Certaine godlie Homelies or Sermons vpon the Prophets Abdias and Ionas Conteyning a most fruitefull exposition of the same Made by the excellent lerned man RODOLPH GVALTER of Tigure And translated into Englishe By ROBERT NORTON Minister of the worde in Suffolke Imprinted at London by Henrie Bynneman for Rafe Newberie dwelling in Fletestrete a little aboue the Conduite ANNO 1573. ¶ To the worshipfull my good friēd master VVilliam Blenerhaiset esquire Iohn Walker Doctor in diuinitie wisheth perpetuall felicitie in Christ IT is no lesse benefite that wee haue knowledge of our creation redemption preseruatiō eternall saluatiō how to beleue loue worship honor and shewe our selues thankefull vnto our creator redemer preseruer c. than that he hath bestowed these great and inestimable giftes vpon vs of his mercie and free goodnesse Neither auayleth it vs to bee borne and made men and not brute beastes and that Christ hath died risen again and ascended into heauen if we know not the ende of our creation and redemption to be to glorifie god to set forth his prayse and to tell of his wonderfull works This is eternall life saith Christ to know thee the only and true God and him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. We had neuer knowne God we had neuer knowē Christ except he had inspired his holye ones with hys spirit and enforced them to write the holy scriptures wherein he hath reueled himselfe and manifested his will in all things necessarie towardes vs Wherefore we ought first of all to bee moste thankefull to God and in all things to blesse his name both for his fatherly fauor which he beareth towards vs and also for reueling the same by his worde Secondly they be also worthie of their due cōmendatiō which as Gods instrumēts and workemen of God haue laboured with him to set forth the same worde of the knowledge of saluation There are great and weightie causes which haue moued God to vtter himselfe in his worde First that he might set forth his loue wisedome omnipotencie goodness fidelitie to the world which we had neuer knowne without his word God who is faythful sayth August Psa 110. hath made him selfe our debtor not in taking any thing of vs but in promising vs so great things It seemed but a small thing to promise but hee hath also bounde himselfe with scripture as it were making with vs a handwriting of his promises He hath not onely made a writing with men that they might beleue but he hath further appoynted his only sonne to be a mediatour of his fidelitie and truth Wherefore all the worlde is of dutie bounde to giue most heartie and immortall thankes to God the onely authour and reueler of so great benefites howsoeuer otherwise the world do contemne neglect and abuse this knowledge Secondly that the remembrance of this most holy couenant betwene God his church might bee more durable the promise might be more certainly set forth to all posteritie And therefore he hath charged the things to be written taught and learned of them that were present at the promulgation of his worde and of them that should come after c. Psal. 102. Let these thinges be written in another generation that the people whiche shall bee borne hereafter may prayse the lord Adam as Iosephus testifieth in the first booke of his antiquities set vp two tables or pillers of stone and wrote in them the beginning of the creation the fal of man and the promise of Messias After the floud wrote Moses and the rest of the Prophets inspired and led by the spirit of god After the Apostles and Euangelists by the same spirit whose bookes the deuill and all his angels though they greatly despited and impugned them were neuer able either vtterly to destroy or cast them out of the hands of the people of God bycause God woulde haue his couenant to remain in his Church and so will haue them to the worldes ende Rumpantur ilia Codro though the deuyll do burste his guttes c. Thirdly that God will haue hys Church which is the piller and stay of the truth 1. Tim. 3. as in many other things to differ from sectes factions vaine opinions and superstitious of other Gentiles so in this poynt chiefly to bee a keeper and as it were a librarie of the bookes of his Prophets and Apostles wherein he hath declared himselfe to the worlde Wherefore all men are bounde that will bee of the true Church of God to keepe reade and exercise them selues in the true vnderstanding practising of these bookes Fourthly that the keeping and profession of these bookes may be a notable and certain testimonie of the truth and of the will of God in all matters of Religion and a strong fortresse both agaynst all superstitious mans feigninges and deuises and also agaynst al vaine phantasticall spirites preferring their owne dreames and fonde imaginations before the certaintie of Gods scriptures Our gracious God therefore knowing the necessitie and the inestimable profite of the scriptures will haue them sette forth kept and exercised of his Church for euer The scripture is the worde of truth of life the gospell of health the power of God to saluation c. the foode of the soule the light to our feete the sword of the spirite the breath of Gods mouth which who so wanteth runneth into errour into death and destruction is without all comfort of helpe perisheth for foode wandreth in darkenesse standeth naked agaynst his armed aduersaries destitute of Gods grace and spirite which who so wanteth is none of Gods people Rom. 8. The holy mē of god ought to haue their iust cōmendation which were the iust instruments of gods spirit in writing these scripturs not to take any glorie from God and ascribe it vnto men which were meere Jdolatrie and woulde make men arrogant and glorye in them selues but to encourage men to laboure with the Lord and to knowe that their laboure in him is to set foorthe his glorie to profite his Churche and that they them selues shal be pertakers of eternall felicitie Dani. 12. They that be learned shall shine as the sunne they that haue instructed many in wisdom shal be as the stars for euermore these haue not spoken of them selues nor the wisdome of mā but of God He. 1. God hath spoken in alder time many and sundrie wayes to our fathers by his Prophetes c. He sayth not they spake of them selues but God by thē they came not with their owne worde nor their owne authoritie but euer they sayde Haec dicit dominus Thus saith the lord Paule saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the scripture is inspired by the holy ghost c. 2. Pet. 1. We haue a sure certain worde of the Prophets which saith he was not brought in by the will of man but the holy men of God haue spoken being cōpelled by the spirite of god Therefore for their obedience to Gods spirite for their
wherby he hath the soueraigne power ouer all the elements yea euē ouer the whales lyuing in the depth of the sea As concerning oure saluation how farre our whole force is from béeing any thing at all to the deseruyng of the same it is apparant inough by Ionas who plunged himselfe so far that he coulde not be haled out againe but by the myghtie hande of god Which same thing also it is moste certaine hath happened to manye other verie holie men Neuerthelesse to those also that are dismayd with the guyltinesse of their owne corruption is Christe here offered whose death and Resurrection béeing suche as wherin the Scriptures do euery where testifie al stay of our saluation to be reposed was declared before to bée shadowed in this most euident figure In lyke sort what ways we must vse for the embracing of this saluation wée are taught by the example of these Niniuites They beléeue Ionas preaching the worde of GOD and that they doe beléeue him their spéedie and earnest repentance beare sufficient record So fynd they God foorthwith fauorable vnto thē As manie therefore as laye holde vpon Gods woorde with a true Faith and expresse this their faith with amendement of life and conuersation shall in like sorte as these dyd make God at peace wyth them selues For that it is a generall thyng whiche happened vnto these Niniuites euē the Lord himself in the eightenth chapiter of Hieremie teacheth by these wordes Sodeinly vvill I speake against a natiō against a kingdome that I vvill vvaste avvay root out and destroy it And if that people againste vvhome I haue thus deuised turn from their vvickednesse I vvill also repent of the plague that I had deuised to bring vpon them And in an other place If the vngodly wil turne avvaye from all his sinnes that hee hath done and keepe all my commaundementes and doe the thing that is equall and right doubtlesse hee shall liue and not die c. Ezech. 18. Nowe séeing that this booke of Ionas teacheth the same and doth not onely confirme the promyses of God with a moste pleasant example but also in the same setteth foorthe the true way of repentance most profitable yea and excéeding necessarie shall the knowledge therof be vnto vs at this day when as in this last corruption of the world being nowe in a manner past al hope of recouerie verie manifeste tokens of Gods indignation against vs are to be séene This béeing spoken by way of a Preface let vs now come to the exposition of this booke whose beginning herein differeth frō the rest of the Prophets for that it wanteth a title wherwithal they do as it were marke and seale their Sermons To say the truth as for this it neded none suche séeing that it is not occupied about propheticall sayings but rather about an historie And peraduenture it is not much awrye which some do iudge being of the opinion that this little booke was taken out of some greater historical worke and so placed in héere For this copulatiue coniunction And sette in the fyrst fronte therof seemeth to import some such matter And sayeth it The woorde of the Lorde came vnto Ionas the sonne of Amithay saying Aryse and gette thee to Niniue to that greate Citie and cry out agaynste it c. In which words he toucheth two thinges Fyrst he declareth that by the singular or peculiar commaundemente of God he was sente to Niniue to preache there Secondly he reherseth the commaundement worde by worde As touching the fyrst it may not lightly be passed ouer that althoughe he had before tyme vsed the office of teaching among the Israelites yet now he receiueth an especiall precepte wherby he is charged to get him to Niniue For we are admonished by this example that those which are laufully called to the ministerie of Gods woorde maye not therefore at their owne pleasure gadde abrode euery whither and preache at all aduentures where as they thinke good themselues in this or that place For it is certain that among the ministers of the worde there are certaine degrées and that all haue not receyued the dignitie to be as Apostles preaching euery where Looke the fourth chapter so the Ephesians yea neither the Apostles themselues vnaduisedly wandred where they listed but hauing Gods spirite for their guide him they folowed who somtime wold not suffer thē to go whereas else they wer minded as in the historie of Paule and Barnabas we may read These things serue to cōfute such as violently dare rush into all cōgregations without respect and whiles they chalēge to thēselues authoritie ouer al they do with their frowardnesse saucinesse set all very néer in disquet Herein in times past offended the heretikes when as either in secret priuately or otherwise openly they disturbed the cōgregations whose footsteps at this day the Anabaptistes tread in which when as with good right they cannot be ministers of any one Churche neyther yet haue any lawfull calling do neuerthelesse take vpon them to preache in al places and do vsurpe authoritie to speake yea although the ordinarie ministers be present themselues And in this behalfe we can not excuse the immoderate dissolutenesse of the Romish prelates who when as they are not so muche as teachers of the Churche of Rome yet presumptuously title themselues Shepheardes of the whole Christian flocke and at their owne luste ordeyne lawes which all other Bishops must be enforced to obeye Yet did Chrysostome long since blame Epiphanius for that him vnwitting and his aduice not being demaunded he had called a Synode at Constantinople there to condemne the bookes of Origen he also foreshewed vnto him the punishmēt that he shuld vndergoe for so disquieting the Church namely that he should neuer come home againe aliue vnto his owne Bishoprike But what would Chrysostome doe at this day if he sawe what turmoyle the whole world is in and how all congregations are in maner torne asunder by the rash headinesse of Prelates Moreouer by this example is reproued their vntrusty dealing which sende oute the trustie Ministers of the Churche vnto Popishe Councels and assemblies of tyrantes vnder a pretence of defending Religion and that they themselues may be rid of them do as it were lay them open to be rent in pieces of wolues whyles that they enioyne them to shew a reason of their Faith and of their doctrine in suche places where as they know well ynough that truth can take no place As for any suche thing as this is wée can not reade that euer the Godlye kings did it For neyther whē Esay preached against diuers nations did Ezechias sende him foorth to them neyther yet by the cōmandement of the kings of Israel but by the authoritie of Gods own mouth became Ionas a messanger vnto the Niniuites And if it be not lauful for the minister to bidde the Congregation farewel whyche is committed vnto his charge much more may no man compell
suche a one to departe where as there is no vrgent cause bothe laufull and also from God aboue But let vs heare how God cōmandeth the Prophet Aryse sayth he get thee to Niniue to that great citie and crye out agaynst it for their vvickednesse is come vp into my sight This commandement hath thrée partes The first telleth whyther he must goe namely to Niniue that great Citie It was the regall seate of the kings of Assyria first founded of Assur as Moyses maketh mention in the fieldes of Aturia For the prophane writers are deceiued which leaning too much to the likenesse of the word wold ground thervpon that it was buylded of Ninus when as rather it is named after the Hebrewe toung Niniue which being expounded signifieth as much as Beautifull or pleasant And not only this booke beareth recorde of the greatnesse therof but also the Historiographers of the Heathen who write that it conteyned in circuite foure hundreth furlongs and that it was compassed or fensed with towers to the nūber of a thousande and fyue hundreth Howe it excéeded in wealth glorye and strength wée néede not to speake sithe that the whole space of more than a thousande and thrée hundreth yeares it was the seate of the kings of Assyria whose endeuour wanted not for the beautifying thereof all that whyle with the spoyles of the whole Easte And to that ende woulde God call it greate when hée gaue Ionas a commandement to preach there for that after a sorte by a kynde of preuentyng he woulde ridde this Prophete oute of all feare As thoughe hée shoulde saye I knowe howe greate how mightie and howe famous Niniue is yet will I haue thée go thither and bée my preacher there and as for the maiestie therof suffer not thy self to be dismayd therwith c. And surely this deuise of God deserueth not a little to be maruelled at who ieopardeth to so notable a Citie yea in déed to the whole monarchie of the Assirians Ionas being but one whose authoritie although it were of some value in Israel yet among alients and straungers from the religion of the Israelites coulde be of no force at all Howbéeit the same which god here doth was done oftētimes otherwhere also So did he sette Moses béeing takē but frō the flocke and now also a banished man againste Pharao and all the enchaunters of the Egiptians And Hieremie euen in his childhoode is called to fight with the worde of God agaynst kinges Princes priests and the whole people of the land Of lyke sorte was the estate of the Apostles who béeing but obscure themselues and vnskilfull of things before were made able to matche not only with men of their owne nation but also with the Heathen Philosophers and with the maiestie of the Romane empire it self And it is the maner of God for the moste parte to set foorth his worde to the world by base and weake ministers both to confound the hautynesse of the world and also to teache vs all respect of persons being layde aside to depend vpon his authoritie alone Although there was in déede an especiall cause of this ambassage which Hierome did well espye who writeth that Ionas was sent to the Heathen to the cōdemnation of the people of Israel For when as Prophetes many in number had nothing auailed among the Israelites by the space of many yeares God would nowe set foorth an example of easy beléefe and obedience amongest the Heathen whereby both the maiestie of his worde and also the obstinacie of the Ievves now paste hope of reclaiming mighte openly shew themselues And that this is the vse of this example Christe doth declare where as he affirmeth that in tyme to come the Niniuites shall arise and condemne the Ievves Moreouer as these things comprehende in them a manifeste figure of the callyng of the Gentiles so serue they also to instructe vs that God shall neuer want such as amongst whom his worde may bring forth frute and by whose examples they maye bée condemned whiche were wont to haue it in contempt and derision But chéefly the Fatherly goodnesse of God is here worthie the considering a certain example wherof is here sette before our eyes to beholde For as it shal be declared by and by the horrible enormities of the Niniuites were nowe growne vp to the full and had of long since deserued to be cut of by the rootes God might also haue executed punishemente vpon them so that no man coulde haue taken occasion to complayne of his rigour syth they had so filthily euen agaynst the lawes of Nature abused the victories gotten in so many ages Yet dothe the mercyfull Lord moderate his fiercenesse and in appoynting Ionas as an ambassadoure vnto them giueth out this as a plain doctrine that he was desyrous rather to correcte and amende them than vtterly to destroye them Neyther did anye other thing moue him thervnto if we consider the Niniuites saue his owne naturall compassion and mercie wherwith as we reade in the hundreth and third Psalme as a father hath pitie vpon his own chyldren euen so is the Lorde mercifull vnto vs and is not alwaye chyding with vs seeing he knoweth our estate perfectly ynough And the same that he wroughte among the Niniuites we our selues haue in experience both vniuersally to all and priuately to euery one for that it sufficiently appeareth how that God layeth his rodde vpon none whom he hath not first called vnto repentaunce by sundry warnings going before But so péeuishe and frowarde are wée naturally that wée in a manner eyther neglecte or else hate all Admonitions tyll the truthe of them is in dede confyrmed before oure eyes not without our greate smart adioyned to the same In the seconde parte of his commandemente GOD telleth what hée will haue the Prophete to d ee in Niniue Crye oute sayeth he agaynste it By thys woorde Crye he dothe not charge him to bestowe amongest them woordes of disturbaunce as it is the maner of drunkardes and raylers to doe but he commytteth vnto hym the preachyng of his woorde whereby fréely playnely and without all colour of flatterie to denoūce what God hath determined to doe with them So is Esay in his .58 chapter commaunded to open his throate wyde and to lifte vp his voyce lyke a trumpet that he myght shewe the people their offences and the house of Iacob their sinnes Ezechiel also is willed plainly to admonishe the vngodly least the bloude of them which perish in their owne sinnes be required at his handes And that this may truly be put in bre partely the nature of Gods worde giueth warning thervnto which being it self the light and the truth can awaye with no gloses of falshoode partely the corruption of mans inclination enforceth the same as whereby it commeth to passe that eyther wée contemne this worde or at the least we thinke it toucheth not vs at all vntill in verie déede it striketh
paste they that were toward Pharaos court who bewraied vnto him the beautie of the woman Sara being but a stranger Howbeit if any shal in good soth vtter such a thing as may teÌ„d to a commoÌ„ safetie that either scoffingly they iest at or else dishonestly reiecte and with hearts full of enmitie reprochfully raile at Thus commeth it to passe that such as giue faithfull warnings are throwen in prison before there be had any coÌ„sultacion for redressing of matters are constreined to pleade their owne cause in cheines whiche in very déede tooke greatest care for the common wealthes preseruation They that thus behaue themselues are nothing else but plagues in common weales as coÌ„trarywise those aforesaid counsellours of Niniue by their faithfull report making saued both them selues and their king with the whole realme besides This then ought magistrates chiefly to be vigilant vnto namely to haue about theÌ„ trusty officers who all desire of falsely accusing laid aparte would diligently marke all thinges and fréely giue notice of such as threateÌ„ Gods wrath and vtter destruction to common wealthes by reason of sinne Let them also take diligente hede least inconsiderately they listen to suche as are wont to accuse the ministers of Gods truthe and worde to be the authours of seditions For seeing the worlde cannot abide the lighte of Gods worde there shall neuer wante some who would wishe to haue it cleane put out And for this cause did Paule giue warning aforehande that there should no accusation against an elder vnaduisedly be admitted 1. Timo. 5. But what doth the king Is he full of indignation and furie for that a man which is but a stranger taketh vpon him so muche authoritie in that Citie where was appointed his owne royall seate Doth he send forth his sergeants and coÌ„maunde him to be caried to prison leaste by his talke the people be stirred to raise a commotion No. But immediately he aryseth vp from his royall seate he putteth off his kingly attire he setteth him downe in the duste and besides all this by an open proclamation he stirreth vp all his subiectâ—s to repentance Wonderfull was this chaunge and suche as scarsly deserueth to be credited if a man behold the maners and disposition of kings with whom nothing is more disagréeing than the studie of humilitie in somuche that they themselues are not afrayde to be causers of horrible warres rather than any thing should be diminished from their regall authoritie For seeing that they are deceiued by the pleasant lures of flatterers and so accompt themselues as halfe Goddes exempting theyr own estate from the common sort of men they iudge it an vnsemely thing that eueÌ„ in most extreme daungers they shoulde commit any thing at all which might be thought to giue some resemblaÌ„ce of faynt courage and feare Wherby it coÌ„meth to passe that they dare set themselues not onely against men but also euen against god The example therfore of this king is worthie of great admiration But such is the maiestie of the worde of God that being once admitted to take place within the heartes of men streightway the holy Ghost working therwith it renueth and altreth the whole man And euen at this present by an euident example is that saying of Paule proued true wheras he affirmeth that by the spirituall weapons euery high thing is caste downe whiche exalteth it selfe against god Now if any refuse to giue place vnto this worde and wil stubburnly struggle against it such at length by the iron scepter of Christe are brought vnder and become examples for other men to take héede by Here therefore lette vs diligently obserue what plagues men of oure tyme are worthie to vndergo who béeing from their chyldehoode trayned vp in the Christian religion and hearing bothe Christe and his Apostles still preaching vnto them dayly yet with no admonitions or examples can be broughte to amende But aboue al the example of this king is worthie of remembraunce as by the whiche all Princes are put in mynde of their duetie They are ordeyned of God both to vphold his worship also to maintaine common peace whiche that they may the better bring to passe God hath committed vnto them his owne statutes least eyther by ignoraunce béeing deceyued or by blynde affections caried away they shoulde treade out of the right path First of al therfore they must suffer gods woorde to haue a roomth amongest them and not thynke them selues exempte from that duetie of obedience whereby all other degrées of men are bound therevnto To this ende woulde God haue Kings well acquainted with the booke of the lawe the precepts wherof they folowed diligently as many as the Scriptures make meÌ„tion were allowed of God. Secondly they must also theÌ„selues shew foorth example of godlinesse vnto the people For in asmuch as the moste parte of men couet to please their kings what other thyng make they their chief practise than to imitate their manners So that that saying of the Poet is found true As Princes mynde to chaunge their way Th'vnconstant people vse to sway Wherfore in two respectes is honestie of lyfe required in Magistrates bothe for that it is meete for theÌ„selues and also for that they muste take diligent heede least by their owne exaÌ„ple they bring others in like maner to offend And this is the reason why the Prophets trauailed so much in reprehending the maners of Princes euen for that they can not sinne without giuing of common offence vnto many But bicause all men do not of their owne accorde performe their dutie neyther folowe the examples of good Princes the thirde thing necessarie to be had is good lawes and ordinances wherby they may pricke forward such as are dul and bring in subiection those that are rebellious Howbeit then shall lawes haue greatest authoritie if the people may vnderstand that they agrée with Gods word If magistrates were bente thus to deale nowe adayes we should see a notable and frutefull chaunge of all degrees and sortes of men Magistrates make their greatest complaint in a maner of their disordered licentiousnesse among the people but in the meane while very fewe doe rightely weigh the causes therof amongst which these two are the chiefest namely the contempt of Gods word being preached and the euill example that is shewed And either of these springeth from the magistrates as from the fountaine and from thence is spread abrode among the common people For let any one be named among the whole number of Princes whiche earnestly thinketh in his minde that he ought to be subiect to the worde of god Many in déede there be that can be contente to admitte it But when Euen at suche tyme as it putteth them in any hope of carnall libertie and not otherwyse And thus commeth it to passe that they themselues shewe euill example and as for lawes eyther they make none at all or if they make any by their owne naughtie
in vs but especially if they put on a shewe of religion for then they forcibly drawe man away past all bounds of séemelynesse and honestie yea rather of godlinesse it selfe So did the Apostles by a preposterous zeale folowing their affection desire that fire might be sente downe from heauen thus coueting to make Christe the minister of their reuengemente who to thys ende was come into the worlde that he might saue men Luke 9. A diligente regarde therefore must be had lest we mixe our zeale to religion with the affections of the fleshe whiche same thing hath oftē times deceiued men bothe good and very holy For Ionas is not onely angry but so muche féedeth he the humoure of his sorrowe and anger that he frameth a gréeuous complainte against God wherein he goeth aboute to accuse him and to excuse his owne flying away yea for the whiche not long before he had suffred so sore punishment O Lord saith he vvas not this my saying I pray thée vvhen I vvas yet in mine ovvne countrey c. He fashioneth his talke in manner of a prayer howebeit very bitterly dothe he prefer his owne iudgemente before the ordinance of God For so dealeth he as though he shoulde say Thou thoughtest that I did vnséemely and disloially when as bycause I would not come to Niniue I soughte to resigne ouer thy seruice and made redy to flee vnto Tharsis But they were weightie causes that draue me to take this voiage in hande For euen then did I see what would come to passe I knew well inough that thou arte gentle and mercifull whereby I easely coniectured what would be the sequele namely that the Niniuites being once conuerted vnto thée thou wouldest draw backe thy hand yea though it wer redy stretched out to smite and by that meanes set foorth not only mine owne authoritie but also the certeinty and truth of thy word to be laughed to scorne of the vngodly Therefore thought I it wisdome to flée lest any such thing should happen c. Let vs now in good sooth take a viewe howe many and how great sinnes méete here togither First of al that offence of fleing whereof he had before repented he nowe beginneth a fresh to cōmitte whiles that so presumptuously he defēdeth it and by defending thereof accuseth God of wrōgfull dealing bycause as he was a fleing he had laid so sore a punishmēt vpō him Besides this he preferreth his own wisdome before God laying to his charge vnaduised rashnesse for that he sent hym euer to the Niniuites hauīg not first perfectly proued what the end of this matter would be Againe he blameth God for those his most cōmendable vertues gentlenes mercy bountifulnesse and lōg suffering Moreouer so that his owne estimacion might be aduanced he could be contente to haue the most excellente citie of the whole world quite ourthrowen Neyther doth he here stay himselfe but that he also wisheth for death seing there remayneth no other way wherby to remedy so great a displeasure Take my life frō me I beseech thee for it is better for me to die than to liue Nowe in so speaking he sinneth very greatly For in as much as the life which we haue we haue it not of our selues but by the gifte of God it is not conueniente that we should take in hand to leaue it off at our owne priuate pleasure but rather it becommeth vs to be redie therewith to do God seruice as long as he will haue vs in this stage play to play our parte The same affection did God long since reproue in Helias whē as he vpon like occasion desired to die that he might be dispatched of those troubles cares and daungers that he sawe himselfe cōtinualy molested with al. And this is a great argumēt of our frowardnesse in that our life being the gift of god yet we in maner disdaine to vse it to Gods glory For as soone as any thing is to be aduentured or don for gods cause by by we be wéery of our life had rather die but whē as god wold haue vs to die for maintenāce of his glory straite way we redéeme the vse of this present life with filthy denyal of Christes name faith neither do we couet for any other respect to prolong our life than that we may satisfie our abhominable pleasures This erroure springeth from this fountaine namely that we weigh neither life ne death in a iust balaunce These things haue I entreated of Ionas somewhat the more at large not bycause I haue a delighte to blemishe the fame of the Saincts or holy men but for that in their falles there shine foorth notable tokens of the grace of God and the considering of them serueth much for our instruction For firste of all those kinde of people learne to acknowledge themselues who swelling with the confidence in theyr owne strength séeke for saluation in thēselues and being to muche carelesse neglecte their owne dueties And that the knowing of a mās owne selfe is not the least point of true wisedome the Heathē people in old time did well vnderstande when as they iudged that saying of Chilo knowe thy selfe worthy to be engrauen in Apollos temple at Delphos And truly seeing that by naturall instincte mē are geuen to please thēselues scarcely is there any thing of greater difficultie thā that we should acknowledge this corruption so nere of kinred vnto vs And this corruption appereth most euidently in the examples of the Saincts For when as we sée that they haue sinned whome God of his singuler grace chose to be vessels of his glory who will not confesse that Adam hath begotten his posteritie after his owne image and that all the works of man are naught euen from hys cradle and that we haue not power of our selues so much as to thinke any thing that good is Very profitable is it therefore ofte and diligently to consider the sinnes of holy men for by that meanes both we shal haue our owne fleshe in suspition not suffering our selues to be caried headlong by the reasons thereof and we shall also ascribe all the glory of oure saluation and redemption to God alone not vaunting our selues against him by a vain trust in our owne merites Hereto serueth it that the Lord God by Esay in his .43 Chapter with great maiestie pronounceth against such as bost in the righteousnesse of mā I euē I am he only that for mine ovvne selfes sake do away thine offences forget thy sinnes so that I wil neuer thinke vpon them Put me now in remēbrance for vve vvil reason togither and shew vvhat thou hast for thy selfe to make thee righteous Thy first father offended sore and thy teachers haue sinned against me c. These things also did the saincts wel obserue whē as they praid that God wold not enter into iudgemēt with them nor yet marke their iniquities Loke the Psalmes 143. and 130. Besides all this as