lawe I am the discyple of Moyses / and knowe not from whence this felowe is Blyssed be God that they ceased enquiryng any further / for els wold he neuer haue ceased denyenge the / so that a thousande interogacyons wolde haue made a thousande flatte negations yea a thousande curses and periuryes / yet were these interogations but wordes What wolde he haue done I praye the yf they had scourged hym and buffeted hym well Trulye he wolde haue sought and proued all meanes / denyenge / for swerynge / cursyng and blasphemyng vntyll that he had escaped their handes But thou most meke Lorde lokedst backe vpon him by and by he knowleged his offence Neyther yet durste he leape in to the myddes of they in and confesse the to be the sonne of God / for he was not yet strengthed with power frome aboue / so that withoute doubte he wolde haue denyed the agayne yf he had sene ony ieoperdye at bande / therfore as it was woste mete for hym / he went forth wepte bytterly But thou after thi resurrecioÌ„ appearedst vnto hym coÌ„fortedst hym yet hyd he hym selfe for feare of the iewes he sawe the so gloryously ascendyng vnto heuen and was strengthed by the syghte and comfort of angelles / and yet durste he not go abrode / for he had learned by experience to knowe his owne fragylite had proued his weakenesse Therfore dyd he tarye and wayte for the holy ghost whiche was promised WheÌ„ he was come and had â—uled Peters herte with grace / then siepâ—e he forthe then began he to speke / and then with great power signes bare he witnes of thy resurrectioÌ„ TheÌ„ feared he neyther the hye preestes nether yet kynges / but reioysed in tribulacions receiued the crosse with all myrthe and gladnes Therfore strengthen me lorde with a principal spirit that I may contynually reioyce in thy sauyng helthe / or els can I not beare so manye assautes agaynst me The fleshe coueteth contrarye to the spirite The worlde assayleth me on euery syde The deuyl siepeth not Geue me the strenghte of thy spirite that there maye fall by my syde a thousande and tenne thousande by my ryghte hande that I maye be a sure and stronge witnesse of thy faythe / for yf Peter whom thou enduedste with so manye fauourable gyftes / dyd fall so wretchelye / what shulde I do lorde which haue nether sene thy naturall presens nether haue tastede of thy glory in the mouÌ„tayne nether haue sene thy gracyous myracles yea and haue scarsely perceiued thy meruelous workes / and haue neuer herde thy voyce / but haue bene euer subdued vnder â–ª synne therfore strength me with a pryncypall spirite that I maye perseuer / in thy scruyce and geue my lyfe for thy sake I wil instructe the wycked that they may knowe thy wayes and the vngodly shall be conuerted vnto the. Ascribe not this oh Lorde vnto presumsioÌ„ / yf I go aboute to teache the vngodly thy wayes for I desyre not to teache them as I nowe am wycked / vngodlye and vnder the bondes of syfie / but yf thou make me agayne to reioyce in thy sauyng healthe yf thou strengtheÌ„ me with a prynecip al spirits and yf also thou sette me free / then shall I teach the vngodlye thy wayes Neither is this harde vnto the / whiche of very stones canst rayse vp chldren vnto Abraham / neither can my synnes be impediment vnto the yf thou wylte do this / but rather where synne is so aboundaunte / there aboundeth grace Paule yet brethynge out threatnynges and slaughter agayyste the dyscyples of the lorde receyued coÌ„myssyon that yf he founde ony whether thy were men or women whiche folowed the professed thy fayth / he sholde brynge them presoners to Hierusalem And forthe was he goynge lyke a mad harebrayn and as a rauenyng wolfe / for to stray a brode / rauysh and kyll thy shepe But whylles he was yet in his iourney euen in the heate of his persecucion / and in actuall doynge of his fynne / whyles he was persecuting the and wolde haue slayne thy chosen / hauyng no maner of preparatyue vnto grace / neyther yet knowlege of his synÌ„e / when with hert and wyl he was thyne aduersarte / blasphe med and cursed the. Beholde the voyce of thy mercyable pytye vnto hi sayeng saule saule why perscuteste me by the whiche voyce he was immedyatlye bothe layed a longe and raysed vp he was layde a longe and ouerthrowne as coÌ„cernyng his body / but he was taysed vp with the mynnd / thou raysedste hym vp that was in the slepe of darke ignorauncie and pouredst in thy gloryous lyght in those yets which were oppressed with this blynde sleape thou shewedst hun thy fauourable face and endued hym with thy gracious mercy Then was he reyfed as it had bene frome dethe / he opened his yeis / he sawe the and sayd lord what wylt thou that I do after dydest thou send a shepe to this wolfe / for thou coÌ„maundest Ananias to go vnto him And then was he baptysed and anone was he replenyshed with the holy ghost / and was made a chosen vessel to beare thy name before kinges / natioÌ„s the chylder of Israel And without delaye he entred in to the synagoges and preached thy name stoutlye / affyrmynge that thou arte chryste / He dysputed / preuayled and confouÌ„ded the Jues Beholde lorde euen streyght of a persecutoure / thou madest hym a preacher suche a preacher that laboured more then all the other Appostles O how greate is thy powere / yf thou wylt of a wycked man make a ryghtwyse / or of a ê‘securtoure a preacher / who shal forbyd the Who shall rysyst the who maye saye vnto the why doest thou so All thingê that thou woldest haue thou made in heuen and in erthe / in the see and in all bottomlesse depth Therfore impute it not to arrogancye yf I coueyte thrughe thy power and not thrugh myne owne to teche the wycked thy wayes / for I know that I can offre nothynge whiche can be so acceptable in thy godly syghte / this is the most pleasaunt sacryfyce / also for my for my singuler profit / now if thou chafige me in to an other man / then will I teache the wycked thy wayes / not the wayes of Plato and Aristole / not the intricate and sotle proposicyons of mannes wytte / not the iustructions of phylosophye / not the paynted
and haue ben miurious only to the / for I haue not offen ded agaynste ony creature in that I haue set my truste or confidence in it For it was not coÌ„maunded me that I sholde loue ony creature for it selfe Yf thou haddest coÌ„mauÌ„ded me that I sholde haue loued an aungell onely for hym selfe / and I had loued mony for it selfe / then no doubte I had offended agaynst the angell But sith that thou only art to be loued for thy selfe that is to say without ony respecte other of good or euyll and euery creature is to be loued in the for thy sake Therfore haue I surely offended onely agaynst the / for I haue loued a creature for it selfe ¶ But yet haue I worse done / for I haue synned euen iÌ„ thy syght I was nothig asshamed to synne before thy face Oh merciful god / how many synnes haue I done in thy syght which I wolde in no wyse haue done before mortal meÌ„ / yea that I wolde not in ony case the men sholde knowe I feared men more then the / for I was blinde loued blyndnes / so did I nether se nor ones coÌ„sidre the. I had only fleshly eyes / therfore did I only feare and loke on men whiche ar flesh But thou lokedst on al my synnes and numbred them / therfore I can nether hyde them froÌ„ the / nether turne my backe and flye from thy face ¶ Whether shall I go from thy spirite and whether shall I flye from thy face What shall I then do whether shall I turne me whome shall I fynde to be my defender whom I praye you but the my god who is so good who is so geÌ„tle who is so mercyfull for thou passest without comparisoÌ„ al creatures in gentlenesse It is one of thy chyefest propertyes to forgeue and be mercifull / for throughe mercy and forgeuenesse thou dost most declare thy almyhgtynesse I graunt lorde that I haue offended only agaynst the / and haue done that whiche is euyll in thy syght Haue mercy therfore on me expresse thy puysaunce in me / that thou mayst be iustified iÌ„ thy wordê / for thou hast sayde that thou camest not to cal the rightwise / but fynners vnto repentaunce Justefie me lorde accordyng to thy wordes call me / receyue me / and gyue me grace to do true workes of repentauÌ„ce For this cause wast thou crucyfied / deade and buryed Thou saydest also JohnÌ„ iij. wheÌ„ I am lyfted vp from of the earth / I wyl drawe al vnto my selfe / verefie thy wordê draw me after that let vs ruÌ„ne to gether in the swetenesse of thyne oyntmentes Besydes that thou saydeste Math. xi Lome vnto me all ye that laboure / and are laden and I wyll case you Loo I come vnto the laden with synnes / laboryng day and nyght in the sorow of myne harte refresh and ease me lorde that thou mayste be iustefied and proued true in thy wordes / and mayste ouercome when thou art iudged / for there are manye that saye he shall haue no so coure of his god God hath forsaken hym Ouercome lorde these parsones when thou arte thus iudged of them forsake me not at any tyme. Gyue me thy mercye and holesome socoure / and then are they vaynqueshed ¶ They saye / that thou wylt haue no mercye on me / that thou wylte cast me clene out of thy fanoure no more receyue me thus art thou iudged of men / and thus do men speake of the / and these are theyr determynacyons / but thou whiche arte meke merciful haue mercy on me and ouercome theyr iudgemeÌ„tes / shewe thy mercy on me and let thy godlye pytye be praysed in me Make me a vessell of thy mercye / that thou mayste be iustefied in thy wordes haue the vyctorye when men do iudge the / for men do iudge the to be firce and inflexible Ouercome theyr iudgemeÌ„t with mekenes beneuolence / so that men may lerne to haue compassion on synners / and that malefatours may be enflamed vnto repentaunce seynge in me / thy pytye and mercye To I was fasshoned iÌ„ wyckednes my mother coÌ„ceyued me poluted with synne ¶ Beholde not lorde the greuousnes of my synnes / coÌ„sidre not the multitude / but loke mercifully on me whiche am thy creature RemeÌ„bre that I am dust / that al fleshe is as wytherd hay / for lo I am fasshoned in wickednes in sinne hath my mother coÌ„ceiued me My naturall mother I say hath conceiued me of coÌ„cupisceÌ„ce / in hit am I volluted with originall synne What is originall synne / but the lacke of originall iustice of the ryght pure innoceÌ„cy which maÌ„ had at his creacyon therfore a man coÌ„ceiued borne in suche synne is hole croked out of frame The fleshe coueteth against the spirit Reason is slender / the wyl is weake / man is fraile like vanitie / his sences deceiue him his ymagynacyon fayleth hym his ignoraunce leadeth him out of the ryght way / he hath infinite iÌ„pedimentê which plucke hym frome goodnes and dryue hym in to euyll Therfore oryginall synne is the rote of all synnes the nurse of all wickednesse for all be it the in euery man of sheyr owue nature it is but one synne yet in powet it is all synnes Thou seiste therfore Lorde what I am and of whence I am for in orgynall synne which conteyneth al synnes and iniquites in it am I fashoned / and in it hath my mother coÌ„ceaued me syth then I am hole in synnes and enuyroned with snares on euery side howe shall I escape for what I wolde that do I not / but the euyll that I wolde not that do I. For I finde a nother lawe in my membres rebellynge agayneste the lawe of my mynde / and subduynge me vnto the lawe of synne and deth Therfore the more frayle and entang led thy godly beneuolêce seeth me so much the more let it lyft vp and confort me who wolde not pytye one the is syke who wolde not haue compassion on hym that is dysea sed Come come swete Samaritane take vp the wounded and halfe deade / cure my woundes / poure in wyne and oyle set me vpon thy beest bringe me into the houry / coÌ„mytte me vnto the hoste take out two pence saye vnto hym what so euer thou spendest aboue this when I come agayne I wyll recoÌ„pence ye. To thou hast loued truth / the vnknowne secrete tgyngs of thy wysdome haste thou vttered vnto me ¶ Come most swete Samaritane / for beholde thou haste loued truthe / the truthe I saye of thy promyses whiche thou hast made vnto mankynde / theym haste thou truly loued for thou haste made and kepte them / so that thy loue is nothynge els but euen to do good for in thy selfe thou art inuartable immutable / thou vseste not now to loue anon not to loue as meÌ„ do neyther doth thy loue
able to make it This grace cometh onely from the in to the soule through thy creacyon / it is the beautye of a pure herte / it draweth vnto him al vertue and expelleth all vyce / therfore create in me Oh god a pure herte through thy grace and make a newe an vpryght spirite in my bowels ¶ For thy spyryte shall leade me in to a ryghte waye / whiche shall purge me from all erthy affectes and shall lyfte me vp vnto heuenlye thynges The louer and the thynge that is loued are bothe of one nature He that loueth bodelye thynges is worldly / but he that loueth spirituall thyngê is spirituall Beue me aspirite that maye loue the and worshyppe the / the most hye spirite / for god is a spirite and they which worshyp hym muste worshyp hym in the spiryte and verite Beue me an vpryghte spiryte not sekyng his owne spirite profyt and glorye / but the wyll and glorye of god renewe an vpryghte spirite within me / renewe it / for my synnes haue quenched the first that thou gauest me Beue me nowe a newe spiryte that it maye redresse that thynge whiche is inueterate / my soule is also a spirite and so made of the that of hir selfe she is ryghte / for of hir owne nature she loueth the aboue hir selfe and desireth all thynges for thy glory / so that hir owne naturall loue is ryght / for it cometh of the but of hir owne frowarde wyl it is inueterate and polluted causing hir natural loue to decay Make newe therfore this spirite this loue through thy grace that it maye walke in the ryght waye accordyng to his nature renue it I saye that it maye euer enflame me with heueÌ„ly loue / that it may euer cause me to sighe vnto the / to enbrace the contynually and neuer to forsake the. Caste me not away from thy face / and thy holy ghost take not from me ¶ Beholde lorde I stande before thy face that I maye fynde mercy I stonde before thy benigne goodnes lokynge for thy fauorable aunswere / caste me not confused frome thy face who came euer lorde vnto the / and wente away confused who euer desyred thy fauour / and wente without it Surelye thou passeste in thy aboundamte pytye bothe the deseruynges and also the desyres of them that pray vnto the / for thou gyuest more then men can desyre ye or vnderstonde when they haue it It was neuer herde that thou dydest caste awaye frome thy face ony man that euer came vnto thâ— Shall I oh lorde be the fyrste that shall be caste away frome thy face and vtterly confounded wylt thou begynne at me to coÌ„founde them that come vnto the wylt thou neuer more haue mercye and compassyon god forbydde The woman of canane folowed the / she cried and made piteous noyse she moued the dyscyples vnto coÌ„passyon / and thou hyldest thy peace / she contynued knockynge / she worshypped the and sayd Lorde helpe me / neyther yet woldest thou answere Thy dyscyples entreated for her sayenge let her go for she cryeth after vs. But what was thyn answer lorde I pray the / what dydst thou answere forsoothe yâ— she wepte in vayne laboured for nought for thou saydst that thou wast not sent but vnto the shepe that were peryshed of the house of Israel What sholde this woman do when she herde these wordes verelye euen dyspeyre as concernynge the grace that she requyred and yet dispeyred she not / but trustynge in thy meercye prayed yet agayne sayenge Lorde helpe me / vnto whose importunyte Lorde thou answeredst / it is not good to take the chyldrens breede and caste it to houndes as thoughe thou sholdest haue geueÌ„ her a full answere and sayd departe from me / you Canaanites at wâ—ges / ye are Idolatres / the precious gyftes of heuenly fauour perteyne not vnto you / I ought not to take them away from the iewes which worship tho true and liuyng god / and to geue them to such dogges as ye are whiche worshyp ydols and deuyls What shalt thou now do thou woman of Canaan thou mayste nowe be a shamed and gette the away / for the lorde is angry not with the alone / but also thy hole nacyon Oh lorde god / who wolde not haue bene coÌ„founde haue pyked hym away at these thy wordes who wolde not haue mumbled and grudged agaygst the who wolde not haue iudged the to be cruell And yet did this woman contynue styll in prayer She cast not away hir confydence / she toke not these harde wordes heuelye / she was not angry / but she huÌ„bled hir self the more and abode styll in hir petycyon and sayde with good fyaunce It is truthe lorde that thou sayest / but I axe no breed / I axe not the fauoure that the chyldrene sholde haue I am a lytle whelpe and desyre the cromes which fal froÌ„ the childrens table Let them floryshe aboundde with myracles other gracioê° fauours / but let not me be destitute of thâ— cruÌ„me of grace that my doughter maye be delyuerd frome the fendes possessyon for the whelpes do eate of the cruÌ„mes which fall from theyr masters tables / Beholde what faythe / what trust and what humylyte was in this woman / therfore thou not dyspleased with her importunate instaunce / but reioysynge in her excellent coÌ„stauncye dydst saye O woman greate is thy fayth / be it vnto the as thou wylte Why are these thynges wryten lord god that we may lerne to trust in the that we may humbly and deuoutlye contynew in prayer / for thou wylte geue it yf men be greadye But the kyngdome of heuen suffereth vyolence / and they the make vyolence vnto it catche it / for what thynges so euer are wryten are wryten for our lernynge the thrughe patience and confort of the scryptures we maye haue hope Laste me not therfore lorde from thy face / which stonde wepynge and waylynge daye and nyght before thy face / not that thou sholdest delyuer me frome the bodelye oppressyon of deuylles / but that thou wylte delyuer my soule frome his spyrytuall power and domynyon Let me not be shamed O swere Iesu for in the onely haue I trusted I haue no helthe nor confort but in the o lorde for all haue forsaken me / euen my bretherne childreÌ„ haue cast me of / myn own bowels abhorre me I haue none othee helper / but only the / Last me not therfore away froÌ„ thy face / and take not thy holye spirite fro me There is no man which can say the Iesus is the lorde but the holy ghost / therfore yf I cal vpon the lorde Iesu / that do I in the holy ghoste Yf I be sorye for my synnes whiche are passed / yf I are forgyuenesse / this do I verely by the holy ghoste Therfore I beseche the take not fro me thy holye ghoste / but that it maye be with me / and laboure with me / for we wore