think once to escape neglecting so great saluation which at the first begoon to be preached by the Lorde and afterward was cōfirmed by them that heard him God bringing testimony and authoritie thervnto both with signes and woonders and diuers myracles and giftes of the holie Ghost Well did the Lorde vnderstand that words are but winde with men and therefore it was the good pleasure of his will that neither his law nor Gospel should come naked and bare into the world but with the credit of his owne glorie and countenaunce of his owne maiestie For the gospell as now we haue heard was not only preached by the Lorde Iesus but also confirmed by the ministerie of those that heard him with signes woonders and myracles so that to neglect the gouernemēt of the word is to tread vnder feete the maiestie of the Lorde Hauing made this entrance I doe proceede vnto the texte where I am enforced to speake a little of the nature of the wordes because they bring great light to the true vnderstanding and meaning of the cōmaundement The word IEHOVAH which is here englished Lorde is a name of God giuing vnto him his true nature and essence which is so to haue his beginning and being of him selfe as in him by him all thinges that are haue their beeing and therfore it is vsually set before the promises and couenants of the Lorde in the scripture that we shoulde not doubt of the perfourmance thereof seeing it is the couenant promise of that God that hath his beginning and beeing of him self and procureth the beeing and perfourmance of all things vnto them in so much that the Lorde denieth in Exodus that he was knowne to Abraham Isaac and Iacob by his name Iehouah bicause he had not perfourmed in their time the promises made for their deliuerance out of Egypt and for their possession of the lande of Canaan The verbe is not vsually expressed of the Hebrues in the like phrases where the sense is apparant and therefore of some is sette downe before the word Lorde and read thus I am the Lorde thy GOD of other some nexte after the word Lorde and then it is read thus I the Lorde am thy GOD wherin although in sense there be no difference but that both affirme one and the selfe same thinge yet bicause there is more cleare vnderstanding of that one and the same thinge by placing the verbe next after the worde Lorde I see no cause why the practise of some should be preiudiciall in this matter but that it may be said I the Lorde am thy GOD. In affirming that he is their God he assureth them of all mercy and happinesse from him selfe alone both in this life and in the life to come making a league with thē to make himselfe knowne to be their God by the mercies he had to bestowe vpon them and that he would haue the care and charge of their welfare reserued to himselfe alone It remaineth to be proued by the scripture that this manner of speaking to be their God conteyneth promisses in it for this life and for the life to come In the psalme the Prophete hauing made mention of sundry outward blessings in children in increase of corne and cattel peace and freedome from enimies concludeth thus Blessed are the people that bee so blessed are the people whose GOD is the Lorde making these outwarde blessinges to bee conteyned vnder the benefite of hauing the Lord to be their god In Exodus promising their deliueraunce from Aegypt he saith that he wil be their God conteyning that outward deliueraunce within this mercie of being their god And as for the spirituall and inward blessings as writing his lawe in our harts pardoning our sinnes and not remembring them anie more that they are conteyned within this couenant of beeing our God may appeare in the Epistle to the Hebrues After those dayes sayth the Lord I wil put my lawes in their minds and in their hartes I will write them and I will bee their God and they shall be my people For I will be mercifull vnto their vnrighteousnesse their sinnes their iniquities I wil remember no more And in Ezechiel we may cleerly see that the renuing of our stonie hartes the receiuing vs to mercie after we haue transgressed the causing vs to walke in his statutes and lawes are streames that flowe from this free founteine of grace that the Lorde is become our god A newe hart saith the Lorde by his Prophet will I giue you and a newe spirite will I put within you and I will take away the stonie harte out of your body and will giue you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirite within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and yee shall keepe my iudgementes and doe them and yee shall dwell in the lande that I gaue to your Fathers and you shall be my people and I will bee your GOD Where these benefites receiued are made the fruites that followe of hauing him to be their God whiche is all done freely and vndeseruedly as the Lorde plainely professeth in the same chapiter in these wordes Bee it knowen vnto you that I doe not these thinges for your sake sayth the Lorde therefore O ye house of Israel he ashamed and confounded for your owne wayes Neither doeth this mercy of hauing the Lorde to bee our God conteyne it selfe within the compasse of this life but reacheth vnto the blessinges of the life to come as appeareth in the Gospell after Saincte Luke where our Sauiour Christe proueth that it must needes be well with Abraham and that hee muste rise againe bycause it is written The Lorde is the God of Abraham for he is not the GOD of the dead sayeth our Sauiour Christe but of them that liue In the Epistle to the Hebrues Abraham and others the children of God are reported to haue bene straungers in the land of promise and not to haue sene the promises fulfilled in their time whiche might seeme to make againste this that I haue sayd concerning the blessing of them to whom the Lord is become God but it is answered there that he was not ashamed to bee called their God for he had prepared for them a citie as if that whiche seemed to be wanting in this life were so sufficiently recompēced in that ioye that did abide for them as that the Lord neded not to be ashamed to be called their God so rich was his mercie towardes them By this we learne that the first commaundement conteyneth in it the promises of the Gospel as it is well noted by M. Peeter Martyr contrarie to this damnable opinion of certeine who holde that the fathers of the olde Testament had no promises sauing of the lande of Canaan and temporall thinges We see that the Lorde made promise to be their God which as we haue heard hath promises bothe of this life and of the
lust desire and concupiscence that we may be confounded in our selues vtterly that our deliuerie may be from the gates of death that we may knowe how that our saluation consisteth in his meere grace for we can hardly be brought to begge abrode till all reliefe be spent at home There is no daunger in the feeling and acknowledgeing of our pouertie for the Lord hath promised that if those that be heauie loaden with sin shall come vnto him they shall be refreshed neither was there euer found any that despayred who before had not thought too well of him selfe All the daunger is on the other side least wee not taking those to be no sinnes which are sinnes in deed so thinking better of our selues then there is cause should in iustice be iudged of the Lord because we would not proceede by a right rule to iudge our selues By this that wee haue heard it is plaine that a Christian must walke in feare and care not onely to consent to euil towards his neighbour but also to be stirred and pricked with any bee it neuer so little or small a delight therevnto and that our thoughts are poysoned and therefore the daunger great in the not bridling of thē The thing then commaunded is to bring our desires thoughts and delights vnto the good and benefite of our brethren in matters wherein they are to be benefited that we bring not only hands to do wel to our neighbours but also heartes thoughts desires lusting longing and delighting therein according as the apostle testifieth of him selfe that he was delighted with the law of God according to the inner man whervnto accordeth the holie Ghost in the Prouerbs in these wordes It is ioy to the iust to doe iudgement Many haue bene brought to do outward things in them selues good which neuer had any ioyfull desire in them to glorifie God with them but the holie ghost worketh in his not onely a chaunge of workes but also an alteration of thoughtes desires and delights that their desires may be holden within that whiche is good Wherin it behoueth a Christian to be carefull euen thus to transforme his delights not taking it sufficient if hee shall haue brought them at any time from that which was euill vntill he haue ioyned them to that which is good Let our care be increased this way to haue suche desire and delight vnto that whiche is good as may reteine our thoughts and kepe them diligently occupied in suche seruices Be it far from vs to think that the grace of GOD onely reacheth vnto the deede and ful consent letting desires and thoughts take their libertie in their corruption We muste confesse as the trueth is that his grace not onely bridleth thoughts frō rushing into that which is euil but also giueth them a sweete taste in that which is good and holdeth them greatly therevnto There is no man will denie but that we ought to delight in that which is good and surely if the delight be once taken in doing good vnto our neighbour it will gather the thoughtes together and assemble them to that ioy delight If when the delight is wicked the thoughtes are spent therevppon surely if the desire bee chaunged the thoughts also wil resorte greately thither Let vs therefore seeke after the grace of GOD not onely to season our deeds but also our thoughts delights therewith that our studie and thoughts may be occupied in that which is acceptable to him For if some deeds shal at starts be done of vs but the heart neuerthelesse vnchaunged in desires delights it shall not profit vs The vnderstanding that Christians haue of their estate how it fareth betwene God and them is better taken and hath surer profe and more certeyne testimonie from their desires and inwarde affections vnto the lawe of GOD then from their outwarde doeing of things commaunded by the lawe Euil things may be left vndone for feare of punishment for desire of commendation or auoyding of euill speech or for that wee are not tempted with them when notwithstanding the heart shall not in any respect mislike of them Good things also may bee done for praise of man for hope of merites with God when yet the affection shall nothing bee moued that way And this is nothing before God to auoyde euill from thy hand but to embrace it neuerthelesse in thy heart or to doe good with thy hand without any desire of the heart So that bothe in euill deedes left vndone and also in good deedes done we may be deceiued But if the inwarde affection of the heart stand desireously affected after that which GOD hath commaunded vs to doe vnto men and hatefully affected towardes that which God hath forbidden this chaunge cannot be wrought there but by the spirite of GOD alone As for the praise or dispraise of the people it reacheth nothing so farr Let vs then embrace this desire vnto the dueties commaunded vs not giueing any rest vnto the Lorde in our prayers before we shall obteine this inwarde testimonie whiche is aboue all exception to be taken against it and without the which outwarde doeinges are of no account before the Lord who looketh into the affections of man and embraceth a cherefull and delightfull giuer Heere are those men confuted that would driue affections out of the fleashe and kil nature attempting such things as vtterly tend to destroy it as if the nature of man shuld by regeneration becōe altered into the nature of Angels wheras regeneration killeth not nature but restoreth and repayreth it destroyeth not the affections but transfourmeth them from that euill which naturally they are inclined vnto into that which is good commaunded of GOD. The angrie man may not thinke his conuersion and regeneration to be good if hee shall bende him selfe neuer to be moued with any thing at all but if that heate which sometimes hee felte vnto euill be now as feruent vnto that whiche is good then is his conuersion approued before god The couetous man is not then conuerted when he shall haue driuen all desire thirst after worldly commodities out of his minde vnlesse that desire be repaired in him to bestowe and vse those commodities as GOD hath commaunded Neither is that man gone straight way out of the worlde that hath betaken him selfe to a wildernes and cloyster to haue no dealings in the world but he that in dealings of the world hath kept him selfe vnspotted of the world vsing the things therof as if hee vsed them not hee may truely say he hath left the worlde In all these dueties towarde our neighbours we may neuer forget this which hath partely bene touched before that if it were possible for vs to perfourme all dueties vnto men and yet not doe them in obedience vnto God according vnto the rules which before we haue learned it were vtterly to be abhorred For what auaileth it to deale wel with men and in the meane
distresse he sendeth his word and healeth them deliuereth them from their graues It were an infinite worke to recite those places in the booke of Psalmes that proue the mercies of God to remoue punishmentes from the offenders when they shall in true repentaunce turne vnto him It is a harde matter in great affliction to persuade the man that is sore afflicted for his sinne that there is mercy with the lord to remoue his punishment if he shal truly humble him selfe in repētance for his sinne yet we see what plaine proofes there are of the same to increase our faith in the persuasion to haue our sinnes forgiuen when we are truely grieued and penitent for the same This is a doctrine most needefull to be stoode vpon because the blessing that the Lord hath promised to bestowe vpon his by reason of our corruption are rather deliueraunces from euill then preseruations in any continuall course of prosperitie I say they rather come in after our affliction then stande continually with vs to keepe affliction from vs whiche many mistaking haue stumbled at the afflicted estate of the children of God but the worde of the Lord doth guide those that be his to looke to the end of the vpright man Marke the vpright man and beholde the iust for the end of that man is peace saith the Prophet And almoste all those requestes that Solomon maketh for the people of God are to haue blessinges benefites procured vnto them after their troubles afflicted estate We see therefore howe needefull it is to holde this doctrine of forgiuenesse of sinnes that we stumble not at the crosse of Christ that we do not murmur or despaire in our affliction that we should not shake off hope notwithstanding our grief whatsoeuer haue had long continuance and abode with vs that we nourishe no wrong iudgement of the estate of the Church and children of God that we decide not with the vngodly against the seruants saints of god A tentation that had almost shaken the faithful seruant and prophet of God Dauid vntil he went into the sanctuarie of the Lord to inquire the end of those men This doctrine ouerthroweth the heresie of the Nouatians who do denie the forgiuenes of sinns after baptisme That which is ioyned with this petition of our forgiuing them that trespasse against vs noteth not any deseruing to haue our sins forgiuen by reasō of our forgiuing of them that offend against vs for then we should not pray to haue them forgiuen seing we remoue them by deserte but is added for our instruction and for our comfort For our instruction to teache vs that the Lord requireth this at our handes that we should be mercifull because he is mercifull For our comforte to tell vs that if we whiche be men can remitte the wronges and iniuries done against vs much more will our heauenly Father who is without comparison aboue man in mercie and compassion forgiue the offences sinnes of his seruants when they shal in true repentaunce seeke vnto him For the same it is needefull for our infirmitie to receiue persuasion of his mercie especially when his iudgement shal be vppon vs and punishment which is the assured signe of his displeasure shall presse vs it is then a harde matter to conceiue hope that the Lorde will forgiue vs For infidelitie is as deepely rooted in our heartes as any sinne or iniquitie whatsoeuer therefore the Lord hath left vs who are taught by his spirite to forgiue vnto others their offences cōmitted against vs an assured hope to finde fauour at his handes who will neuer be found inferiour vnto man in mercie Therfore is it thus written in Luke Forgiue vnto vs our sinnes for euen we forgiue euerie man that is indebted to vs And as it is necessarie that we should bee vpholden with this hope so is it requisite that we remember that which is written in Matthew If ye doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your father forgiue you your trespasses to admonish vs that the Lorde will haue his to resemble him and heare this his image of mercie before the world If we be taught to remitt and forgiue offences vnto others when they shall haue done vs any wrong we may easily perceiue that the Lord will not haue vs to cherish our selues in the hope of beeing heard when wee shall offer vnto other iniurie and wrong For if a Christian be admonished in this petition so far to profite that hee learne to forgiue iniuries done against him much more would the Lorde haue him to be farre from offending others by iniuries done vnto them The last petition wherin we craue that the Lord would not leade vs into temptation but deliuer vs from euill doeth admonish vs that the almightie vseth to punish sinne with sinne that when men shall haue long continued in sinne they shall become so blinde and hardened therein by the iuste iudgemente of GOD that hardly sometime after muche affliction they can bee cured of the same That the godly are subiecte vnto a kinde of hardnesse of heart which is a punishment for their former sinnes laide vpon them from the Lord as may appeare by that prayer of the church of God whereof wee reade in the Prophet Isaie in these wordes O Lorde why haste thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardened our heartes from thy feare returne for thy seruaunts sake and for the tribes of thine inheritaunce It is not that hardnesse of heart whiche is peculiar to the reprobate that is mentioned in this place but to bee so taken with the snares of sinne and so ledd into temptation and blinded intangled therein as the godlyest that lyueth may bee and yet afterwarde by affliction or some other meanes deliuered from the same For when it pleaseth the Lorde to lay affliction vpon his no doubt there is in them this erring from his wayes and hardnesse of hearte from his feare which the Churche of GOD complaineth of in this place and whiche the Lorde purposeth to cure For he is not cruel to punish when there is no cause but his meaning is to mollifie their harde heartes thereby that they may be humbled vnder the gouernement of his holie worde We pray therfore in this petition that we may not bee hardened through the deceiptfulnesse of sinne for the auoyding wherof the children of God are admonished in the Epistle to the Hebrues to exhorte one another Exhorte one another sayeth the holie Ghoste while it is called to day least any of you bee hardened through the deceiptfulnesse of sinne This petition of not leading vs into temptation but deliuering vs from euil doth wel followe that of forgiuenesse of sinnes For when it pleaseth the Lord to forgiue sin he deliuereth them from beeing hardened therein giuing them the sight of the deceipt that is in it and also power and maisterie ouer the rage thereof In that prayer of Solomon whiche