¶ A GODLIE Sermon Preached on Newe yeeres day last before Sir William Fitzwilliam Knight late Lord deputie of Irelande Sir Iames Harrington Knight their Ladyes and Children vvith many others at Burghley in Rutlande By the minister of God Anthony Anderson Hereto is added a very profitable forme of prayer good for all such as passe the seas by the same author framed and vsed in his aduentured iourney Psal 37. Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the ende of that man is peace ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas Purfoote for Lucas Harison dwelling in Paules Church yarde Anno Dom. 1576. ¶ TO THE RIGHT worshipfull Sir William Fitzwilliam Knight late Lorde deputie of Ireland Sir Iames Harrington Knight Master Ihon Harrington his sonne and godly heire their vertuous Ladies Wiues and faithfull children Anthony Anderson Preacher of Christs Gospell wisheth all health in Christ our Lorde THough I vse not more thē briefe notes to write my sermons yet right worshipfull for that of some of your godly religious children I was more then earnestly entreated to set downe this Sermon my simple newyeares gift bestowed in comon amongst you I after lōger sute then there was great cause graunted and haue penned downe the same so neare as I can call to my memory the manner of my speche The order and disposition I haue exactly obserued and not omitted any note or authoritie of scripture by me then alledged And as it is vnpossible for him that penneth not his Sermons to set them downe euen so and with the selfe same words in all places as he spake them So to all my possibilitie haue I performed as neare as may be my order and speech And some thing haue I added in some place which want of tyme trained me from at that present And if any lesse ye nowe lyke then when you herde the same consider then the difference betwixt reading preaching the selfe same truth and matter Gods grace did thē assist the preachers spirit voice gesture and disposition likewise your hartes by his spirite were made to hunger this holy bread And now you haue the liuing wordes but seuered from the lyuely voyce which neuer can bring like profit to the godly hartes vnles greate thirste of the matter cause the resemblaunce of the maner howe to stande as freshe before your eyes The Lord graūt it to profit as much as my good will is then shall my small labour be fully recompensed I haue ioyned here to the forme of prayer which I gaue to your worship good Sir William at Holme Patricke in Irelande very good for all such as passe the seas as our selues haue tasted by good proofe the comforts receiued in our late ariual the lord be praised therefore Take the small gyft with the geuer all yours as he may in the Lorde to whome vvith dayly thanks for your great curtesie to me in Irelande I in my prayers commende you the rest vnfainedly Ian. 3. 1575. Your worships in the Lord Anthony Anderson The Lord is my sheperd therfore shall I want nothing He maketh me to rest in greene pasture c. RIght worshipfull and dearely beloued brethren it hath from auncient dayes bene receaued that in the first of the newe yeare eache friende doth salute his other with some token of friendship and therwith wisheth to such his friende all helth good prosperitie in god Which cyuill custome in Newyeares gyfts I do allowe in ciuill sort and hauing so many freinds here assembled haue purposed to benefite you all at once and with suche a speciall gift as of euery of you the same being worthely receaued I shall be deemed to haue satisfied my office belōging my boūden amitie to you all The gift I exhibit is a portion of Gods heauenly treasure fully sufficient from this first day of the yeare to enriche you aboue measure in Christ so that you vse the same wyth the spirituall instrument of faithfull and obedient practise continually in your hartes And this treasure forth of the Psalmists treasury I haue receaued and by the same spirit deliuer it to you in the Lord whose grace the Lorde vouchsafe to be oures in this holy actiō for his Christes sake The treasure it selfe is the .23 Psalme of the Prophet Dauid the which Psalme was made by that holy king after the receipt of his kingdome and Crowne wherto he confesseth God to be his onely helpe and promiseth to him selfe by the former receyued benefites an absolute warrant of Gods heauenly prouidence in his succeding Regiment The words are thus The Lord is my sheperd therfore shall I want nothing He maketh me to rest in greene pasture and leadeth me by the still waters And so forth to the ende of the Psalme I purpose hauing thus by prayer called vpō god to giue you the Psal by verses and of euery of them such comfortable lessons as the Lorde in mercy shall gyue me to vtter vnto your Christian hartes and with as much breuitie as may be because of the extreme cold that so we may more speedely approche the Lordes holy Table to receiue his heauenly mysteries The Lord is my sheperd c. The prophet calleth his God a shepherd because of his prouident care ouer him one of his chosen lambes which word sheperd importeth an office of continual feeding of dayly care of feruēt loue to the flocke vnder his charge of watching guiding and defending to the best safety of his sheepe All which the noble Dauid by the spirite of Gods instructiū knoweth to be in the Lord his our god therfore he giueth his maiestie this most apt tytle The Lord is my sheperd Dauid the prophet vseth the phrase which God by his holy spirite giueth to him his other Prophets in calling the Lord a sheperd as thus Thou diddest lead thy people lyke sheepe by the hand of Moses and Aaron Againe O thou sheperd of Israell herken which leadest Ioseph lyke a sheepe And when God will by his Prophet foretell in what sorte he will visite his people he promiseth his visiting Christ by this name saying He shall feede his flocke lyke a sheperde he shall gather the lambes with his arme and cary them in his bosome and shall guide them with young Lykewise in the Prophet Iere. 23.4 Ezec. 34.10.12 This sheperd Christ is Dauids sheperd and lord The Lord said vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hand vntil I make thine enemies thy footestole In which place Dauid calleth Christ his lord which is to hsm to all the chosen children of god the appointed sheperd of their soules as Christ him selfe doth witnes saying J am the good sheperd the good sheperde giueth his lyfe for his sheepe And Peter in his first epistle thus Ye were as sheepe going astray but ye are returned now vnto the sheperd and byshop of your soules In a good sheperd are to be required these things all which are most
vnto all men appeared and teacheth vs that we shoulde deny vngodlynesse and worldly lustes and that we should lyue soberly and righteously and godly in this worlde loking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the mightie God and of our Sauiour Iesus Christe who gaue him selfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto him selfe zealous of good workes Into both of these Christe leadeth vs for of our selues we are vnapt inable and moste vnworthy had we power to enter into the firste to winne the latter Dayly we be looking backe from the plough where vnto we are brought by Christ therefore vnapte of oure selues to his kingdome wee haue not so much power as to think a good thought but that sufficiencie which seemeth to be in any of vs the same is of God who doth both beginne the worke of God and performe the same in vs The better learned we be in God the more fully we see our vnworthines to be accompted members of his righteousnes As the Prophet Ezechiell sayth I will deliuer you from all your filthines c. Then shall yee remember your own wickednes and your deedes that were not good shall iudge your selues worthy to haue bene destroyed Zacheus was the best disposed man in that people and the more graces he had with the Centurion the more vnworthy he thought him selfe of Christes presence at his house but beeing comforted by Christ he tooke most ioy therein Finally let vs note the valor of this worde He leadeth vs. That we are righteous before God it is that Christe our shepheard leadeth vs by his spirite and fayth vnto the throne of grace where he presenteth vs as deare children to God his father and teacheth vs to crye vnto him Abba deare father Into which state by his spirite brought we firmely see our saluation to rest in him and that we are sealed to the Lordes saluation Yea and the witnes euen Gods holy spirite from that Throne is set strongly in our harts and within vs doth beare witnes against Satan sinne and the worlde that following our God by the fayth of Christ we are become his children so righteous that no man can condēne vs because our god hath in his Christe set vs free To the seconde he leadeth vs in him selfe first as Peter sayth Christ suffered for vs leauing vs an example that we should followe his steps vvho did no sinne neyther vvas there any guyle founde in his mouth vvho vvhen he vvas reuiled reuiled not agayne vvhen he suffred he threatned not but committed it to him that iudgeth righteously Secondly by his holy spirite he conducteth vs into all goodnes For eyther are we lead by Satan and fleshe vnto euill or by his spirite and grace into all godlynes In our selues there is no power of passing to good or will to stay from euill Of whom soeuer a man is ouercome his seruaunt he is sayth the Apostle whether of sinne vnto death or of grace vnto lyfe And those which be the sonnes of God are lead by the spirite of God and strengthned in the inner man Christ dwelleth in their harts by faith they are rooted and grounded in the loue of God they are by Christ coupled one to another in him through him they receiue the increase of the spirituall body edify one another and therefore they walke not as other Gentiles or them selues earst did in the vanitie of their mynde with darkened cogitations in blynde hipocrisie but they caste of the old man and passed conuersation and being thus renued they put on the newe which is created in righteousnes true holines after the will of God. Thus they folow by the spirite the commaundement of Paule in Christ saying Be ye followers of God as deare childrē And him self going before hath giuen vs a rule to measure the saintes imitatiō saying Folow you me as J folowe Christ The Lord graunt vs his grace and spirituall strength by prosperitie and aduersitie sycknes and health lyfe death thus to folow our leader and pastor Christe Iesus in true holinesse and righteousnes before him all the daies of this our present lyfe I dwell in speche to teach the sheepe of God onely and therefore I leaue to set you forth the pathes of the wicked goates whiche knowe not God nor can be accepted of him They runne through the pleasures of this lyfe and lyue at luste till death do sūmon their soules to the tribunal throne whence they are caste to euerlastinge torments and woe But or we passe this verse we ought depely to consider the conclusion of Dauids words which are This hee doth for his names sake From the beginning the godly haue felt his defending and guiding hande by his spirite they haue bene fedde and ledde the wayes to lyue in him but neuer was there any one or could the worthines of all being layd vp into one lumpe demerite the lest his benefits or euer challenge cause beyonde his owne names sake to moue his so greate mercy to his chosen churche and children For his names sake he hath conuerted and ledde vs that is for his owne glories sake and not our worthynesse hath hee thus blessed vs Then thus the Prophet sayth That the Lorde is our shepheard that he hathe chosen vs from the wicked woorlde to be of the nomber of his elect children and sheepe of his pasture that he temporally feedeth vs that he by his spirite and the ministerie of his gospell conuerteth vs that he maketh vs righteous before his Father in him and leadeth vs by the hande into all godly actions and christian lyfe that he conducteth vs into safetie from the furie of our crooked foes and euery way blesseth vs it is not for the excellencie of our beautie for that is but grasse not for our righteousnes for that is to his eyes as a filthy mēstrous cloth But it is for the same cause wherwith he hath euer bin prouoked and that is for his owne glories sake So haue the Fathers from time to time confessed condemning them selues for sinne and accepting his benefites for his mercye sake and his holy names sake This is that the Prophet would haue vs to reste in when he sayth that the name of god is a strong Towre of defence For his names sake he will leade vs and nourish vs for his great names sake he will not forsake his people and for his names sake he will farre hence remoue his anger from vs The same shall cause him to preserue his truth among the gentiles And that he continueth his gospell our gracious Queene and this quiet gouerment ouer vs it is not for our worthynesse who be all for our dayly sinnes most vnworthy of his mercyes as the Lorde for euer speaketh to all fleshe thus Be it knowne vnto
Christe but it is the worke of God in him The order also in our conuersion to the Lorde is excellent The Father geueth to his Christe those whiche shall be called The holy Ghost he giueth into their hartes whom he hath predestinate to lyfe which spirite graffeth them into Christe who by his blood doth wash their soules from sinne and by the same his spirite doth forme them in his fayth whose Gospell he writeth in their hartes and sheedeth his loue into their consciences so that they walke in newnes of lyfe because they are taken vp and the olde man in them cast downe and as newe creatures they follow their leader Christe into the steppes besitting their condition These are they whiche are theodidaktoi all taught of god This elegant order is described at large by the Prophet Ezechiell in this sort A newe hart vvill I geue you and a new spirite vvill I put vvithin you I vvill take away the stony hart out of your body and vvill geue you an hart of flesh and I vvill put my spirite vvithin you and cause you to vvalke in my statutes and you shall keepe my iudgements and do thē And a little after I vvill be your God and you shall be my people And agayne thus Then shall ye remember your owne vvicked vvayes and your deedes vvhiche vvere not good and shall iudge your selues vvorthy to haue bene destroyed for your iniquities and abhominations Be it knowne to you that J doo not this for your sakes sayth the Lord God therefore be ashamed and confounded for your owne vvayes And Paule to the Romanes hath it thus Those which he knew before he also predestinate to be made like to the image of his sonne that he might be the first borne among many brethren Moreouer Whom he predestinate them also he called and whom he called them also he iustified and vvhom he iustified them also he glorified This is the golden gifte of god thus is oure newe creation lincked in this precious chayne The celestiall god hath inwardly beyonde tyme predestinate and created his people to the likenesse of hys sonne and hath by his holy spirite sealed them to him selfe and by thexternal Organ his holy worde through the ministerie of preaching in their seuerall times hath he called his sheepe to the knowledge of their shepheard Christ and state in him and by his bloody death hath iustified them before and with his supernaturall power hath made them glorious with the Angels So our conuersion as it is by the Lord so is it by his spirite and gospell wrought in vs Howe necessarie then the office of preaching is you see it is the instrumentall cause of our conuersion How miserable that place is which wanteth preaching may you perceyue by the glory that commeth through dayly teaching Christ by the truth in his word For this cause Christe so often Iohn Baptist so diligentlye the Prophetes seuerely the Apostles moste playnelye the Pastours and spirituall shepeheards in Gods Churche nowe moste comfortablye doe offer and exhibite vnto you the trueth of God to tourne your heartes By the preaching of the worde the worlde from tyme to tyme hath bene wonne to Christe the sonne of God and by the same the Gentiles are conuerted into him hereby this nation is chaunged into truth and Popery ouerthrowen by this shall the hartes of the children he turned to the fayth of their fathers in God and the Reprobate shall heerewith be condemned And this propertie Dauid giueth to the worde The Lawe of the Lorde sayth he conuerteth the soule the testimonie of the Lorde is faythfull and giueth light vnto the eyes The necessitie of teaching Paul preacheth to be great woe vnto me if I preache not sayth he where preaching fayleth the people perish sayth Salomon Fayth commeth by hearing of the word of God sayth Paule to the Romaines without fayth can not a man please God by faith we shall be more then conquerours he that beleeueth shall be saued but he that beleeueth not shall be damned sayth our doctor Christe Fayth is brought by hearing hearing wayteth of the Preacher the Preacher is dombe vnlesse he be sent pray therefore the Lorde of truth to send more store of true paynfull Preachers into this Churche of Englande and this shire and conuert in mercy or confound by Iustice these dombe Dogges whiche can not barke these watchemen whiche can not see these ydol shepheards which eyther can not or will nor feede the hungry Lambes of Gods holy Church and shepefold of this nation O Lord graunt this for thy Christ our chiefe shepheards sake Now deare freends examine your selues here present Is this holy chaunge wrought in you maye I say vnto you with Paule Ye were sometime Gentiles ye vvere dead in sinne ye vvere without God in this lyfe But you hath he quickened you hath he called you that were no people hath he nowe made the people of God you are no more straungers and forreners but Citizens with the Saincts and of the housholde of God buylt not vpon the Romishe rocke but vpon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophetes Iesus Christe him selfe beeing the head corner stone in whom my brethren if you be by his spirite grafted and buylt you shall growe to an holy temple in the lord I trust to you I may say thus Ye were Gentiles but you are Christians of the cheefest I knowe it of the rest I haue great cause to thinke it and therfore with great comfort in God I proceede to the second point He leadeth vs in the pathes of righteousnes for his names sake In God is our conuersion in him also is the continuance of our vpright walking before him First of vs is here to be noted a double righteousnes whervnto we are brought by Christ The first is the righteousnes of Christ for vs to the Father The seconde is the righteousnes of man by Christe and is the worthy walking in holines of lyfe without ceassing The righteousnesse of Christ for vs consisteth in the person of him selfe who for vs hath so answered the fathers full iustice in his iuste sacrifice and hath so incorporate vs into him selfe by fayth throughe his spirite that the same his righteousnesse is accompted for ours so that though we by nature are wicked yet in respecte of his grace we are sanctified and iust in the sight of God whose it is to saue and to condemne Of this iustification or righteousnes Paule speaketh thus God sending his owne son downe in the similitude of sinfull fleshe for sinne condemned sinne in the fleshe that the righteousnesse of the lawe might be fulfilled in vs which walke not after the fleshe but after the spirite The seconde righteousnesse is the dayly walking in newnes of lyfe which is of euery man required that thus by the Lord is iustified The grace of God sayth Paule that bringeth saluation
aptly found in Christe our good sheperde He must be of sounde skill to know his sheepe from other mens cattel this is said of Christ I know my shepe by name am knowne of mine He must haue skill in pasturing his sheepe least he bring them to rotten soyle and wasting grasse In Christe is the onely pasture of mans soule in whom all safetie of foode is for his glorious gospel is our heauenly foode his spirite life is our celestiall diet by the mouth of our faith this our bread of lyfe is of euery of vs that beleue firmely eaten and the same is so sounde and sweete pasture that no rot and death can come vnto the worthy fieldes or any lesse able is yt then his diuine power to bring vs to life eternall Thirdly a good sheperde must haue will to feede according to his skill that so his sheepe may not be pyned for want of his louing paynes So Christ is most louing of all others to feede his lambes who hath not spared to lay downe his lyfe for the foode of his sheepe willing to feede for he calleth all men to hym for pasture most carefull of their diet and therfore he hath left their Pabulum his holy worde to the ende of the world whereby his beloued sheepe shoulde become fatte and well lyking in him and hath to this ende commaunded Peter to feede also hath from thence tyll nowe and will to the ende of this worlde select his pastors from among men to feede men with the breade of life Christ in his word Sacraments Further a good Sheperd taketh greate eare ouer his sheepe and vigilantly doth search if so any of them skabbe or be infected and finding them faultie hee addresseth him selfe to their amendment so Christe our Lorde doth dearely care ouer his flocke they be to him as the apple of his eye for them he hath payd the price of their synne and deadly disease namely his owne heart blood he seeketh the lost and caryeth thē on his owne shoulders he annoynteth their sores with the soueraigne salue of his mercy and iustice with the one he pacifieth and that because he fully satisfieth his iust Father with the other he couereth our sins healeth our infirmities He most louingly loketh into our weakenes and beareth vp our infancy he breaketh not the brused rede nor quencheth the smoking flaxe He suffereth not our lyues to be lasciuious but scourgeth and purgeth vs that we may bring forth more frute Lastly a good sheperd hath himselfe his staffe sheperdes dog to help aide his wandering flocke Euen so hath Christe giuen him selfe for our defence his preaching prophets haue of him especiall charge to feede his flocke and them protect continually and great plagues hath he appointed to suche ydle sheperds as no way fede his lowly lābes and though all men faile yet Dauid byddeth vs all be glad for the Lorde is our sheperd therfore shall we not want And now dearely beloued tyme and place requireth to speake something of the sheepes propertie which belong to that sheperde Christe the which thing knowne euery man and woman with their young ones may with examination of them selues best say to God I am thy shepe for thou O Lorde art my sheperd For of no other is Christ the Sheperd but of those which know their wandring wickednes feele their staie to stand in him their God and spedely submit thē selues vnder his tuitiō And to this is Dauid our guide who notwithstanding he was rich and a mighty king yet he freely confesseth his health to be in this that he is the Lords sheepe hath Christe to his euerlasting sheperd In a sheepe are sundry thinges agreeing with the corruption of our nature and therefore standeth in great neede of an expert sheperde She is foolishe and vnwares of harmes she runneth into dayly daungers in her selfe remediles So we by nature are vnwise and blynde to all heauenly thinges Or can the naturall man sauor the thinges which be of God or yet keepe hym from the wandring pathes of death The wandring wayes of all the beste may set downe this to the other sorte for all to true that man can not but sinne and dayly runne from God the Lorde Our Dauid he may stande as able among the rest to this for profe neither can any in the fleshe by the qualities fleshy please God. A sheepe for weakenes and want of courage is vnable to stande agaynste so many her deuouring foes the Foxe the Wolfe and the rauenous Lyon nor is the stoutest mā in the earth by nature of power to gyue checke vnto synne who like a subtill Foxe lyeth lurking and fawning for his pray of Christian soule or from the gaping gulfe of woluishe chappes that hipocritically seeke his spoyle or yet from the raging Satan who goeth roring abroade seeking euery where whō he may deuour The good sheperde Christe therefore is moste requisite in whom against all these we may goe in and out safely and finde pasture But els the naturall sheepe hath qualities right good which are frequented in the children of God they know their Pastors whystle and thereat they yelde vnto his will. So the sheepe of Chrste refusing all straunge voyce they herken vnto the word of our sauiour Christ therin they take such comfort as hauing therin full contentatiō they eschew all others charme be they neuer so subtill sly The sheepe is euer feding with his flece those which no way haue pleasured him for he hath his lyfe of his sheperdes pasture So the children of God lyuing in their Christ are beneficiall to all for his names sake The sheepe is laid by the sherer to the losse of him selfe vpon the thrall and yet he openeth not his mouth So also the true christian abideth for his Christ all ignominy reprochful death not resisting at al but willingly abydeth the crosse expecting the euent in the Lord which is to them that suffer for his names sake euer prosperous Now my brethren of the pastors condition clasped in Christe and of the sheepes nature fixed by his spirite learne your selues to know to whom ye belong and yf you feele your selues the Foldimates of Dauid then may you be bold to say The Lord is my sheperd therfore can I not want The wants whereof the prophet here speaketh are of two sortes The one is called insaciable lust the other necessarie nede With the first as the godly are not combred for that belongeth only the reprobate so the other in them is euer remedied by the feeding sheperde Christ first in supplying their neede with present necessaries then in forming their harts to be content with their estate established by his diuine prouidence to his glorie and their beste good I haue bene young and now am I olde sayth Dauid yet neuer sawe I the righteous
forsaken or his seede begging their breade Helias following his vocation was forsaken of all men but dayly fed of God by the rauenous Crowes the poore wydowes meale when the riche gluttons of Israell were pined for want of necessarie foode Daniell seeking chiefly the glory of our God is cast into the hungry Lyons den in deede but preserued to lyue and to him is sent the prophet Abacucke with his dinner many a myle by the guide of an Angell The Iewes which folowe Christ into the wildernes are of him miraculously fed And to all is this promise gyuen Seeke first the kindome of God and the righteousnes therof and all other thinges shall be mynistred vnto you Now as concerning that the Lord frameth his peoples harts to be contented with their estate Paule for the body of the whole churche sayeth thus I haue learned in what state soeuer I am therwith to be content I can be abased I can aboūde euery where in all things I am instructed both to be full to be hungry to a bound and to haue want The wicked many tymes do florishe as the greene bay tree and haue the worlde at will great store of welth for them selues and childrē so that their sonne sonnes doo feede of the elder gotten bread but withall they haue their portion in this lyfe and after that can see no further cōforts And though the godly contrary do feele many wants and seeme in mans conceipt vtterly to decay yet far other is their state then externall shewe doth tell For the Lord is their sheperde whē they seeme to dye they lyue they are chastened but not killed they seeme in sorow to be swallowed vp but they alway reioyce they seeme poore but yet they make many rich depriued so of worldly comforts seeming to haue nothing they notwithstāding possesse all things Likewise their ende is farre otherwise then the worldly riche For the Lorde dealeth with them as the noble man with his fatted Oxe when he is well fedde is by the slaughter man committed to the axe of death his noble sonne abydeth many sharp yirkes and correcting blowes and after that enioyeth his fathers possessions Euen so the wicked in wealth are wrapped with Diues in hell and the beloued though payned Lazarus is caried by seruice of Angels into our heauenly Fathers kingdome our Christes inheritaunce belonging to the iust This is the marke that Dauid shooteth at when he sayth I shall not want It followeth He shall make me to rest in greene pasture he leadeth me by the styll vvaters All things necessarie shall the Lorde geue me sayth Dauid and that in no base sort or shall any trouble molest my feeding for I shal quietly be guyded and my prosperitie shall be continuing alwayes florishing greene and at no tyme dry or withered neyther shall his blessinges be taken from me with the rage of wicked men but as the shepe of her selfe weake needeth resting place and quiet riuers so shall all thinges come to the best and to my hartes desire in him But beloued in Christ our shepheard is spiritual therfore our pasture must be answerable and it is set downe to vs by our master Pastor thus He that heareth my vvorde and beleeueth on him that sent me hath eternall lyfe and he shall not come into iudgement but hath passed from death vnto lyfe Heere is the pasture of life the gospell of God The rest for mans soule fayth in God through Christe The still waters the holye spirite whiche dothe pacifie the troubled conscience and quietly establisheth vs in Christe who freeth vs from the Fathers iuslice the sentence of eternall death and giueth vs hys glorious Crowne and heauenly kingdome our inheritaunce in him Come to this pasture feede on this bread rest in this power drinke of this water So shall you no more thirst after the filthy puddles of Popishe poysoned Cuppes For in your selues by this spirite of Christe shall abundant riuers of spirituall goodnes flowe out of you that all men seeing your good workes may bee prouoked to prayse the Lorde This God graunt you for his sonne our sauiour Christ his sake Amen He shall conuert my soule leade me in the pathes of righteousnes for his names sake Three especiall thinges in this verse the Prophet teacheth moste notably Firste that we are by nature stubborne and estraunged from the nature belonging the sheepe of god Secondly that after regeneration by the spirite there remayneth yet in vs such matter of massy sinne that vnable we be to walke the pathes belonging to the children of god and therefore it behoueth vs to haue a leader into righteousnes Thirdly as many be the falles by sinne which Satan and the fleshe procureth to vs So sundrie be the fruites of the godly In whiche vertues as in sinne Satan seeketh our ouerthrowe if so he can make vs to reste in them as eyther satisfactorie to God or meritorious for their valor But the Lord by his Prophet here preacheth that our conuersion to god our walking dayly in godlynes is from by the Lorde and that also not for any preuenting foreknowne or succeeding graces in vs but only soly for hys names sake He shall conuerte my soule sayth Dauid The roote of the Tree beeing sounde and good feedeth hir braunches to hir fruitfull life So the soule of mans principall substaunce beeing made whole sounde can not but geue life to the whole body In this braunche also we are to note that vnles the inwarde man be turned vnto God thexternall partes can be but hipocriticall and seruing time So the Nobles in Ioash Court during the dayes of the good Byshop Jehoiada seemed moste religious but death had no sooner depriued the godly of this Priestes life then they diswaded the Prince to their earst ydolatrie perswaded they him Many be the mouthes that nowe confesse them selues changed frō Popish life but God continue our noble Elizabethes raigne and the Gospell safe progresse els doubt I that stormy dayes would sterue the smal store of liuing grace in many Englishe hartes of sundry callings But who so is turned in hart and minde vnfaignedly he ioyeth the dayes of dangerous death and soroweth to see the worldly solace the cause no doubt of all infinite woes He hateth that he loued first he lotheth at his former lyfe he is ashamed of sinne he casteth off from him the works of darknes and confessing Christe with his lippes because he beleeueth on him in harte he dayly walketh in the pathes of righteousnes after his leader Christ our lord And here with me note good Auditorie who it is that doth conuert mans soule him selfe or some other the Lorde our Shepheard Dauid sayth it is He shal conuert my soule In that we are conuerted it is not our action or in our power is it to become the sheepe of
you that I do not this for your sakes No Lorde but for thine own names sake to the which only be all glory for euer It foloweth And though I should walke through the valley of the shadowe of death J will feare no euill for thou art euer with me Thy rodde and thy staffe they comfort me The lessons againe be three in especiall whiche Dauid hath taught me in this verse to deliuer you The first is though that the godly safely are set vnder the Lordes protection as the sheepe vnder the most faithfull shepheard yet are they assaulted with sundry attempts and eminent daungers Many be the troubles of the iust saith the Psalmist but the Lorde deliuereth him quite out of all And his mercy hath so determined the matter that the godly perceauing his holy hande might more firmely reste in his fatherly prouidence Secondly the godly are not freede vnder the shepheard Christ frō all kind of feare but are set amid the mightie helhounds of the earth that they should warely walke and shunne thoccasion of daunger but if they be so exalted by the Lord to haue the crosse then are they freed frō shaking terror desperat feare strengthned by his spirit they follow Christ whither soeuer he goeth So the Israelites folowed Moses in the Red sea so the children the Angel in the burning Ouen So Thapostles their master Christ to death cruell torments So Dauid without feare is redy to continue his calling though he passe through the valley of the shadow of death that is though he enter into most extreme perill The third is the boldning force which Dauid attēpteth by his shepherds croke Thy rod thy staffe they cōfort me Two things sayth Dauid driue al feare from me Thy presence for thou art with me thy careful gouernment which is always exercised to my good Note good people the god is alwais present beholdeth al our actions perceth into our thoughts he sawe Sara in Abimelecks chāber Bethsaba in Dauids bed He preuented Herodes purpose brought confusion to Saules persecution He beholdeth the oppression of the poore afflicted is present to heare their cry when they call vpon him All things are naked open to his eyes and therfore reuerently walk before him be thou vpright He fetched Ionas from his fleeing ship cast him into the whales belly He brought his preaching Peter forth of the prison fast locked in with yron gates He is present euer to helpe innocent Susanna out of distresse ready to cast the corrupted Iudges vnto their deserued death This was Dauids comforte Thou Lorde art vvith me therefore will I not feare Let the same teache vs nowe to say our God and Christ is present by his spirituall ayde and comforts in all troubles to assist vs of whom then shall we be afrayd for thogh fast closed in yron gates through the strength of our god we shall leape ouer the wall And though persecuted for his cause yet is he redy to comfort vs in all tribulation So that we are able to comfort others which be in affliction by the same cōfortes which we haue receyued our selues of god Secōdly thy carefull gouernment sayth Dauid dothe administer no small solace vnto me for thy rodde and thy staffe they comfort me Dauid elegantly dwelling in the receyued Metaphor setteth foorth Gods good gouernment by the Shepheards rodde and staffe which rodd or Shepheards crooke is vsed of a cunning heard to constrayne the declining sheepe to his former foldy-mates to vrge the wanderer to his wonted felowes and to force the slouthfull Plodders better to pase it Euen so the Lord by his holy rod and staffe of health doth scourge our wandring steppes and with his correcting hande in loue dothe ioyne vs to his Church and if slouthfully we lye aloofe he vseth sharper blowes to cōpell our speede to ioyne with others in the seruice of our god all which is to the best comfort of his chosen childe But here is named a Rod and a Staffe the one to correct vs thother to defende vs And both of these are doubled in the holy scriptures God is sayde to haue a twofolde Rod the Rod of his loue and the Rod of his anger Also a twofold staffe as in Zacharie the staffe of beautie and the staffe of Bands Of these two rods and these two staues the scripture speaketh thus First Thapostle sayth that in loue he scourgeth his people correcteth their sinnes least they should be damned with the wicked world When we are thus iudged sayth Paul speaking of gods correction for thabuse of the Eucharist wee are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned vvith the vvorld Behold his louing Rod. Our dayly transgressions demerite death but his dayly mercy who willeth not the death of a sinner chāgeth his sharpned sworde into a smarting rod thereby to worke in vs true repentance and humble pacience For as his hand is striking his bowels are boyling in pitie towards vs and with his spirite dothe chaunge our hartes and supporteth our falling state by hys defending staffe Wherefore despise not sayth Paule the chastening of the Lorde neyther faynt when thou arte rebuked of him For vvhome the Lorde loueth he chasteneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receyueth Yf yee endure chastning God offereth him selfe vnto you as vnto sonnes for vvhat sonne is he vvhome the father chastneth not Yf therfore yee be vvithout correction vvhereof all be partakers then are yee Bastardes and not Sonnes See dearely beloued the nature of our louing Father in this his rod of loue And now it should seme this doctrine to be moste liuely when as we see his heauy hande whipping our brethren with the smarting scourge of pestilence Irelande is therewith euery where infected Englande is infected and this our Countrey and Townes very neare vs Stamford and Vppingham greeuously visited Hereby we ought to be moued to repentaunce knowing that for sinne our God our shephearde chasteneth vs with rebukes that I may vse our Prophetes words in the Psalmes and with his rod maketh our gallant beautie to fade away as it were a mothe fretting a garment Euery man therefore is but vanitie But there be some of you me thinketh that whispereth in my eares thus Syr you knowe that many of vs together with your selfe God hath most louingly deliuered from this pestilent rod in Ireland yea and so that wonderful was our safetie The whole land is visited no towne knowne free in the house where we lay some dead in the shippe wherein we passed the seas one or moe gone to God and sith our departure the Knight with whom we were twentie dayes wayting Gods blessing for westerly winds hath in his owne person therwith bene scourged The which deliueraunce seemeth to cleare vs in deseruing so heuie a scourge though called a louing rodde
Augustine sayth Qui non manet in Christo c. He that dwelleth not in Christe and in whome Christe dwelleth not vndoubtedly he eateth not spiritually the fleshe and blood of Christe Albeit he carnally and visibly teare with his teeth the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christe And if any man say vnto me why then doth Christ say This is my body I answere it is a figuratiue speach of our Sauiour and is of him spoken to a people that well were acquaynted with the Scriptures phrase in Sacramentes So is Circumcision called the Couenaunt of the Lorde when it is but the signe of the Lordes Couenaunt The Couenaunt it selfe was I will be thy God and thou shalt be my people And therefore Circumcision is called in the same chapter that which in it selfe it remayneth to be namely the Signe and not the Couenaunt And it shall be sayth God a signe of the Couenaunt betwixt thee and me Likewise the Pascall Lambe is called Transitus domini the passing by of the Lord vntill the comming of Christe yet the Lorde by his angel passed but once in al through the land of Egipt and therfore verily indede that sacrament could not be the passsing of the lord This is the vse of scripture sayth Augu. that the signes which signifie are called by the names whiche they do represent as thus the seuē eares of corne septem anni sunt are seuen yeres The Rocke was Christe c. And in another place he sayth The Lord doubted not to say This is my body whē he gaue signū corporis the signe of his body So good christian Audience the words of Christ as of him they were spoken are sacramentally to be vnderstoode So that whē Christ saith This is my body we are to take it thus this is the representing to the faithfull the exhibiting signe of my body That these words of Christ are figuratiuely spoken Augu. also witnesseth in his booke De doctrina christiana But that the faythful do eate by the worke of the spirite Christes diuine power his very body and blood in the true vse of the Lords supper the faithfulnes in god approueth who euer was the same to his people that his faithful pledges the Sacraments promised Circūcision promised his continuall ayde that he would be their god and they should be his people Search the Scriptures see if euer any people were so guerdoned or had the presence of God so neare them or were any people so prospered so long as they continued with circumcised harts in his holy couenant Did not the Lord by his angel performe that in dede which he promised by his paesah his sacramentall passeouer Did he not passe by the Israelites house tied to this Couenant plagued all the first borne in Egypt So no doubt he truely feedeth the faithfull with not only the power but the precious body in himself not stouping one inch yet frō his fathers Throne or giuing his body to be rent into peces with our mortal teeth but in such a diuine sort as our tongs can not vtter bicause our or thy capacities cā not cōceiue the maner how further thē by the sight of his noble creature the shining sun The sunne in his globe and person doth kepe continue his spheare circle in the Zodiake yet doth he by the decree and prouident power of God light vs warm vs comforte vs and renewe our blood and bodies and as we may saye by borowed speache geueth vs lyfe by his heauenly beames the ordinarie conducts from him felfe with his very liuing substaunce Sith thus we haue so elegant a shadow of our Sauiour Christes body verily feding vs that are his in earth let vs not distrust or further descant howe the Lord can sith we know not how the sonne doth his office but feele it so to be but let vs beleeue that the Lord by his holy spirite doth feede vs and in deede with his very body blood from heauen as verily as his minister at the table in earth doth geue vs the sacred symboles of his holy body whiche in their former nature remaine not other then bread wine And with that mind that our father Abraham did receiue the sacrament of circumcision let vs folow approch the Lordes table That is so taccept with faythful harte in hand the holy Mysteries as the seales of righteousnes that God will giue vs the same that he affyrmeth them to be and in such sort as the same is to be distributed vnto vs effectually in spirite truth Let vs examine trie our selues whether we be in the fayth let vs wel consider of our steppes whether we be stāding or falling before our God let vs cast from vs our former ills put vpon vs Iesus Christ his obedience Let vs confesse our daily sinnes approch with louing feare reuerence vnto this table of attonement Finally repent beleeue the Gospel Let the Papist depart from all his ignoraunt superstition receyue the doctrine of the holy written scriptures vnfaignedly Let the carnal gospeller the Atheist be ashamed at his filthy life skoffing girds cast at the truth Let the Auncient harlot hate his whordome and bath his beastly body in the blood of Christ by repentant fayth Let the couetous stretche out his hande vnto the poore shut vp his eyes from worldly thirst Let the courtly Dames you here present cut short the phantasies of vaine desires and rather couet to come behind the lashing pride of these ill days then seeke to folow the vntamed fashion of this wicked world And pray with Dauid that your eyes may be fast shut from beholding our to to much abhominable vanities Let the contentious ceasse their brawling striffe and with vs in one by the Lordes spirite of truth ascende to the Lordes sacrament of vnitie loue That this grace may come to euery of vs and to the whole Church of god this Church of England Ireland and therein to the Quenes maiestie Elizabeth her honorable Councelours and Potentates Gods spiritual Preachers and Ministers to all Magistrates gouernours as well here present as absent and to this congregation a member of the sayd Church let vs the louing sheepe of our cheefe Shepherd Christe by the comfort direction of his holy spirite humbly at the hands of our most merciful Father for the loue he beareth to Christe his only begotten sonne and in his name craue it saying O our father whiche arte in heauen c. Graunt O Lorde that into the vvords vvhich this day and at other times through thy great mercy vve haue graciously heard vve may be effectually transformed through Christe our head Shepheard and Lorde To whom together with thee O Father and the holy Ghost three distinct persons and one eternall God be all honour and glory power and dominion now and for euer