downe to the grounde and made them returne this aunswere that they neuer hearde man speake as he spake They in this place came to mocke and you sée howe God turneth their mockinges into earnest intreating the Apostles to giue them good counsell Whereby wée learne the truthe of the saying of Salomon that the heartes euen of Kinges are in the handes of the Lord as a boate in the Riuers of water and therefore it is not in man to directe his owne wayes which teacheth vs to pray vnto the Lorde continually that it woulde please his maiestie so to gouerne vs as may beste tende to his glory and the comfort of our owne soules It teacheth vs moreouer that seeing God turneth at his pleasure euill intentes to good purposes that wee must wishe and desire and dayly exhorte al men of what minde soeuer they bée that they haue a care to heare Gods worde for in that they come thoughe their intente be not to learne but to carp and cauell they bée welcome God may caste the nette of his mercy so farre on them that contrary to their purpose they may be wonne into the shéepefolde of Christe Iesus to their endlesse comforte What shall wee doe Béeing grieued with the sight of their sinnes they séeke what to doo to be eased shewing vnto vs an example of the heart truely touched to séeke the way to amend and not as is the manner of hipocriticall repenters to abide in the same sinne and continue without amendment for such as yet did neuer knowe what it is to be pricked in heart with the true sight of sinne Then Peter said The third generall part of the text which containeth the counsell that Peter gaue vnto them the which before we come to handle wee must obserue two profitable lessons for our comforte and instruction The first is an experience of the truth of the promise of our Sauiour Christ for they that séeke shall finde and to those that knocke it shall be opened and that God is néere at hande to all them that call vppon him faithfully For our good and gracious God béeing full of mercy and tender kindnesse doeth open the treasures thereof vnto his Children when they seeke it by repentance from the bottome of their hearts and in the anguishe of their soules acknowledge their wofull estate and wretched condition if he shoulde leaue them to themselues So he dealte with the Israelites in their slighte before Pharaoh and his hoaste So with Dauid béeing wounded with the sighte of his owne sinnes So with Paule being caste downe and blinded in bodie to teache hym the blindnesse of his soule And thus he dealeth with his dearest beloued Children to witte giueth them a sighte of their owne sinnes and his Iudgementes deserued for the same that they may learne to goe out of themselues where is nothing but confusion and so to séeke vnto him with an vnfained desire of comforte The vse of which Doctrine béeing rightly applyed is mooste swéete and comfortable For it is the lotte of Gods Children to bée often grieued in their soule and afflicted in conscience through the view of their owne sinnes whereby Sathan would make them beléeue y ◠it is for that God hath cast them of and giuen them ouer into hardnesse of heart thereby labouring to driue them to dispaire But wée must striue to be perswaded of the cleane contrary for to be giuen ouer of God is to wallowe in all sinne without remorse to heape transgression vpon transgression without sight of the daunger thereof and so to make a sporte of iniquitie but to be grieued with sinne to féele the burthen thereof with desire to be eased though we feale no present comforte is the vndoubted worke of the holy ghost and shall by Gods grace in time conuenient when he hath sufficiently humbled and triēd vs bring forth the quiet fruite of righteousnesse vnto all them that be thereby exercised And therfore when the Lorde layeth any triall vpon vs that we séeme to be ready to be swallowed vp of many daungers that are imminent though it be the propertie of flesh and bloud to be grieued at it yet we muste striue to fly vp farther to wit to learne this lesson that if we be the children of God when greatest daungers assaile we muste assure our selues that the Lord hath an especiall worke to bring to passe by vs whereby he will not only haue his owne glory to shine out more brightly but also that we may perceiue his loue vnto vs more euidently The second thing y ◠we haue to note is Peters readinesse to salue that soare that he had made to heale the wound that they were pained with all which sheweth in him two qualities that be required to be in all the Ministers of Gods words to wit a readye and willing minde to helpe and power to performe the same The first we sée was in him and was the marke that he shot at in reprouing them so sharpely euen their conuersion which as it should be the care that all the Ministers of Gods worde should haue to doe the worke of the Lorde willingly to séeke soules vnto Christe and bring them out of darknesse into light so it sheweth vnto the people that when the Minister reproueth sinne sharpely and galleth them to the quicke he neither doth it of mallice nor choler neither yet of hatred but of meere loue vnto them to doe them good to bring them to sée themselues and so to séeke to God And therefore howsoeuer fleshe and bloud iudgeth otherwise they are the greatest fooes to mans soule that doe tickle the eares with painted eloquence studying rather for pleasing speaches to delight the senses then the power of the spirit to cast downe mans pride that he may be humbled to God these be they whome the Prophet speaketh of that sow Cushions vnder mens elbows to lull them a sléepe in their sinnes these be fitte Preachers for such as crie oute preach to vs pleasant thinges But Saincte Peter was not in the number of them and yet did loue this people most dearely The seconde qualitie that wée note in Peter is his habilitie in that he was able presentlie to tell them what they shoulde doe For if when by the threatninges of Gods iudgementes he had wounded them he had not béene able to helpe their brused heartes and comforte their sorrowing soules he had béene no better then a tormentor But in that he was able and readie to doe both his example commendeth vnto vs a patterne of a right Minister of the worde who muste be able to bring out of his treasurie both olde and newe hee muste be able to teache to resiste the gainesaier to instructe to reproue and comforte But alas the worlde is come nowe to that passe that if he canne reade and that barely that is laied before him he is accoumpted and accepted for sufficient and yet the Scripture
am Which of vs twaine doth offende most the cause why thou canste not be sure is for that thou arte sinfull And therefore God may cast thée off Contrarywise the cause why I am sure is the truth and the power of God his truth because I doe not doubt but that he will be as good as his promise his power because all things are possible to him This is the ground and foundation of the certainty of my hope least I should mistrust God or extenuate his power For in this I looke not vpon mine owne worthynes for then must I néedes doubt but vpon him that promised and that I doe well in so doing I prooue by the testimony of the scripture concerning Abrahā whose fayth I am to followe of whome it is said that he neither did consider his owne body being now dead which was almost a hundred yeares olde neither the deadnesse of Saraas wombe neyther did hée doubt of the promise of God through vnbeliefe marke here doubtinge termed vnbeliefe but was strengthened in the fayth and gaue glory to God then wauering dishonoureth God being fully assured that he which had promised was also able to performe it This being my warrante I am assured that whosoeuer doubt of their saluation haue no fayth at all The reasons that the aduersaries of this doctrine doe alleadge because they séeme to carrie some colour of truthe in them are to be considered first say they there is in al men naturally a feare but where is feare there is doubting and therefore all men must néedes doubte Whereunto I answere confessinge the whole and yet it maketh nothing against me for the feare that is in all men is naturall and is the worke of the flesh and indéede doth striue against fayth as the regenerate man doth against the vnregenerate or the outward man against the inward but as the Children of God are through Iesus Christ more then conquerers through him that loueth them so true faith ouercometh yea expelleth feare and maketh vs to approche with confident boldnes vnto the throne of his grace Further they obiecte that we are commaunded by Sainct Paule to worke our saluation with feare and trembling the which we néeded not to doe if we were sure to be saued I answere that we must so but we doe not worke fayth in our selues and therefore the apostle speaketh there of the continuall conuersation of Christians which in regarde of the maiestie of God alwayes beholdinge them and the quicke eyes of the wicked narrowly espying into them must bée maruelous careful that they doe not displease so great and good a God and wary that they giue the aduersary no aduauntage Whereby he may take occasion to dishonour God and to speake ill of the Gospell A meditation neuer to passe out of our mindes and yet maketh nothing against the assurance of our fayth They obiecte yet further and say no man is sure that he shall stand for Dauid Lot Peter with many moe that were godlier then we haue fallen I answere I am not sure to stand in sinceritie of conuersation for it may please God to suffer me to fall into that sinne wherevnto I am naturally prone to the end to shew me my owne weakenes and his greate mercy but I am sure I shall neuer fall finally because he that hath begonne a good worke in me will performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ for whom God loueh he loueth vnto the ende so that I or whosoeuer else doth féele himselfe comforted with an vnfained persuasion of Gods loue may thererby assure himselfe of Gods fauour for euer A notable example whereof we haue in the seruant of God Dauid who by the consideration of the helpe that he had against the Lion and the Beare in the wildernesse is strengthened to go against Goliah saying that God that deliuered me out of the hands of them shal also saue me from vncircūcised philistine so y ◠our assurance standeth in the mercy of god not in our obedience which staggereth daily Lastly they say certainty of saluatiō standeth in Gods eternal election and who knoweth whether he is elected or no answere the foundation indéede standeth in election is the root of our assurance but to say y e none knoweth whether he be elected or no is to say that none be called for he y ◠is called is elected because whom god electeth him he calleth so that whosoeuer can proue to me by infallible marks out of y ◠word that he is called w t the inward calling to him I can proue his owne particular election therefore whē they say y ◠none knoweth whether he be elected they shewe plainelie that themselues be not called and then no maruaile if they doubt of their saluatiō when they know not whether they be within the compasse of Gods grace in calling or no. Therfore let him whosoeuer he be whether papist pelagian libertine familiā or atheist for al these shake hands in this point labour diligently by hearing and reading of the word and praier to find out what y e will of God is and to try himselfe whether it doth work in him or no and not condemne y e truth of God to be false because his carnal wit cannot attaine vnto it but let him rather cōdemne himselfe because he findeth not in himselfe the marks that the word of God painteth them out with all that are the children of God Of the free fauour of God This is the thing which we must know and whereof we must be undoubtedly perswaded that is that God of his mere mercy in Iesus Christ hath vouchsafed to adopt vs to be his children not regarding any thing in vs that is ill to hinder nor any good to further the same Which doctrine is in many places of scripture set downe to vs as in that confession of Peter our Sauiour saieth flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this vnto thée but my father which is in heauen And in another place No man commeth vnto mée vnlesse my father draweth him without Christe we can doe nothing for we are not able of our selues to thinke a good thought seing that it is he that worketh in vs both to will and to performe And yet notwithstanding all these expresse sentences of the holy scripture we sée how man laboureth by maine and might to establish merit and to maintaine frée will in man to be good if he list But we haue learned out of Gods word that all the imaginations of the heart of man are altogither euill and that there is in our selues no good thing and therefore our faith leaneth vpon the sole and onely mercy of God for our saluation and in regarde of our owne vnworthinesse doth in true humility cast downe our mindes to bée ruled and guided by his blessed worde In Iesus Christ. Because wée finde in the word of God that God is iust
so we incurre the danger of the seuere denunciation following in the same place where it said that such heap vp wrath against the day of wrath For we must know that as God is mercifull to all penitent sinners so is he iust to all carelesse and loose people that withhold the truth of God in vnrighteousnes therefore let vs not be so abused by Satā to think y ◠God hath mercy in store for him that goeth on stil in his wickednesse But let vs try our selues by y e touch stone of Gods word how the consideration of Gods great mercy worketh in vs. Besides this we sée that when or wheresoeuer the word of God hath béene preached it hath wrought either to their conuersiō comfort or hardning and condemnation it was to Noe a safegard because he beléeued to y e worldes ouerthrow for y ◠they harkned not to the Israelites deliuerance to the Egiptians destruction to the apostles saluation to the Scribes and Phareseis condemnatō The due consideration of this must bring vs to sorow for sin for thus we must reason w t our selues we haue the word preached out of which y t iudgements of God are threatned to fall on the wicked contrarywise his promises to be performed to the godly of which sort am I if of the godly then the word preached hath moued me to amēdment cōtinuall griefe of heart y ◠I can amend no better if I be not thus moued thereby surely thē I am of the worst sort to whom the gospel is folishnes and in whom it sauoureth to death Thē I may not abide in sin thus but by sorow for the same I must conceiue a loathing of al iniquitie And to the end that this remorse may take déeper holde in me I must enter into a vew of my former conuersatiō and that by the candle of Gods lawe whereby I cannot choose but sée the vgly deformities of mine owne heart the corrupt desires of my mind the fruitelesse if not blasphemous speaches of my tounge the god lesse actions of my conuersation all which heretofore euery one of vs haue taken pleasure in and estéemed them as our great felicitie and this being truely viewed and withall the reward thereof in his owne nature considered must if any sparke of grace be in vs not only pinch vs at the very hearte but also make vs say with the Apostle that it is sufficient that we haue spente the time past after the will of the fleshe And so much the rather for that our time is very short and a great parte thereof already mispense and therefore we may not differre any longer to beginne the seruice of our God in gloryffyng his holy name in these our mortall bodyes Neither may this be a remisse or slacke sorrowe which is ordinarily almost in al men for if y ◠would serue then should al or the greatest number be saued and yet we sée both by the course of Gods worde and also euident sentences of the same that the least number are accepted of God for where eyght were saued thousandes were drowned Where Abraham and his family were there was the Church the Israelites were the peculiar people of God a small handfull in respecte of the worlde so it was in the time of Christ and his Apostles and yet euen of them that were outwardly of the number many were hipocrites and dissemblers So true is that saying vttered by the month of Christ Iesus our Sauiour Straighte is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that finde it And wide is the gate and broade is the way that leadeth to distruction and many goe that way And therefore this same vsuall and ordinary saying I am sory and it grieueth me when yet they amend not cannot be the sorrowe to repentance which is not to be sorrowed for seing besides that the pangs of death shall try whether we haue sorrowed vnfainedly or no. Iesus Christ who séeth the darkest corner of our hearts shal be the Iudge and will giue sentence of euery one as they are and not as they séeme to the world to be And lastly eternall torments are prouided both for hipocrites and hard hearted persons Let vs not deceiue our selues with an outward shewe of religion let vs not like glowormes make boast of that we are not But all pleasures and vanities set a side let vs beginne to rippe vp our owne heartes returne to the Lord our God with earnest and hearty sorow for our former transgressions with ful purpose of taking a better course then yet we haue done I know that as this is the entrance vnto God and so the first slip that we giue vnto Sathan so he lacketh not his perswasions glorious baits to trump in our way whereby our eyes may be turned and our hearts alienated from this course For sayeth he doest thou beléeue y ◠there be so many torments prouided for them that take their pleasure in y ◠things of this world will God be so seuere as so will he marke so diligentlie what is done amisse Is there such knowledge in the most highest No no it is but the cholerick rayling of these precise and wayward preachers that loue to be alwayes chiding God is mercifull he knoweth man cannot kéepe his Lawes in all pointes and therefore he will beare with him Doest thou not sée and beholde greate men yea and learned men they beleeue no such matter and they be wiser then thou arte being a simple man for they take all the delighte and pleasure that canne be Thou haste taken greate delighte in sinnne and wickednesse thus longe and if thou shouldest doe as they say it were euen to make a metamorphosis of thy selfe and thou haddest better be out of the worlde then to leaue thy former companions thy delectable past-times and merrimentes Thus oulde thou art and thus many yeares thou hast liued at thy pleasure what hath hapned vnto thée for it if it were such a grieuous thinge in the sight of God thou shouldest neuer haue enioyed it so longe without punishement for behold there be no men vnder the Sunne more void of calamities then they be y ◠are not so precise but follow their owne desires And though it did offend the Almightie which is to be doubted yet thou mayest returne vnto him many yeares hence he wil receyue thée at any time yea if thou doe but cry Lord haue mercy vpon me when thou liest sicke and séest no other way but death it will serue Were it not greate pitty that thou being a gallant young and comelie person shouldest be abandoned from the pleasures that thine estate both require Yes doubtles These with infinite such like motions doeth Sathan put into the heades and heartes of naturall men which are so fitte to their nature and so agreable to their complexion that they quickly assente and
is saide if ye had but fayth as a graine of mustard séede should say vnto this mulbery trée pluck thy selfe vp by the rootes and plante thy selfe in the sea it should euen obey you This kinde of fayth was very rife in the primitiue church when the gospell was to be planted in the whole worlde for God gaue vnto the Apostles power to confirme their doctrine with signes and wonders But afterwarde it ceased only the ordinary confirmation by the preaching of the word remayneth now amōg vs. This fayth hath bene and may be in a man that is a reprobate and cast away for some shall say in the latter day Lord haue not we cast out deuils in thy name to whome it shallbe answered I know ye not departe from me ye workers of iniquitie The strength of Antechrist was foreshewed to be with signes and greate wonders And it is also sayde by our Sauiour himselfe speaking of the last dangerous times that there shall arise false Christes and false Prophets that shall shew great signes and wonders so y ◠if it were possible they should deceiue euen the very elect which we haue séene and dayly doe sée by experience especially in the confirmation of Antechristes kingdome Thirdly faith is taken in the scriptures for that fayth whereby we apprehende the mercy of God to saluation commonly called Iustifiing fayth which so beleueth the word of God to be true that it applieth the whole as profitable to himselfe the threatenings to feare him from sinne and the promises of God in Iesus Christ vnto his owne comfort and consolation and then both to drawe him on to godlynesse in these thrée senses is fayth most commonly vsed in the worde of God The last is that which appertayneth to our purpose whereof we are to speake yet more at large It may be thus desyned Fayth is a certaine knowledge and sure perswasion of the frée fauour of God in Iesus Christ grounded vpon the promises of God in his holy worde and sealed in our hearts by the holy Ghoste This definition containing in it y e whole substance and summe of our fayth is to be enlarged further to the ende that euery parte and parcel thereof may the more plainely be knowen Certaine knowledge This is the beginning and as it were the cause of fayth for as the appostle sayeth he that commeth to God must beléeue that there is a God so he that beleueth must first know what to beleue and learne the doctrine of saluation out of the worde and therfore our Sauiour Christ in that heauenly prayer that he made a little before his passion hath these wordes This is life eternall that they know thée to be the onely very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. The which place though it containe in it fayth also yet it is forcible to prooue that knowledge must goe before faith for it is the nature of faith to beleue that it certainely knoweth and therfore where there is no knowledge there can be no faythe Then let all men iudge what doctrine that was which taught ignorance to be the mother of deuotion and forbid the people the knowledge of the worde of God it was euen to blindfolde our eyes that we might fall into the pitte of perdition before we beware it was to hide the keyes of the kingdome of heauen so that they neyther entered them selues neyther suffered others to enter But blessed be God who of his great and infinite mercy hath eased vs of that burthen and granted vnto vs his holy word The which albeit many amonge vs do little estéeme because their consciences are seared with a hote yron that they cannot sée the necessity of it And therefore doe loath the hearing of the same preached yet we know that fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God And albeit it was to the Iewes a stumbling blocke and the Grecians foolishnesse and is now to the supersticious Papist Heresie and to the conceited wise man of the worlde néedelesse or too base for him to meddle withall yet it then was and now is and euer shall be to them that beleue the power of God to saluation and that by preaching the which must make vs if we haue any loue to our owne soules health or desire of fayth to meditate in the worde of God day and night and to loue and like it aboue any profite or pleasure this knowledge must be certain for knowledge being the ground work of fayth if it be vnstable the building cannot stande sure which certeinty standeth in these two poyntes first to be perswaded of the vndoubted truth of Gods word and secondly of the absolute sufficiencie thereof not to néede any traditions of men to make it perfect for so much as it is euery waie perfect it self These two things are duely to be considered and so much the rather for that Sathan fighteth to shake them both laying the truth of the word vpon the approbation and allowance of men and foysting dreames and fancies of idle brayned persons into it to consūmate the perfection of the same Sure perswasion This is the substance and nature of fayth which doeth arise by the working of Gods spirite with the worde out of the knowledge of the same that hereby we are not only perswaded of the truth of his worde but also beleue vndoubtedly without wauering to be partakers of the mercies of God in Iesus Christ. The names that the holy Ghost ascribeth vnto this fayth in the doctrine of the apostles be notable to proue the same not to be wauering but sure and certaine it is called a ground or foundation a stedfaste fayth and assurance of fayth without wauering a full assurance an anchor of our soule both sure and stedfast which comparison is notable for as the anchor though the shippe be tossed moued with the waues and tempests yet it is still safe and holdeth fast euen so faith what troubles or trials so euer befal vnto the godly in this world doth neuer let go his hold that it hath in Iesus Christ but cleaueth vnto him and dependeth vpon his mercy in all extremities and so the Children of God féeling the comfort of Gods grace and hauing a sure hope of the performance of Gods promises vnto them are certaine and sure to be saued The which doctrine Satan hath euer laboured and doth greatlie at this day labour to darken and extinguish affirming it pride and presumption to dare be so bold as to be assured of saluation Which thing is true if the certainty therof stoode any way in man himselfe who is naturally filled with al sinne and incredulity but while they take their markes amisse they greatly dishonour God For marke this well God promiseth in his worde eternall life to all that beleue thou sayest thou beleuest and I say so too thou art not sure to be saued and I say that I
shine the Image of Christ Iesus most cléerely alas are so clogged and cloyed with promotions and dignities of this worlde that they cleane forget what calling they haue what charge is layed vpon them and what a heauie reckoning they haue to make in so much y ◠some falling from their first loue doe now persecute that which heretofore they haue preached others because they thirst after gaines and vaine glory forsake Christ with Demas and imbrace this world vsing all lawfull and vnlawfull wayes to winne the woll not regarding what become of those pilled shéepe the flocke Where from springeth a mistery more grieuous then all these that the people of God for whom Christ Iesus did shed his most precious bloud are so hardened in Atheisme and godlesnesse that a man bad as good speake to a stone as to y ◠most concerning any matter of religion And all these with infinite mo abhominations spring hence y e men are so carelesse to kéepe their standing to be contented to abide the heate of the day and discharge that duty with an vpright consciēce that God hath laid vpon them I would to God that the due consideration of these enormities were setled in the heades and heartes not only of euery particular person whose faulte it is but especially into theirs vnto whō God hath inioyned to sée these thinges redressed that thereby we might be cōpelled not to trifle with God and his seruice as we doe and extoll a bare shadowe so long vntill the Lord remoue from vs the substance which God forbid but that we might all be compelled to labour in the vineyard of the Lord for the instruction and comforte of his people or else cast out as stones that make men stumble and salt that being vnsauery is good for nothing That euery mā if of himselfe he will not may be constrained to obey the Lord according to his word and to serue him for the furtherance of his glory in a lawful and holy calling warranted by the word of God vntill which time it is vnpossible that the Gospel should florish effectually in this land because God will blesse nothing but his owne institution and ordinance for the chaffe and corne cannot agrée togither neither is it lawfull for the Gentiles to be suffered to ioyne with the Iewes in the building of the temple though they seeme neuer so glosingly to offer their helping hande therevnto Least it should afterwarde be said that the Iewes were not able to doe it without the helpe of their foes and so it should be a dishonour to their God The Lord giue vs eies that we may see and heartes that we may perceiue what is his will and howe he wil be serued The outwarde fruite of faith is godlinesse of conuersation which in the beginning was made one branch of amēdment of life and you sée nowe how it procéedeth from faith floweth out of it as the fruite from the trée and water out of the fountaine The which may be thus defined it is an earnest and carefull indeuour to obey and fulfill the law of God growing out of faith and directed to those which God hath appointed that is to his glory the comfort of our consciences and the benefit of our brethren In that it is said that obedience is an earnest and carefull indeuour the meaning is that we must not only think it our duty to serue God according to his will and to obey his commandementes which all godlesse persons will confesse but also study and earnestlie care to doe the same in déed For euery one that sayth Lord Lord shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen But he that doth the will of my heauenly father saith Christ which is in heauen Not the hearers of the lawe are righteous before God but the doers of the law shalbe iustified for if any sayth S. Iam heare the word and doe it not he is like vnto a man that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse but when he hath considerd himselfe he goeth away and forgets imediately what manner of one he was But who so looketh into the perfect lawe of liberty and continueth therein he not being a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke shall be blessed in his déede All which sentences are spoken by the holy Ghost to this ende that we should knowe that it is néedefull for vs nay faith will bring it forth if it be in vs to liue in godlines to reforme our affection inwardly our conuersation outwardly according to the prescript rule of Gods word Wherein how carelesse y ◠worlde is and how little reckoning is made hereof all men that will try the truth by the touchstone of Gods word shall easily sée For euery man now a dayes if he can put on the name of a protestant if he can make any shewe at all by and by he taketh himselfe and is also taken of others to be of a true and sound religion yea though his life and conuersation doe sweare the contrarye being fraughted with all sinne and iniquitie These are they that turne the grace of God into wantonnesse that sinne because they are not vnder the law but vnder grace that will make sinne abound that grace may superabound that will doe euill that good may come thereof whose damnation is iust But we haue not so learned Christ and notwithstanding the worldlinges be carelesse of godly conuersation yet we haue vnto vs many reasons set downe in the word of God to bring vs therevnto First the commandement of God in the Law reiterated by the mouth of our sauiour Iesus Christ be ye perfect euen as your heauenly father is perfecte and S. Paul meaning to set downe the same thinge sayeth this is the will of God euen your sanctification Now it being the commādement and will of God who is y e God of power a reuenger of sinne and punisher of iniquitie it should be euen as a thousand whippes to driue vs and ten thousand cartropes to hale vs vnto the same for he is not a God that loueth wickednesse neither shall euyll dwell with him and we knowe that we shal al come before his throne and seate of iudgment where he will giue sentence w eout partiality and iudge all men not according to their outward confession but acording to their deedes where he will say depart from me ye workers of iniiquitie so that this should marueylously inawe vs to consider with our selues that if we carelesly goe on and heape sinne vpon sinne neuer a whit or little regarding whether we liue godly or no surely we can assure our selues of no other sentence at the day of iudgment but goe ye cursed Secondly the consideration of Gods manifold blessings bestowed vpon vs in his son Iesus Christ should make vs to liue godly The which was notablie figured to vs in y e worldly blessings that God bestowed vpon y ◠Iewes vnto whom the Lord
wicked the more heynous their sinnes be the more intollerable shal their tormēts be which is to be laid very often before their eyes for it is the common speach of godlesse persons if I be damned then what maketh it the matter what I doe I may giue ouer my selfe to fullfill my lust in all pointes But let them know this that as it was said to the pharyseis that they should receiue the greater damnation so shal it be vnto thée thy offences shall be punished according to the quantity thereof And therefore though thou art no otherwise perswaded but y ◠thou shalt come into condemation yet feare to haue it multiplied vnto thee for the least torment wil be more then thou shalt be able to beare Thus we sée that the holy ghost in the scripture exhorteth vs by weighing the commandement of God by considering the manifolde blessings of God offered to vs in Christ by the looking into the nature of our calling by calling to mind the ende of our baptisme and lastly by viewing the reward that God hath laid vp to bestowe vpon them that serue him to liue godlie in this present world nowe let vs lay them vnto our owne heartes and consciences and sée whether we haue not iust cause to bid battaile to Satā to striue against our owne lustes and corrupt affections and let vs be more carefull thē heretofore we haue béene Let vs not delight in any thing that may displease so louing and mercifull a father But let vs make an ende of our saluation with feare and trembling Thus much for the first part of the definition of Obedience that it is an earnest indeuour to obey the Lawes of God this is the thing we must indeuor to doe which we are allwayes to haue an eye vnto These lawes are set downe briefely in the first and second table The summe whereof standeth in these two pointes first that we séeke to set forth the glory of God according as he prescribeth in the first table a thing commonly knowen to all men but practised of very few for we think if we doe any thing that may séeme to tend neuer so little towards Gods glory that we haue done a glorious worke But marke this wel the Lord requireth not onely of thée to séeke his glory in thy selfe by worshipping him in spirit and truth by sanctifiing his holy name thy selfe to the obseruation of his Saboath but also to thy power to séeke it according to thy calling in others The magistrate to establish and defend true religion and maintaine it by holy discipline warranted by the word The minister to teach instruct and exhort the priuat man also in his calling to vse all lawfull meanes for the aduancement of the same The second table containeth the outward godlinesse that we must shewe forth in the world for the benefit one of another Which we sée very little practised for it is euident vnto the sight of all men to the great griefe of them that feare God how some be altogither set vpon treacherous rebellion conspiracies others on malitious murther enyuing hate others on fornication vncleanenesse with all allurementes to the same as pride banquetting surfetting and dronkennesse with all lewde and vnchast gestures that can be others bent to extort and wring out of mens handes their owne proper possessions and goods by forging by extremitie of lawe by deceyuing and by that foule canker vsury and what not I ceasse to speake of the particular pettie sinnes wherewith men doe so swarme and so customably liue in that they estéeme them to be no sinnes the least whereof deserueth eternall condemnation both in body and soule and yet all these be Christians and say they haue faith but I say of them and that by the warrant of Gods owne worde that if they had the least sparke of faith in the worlde these things would be reformed for it is vnpossible for a man to haue faith but therewithall is the spirit of God But where the spirit is there can be no delight in sinne no such carelesnesse to reformation as appeareth and therefore examine thy selfe and be not deceiued presume not of the mercy of God and stil abide in sinne for then be sure thou shalt find no place to repentance though thou séeke it with teares Then séeke the Lord while he may be found put not of from day to day for suddainely commeth the wrath of the Lord and in his anger he will consume thee Then let vs without prolonging amende And fulfill That is a strife must be in vs against all lets that may hinder vs to be in all pointes perfect and that in such a perfection as by the word of God is not to be found fault withall though it be true that we cannot attaine therevnto in this life yet we must not faint nor be weary but goe on still forget that which is behinde and looke at that which is before neuer casting our eyes aside vpon any baite of sinne in this world but euer goe on in striuing for this perfection all the dayes of our life In which course least we should be discouraged we are to knowe that we are neuer able to attaine to that perfection in this life because of our wretched and sinfull nature because of the clogges of sinne that doe so hang on vs and the remnantes of old Adam that sticke so in the fleshe that it can neuer be wholly cleare therof The which we finde to be in the Apostle S. Paule who had a lawe in his members striuing against the lawe of the spirit leading him captiue vnto the lawe of sinne Whereby it commeth to passe as our fauiour saith y ◠when we haue done al that euer we cā we are vnprofitable seruāts and therefore we are taught to say dayly forgiue vs our sinnes which doctrine sheweth forth diuers most necessary vses as first it sheweth the workes of supererogation imagined by y ◠papistes to be a méere doctrine of an idle braine flatte contrary to the trueth of God and blasphemous against Christes passion Secondly displayeth the diuelish error of that pestiferous secte the family of loue who hold that a man may liue without sinne and therefore accounteth it a note of imperfection to praye so that none may be of the number of their illuminated Elders vntill they be of that perfection and yet we read that the Apostles praied not only when they were weakelings as they fondly affirme but after Christes aseension and the descending of the holy Ghost And therefore for the censuring of their heresie and our owne perswasion let vs say with S. Iohn if we saye we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs for we make God a lyer But if we acknowledge our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteonsnes Thirdly it is an excéeding comfort to
and then proued it to be the worke of Iesus Christ whome though they had crucified yet God the father had raysed and had exalted him to bée Lorde and King ouer all thinges both in heauen and earthe The which beyng proued vnto them that he was the very Messia◠whom they had so wickedly crucified they perceiued themselues to bée in daunger of the heauie vengeance of God for it and their feare it wronge in them as is sette downe in the former of these verses In which togither with the latter for our better remembrance wée haue to note these thrée thinges First the effecte that Peters Sermon wrought in the heartes of these Iewes Secondly their care to bée resolued what to doo and lastly Peters counsell vnto them When they heard it that is who he was whom they had so abused and what danger they were in for it it wounded them euen at the very heart and strooke them in a marueilous feare of Gods suddaine vengeance to be powred downe vpon them for their so hainous a facte so horrible murther as to kill the Lord of life from whome all they that euer shall be saued doe receyue their life and saluation Which declareth vnto vs their wonderfull blockishnes and palpable blindnes y ◠they reading the prophesies concerning the Sauiour to come euery Saboth day daily looking for him yet when he commeth do thus behaue themselues towardes him The cause wherereof was for that they dreamed of a worldly King full of pomp glory and Christ being so base and poore they were offended at him much like y e carnall christians of our time who are ashamed of y e basenes of the gospel simplicitie of religion and therefore thinke that it is too meane a thing for mē of great estat honor but we sée y e cōtrarye in Gods word that there is no ioy w tout Christ but sorrow no honor but ignominie no blessednesse but curssednesse howsoeuer it séemeth otherwise to carnall people that iudge fleshly and according to naturall reason and therefore we reade that the greatest dishonour that euer came to the Kings of Iuda and Ierusalem was their negligence in religion and their greatest praise is their care to establish it in sinceritie and therefore how base poore contemptible so euer Christ séeme to flesh blood there is no glory riches nor honor that profiteth excepte it be gouerned by him and directed to his glory We learne further by these Iewes that there is no way in the worlde that can serue to conuert man vnto God vntill the appointed time doo come For they heard Christ often and yet his word was to them as water powred vpon a stone vntill this houre wherein God had determined their conuersion Which doctrine ministreth a double vse vnto vs first to y ◠magistrate that he compell all yea euen the obstinate to the outward exercises of religion for by y ◠meanes it may please God to worke their conuersion Secondly for euery priuate person that is already called yea and the minister of the worde especially to beare with pacience the vnregenerate and not to determine or iudge rashly of their reprobation But still to hope for the time of their conuersion Moreouer in that it is said here that they were pricked in their heartes when they hearde it we learne how néedfull it is for vs to haue the worde of God continually sounding in our eares whereby wée may be rouzed out of the sléepe of sinne For wée are naturally prone to euill and slouthfull in the seruice of Gods worde very dull to goodnesse néeding the goade of Gods threatninges to pricke vs in the sides and to make vs procéede in the feare of the Lorde else wée fréese in our sinnes and if any good motions come in our mindes nowe and then they are choaked and so wée waxe worse worse The consideration hereof made Dauid a Kinge to meditate in the word of God day and nighte and made it his counseller a good example for all greate estates to looke vnto and follow Pricked in their heartes Howe commeth this to passe that Peter speaking onely to the outwarde eares they are sayed to be pricked in their heartes euen by the wonderfull power and Maiestie that God hath printed in his woorde that it shoulde sounde the bottomelesse deapthe of mans moste secrete thoughtes and enter betwéene the soule and the spirite And this effecte it hath in all though it haue a contrarie fruit for the wicked take occasion hereby to be more seuere against the Children of GOD. As we may sée in Pharaoh Achab Ieroboam and the Pharises But the children of God vse meanes assoone as they be touched to amende their liues as did Dauid and Iosias and these Iewes Whereby wée may take good occasion to examine our selues whether wée be the Children of God or no for if the contempt or neglecte of amendemente of our liues argueth as yet no grace to be in vs then the care to amende and the indeuour therevnto indéede is a speciall motion of the spirite which we muste be carefull to cherrish leaste it be quenched and so our estate waxe miserable And said vnto Peter This is the seconde generall parte conteining their care to séeke the righte way to be deliuered from the gulfe of perdition that hanged ouer their heades which is a Note of a true Childe of God for it is the nature of euery man to say when his sinne is reproued that the Preacher sayeth true and that wée shoulde amende but they neuer sette one foote forwarde to putte it in practise onely the Godlie haue that care that when any thing is founde by the word of God to be amisse in them they canne neuer be at quiet vntill they finde oute meanes wherey it may be redressed Lette vs obserue further in them a wonderfull change They had mocked Christ and his doctrine and neuer were at reste till they had killed him they not long before this time did estéeme the Apostles no better then Dronckardes and yet the Lorde in this shorte time so altereth their mindes that they come to them louinglie terming them Men and Brethren which will bée so farre from a wicked man vntouched with Gods spirite that he will rather with Iudas and Achitophel hange himselfe then séeme forsoothe to bée so muche beholdinge to the godly whome hée taketh to be his enimies But if once Gods word take déepe and sound roote in any man it will alter and chaunge him quite from his former wicked mind Whereof wée haue notable examples in the Scriptures Saule wente to Naioth entending to persecute Dauid but God chaunged his minde that he prophesied Paule wente toward Damascus with intente to make hauecke of the Sainctes of God But when he came there hée preached Christe vnto them The Souldiours wente out from the Pharises to take Christe but the Maiestie of his woorde strooke them