our harts ioyful and glad as when we vnderstand what inestimable and great riches of his grace God in his Prophets hath promised to vs sinners and when we see those promyses of him fulfilled now in the Gospel and dayly also to be in fulfilling and seeing we haue Christ himselfe the very Sonne of God a most sure pledge of the performance of those promyses may we not well I say reioyce and be glad ¶ Anna. I am very desirous to heare of you if time serue you the order of Christes Sermon out of Moyses and the other Prophets What and how in euery place they prophesyed of Christ that thereby I may when my faith is strengthned haue ioy in the lord And though you spend some time in explicating these prophesies yet happely it may be a work worth our labour and you shal neuer a whit misspend the time nay I think the time that is so spent godly profitably very necessarely spent seeing S. Paul warneth vs that the word of Christ should dwel plentifully in vs. ☞ Vrb. We read in the acts that Paul made a long Sermon of Christ out of the Law and prophets euen from the morning til night Why then should not we speak often much and willingly of our Lord Iesus Christ our only and incomparable Treasure with whom we shal liue and dwel for euer But first note what Luke wryteth in his last chapter where he sayeth when Christ had blessed broken and geuen the bread to his Discyples their eyes were opened and they knew him And a litle after he saith that Christ opened their vnderstanding that they might know the Scriptures Wherfore we also must pray to Christ that he would feed and refresh vs with his bread of the knowledge of him that he would driue away the thick cloudes of our vnbeleef that he would mend and take away our ignorance and dulnes that he would send down into our minds the light of his holy spirit wherby we may learn to know him out of the holy scriptures Paul saith we haue not receued the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the thing which is geuen vs of God. Let vs therfore pray with humble feruent harts Almighty God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ our Father and the Father of all mercy and God of all comfort and consolation haue mercy vpon vs heare vs we beseech thee O God for thy deerely beloued sonne Iesus Christs sake for all his workes and benefits which he hath done for vs and for his precious passion and death which he suffered for the redemption of vs Send thy holy Spirit of truth into our harts that it may geue and ingraft in vs true and constant faith so that the light and brightnes of thy Gospel and the glory of Christ may appeare vnto vs and lighten our harts that we may learn and vnderstand the vnspeakable and aboundant riches of thy mercyes O Father of glory geue vs thy Spirite of wisdome and bring vs to the knowledge of thee and thy deerely beloued Sonne Iesu Christ Open and lighten we beseech thee the eyes of our minds vnderstanding That we may perceue what is the hope of our vocation and what is the rich glory of our heauenly and euerlasting Herytage which in Christ and through Christ thou hast geuen vs That by true faith vnderstanding and knowledge of thy eternal wisdom which is Iesus Christ we may in deed be made as we are called true christiās That we may worship thee alway in Spirit and truth And that we may now and for euer shew forth thy glory whereby thou hast blessed vs in Christ our Sauiour Graunt this O Father through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen ¶ Anna. Amen ☞ Vrb. Now Christ being our gouernor and our good guid let vs begin the treatise and opening of the matter which we haue taken in hand But first of all wife see you harken with as great reuerence diligence desire as if Christ were present seeing Christ sayth He that heareth you heareth me And looke also that you beleeue al things which shal here be spoken and declared vnto you to be as true and certayn as if Christ himself visibly and in his bodely shape had spoken them vnto you out of the Prophets And as if he should in his own person declare vnto you by his own mouth how and for what cause it was conuenient he should be born suffer dye and rise again and so ascend into his glory ¶ Anna. Begin then Husband at Moyses and tel me I pray you what he wrote of Christ ☞ Vrb. Moyses hath written much of Christ as Christ himself witnesseth in Iohn where speaking to the Iewes he saith If you had beleeued Moyses you had also beleeued me for he wrote of me And Moyses euen in the beginning as soone as heauen earth and man were made saith that the Serpent to wit Sathan deceiued Eue and entyced her to make a lye and seduced her and she afterward perswaded and deceued Adam and so God being despised and set aside brought him and threw him headlong into the same calamitie and thus they beleeued a lye wherin they cōmitted an horrible offence because they broke Gods commandement and did not obey the Lord their God as their duety was but were obedyent vnto the Deuil which from the beginning is a lyar and a mankiller into whose power and tiranny they fel both in body and soule by their transgression and disobeydience and so death by the sinne of Adam came in both vpon Adā al Adams posterity in so much that by the iust iudgement and iustice of God all men should haue entered by the death of this body into euerlasting death And thus did death through sinne mightely raign in all the world Alas what is more horrible then this power of sinne and this extreame calamity which casteth vs into euerlasting damnation What burthen is there heuyer or harder then this and what more cruell mischiefe could there haue hapned then this But God here in the middest of this danger being mindful of his mercy as the Prophet saith of him found a most present and soueren salue for this sore to wit he offred vs his grace and promysed that he would pardon our sin and destroy death by a certain marueilous meane to wit by his only begotten Sonne who when the fulnes of time that is to say when the determined time was come was sent into the earth from heauen and salued this sore that is to say redeemed and deliuered the poore prysoner mankind out of the tyranny and power of darknes and Sathā and that after a strange and secret sort For he tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant and being made man subiect to all misery calamity and troble of this life yea and death it self but yet free from all faulte and pure without sinne vouchsafed to dye for vs that
other like Of this strange vnctiō of his which is proper to himselfe the Prophet Esay and Christ himselfe in Luke sayth thus in these wordes The spirit of the Lord is vpon me therfore he hath annointed me Here he speaketh not of a corporall vnction or of baulm where with all they accustomably annointed themselues on their heads hands iointes in their mirth and bankets and wherwith they consecrated their kinges and priestes Christ would not haue vs thinke that he was annointed with such a corporal vnction For he sayth The spirit of the Lord is vpon me He speaketh therefore of the vnction of the holy ghost with which he was anointed to be an holy and euerlasting priest and kyng which the 45. Psalm noteth in these wordes Thy God hath annointed thee with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellowes That is God hath consecrated and annoynted thee a priest and king not with earthly baulme for thy kingdome is not of this world but with the spirituall oyle of gladnesse that is with the holy ghost by which likewyse all men beleuing in Christ are consecrated and ordered for spiritual kings and priests and are made partakers of this oyle of gladnesse but yet mesurably As for Christ he was annointed without measure more aboūdantly plētifully liberally infinitely then all Christians in the world For we receiue the spirite but after a measure one beyng beautified with one gift and another with another euery one enioying his owne particularly and no man all vniuersally But the spirite of God was giuen to Iesus without measure He is ful of grace and truth and of his fulnesse haue all we receyued And here it appeareth that Iesus is not a common 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 annointed But that chiefe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ or Messias which was promised in the scriptures should come into the world and all to bewater and replenishe it with his grace As the Prophete Daniel prophesied Seuenty weekes are determined vpon thy people and vpō thy holy citie to finish the wickednes and to seale vp the sinnes and to reconcile the iniquitie and to bring in euerlasting righteousnes to seale vp the vision and prophesie and to annoint the most holy And a little after he calleth Christ by his proper name saying After 62. wekes Christ shall be slayne c. But of this prophesie God willing I will speake more at large in another place Thus also may you read in the Gospell where whē Iohn Baptist had shewed Christ to Andrew the Apostle and had said Behold the lamb of God Andrew sayd to his brother Simon We haue found the Messias And by by Phillip in the same place sayth to Nathaniel We haue found him of whom Moses did write in the law and the Prophets And Nathaniel sayd vnto Christ Rabby thou art the sonne of God thou art the king of Israel This Messias did all Israel carefully watchfully and hartily desire and waite for For they had heard so much of Messias in the scriptures that they had conceiued a good and certayn hope and doubted not but that at his commyng they should be deliuered from those perils calamities discommodities and violences which they suffred and from all other iniuries and euils which either publikely or priuately vexed them And they hoped also that al things should after the comming of Messias goe well with them so that they all theirs should haue a most happy and prosperous state euen a world of wealth and a flowing sea of all felicitie As it may euidently be gathered of the womans wordes of Samaria in the gospel of Iohn which sayd to Christ I know Messias shal come which is called Christ When he is come he will tell vs all things Iesus sayd vnto her I that speake vnto thee am he Consider now here with your selfe how great true pure and precious comfort we may take of these two names of Christ Iesus signifieth saluation or a sauior or els importeth the same that the worde God doth And Christ or Messias is as much to say as annoynted For there is vnderstood in this name the vnction of grace and mercy which God promised vnto vs in his sonne And now what would we more what can we wish more or what need we more nay what is there that we haue not if we be once annointed with this oyntment For if we constantly beleue and be thorowly perswaded that God hath giuen vs Christ to be our priest and our king to the ende he may be our saluation consolation iustification and redemption then vndoubtedly it must be as we beleue Because he hath firmly promised that he will do it if we beleue it He cannot lye or deceyue vs because he is the very truth it self Wherfore if we wil stedfastly and faithfully beleue those things which he hath promised by that faith shal we be iustified and saued ¶ Anna. O good God what exceding comfort do we conceyue and what great ioy and pleasure haue we in hearing these words God our gracious father vouchsafe to giue vs a true and constant faith least we reape no fruit of this his infinite offred grace and fauour ☞ Vrb. Amen ¶ Anna. I pray you take paynes to recite the other names which are giuē to Christ in the scriptures For I feele my hart refreshed and filled with a maruelous and vncredible kynd of comfort sweetenes and pleasure which riseth of these two names and my fayth is wel increased and confirmed with a good knowledge which I haue here gotten of Christ ☞ Vrb. It were a tedious thing to explicate them all one by one and agayne they offer themselues to be opened in their due places in the prophesies which are of Christ yet will I not sticke briefly to recite thē here without further exposition of them Christ is called A king in Zachary 9.9 An euerlasting Priest Psal 110.4 A propitiatory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 3. A reconciliation Hebr. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a reconciliation for the sinnes of the world 1. Iohn 2.28 A deliuerer and redemer Esay 48.20 and 60. 16. Mat. 20.28.1 Cor. 1.30 A redemption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 1.68 Our mediator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 2.5 Our aduocate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Iohn 2.1 A sacrifice and offering for sin both in committing omitting any thing against Gods commandement Esay 53.10 An offring and a sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauour to God for vs Eph. 5.2 The lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Iohn 1.36 Our righteousnes knowledge sanctification and redemption 1. Cor. 1.30 The light of the world Iohn 12.46 Our maister Iohn 13.13 The seruaunt of God that is obedient to the commaundement of God for vs Esay 42.1 The way truth and our life Iohn 14.6 Our resurrection Iohn 11.25 The beginning the first borne of the dead Col. 1.18 The first begotten amongest many brethren
Micheas that this Bethleem should be the place where he should be borne This prophesie was fulfilled in the 42. yeare of the raigne of Augustus Caesar the Emperour of Rome when Cirenius beyng the President of Syria there was a publike decree giuen forth that all the worlde should be taxed Now when the tyme of taxing came euery man resorted to his owne citie whereby it came to passe that Ioseph in asmuch as he was of the house and line of Dauid and Iuda went vp together with his wyfe Mary from Nazareth out of Galile into the land of Iuda to the city of Dauid which is called Bethleem that he might so shew his duetifull obedience to the magistrate so it fell forth by Gods prouidence ordināce that while they taried there the tyme of her trauel came and she brought forth her first begotten sonne the true King and Lord of Israel The history of whose birth Luke setteth forth in his 2. chapter ¶ Anna. Mathew in deed citeth this prophesie of Micha but where Micheas saith Thou art litle to be amongest thousands of Iuda or little in thousandes of Iuda Mathew sayth Thou art not the least in c. How I pray you must these two textes be reconciled ☞ Vrb. The Prophet Micha speaketh of Bethleem and considereth the case it was then in when he liued for beyng compared with Ierusalem and other gorgeous and populous cities in Iuda it appeared as then contemnable little and of small countenance It was thē to Ierusalem and Samaria as if I should at this day compare Fridberg in Germany with the famous citie Auspurge or Ware with London But S. Mathew writeth of Bethleem as it was to be esteemed in his dayes when this prophesie was fulfilled and Christ was borne and openly known to the world and so in this place he prayseth it and preferreth it before the other cities For if one should haue looked only on the walles territories and circuite of this poore towne Bethleem it would in comparison of other stately and mightily replenished cities of the countrey appeare a base and mean village But if we according to the maiestie of the matter ponder and consider the high honour that God vouchsafed it in that the Messias the only sauiour of the vniuersal world would be borne in it we shall then in deed see that it is not to be iudged and estemed the lest but that of all the cities euen of the whole world it only rightly beareth away the price and prayse and before all other is to be preferred extolled additiō and ouerplus least any thing should lack Because the Iewes themselues did vnderstande in this place the true Messias which is no other but Iesus Christ and yet to say the truth it had bene sufficient or more then sufficient to any godly man that the Euangelist applieth and appropreateth this to Christ ¶ Furthermore where the Prophet sayth that this Moschel shal be the true gouernour of the Israelites he sheweth hereby that this Prince should not be a fudatory or vassall as the lawyers terme it but the true Lord king of Israel whose vassayls nay seruants Saule Dauid Salomon Roboam and all the other former kinges were For Moschel in Ebrew signifieth properly a Monarch and a mighty pearles Prince of whome all other do hould and he of none but hath euery soule subiect to him And lastly he geueth vs to vnderstand how royall a Lord and Prince he is In that he sayth his forth goinges haue bene from the beginning and from euerlasting by which wordes the Church alwayes vnderstode the byrth of Christ to be from euerlasting of the deitye of his heauenly father incomprehensible and vnscrutable For the Scripture maketh mention of a two fould byrth of Christ whereof one is temporall to wit when at the determinated tyme he was according to his humanitie borne true man of the virgin Mary in the Citie of Bethlem The other eternall according to his deuine nature without compasse of tyme without beginning and from euerlasting Both these natiuities the prophet here toucheth by these last wordes he proueth his true diuinitie saying his forth going c. As though he should say beholde and heare O Bethleē what a kind of Lord thou shalt bring forth Certenly in thee shal be borne a true man but that his byrth is not his first beginning original For he was euen alwayes without beginning before the world was made nay before the foundations of the world were layd euen from euerlasting Wherof it truly followeth that he is true and naturall god For there is no creature without beginning but euery one hath his tyme of creation takes his first beginning at some tyme before which it was nothing Now then if his forth going be from before beginning very well truly is that thing heare vnderstod out of which he went to wit God the father ¶ And thus the prophet very playnely and excellētly sheweth that this Prince according to his nature in which his forth going was without beginning is our onely trew and naturall God the sonne of God which tooke not his originall with tyme nor had not his beginning when tyme begon neyther was made with the world when it was made but is as Paule sayth The Image of our inuisible Cod the first borne of euery creature For by him were all thinges created which are in heauen and earth thinges visible and inuisible whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all thinges were created by him and for him and he is before all thinges and in him all thinges consist And Iohn sayth In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was god This was in the beginning with god by it were all thinges made and the word became flesh that is was borne a naturall trew man. For the Ebrew word Basar in holy scriptures signifieth as one wold say the whole man both in body and soule Christ also in Iohn sayth to the Iewes Verily verily I say vnto you before Abraham was I am And here mark that he sayd not I was but I am In the which phrase of speech he would signify vnto them his eternall and deuine nature For the state of all creatures is such that at one tyme or other they are made and haue their beginning and are limited and bordered with some end of tyme And the tyme also was in whiche the creature yet was not and when it was not made there was also a tyme when it was made as Abraham was not in the tyme of Noye but he was in the tyme of Melchisedeck But with God it is farre otherwise For the Godhead is vnmesurable infinite and euerlastyng it can not be comprehended nor conteyned in tyme and of tyme which vanisheth perisheth passeth and slippeth away and neuer stādeth in stay The godhead hath no former nor latter tyme no tyme past
I will set his hand also in the sea and his right hande in the floudes He shall cry vnto me thou art my father my God and the rocke of my saluation Also I will make him my first borne higher then the kinges of the earth My mercy will I keepe for him for euermore and my couenaunt shall stande fast with him His seed also will I make to endure for euer and hys throne as the dayes of heauen But if his children forsake my law and walke not in my iudgementes If they breake my statutes and keepe not my commaundements then will I visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with strokes yet my louing kyndnes wil I not take from hym neither will I falsify my truth My couenant wil I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips I haue sworne once by myne holinesse that I wil not fayle Dauid saying his seed shall endure for euer his throne shall be as the sunne before me he shal be established for euermore as the Moone and as a faythfull witnesse in the heauen Behold how certayne and sure gods grace is to vs in Christ and for Christ Iesus our king Although we sin very often and much yet shal not sin condemne vs if we bide in Christ For what soeuer the Lord hath spoken it is the very truth it selfe and cannot but come to passe and be as he hath sayd For though we be most vnworthy wretches of our selues and haue no merits but sin wickednes to the attayning of so great grace and goodnes of God yet this is our stay and comfort that God hath promised vs these worthy benefites not for our deserts or worthines but onely for hys mercy sake in Christ Wherfore those thinges whiche be here promised are most sure certaine as also the state of our saluation is certayne because it standeth and dependeth on the euerlasting mercy truth of Gods promises of which he can neuer repent him nor vnsay or recant the same In the 111. Psalme he sayeth Hee hath sent redemption to his people he hath commaunded his couenant for euer Here is Christ promised that he shal be our deliuerer or redemer neither is there any other sauiour but Iesus Christ alone This Psalme was song in Iuda for a thanksgiuing on Easterday when they eate the Paschall lambe because God had deliuered them out of the captiuity of Egypt But that temporall or corporall deliuerance and the lambe was nothing els but a figure of the true and euerlasting deliuerance and of our true lambe Iesus Christ by whose bloud we are deliuered and brought out of hell and euerlasting captiuity into our heauenly countrey In the 113. Psalme he prophesieth of the glory honour of Christes kingdome telling what a one how great it shall bee thoroughout all the worlde For he sayth From the rising of the sunne to the goyng down of the same the name of God is glorified Which thing can not otherwise be but by the catholike faith that is that the Gentils should heare the gospell of Christ thereby acknowledge and set forth his grace and goodnes which is the sacrifice of prayses which the Christians offer The wordes of the Psalmes are these Prayse the Lord O ye his seruants prayse the name of the Lord blessed be the name of the Lord from henceforth for euer The name of the Lord is euer praised frō the rising of the sunne to the goyng downe of the same The Lord is high aboue all nations and his glory aboue the heauens Who is lyke vnto the Lord our God that hath his dwellyng on high who abaseth himselfe to behold things in heauen in earth Likewise the 117. Psalme sayth that the whole world both Iewes Gentils shal magnify Christ Iesus honor and acknowledge him for their true God in his kingdom in which is is all felicity mere grace mercy forgiuenes of all sinnes true righteousnes true peace true comfort true ioy euerlasting life The wordes be these All nations praise ye the lord all ye people praise him for his louing kindnes is great towardes vs and the truth of the Lord endureth for euer And the 130. psalme also setteth forth to vs the grace of God in Christ which God hath promised vs in him our true propitiatory reconciler Dauid sayth in that Psal. Let Israel wayte on the Lord for with the lord is mercy and with him is great redemption and he shal redeeme Israel from all his iniquities All this must bee vnderstood of Christ for the new testament is the kirnell the perfect and ful interpretation of the old And the new testament witnesseth in euery place that there is no other deliuerer sauiour or recōciler but Iesus Christ and it teacheth vs that our reconciliation redemption commeth only by Christ who is the alone sacrifice satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world Wherfore take this for a sure rule in scripture which neuer fayleth that wheresoeuer deliuerance reconciliation redemption remission of sins or the grace of God is promised in the prophets there always though the name of Messias or Christ bee not expressed must we needes vnderstand Christ and hys death and bloudsheding absolute sacrifice For these great things to wit forgiuenes of sinnes reconciliatiō c. are prepared gottē obtained by no other means but only by the sacrifice and death of Iesus Christ And these are almost the chief prophesies which Dauid hath concernyng Christ Anna. Whac hath Esay prophesied of Christ and of his passion resurrection and euerlasting kingdom Vrb. After Dauid is the notable and worthy prophet Esay who hath prophesied both plainly truly of all the mysteries of Christ In his 2. chap. he describeth the spiritual kingdom of Christ that is the catholike church saying that it shal be ample glorious through all the world among the Gentiles by the preaching of the gospell by which men do acknowledge the grace of God in Christ and be conuerted and do willingly and ioyfully serue and worship the lord His words be these It shall be in the last dayes that the mountain of the house of the Lord shal be prepared in the top of the mountaines and shal be exalted aboue the hils and all nations shal flow vnto it and many people shall go and say come let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes and we wil walke in his pathes For the law shall goe forth of Sion and the word of the lord from Ierusalem he shal iudge amongst the nations and reserue many people they shal break their swordes also into mattockes and their speares into sithes nation shal not lift vp a sword against nation neither shall they learne to fight any more O house of Iacob come ye and let vs walke in
precious bloude of Christ Although many hurtfull beastes inuirone it and goe about by craft to burst into it and vtterly to destroy it yet shall it growe and be fruitfull because the lord him selfe keepeth it and is a watchman and keper thereof which keepeth it with all care and diligence And the new testament in Mathew speaketh of the church after the same sort Although this vineyard abide great tempests violent assaults and grieuous stormes yet is it not torne in pieces broken downe lesned or cutte shorter and made straighter but euery day becommeth more flourishing greater and greener For the church encreaseth and is dilated and spred into the foure quarters of the whole world The Apostles which were to spring of the seede of Iacob and Israel according to the flesh propagated and spread the Gospell abroade through all the world And the Lord by their planting and wateryng gaue such encrease that throughout the whole world there sprong vp of the Gentils spirituall Iacobites and Israelites which haue the fayth of their heauenly father Iacob and by their lyfe professe and witnes that they are endued with the fayth of the Patriarkes and are their children by fayth And thus the true Iacob or Israel that is the true church spreadeth it selfe through the whole world which before was onely in Iudea For many shall come from the East and West and shall sitte downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen And it was conuenient that the trumpe of the gospel should at the same tyme of grace be blown through the whole worlde that the grace of Christ myght appeare and be opened and offered to all men And that both the Iewes and Gentiles might be gathered out of the whole earth into one church and worship the lord Iesus Christ in hys holy hyll Ierusalem to wit the catholike church which is the hill of the Lord and the heauenly Ierusalem For the earthly Ierusalem hath now hys ende and lyeth wasted and destroyed and was but onely a type of the heauenly Ierusalem And now that the truth it selfe and the thyng figured is come and is present there needeth not any more figures In vayne therfore and frustrate is the expectation and hope of the Iewes which vnderstande these prophesies of the earthly Ierusalem which shal neuer be restored to his former state and dignity as Daniel prophesieth in his 9. chapter ¶ Anna. If this vineyard or catholike church that is christian religion should flourish thorough the whole world If also the Gentils should worship Christ and if they should become true Israelites and by the helpe and ayde of Christ flourish and waxe greene then surely was it conuenient that Christ should rise from the dead to plant and kepe the great and ample vineyarde and so saue and deliuer not only Israel according to the flesh but euen vs Gentiles which be the spirituall Israelites But these two disciples considered not this ☞ Vrb. If these prophesies be well and diligently waied and considered we may plainely see and gather out of euery one of them the resurrection of Christ true christians This is the true deliueraunce of Israel not only from the king of Assiria or Babilon but from that great and horrible tirant of hel Satan and euerlasting death Esay prophesieth in other places also of that gracious tyme of the new testament wherin Christ came and the holy ghost was sent into the Apostles by whō the chiefe and true quietnes and peace of consciēce was giuen in the kingdom of Christ And thus he prophesieth in the 32. The pallace shal be forsaken c. vntill the spirit be powred vpon vs from aboue and the wildernesse become a fruitfull field and the plenteous field bee counted as a forest And iudgement shall dwel in the desert iustice shal remaine in the fruitful fields And the worke of iustice shall be peace euen the worke of iustice and quietnes and assuraunce for euer And my people shall dwell in the tabernacle of peace and in sure dwellings and in safe resting places Esay had tolde the Iewes that both their city and kingdome should bee destroyed as it came to passe afterwarde by the Chaldes And so it ought to bee before the commyng of Messias who should ende all calamities and before the holy spirit of Christ should be poured vpon thē from heauen which was fulfilled in Ierusalem on Whitsonday whē Christ sent his spirit visibly vnto his Apostles Then at the last was the true Ierusalem builded by the Apostles on Christ the head corner stone Then the desert that is the remnant of the Iewes and Gentiles shall be as a field well tilled and they shall bring forth aboundance of fruite in the fayth of Christ And the fielde which before flourished to wit the Sinagoge shall be made a forrest and wildernes Then shall true righteousnes dwell in this kingdome of Christ to wit fayth in Christ which bringeth forth most pleasaunt and delectable fruites namely peace euen true peace in the lord peace of conscience with true and euerlasting security He calleth the church of Christ also the habitation of peace the tabernacle of trust or most sure habitation because we can fynde peace and safety from the tiranny of the wicked spirite from sinne and from death in no other place but onely in the churche of Christ For he which kepeth and defendeth the church is the Lord of hostes himselfe which hath ouercome Sathan and established Sion that is the churche on a strong and sure foundation and in all places strongly defendeth it from all euils that hang ouer it He onely deserued and made our reconciliation The church is his heauenly body the church is his temple the church is his kyngdome wherein he dwelleth And therefore there can bee no true peace at all any where but onely in the church in which we haue true peace with GOD thorough our mediator and reconciler Iesus Christ Without this dwelling place of God is very whote indignation wrath and wretchednesse For in hym which beleeueth not in Christ dwelleth the wrath of God therefore he must needes perish But the true peace and securitie which we haue here but in fayth by the holy ghost the earnest peny of our inheritaunce shall then in deede at the last in the lyfe to come haue his beginnyng when our last enemy death shal be vtterly abolished There is also in the 35. of Esay a comfortable prophesie of Christ and of the kingdome of hys church of the doctrine of his Gospell of the miracles and signes of Christ and of our true deliuerance through Christ and of the eternall ioy of faythfull Christians The wordes are these The deserte and the wildernesse shall reioyce and the waste grounde shall bee glad and flourish as the rose it shall flourish aboundantly and shall greatly reioyce also and ioy The glory of Libanus shall be geuen vnto it the beauty of
Christ when the welsprings of liuyng water shall flowe from place to place in the desert where God before was not knowen nor heard of because that out of one church or congregation of the godly the gospell shall flowe and spread abroade into other places that there they may learne to know Christ And where the serpentes before spewed out theyr poyson of false doctrine superstition and idolatry thither shall the sounde doctrine of the truth now bee brought and there shall it bring forth most plentifull fruites ¶ Anna. What way and holy pathe is that which is here spoken of in this prophesie by which he sayth no sinner goeth ☞ Vrbanus Hee speaketh in this prophesie of the Gospell of Christ and of hys Church The holy way therefore whereof he speaketh here is fayth in Iesus Christ true God and perfect man borne here of the seede of Abraham and Dauid In this way walked Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid Mary and the Apostles neyther is there any other way but this vnto the liuyng God as Christ sayth I am the way and the truth and the lyfe no man commeth vnto the father but by me There is no other true faith but the christian and catholike fayth All other sectes though they seeme neuer so holy are nothing els but errours and Satanicall superstitions No man was euer saued vnlesse he beleued in Christ And therfore this Christian fayth is called the true right onely and holy way vnto euerlasting saluation He that walketh this way whosoeuer he be though he be a very foole in worldly matters yea a most simple ideot or vilest sinner hee can not but must needes be pertaker of euerlasting lyfe But whosoeuer goeth any other way although he seeme to the worlde learned holy wyse and of great experience yet he wandereth all wyde and goeth astray nay he hasteth hedlong vnto hell Furthermore this way onely is most sure and safe In this way Lions and wylde beastes can not hurt vs For neither tirantes nor false teachers can hurt them whosoeuer they be that abide in this way and goe not out thereof For though they take from them both their goodes and lyues yet shall they haue no losse but gayne thereby For all thinges happen vnto their health so long as they are kept of Christ who hath such care ouer them and so preserueth them that he suffereth not the least haire of theyr heade to perishe ¶ Anna. But who are these redemed of the Lord ☞ Vrban Euen both Iewes and Gentils which beleue in Iesus Christ namely all true Christians These were once seduced by Sathan and brought into the horrible captiuity of sinne and death and therin had remayned for euer if the lord had not himself come and by his precious bloud deliuered thē But the Lord himselfe came and vanquished and spoiled Satan And so these redemed turned to Sion that is into the holy catholike church by faith and the sacraments and they come with prayse ioy and exultation For the more vile and horrible the captiuity was so much greater is the ioy of the prisoners which are redeemed But this was a most vile and horrible continuall captiuity wherin we should haue bene for euer most miserably tormēted both in body and soule with al kind of calamities tortors I say which are such that they passe all our sences and capacity And therfore this our ioy in the Lord in Sion is and that by right infinit incomprehensble and more then hart can conceiue The world also hath his ioy but the ioy therof is momentany and very short for it hath his ende and continueth not But the ioy of the faythfull christians is eternall It beginneth here in fayth but afterward whē our last enemy death shal be swalowed vp and Satan with the wicked and deceitfull world cast downe into the pit of hell there to bee tormented for euer then at the last it shall burst forth and shew it selfe And all they that beleued in Christ to wit his whole kingdom shal frō that tyme forth be no more afflicted with enemies Then shall the true and euerlasting ioy of the faithfull christians begin heauines sorow and griefe shal then haue an ende For that kingdom when the glory therof shall be made manifest shall then at the last haue no more sinne nor feele death sickenes persecution calamity troubles or aduersitie for all causes of sorrows and sadnes are then through Christ taken away As Christ witnesseth in Iohn I wil see you againe and your hartes shall reioyce and your ioy shall no man take from you And in the Apocalips the voyce saith That GOD shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shal be no more death neither sorow neither crying neither shal there be any more payne ¶ Anna. Seyng that we through our Messias should haue such full and perfect redemption from all our sinnes death and damnation and enioy euerlasting lyfe felicity out of doubt he neither could nor should remayne in death And would to God we could beleue this and alwayes reioyce in the Lord. Vrban Truely so we should in deede alwayes beleue and reioyce But that euill spirit through his wicked temptations oftentymes doth so with thick clouds darcken this cleare sonne of ioy and fayth in vs that sometymes we cannot see it Yea he maketh vs sometymes so heauy that we either altogether forget this great and iuestimable promise of euerlasting life or els waigh it not so diligently nor print it so deeply in our harts as we ought But let vs alwayes keep in our hands the sword of the spirite that is the gospell and therewithall defend our selues from the fiery dartes of our enemies We must stir vp and exercise our faith by diligent vsing reading hearing and handling the scripture least we sleep in carnal security Yea we must say euery foot with the holy prophet Dauid Behold heare me O Lord my God lighten mine eyes that I sleepe not in death lest mine enemy say I haue preuayled against him and they that afflict me reioyce when I slide Esay prophesyeth again of Christ O Syon that bringest good tidings get thee vp into the high mountaynes O Ierusalem that bringest good tidings lift vp thy voice with strength lift it vp be not afrayd say to the Cities of Iuda Behold your God behold the Lord God will come with power and his arme shall rule for him Behold his wages is with him and his worke before him Here Syon and Ierusalem are warned that they preach the comming grace power of God in Christ As if he should say to other cities in Iuda ye haue looked long for Messias which was promysed in the law and prophets now looke vp now lift vp your eares and harts behold here is your God Messias the most mighty Lord who hath shewed his power in that he hath redeemed you from those mighty and cruell
through al the world how the Apostles should gather together by the preaching of the gospel all such of the gentils as be elect and should bring them into heauenly Ierusalem the catholicke church as a sacrifice and oblation vnto the lord These be his words For it shal come that I wil gather all nations and tongues and they shall come and see my glory and I will set a signe among them and will send those that escape of thē vnto the nations of Tarshish Pul and Lud and to them that draw the bow To Tuball and Iauan Iles a far of that haue not heard my fame netther haue seene my glory and they shall declare my glory among the gentils and they shall bring all your bretheren for an offering vnto the Lord out of all nations vpon horses and in charyots in horselitters and vpon mules and swift beastes to Ierusalem my holy mountaine saith the Lord as the children of Israell offer in a clean vessell in the house of the Lord. Doe you heare God by the preaching of the gospel wil iudge all the works both of the Iewes and the gentils and will gather them together that they may see the glory of God how that all our hability and strength is nothing but that only his grace obtayned by Christ is al in al. This Christ only forgeueth our sins iustifyeth vs saueth vs and he only destroyeth and ouercommeth death and the deuil and delyuereth all his out of all misery and calamity And this deliuerāce doth he declare by the preaching of the gospell in all parts of the world and he calleth certayn parts of the earth which lye East and West North and South which lye to the foure parts of the world And that rēnant of Iewes which he speaketh of here which escape and are delyuered out of blindnes are the Apostles them doth he send to all the world Wherefore you may well see that there he doth not speake of a worldely kingdome Iesus Christ crucyfied is the signe he is preached to be the only sauyour of the world and the true glory of God which glory that is to say truth mercy power which God hath geuen vs in Christ shall be preached and shewed to the Gentils and by that preaching shal the Gentils be brought to God as it were a gift or oblation purifyed and made acceptable by the gospell as Paul witnesseth to the Rom. saying I put you in remembrance through the grace that is geuen me of God that I should be the minister of Iesus Christ towards the Gentils 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is ministring the gospel of god that the offering vp of the gentils might be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an oblation acceptable being sanctified by the holy ghost You see then that the Iewes sacrifice should haue an end and that liuely men not bruit beastes must be offered vnto the Lord in all lands The true delyueranee of Israell by Messias is this that he saueth all his that be in the world as wel Iewes as Gentils which are conuerted and illuminated by the word and his holy spirite and maketh thē partakers of eternall life And these thus delyuered and saued by Christ are that heauenly Ierusalem the holy mountaine and the congregation of the faithfull in Christ into the which there is euery day some brought out of all places and offered vnto the Lord as a pure oblation By these horses chariots horslitters and such other that the prophet here speaketh of must be vnderstoode that sweet faire gentle milde and pleasant preaching of the gospel in which the consciences of men be caryed very easely And by these things as S. Augustine saith may be vnderstood all the help we haue either by God himself or by his angels or men wherby the bretheren of the elected Israelits be drawen into the church as bretheren into the catholick faith And thus do you heare how that the spiritual kingdome of Christ the church consisteth both of the Iewes and gentils and how that in all parts of the world she is gouerned by the preaching of the gospel and is subiect in this life to the cros that she may be made lyke to Christ her king and yet notwithstanding she hath passing fayr great and comfortable promises in which she reposeth her hope and hath her comfort and consolation til such time as Christ the king of glory appeare from heauen in his maiesty with the angels of his power that he may be glorifyed in his saints and praysed in all his faithfull Thē at that day shall it wel appeare how great excellent and infinite the glory of the eternall king and of his kingdome and the holy church is whereof the prophets haue spoken euen from the beginning ¶ Anna. What prophesyeth Ieremy of Christ and his church ☞ Vrb. Ieremy in his 11. chap. prophesyeth of the willing redynes of Christ in suffering his passion he sayth thus The Lord hath taught me and I know it euen then thou shewedst me their practises but I was like a lambe or a bullock that is brought to the slaughter and I knew not that they had deuysed this against me saying let vs destroy the tree with the fruit therof and cut him out of the land of the liuing that his name may be no more in memory But O Lord of hostes that iudgest righteously and tryest the raynes and the hart let me see thy vēgeance on them for vnto thee haue I opened my cause Here in this prophecy Ieremy is a figure of Christ and the church hath 1000. yeares and moe so expounded this text to wit that God the father doth here reuele to his sonne Christ the wicked counsels hatred despite and bitternes of the Iewes and how that they would kil him as a sheep and lambe By the which name Esay also calleth Christ For it was very requisite that he should be that lambe without spot which by his only sacrifice should purge the sinnes of the wholl world euen as the figures in Moyses law fore shewed ¶ Anna. Why doth Christ here say that he perceiued not or knew not their wicked and malicious pretences seeing he him self told his disciples lōg before his passion that he must suffer at Ierusalem and knew euery thing the Iewes ment and deuised against him ☞ Vrb. S. Hierō taketh the meaning of this text thus that Christ saw in him self no sinn or knew him self to be gilty of no sin as Esay saith But although this may be so read and vnderstood yet do I take it to be meant of Ieremy him self against whom the Iewes at Anathoth toke such diuelish deadly and priuy counsell as he had not vnderstoode of if God had not reuealed it to him It is sufficiēt that Ieremy be a figure of Christ in the chief point that is to say in his passion for it is not needful that he should in euery word beare the figure of Christ
conscience and acknowledge God our Father by Iesus Christ the mediator of the new testament And therefore did they so earnestly looke for him as Christ sayth Abraham in spirite saw this day of the new testament in which Christ should by the Gospel and the holy ghost be manifested and declared vnto the world and he was glad The ould testament was a preparatiue of the new testamēt into Christ in which the outward letter doth not onely sownd into the eares but the spirit also doth inwardly quicken illuminate the hart but these thinges were hid and few did knowe it But in the the new testament these are plaine and manifest whereupon Paule calleth the Corrinthians his Epistle written not with ink but by the spirite of the liuing God not in tables of stone but euen in the fleshly tables of the hart The Iewes receaued the law from God who promised them temporall goodes and blessinges and they on the other side againe promised vnto the Lord that they would keepe it but they performed not their promise neither fulfilled they those thinges which the Lord in his law required at their hāds For they assayd indeuored to keepe it of them selues without the help of Messias but it was vnpossible And then the Lorde made a better testament or a new couenaunt with his people which dependeth not of our workes or worthines which are vncertaine wauering weake vncōstant and vnstable but euen of his owne promise of Christ which is most sure and vnfaileable and without our desert This couenaunt was a couenant of grace a sure couenaunt a continuall and firme couenaunt for it is grounded on Gods mercye in our Messias For the truth and mercy of God abideth for euer and the giftes and calling of God are without repentaunce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore first he sendeth Moyses to teach them the law and to shew the world their sinnes and the curse dew for their sinnes that so he might make them come and cōfesse their faultes and humble them selues before god aske his pardon The Lord had promised from the beginning his grace and blessing in Messias the seede of Abraham and Dauid This promise is the gospell or new testament instituted confirmed at the fulnes of tyme by the bloud of Iesus Christ and therfore was it needefull that Christ should come vnto whome the law sendeth and turneth all men that they may haue grace and truth graunted by Iesus Christ ¶ Anna. Cleophas and his companion vnderstoode not this For if they had they would neuer haue been so heauy but haue thought this with them selues The time is now come wherin our Iudaisme with our ceremonies shall haue an end and Iesus of Nazareth by his wonders hath declared him self to be the true Messias Surely Ieremy prophesyeth that the old Testament when the fulnes of time should come should be abrogated and the new couenant of grace should take place And this must be confirmed by bloud but not by the bloud of sheep and calues but by the death of Messias as Esay and Danyel witnes And this couenant which God made with the people of God shall contynue for euer This is that true delyuerance of Israell And now at the last shall the kingdome of Israell in deed be rightly restored erected establisted for euer God wil not recant this and therfore must it needes be done because God hath spokē it And as he hath not hetherto altered the course of the day and night euen so wil he not change this his promise To be short the hope of Israell shall not be frustered but as we trust so according to the promise of God shall it come to pas For God cānot lye neither did he make this promise vpon any such condition that our saluation shold consist vpon our works and therfore it is sound perfect and sure And therefore must Israell and Iuda needes be saued and Christ aryse again from the dead that he might preach and publish the new couenant ☞ Vrb. You say wel And seeing that the circumcision and other rites were to be abrogated they might easely haue coniectured that the kingdome of Israell could no more stand or tary then the externall priesthoode with his outward and figuratiue ceremonies Wherupon it may wel follow that the Gentiles also should haue accesse vnto Messias be receaued into his spirituall kingdome For seeing the externall circumcisiō with the priesthood sacrifices and genealogies which were drawen from Abraham did cease and were no more esteemed and neither ought nor could doe any thing to the iustifying of sinners but the harts were to be circumcised and the law of God by the holy Ghost to be written in mennes minds what differences I pray you is there now between the iustification of the Iewes and Gentils Anna. None in deed at all but as Peter saith God ordayned from the beginninning that the gospel shold be preached euen to the gentils and that they should become as faithfull christians as Abraham Isaac Iacob and the Patriarches Apostles were For God promysed that he would receaue them into his kingdome for he bestowed on them the holy Ghost as wel as on the Iewes Neither did he after make any difference betwen the Iewes and Gentils The stop of the partision wal is broken down and the Lord hath clensed the harts of the gentils through faith so that now Christians or the church of the faithful are onely the people of God without any further differēce and they are as Christ saith faithful only saued Neither can any man be saued any other way but only by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ ☞ Vrb. This is the foundation of our faith And wheras Ieremy promysed afterward that al from the least vnto the greatest should know the Lord in his new testament you must vnderstand it of all the Isralites which are the children of promise For to them the Lord geueth the catholick faith and the holy spirite by his gospel and he draweth them that they may come vnto Christ and that his spirite may teach them and they know the voice of their shepheard and follow not any strange teacher Now harken how Ezechiel prophesieth of the time of the office and of the kingdome of Messias in his 11. chapter where he hath these words Thus saith the lord God I wil gather you again from the people and assemble you out of the countreis where you haue been scattered and I wil geue you the land of Israel and they shall come thether and they shall take away all the Idols thereof and all the abhominations therof from thence And I wil geue them one hart and wil put a new spirite within their bowels and I wil take the stony hart out of their bodies and wil geue them a hart of flesh that they may walke in my statutes and keep my iudgements and execute them and they shall be my people and I wil
set my sanctuary among them for euer more Thy tabernacle also shall be with them yea I will be their God and they shall be my people Thus the heathen shall know that I the lord doo sanctify Israell when my sanctuary shall be among them for euermore This prophecy was corporally fulfilled after they had ben captiues 70. years when the Iews returned into their countrye and assēbled themselues together and multiplied vntill the comming of Christ which was to come .490 yeares after that captiuitye then in deede had they one king But this prophesye was truely fulfilled in the last weeke spoken of by Daniell at the former comming of Christ when both he and his disciples conuerted thē in the land of Chanaan and els where where they were dispersed and gathered them by the gospell into that onely spirituall shepfold the Church of Christ before times Iudah Beniamin had a king of their owne and the ten tribes which fell from the house of Dauid vnder Roboham had another king of their owne but when Christ the true Dauid came all the Iewes were made one people vnder one true king Christ In this kingdome shall not the question be curiously asked whether you are of the tribe of Ruben Leuy Isachar Zebulon Dan Gad or Ashur c but it shall be asked art thou a Christian doest thou acknowledge and confesse Iesus of Nazareth to be the true Messias whom the patriarkes prophets and all the tribes of Israel did loke for They euen vnto this time carefully looked for Christ But when Christ himselfe came the true sheppard and king of Israell then was that euerlasting couenaunt of grace betwixt God and man ratified and then that true throne of grace wherein all fulnes of the Godhed corporally dwelleth that is Iesus Christ true God and true man was conuersant here himselfe in earth amongst men That ould Caporeth and their materiall temple and Leuiticall priesthood was then no more to be regarded for all tipes and figures then ceased the truth it selfe appered Christly fidelians who layd hould of Christ in their hartes by true fayth were then made the liuely temple and sanctuary of God. As Paule well and learnedly expoundeth such figures saying Know ye not sayth he that you are the temple of God and that the spirite of God dwelleth in you for the temple of God is holy which ye are And to the Corrinthians he teacheth what is true holynes and the fulfilling of al figures to wit Christ himselfe Who sayth he was geuen vs of the Father to be our wisedome holynes righteousnes sanctificatiō and redēption And as the Lord himselfe sayth a little after in Ezech. My righteousnes that is my sanctuarye or habitation shall be for euer among them This is the circumstaunce and prophets drift in the prophesye afore sayd to perswade and proue this congregation of the Israelites to be an euerlasting and spiritual kingdome vnder their owne king christ For the land of Canaan Ierusalem and the temple were brittle and but for a tyme euen as this visible world is Therefore that habitation could not continew for euer wherefore the prophet speaketh here of spiritual and eternal things which cannot by continuaunce of time decay dy but must stand for euer These things which are earthly and of this world vanish decay but the king Messias his habitation the house of Iacob and his kingdome abideth for euer Wherefore they are not earthly nor carnall but euerlasting and spirituall ¶ Anna. Yf according to this prophesye the house of Iacob or the kingdome of Messias should be the sanctuary of God for euer and this spirituall Dauid be the king of the faythfull Christians or Israelites for euer then must it needes follow that he should rise agayne and gather the disparsed Israelites or children of god together that he might erect an euerlasting kingdome and rayse his people from death and geue them lyfe and saluation in euerlasting peace This is that true holynes and full deliueraunce of Israell from all all euilles temporall and eternall If Cleophas and his companion had vnderstode and beleued this prophesy they would neuer haue said We thought that it had beene he that should haue redeemed Israell but they would haue sayd we hope and beleue that it is he that hath and shall redeeme Israell although he hath now suffred death For the promise of the Lord is sure and certaine and can neuer deceaue vs Farthermore in as much as Messias is called Dauid because he was born of Dauids stock and in as much as he is true man what maruaile is it if he be subiect to death and dyed But in that he should keepe and gouerne Israell for euer he could not abide in death but must needes rise agayne thereby to fulfill this and other prophesies concerning his euerlasting kingdome But there is one thing in this prophesye which moueth a doubt you sayd yesterday that Ezechiell in this chap. did prophesye of that generall and vniuersall resurrectiō which should be at the last day Wherefore then doth the prophet say that these dry bones were the house of Israell which was in captiuitie at Babilon how can you here by proue the vniuersall resurrection of the dead Vrba I confesse in deede that Ezechiel in this chap. doth speake of the deliueraunce and restitution of Israell and that he prophesieth also of their returne and as it were by law recouer their land lost in their absence But iudge you seing God by this similitude would comfort his people that they should not doubt of their deliuerance whether our resurrection maye not heare be gathered of this place as a certayne and vndoubted truth or no. For if our resurrection were vncertayne and doubtfull he could not by it haue proued or ministred vnto them any sownd and sure cōfort For then they would haue sayd loke how slender and small hope there is that these bones should liue agayne euen so small hope is there that we should be redeemed out of the captiuitie of Babilon But here the prophet bringeth in and alleageth the resurrection of their bones as a thing most sure of which no good nor godly man may doubt euen as if he had sayde looke how certayne and sure it is that these bodies shall rise and liue againe by the power of God euen so sure also it is that you shall be deliuered out of the captiuitie of Babilon and restored to your owne countrye agayne Moreouer wee know that the catholicke Church both in the east and west hath hetherto without all cōtrouersie by the instinct light of thy holy ghost expounded this prophesy of the resurrection of the fleshe Of which thing the holy Byshops and Doctors are plentifull witnesses as Ireneus Turtulian Ciprian Hillary Ambrose Gregory Nazianzenus and Gregory the great in his booke agaynst Valent. Turtulian in hys treatise of the resurrection of the flesh Cyprian in his third book to
with God true peace securitye euerlasting ioy true life and eternall saluatiō For if the sin of the Gentiles should not be taken away then in deede should neither death nor Sathans tyranny and kingdome be taken away neither could they haue any cōfort or hope But seing that Christ is their hope and comfort and that no vaine comfort for God himselfe speaketh it then surely must all heuines calamities and misery be taken away from the gentiles also which is nothing els but sin euill conscience death and euerlasting damnation And therfore must they also of necessitie rise from death and liue for euer with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen You see by the Epistle of S. Peter that the prophets haue respect vnto the health of the soules and therfore their whole indeuor is to preach true comfort seing the prophecie of Christ who brought vs from sin to righteousnes and innocencye and from death to life euerlasting as we finde he doth in deed Moreouer he hath deserued for vs the comforter the holy Ghost by whome he helpeth and comforteth vs vnder the crosse vntill we be called out of this fraile and miserable life and receaue the promised crowne of glory which in deede we posses in this earth though it be but yet in fayth and hope ¶ Anna. You alwayes haue sayd that Zachary is a prophet full of notable comforts Let vs therfore here what comfort he geueth vs by his promises ☞ Vrba He is in deede a comfortable prophet and the dayes wherein he liued required the same For he prophecied when the Iewes were euen at the point of returning out of the captiuitie of Babilon and when the Citie with the temple should be builded agayne The people at that time were yet faint harted fearefull and doubted that they should not be safe from their enemies and therfore he comforteth them and setteth Christ before their eyes as a louing Sauiour that so they might be of good cheare saying that Christ should spedely come and helpe his seruantes and spread his kingdome through the whole world and therfore was it needefull that Iuda and Ierusalem should be builded againe to the end they might receaue their owne king And the prophet speaketh as followeth Ierusalem shall be inhabited without the walles for the multitude of men and cattell therein For I sayth the Lord will be vnto her a wall of fire round about and will be the glory in the midest of her Here he prophesieth of the spirituall Ierusalem to wit the church of Christ for the earthly Ierusalem had hir boundes and walles but the heauenly Ierusalem shal be so wide and large that it can not be compassed with any walles yea it shall be as wide as the world For it is the kingdome of Christ which by little and little without ceasing shall be increased vnto the last day and the true children of Abraham are as the God of Abraham promised euen as the sand of the sea and the starre in the firmament and the promised blessing shall come vpon all nations through the whole world that Christ maye be knowen and worshipped euery where for the true Lord god By the cattell vnderstand weakelinges and such as are ignoraunt in the knowledge of the scriptures and fayth these are led and fed in the pastures of Christ by those which are more strong and firme in fayth But he is a merueilous wall which is all fiery truly the Church of Christ in this place hath so great and comfortable a promise of Gods helpe as you shall scarsely finde in any other place of the scriptures For I wil be saith the Lord a wall of fire round about hir the Church of Christ You see that he speaketh here of the heauenly Citye wherein God himselfe will be the watchman keper wall defēder if their God be thus present with vs we haue iust cause to reioyce in the Lord seeing that wheresoeuer God himselfe watcheth defendeth and fighteth for vs there are we safe out of daunger of this world and Sathan and neede not feare them To be breefe the great humilititie of Christ Iesus in that he vouchsafed to become man being the true son of God and the sending of the holy ghost the true teacher of holsome doctrine in the Church of God whereby the church is still houlden and preserued in truth that it may stedfastly cleaue to God where as otherwise the whole world is blinded with errors caried away with lyes and miserably deceaueth it selfe these I say do sufficiētly declare how gloriously the Lord hath shewted himselfe in this spirituall Ierusalem Sathan the world and heretickes do not cease nor sleepe but bend themselues in all they may yea they striue with hand and foote to destroy Christ his church But although according to the flesh it be weake yet neuerthelesse it standeth and getteth the victory ouer all hir enemies So plentifully doth the Lord declare his glory in his spirituall citye the Church In the wordes following he setteth forth the helpe and comfort which we shall haue in Christ his kingdome saying He which toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye How I pray you could a most louing and tender father speak more louingly or sweetely euen to his darling and derely beloued son if the Lord looke carefully to vs as men vse to looke to the apple of their eyes then surely can no hurt happen vnto vs in the kingdome of Christe neither neede we to feare any daunger A little after Zachary comforteth such Christiās as are vnder the crosse and by reason of the weakenes of the flesh are in feare and trouble euen as the Iewes were at that time saying Reioyce and be glad O daughter Sion for I come and will dwell in the middest of thee sayth the Lord and many nations shall be ioyned to the Lord in that day and shall be my people and I will dwell in the middest of thee and thou shalt know the Lord of hostes hath sent me vnto the. And the Lord shall inherit Iuda his portiō in the holy land and shall chuse Ierusalem agayne Let all flesh be still before the Lord for he is raised vp out of his holy place That is to say O Sion although thou be afflicted here in the earth yet be of good chere because thou shalt cōtinew For I my selfe do come and abide with thee Was not this fulfilled when god became man and at this day wheresoeuer Gods word is receaued there doth God dwell and that is the true Sion as Christ sayth in Iohn He that loueth mee keepeth my commaundementes and my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and will dwell with him Surely this is the spirituall kingdome wherein god dwelleth with vs by the gospel and by fayth which the holy ghost worketh in vs as S. Paul sayth to the Ephe Christ dwelleth in our hartes by fayth And Esay telleth vs where God
fier Note that Malla sayth that the Lord that is Christ shall come to his temple Pithom that is by and by vnloked for For when the people came on heapes and flocked vnto Iohn where he preached sodainely Christ came and commaunded Iohn to baptise him and began to teach and went in to the temple at Ierusalem And Mala. sayth whome seeke you for Christ was in the law and prophets promised as the true deliuerer of Israell And therfore all the godly gredely earnestly looked for him And Malla calleth Christ the Angell of the new testament or couenaunt For he was sent from the father as the messenger of the great message that he might be the mediator of the new testament or of the eternall couenaunt of grace which was made and confirmed by the precious bloud and death of Christ Yf this messenger had not ben sent and stroken this couenaunt of grace betwixt God the Father and vs and if he had not recōciled vs and in his owne person wiped away our sinnes we had taried and perished in our sinnes in death and in the wrath of God for euer But seeing that Christ is come and hath made and confirmed this testament or league by so great a price wee which beleue in Christ haue in Christ the messenger of the new testament remission of our sinnes euerlasting righteousnes reconciliation with God and lyfe and saluation He which first promised this testament is god the truth it selfe he which confirmed and approued it is the naturall son of god our sauiour in whom the father is well pleased and he which teacheth vs to vnderstand this couenaunt and to beleue it who also witnesseth vnto vs that the couenaunt is firme and stable and that we are the children of God is the holy Ghost Loe these are the vnsearchable riches of Christ which Paule euery where did magnifically preach And therefore very well sayth the prophet Escher athem hephezim that is whome doe you so carefully greedely and hartely desires You know that Hopheptz in the holy toung doth signifie to be rauished with a singular and harty desire of any thing as when we couet to haue any thing with a harty desire with a good will and with a great and ardēt appetite And thus did the true Israelites with all their hartes earnestly looke for the comming of Christ because they knew that we through Christes merits onely should obtaine all true felicitye with God that is full deliueraunce frō all euils They did know that which the new testament euery where now witnesseth to wit the man of himselfe without the spirite power hope of Messias could not performe the law and that none could obtaine righteousnes and saluation but by Christ And therefore did they looke for him as the onely reconciler and Sauiour and as that true and onely fulfiller of all thinges or as Paule calleth him the fulfilling of the law in whome they put all their confidence For wheresoeuer they desire preach the mercy and deliueraunce of God there also do they desire and glorify Christ who onely and no other in the whole world hath obtained and deserued the mercye of God and hath brought vs true and euerlasting redētion Wherefore Augustine that worthy Doctor of the Church sayth well and godly after this sort For his sake the testament is in him the testament is decided he is the mediator of the testament he sealed the testament he is surety for the testament he is witnes of the testamēt he is the inheritance of the testament and he is fellow heire of the testament ¶ Anna. Whether of Christes comming is it that Mala sayth shall be so heauy and intollerable ☞ Vrba He speaketh of his former comming which although vnto the true Israelites and children of promise it was a singular comfort and great ioy and a thing especially desired as appeareth in Simeon and Anna the prophets and such lyke yet was it a horrible and feareful comming to the rest of the vnbeleuing Iewes Pharises Saduces other deceauers of which they did reape no ioy or profite but were offended in Christ could not stād in his sight Their doctrine had daiseled the eyes of the cōmon sort with a great shew of holynes whereas it was nothing els in deed but horrible errors hipocrisye and deceite When Christ Iesus came the true light of the world and the truth it selfe by whome came grace and truth then all the errors simulations and deceites craftes and hipocrisie of those deceiuers were manifested and they thēselues destroyed For he did openly reproue and accuse their lyfe and doctrine and he so confounded them which before were accounted most godly and learned in Iudaisme that it might easely appeare vnto all men that they were blind guids of the blinde and meere deceiuers For when the gospell was mightely truely taught then could no error or hipocrisie lurke and be vnknowen so forceable was the truth Nay the word is so pure and perfect that euen the most holy are accused by it because no man in this flesh is free from sin To be short for this cause was Christ borne and for this cause came he into the world that he should bere witnes vnto the truth and he that is of truth heareth his voyce Sathan had sowen and spread marueilous hipocrisies and lyes in the world but Christ came that he might confound the lyes and teach the truth And therfore his first comming of Christ because his doctrine was vnpleasāt and sharpe vnto the world and because he accused them of sin was as a fier which purifieth and clenseth all filth and drosse from gould maketh a strange seperatiō of the euill from the good Whē he teacheth he doth seperate gould and siluer that is good men from copper and drosse to wit from the hard harted hipocrites For he which was of God heard the word of Christ and left all his errors and cast all his hipocrisie a side and became a faythfull or true Israelite in whome was no deceite By the crosse also they were purged and tryed as gould in the fier This tribulation and crosse alway waiteth vpon the word and alwayes commeth with the word And Christ at his first comming hath true Leuites spirituall priestes which are consecrated and clensed These are as Peter sayth all that truly beleue in christ but especially they which faythfully teach the word by which the righteousnes of fayth doth enter into the hart These offer true acceptable sacrifices in righteousnes that is in the fayth of Christ which before God is true righteousnes They offer themselues in fayth they offer an humble and penitent hart and they offer prayses and thankesgeuing for their redemption in Christ The holy doctors as often as they do conuert the people by the gospell from darcknes of vnbelefe vnto the light and from the power of Sathan vnto God so often do they offer an acceptable sacrifice vnto the