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
loose and dissoluâ—â— carelesnes of those licentious libertines I cannot call them men but rather 〈◊〉 of men who hauing Christ preached vnto them at theyr doores within the walls of theyr Citties and townes vvill not 〈◊〉 to it dishonoring in a gracelesse im 〈◊〉 the Spâ—â—it of grace and despising as much as in them lyeth both Christ and the Ministers of his Gospell Such are worse then the vnbeleeuing Iewes for they hearde Christ euery Sabbath nay they are worse then Herod for he desired to see Christ and to heare him But leaue we them to theyr dissolute resolutions let them remaine while they list in the darknes of Egypt But let vs holde Goshen the comfortable light whereof will direct vs in our passage as the clowdy piller did the Israelites through the wildernes or as the starre did these Wise men When this stifnecked generation shall stumble at the truth and erre from it like the Sodomites groping for the doore of Lots house Gene 19. when they were striken with blindnes Where the Spirit of GOD is there is a longing and a thirsting and a burning desire of the word But sure there can be no grace where there is no liking of godlines I exhort you then and beseech you beloued in the Lord euen in the bowels of Iesus Christ who will one day call you to a reckoning for your single-soale seruice of him labour to heare the word trauell to it desire it in a burning affection If you haue any grace of Gods Spirit any measure of santiâ—ycation proceede and grow more and more in the liuely fayth of Christ Iesus Cast away all your cares of this world and labour onely to haue that sauing knowledge which God hath reuealed in his wâ—â—d This one thing is necessarie and it will supply all your wants You are not yet the seruâ—unts of Christ till this desire of the VVord be planted in you They that carry not an hungry appetite to the Wordâ— let them be for honour and dignitie how excellent so euer for vvealth and riches how potent soeuer for friendes and followers howe mighty soeuer yet are they but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 that are full of 〈◊〉 and puâ—rifyed â—ones Because the comfort of the word is sequestred from theyr soules which alone can magnifie them Without the Word nothing can make vs happy and hauing it nothing can make vs miserable It is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that â—eedes vs to 〈◊〉 life â—â— is the pearle for which the wiâ—e Merchant would giue all that euer â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the 〈◊〉 of Dauid which openeth and no man 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 no man openeth it is the onely eye-salue where-with our eyes being annoynted can not chuse but cleerely behold Christ Name the Word and thou hast named all things it is all â—â— all and contayneth all the blessings of Gods â—â—ore-house which are for number so many and for value so great that no man can know them but hee that hath them like the stone in the Reuelation that white stone with a newe Name grauen in it which no man knoweth sauing he that receaueth it These wise men câ—me 〈◊〉 from the East to Ierusalem Thinges of high prise and of necessary vse if they be not neer vs must be sought farre of where they are to be had And we must spare no paynes nor cost in procuring them Coâ—elius sent to loppa for Peter to informe him in the way of righteousnes Dauid longing for the returne of the Arke went brought it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The 〈◊〉 longing to see his prodâ—gall sonne ranne to meete him a great way of and kissed him 〈◊〉 sent to 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and heere these Wise-men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 East to Beth-leem to seeke out Christ Dauids Lord. Another note woorthy the obseruation comes to be considered in these Wise men These wise men did not cast the perrill and lets that might happen in theyr iourney The Gentiles might not conuerse vvith the Iewes â—or they were enemies one to the other Yet these enemies through vvhose country they were to passe did not assâ—ight them the dangers subiect to their iourney did not disquiet them the tediousnes of the way did not terrifie them nothing coulde stay them from theyr intended enterprise Their ioâ—fulnesse to see Christ tooke away all worldly carefulnes Our practise should be like theyrs No busines of thys liâ—e should withdraw vs from Christ VVhen they came to Ierusalem they found Herod snaring them all the Citty in an vproaâ—e King and people and all were mooued So when we come to Christ â—e shâ—l â—ind an Herod without vs and an Idolâ—â—â—â—call Ierusalem within vs Tyrants with ouâ— and 〈◊〉 within many lets nets and â—â—ny snates to â—â—â—â—p vs. Put we must respect neither Herod nor Ierâ—salem but still holde on our viage to Bethleem the place where Christ lodgeth In all ages there wil be satans instruments like so many Lyons in the passages to stop the children of God in their good courses And now with vs there are many Herods many like Herod and Archelaus to cut the throate of Religion as hee sought the lyfe of Christ in the blood of the innocents But yet must we goe forwards like these Wise men we must not feare them that kill the body rather â—eare him that can cast both body and soule into hell fiâ—e Stronger is he that is with vs than whole legions of enemies that band themselues with them against God Let them â—aile and perâ—ecute neuer so much like Zeâ—â— cheâ—â—b and Rab-shakeh yet GOD will put an hooke in theyr nostrils and they shall not preuayle No more than the stoode preuaâ—led which was cast out of the mouth of the Dragon in the Reuelation against the woman tâ—â—t sled to the wildernes We haue seene his starre Heere comes to be considered how they knew he was borne The staâ—â—e gaue them knowledge and was theyr guide in 〈◊〉 iourney neuer leauing them till they came to Beth-leem S. Austin saith that at the birth of Christ a new starre appeared A blazing Comet that neuer shewed it selfe before and at his death the Sunne greater then the greatest starre was obscured At this bvrth infants were murdered and at his death they were crowned At his byrth hell was more conquered and his enemies more troubled Eusebius saith that at the bâ—â—th of Christ there happened to breake vp on a sudden a goodly Spring that ranne with oyle the space of one day And at the same time in Romea circle was seene about the Sunne no lesse cleere then the Sunne And that vvhen the imperiall Crowne was brought by the Senate to Octâ—uius Augustus he refused it saving that a greater Prince then himselfe was nowe borne to whom all the crownes and kingdoms in the world did belong A famous Temple at the same time rent in sâ—nder in the dedication whereof when the Oracle was demaunded howe long the same should continue answer was giuen it should remaine till a Virgine should bring foorth a
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