not fruitles as our aduersaries make report but like a good tree it must bring forth the fruites of integritie and righteousnes of life For euen as fyre burneth cannot be without heate no more then the sunne without his light euen so is it impossible for a true faith to be without good workes which although they do not iustifie vs before God yet are they to bee done that our obedience of faith may thereby be discerned which may bee seene whilest wee walke in the lawe of God. When Moses was ready to take his leaue of the Israelites howe earnestly he required of them obedience to the law of god it is most manyfest throughout the whole booke of Deutero When Samuel had appointed that Iewes a king how sweetely doth hee moue them to the obedience of the law Whē Dauid would publish and sing the praises of God how vehementlye doth he coūsel the Iewes to heare the voyce of God and not to harden their hearts as in the deserte When the Prophets would haue the people to turne to the Lorde that his wrath might bee turned from them their chief persuasion resteth herin that they would testify their faith not by the multitude of sacrifices but by obeying the worde of god This obedience our Sauiour Christ requireth of his disciples if they loue him to keepe his cōmandements this is the same which the Apostle Paul calleth the obedience of faith to the end after we bee iustified wee might expresse the same by our obedience to the law of God and therefore in al his epistles after the treatise of iustification he cōmandeth the fruits of newnes of life whereby dearly beloued wee are to learne how fruitfull our obedience ought to be in good workes for so much as our faith is made manifest therby god is glorified and our brethren profited hee hath made vs a peculiar people vnto him self that we shuld be folowers of good workes wee must therefore liue holily soberly righteously in this presēt world he hath redeemed vs frō the hands of our enemies that we should serue him in holines righteousnes for euer He hath giuen vs heauenlye graces many and endued vs with his holye spirit therefore must the bodie dye to sinne the spirite liue for righteousnes sake He is holye who hath called vs therfore must we be holy in al our conuersation Let vs therefore deare brethren shew forth our obedience in newnes of life and make strong our election and calling by our good workes and our labour shal not be in vaine in the Lord. Wee make great boastes and crakes that wee be Christians let the same be proued true or false by our liues for not euery one that sayth Lord Lorde shall enter into the kingdom of heauen but he that doth the will of God neither is euery one brother or sister to Christ but onely those which heare and keepe his word this is the fruite of our obedience and righteousnes towardes God. If we couet to be blessed and haue good successe we must needs beginne at this obedience of our faith Yf we will haue the Lord to be our God and wee our selues to be his people then must we humble our selues to obey his word yf we wil be counted the friendes of Christ then must we do whatsoeuer he hath commāded vs Yf we will bee purified by faith in heart we must begin to obey the trueth Yf we wil be safely armed against spiritual wickednes we must hold fast the word of god finally if we couet to be saued we may not bee ashamed of the Gospell but in all meeknes receiue the same for it is able to saue our soules We say with the Israelites to Moses that wee will obserue the law But oh that there were such an heart in vs to feare the Lorde and to keepe his commandementes alway that it might go well with vs and with our children for euer Wherefore as obediēce is better then sacrifice so let this be our wisdome with Noe to declare and shew forth our faith by our obedience vnto the word of God. Besides al this the obedience of righteous Noe more plainely did appeare in that he did not folowe his owne purpose and deuise but the appointment of God in this making of the arke for he made it in length in breadth and height in all other partes accordinglye as he was commanded This is the wisedome of God who will not haue his Church builded accordīg to mannes deuise but by the direction of his worde When Moses was commanded to build the tabernacle he was straightly charged to do it according to the paterne shewed vnto him in the mounte When the Israelites were instructed how to serue God when they came into the land of promise they were forbidden to serue him after the maner of the Canaanites and onely to worship him according to his lawe without either turning to the right hand or to the left When the Iewes returned out of captiuitie and repaired the ruines of the temple at Ierusalem they reedified it according to the former building made by Salomō Whē our sauiour Christ builded the spirituall arke temple of his church he layed no other foundation but him selfe who was the rocke against the which the gates of hel should not preuaile For finishing wherof in the gathering together of the saintes he charged the Apostles straitly but to speake what he had taught them This ought to be our speciall care in building and reformation of religion not to do what we thinke good but as the Israelites before they tooke any thing in hand asked counsell of God so must we in all our wayes be ruled by his word which is the way for vs to walke in which the holy ghost hath written that wee might beleue in beleeuing might haue life Wherefore whosoeuer bringeth any other Gospel though it were an angell from heauen let him be accursed neither let vs receiue him into our houses neither bid him God speed Now then if this be the wisedom of God which Noe folowed when he would not build but as he was appointed which Moses the Iewes our sauiour Christ and the apostles haue obserued what kinde of building may that be which standeth onely vpon mens deuises vaine imaginations such as is the whole religion of Antichrist Surelye it is like the religion of the false prophets which sewed pillowes vnder the elbowes of the Iewes in flattring them in their sinnes whilest they dawbed walled their building with vntempered morter Or it is like the house builded vpō the sand which because of the weake fūdation can not well endure Or it is like the straw and stubble which is laid vpon the good fundation which at the fierie triall of
sathan and the spirituall powers of wickednesse aboue our bodily reache when wee walke through the middest of many false brethrē and by these aduersaries of the trueth be reproched slandered reuiled and persecuted also weakened through our owne infirmities let this bee our hope and comfort that wee bee within the Arke and once the ioyful day wil come when God shall wipe away all sorowes from our eyes and crowne vs with glory and worship And therefore whilest we be within the Arke let vs not despaire for trouble and aduersitie for God is faythfull who hath promised And thus much of the first effect of the Arke The seconde effect it had was touching the wicked for the scripture saith Whereby he condemned the worlde Whilest Noe and his family dearely beloued were lōg exercised in the making of the Arke and thereby obeyed the cōmandement of God they did condemne the stubbernes of the wicked which refused to do the same and to be warned and so tooke away al excuses from them so that as the Arke was for the safetie of Noe so was it likewise a cōdemnation for the wicked This is deare brethren the nature of the admonitions and warnings of God which for the most part haue a double effect for to the godly which beleeue the same they are the sauour of life to life but to the wicked which refuse the same they are the taste of death vnto destruction For as the redde sea was a safe passage for the Israelites comming out of Egypt and a drowning to the Egyptians And as the fire of Babylon hurt not the three childrē cast into the Ouen but yet burnt the ministers which cast them in And as the Lyons saued Daniel aliue but quickly did deuoure his accusers euen so is the nature of the word of god Wherefore it is cōpared to the fire which melteth waxe and hardeneth clay and to the trumpe in battell which encourageth some discourageth other some And as the rayn comming down frō heauen returneth not thither againe but maketh the earth fruitfull euen so shall the woorde of God accomplish euery where whatsoeuer his will is And therefore as it is a condemnation to the wicked so is it the power of God vnto saluatiō to all those which beleeue the same Let vs therfore submit our selues all our cogitations to the same least in refusing it we be condemned thereby and all excuse taken from vs. But it fareth with this generation whereof fewe embrace the trueth and liue therafter as it did with the worlde in the dayes of Noe. For as then they were disobedient to Noe and contemned the preaching of righteousnes so nowe many good Noes preache the woorde sincerely but alas it falleth into the heartes of many but as good seed into euill groūd and therefore eyther bringeth forth litle or els no fruite at al the contempt whereof was then and so is nowe the cause of manye plagues What banished Adam out of Paradise brought so many woes vpon him all his posteritie but the contempt of Gods worde what ouerthrewe the Israelites in the wildernesse plagued their posteritie in the lande of Canaan so often but the contempt hereof what lost Saul the fauour of God and the scepter of his kingdome or what led Israel and Iuda into captiuitie but the contempt of this what helde the Iewes frō the heauēly supper graces of God what depriued them of the dignitie of the childrē benefite of the kingdome but the contempt of this what should I speake of the manifolde plagues of God powred vpon this realme of England nations rounde about vs for the contempt of his worde And then how happeneth it that we still loath the same as the Israelites did Manna in the wildernes or is it that we would be in the spiritual Egypt of filthie papistrie againe and so depriue our selues of the land of rest But as in Noe his time all fleshe euen all degrees were sore corrupted so is it nowe most lamentable to beholde all fleshe is gone astray and iniquitie ripe on euery side Looke into the heads high estates of al sorts who shuld haue knowledge bee lightes for others euen these as the Prophet saith haue broken the yoke burst the bonds asunder Where should be zeale and true religion Where shoulde be godlinesse and innocencie of life but chiefly in these but doe we not see many of them eyther professed papistes or manifest dissemblers Where should the ministerie be relieued and vpholdē but by these and do not diuers o◠them make spoyle hauocke of the Church goodes to cloath and feede them selues and starue the poore Where shoulde the good and godly lawes of Englande be better executed but by these They doe not make they marre and breake the lawes And if there bee some godly statutes made it is to true in some which the Oratour sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Manie lawes we make but wee litle regard or keepe them And as the Poet saith Auro venalia iura Why are the lawes like spyders webs to let the waspe escape and to torment the flye If gentlemē offend as their hands are ryfest in transgression they haue their purse courtly friendes they shall escape vnpunished But aye the poore goes by the walles What els is this but euen to make and sel the lawes I neede not speake of brybing and insatiable officers who rather seeke for gaine then for maintaining of the trueth who make the poore their praye and spoyle But this I saye as sometimes an ancient king hath said Saepè boni iudices habent malos vicarios quorum reatibus ipsi domini constringuntur si non eos coërceant à rapacitate cohibeant that is Oftentimes good magistrates haue euill vicegerentes or vnder officers with whose offences the heades them selues are chayned if they stay them not and refraine them from greedines And what may we rightly iudge to bee the cause of these offences but euen the neglect of the woorde of God which should teache vs to doe aright and to flee from euill And as the contempt in this degree is horrible so woulde I wishe it spreade no further then should our ministerie be the freer from offence and our gospel haue the better speede But it is herein as Ieremie said The priests say not Where is the Lord and they that should minister the law know not the Lorde the pastours haue offended against him the Prophets prophesie in Baal and goe after things which do not profit Our ministerie is fowly to saye the trueth corrupted for whilest ignorant ministers and dombe dogges more like to Ieroboams priests and sacrificing massemongers haue cure charge of soule while tagge ragge may bee admitted to this function whilest gentlemen may haue the profits of the flocke and
hire Sir Iohn Lackelatine to sing or say the seruice howe shall the Gospell haue good successe whilest Church to Church is ioyned and non residencies borne withall and well liked what can go forewarde in the building of the Lorde where preaching is but once a quarter I say not where it is seldome or neuer which I might or once a moneth which some thinke more thē needes if it be eche Saboth it is counted a worke of supererogation how can the people be reclaimed from their vanities or kept within the fold in dew obedience Go to what springes of such contempt in these estates euen effusion of all ryot and running into sinne of the inferiour sort For as the wall within and eke without is made of squared stones betweene the which the lesse stones are contained to make the building vp euē so the minister within the Churche the Magistrate in the common weale should support and vpholde the meaner sort in dewe obedience If then the squared stones within or els with out fall downe the lesse can neuer long endure because they lacke their stay And of cōtempt in these degrees it comes to passe that lacke of discipline good liuing is the cause of many sinnes both in the Church and commō weale Neither woulde I haue this forgotten that whilest ecclesiasticall officers may for money dispense with offendours and also vayne pitie in the common weale maye shadowe iniquities the Churche can not go well Surely Surely it is with Englande as the Prophet Osee saide it was with Israel The Lord hath a controuersie with the people of the land because there is no mercy no truth no knowledge of God in the land But by swearing lying killing stealing and whoring men break out and blood toucheth blood therfore shal the land mourne c. How ripe the sinnes of England be for the sickle of Gods vēgeance euerye Christian eye can testifie And yet for all this we are fast a sleepe with the carelesse world in the time of Noe. We eat drinke we marie giue to mariage most like vntill the flood shall take vs hence wee lye vpon our soft couches and put away the euill day farre frō vs we blesse our selues when wee heare the threatnings of the Lord and curses of his law and say We shall feele none euill we are drunken with foolish Nabal vntill Abigail bring vs word that we must dye We spoyle and make our selues merie with the goods of other men as the Amalekites did in Ziklag vntill Dauid Gods scourge come vpon vs to wounde vs to death and make a reskewe We drinke with Balthasar in bowles vntill the Medes take away our kingdome we enriche our selues also enlarge our barnes and laye vp treasure in store for many yeres and yet this present night our soule must be taken away and then who shal possesse our substance we waste and spoyle our masters goodes liue vnmindfull of our duetie vntill we be called to render an accompt of our stewardshippe we sleepe full harde with the foolish virgins and our lampes quite put out till that the bridegrome be gone in and the doore fast locked that we can not enter We sit like the proud strumpet Babylon feede our selues with folly that we shall feele no sorowe nor widowhead yet al sorows shal sodainly come vpon vs Finally we say Peace peace all things quiet euen when the end is at hand Nay rather let vs watche pray and haue our lampes of righteousnes burning that we may enter into rest with the bridegrome at his comming leaue betimes our great securitie least we perish with the wicked It is reported of Tamberlane the king of the Parthians who tearmed himselfe Iram dei orbis vastitatem to haue set vp three seueral dais three seueral kinds of tents wherof the first was white betokening mercie if his enemies would that day yeeld the secōd day the tēts were red betokenīg the bloodshed of the rulers the thirde was black signifying the burning and destruction of the citie neyther was there hope of mercie when the white tents were takē down although they humbled themselues with lawrell Let vs goe foorth with lawrell braunches in this our time and day of grace for it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God who is a consuming fire let vs be admonished by the woorde of trueth or els the same will condemne vs with the wicked But the time is past I haue wearied you to much I wil therfore note one worde or two of the last wordes and so make an ende He was made the heire of righteousnes which is according to fayth This is nowe the acceptation reward of Noe his faith who first was receiued into fauour by beleeuing the promise of God and thereby had God a mercifull father Of whō this his obedience was accepted not for anye the worthines of flesh blood which was none but by the free grace of God accepting in good worth what he did For when faith beleueth the promises of God concerning saluation apprehendeth the adoption of the children then foloweth the inheritaunce of our righteousnesse for that we being by fayth the children of God are heires euen felowe heires with Christ of his kingdome For after we beleeue we are sealed with the spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance vntill the redemption of the possession purchased vnto the praise of his glorie This is that which the Apostle saith that wee being iustified by the grace of God should be made heires according to the hope of euerlasting life And for this cause is Christ the mediatour of the newe Testament that through death which was for the redemption of the transgressions which were in the former Testamēt they which were called might receiue the promise of the eternal inheritāce Blessed be God therefore let vs all say euen the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his aboundant mercie hath begotten vs againe vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance immortal and vndefiled reserued in heauen for vs. This inheritance of righteousnes Abraham behelde with the eyes of fayth whē he forsooke his owne countrey looking for a better and euerlasting in heauen reioycing in spirite to see the day of Christ the Messias This inheritance Dauid longed after when like as the Harte desired the water brookes euen so his soule longed after the Lorde hoping to see the goodnesse of the Lorde in the lande of the liuing This inheritance the Apostles beleeued to haue when they confessed Christ to bee the Sonne of God and to haue the woordes of Eternall life This inheritance the Saints in the reuelatiō cast their eyes vpon when with patience they endured the tormentes