translated And thus much is spoken briefely for the question of the laylour Now let vs consider of the Apostles answere Beleeue in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thy houshold This is their aunswere hee was not so ready to aske but they are as ready to satisfie his demaund Christes Disciples are like Christ he in the 10. of Mark answered thus to him that demaunded what he might doe to inherite eternall life Hoc fac et viues This doe and thou shalt liue And heere the Apostles gaue like aunswer to this Iaylour Doe this and thou shalt be saued Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Heere wee are to learne by this example of the Apostles to be helpful to our neighbours or whom so euer we find fit for the Kingdome of God wee ought to furnish them with all spirituall knowledge wee must like Peter strengthen them that are weake when we our selues are strong But we see the contrary practised for the greatest part are apt to draw men froÌ„ God and from his truth as the Athiests Papists of these times who straine their endeuours to make others like themselues Boni malos volunt esse bonos vt sint sut similes Mali contra bonos volunt esse malos vt sint sui similes More then a good many can be apt to say with Chora The people are all holy and whereto serues this precisenes They vvould perswade men that they are too good when they are stark naught They will be straight-wayes in the extremity before they haue attained the mediocrity Like the lazie trauailer that sittes downe in the midst of his iourney or like him that running in a race giues ouer in the midst of his course and suffers others to get the goale before him This is the reluctation betweene the holy and vnholy the children of light and the children of the darknes Good men striue to be holy themselues and to beget holines in others but the wicked striue to be naught and to make others worse than themselues And the deuill comes in to act vp the tragedy and so he rageth and so sinne suggesteth so the weaknes of man yeeldeth because he hath not faith in which only we can ouerthrow the world The Apostles sinding this Iaylour in the way of his saluation do help him forwards and doe support his weaknes as Christ caried the lost sheepe vpon his shoulders as the mercifull Samaritane did lay the man that lay by the way side robd wounded vpon his owne beast Beleeue say they in the Lord. This may seeme to be a lesson soone learned and the gayning of heauen a matter of short and easie surprize if it may be obtayned only by beleeuing in the Lord Iesus Indeed the answer is short but the matter of substance included therein is great for as one tree hath many braunches and one branch many blossoms so this one answer hath many circumstances All which being duly considered we shall be forced to acknowledge it a matter of greatest difficulty and that we haue neede to call vpon Gods spirit for his special furtherance in this great frame of our spirituall building For it is not giuen to all to beleeue in the Lord Iesus nay it is giuen but to a fewe to those onely whom the Father hath sealed for that purpose Yea euen the best of vs to whom the Lorde hath giuen most talents of his rich graces may say notwithstanding looking vpon our imperfections Lord wee beleeue helpe our unbeleefe and the spirit is willing but the flesh is weake Faith in the strongest wil be found to be but a deficient faith as Peters was when he began to sinke God will haue it to be so to the end we should haue recourse to the fulnes that is in Christ That when we see our faith weakned or wounded wee should doe as they did who were bitten by Scorpions cast vp our eyes to Christ the brazen serpent who will not cease since now he is lifred vp to draw vs vp also vnto himselfe Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Asour Sauiour told Martha one thing is necessary so the Apostles tell this Iaylor one thing is necessary to furnish him for the Kingdome of heauen euen faith Belecuâ— onely and thou shalt be saued To beleeue is to giue consent in thy hart to the worde of truth to subscribe therevnto by an vnfained profession to yeeld all Christian obedience aunswerable to the measure of grace giuen vnto vs. This faith is begotten in vs by the immediate gift of God and increased in vs by the word of God read and preached God giues the word and the word giues faith and faith giues saluation The Iewes reade the Scriptures and they heard Christ preaching vnto them euery Sabaoth in their Sinagogues yet they beleeued not because the vaile was not taken from them and they were still in theyr sinnes to shew that faith is the speciall gift of God and all cannot receaue it which makes so many to withstand the truth in vngodlines Where it is said heere Beleeue onely and thou shalt be saued Wee learne that faith is the onely principall instrument whereby we apprehend Christ and so consequently our saluation For without faith it is impossible to please God and so without faith it is impossible to be saued Heere may the Papistes lay their handes vpon theyr mouthes for they are no longer In architectura totuÌ„ artificiuÌ„ attribuitur architecto non arti non instrumentis Olâ—uÌ„ et ignis duo sunt sed cohareÌ„t in vno lamâ—adâ—o Make your 〈◊〉 sure by good workes In facto noÌ„ pto facto able to maintaine theyr doctrine of Good-workes in the act of iustification They would haue vs acknowledge with them that fayth without workes is not sufficient to iustifie but with our sayth say they our works must be coÌ„current Which is a manifest errour and this place conuinceth it True it is that fayth neuer goeth alone but is alwayes accompanied vvith good-works as the heate is neuer separated from the fire but in the act of iustification faith alone must be coÌ„sidered otherwise Christ dyed in vaine Homines meritum quid esse potest 〈◊〉 vt ait vaus hommis desperatio aut vt aâ— alter Dei miseratio For what is mans merrit but as one authour saith mans desperation Or as another saith the mercy of God VVho can say My hart is cleane Can the infant or the tender babe newly drawne from the wombe In no wise they cannot For quis dabit mundum ex immundo semme Of vncleane seede vvhat cleannesse can come Num adult us vt sunt annorum sic vitiorum incrementa In youth as yeeres multiply so vices increase Cum omnia feceritis dicite vos esse seruos in vtiles When ye haue done all you can say ye are vnprofitable seruants Si dixerimus nos volumus respondet Apostolus Deus dat velle si dixerimus nos facimus at vt facimus Deus
the deuils entered into the heard of Swine And then they cry out in a desperate rage Whosoeuer findes me shall sley me Genc 4. 14 Not much different from this is that destinction of the learned wherein they make foure degrees of a sinner The first in voluntary delectation The second in cōsent The third in fulfilling it by worke The fourth in continuance VVherein whosoeuer is once buried is hardly raised to life againe without earnest prayer vnto God many teares on his owne behalfe And therefore it is said Languor prolixior grauat medicū but languorem breuem praecidit medicus A long vlcerat sore troubles the Phisition but a greene wound is easilie launced It followeth Tut now they are hid from thine eyes This call of Christ in this place was as it were the third Cocke to warne these people to repent The sinner cannot say but he hath been called Herod had a call when Iohn preached vnto him That other Herode had a call when he felt a desire to see Christ What a call had Pilat when he was made to vnderstand the innocencie of Christ And so Ierusalem had a call that a loud call by Christ himselfe preaching vnto them euery day in theyr Temple and working so many miracles before them which made Christ vtter with weeping eyes thys sentence so full of sweet compassion Oh if thou hadst knowne at least in this thy day those things that belong vnto thy peace Now I come to particular application so conclude When we come to our citties townes as Christ came to Ierusalem do cleerelie behold as we cannot chuse but see the manifolde pollutions and sinnes in them committed haue not we cause to take vp a lamentation and to weepe for our Ierusalem of England together with our other Citties and Townes and may not vvee as iustly proclaime with Christ in this place Oh if you had knowne at least now in this your day the things that belong to your peace VVee are as sinfull as euer the men of Ierusalem vvere Nay our sinnes exceede theyrs both in quantitie qualitie number and nature euery way beyonde comparison And may not our eyes then streame foorth teares for that vvee are they that do not knovv nor regarde the day of our visitation These dissolute Iewes liued securely too too much presuming vpon Gods long tolerance and lenitie Besides for that they had the Temple of God amongst them the Arke of his Couenaunt which promised blessing and life for euer-more they waxed the more carelesse mistrusted nothing Yet more then all this they trusted in the strength of their citty in the wise gouernment of theyr sage Senators and in the multitude of theyr horses Chariots But all deceaued them to iustifie the truth of that Scripture Cursed is hee that maketh flesh his arme Yea the Emperour Titus himselfe confessed it had been a thing in humaine reason impossible to ouercome it The Prophet Ieremie confirming the same The Kings of the earth and all the inhabitants of the world would not haue beleeued that the aduersary and the enemy should haue entred into the gates of Ierusalem But theyr false confidence deceiued thē GOD had so disposed that euen at Easter when there came infinite multitudes from all places to Ierusalem to worship the Citty should then be besieged And there were gathered together at one tyme about thirty hundred thousand as Iosephus testifieth In that bloody stratageme so many thousands left theyr liues that it greeued the very enemies that came to take it And it was commaunded by the Emperour vpon view of the dead bodies that so many as remained aliue should not bee slaine but be sold And the residue of the Iewes were had in so vile a reckoning that thirtie of them were valued but at one penny as they valued Christ our Lorde but at thirty siluerlings so God in his iust iudgement prized thirtie of them to be woorth but one siluerling and that to be a coyne of the smallest value Most Writers hold it to be but a farthing And at this day they are accounted the most cōtemptible nation in the world Yea the very name of a Iewe is odious and it is not so much as once mentioned vvithout disdaine And thus was Ierusalem defaced thus were the peculiar people of God become no people the citty that once was Shem the glory of the world nowe become the shame of the world wherein may not bee found one stone vpon a stone because they regarded not to know the day of theyr visitation So it pleased the most iust Iehouah to reuenge that place where our Lord was crucified and where the blood of Gods saints was spilt vpon the ground like water Hence let vs grow wise and learne by Ierusalems fall to stand Let the shrubs tremble when the tall Cedar trees are throwne downe Si hoc fit in viridi quid fiet de arid◠if this were done in the greene tree what shall become of the dry If God spared not Ierusalem because the people thereof knewe not theyr peace shall he spare vs that know not our peace Neuer did so many Prophets cry at once in our streets as at this day they do throghout the whole Land from Dan to Beerseba from Douer to Saint Dauys from Barwicke to the Mount Court Citty and Country but who doth listen to the voyce of the Cryer Neuer was the vvorde more plentifullie taught neuer more contemptuously reckoned neuer more talking of it but neuer lesse walking after it many that can speak well too too fewe that can doe well And so we deferre our conuersion till our confusion ouertake vs like the Iewes in thys place who woulde not beleeue till they smarted for it Well if wee perseuer and runne on the score with him as we doe certainly a Iubilee of yeeres cannot passe ouer vs till our iudgement come For the word is the same now it was then and GOD is the same to day and yesterday and the same for euer Therefore while the kingdome of grace is with vs let vs holde it least in despysing it wee lose a better Paradice than Adam did VVee liue in that age wherein wee may beholde the starre-bright cleerenes of that glory and the fulnesse of that peace which the Kings of the earth the mighty men before vs haue desired to see but might not attaine vnto it all which doth agrauat our sinnes the more for by howe much more plentifully GOD shines among vs in his graces by so much the sorer-will our punishment be For if the Worde when it was spoken by Angels was stedfast and euery transgression and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of reward howe shall vvee escape if vvee neglect so great saluation which was first preached by the Lord him Hebr. 2. selfe and after was confirmed of them that heard him Pyndarus writeth that it was counted a happy Citty on the which it was thought that golde
when he cryed out in greefe anguish of his soule Why doost thou turne away thy face and why forgettest thou my Psalm 30. tribulation And in another place Christ suffered Peter to sinâ—k to be in danger of drowning before he would stretch out his hand to support him As heere hee sent not his Angell to deliuer him forth of prison till the verie night before his execution And when they were past the first and second watch they came to the yron gate which opened vnto them of it owne accord This is a further circumstance of his miraculous deliuerance They passed throgh all the watches and the watch-men neuer perceiued it They came to the yron gate and it opened voluntarily Sencelesse thinges made shewe of pittie when neither King nor people could yeeld compassion The chaynes linkes fell from him before and heere the yron gate giues way to Peter both working out together his deliueraunce These things must admonish vs of the forcible effect of prayer Haec effrinâ—at carceres soluit catenas ferreas aperit portas impetrat liberatores angelos Prayer it is that breaketh the strongest prysons looseth the yron bands openeth the well-barred gates draweth the Angels out of heauen to come to the earth to worke our deliuerance Nowe I knowe of a truth that the Lorde hath sent his Angell and deliuered mee out of the hand of Herod and from all the wayting for of the people of the Iewes Heere is layd downe Peters thankfulnes after his deliuerance Hee acknowledgeth the louing kindnes of the Lorde who had so graciously set him free from the tyrannie of his enemies that thirsted after his blood We must learne by this example to giue thanks for what-soeuer benefits God shall powre vpon vs. For to receiue Gods benefits and not to be thankfull for them is to contemne God in them The Lorde expecteth no retribution at our handes Quis enim dedit ei Who hath giuen vnto him as the Apostle speaketh Yet hee will haue vs to he thankfull that is the speciall dutie that he requireth of vs. Who so offereth me thankes hee honoureth me and to him that ordereth his conuersation aright will I shew the saluation of God If one man doe pleasure or gratifie another there will be an expectancy of thanks at least and shall not the Lorde much rather require the same of vs from whom we receaue our selues our liues and all that we are worth the bread we feede vppon the ground we tread vpon the light wee looke vpon all comes from God and what-soeuer is within vs or without vs all temporall and spirituall graces whereof each one is more worth then a thousand worlds The consideration whereof caused the prophet Dauid to call vpon himselfe others for this thankfulnesse in his Booke of psalmes saying O that mâ—n would praise the goodnes of the Lord and that they woulde tell out the wonders that bee dooth for the chyldren of men Hee calleth all the blessings of GOD Mirabilia Wonders all haue in theÌ„ matter of admiration the rather to stamp in vs an impression of gratitude We haue well waded vnto this thankfulnesse when wee haue learned to say with Dauid and with the like spirit that he did I will make it knowne to the worlde what God hath doone for my soule Psalm 84. All the day long will I be telling of his wonderfull workes Thus haue you briefely heard the summe of thys historie of Peters imprisonment his deliueraunce You haue seene on the one side the people solliciting Herod consenting to the death of Peter They in theyr wicked purposes and the King in his cruell practises conspired his ouerthrow But on the other side the congregation of the faithfull powred forth their important peticions for Peter and these more strong then the yron bands preuailed for his deliuerance Prayer went vp from them and the Angell came downe to him and so was Peter deliuered Herode of his purpose disappointed the Church comforted Gods Name highly magnified Heauens High-way ACTS 16. 30. 31. Syrs what must I doe to be saued And they said Beleeue in the Lorde Iesus and thou shalt be saued and thine houshold THese words consist of question an aunswere The occasion of the question grewe thus noted in the precedent verses When Paule and Sylas had beene imprisoned in the Citty of Philippi for the testimonie of Gods truth and beeing now in the lowest dungeon it pleased the Lorde to worke theyr deliuerance in a miraculous manner as appeareth in the 26. verse For suddainly there came an Earth-quake so that the foundation of the pryson was shaken and anone all the doores opened euery mans bands were loosed and the Iayler beeing striken with a great terror would straight-wayes haue slaine himselfe had not Paule staid his fury Where-vppon after a more sober consideration finding all the prisoners to bee there euery man sure and forth-comming and withall acknowledging the mightie power of God he comes in great humility before Paule and Silas he brought them forth and sayd Syrs what must I doe to bee saued Where we are to note the suddaine and strange yet not so strange as powerful and mighty operation of Gods Spirit in this Iaylor He who euen nowe would haue spoyled himselfe seekes to saue himselfe hee that but now was most desperate is becom deuoute and most desirous to be informed in the way of his saluation So in a moment hee becomes of an heathen man a Christian man as if hee had beene made anewe his affections cleane changed his wicked resolution altered his crueltie turned to Christianitie All thys came vpon him in a moment as vvisedom came vpon Saul when a kingly spirit vvas giuen him Sirs what must I do to be saued Heere it is verified I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And again I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israell Behold the power of God in his effectuall calling of sinners Saul in his greatest rage when hee tyrannized most against Gods Saints was vpon a suddaine made of Saul a persecuter Paule a professour The same powerfull Spirit wrought in the conuersion of Zacheus making him of a publican a zealous Christian So of stones God can and still dooth raise vp chyldren to Abraham as in this place he wrought in thys wicked and cruell saylor nowe to seeke the meanes of his saluation He who ere-whiles had chained others is nowe chayned vp himselfe and by the mighty power of God driuen to seeke releefe at his handes whom before hee despised and shut vp in the basest place of his house Feare made him runne to the Apostles as shame draue Adam to the fig-trees And he who before was lofty and proud disdainfull nowe stoopes downe and humbles himselfe and discouers his ignorance as Adam did his nakednes Sirs what must I doe to be saued It is a voyce of passionate fearefulnesse