Certaine godlie Homelies or Sermons vpon the Prophets Abdias and Ionas Conteyning a most fruitefull exposition of the same Made by the excellent lerned man RODOLPH GVALTER of Tigure And translated into Englishe By ROBERT NORTON Minister of the worde in Suffolke Imprinted at London by Henrie Bynneman for Rafe Newberie dwelling in Fletestrete a little aboue the Conduite ANNO 1573. ¶ To the worshipfull my good friēd master VVilliam Blenerhaiset esquire Iohn Walker Doctor in diuinitie wisheth perpetuall felicitie in Christ IT is no lesse benefite that wee haue knowledge of our creation redemption preseruatiō eternall saluatiō how to beleue loue worship honor and shewe our selues thankefull vnto our creator redemer preseruer c. than that he hath bestowed these great and inestimable giftes vpon vs of his mercie and free goodnesse Neither auayleth it vs to bee borne and made men and not brute beastes and that Christ hath died risen again and ascended into heauen if we know not the ende of our creation and redemption to be to glorifie god to set forth his prayse and to tell of his wonderfull works This is eternall life saith Christ to know thee the only and true God and him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. We had neuer knowne God we had neuer knowē Christ except he had inspired his holye ones with hys spirit and enforced them to write the holy scriptures wherein he hath reueled himselfe and manifested his will in all things necessarie towardes vs Wherefore we ought first of all to bee moste thankefull to God and in all things to blesse his name both for his fatherly fauor which he beareth towards vs and also for reueling the same by his worde Secondly they be also worthie of their due cōmendatiō which as Gods instrumēts and workemen of God haue laboured with him to set forth the same worde of the knowledge of saluation There are great and weightie causes which haue moued God to vtter himselfe in his worde First that he might set forth his loue wisedome omnipotencie goodness fidelitie to the world which we had neuer knowne without his word God who is faythful sayth August Psa 110. hath made him selfe our debtor not in taking any thing of vs but in promising vs so great things It seemed but a small thing to promise but hee hath also bounde himselfe with scripture as it were making with vs a handwriting of his promises He hath not onely made a writing with men that they might beleue but he hath further appoynted his only sonne to be a mediatour of his fidelitie and truth Wherefore all the worlde is of dutie bounde to giue most heartie and immortall thankes to God the onely authour and reueler of so great benefites howsoeuer otherwise the world do contemne neglect and abuse this knowledge Secondly that the remembrance of this most holy couenant betwene God his church might bee more durable the promise might be more certainly set forth to all posteritie And therefore he hath charged the things to be written taught and learned of them that were present at the promulgation of his worde and of them that should come after c. Psal. 102. Let these thinges be written in another generation that the people whiche shall bee borne hereafter may prayse the lord Adam as Iosephus testifieth in the first booke of his antiquities set vp two tables or pillers of stone and wrote in them the beginning of the creation the fal of man and the promise of Messias After the floud wrote Moses and the rest of the Prophets inspired and led by the spirit of god After the Apostles and Euangelists by the same spirit whose bookes the deuill and all his angels though they greatly despited and impugned them were neuer able either vtterly to destroy or cast them out of the hands of the people of God bycause God woulde haue his couenant to remain in his Church and so will haue them to the worldes ende Rumpantur ilia Codro though the deuyll do burste his guttes c. Thirdly that God will haue hys Church which is the piller and stay of the truth 1. Tim. 3. as in many other things to differ from sectes factions vaine opinions and superstitious of other Gentiles so in this poynt chiefly to bee a keeper and as it were a librarie of the bookes of his Prophets and Apostles wherein he hath declared himselfe to the worlde Wherefore all men are bounde that will bee of the true Church of God to keepe reade and exercise them selues in the true vnderstanding practising of these bookes Fourthly that the keeping and profession of these bookes may be a notable and certain testimonie of the truth and of the will of God in all matters of Religion and a strong fortresse both agaynst all superstitious mans feigninges and deuises and also agaynst al vaine phantasticall spirites preferring their owne dreames and fonde imaginations before the certaintie of Gods scriptures Our gracious God therefore knowing the necessitie and the inestimable profite of the scriptures will haue them sette forth kept and exercised of his Church for euer The scripture is the worde of truth of life the gospell of health the power of God to saluation c. the foode of the soule the light to our feete the sword of the spirite the breath of Gods mouth which who so wanteth runneth into errour into death and destruction is without all comfort of helpe perisheth for foode wandreth in darkenesse standeth naked agaynst his armed aduersaries destitute of Gods grace and spirite which who so wanteth is none of Gods people Rom. 8. The holy mē of god ought to haue their iust cōmendation which were the iust instruments of gods spirit in writing these scripturs not to take any glorie from God and ascribe it vnto men which were meere Jdolatrie and woulde make men arrogant and glorye in them selues but to encourage men to laboure with the Lord and to knowe that their laboure in him is to set foorthe his glorie to profite his Churche and that they them selues shal be pertakers of eternall felicitie Dani. 12. They that be learned shall shine as the sunne they that haue instructed many in wisdom shal be as the stars for euermore these haue not spoken of them selues nor the wisdome of mā but of God He. 1. God hath spoken in alder time many and sundrie wayes to our fathers by his Prophetes c. He sayth not they spake of them selues but God by thē they came not with their owne worde nor their owne authoritie but euer they sayde Haec dicit dominus Thus saith the lord Paule saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the scripture is inspired by the holy ghost c. 2. Pet. 1. We haue a sure certain worde of the Prophets which saith he was not brought in by the will of man but the holy men of God haue spoken being cōpelled by the spirite of god Therefore for their obedience to Gods spirite for their
owne parte was giltlesse in the matter They purpose now to haue the tryall made by lottes whereof wée knowe there was bothe greate and manyfolde vse among the men of olde tyme. Homere sheweth that he was chosen by a lotte whiche shoulde kéepe the conflicte with Hector Among the Romaines it was a custome to haue the gouernement of the prouinces graunted out by lottes And this manner of dealing by lottes as it is mente in thys place is suche an action as wherein matters are soughte oute by a kynde of diuyne token and the vse thereof concerne the thynges not onely paste but also presente and to come The kyndes and wayes are sundrie of the whiche thys place serueth not to intreate This rather let vs marke that of lots some are lauful other some are vnlaufull Those are laufull whiche in a cause necessarye to bée knowne are vsed religiously with a desire to haue peace preserued And this vse doth Salomon commende wheras he sayeth that the lottes pacifie variances and appease the stubborne He witnesseth also that their successe hangeth vpon god This kind of lottes did Iosua put in vre when he distributed the land And by the same did Samuel draw foorth Saule to the kingdom whoÌ„ he alredie knew to be elected thervnto of god In lyke maner the Apostles committed al the matter by lots vnto the Iudgemente of God when they were mynded to appoynte another vnto Iudas roomthe Neither deserue they to bée coÌ„demned which at this day in the diuision of inheritances and election of magistrates or ministers practise this kind of lots Howbeit then is the vsing of them more daungerous when as triall is had for offenders that they may receyue condigne punishment and then in very déed must they not be vsed at all aduentures vnlesse it so be that God commaundeth as at whose bidding Iosua was stirred vp by lottes to attache Achan that had committed sacriledge Vnlawfull lottes are suche as whereby curious men take in hande to searche oute thinges that they haue nothing to doe withall by vnlawfull artes Such maner of men do greatly offende and shall in tyme to come pay the price for their rashe foole hardinesse As touching this historie that we haue in hand it is credible that these Heathen men who a little before called vpon sundrie goddes did nowe also interlace some Superstition in the vsing of their lottes which notwithstanding God did neuerthelesse direct bicause it was expediente that Ionas should be taken tardie And here yet may we take this warning by the way that superstitious crafts can not be excused although nowe and then the truth of a matter may be knowne by their meanes For as God by dreames admonyshed Pharao Nabuchodonosor and many other of thinges afterwarde to come so applying himself to their weake capacitie and yet expressely forbiddeth his faithfull to beléeue dreames so dothe he also somtymes by his iust iudgement giue leaue to soothsayers and workers by lottes truely to declare the euents of thinges and other matters whereof they are demaunded partly for that it is profitable yet at the leaste to haue them knowne by some meanes partly that as it were with a bayte they may be fedde with strong illusion which haue already determined in their myndes rather to giue credite to wicked spirites than to his owne worde So dothe God at thys present moderate and order these mens lottes by this occasion both to bring Ionas forth into lighte and also by authoritie of this punishment executed vpon him to ridde the other of Superstition who nowe alreadie tasted of some principles of godlynesse And by this example are wée in the meane whyle aduertised that they can no long tyme be hidden that haue offended agaynst the lawes of God and run on still in wickednesse For as God is iust and a seuere reuenger of vagracious déeds so hath he infinite means wherby besides all expectation to pull oute into the open sunne light suche as are gyltie For to say nothing of the strength of the worde of God whiche like a two edged swoord pierceth thorough the hearte and the marowe and reproueth the secrete misdemeanours of men there are to bée founde in histories euery where examples of suche as haue had their vices by maruelous meanes detected Some haue ben bewrayed by the songs and flyings of birdes amongst whom the Cranes of Jbâ—a nowe growne famous by the vsuall prouerbe must néedes be placed Some haue bene discouered by bloud sodeynly issuing out of dead carcases Wee may reade also that there haue bene a greate sorte fearefully dismayde at the only beholding of weapons wherby they haue come and of theyr owne accorde confessed their wicked actes committed with the same Neyther néede we to stand long about examples sith that many thynges come dayely to passe whiche maye instructe vs and raise vs vp from securitie Let vs then being warned both with them and also with this preseÌ„t example endeuour our selues after innocencie lest béeing deceyued with hope to escape vnpunished we prouoke Gods wrath with the outragiousnesse of oure sinnes who can at his pleasure bothe reproue them when as we leaste looke for it and also lay vpon vs those plagues whiche we haue worthily deserued But lette vs go on and take a further view of these mariners who when they perceiue that Ionas is the occasion of all this tempest entreate him with maruellous humanitie leauing off that rigoure whiche they myght iustely haue vsed toward him For we heard not long since how that thorough his cause they were fayne to lighten the ship and now séeing the sea raged more and more they stoode as yet in ieopardie of their lyues Howbeit although he were attached by lots whiche was to them in maner of an oracle yet thinke they not good to attribute 〈◊〉 muce credite vnto them as withoute more diligente inquisition to deale any thing the more extremely or cruelly against him For verie carefully and frendly not without signifying also of some sorow for him they question with him as touching all his estate saying after this maner Tell vs in good soothe for vvhose cause are vvee thus troubled vvhat is thine occupation that is to say what is thy estate of lyfe from vvhence comest thou vvhat countreyman art thou or of vvhat nation What could haue ben done I praye you more gently and louingly towardes him whom they were assured to be the onely worker of their so great daunger and losse of all their substance being of so great value as it was Compare with these mariners who wer mere alientes from true religion the meÌ„ of this our age which although there goe no iust cause before whereby they might be prouoked yet fall to hating of straungers and if they susteyne but the leaste damage in the world streightway think that they may do what they lust to them of whom they haue receyued their small hurte and it will immediatly appeare how great the corruption
wold be worshipped and had promised that he woulde there heare the prayers of such as cried vnto him It is truth in déed yet had hée neuer forbiddē but the in other places also prayers might be offred vnto him But as we euery where haue néede of his helpe so hath he giuen vs frée libertie to crie vnto him euery where Examples are extant which testifie howe holie men that reuerenced God prayed in all places whensoeuer occasion was offred The Israelites cryed betwéene the bricke and the claye and were hearde of god Moyses made his supplication at the redde sea shoare and forthewith heareth God saying vnto him Moyses vvherefore cryest thou And it appeareth euidently inough out of the Psalmes and holie historie that Dauid made his petitions in woods in dennes and vpon his couche We reade also that Daniels companions which wer in the fornace and Daniel himself being enuironed with Lyons were perfectely heard What néedeth it to speake here of Christe who as in his owne person he often prayed in the mountaines so he also sayth vnto vs Thou vvhen thou prayest enter into thy chamber c. This is excéedingly to our consolation that we are sure of Gods eares alwayes open to them that crie vnto him and therwithal it reproueth them that wold bind bothe Praying and Gods grace to certaine places This hath ben an olde errour and Christe himselfe confuteth it when as to the woman of Samaria mouing a question as touching this matter he answereth VVoman beleeue me the houre commeth vvhen as neither in this mountayne nor yet at Ierusalem ye shall vvorship the father But the houre commeth and novv is vvhen the true vvorshippers shall vvorship the father in spirite and truth And Paule commaundeth men to pray in all places and lifte vp pure hands vnto God. 1. Tim. 2. I knowe in dede that God in times past adorned his temple with excéeding ample promises and that Gods Churche hath their oratories wherein prayers may be made but those olde promises had respecte vnto Christ whome al that seruice of the temple did shadowe and at this day for the continuing of holy assemblies and publike prayers it is requisite to haue some certaine place which it is conueniente to kepe holy and sundred from all prophane vses Yet in the meane season we must constantly retaine that libertie whiche God hath granted to euery one whereby to call vppon him priuately at home and abroade as ofte as necessite heautly oppressing vs or the holy spirite secretly inspiring vs doth stirre vs vp to pray Thirdly is expressed very diligently at what time Ionas prayd In my trouble saith he I cried vnto the Lorde And againe Out of the bellie of the graue or of hell for the Hebrew word whiche he vseth here signifieth both did I crie This setteth out the most grieuous streightes and afflictions wherewith the Prophete was assailed at that season whereof at this time we néede not to speake for that he himselfe wyll afterwarde with more words set out at large what thoughts he had in his minde This one thing let vs diligently note that the distresses whiche he felte both of body and minde were so much the heuter bycause that he knewe God had laide them vppon him as being offended with hys sinne But he cried vnto the Lorde and was heard We sée then that afflictions are no lette but that we may call vppon God yea that then also is it lawfull for vs euen when we suffer punishemente as oure heynous sinnes haue deserued For as GOD in laying hys rodde vppon vs goeth not aboute oure destruction but amendement and as it is not the least token of oure amendement if wée tourne vnto him when he striketh vs crauing helpe at his hande So doth God also neuer caste them off who in this maner behaue themselues And bicause prayer appertayneth to the confession of our faith which fayth shineth out so muche the cléerer as the troubles wherout we couet to be deliuered are the gréeuouser it followeth that God can not but verie well accept suche kynde of prayers Let this then be oure consolation and staye vs vp when so euer the weighing eyther of our punishmentes or of oure sinnes shall goe aboute to withstand our prayers and accuse vs as vnworthie to be heard of god For euen then is it laufull tyme to pray yea then most of all is it conuenient to lifte vp our minds wholly and instantely to wearie the eares of God neyther must we doubt at all of the fatherly goodnesse of God whiche then chiefly extendeth it selfe when hée perceyueth that his owne children are in dangerous estate of miscarying Fourthly let vs also mark the maner of Ionas prayer Héerevnto belongeth it that is mēcioned of Ionas how he prayed vnto God whome afterward also he nameth his god This is an excéeding argument of Faith sith that although hée knewe he had gréeuously offended yet euen in the middest of his punishmentes he acknowledgeth GOD for his owne whiche thing fleshely reason will neuer be hable to doe vnlesse it be lyghtened with the light of fayth Againe he sayth that he not onely prayed but also cryed yea that he brayed out or rather began a tumult in himselfe For he vseth suche a worde here as dothe not signifie simply to crye but to be troublesome to one with crying and yelling It expresseth therfore his feruente and vncessant prayers as wherwithall if any suche thing mighte truly be applyed vnto God he euen tired God himselfe Notable was this change and full of admiration which hapned in Ionas For he who not long before fled from the presence of God and slepte in carelesse securitie nowe béeing found out in his vngraciousnesse cryeth and yelleth out vnto him And by this example we are admonished that in praying before al other thinges faith is required without the which it is vnpossible for vs to drawe néere vnto god Hovv shall they call vpon him sayth Paule on vvhome they haue not beleeued Rom. 10. And Iames in his first chapter testifieth that they shall obtaine nothing which pray without faith It will therfore greatly be auaylable for vs diligently to be conuersant in the consideration of Gods promises and benefites done of olde tyme therby to confirme our selues in faithe But for that God sometime deferreth his ayde when as he séeth it néedfull eyther to haue vs longer corrected or our faith still exercised together with this confidence in praying there is also a constant inuincible perseuerance required Therof doth Christe put vs in remembrance whereas he willeth vs not only to pray but also to knock and séeke And hereto chiefly tendeth the parable of the widowe who by hir importune and continuall crie at length ouercame the eares euen of the wicked iudge Heinous therfore and verie hurtfull is their errour which will prescribe God certaine limites and if they be not fauourably heard incontinently dare call in doubt the goodnesse and power of
rather a perplexitie For Ataph is as muche to say as to couer and to hide or to wrappe in And by translation it is applyed to the Soule for that it when as dangers are imminent on euery side séemeth so to be wrapped soldē in with an huge heape of eares and intricate thoughtes that a man can appointe no certeintie how to deale euen in his owne matters Hereof doth Dauid complayne when as in the Psalmes he saith Hovv lōg shall I tosse thoughts in my soule and sorovve in my hert al the day long And againe VVhy arte thou troubled O my soule and vvhy arte thou so disquieted vvithin me Neyther is it to be doubted but that Ionas béeing in the whales bellie was tossed wyth hys thoughtes as it hadde bene with terrible byllowes and coulde not certaynely determine with hymselfe what were beste to bée done But when as saith he my soule was thus wrapped in and now being ouercome with sundrie cares was cothing away I thought vpon the Lorde This was not a vain or flitting remembrance suche as nowe and then springeth vp in the mindes euen of the vngodly but such a one as meditated both vpon the promises of God and also on the couenaunt it selfe together wyth his olde benefites the considering whereof dothe wonderfully encrease faith exciting them to ardent prayers and full of confidence who before tyme gaue ouer in temptations Therefore addeth hee And my prayer came in vnto thee euen into thy holye Temple Wheras although by the word Temple he meaneth the Heauen which is called the palace and throne of God for that therein his maiestie and puissaunce dothe chiefly appeare yet neuerthelesse doubt I not but therewithall he hath respecte to the promises made concernyng the Temple and the outward sacrifices whereby he confirmed his faith as lately hath bene sayde This then is his meaning Although in the depth of the sea I had my abiding within the bowels of the Whale yet had I in mynde bothe thée and thy couenant the seales wherof all that worship of the Temple ordeyned by thy appoyntment doth conteine And for this cause did I crye vnto thée neyther were my prayers in vayn but they pierced thorough the verie heauen and came vp euen into thy sight And here may we sée howe Ionas was occupied chiefly aboute two thinges For both he had in remembraunce God his promises and also beeing established in faith he poured out his prayers vnto the Lord wherby he craued for his aide Neither did he it onely at that presente but therwithall he learned that he muste also do the same afterwarde giueth out his owne example to be folowed of all men whiche oute of aduersitie couet to escape safe For this is the propertie of the godlie that although they be verie greuously tempted yet doe they neuer shake off all myndfulnesse of God but by the remembraunce of his promyses doe they staye vp their faithe and béeing instructed of Gods good will by his benefites doone of olde time they vse also for euer after to put their whole hope of saluation in him alone And this truly is the principal vse of all the benefites of God which he bestoweth either vpon other men or vpon our selues Neither shal they at any time be frustrate of their hope who soeuer wil imitate Ionas example For Blessed is the man sayth the Prophet vvhich trusteth in the Lord and vvhose hope is the Lorde Again Blessed is he that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe and vvhose hope is the Lord his god Psa. 17. Psa 146. Howebeit that Ionas mighte yet the more commende the doctrine which may be gathered by his example in the other part of this comparison he bringeth forth the mainteiners of superstitions compareth by a contrarietie their brickle and deceytfull estate with the felicitie of the godly They that holde sayth he of lying vanities vvill forsake his mercie Lying vanities that is to witte most fonde and deceiptfull vanities he termeth all that whiche men fansie vnto themselues of their owne brayne to putte any hope of saluation therein Vnder this title therefore may be accompted straunge gods idols superstitious worshippings mens ayde mens imaginations good workes or merites and whatsoeuer else of this kynde may be deuised For if wée will somwhat narowly view these things we shall finde them to be suche as that with Salomon we maye worthily exclame Vanitie of vanities and all is but plaine vanitie For as touching strange gods it is manifest that besides a vayne name they haue nothyng at all syth that in the nature of thinges they haue not so much as a being And bicause there be no gods at all it foloweth of necessitie that the images which are set vp for them be lykewise nothyng This verie thing the Apostle also noted 1. Cor. 8. As for the other that are reared vp to represent the true God what are they but mere lyes seeing it is a playn case that God can not by any image be represented VVhom vvil ye make me lyke crieth he himself by the Prophet and vvhome shall I be lyke Al caruers of images are vanitie and the things that they so couet profite nothing at al. They must beare record themselues that seing they can neither see nor vnder stand they shal be cōfounded VVho dare then make a god or fashiō an image that can do no good Many like places might here be brought in whiche for shortnesse sake we omit seing that such as reade the scriptures may be acquainted with thē euerywhere And as for superstitious worshippings it is euident that God cannot be so worshipped with outward thinges but sith he is a spirite he wil be worshipped in spirite truth Most fonde therfore is all that confidence whiche is placed in outwarde ceremonies And what need we to make any mention of mens helps and counsels when as Al flesh is grasse and all the glorie therof as the floure of the fielde Yea and Hieremie pronounceth all them accurssed which take fleshe for their arme And Dauids voyce is this Put not your trust in Princes being children of men for ther is no help in them Of lyke value also be all our works and merites For what may they merite who of themselues are not able so muche as to thinke a good thought and whose righteousnesse being like a filthy shroude patched of sundry ragges can not therefore stand in the presence of Gods iudgemēt For this reason doth the prophet rightly terme them lying vanities adding thys therwithall They that holde of them vvill forsake his mercie By this woorde Mercie he vnderstandeth euen God himselfe who how great soeuer he be is altogether mercie and in verie déede the mercie for men for that he offereth him selfe to vs neyther departeth from vs vnlesse wée fyrst forsake him as they do which holde of vanities that is whiche place not all hope of saluation in him