Forasmuch as that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them For God hath shewed it vnto them For the inuisible things of him that is his eternall power and godhead are séene by creation of the world being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse Acts. 14. 16. 17. God in times past suffered all the gentiles to walke in their owne waies Neuerthelesse he left not himselfe without a witnesse in that he did good and gaue vs raine from heauen and frutefull seasons filling our hearts with foode and gladnesse And Chap. 17. 27. That they should séeke the Lord if so be they might haue groped after him Through there owne default Ro. 1. 21. Because that when they knewe God they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull but became vaine in theire imaginations and their foolish heart was full of darkenesse Iohn 15. 22. If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne but nowe haue they no cloake for there sinne verse 24. If I had not done workes among them which none other man did they had not had sinne that is they had not bene so greatly in fault Ro. 2. 12. For as many as haue sinned without the law that is without the knowledge of the written lawe shall perish also without the lawe their conscience being a lawe vnto them Iohn 3. 19. And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loued darknes rather then light because there déeds were euill And surely that which they can attaine vnto in knowing God by their light or rather naturall darkenesse albeit they neuer failed in the way but so cōtinued yet were it in no wise sufficient vnto saluation For it is necessary for vs that shall be saued that we know God not onely as God but as our father in Christ Iohn 17. 3. And this is life eternall that they know thée to be the onely very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ And chapter 3. 26. He that beléeueth in the sonne hath euerlasting life and he that obeieth not the sonne shall not sée life but the wrath of GOD abideth on him The which misterie flesh and blood doth not reueale but the sonne himselfe to them whom his father hath giuen him Matt. 11. 27. All things are giuen to me of my father and no man knoweth the same but the father neither knoweth any man the father but the sonne and he to whom the sonne wll reueale him Mat. 16. 16. 17. Simon Peter answered and said Thou art that Christ the sonne of the liuing God And Iesus said vnto him Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas For flesh and blood hath not reuealed it to thée but my father which is in heauen Iohn 1. 10. He was in the world and the world knew him not But as many as receiued him to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen of thē that beléeue in his name Which are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God And chap. 3. 5. 6. Iesus answered Nicodemus verily verily I say vnto thee except that a man be borne of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that that is borne of the spirit is spirit Secondly they are called by the preaching of the Gospell but because they are not of the number of the elect being called they heare not Luke 12. 47. That seruant which knewe his masters will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shall be beate wiih many stripes Matt. 22. 14. For many are called but few are chosen Luke 13. 34. O Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent to thée howe often would I haue gathered thy children togither as the henne gathereth her brood vnder her wings and ye would not Chap. 19. 44. They shall make thée euen with the ground because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation Iere. 7. 27. Therefore shalt thou speake all these wordes vnto them but they will not heare thée Thou shalt also cry vnto them but they will not aunswere thée Pro. 1. 24. 26. 28. 26. Because when I called yée refused I will laugh at your destruction and mocke when your feare commeth They shall call vppon mée but I will not answere they shall séeke mée earely but they shall not finde mée Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord. And forasmuche as they are not able to receiue the spirit of truth Iohn 14. 16. 17. And I will pray the father and he shall giue you an other comforter that hée may abide with you for euer Euen the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth it him but yée knowe him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Chap. 12. 39. 40. Therefore could they not beléeue because that Esaias saieth againe hée hath blinded their eyes and hardned their heart that they should not sée with their eyes nor vnderstand with their heart and should be conuerted and I should heale them 2. Thess 3. 2. All men haue not faith Mat. 13. 9. 11. He that hath eares to heare let him heare To you it is giuen to knowe the secrets of the kingdome of heauen but to them it is not giuen 1. Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know thē because they are spiritually discerned The word of life is folly vnto them and an offence 1. Cor. 1. 18. The preaching of the crosse is to them that perish foolishnesse but vnto vs that are saued it is the power of God Verse 23. 24. We preach Christ crucified vnto the Iewes euen a stumbling blocke and vnto the Grecians foolishnesse But vnto them which are called both of Iewes and Grecians we preach Christ the power of God and the wisedome of God And finally the sauour of death vnto death to their destruction 2. Cor. 2. 16. To the one wee are the sauour of death vnto death and to the other the sauour of life vnto life Thirdly their hearts are opened but they beleeue generally Iam. 2. 19. Thou beléeuest that there is one God thou doest well the diuels beléeue it and tremble Fourthly they are most miserable of all who climbe a degree higher that their fall may be the more greeuous For they are raised by some gift of grace and yet fall away Heb. 6 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. For it is impossible that they which were once lightened and haue tasted of the heauenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and haue tasted of the good word of God and of the power of the world to come if they fall away should be renued againe by repentaunce séeing they crucifie
not imagine that there are more gods then one because God said Let vs make but rather the authoritie of the Trinitie is proued vnto vs that though there be thrée persons in the Godhead yet there is but one God For as God the father createth so is God the sonne the wisedome of all the creation and from God the holy Ghost procéedeth the vertue and power of all things The excellent qualities of the soule and wherein the image of God consisteth is especially to be séene in these two points namely Holinesse and Holinesse and Righteousnesse Righteousnesse yet furthermore they had Frée-will and by their creation were immortall and frée from death and last of all God gaue vnto them this great priviledge as to haue the soueraigntie the rule and gouernment ouer all his creatures By which we plainly vnderstand that our first parents in their time were frée from all sinne which time is called their time of innocency In respect whereof Salomon searching the nature of man and comparing the time of his iniquitie to the time of his innocency doth thus pronounce of him Onely loe this haue I found that God hath made man righteous but they haue sought many inuentions and are gone astray through their owne foolishnesse and so are the cause of their owne destruction and are fallen away from the image of God which hee had planted in them The image of God consisteth in the depth of wisedome in the vnmeasurablenesse of power in the infinitnesse of his goodnesse and mercy being perfect holy perfect righteous doing all things according to the pleasure of his own will in whom onely dwelleth life and immortalitie The most of which qualities if not all man at the first was indued withall which were and are in God in the highest degrée but to man they were giuen onely in a measure and in a farre inferiour degrée and that with a condition if so be hee did continue in the obedience of gods commaundements This image of God in our first parents is nothing else but the natural conformitie and disposition of the soule and of all the functions powers and operations thereof vnto the lawe of god whereby fréely and voluntarily it inclineth vnto true and perfect holinesse and righteousnesse that according to that rule he might serue god his Creator all the dayes of his life For as god is a spirit so will he be worshipped in spirit and truth and in sinceriie of heart and minde hating all manner of counterfait and false worship wherunto the nature of man is now too much inclined and had rather worship any thing then god himselfe Also his dealing to his neighbour should bee inst and vpright but such are vanished out of the world and now there is nothing but subtiltie and craft and wrongfull dealing and all iniury and oppressien practised good hearbes are plucked vp and nothing is now to be séene but wéedes The holinesse that god requireth of vs and according to the which our mindes and hearts were first framed is the holy obedience and true worship of god ioyned with a sincere loue of god procéeding from an effectuall faith in the knowledge of God his word and his works In stéed wherof now ratgneth idolatry the loue of the world and worldly lustes the ignorance of God his word is more rife then the knowledge of the same and none more accepted then they that most despise it The righteousnesse also which God nowe requireth and wherwith we are inabled is such a louely respect and friendly regard of our neighbours that we haue care of them as of our selues and wish no otherwise vnto them then to our selues and doo vnto them as we would other should do vnto vs and that not outwardly for a fashion but inwardly and from the heart not in a word onely but in déed yea in our thought secrets This holinesse and righteousnesse was once planted but neuer came to perfect growth the good corne is choked vp and as we say il wéeds grow apace The dayes of this present euill worlde are such that now the age wherein we liue may well be termed an iron age and worse if worse may be in respect of the first age and the beginning of the worlde which time was a golden and precious time when the hearts and mindes of men were as fine and pure as golde or if there bee any thing that may bee saide to be more pure Now is there a vaile cast ouer our mindes and consciences our faces are couered as it were with visors and a thicke skinne is growne ouer the heart all shame is banished and a holie minde and a true and sound heart is either very rare or no where to be founde Which in the beginning was not so So that now we had néede daily to haue these wordes often repeated vnto vs. Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle Who shall rest in thine holy mountaine and bee receiued into heauen when this life is ended None but suche as walke vprightly and woorke righteousnesse and that speake the truth from their heart Who doo not abuse their tongue in slaundering nor doo any euill to their neighbours nor receiué and beléeue a false report against them In whose eyes a vile and wicked person is contemned and who maketh much of them that feare the Lord who performeth his oath and chaungeth not his mind although it be to his owne hinderance Who giue not their money to vsury séeking thereby the vndooing and vtter impouerishing of their neighbors who take no rewarde against the innocent or stande against them and doo them harme And they that doo these things and whatsoeuer else may stand with an vpright conscience in the feare of God they shall neuer bee mooued that is they shall not be cast from Gods presence as they shall bee that doo the contrary but their part shall bee in the kingdome of heauen and their soules onely shall rest among the blessed soules Let vs looke into our first creation and let that be our example and our patterne and let that be the high way for vs to walke in In the soule of man there are two especiall parts first his vnderstanding and reason secondly his will and desire and all the motions affections and inclinations that procéede from the same His vnderstanding by his creation was furnished with all knowledge méete and conuenient for him so that hée néeded not any to teach him but God had endued him with that knowledge which might haue well directed him chiefly in those things that pertaine to the worship and seruice of God to his owne saluation and the benefite of his neighbour And not only his vnderstanding and reason was fraught with all knowledge but his will also and his desire was most readie to performe the worship of God his will and desire was most readie to the obedience of Gods commandements Then by his vnderstanding hee was able to discerne the trueth perfectly
the loathsome end of the Emperour Arnolphus whose flesh and entrailes were eaten vp of lice and nothing left vneaten saue onlie his griftles and his bones although the phisitians did their best who can doe nothing when God saith nay and hindereth their working by not giuing effect to the same A king deuoured of rattes and an Emperour of lice mightie rulers and great gouernours and yet had no power ouer such weake creatures God did not vouchsafe them to end there liues by sickenesse or sword or famine or pestilence but that they might be more odious and detestable and of infamous memory to the world and all succéeding ages it was Gods wil that thus they should be deuoured and that their sin should not be vnpunished and that mightie men should be plagued by Gods hand who otherwise séeme to be lawlesse That Emperours and Kings Nobles and Magistrates and all the great ones of the world may not think that they shall escape scotfrée but as they are mightie so are their mightier then they Thus according to that small skill that it hath pleased God to graunt me I haue brieflly discoursed of those principall matters comprehended in the image of God in man being created in righteousnesse and holinesse hauing Fréewill at the first and furthermore crowned with immortalitie and fréedome from death and lastly the priuiledge soueraigntie and gouernment ouer all Gods creatures then being graunted vnto him of God And this is that happie estate wherein man was created and whiche for a time he did enioy but he did not long continus therein Who through his owne fault and disobedience fell away from so great giftes and graces and blessings God graunt that both our hearts and mindes may be so framed from day to day to the image of God in holinesse and righteousnesse and all good and vertuous quallities that God may bee glorified in vs and by vs and that our Frée will workes which are nothing else but inclinations to sinne may from time to time be redressed vntil that sinne and the corruption thereof which lieth hid in our hearts may at the last be rooted out that so we may be partakers of that immortalitie and fréedom from death which by reason of sin we haue lost and are now for the same cause hindered from Finally that we may obtaine that priuiledge rule and gouernment not ouer beastes which is but for a time but ouer our beastly affections and sinfull desires which are rise in vs and now preuaile and haue the vpper hand that they may be cut off for euer and that we may neuer displease God And that at length we may come to that place where we may continue alwaies in giuing thankes vnto him and setting foorth his praises where we may enioy the presence of God with the full fruition of all happinesse and where we shall sée and behold him as he is face to face To God the father God the sonne and God the holy Ghost c. Deo gratia solique gloria Of Iustification The knowledge of our miserie A comfort in our downfall The ftaie the happie estate and the life of a regenerate man taken out of the Epistle of Saint Paule to the Romanes THe righteousnesse of man is as a defiled polluted and menstruous cloth whereby we become hatefull vnto Our mindes are corrupt by Idolatry God For when we should glorifie God in his creatures perceiuing in them his eternall goodnesse wisedome and power yet we turne the truth of God into a lie worshipping the creature in steade of the Creator which is blessed for euer Then also are we vnrighteous and most wicked in our liues For there is none of vs that Our liues shamefull by our wicked behauiour vnderstandeth and séeketh after God yea willingly from whence floweth all wickednesse wee forget God none that dooth good contemning God and admiring our selues béeing puft vp with vaine cogitations farre from the obedience of God Our féete are swift to shead blood and our throate is an open sepulchre we are deceitfull and our tongues are filled therewith wee are giuen to all crueltie and oppression destruction and calamitie are in our waies and the way of peace haue we not knowne the feare of God is not before our eyes Yea wée doo not only commit those thinges our selues which we knowe are woorthie death and are condemned by the lawe of GOD but also fauoure them that doo them And this is the state of man being left vnto himselfe in which estate euen the regenerate should be inwrapped if god All subiect to condemnation and so vnder the mercy of God did not correct ther wickednes So that by nature being without Christ we are shut from the kingdome of God as obstinate stubburne and rebellious persons a people that cannot repent but goe on still in our wickednesse and are aliaunts and straungers from the common-weale of Israel and depriued of the blessings of God and are all as condemned personnes vnlesse it please God to drawe vs vnto him and for our stonie heart to giue vs a fleshly heart that may resolue it self into teares and vnlesse it please God to forgiue vs our sinnes and to renue our corrupt hearts Most true therefore is that generall proposition of S. Paule For there is no difference for all haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of god euen of eternall life and happinesse whereat all of vs doe aime Now séeing the heart of man is deceitfull and who can knowe it Séeing there lurketh many starting holes therein and that the braunches are indued with the selfe-same sappe that commeth Although we be not iust by nature yet we would seeme to be iust by condemning other from the roote I meane séeing we are readie to excuse our selues in our owne wickednesse by accusing of others as did our forefather and our first roote Adam and that the nature of man is to cleare himselfe and to hide his sinnes from god being giuen to all hipocrisie and that he is ready to iustifie himselfe by condemning other albeit he commit not hainous sinnes such as are mentioned Those that might otherwise thinke themselues iust being compared to the lawe are wicked in the latter end of the first chapter nor giue consent vnto them yea although he shewe himselfe a professed enemie to those vices yet because he is not altogither frée from them or at leastwise tainted with some of them if he consider his estate he cannot shewe any defence for himselfe So that by his fained and hipocriticall kind of righteousnesse first he is in excusable secondlie he incurreth the iudgement of God which is according to truth against them which commit such things thirdly he despiseth the riches of his bountfulnesse patience and long suffering not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth him to repentaunce The effect of which his hipocrisie is this that after his hardnesse and heart that cannot repent hée heapeth vp as a treasure vnto
God For whosoeuer hath obtained the gift of true faith hath also by the same grace and liberality of God obtained the gift of perseuerance So that in all manner of temptations and afflictions he doubteth not to call vpon God with sure confidence to obtaine his request as far as it is expedient for him knowing that he is of the number of Gods children who cannot faile him Moreouer he neuer swarueth so from the right way but at length by the benefit of Gods grace he returneth againe For although faith sometime séeme in the elect as it were for a time hidde and buried so that a man would thinke it were vtterly quenched which God suffereth that men might know their owne weakenesse yet it doth neuer so farre leaue them that the loue of God their neighbour is altogither Loue. plucked out of their hearts For no man is iustified in Christ who also is not sanctified in him and framed to good workes which God prepared that we should walke therein This then is the way whereby God by his mercy doeth prepare to the full execution of his eternall counsaile them amongst his elect whome it pleaseth him to reserue till they come to ripe age and discretion As touching the other whom he calleth into his kingdome so soone as they are borne or in there tenuer yeares he vseth a more short way For séeing he doth comprehend in that his frée couenant whereof Iesus Christ is the mediator not only the faithfull but also their posteritie into a thousand generations calling the same by expresse words holy there is no doubt but the children of the Saints which appertaine to election whom he only knoweth he hath giuen to his son who will not cast them out The chiefe matters with places of scripture for proofe The orders and degrees whereby the faithfull the elect and chosen children of God are made partakers of their saluation And the principall degree whereby God would bring his elect to his kingdome was in appointing his onely sonne to be our Mediator and Redeemer Ephe. 2. 3. 4. In times past we had our conuersation in the lusts of the flesh in fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath as well as others But god which is rich in mercy through his great loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes hath quickned vs togither in Christ by whose grace ye are saued Ioh. 3. 16. 17. For god so loued the world that he hath giuen his only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beléeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life For god sent not his sonne into the world that he shuld condemne the world but that the world by him might be saued The sonne of God by the power of the holie Ghost was made man Mat. 1. 20. While Ioseph thought to put away his wife the Angel of the Lord appeared vnto him in a dreame saying Ioseph the sonne of Dauid feare not to take Mary for thy wife For that which is conceiued in her is of the holy Ghost Luke 1. 34. 35. Mary said vnto the Angel How shall this be that I shall conceaue and beare a sonne séeing I know no man And the Angel Gabriel answered and said vnto her The holy Ghost shall come vppon thée and the power of the most high shall ouershadow thée therefore also that holy thing which shall be borne of thée shall be called the sonne of God To the end that both natures being ioyned in him the corruption of man might be healed Ioh. 1. 14. And the word was made flesh and dwelt among vs and we sawe the glory thereof as the glory of the onely begotten sonne of the father full of grace and truth 2. Cor. 5. 19. 21. God was in Christ and reconciled the world to himself not imputing their sinnes vnto them For he hath made him to be sin for vs which knew no sin that we should be made the righteousnesse of God in him Who should accomplish all iustice Rom. 8. 3. That that was impossible to the lawe in as much as it was weake because of the flesh God sending his owne sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sin in the flesh That the righteousnesse of the lawe might be fulfilled in vs which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 5. 18. As by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation so by the iustifying of one the benefit abounded toward all men to the iustification of life 1. Cor. 1. 30. We are of him in Christ Iesus who of God is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption And should be able inough to sustaine the iudgement of God Rom. 3. 25. God hath sent forth his sonne to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood Esay 53. 4. 5. 6. 10. Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes He was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chasticement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes are we healed All we like shéep haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquitie of vs all yea the Lord would break him and make him subiect to infirmities when he shall make his soule an offring for sinne 1. Pet. 3. 18. For Christ also hath once suffred for sinnes the iust for the vniust that he might bring vs to God And by the one and onely sacrifice of himselfe might sanctifie the elect killing and mortifying sinne and quickening them to newnesse of life through the vertue of his resurrection Rom. 6. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. How shall we that are dead to sin liue yet therein Know ye not that all we which haue bene baptised into Iesus Christ haue bin baptised into his death that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glory of the father so we also should walke in newnesse of life For if we be graffed with him to the similitude of his death euen so shall we bee to the similitude of his resurrection Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that hencefoorth we should not serue sinne Colloss 2. 13. Y◠which were dead in sinnes and in the circumcision of your flesh hath he quickened togither with him for giuing you all your trespasses And chapter 3. 1. If ye then be risen with Christ séeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God The most part of the chapter pertaineth to this effect and no time lost in the reading Ioh. 17. 19. For their sakes sanctifie I my selfe that they also might be sanctified through the truth Heb◠9. 13. 4. For if the blood of bulles and of goats and the ashes of an heiffer sprinkling them that are vncleane sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh
lawe as pertaining to God but am in the lawe through Christ that I may winne them that are without the lawe to the weake I become as weake that I may winne the weake I am made all things to all men that I might by all meanes saue some And this I doo for the Gospell sake Rom. 1. 14. I am debter both to the Grecians and to the Barbarians both to the wise men and vnto the vnwise Philip. 2. 12. 13. Make an end of your owne saluation with feare and trembling lest that through the deceit of sinne ye should fall away or else lest ye be any offence to the weake For it is God that worketh in you both the will the déed euen of his good pleasure Concerning the second that we do not apply this doctrine to any man particularly or to any certaine company For in this also it differeth from election Because election as hath beene said is reuealed to vs by the spirit of God within our selues not in others whose hearts we cannot know And Reprobation is euer hid from men except it bee disclosed by God contrary to the common course of things For who can tell if God haue determined to shewe mercy at the last houre of death to him which hath spent all his life past lewdly wickedly But this trust ought not to incourage any man to maintaine and continue in his sinne vngodlinesse For I speake of those things which we ought to consider in others For the examples of such mercy of God are very rare Neither any man that is wise will promise to himselfe through a vaine securitie and trust that thing which is not in his owne power Iam. 4. 13. 14. 15. 16. Goe too now yée that say To day or to morrow we will go into such a citie continue there a yeare and buy and sell and get gaine And yet ye cannot tell what shall be to morrowe For what is your life It is euen a vapour that appeareth for a litle time and afterward vanish away For that yée ought to say If the Lord will and if we liue we will do this or that Now if we cannot promise the continuance of life vnto our selues how much lesse may we assure our selues of Gods mercie at our pleasure Luke 12. 19. 20. The rich man said vnto his soule Soule thou hast much good lain vp for many yéeres liue take ease eate drinke and take thy pastime But God said vnto him O foole this night will they setch away thy soule from thée 2. Tim. 2. 25. The minister is willed to instruct the euill disposed with méeknesse and such as are contrary minded prouing if GOD at any time will giue them repentance Therefore repentance is not at our pleasure or leasure 1. Pe. 1. 14. 15. 16 17. 18. 19. Fashioning not your selues vnto the former lusts of your ignorance But as he which hath called you is holy so be yée holy in all manner of conuersation And if yée call him father which without respect of persons iudgeth according to euery mans worke passe the time of your dwelling heere in feare Knowing that yée were not redeemed with siluer and gold and such corruptible things Hebr. 12. 14. Follow peace with all men and holinesse without the which no man shall sée the Lord. And if we obserue this order wee shall receiue great fruite of this doctrine especially in these foure considerations First it maketh men humble and to submit themselues to God Secondly it maketh the grace of God to be better knowne of the elect seeing it is not common to all Thirdly it bringeth a godly care to receiue faith when it is offered and to labour to increase it Fourthly it doth confirme vs against all offences All which reasons are more plainly set downe in the last part of this eight chapter Deo gratia A Praier for the Queenes most excellent Maiestie O Most gracious God and heauenly Father by whose disposition Kingdomes and Kealmes are gouerned and by whose power Kings Princes raigne we giue thée hartie thanks that in thy great mercy thou hast set such a Prince and Quéene ouer vs vnder whose godly and peaceable gouernment we enioy glad tidings of thy Gospell and the truth of thy word in manifest sort deliuered vnto vs with peace and quietnesse and other worldly great blessings of thine in a plentifull measure Endue her so with heauenly gifts that her heart may be alwaies framed to the obedience of thy will that by her godly and gracious gouernment thy name may be glorified thy Church edified the poore members of Christ relieued vertue aduanced and vice beaten downe and punished that so in wealth she may surpasse that prosperitie y◠was in the daies of King Salomon and that in life and health she may so be preserued long among vs to thy glorie and our comfort that the yeares of her royall fathers gouernment may bee doubled vpon her And although we for our parts haue and doo daily prouoke thy wrath against vs and haue worthily in respect of thy blessings deserued the contrary as for the heauenly vlessings of thy Gospell and truth ignorance idolatry and superstition for wealth and prosperitie penury and scarcitie for peace and quietnesse troubles and warres for our health and the continuance of our life diseases and death yet in thy mercy be fauourable vnto vs mollifie our hard and stonie hearts that we may repent mortifie sinne in vs that there may be séene amendment in our liues and conuersation that we may yéeld our soules and bodies to the obedience of thy blessed will and commaundements whereby thy manifold and good blessings and benefits may be both increased and continued toward vs. That the heauens may send downe their raine that the earth may giue forth her plentifull encrease that our garners may be full and plenteous with all maner of store that our shéepe may bring forth thousandes that our oxen may be strong to labour that there be no decaie no leading into captiuitie and no complaining in our stréets wherein we shall be blessed who haue the Lord for our God As for her enemies who séeke her destruction let them fall into the pitte that they haue digged for others and let their owne shame light vpon them And let thy crowne florish vpon her head whom thou hast annointed that in the maintenance of thy truth and of thy people it may be knowne that though the heathen rage so furiously togither and the Kings of the earth stand vp in armes against thée and against thine annointed that thou breakest the bowe and knappest the speare in pieces that thou art able to turne the swordes of her enemies to murther themselues And though the horse bee prepared vnto the battaile yet the victorie is from thée who can mightily confounde her foes and put a hooke in their nosthrilles and turne them backe the same way they came The straunge deliuerances which thou hast wrought in her behalfe both
gospell that toward the latter end of the world heresies and errour shall so abound that if it were not for Gods grace and his instructing spirits euen the elect should bee deceiued and togither with the rest should be danmed For damnation is the effect of superstition and heresie and the diuell blinding vs and deceiuing vs dooth vse that forcible meane to draw vs from the knowledge of God and of our owne saluation Which thing the Apostle writing to the Thessalonians 2. Epistle chapter 2. dooth witnesse vnto vs that false teachers shall come vnto vs to deceiue vs â—y the working of the diuell But among whome shall they preuaile among none but them that perish because they receiued not the laue of the truth that they might be â—â—ued And therefore God shall send them strong delusion that they should beléeue lies and that all they might be damned which beléeued not the truth Many are the heresies that are sprung vp in the worlde and where the word of God is not their guide and the spirit of God doth not teach them there is nothing but wandring going astray in the vanitie of their thoghts For the true God the heathen worship the Sun the Moone and the Starres the Turke his Mahomet another people fall downe before Images créepe to crosses goe in pilgrimage to the reliques of Saintes put the only hope of their saluation in their good workes and if that serue not they make account that the praiers of them that are liuing shall doo them good after they be dead and release them being in torments They make their praiers vnto Saintes and thinke by pardons and indulgences and such meanes to haue their sinnes forgiuen them bee they neuer so many so great so hainous and so gréeuous But when the grace of God dooth teach vs instruct vs and lighten our mindes then all blind superstitions and vngodly heresies vanish away at the triall of the truth euen as the fogges and mistes doo breake away when the Sunne appeareth in his force And well may such false opinions vanish away because they are but vanities Copper beareth a shewe of golde and may bee flourished ouer to deceiue the eye of the simple but when it commeth to bee tried by the touchstone it appeareth to be a vaine thing and a thing of no account in comparison of gold So all superstition and heresies may goe for true religion in the mindes of simple and ignoraunt people but when they come to the touchstone the true triall I meane the word of God then if the grace of God do worke in our hearts by the reading and hearing of the word then wee beginne to denie the vngodlinesse of false religion and daily more and more wee growe in this grace and in the knowledge of his truth The ignorant mindes of the Heathen worshipping the Sunne the Moone and the Starres when GOD graunteth them of his knowledge as no doubt GOD vouchsafeth some they shall vnderstand that the Sunne the Moone and the Starres are but Gods creatures and that there is a Creator that made them and a Redéemer that died for them For the mercy of God shall be preached throughout the world and then shall the end of the world come The Turkes although many of them and that the most part of them mocke and scoffe at our crucified Christ yet the seale of God remaineth sure and some are called to the knowledge of the truth and God forbid yâ— the grace of God should be denied vnto them although thousands of them do perish They may be inwardly touched and God may vouchsafe them of fauour and make them partakers of his mercy and they may beleeue althogh they make not so ample profession of their faith and beliefe Those whom we call Papists who are deceiued concerning the truth of religion and the certaintie of their saluation and giue their names and consent vnto falshood before they haue had iust triall of the truth many of them are not perswaded nor euer will yéeld to be perswaded because the grace of god to them hath not as yet appeared For why they are carried away with high conceits of their owne deceiued mindes They thinke their owne inuentions and traditions to be of equall force with Gods word whereas they should in all humble sort submit themselues theâ— unto they thinke so highly of themselues that by their owne good workes they may deserue heauen so that the saluation of God which commeth by his grace and mercy is troden vnder their féete What are pilgrimages and reliques and praiers to saints and purgatorie but mans inuentions Which they can neuer approue to be good neither shall they euer finde warrant for them in Gods word The grace of God teacheth them to deny the vngodlinesse of mens deuices inuentions and traditions and so much the more because God hath pronounced a curse to them that shall adde or put too or diminish and take away any thing from his word I protest saith the spirit of of God vnto euery man Reu. 22. 18. 19. that heareth the words of the Prophecie of this booke if any man shall adde vnto these things God shal adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke And if any man shall diminish of the words of the booke of this prophecie God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy citie and from those things which are written in this booke Daungerous therefore are the deuices and traditions of men and likewise in a most dangerous estate are they who are ruled by them because that in them are contained many thinges that are contrary to the will of God and to his word What is it for vs to be perswaded that we shal be saued by our good workes although good works be necessary and commanded when the truth of Gods word shal direct vs that only by the grace and mercy of God we are saued and not by good workes let them beare neuer so glorious and glistering a shewe in the sight of men and séeme neuer so much to be approued Ephe. 2. 8. By grace are ye saued through faith that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast himselfe The most righteous men next vnto our sauiour Christ that euer liued when they make their praiers vnto God what say they Say they with the Pharisée I fast twise a wéeke I giue almes to the poore I pay tithe of all that euer I possesse No they come not in with such titles and with so glorious a stile Bâ—t as we reade Dan. 9. O Lord be mercifull vnto vs that haue sinned we haue committed iniquitie and done wickedly yea we haue rebelled and departed from thy commandements O Lord righteousnesse belongeth vnto thée and vnto vs open shame As Daniel so also righteous Abraham confesseth of him selfe I am but dust and ashes and as one of no account God regardeth the humble
the roote of vnrighteous dealing is not touched For why we haue taken so large a measure of port and countenance being void of sobrietie that the cloth of righteous dealing must néedes be cut thereafter The sobrietie that pleased our fathers in attire in faire port and moderate couutenance will not serue our turne their measure will not serue vs who are growne out of measure This makes rentes to bee raised reuenewes to be increased the prices of wares augmented our paines dearer our gifts greater our pleasuring of men better considered and more rewarded our liberalitie to the poore or to any good purpose lessened our compassion abated and so our fathers good report altered in vs and altogither decaied Let euerie man taste more of temperance and sobrietie and so shall he be able to affoord a better penniworth of righteous and vpright dealing in his calling It shal be in vaine to make lawes against iniurious and vnrighteons practises if before this great excesse and intemperancie that ruleth in all estates be not repressed For if that in no case may bee abated howe can it be but that the old ordinarie dealings in righteousnesse and equity must be racked set vpon the tainters and excessiuely stretched The great want of sobrietie that is eueriwhere speaketh and telleth that there is much vnrighteousnesse in the land and so consequently doth plainely and euidently prophecie vnto vs that the righteous God hath a quarrell with the inhabitants of this our country for the vnrighteousnesse thereof which increaseth in euerie kingdome as moderation and sobrietie abafeth Now how sobrietie decaâ—eth and intemperancie is daily agmented it is too manifest and cannot bee denied And this greate intemperancie telleth vs that the burthen of vnrighteonsnesse which this land beareth is growne to such a waight as cannot long be sustained if our reformation herein be not spéedilie attempted and taken in hand Which the Lord in mercie graunt may be throughly thought vpon especially of them in whose hands it lieth to redresse it To liue righteously is the request of our God The graces of God offer themselues to take vp their consideration in our righteous conuersation They craue that our vpright dealing may speake what regarde wee haue to them how we thinke our selues beholden vuto them they haue set ouer the pleasuring of them to vpright liuing there they would haue it séene how they are valued prized and estéemed of vs. Let vs then behold a Christian meditation for all men of all callings and trades when they deale in the worke of their callings to mooue them to equitie conscience and regard of those with whom they deale Behold my God calleth me to witnesse to the world my thankfulnesse for his benefites he calleth me now foorth to value his deseruings and to leaue a record behinde how highly or basely I estéeme of his goodnesse Who for the recompence of his kindnesse hath turned and set ouer the same to bee answered in obedience to his will and vpright dealing one with another And now I am to signifie vnto the worlde howe I thinke my selfe indebted vnto God for the benefit of redemption for the benefit of his word for honor for wealth health frends wife and children and quietnesse As the Apostle saith Let all things be done honestly and in good order so may I exhort you that all things may be done soberly and righteously and so shall we be sure to come neare vnto God and to be accounted godly Which Godly qualities be good meanes to further godlinesse and to make vs liue godly Which is the third effect vertue of the grace of God mentioned in my text Godlinesse is necessarily ioyned to righteousnesse For it were but a vaine thing to be precise in giuing man his right and then to withhold from the Lord that which of right we owe vnto him And seeing God hath created vs especially for his glorie and that we should serue him what part of our time can better be spent then in frequenting the seruice of God Vnto the which Frequenting diuine seruice euen the custome of idolatrous people and their example may greatly perswade vs to sée how carefull and diligent they were from time to time from day to day yea in the night at morning and at euening and at all times to come to church to offer themselues to God Their meaning say they was well though indéed they tooke not a right course because they serued God otherwise then God had commaunded in his word Créeping and bowing themselues to images praying vnto them going a pilgrimage to the reliques of Saintes and besides all this making an idole of Gods blessed Sacrament which was ordained to put vs in remembrance of his death and hoâ—â— after a spirituall and heauenly sort we are made the members of his bodie and not to knéele downe to a piece of bread falsly imagining that our Sauiour Christ is there in bodie flesh and blood For his bodily presence is in heauen neither shall we haue sight therof vntil the day of iudgement when he shall shewe himselfe with thousands of Angels All their godlinesse all their seruing of God which they thought foolishly did tend to their comfort to their saluation was the way to their confusion and to their destruction For God hath said Thou shalt not make any grauen Image nor reuerence them and hath added a curse and a punishment and how can we thinke we please God in so doing As God is a spirit so he will be worshipped in spirit and truth If we go the right way we go a safe way he that goeth a byway may wander farre and bee deceiued What if wee trauell neuer so hard in going out of the way what may it preuaile vs And if we worship God neuer so earnestly and neuer so deuoutly if it bee not in such order and manner as God would haue it and as he hath set it downe in his word howe it shall be howe can we thinke that gods fauour is towards vs or how can we warrant our conscience in so doing And how can we hope for heauen vnlesse we performe that and nothing else but that whiche the God of heauen hath appointed Yet neuerthelesse in this were they highly to be commended and to be preferred before vs nay I feare me they shall rise in iudgement and condemne vs because they were carefull to come to church and that with most willing mindes and glad hearts But who are they among vs that can so testifie of themselues nay rather may wee not iustly condemne our selues for our negligence and slacknesse herein and for our grudging hearts and vnwilling Hearing and reading of Gods word minds The reading hearing of Gods word is the meane to draw vs vnto godlinesse howsoeuer we thinke we haue no such néed of it Certainly we ought to submit our selues to the often and earnest vse of Gods word and with conscience care to reforme our waies by the
the second death Sathan hath a throne in this worlde but Hell is his seate and euerlasting death is his due Be not deceiued for the amitie of the world is the enmitie of God The worlde loueth his owne and they that will stand to the triall of the truth in despight of the world they shall be excommunicated and in vtter disgrace with the world yea it shall so come to passe that the sheading of innocent blood shall be thought a thing of nothing in their sight Behold saith Christ Mat. 23. 34. I sende vnto you Prophets and wise men and Scribes and of them ye shall kill and crucifie and of them shall you scourge in your Synagogues and persecute from citie to citie That vpon you may come all the righteous blood Beware of men Mat. 10. for they wil deliuer you vp to the councels and will scourge you in their Synagogues And yee shall be marke this word ye shall be brought to the gouernours and kings for my sake in witnesse to them and to the Gentiles If any man come to me saith Christ Luk. 14. 26. and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his owne life also hee cannot be my disciple Christ and the crosse I meane persecution and trouble are so néerly ioyned togither that nothing must part them And therefore Christ saith Hee that will follow me must take vp his crosse and follow mee and if any looke for a seate in heauen they must taste of a bitter cup here on earth The Apostle knowing how neare the loue of God and the crosse and persecution were ioyned togither sheweth vs how we should put foorth our selues vnto the triall Rom. 8. Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution and so forth The diuel that hath but a short time on earth wil raise vs vp innumerable troubles and we are subiect to the same so long as we liue in this world Ye shall wéepe and lament therfore settle your selues to abide it and to endure it For ye shall be betraied of your parents and of your brethren Acts. 14. 22. 23. 11. Act. 9. 16. 1. Thâ—s 3. 3. 4. and kinsmen and frends som of you shal they put to death And looke to be hated euery where Yet comfort your selues for a hair of your hed shal not perish By your patieÌ„ce possesse your soules And lay vp these things in your harts prouide for theÌ„ Behold I haue told you before CaÌ„ the childreÌ„ of the mariage chamber mourne as long as the bridegroome is with them But the daies will come when the bridegroome shall be taken from them and then shall they fast and then shall they mourne When Christ slept in the ship then waues and tempests and scourges It pleaseth God to absent himselfe and God leaueth vs awhile to sée what account we will make of him to sée whether we can finde in our hearts to leaue and forsake parents and kinsfolke and friends wife and children and that which we hold dearest in this world our owne life for his sake and whether there be courage patience strength and constancie to fight vnder the banner of persecution Well here we sée what Gods commandement is and how he hath laid trouble and persecution vpoÌ„ our loines and put adnesse into our harts and heauinesse into our mindes and happie is he yea happie are all they that can finde in their hearts willingly to fulfill his will and to performe his commandement and patiently to submit themselues to whatsoeuer shall fal out if God sée it good for his glorie and our profit Yet doubtlesse we shal perceiue a mightie striuing within The second reason is drawne from the punishment that may insue our selues before we shall finde in our hearts to obey If God appoint trouble shall we séeke case If God aske our life shall we deny it If his blessed truth be called in hazard and like to bee defaced vnlesse thou offer thy selfe to stand to the maintenance and in the defence thereof before kings and rulers and against their vnlawfull decrées and wicked statutes wilt thou shrinke Thou must yéeld to the one or to the other either thou must deny God his truth for the countenance of the world and the enioying of this life and the comfortes of this world or else thou must forsake yea and hate the world and the comforts thereof and despise thy life in this respect Choose which thou wilt take fire and water is set before thée life and death good euill stretch out thy hand to whether thou wilt leaue the one imbrace the other Now deceiue not thy selfe and thinke thou hast the choice for thou art not at thy libertie God hath commanded to endure all trouble yea and death it self rather then to forsake his truth and the maintenance of the same If we must passe through the fire shall we looke for water If we be commaunded not to feare the sword shall we bee desirous to sléepe in a whole skinne That which séemes to be good to vs is euill and that which we thinke to be life we shall finde to bee death Séeke not to saue thy life for thou must loose it and better to loose it in this world then in the world to come If thou refuse thou shalt be refused if thou deny thou shalt be denied Mat. 16. 26. Alas what shal it profit a man or any of vs all though we should be Kings and Emperours and though we should winne the whole world if wee léese our owne soules Or what what shall a man giue for the recompence of his soule TheÌ„ farewell life lest death follow and kéepe thy soule lest it be plunged in hell torments For whosoeuer shall be ashamed of me and of my words among this adulterous and sinfull generation of him shall the sonne of man bee ashamed also when he commeth in the glory of his father with all his holie Angels Mar. 8. 38. Mat. 10. 33. And whosoeuer shall deny mee saith Christ him will I deny before my father which is in heauen and when hee thinkes to haue euerlasting comfort hee shall haue euerlasting sorrowe and in steede of heauen hee shall finde hell Marke therefore the punishment that will follow if Gods commaundement in this behalfe bee not performed on thy part and tremble A heauie sentence there is if thou refuse to beare this burthen Set before thy eies the comfortable presence of a Sauiour The third reason is drawne from the reward and the fearefull countenance of a iudge And let the holy martyr S. Steuens comfort fill thy heart who in the midst of his persecution sawe the glory of God and Iesus standing at the right hand of God the heauens being open to receiue him into his inheritance the Angels being at hand to carry his soule into heauen And most certaine it is that there is no way more readie to