vs to keepe vs in his seruice and in his house promising vs euerlasting life Now the Church is his house and this good GOD hath called you my brethren thither and hath receiued you He hath nourished you in it sometime He hath there giuen you the seale of your adoption He hath begun to clothe you with the liuerie of his children and hath fashioned you like to the image of Iesus Christ A great part of your way is past In this your trauaile of childhood you haue passed manie torments If the greatest tormēts come the happie deliuerance approacheth He that shall continue vnto the end Mat. 14.13 shall be saued They that are reuolted and doo reuolt make you to feele in their vnhappines how happie you are to be the children of God elected to eternall life 3. To keep our selues from apostacie and dissimulation For it is vpon this election and so vppon the good pleasure of God that your perseuerance doth depend Acknowledge in it both his infinite mercie supporting you and pardoning you daylie so manie faults and sinnes and also his incomprehensible goodnes leading you as it were by the hand to the inioying of eternall life Abhorre you and detest that miserable yea cursed and vnhappie state of these Apostates that ye may also hate and detest the ambition and the pride the euill conscience the despising and abuse of the gifts of GOD the loue of the world and those other vices which threwe them headlong into ruine And on the contrarie loue search and follow all that which God hath ordained to nourish godlines faith charitie humilitie in vs and other gifts and graces which proceed from the election and are meanes ordained by the prouidence of GOD to guide vs to the happines promised to those which shall continue vnto the end Keepe your selues hereafter from these false Nicodemites who to auoid the crosse will abandon by a sacrilege vntollerable their bodies to idolatrie and so consequentlie to the diuell in reseruing as they say their hearts vnto God Will the most careles husband among them content himselfe if his wife giuing ouer her bodie to whoredome should say vnto him that she keepeth neuerthelesse her heart vnto him 1. Cor. 6.19 Ye are not your owne saith S. Paule yee are bought with a price Then glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which both appertaine vnto God Againe 2. Cor. 7.1 Clense your selues from all filthines both of bodie and spirit finishing your sanctification in the feare of God Perseuer constantlie in the Church which is your mother 4. To vse the holie ministerie that you may bee the heires of the father It sufficeth not to keepe your soules from poyson ye must nourish them that they may liue Rather than we will suffer our bodies to die of hūger wee will sell all to get bread and wee would runne through the fire in such a case to saue it At the least let vs followe those that in the time of famine forsake their Countries to finde foode The soule is more precious than the bodie Ioh. 6.27 And therefore must wee labour more to haue the bread abiding vnto eternall life than for it that perisheth Alwaies thinke with your selues our soules must liue and it is to tempt GOD to desire to liue without foode Therefore wee must seeke foode that wee maye liue Now true it is that to reade and meditate the worde of GOD in the house and to keepe there the familie is a holie exercise and very profitable for the noriture of the soule Col. 3.16 Psa 1.2 Act. 17.11 Deut. 6 Psa 119 Act. 2.42 It is cōmaunded of GOD and such as are negligent in this duetie shewe that they haue no care of the life of their soules yet this doth not suffice Wee must confesse the name of God and call vpon him in the assemblie Wee must heare the sermons 1. Tim. 3.15 and communicate at the holie Sacraments wee must ioyne and keepe our selues vnited with the Church which is the piller and sure ground of trueth and the mother of the children of God This onelie title of mother giuen to the Church Gal. 4.26 teacheth vs that there is no entrance into the life that Iasteth euer except wee bee conceiued in the wombe of this mother that she beare vs and bring vs forth giue vs sucke of her breastes finallie except shee hold and keepe vs vnder her conduct and gouernment vntill being vnclothed of this mortall flesh we be made like vnto the Angels Act. 11.26 In ancient time the faithfull were called disciples For the Church is also called the schoole of Christians wherein according to the infirmitie that is in vs we must be the disciples of Christ all the daies of our life This Church is also often signified by a Temple and the holie ministerie is ordained of GOD to build it Therefore whosoeuer despiseth it 2. Cor. 3.6 cannot be builded in this Temple to be there a liuing stone 1. Tim. 3 15 Heb. 3.6 Ephe. 2.19 2. Cor. 3.8 This Church is the house of God the faithfull his household seruants children Therfore whosoeuer doth not enter and abide in the Church cannot call himselfe the child or household seruant of God The preaching of the Gospel is the ministerie of the holie ghost of life of glory whosoeuer refuseth to heare it hath not the spirit of Christ and consequentlie pertaineth not vnto him Rom. 8.9 so abideth in death and euerlasting shame See how ye must thinke in your selues of the benefite vtilitie yea and the necessitie of the holie ministerie to say with Dauid Psal 84.2 O Lord of hosts how amiable are thy tabernacles My soule desireth greatly yea and longeth after the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh reioyce in the liuing God Blessed are they which dwell in thy house and praise thee continuallie Let the tast and need of this spirituall food cause those that are now depriued of it to say with Dauid Like as the Hart desireth the water brookes so longeth my soule after thee O God My soule is a thirst for God Psal 42.1 yea euen for the liuing God saying Alas when shall I come to appeare before the presence of God When we shal be depriued of our countrie wife husband traffick goods dignities and other thinges pleasant to the flesh let all these bee nothing to vs but let vs say with Dauid I haue asked one thing of the Lord which I will still require that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life Psal 27. to behold the faire beautie of the Lord and carefullie to visite his temple If Dauid a man excellent in faith and all vertue a prophet and as an Angell amongst men confesseth so roundlie and so often the neede that himselfe had to bee in the Temple of the Lord feeling himselfe as it were rauished with a most
by their incredulitie the grace which GOD offereth them should their incredulitie make thee call in doubt the trueth of God and the testimonie of his good will towards thee If some few among these banished not trusting the pardon published by a true and faithfull Prince doo him this dishonor to compt him as a deceiuer or lier acknowledge thou that iustlie and by good right they remaine banished But thou seeing that faithfull Prince Iesus Christ hath sent to pronounce vnto thee a generall pardon and namelie hath giuen thee his letters sealed by the Sacraments commaunding thee to beleeue and promising thee that it shall bee vnto thee according to thy faith Assure thy selfe Matt. 9.29 that his will is that thou shouldest be his child and heire of euerlasting life See how euerie one should assure himselfe by the preaching of the Gospell and the vse of the Sacraments the true markes of the Church that being a member of it he is the child of God and consequentlie an inheritour of his euerlasting kingdome True it is that faith is the gift of GOD yea proceeding from the operation of the mightie power of his strength Phili. 1.29 Ephe. 1.19 as S. Paule speaketh And this is it which he maketh vs to feele in this difficultie of apprehēding by an assured faith so manie so cleare and so certaine testimonies of his good will towards vs touching our adoption It is therefore needfull that he worke farther with vs by his holie spirit which without ceasing asking of him in the name of Iesus Christ we are assured by his promise that he will giue vs and that so ioyning with the power and efficacie of his spirit the preaching of his Gospell and the vse of the Sacraments he will giue vs grace to applie vnto our selues by a true and liuelie faith the testimonies which he hath giuen vs of our adoption to our saluation and euerlasting life How although the markes of our adoption bee in vs but small and feeble yet wee ought and may assure our selues that we are the children of God CAP. 4. I See well will some say that I haue iust matter to beleeue it therefore am I the more sory that I feele not faith in my self to assure me without doubt that I am the child of GOD which thing troubleth mee greatly so as I feare least by this mine incredulitie I reiect the grace of God But vnderstand I pray thee for thy comfort that there is great difference betweene vnfaithfulnes and weaknes of faith The vnfaithfull man or infidell careth not for his saluation or The first temptation proceeding of the small feeling of our faith reiecting the saluation which is in Iesus Christ alone seeketh saluation other where Contrariwise the faithful desire saluation he knoweth that his saluation is in Iesus Christ alone he seeketh it in him and feeleth a desire to increase in assurance that he hath saluatiō in Iesus Christ though he doo not yet feele this peace ioy in the holie Ghost so manifestlie as faith bringeth it forth at the last Also it is not written he that feeleth but hee that beleeueth hath euerlasting life Iho. 3.36 Heb. 11.1 Rom. 8.23 And indeed as faith is of things that are not seene so the vnderstanding of it consisteth more in certaintie than in apprehensiō In this complaint of Dauid yea and of Christ himselfe My God my God why hast thou forsakē me Psal 22.1 Mat. 27.46 We heare the testimonie of faith by these wordes my God my God but without apprehēsion or feeling of fauour or ioy as this complaint why hast thou forsakē me sheweth Also our faith may bee so small and weake as it doth not yet bring forth fruites that may be liuelie felt of vs. But if such as feele themselues in such estate desire to haue these feelings if they aske them of God by praier This desire and praier are testimonies that the spirit of God is in them and that they haue faith alreadie For is such a desire a fruite of the flesh or of the spirit It is of the holie spirit who bringeth it forth onlie in such as he dwelleth in He dwelleth then in them In like manner is not this praier the worke of the holy ghost in thē For it is the holy ghost saith S. Paule which praieth for vs Rom. 8.25 and in vs with grones that cannot be expressed Againe none can come to God by praiers if he haue no trust in him Then these holie desires and praiers being the motions of the holie ghost in vs are testimonies of our faith although they seeme to vs small and weake As the woman that feeleth the mooning of a child in her wombe though verie weake beleeueth and assureth her selfe that she is with child and that she goeth with a liue child so if we haue these motiōs these holie affections and desires before mentioned let vs not doubt but that wee haue the holie ghost who is the author of them dwelling in vs and consequentlie that wee haue also faith And we must vnderstand that the faith of the children of God ceaseth not to bee a true faith although they feele doubts feares mistrusts For if they delight not in such infirmities Rom. 7. to nourish them but are sorrowfull and resist them with desire to feele their saluation in Iesus Christ behold a battaile in them and betweene whom Betweene the spirit and the flesh betweene faith and mistrust There is then in them faith assailed with doubts and the spirit fighting against mistrust and labouring to ouercome it These doubts mistrustings and incredulities are the fierie darts which Satan throweth against our faith the which bearing the blowes as a buckler as S. Paule saith thrusteth them back and quencheth them so as they pearce not to the heart Eph. 6.16 What deuises or assaults soeuer the diuel make against vs faith S. Augustine so he occupie not the place of the heart where faith dwelleth he is driuen backe Incredulitie then assaulteth vs without but woundeth vs not deadlie It troubleth onlie or so woundeth as the stroake is yet curable And such temptations and assaults are common to the most faithfull excellent seruants of God If wee consider the continuall course of the life of Dauid there is no mirrour of faith better to bee noted than in him And yet was not he assaulted with great feares and doubts What cōplaint maketh he in the 77. Psalm Hath the Lord forsaken for euer Psal 77.8 9 10 11 vers will he no more shewe me fauour Is his mercie cleane gone for euer Is his promise come to an ende for euermore Hath God forgotten to bee gracious Hath he shut vp his louing kindnes in displeasure And to conclude he holdeth such a course as a man desperate saying This is my death Where was then in Dauid the feeling of his faith For al this he had not lost it And indeed all these words were
vs that according to the loue that he beareth vs and according to his infinite wisedome hee will dispose nothing of vs which shall not be to his glorie and to our benefite and saluation It is well knowne that fathers mothers take no pleasure to afflict their children and to make them to weepe And although they haue power to beate them to appoynt them their diet and to put them abroad either to schoole or to serue some other yet when they doo this men doo not onlie confesse that they haue authoritie so to do but also euerie one beleeueth that it is for the benefite of the children whose duetie also it is to like well of it and to render vnto them willing obedience Now properlie God onlie is our father Mat. 23.9 as Iesus Christ saith Call ye no man father vppon the earth ye haue but one father which is in heauen What iniurie then doo we to this onlie true father that we being afflicted by his hand after what manner soeuer doo not sanctifie his name conforming our selues to his will thinking and confessing that all proceedeth from his goodnes and loue to his glorie and our benefite and saluation See how in the schoole of affliction we learne what it is properlie to obey God and that is verie necessarie for vs. Heb. 5.8 For if Iesus Christ being the sonne notwithstanding learned obedience by the things which he suffered how much more had wee neede to learne to submit our hearts and our neckes by afflictions to the guiding of our God as children yeelding themselues peaceablie to the gouernment of their father saying with Iob The Lord hath giuen the Lord hath takē his name be blessed Iob. 1.21 And with Dauid persecuted of Absalom If God say to me 2. Sam. 15.16 thou pleasest me not behold I am here let him do vnto me whatsoeuer pleaseth him And beeing readie to sacrifice our owne children with our owne hands vnto God when he shall commaund vs as Abraham did in olde time Gen. 22. To bee short in following GOD as the old prouerbe is in what condition or estate soeuer it shall please him to call vs. If then afflictions serue Sen. de Gita beata cap. 15. to awake vs out of sinne to humble vs to correct the infinite corruptions that are in vs to pull vs from the world to cleaue vnto God to draw our harts from the earth to lift them vp to heauen to fashion vs in the obedience of GOD to giue vs increase in patience and faith To be short to make vs so much the more feruently to pray vnto God it resteth that wee conclude that indeede they proceed from the loue of God toward vs of the care that he hath of our saluation and so that in afflicting vs he sheweth himselfe indeed our father as the Apostle to the Hebrues doth also teach vs saying Heb. 12.6 That God chastiseth those whom he loueth and correcteth euery child whom he receiueth If you indure saith he chastisement God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto his childrē For what child is it whom the father doth not chastise Then if ye be not vnder chastisement whereof all are partakers yee are bastards and not sonnes Rods then are testimonies that he accōpteth vs his lawfull children and not bastards And nature it selfe teacheth it vs. For if wee see two children striue together and a man comming by taketh the one of them and beateth him leauing the other we will iudge by and by that this man is the father of him that he did beate and that the other appertained not vnto him And this is it that S. Peter meaneth saying that iudgement beginneth at the house of God 1. Pet. 4.17 shewing that they are his children and household seruants which are afflicted in this life The which thing a good auncient father did thinke and well expresse calling his afflictions Grego Nazian bitter arrowes shot from a sweet and amiable hand Therefore as when we see the Carpenters strike with their hatchets vpon pieces of wood to pare it or plane it and Masons to polish stones with the strokes of an hammer wee gather that these are stones and timber which the master would imploy to some building Euen so let vs conclude of our selues that if God lift vp vpon vs the hatchets and hammers of afflictions to polish vs It is a manifest and sure testimonie that he hath chosen vs to put in the building of his temple And that so we are his children both welbeloued and happie But let vs passe to another consideration of singular comfort Of the afflictions for the name of Christ and of their fruites CHAP. 10. TRue it is that God being iust doth neuer afflict vs vniustlie which thing we ought alwais to think and confesse to humble our selues and to giue glorie vnto God Neuerthelesse GOD doth not alwaies take occasion of our sinnes to punish vs but often times hee sheweth this fauour to his children to dispose that the cause and title of their afflictions should bee honorable calling them persecutions and sufferings for righteousnes sake Matt. 5.10 Mar. 10.29 Col. 1.24 Matth. 5.11 Rom. 8.35 What are the afflictions for Christ for the Gospell for the Church for the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and for the loue of GOD. And this commeth when we are persecuted of men because wee will not approue iniquitie or false doctrine nor defile our selues with idolatries and superstitiōs but serue God purelie and holilie according to his word To be short when we will liue in the feare of God in Iesus Christ as Saint Paule speaketh 2. Tim. 3.12 who speaking of these afflictions saith Phil. 1.29 To you it is giuen of God not onlie to beleeue but also to suffer for his name They that suffer for Christ are happie wherein he sheweth that such afflictions are the gifts of GOD proceeding from good will loue towards vs And see why Iesus Christ said Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnes sake 1 By the testimonie of the word of the God Mat. 5.10 Also Blessed are you when men shall reuile you and persecute you speak all manner of euill against you lying of you for my sake reioyce ye and be glad Wherevnto Saint Peter agreeth 1. Pet. 4.14 saying If ye suffer wrong for the name of Iesus Christ ye are happie Now if we haue no other foundation than the onelie testimonie of Iesus Christ to assure vs that being persecuted for his name God loueth vs and will make vs blessed were it not an vntollerable impudencie for the diuell and an incredulitie inexcusable for vs to call that in doubt which he who is the trueth it selfe doth affirme Notwithstanding to the end that we may the more liuelie feele this felicitie than when wee are persecuted for his name let vs consider the reasons which the holie ghost giueth vs. First when Iesus
serue these registers They shal be laid before not onely the persecutours to make thē feele so much the more horrible iudgement and vengeance but especially before vs to make vs feele an incomprehensible increase of glorie and of ioy in shewing vs what we haue suffered for his name and in accepting vs before his Angels But let vs now consider how our afflictions are of small cōtinuance 2. Because of the eternitie and passing away as in a moment in respect of the weight of the eternall glorie which they bring And first let vs say boldly that our troubles are short because our daies are short that the glorie is of long continuaunce because there shall be no ende of it But for the better vnderstāding of the shortnes of our afflictions we must consider according to the instruction of S. Paul 2. Co. 4.18 the things inuisible that are eternal For in respect of them wee shall finde that the visible things which concerne this life are temporall that is to say during a little time The Patriarch Iacob being demaunded of Pharao of his age he answered that the yeres of his pilgrimage had been few and euill Gen. 47.9 And how were they few seeing he had liued 130. yeres surely in comparison or 8. or 900. yeres which his forefathers had liued as also he addeth that his yeres had not attained to the yeres of his fathers How then are not our daies short not comming at the most but to 70. or 80. yeres that in those that haue the strōgest or mightiest bodies Psa 90.10 as the song of Moses importeth God speaking of the captiuitie of Babylon which cōtinued 70. yeres saith thus Esai 54.8 I haue for a little while as in a moment of mine indignation hid my face from thee How 70. yeares are they a little time is that but a moment of indignation yea in respect of the comforts and euerlasting happinesse which he would communicate to his people as he addeth That he would haue compassion on them with euerlasting mercie This also is the cause why S. John calleth the time folowing Christs comming in the flesh 1. Ioh. 2.18 the last houre as if he wold diuide the cōtinuāce of the world into 3. or 4. hours wherof the last shuld be after this cōming of Iesus Christ vntil the end of the world so this last hour should now haue cōtinued 1587. yeres and these 1587. yeres should not be yet a whole houre finished This seemeth strange to vs. But let vs set before vs 2. eternities of times that which was before the foundation of the world that is an infinite time if a man may cal that time and a swalowing vp of the vnderstanding of man and the eternitie of time which shal be after the ende of the world and behold againe an incompreheusible infinitenes of time Now let vs consider the continuance of the world betweene these two eternities When it shall continue 7.8 or 9000. yeares this should not be in respect of these 2. eternities 2. or 3. houres no not one houre it should bee yet lesse than one graine in respect of all the sand in the world for as touching the sand the nūber is finite but in eternitie there is no end And here vnto tendeth that which S. Peter sayth 1. Pet. 3.8 That before God 1000. yeres are but as one day and a day as 1000. yeres forasmuch as before the eternitie of GOD there is no numbring of time for there is no time at all According vnto this Moses saith Psal 90.4 that 1000. yeres before god are as a day that is past If then 1000. yeres are but as a day past or an houre 60. or 80. yeres are but as one minute of time so the longest continuance of our afflictions should be but one minute yet there are some that accomplish not that And when doo we begin this minute of tribulations seeing that a great part of our life passeth before we suffer anie thing for the name of Christ yet there is some intermission in them if it were but in sleeping Then we doo now see how true it is that S. Paule saith that our afflictions passe in a moment And what is that which this moment of afflictions bringeth vs An eternal waight saith he of glorie as wee haue largely shewed here before In the first chapter And in deede there shall be no ende saith the Angell of the kingdome of Christ And wee are the house of Jacob Luk. 1.33 ouer whom he shal raign for euermore 1. The 4.17 And S. Paul saith that being risen againe and ascended into heauen we shal be with Iesus Christ euerlastingly Ioh. 3. 6. For whosoeuer beleeueth in him hath euerlasting life If God for the full measure of our felicitie shal be all in al when we haue him in vs 1. Co. 13.25 who is eternall and immortal we shall enioy a glorious immortalitie as also S. Paul saith That hee hath brought to light life and immortalitie by the gospel To be short S. Matthew hauing set forth vnto vs the last iudgement saith Mat. 25.46 That the sheepe that shall bee at the right hand of Iesus Christ shall goe into euerlasting life Euen so when he promiseth vs a perfect ioy headdeth Ioh. 16.22 that it shal neuer be takē from vs. Now what comparison is there betweene one moment of affliction a glorie a life and a ioy that shal last eternallie and without end Then when we thinke that our crosse is long heauie to beare let vs set before vs the excellencie and the eternitie of the incomprehensible glorie wherunto we ascend by it whereof also wee feele the earnest pennie beginnings in our hearts waiting for the full feeling and thorow enioying of this felicitie when we shall be lifed vp and put in possession of the kingdome of heauen Now this reward is certaine and assured to al those which shall suffer for the name of Iesus Christ Such afflictions then are seales of the loue of God towards vs testimonies that he taketh vs into the number of his best beloued children and that he will make vs indeed euerlastingly happie Other fruites of the afflictions for the name of Iesus Christ CHAP. 11. BEsides these 1. Fruit honor to be a Martyr of Christ both excelent eternal good things which the sufferings for the name of Iesus Christ doth bring vs there is yet the honor that he doth vs to bring vs foorth to be witnesses of his truth In regard whereof although all they that preach the Gospell are called witnesses of Iesus Christ yet this title of Martyr or witnes is after a more particular maner and by excellencie attributed vnto such as to maintaine the truth of the doctrine of the Gospell suffer constantlie persecution and especially vnto death So we read that S. Paule gaue to S. Stephen this title of