our body here is a natural body and to the fustentation therof we must if we wil liue eate drinke slepe disgest purge And the same body is weried and in the ende corrupteth and fadeth And therfore as sone as that soule departeth frō the body the corps beginneth to smell putrify so that no man can abide the stinke therof This is the dishonor which for sinne is laid vpon the body But in the last day the lord wil trāsfigure our body into such brightnes make it so beautiful that it shal be like the sunne so shal alway abide continue a firm sound immortal body without bodily meat fed of god for euer And therfore saith Paul pointing as it were to his body with his finger this corruptible body wherin I now stād sit walke speake this same body I say must put on incorruption this mortal must put on immortalitie When this corruptible body hath put on incorruption this mortal hath put on immortalitie then shall bee brought to passe the saying that is written Death is swalowed vp into victory ¶ Anna. Now I haue heard the fruit of Christes passion resurrection which I take to be this That what Satan in Adam our nature by sin had corrupted destroyed the Christ by his death resurrection hath recouered restored to wit he hath destroyed sin ouercome death giuen life that we which beleue in Christ may be deliuered from our sins freed from the tiranny of deth the diuel be made heires of euerlasting life Now shew me what maner of kingdom Christs kingdom is which is so magnifically set forth promised vnto vs in the law prophets and euangelists ☞ Vrb. The kingdom of Christ which is promised in the prophets is a spirituall kingdom not of this world it is a kingdom of euerlasting blessednes mercy truth righteousnes peace life wisdom light ioy security liberty euerlasting saluatiō in which Christ the king of glory being taken vp into heauen exalted at the right hand of god doth by the gospel the holy ghost in fayth raigne inuisibly gouern defend al that beleue in him euen in the midst of their cruel deadly enemies to wit the world Satan heretikes persecuters of the church sin death Moreouer he is our intercessor in heauen to god the father he forgiueth vs our sinnes he sēdeth his holy spirit into our hartes he renueth repayreth our corrupted depraued decaied nature and he restoreth in vs the most beutiful image of god which through sinne was blotted out destroyed in vs To be briefe he sanctifieth vs defendeth vs preserueth vs in all dangers euils and so he in this life euen vnto the day of iudgement gathereth vp into his kingdom which is the true catholike church of the godly the children of God dispersed throughout the whole world He ouercōmeth in them sinne death the prince of this world by this means he prepareth maketh thē redy for that great glorious day of our full perfect redemption And although the godly die in the mortal body yet will he raise thē all again at the last day and they shall liue with Christ for euer But vntil the day both the euil and the good the godly the vngodly shal be mixt dwel together and the vngodly wil colourably seeke to beare a face and outward shew of godlines wil also be taken in place for godly nay they will be the chiefe in this earth and sit as magistrates vaunt themselues to be the heads of the church as Annas and Caiphas did in Christes tyme yea they wil root out curse and vehemētly persecute the true godly to the vttermost For in deede the true church is so hidden in this world the some times in great temptations it cannot for a space see it selfe ¶ Anna. What meaneth the miserable people the Anabaptists what madnes moueth them to seeke to cōgregate a church heare in this world which shold be pure vnspotted vndefiled and without all blot and where in they wil haue no sinner seing that euē the godly offend fal in many things the greatest part of those which are called christiās are mere hypocrits very wicked mē ☞ Vrb. These miserable mē vnderstand not the scriptures And therefore they know not what is the true church what maner of church it is or what the state of the true church is in this world Christ only is he which at the last day shal purge the chaffe that is the vngodly frō the good wheat which is the godly christians In the meane time that godly are compelled here to dwel liue among the vngodly And yet shall they not haue any discōmōditie or losse therby if they learne not at thē to liue be vngodly The godly may bear publik offices haue such politike functions as the ciuile magistrate doth ordain so long as they be not cōmaunded compelled to do that that is contrary to the commaundement of God and his holy word yea they both may with a safe conscience also ought as far as belōgeth to the body tēporal goods vse al humane publike ordināces and cōtracts which make for that maintenāce of this life society If so be they may be suffred to kepe retaine the true doctrine of the sauing gospel liue as it cōmādeth ¶ Anna. Seing you haue alredy described the kingdom of Christ I pray you discouer me the kingdō of Satan ☞ Vrb. Sathans kingdom is quite contrary vnto the kingdom of Christ it is a kingdom of euerlasting perdicion of lies of death of sinne of ignorance of blindnes of darkenes of heauines of affliction of sorrowe and of continuall captiuity and damnation And this kingdom of condemnation beginneth in this worlde and hath in it all the vngodly which will not beleue and obey the Gospell in whom the euill spirit worketh and is effectual And therupon is called in Iohn the prince of this world the god of this world This spirit blindeth the mynds of that vnbeleuers so that they see not the most cleare light of the gospel of the clearenes of Iesus Christ which is the image and caracter of God. ¶ Anna. How doth Sathan raigne in this world ☞ Vrb He is the strong man armed in his house of whō Luke speaketh who kepeth the wicked in his hande and hath thē in his power driueth thē whether he will at his pleasure Paul saith he bindeth thē holdeth thē in strōg lies errors darknes bewitcheth their harts and casteth thē hedlong into al wickednes filthines vncleannes and moueth and inflameth thē to all vngodlines Satan is alwais an enemy and an aduersary vnto true christians in all their godly enterprises procedings He stirreth vp fals teachers and draweth many into horrible heresies He alwais maketh
The prophet also confirmeth that cōfortable promise of Christ signifying that although to the carnall eye the Church seemeth very small and litle and as though God had forsaken it and that it were as a forlorn perished thing yet it should be great For god shal be her spouse Feare not for thou shalt not be ashamed neither shalt thou be cōfoūded for thou shalt not be put to shame yea thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth and shalt not remember the reproch of thy widdowhead any more for he that made thee is thine husband whose name is the Lord of hostes and thy redeemer the holy one of Israell shall be called the God of the whole world this is a spirituall mariage and we may haue great comfort in it S. Paule doth famously paint out and amplify this comfort in the epistle to the Ephesians And he calleth it a great mistery that God him selfe would in mans nature bespouse vs to him selfe and ioyne vs with him in the bond of mariage wherby now we learne that whatsoeuer is Gods is ours and what is ours the same doth God take away and lay them all vpon him selfe as they were his owne We haue sinnes and death with the euerlasting curse and damnatiō Christ hath righteousnes lyfe and saluation So then those euill hurtfull deadly thinges of ours doth he ouercome destroy and take from vs in stead thereof he freely geueth vs all these other good treasures of his Is not this I pray you an amiable and sweete mariage So then as an honest wife doth promise her selfe all happines of her husbands head whome she hath euer found faythfull and loyall and as of the other side the good husband entirely loueth cherisheth and delighteth in such a wife so standeth the case betweene God and vs. We may therfore be of good courage and reioyce alwayes in the Lord and not be dismaide in any extremitye either when sinne troubleth our consciences or when death terrifieth vs For we shall not be confounded we shall not be ashamed For he that defendeth vs both can and will redeeme vs from all euils And note in this place that he sayth our redeemer to wit Christe shall be called the God of the whole world or God in all the earth Heare we see the diuinitie of Christ and that men should acknowledge and worship Christ through the whole world as true and onely God. And note this also that the Church looketh lyke a forsaken and mourning woman whereupon we gather that her exceeding great ioy is here in hope but after this life her glory shall be made manifest If then she must be sorowful heare in the earth Christes kingdome is not a corporall or earthly kingdome for he sayth But for all this the Lord hath called thee being as a woman forsaken afflicted in spirit as a yong wife when thou wast refused sayth thy God. But for all this there is no daūger she shall not be vtterly forsakē The world counteth the church a forsaken and miserable people but God sayth in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a litle seasō but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassiō on thee sayth the Lord thy redeemer Note how frendly and fayre the Lord speaketh to the Church comforting her and promising that her crosse and sorrow should not continue alwayes but her ioy and fame shall neuer haue end And so doth Paule comfort vs to the Romaines and Corinthians Esay addeth also a similitude wherin he sayth that God would shew his mercy vpon vs and how he would doe it As he promised grace vnto Noe saying that he would neuer after drowne the world with water and he gaue him the rainebow for a signe So also will he firmely constantly performe to vs his promised grace these be the prophets wordes For it is vnto me as the waters of Noe for as I haue sworn that the waters of Noe should no more goe ouer the earth so haue I sworne that I would not be angry with thee nor rebuke thee for the mountaines shall remoue and the hills shall fall downe but my mercy shall not depart from thee neither shall the couenaunt of my peace fall away sayth the Lord that hath compassion on thee Which is thus much to say Although thy aduersaries be strong yet shall they not be able to hurt or destroy thee They shall feare fall and vanish away but my grace and health shall not be remoued but remain for euer For I haue made a couenaunt of grace with thee O this is a comfortable worde that the Lord saith he will not be our Iudge but our mercifull Father And yet the afflictions of the church shall not onely be short but they shall serue to this end to increase and multiply the faythful The more the church is afflicted the more fruitfully it increaseth For the Lord doth with it as the quarriers or rough masons doe with the rough stones of bricke which they chop and hewe with their mallet now on this side thē of that striking of the knobbs that they may make them square and fit for the building so doth the crosse hew and cut the old man with his lusts and concupiscence and this is the cause that god suffereth his Church to be afflicted crossed persecuted to make it by crossing it a goodly fayre kingdome all of precious stones to wit Christians which are taught of God. For the Christian mans art and science is the gospell which reason hath not found nay it cannot conceaue it For the Gospel is not naturally ingrafted in our reason it is not borne with vs as the lawe is but the holy ghost by whome it is sent from heauen vnto the earth must teach vs by the preaching or ministery of the word In this kingdome shall be true peace with God through fayth in Christ that the Church in all kindes of afflictions may haue wherein to comforte her selfe and to pacify her conscience seeing God him selfe is her forgeuer And true godly workes of righteousnes in deede follow this peace as the wordes following doe import O thou afflicted tossed with tempests that hast no comfort behold I will lay thy stones with the carbunckle and lay thy foundations with Safires I will make thy windows of Emerauds and thy gates shining stones and all thy borders of pleasaūt stones and all thy Childrē shall be tought of the Lord and much peace shall be to thy Children In righteousnes shalt thou be established and be far from oppression For thou shalt not feare it and from feare for it shall not come neare thee Behold the enemy shall gather him selfe but without me whosoeuer shal gather him selfe in thee agaynst thee shall fall All these thinges are spiritually wrought in the harts and consciences of the godly and shall at last be fulfilled in the day of redemption The Iewes looke for a Ierusalem that should be builded
daughter Ierusalem behold thy king commeth vnto thee he is iust and saued poore ryding vpon an asse and vpon a colt the fole of an asse I wil cut of the chariots frō Ephraim and the horse from Ierusalem the bow of the battaile shal be broken and he shall speake peace vnto the Heathen and his dominion shall be from sea and from the riuer vnto the ende of the lande Thou also shalt be saued through the bloud of the couenant I haue loosed thy prisoners out of the pit where in is no water Note here first and formost that the holy ghost by the prophet in this text sheweth vs an inestimable and infinite ioy to wit that Messias our onely helpe in all our distresse and the saluatiō of our soules which was promised vs so long before should come vnto vs And therfore to the ende to awake vs and that we should shake of our sleepe and attentiuely and diligently consider what and how great a thing he doth here handle how worthy a thing it is which is here foreshewed to come to passe He sayth Reioyce reioyce greatly thou daughter Sion and shoute forth O daughter Ierusalem c. By daughter Sion and Ierusalem he doth vnderstand the people of Ierusalem but seyng that Sion Ierusalem were a figure of the catholike church and seyng that not only the Iewes but euen the Gentiles also should be partakers of this great and infinite ioy I will apply these wordes to the whole church which consist both of Iewes and Gentils He sayth lift vp thy voyce and reioyce Here must needes some passing and wonderfull matter be vnderstood in that that holy ghost prouoketh vs so earnestly to shoute out and reioyce Behold that is to say awake awake take heed ye sleep not or play the slouthfull sluggardes Looke you leese not or despise not this opportunity offred you Awake take good heed what I tel you giue eare giue eare the state of your soule and saluation is here in hande giue eare Thy king commeth to thee This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause of this great ioy Our king cōmeth to vs seking his lost people which were led captiue by the wicked spirit and horrible tirant into the kingdom of hel and euerlasting darkenes to perish for euer In which deadly daunger grieuous perill and great calamitie man was so blynded so farre past vnderstanding and so ignorant that he would not acknowledge his misery and wretched state neither see the present daunger of euerlasting death nor yet desire helpe counsayle or remedy But would such was his madnes securitie blindnes haue taried bondslaue in the tiranny of Satan and died captiue to the deuil if this our king being moued with mercy towardes his people standing in such danger had not presently helped vs He saw that we could not deliuer our selues out of this kingdome of sinne neither shake of that cruell tiranny of sathan and that the deuill through his great might strength would haue ouercommed vs and so haue possessed his palace in peace because that in man there was no such strength no such force no such subtletie neyther any such deuise that he could wynd himselfe out of the misery wherin he was wrapped Wherfore Christ seyng this taking compassion of this our miserable state came downe to vs that he might deliuer vs out of this bondage and thraldome and set vs at liberty We neuer desired nor required him neither did our deserts moue him What say I did we moue or desire him to come nay our hartes could not once thinke of him nor desire his helpe or comfort such was the blindnes wherin we were drowned We came not we fled not for helpe to him of our selues for nothing was so farre past our reach We could do nothing lesse it was not in our abilitie such was the corruption of our nature such so darke and so dimme cloudes of deprauation possessed our myndes No no this our king came to vs for we neither could nor would go to him The cause why he came and what he doth with vs what profite he brought vs and how nedefull it was that he should come to vs the Prophet addeth saying He cōmeth to the iust and saued or he commeth vnto the iust and a sauiour This is that great ioy this is the cause of our reioycing and triumphing We were through our sinnes wicked and guilty of all iniquity and defiled with all kinde of vice wickednes and impiety and ordayned to euerlasting death and adiudged to eternall damnation and yet could we not helpe or quite our selues from it But Christ our king commeth to vs he bringeth vs saluation and he iustifieth and deliuereth vs from all dangers This our king was not only iust innocent and free from all offence and spot for and concerning himselfe onely but he giueth also his righteousnes and innocency to vs In so much that through him we are coūted righteous before God if we beleue in him as Paul sayth he onely is iust and iustifieth others This word iust must not here be vnderstoode to be that exact and perfect iustice by which God iudgeth the wicked and punisheth the hard harted For this seuere iustice doth sore afray vs poore sinners and offenders against god Yea it bringeth heuines vexatiō of hart driueth vs to desperatiō neither doth it any thing lesse thē worke ioy gladnes and reioycing in vs But the Scripture vseth for comforte sake to call Christ iust or righteous as well in the olde as new testament For he only among all the sonnes of men is iust and righteous and so iust and righteous that thorough him alone we are counted before God iust innocent and righteous God the father calleth Christ by this name and saith in Esay My seruant is righteous And so saith Zachary Steuen and Iohn And S. Paul sayth the same to the Rom. in these wordes For as by the disobedience of one man that was Adam many were made sinners euē so by the obedience of one shall many also be made righteous We could not of our selues or by our works iustify or redeme our selues but we are made righteous by the only grace of Christ and fayth in him which in holy scripture is called the righteousnes of God that is by which we are accounted righteous before God. Which righteousnes he himselfe doth worke in vs when by his holy spirit he doth make vs righteous and without blame The prophet also calleth Christ our sauiour and that rightly for first he iustifieth vs and whom he iustifieth he both saueth and giueth thē euerlasting lyfe And this is the maner of his worke in vs By his gospell he calleth vs iustifieth vs and then saueth vs The Iewes do here in this prophesie obiect the Hebrew word Noscha which our translator calleth a Sauiour and they say it signifieth saued or deliuered passiuely But this neede not trouble the godly
Who gaue the law of god to the Iewes in tables of stone but could not make his people by the law righteous For he could not giue power strength to do perform the law But our law giuer both teacheth vs what is right holy also giueth vs a new hart his holy spirit as he promiseth by Ezec. The finger of god writeth his law in our harts that we may with ioy and pleasure do the will of the lord He is also our king for he ruleth vs in spirit truth defendeth vs And his holy spirit cōforteth vs as Esa. saith Feare not for thou shalt not be ashamed neither shalt thou be confounded For thou shalt not be put to shame For he that made thee is thy husband vvhose name is the lord of hostes thy redemer the holy one of Israel shall be called the God of the vvhole vvorld He speaketh this of Christ his church Paul saith to the Ephes Christ is the husband of the church And here again he calleth him Iehouah Zebaoth that is God almighty And afterward he calleth him by another of the names of God Elohe which also signifieth god And this prophesy is fulfilled euē frō the apostles time vnto this day is now also daily in fulfilling For al the godly beleuers in Christ Iesu do in one spirit faith confesse through the whole world that Iesus of Nazareth is our lord Christ very true God to be lauded and praised for euer Amen The scripture is full of these testimonies of that name of Iehouah Let vs therfore heare more Esay saith This is our God we haue waited for him he wil saue vs this is the lord Iehouah we haue waited for him we wil reioice and be ioyful in his saluation This prophesy doth properly appertain to Messias He shal destroy death for euer then shal the church in the time of the new testamēt say Iesus of Nazareth is our God who onely wil bring vs helth saluatiō For now this doctrine or preching to wit that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners is spred abrode through the whole world And Pet. saith We beleue through the grace of the lord Iesus Christ to be saued euē as our fathers did beleue And Esa. saith Be ye strong feare not behold your God cōmeth with vēgeance euen God with a recōpence he wil come and saue you This prophesie speaketh also of Christ Wherupō Cypr. citeth it against the Iues. For the prophet by by reciteth those miracles which Messias should work here vpō earth And the holy ghost here cōmandeth al the preachers to cōfort the poore in spirit to wit all those which truly repēt are hartily sory for their sinnes which are amazed striken doun quake at the wrath iudgement of god And he biddeth them preach vnto thē diligently the gospel the glad tidings of the lord saying that god himself doth come to take vengeāce of his enemies to deliuer vs frō the tirāny of our sinnes As it came to passe in the fulnes of tyme when the only begotten sonne of god came into this earth vnto vs in his own person tooke vpon him mans nature suffred death for our sins vpō the crosse rose again frō death and therby satisfied for our trespasses deliuered vs from our sinnes death This was done by none other but by Iesus Christ of Nazareth the true son of God who at the time appointed became man therfore he is called by this most worthy comfortable name by which the prophets called him lōg before And the angel in Math. nameth him Ieschuah or Iesus It is also worthy noting full of comfort that where these prophets speake of the helpe by which we are deliuered frō our sinnes there they vse the very root or Schoresch from whēce this most cōfortable name Iesus is deriued As Esa. in the 25. saith the prophet Ioschienu and in the 35. he saith Ioschaechem And these wordes come of Ioscha and Hoschia which is deliuered to help to redeme Iere. fore-speaketh of Christes kingdom calleth him the true brāch of Dauid And he addeth he shal be called Iehouah of our righteousnes that is the name by which they cal him our iust God. The doctors of the Iewes thēselues as Rabbi Kimchi other confesse that the prophet speaketh here of Christ of his kingdom And Thargū saith Akemle Dauid Meschiah de Zadika ia that is I wil raise vp or bring forth a Messias for Dauid which is Christ the righteous Here God promised to Dauid long after the death of Dauid a stock or branch of righteousnes which shold set vp true rightousnes This branch is Christ And there he telleth what his name should be he calleth him by the name of god For he setteth down that holy name Iehouah This testimony doth conuince the wicked Iues damned Arrians of a diuelish heresy And it soundly declareth that Christ is not onely true man borne of the stock of Dauid after the flesh but also the only true and natural god ¶ An. I remember that you were wont oftentimes to say that amongst the briefe short sentences of the holy scripture you neuer had more redy perfect help comfort by any then by these words Our righteous God or Christ the God of our righteousnes You say that this sentence is your most precious iuel which ye would not change with many millions of worlds if there were so many worldes For you say it is the pith of the whole gospel Wherfore I pray you good husband expound and open me the same with al diligence that I may also be partaker of that rich treasure and precious iuell For all thinges ought to be common betwene vs seing that which is yours is also myne ☞ Vrb. Why might I not say with Paul. Those thinges that were vātage vnto me the same I counted losse for Christes sake yea doubtles I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knovvledge sake of Christ Iesus my lord For vvhō I haue accounted all thinges losse and do iudge thē to be dong that I might vvin Christ might be found in him that is not hauing mine ovvn righteousnes vvhich is of the lavve but that vvhich is thorovv the faith of Christ euen the righteousnes vvhich is of God thorovv faith that I may knovv him the vertue of his resurrection I haue had no afflictiō no grief no wound of hart though it were very bitter in which this saying of Ier. did could not comfort refresh me For what storme of temptation soeuer assaileth me what tēpest of affliction soeuer riseth rageth vpon me when my sins vexe me when the horrors of death shake me and when the paines of the euerlasting lake be present before me appeare in my mind by by I
be their God. Ezechiel when the Lord had raysed him vp to prophesy of these thinges doth comfort the Iewes beyng prisoners in Babilō by this prophesy And he promised thē that the Lord would deliuer thē out of the bōdage that they were in and bring them safely into their owne country to Ierusalem which thinges came so to pas in deed in the dayes of Zerubabel Iehoschua Esdras and Neemias when they should no more commit Idolatry with Babell and other Idols as before they had done But this deliuerance out of the captiuitie in Babilon was but onely a signe of our true deliuerance by Christ wherby all prisoners and such as remayne captaynes are at the last truely deliuered and saued as soon as they cast away their vngodlines and Idolatry and imbrace the true Christian fayth This prophesy hath respect vnto that time of Messias whē he gaue hys spirit vnto hys people circumcised their harts purified their own blind and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnpenytent hartes and put in place thereof a newe hart which feruently and ardently desireth to obserue and keep the commaundements of god For Christ is the only alone Phisition of our heauy sick and deadly wounded nature He alone regenerateth vs with his spirit he healeth vs and he restoreth vs agayn and he onely is our intercessor who putteth away and remoueth from vs the wrath of God and reconcileth vs vnto the Father so that with a fatherly hart and affection he embraceth vs and maketh vs hys children because Christ hath both purified our hart pardoned our sinnes and brought vs into fauour with the father agayne Moyses by hys lawe could do none of these for vs. He can onely shew vs the curse of the Lord prophesy of the blessed seed of Abraham and this was al that he could do But to take away sins and to worke our iustification was a work which none could do but onely Messias This is the way and meane by which Christ planteth and preserueth his spirituall kingdome when of sinners hee maketh godly and righteous persons and geueth them new harts and lightneth thē by his word and holy spirit and reneweth them that they may be in the inward man enclined with a redy delight and alacritie to do the will and pleasure of God. This is the meaning of Moyses in Deutrinomy when he commādeth that they shoulde circumcise the fore skin of their hart that is their euil thoughts cōcupisences and fleshly desires And he promiseth vnto hys people a spirituall circumcision saying the Lord thy God will circumcise thine hart and the hart of thy seed that thou maist loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart and with all thy soule that thou maiest liue Earthly Kings mayntayne externall iustice and restrayne vices wickednes by the sword but they haue no power to restrayne and bridle the hart For the hart for al that they can do wil abound in concupiscens of al kinde of euils yea it would brust forth into deeds if it were lawfull to do them and satisfy hys own appetite and wallowe in all filthy flagitiousnes And this is che cause that earthly kings defend and maintayn their dominiōs by the galouses torments wheeles swords halters and other punishments and yet notwithstanding all such executions and torments the wickednes and rash bouldnes of louse liuers can scarcely be brideled For so soon as the hart perceiueth that it hath got licence and time by and by it turneth to the olde habit and committeth what lewdnes it listeth But Christ goeth to work after another and better sort For he changeth and cleanseth the hart from euil to good which when he hath once puryfied and changed there followeth by and by honesty holynes and integrity of life in outward conuersation And thus doth he renue those which are indued with true innocency and through faith are drawen cheerefully by a harty desire to work all kind of vertue And thus doth this our king raign spiritually and by his word and spirit preuayleth more then al kings and Caesers in this world can doe by compulsion and all kind of torments though they be neuer so cruel Ezechiel also hath a prophecy and promise of this day of saluation and new league of grace in his thirty six chapter in playn wordes saying Then will I power clean water vpon you and ye shall be clean yea from all your filthynes and from all your Idols wil I cleanse you Here the prophet promiseth the sacrament of baptisme which is most pure and clean water because of the word of God of which it dependeth and hath his excellency And therfore it is caled in Titus The lauer of regeneration and the holy Ghost which God in baptisme by Christ our Sauyour poureth plentifully vpon vs that we by his grace being iustifyed may through hope be made heires of euerlasting saluation This was then fulfilled when the discyples baptysed the people and forgaue sinnes in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and when the cleansed and godly congregation of the faithfull Christians was first erected who first rightly found forth the Lord God and were dayly more and more increased as we read in the Actes that the spirituall kingdome of Christ by his word did daily more more increase though in their bodyes they suffered great persecutions and dangers And this was the way and maner by which Christ wold gouern his kingdome But the blinded Iewes thought that all these thinges should carnally be fulfilled that Messias wold rule his kingdome in worldly pompe and power God in the 34. chapter of Eze. promyseth his people a true shepherd which hath good and holsome pastures which will keep his sheep faithfully defend thē carefully Which things the pharysies faithles shepheards in Iuda did not but fed and fatted themselues The prophets words be these And I wil set vp a shepheard ouer them and he shal feed them euen my seruant Dauid he shall feed them and he shall be their shepheard and I the Lord wil be their God and my seruant Dauid shal be the prince among them I the Lord haue spoken it And I wil make with them a couenant of peace and wil cause the euil beastes to cease out of the land and they shal dwel safely in the wildernes and sleep in the woods And I wil rayse vp for them a plant of renown and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land neither beare the reproch of the heathen any more Thus shall they vnderstand that I the Lord their God am with them that they euen the house of Israel are my people saith the Lord God. And ye my sheep the sheep of my pasture or men I am your God saith the Lord God. This shepheard is that Messias whom Ezechiell calleth Dauid because he should be borne of Dauides stock And the Iewes thēselues agree with
commaundements and word of God. Is not this promise full of comfort where he sayth I will heale Israells backsliding that is he will pardon all their offences and neuer be angry with them any more for their sinns In which promise Christ the throne of grace is included and comprehended For these determinations of God is that he will forgeue sin to no man that he wil loue no man and that he wil receaue none vnto grace by any other meanes but by his deerely beloued sonn who is become our onely redeemer mediator recōciler bishop priest propiciatory or throne of grace as Paule affirmeth saying We are accepted in his beloued by whome we haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgeuenes of sinns according to his rich grace It is manifest therfore by the firme foūdation of the apostles doctrine that Hoseas here speaketh of Christ although he name him not seing that there is no other reconciler which can turne the wrath of God from vs but onely Iesus Christ Wherefore I haue often sayd that where the Lord promiseth his grace redemption forgeuenes of sinns righteousnes lyfe and health that there is Iesus Christ promised by whose death and pretious bloud we are reconciled to God the father and receaue forgeuenes remission of our sinns true righteousnes and lyfe euerlasting There followeth in the text more promises but expressed in figuratiue wordes For he taketh a similitude of the dew of roses of Libanō and of the oliue tree which wordes import nothing els but the great felicitie of Israell or christifidelians after that they beleue and are receaued in the grace of God and obtaine forgeuenes of their sinns Is it not an exceeding great felicitie to obtaine forgeuenes of our sinns to be counted righteous before God and to receaue the holy ghost with all his gifts and by the same to be healed vp in fayth Which is the receauing of that great pretious and heauenly earnest peny that is the spirite of God the father and the son which doth assure vs that we be the children of God and so his heyres and coheyres with Iesus Christ what I pray you can he want which hath the Lorde for his inheritance This prophesy chefely taketh place in the tyme of Christ when the gospell brought forth fruite throughout the whole world and christs heauēly kingdome was builded in euery place that Christ the king of glory be imbrased for our God and sauiour through fayth by which we are made the children of God and shall prayse him for euer together with his holy angells to whome we shall be like in the world to come in the resurrectiō of the dead the glory whereof exceedeth all that the hartes of earthly creatures can conceaue but it is now hid For we are as yet but blessed in hope but when our king the prince of glory shall come in his maiestye to iudgement then shall our felicitie be made manifest To be short the Lord shall be the defence bulwark comfort helpe solace and sound felicitye of Israel But the Prophet speaketh of a greater defence comfort helpe and benefit thē this world hath or can vnderstand The kingdome therfore of Christ is a kingdome of blessing wherin we inioy aboūdance of all goodnes The prophets prophesied that this deliueraunce helpe comfort and kingdome should be a continuall and spirituall not a tēporall kingdome which aboundeth in fraile vayne and transitory welth of this world as the carnall Iewes dreame and imagine ¶ Anna. What I pray you doth Iohell the prophet prophecy of Christ ☞ Vrba Ioell in his 2. chapiter prophesieth that the kingdome of Christ shall be illuminated and beutified with the rich knowledge of God and that it shall receaue the holy ghost with all his gifts and that espetially in the mount Sion to wit in the catholicke church where shall be true deliueraunce helpe and redemption from sinn and death and that afterwarde there shall be no more respect of persons betwene the Iewes and Gentiles but whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord Messias shall be freely deliuered from all his sins These are the wordes of the prophesye Ye shall also know that I am in the middest of Israell and that I am the Lord your God and none other and my people shall neuer be ashamed And afterward as Peter cited this prophecy on whitsonday in his sermon at Ierusalem In those dayes that is in the tyme of Messias I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh And your sons and daughters shall prophesy your ould men shall dreame dreames and your young men shall see visiōs and also vpon the seruants and vpon the maydens in those dayes will I power my spirite and I will shew wonders in the heauens and in the earth bloud and fier and pillers of smoke The sun shal be turned into darknes and the moon into bloud before the great and terrible day of the Lorde come But who so euer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued For in mount Sion and in Ierusalem shall be deliueraunce as the Lord hath sayd and in the remnant whome the Lord shall call This prophesy tooke place in Christs time for Israell had then experience in deed that god was with thē in mans flesh And the holy ghost was then much more gloriously royally and aboundātly geuē them thē before the natiuitie passiō resurrectiō of Messias For before they were but few which had the spirit of prophesying but when Iesus Christ was ascended vnto the right hand of his father then the holy ghost withall his giftes was wonderfully and richly geuē vnto many as the hebrew word Eschpoch declareth which signifieth to poure out The holy ghost was visibly poured vpon faythfull Christians when they were baptised and the Church in all places had his teachers who had the spirite of prophesying And the knowledge of Christ is now spread abroad and dispersed throughout the whole world But where the prophet speaketh of Sion and Ierusalem it must be vnderstood of the church of faythfull Christians wherein Christ hath his habitation as in his owne kingdome Who so euer will be saued from sinne death and tyranny of Sathan he must beleue in Christ call vpon Christ and be brought into the church of christ for without that Church is neither health nor forgeuenes of sins Neither is there any cause why any sinner should respect this or the citie aboue other as the Iewes did earthly Sion Ierusalem seeing Ioell sayth that the Lord would poure out his spirite vpō all flesh not only vpon the Iewes in Ierusalem or in the land of Canaan but euery where through the whole worlde where the Gospel is beleued It followeth therfore that whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of god shall be safe and not the Iewes onely which serued and called vpō God at Ierusalem for then was that time come of which Christ sayth in Iohn that the heauenly father requireth