the name of the onely begotten sonne of GOD. These woords conteine a thirde place that is too wit comforte and terrour For it bothe comforteth the godly acknowledging their sinnes and putteth the stubborne in feare that wil not beléeue in Chryste Nowe for as muche as GOD easly sawe what the weaknesse of men was and chéefly of those that earnestly think vppon the sentence of the lawe and saw the wilfulnesse of no small number hée applyed his woord vntoo them bothe For the first sorte when they héere how all that yéelde not ful obedience too the lawe are subiecte too the sentence of death can not but be dismayed at the threatnings of the law Those therefore dooth Chryste comforte and sayeth GOD hath not sent his Sonne too condemne the vvorlde but that the vvorld might be saued by him Hée speaketh of his first comming intoo the worlde whiche was too saue sinners that fall too amendment For hée vsed this swéete allurement Come vntoo mée all yée that labor and are laden and I wil refreshe you Also I came not too call the rightuous but the sinners too repentaunce As many then as obey Chrystes voyce and repente are frée from the iudgement of damnation For thus sayeth the trueth Hee that beleeueth in him is not iudged That is too say with the iudgement of damnation This promisse wil comfort vs ageinst the sentence of the lawe and of our owne conscience For hée that shall bée iudge of the quick and the dead sayeth openly Hée that beléeueth in him is not iudged The trust vntoo this promise shal be néedful for vs in y e houre of death ageinst the thretnings of the law y e dredfulnes of death y e flames of hel the tirannie of the deuil For it cannot come too passe y t the euerlasting trueth should lie Hithertoo concerning the coÌ„fort of them y t beleue CoÌ„cerning the terror of them y t wil not beléeue y e gospel it foloweth but he that beleueth not is iudged alredy bicause he beleeueth not in the name of the only begotteÌ„ son of God what Shal ther theÌ„ bée none other iudgement Yes the son of man shal come too iugement in his time according as he hath promised What méeneth he then by saying He is alredy iudged y t is too say condemned By this saying he sheweth what maner of ones al the childreÌ„ of Adam be without faith y t is without Christ our mediatour namely that they be iudged y t is too say condemned y t is to wit as in respect of y e cause the matter For the cause matter of their daÌ„nation is in themselues which is the transgression of gods law wilfully rebelling ageinst God Besides this the sentence of the lawe spoken long ago when he had first created man afterward repeÌ„ted in mouÌ„t Sinai is that al they are cursed that obey not God according too his commaundement Untoo this curse are all they tyed that bèléeue not in the Sonne of God who alone hath taken vppon him the curse of them that beléeue in him That this is so wee are doone too vnderstande by the things that folowe And this is the iudgement that light is come intoo the vvorlde and men haue loued darkenesse more than light That is too say therfore shall men bée damned bicause they haue not receiued the light of the son of God by faith but rather would abide still in their owne ignoraunce and that by reason their woorks were euill ¶ Of the fourth FOr euery one that dooth euill haâ—eth the light and vvill not come too the light least his vvoorks should bee reproued When théeues will steale they loue the darke so men that are not yet borne agein by faith in Christ too doo wel are caried with might and mayne vntoo naughtinesse and therfore doo hate the light of the Gospell where contrarywise he that dealeth vprightly with a good conscience coÌ„meth to the light that is to say dooth his woorks openly and is not afrayd that men shuld sée theÌ„ That is too wit he that coÌ„meth too the light of Chryst and hath lerned of his spirit too doo wel he abideth no longer in the darkenesse of ignoraunce but endeuereth too walke like the childe of Light Héereby then wée may learne first the difference betwéene them that beléeue and them that beléeue not For the difference is too bée found out by their works as the Lord sayth in an other place A good trée bringeth foorth good frute and an euil trée bringeth foorth euill frute Ageine wée may learne that the light of the Gospell cannot abide that wée shoulde bée wrapped in our olde darknesse Too this purpose make so many exhortations of Chryst and his Apostles In Mathew the Lorde sayth Let your light so shine before men that they may glorifie your heauenly father And Paule sayeth Ye are the children of light walke as in the light After the same maner also speketh Peter Untoo whiche liuely stone reiected of men but chosen and honored of God come you and as liuely stones bée builded vppon it a spirituall house and a holy préesthood too offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable too god through Iesus Chryst. Let no man thinke therfore that the Gospell giueth libertie too sinne The Gospel deliuereth from sinne Wherfore it will not that we should any more yéeld our selues vnder the yoke of sinne when wée are once rid of it If sayeth our Sauiour the sonne haue set you frée yée shall bée frée in déede He that committeth sinne is the flaue of sinne Then sith wée are set frée by Iesus Chryste let vs vse our fréedome in suche wise as wée may bée the seruaunts not of sinne but of God through Iesus Chryst our Lorde Too whom bée honour for euer So be it The third holy day in Whitson weeke ¶ The Gospell Iohn x. VErely verely I say vntoo you he that entreth not in by the doore intoo the shepefolde but clymbeth vp some other vvaye the same is a theefe and a murtherer But he that entreth in by the doore is the shepeheard of the sheepe To him the porter openeth and the shepe heer his voice and hee calleth his ovvne sheep by name and leadeth them out And vvhen hee hath sent foorth his ovvne sheepe hee goeth before them and the sheepe folovv him for they knovv his voyce A straunger vvil they not folovve but vvil flee from him for they knovve not the voyce of straungers This Prouerbe spake Iesus vntoo them but they vnderstoode not vvhat things they vvere vvhiche he spake vntoo them Then sayde Iesus vntoo them ageine Verely verely I say vnto you I am the door of the sheepe All euen as many as come before mee are theeues and murtherers but the sheep did not heare them I am the doore by mee if any enter in he shal be safe and shall go in and oute and finde pasture A theefe commeth not but for too steale kil and destroy I am come that they
horrible tumultes and of certaine vnaccustomed and vehement windes And hathe not our age séene very many signes of this sort The fourth kind of signes issueth out of the second third which is a pining away for feare and for looking after those things that shall come vpon the whole world The fifth sort is that the powers of heauen shall bée moued that is too say there shalbée vnwoonted sights in heauē and earthquakes in the earth Too bée short both heauen and earth shall after a sort resemble the countenaunce of the angry iudge that sinners béeing moued by these tokens of Gods wrath should repent and turne vntoo the Lord. These signes doth the Lord apply in this wise too the last iudgement Behold the Figtrée all other trées when they haue shot foorth their buddes yée séeing it doo know of your selues that sommer is nye at hand So likewise when yée sée these things come too passe vnderstand yée that the kingdom of god is nye For these signes out of all creatures which are caried vp downe shal bée as it were messengers by whose mouth such men shal bée summoned to appéere at y t dreadful iudgement seat as running at ryot héere in this world haue neglected their owne saluation and like dronken men haue despised Christ the author of saluation Besydes these fiue sortes of signes whereof the text maketh mention there are others also Math. 24. Marke 13. 2. Thes. 2. Daniel 2. 7. Apoc. 17. all which are as it were certaine visible sermons of repentance by which god forewarneth men too flée too his sonne our Lord Iesus Chryste in whom only is saluation The second circumstance is that he which is the sonne of God and man Iesus Christ shalbée a iudge Wherin bothe the godly and vngodly haue to learne The godly too knowe that hée shall bée their iudge who had promised eternall life too all that beléeue in him adding an othe Uerely I say vntoo you all that beléeue in mée shall not perishe but haue life euerlasting This promis confirmed with an othe cannot by any meanes fayle And the vngodly haue too lerne either too repent and forsake the rable of the wicked and so too enioy their saluation purchased by Chryst or else too remember that he whom they haue refused too bée theyr Sauyoure shal adiudge them to endlesse paines that then at least wise they may too their great miserie learne howe horrible a thing it is too fall intoo the hands of the liuing God The third circumstance is that hée shall come in the clouds glorious and terrible not a seruaunt as before but a Lord not too bée iudged but too iudge not now too allure men too repentance but too punish vnrepentant persones with eternall paines and that as a righteous iudge The fourth circumstance is that he shall come mightie with power and great glorie wherby it is too bée learned that he can bothe damne the rebellious is able too rewarde the beléeuers with eternall life The fifth circumstance expresseth the cause of Chrystes comming vntoo iudgement so farre forth as it perteineth too the godly Your redemption is at hād By which saying like as Christ sheweth that his Churche shall not bée wel at ease in this world for before that day it can not be deliuered frō the vanitie of the world so he dooeth too vnderstand that the accomplishment of Chrystes benefits towards his Churche is the ful deliuerance from all euils wherwith is ioyned the perfect fruition of the eternall God with euerlasting ioy These things therfore perteine too the comfort of the godly But as touching the vngodly this day of the Lordes comming shall bée a day of wrathe and sorrowe and not of deliuerance a day of mist and darknesse and not of light a day of moorning and not of mirth a day of destruction and not of saluation And the maner of the iudgement is described in the .25 of Mathew by these words When the sonne of man shal come in his maiestie and all the Angels with him then shall he sit vppon the throne of maiestie and all nations shalbée gathered toogither before him and he shal seperate them a sunder as a shepeherd putteth his shéepe a side from the Gotes and shall set the shéepe on his right hand and the Gotes on his left Then shal the king say too them on his right hand come yée blissed of my Father and possesse you the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world For I was hungry and yée gaue mée too eate c. And vntoo them on his left hand he shal say Away from mée yée cursed intoo euerlasting fyre which is prepared for the Diuell and his Angels For I was hungry and yée gaue mée no meat c. And so the vngodly shall go intoo euerlasting punishment but the rightuous intoo euerlasting life And in the Apocalipse 20. chapt Hée shall sit vppon a great white throne at whose looke the heauen and earth shal flée away and the dead both great and small shall stand in the sight of his throne and then shalbée opened the booke of life and the bookes of consciences they shall bée iudged by those things that are written in those bookes according too their woorks They that haue doon good shal go intoo euerlasting life and they that haue doone euill intoo euerlasting fire Now in the sentence of iudgement twoo things are too be considered On Gods behalfe blissing on mennes behalfe good woorks When he sayth come yée blissed of my Father he méeneth that they are fréely saued through Iesus Chryst whom they haue receiued by Faith For in Chryst only are men blissed receiued intoo Gods fauor fréely iustified But when he calleth foorth too good woorks the Lord dooth it not for that they are causes of saluation but for other respectes Namely for that they are witnesses of true fayth the feare of God and moreouer that by setting before them a recompence of the miseries which they abide in this life hée may the more stirre them vp too godly and holy conuersation ¶ Of the seconde WHy Christ forewarned his disciples of his cōming too iudgement he declareth when he sayth When these things begin too come too passe looke vp and lift vppe your heads c. All these things wil put vs in minde of a certaine continuall repentaunce in this life But what doo wée wée sée the last day redy too light in our necks and yet neuerthelesse wée delay too repent and féede our owne fansies What doo noble men What doo princes what doo learned men what doo vnlearned men what doo townes men what doo countrey folke and too bée short what doo in maner al men What is hée that earnestly myndeth this forewarnyng of Christes Wée make more accompt of a ferme in the countrey than of the kyngdome of GOD. Yea rather who is hée that preferreth not the commodities of this life bée they neuer so slender before the
Hierusalem testifie Thirdly he punisheth spiritually in this life with darknesse and ignorance and after death with euerlasting paynes Greece Turkie and Italie and the greatest most flourishing parte of the whole world are examples of this punishment This dooth the riche glutton testifie who repenting too late and in vayne in Hell is tormented there with endlesse paynes The ninthe Dooth the king for mens vnthankfulnesse breake of the mariage which he had determined vpon No But he sayth too the seruants The vvedding is redy but those that vvere bidden are not vvorthy Although this may bée vnderstood of the vnthankfulnesse of the whole world yet doth Chryst in this place entreat chéefly of the vnthankfulnesse of the Iewes whom in these woords he threatneth too shut out from the mariage of the kings sonne Go yee therefore out intoo the high vvayes and as many as yee finde bid them to the mariage Behold the bountifulnesse of this king He willeth all men too bée bidden too his sonnes mariage without respect of nation or persons For he speaketh of the calling of the Gentiles too the gospel And it is too bée marked aduisedly that he sayth whom so euer you find bid them too the mariage But when was this spoken too the Bridegroomes seruaunts Euen then when Chryst said Go yée intoo the whole world and preach the gospell too all creatures He that beléeueth and is baptised shal be saued and he that beléeueth not is condemned already The tenth And the seruaunts vvent foorth intoo the high vvayes and gathered togither all as many as they could finde both good and hadde and the vvedding vvas furnished vvith guests This came too passe after Whitsonday after that the Apostles were armed with the holy Ghost and from thencefoorth vntoo this day by the ministers of the gospell ¶ Of the second ANd the king came too see his guests and vvhen he spyed a man there vvhich had not on a vvedding garment he said vntoo him Freend hovve camest thou hyther hauing not a vvedding garment This place teacheth first that in the visible congregation of the Churche the euill are mingled with the good vntill the last day which thing the Parable of the Darnell declareth also Neither is any such Church to bée hoped for in this lyfe as the Anabaptistes dreame of For the Church is in all poynts like a féeld wherin wheat and Darnell grewe both toogither For like as wheat abideth wheat still although neuer so much Darnel spring vp from time to time So the Church continueth holy though it haue diuers rotten members As many as professe christen religion are members of the Church howbéeit some be quicke and some dead Those bée quicke that haue a liuely fayth and those bée dead which professe the religion without liuely confidence in Chryst. As for those that are out of the visible congregation of the Churche they are enimies of the doctrine and neyther quicke nor dead members of the Churche It foloweth that the King comming in saw a man without his wedding garment What is this wedding garment This is néedful too be known that we may enioy the swéetnesse of Chrystes mariage perpetually At the last day there shall stand in this kings sight twoo kindes of men of whom the one refused too come too this wedding as the Turks and the vngodly Iewes many heathen nations at this daye It is manifest that none of these hath a wedding garment Of whom notwithstāding many doo loue ciuil honestie Wherfore this outwarde ciuilnesse of Aristides Fabritius Fabius Maximus and Cato is not that wedding garment whiche hée requireth And the other sort came too the mariage that is too say they conueyed themselues intoo the outward congregetion of the Churche at the preaching of the Gospell Howbéeit these are not all of one hewe For some trust too their owne woorks and thinke their shamefulnesse too bée couered with the garment of their woorkes Is this the wedding garment No in good sooth For they are thrust out from the mariage but none are thrust out from the mariage that bring a wedding garment with them Others some haue no woorkes but euil woorks howbéeit they bragge of fayth and boast themselues too bée faithfull and they suppose that this their fonde craking is the wedding garment but they are deceyued For of such hipocrits the Lord saith Not euery one that saith vntoo me Lord Lord shal enter intoo the kingdome of Heauen but he that dooth the wil of my father which is in heauē And other some beléeue a right and these mortifie the fleshe and liue in the spirit repent set their mind too liue blamelesse These only haue y e wedding garment Therfore whither yée call liuely faith or holinesse of life the wedding garment yée shall not take your marke amisse For as the calling too this mariage requireth faith so requireth it also true holynesse And that this is the true wedding garmente it appéereth in Abel Abraham Maudelin and many other Sainctes And it is no maruaile that suche a liuely fayth shoulde bée the wedding garmente For whosoeuer beléeueth his sinnes are released Gods wrath is taken from him and hée becommeth the sonne of God For it is written hée gaue them power too become the sonnes of God as many as beleued in his name Hée that beléeueth on him hathe euerlasting life Moreouer Chrystes rightuousnesse is imputed too the beléeuer wherewith the man béeing apparayled appéereth rightuous in the sight of God But héere thou must beware that thou put not on a visor in stede of the true garment that is too say y t thou boste not of vaine presumption in stede of true liuely faith If thou couet too know the marks of it these they bée Whersoeuer is true fayth there is also repentance with it there is hate of sinne there is true feare and ageine there is comfortablenesse of hart kindled by the holy Ghoste a desire too further Gods glory among men the duties of charitie or too cōprehend all in one woord true holinesse which is none other thing than a sequestring of our selues from the wickednesse of the world by mortifying the fleshe a clinging vntoo God by quickening of the spirit Wheresoeuer this holynesse is it is at continuall strife For the fleshe fighteth ageinst the spirite This holynesse is not made perfect at an instante but groweth all the time of a mannes life which thing the liues of the sainctes may easly teache vs. And thus muche concerning the wedding garment But I pray you what shal be doone too them that haue not this wedding garmente That dooth the Texte tell in these woords Binde him hand fote and cast him intoo vtter darknesse there shall bee vveeping and gnashing of teeth The outer darknesse betokeneth punishment and sorow which are out of the kingdome of God namely in Hel. Intoo this darknesse was the rich glutton cast and so shall all those bée caste that are not found clothed
Moreouer there bée twoo things too bée discussed of vs in this place One is the doctrin concerning riches and an other is what is mente by that hée sayth VVhen yee shall haue neede they shall receyue you intoo euerlasting babitations Albéeit that I sayd some what concerning riches an eyght wéeks agoe when I expounded the Gospell of the Glutton and of Lazarus yet notwithstanding I will now bréefly repete the whole doctrine concerning riches For there is no cause too the contrarie but that a man maye sing a good song more than once And I will saye thrée thinges concerning riches The first is what maner of meanes of getting riches are lawfull The second is in what sorte God would haue vs minded towards riches The third is which is the ryght and lawfull vse of riches Therfore as touching the lawful means of getting riches wée must begin first of all with Christs rule Math. 7. Séeke first the kingdome of God and his rightuousnesse The first chéef regard therfore is too bée had of the soule that that may bée rich in God Theâ— bycause this lyfe hath néede of helpes goods may be â—ought according to Gods ordinaÌ„ce it is lawfull too imploy a mans trauell in getting those things y t are necessarie for our liuing furniture And this is warranted not onely by the examples of the saincts but also by the commauÌ„demeÌ„t of God For God promiseth his blessing too them that laboure after a godly manner Thirdly the gayne that commeth too vs that trauell by the blissing of God is too bée taken as it were at Gods hand Neither may wée vse euill practises wherby too drawe other mens goodes vntoo vs. Also it is lawfull too take the frute of a mans labour as a iust reward In bargayning let craft and falshod bée away Let vs doo al things openly and simply with the same faythfulnesse that wée woulde require at other mennes handes Let our labour bée lawfull in lawfull vocation so as wée may with a good conscience boast that wée haue doone nothing ageinst any man deceytfully Hithertoo wée haue spoken of the ryghtfull waye of getting riches Now will I shew in fewe woords in what sorte wée ought too bée mynded toward riches when wée haue gotten them For wée must vse a singular cunning that our riches when wée haue gotten them become not thorns and snares too vs. Which thing too auoyd let vs folow the counsell of Dauid and Paule of which the one in the .62 Psalme sayeth If riches flow vntoo thée set not thy hart vpon them And the other .1 Tim. 6. sayth Warne the riche men in the worlde that they bée not proude nor trust not in the vncerteyntie of riches but in the liuyng God The chéefest poynt therfore is that wée bée not ledde away with couetousnesse of the riches of this worlde and that wée set not our mynde or trust vpon them Let vs bée ready too put them from vs as often and whensoeuer it shall please GOD. Whither wée haue them or want them let vs account them as transitorie and frayle things and preferre Gods blissyng alone béefore all things in the worlde Away with trust in vncerteyn ryches away with pryde and disdeyne of the poore Let come trust in the giuer of the ryches let come a godly and lowly mynde And so haue wée how wée ought too bée mynded towardes riches Now will I put too a little concerning the ryght vse of riches When I handeled the Gospell of the Glutton â–ª I sayd there were foure lawfull vses of riches Of whiche the first is that they shoulde serue too the glorie of God the furtherance of religion and the mayntenance of the ministerie of Gods woord For if wée bée borne too glorifie God surely all that euer wée haue must serue too that purpose The second is that wée shoulde with our goodes succâ—ur and garnish those coÌ„mon weales in which wée liue In which consideration tributes are too bée payd with a chéerefull mynde The third vse is that wée shoulde maynteyn our selues honestly according too our degrée and susteyne our housholde that our house may bee kept honestly after y e rate of our habilitie without filthy nigardship foolish lauishnesse The fourth and last vse is that our springs according too Salomons counsel should flow foorth abrode that is too wit that wée should bée liberall too the poore and rich in good woorks too the intent that many may enioy our goods giuing thanks with vs too God the father of our Lorde Iesus Chryst who ministreth all things aboundantly Ageynst these foure kyndes of vsing riches aryghte many doo offende as wée haue herd in the Gospel of the rich glutton and poore Lazarus I haue spoken of riches Now remaineth too bée expounded what is ment by this saying That vvhen you haue neede they may receyue you intoo euerlasting habitations Doothe not Chryst only receyue the beléeuers intoo theÌ„ heauenly habitations How then is it sayde héere that the poore bycause wée haue made them our freends wyth the vnrightuous MaÌ„mon shall receyue vs intoo euerlasting Tabernacles First it is manyfest that Chryst in this place directeth his woords too the beleeuers For in the beginning of the text it is written and Iesus sayd vntoo his disciples that is too say too those that are iustified and haue eternal life in Christ. Ageine this is manyfest that eternal lyfe is Gods gyft by Iesus Chryst. It foloweth then that there is an other manner wherby the poore receiue them that haue bin liberall to them intoo euerlasting life than that wherby Chryste receiueth them How then shall they receyue vs intoo euerlasting tabernacles As witnesses and auouchers of our faith For by the fruites they iudge of our fayth wherby alonely they knowe men too bée saued The same méenyng though in other woordes is often set foorth in the scripture God shall reward euery man accordyng too his woorkes not for that woorks deserue heauen but bycause they are euidences of fayth and the feare of God like as contrarywyse euill woorks procéed of vnbeléefe Therefore let vs bee myndefull of this saying and stirre vp our selues with it too doo wel too our neybour folowing the example of Chryst our sauior too whom bee honor and glorie for euer and euer Amen Vpon the .x. Sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospel Luke xix ANd vvhen he vvas come neere too Hierusalem he behelde the Citie and vvepte on it saying If thou hadste knovvne those things vvhiche belong vntoo thy peace euen in this thy daye thou vvouldest take heede But novve are they hid from thyne eyes For the dayes shall come vntoo thee that thine enimies shall cast a banke about thee and compasse thee round and keepe thee in on euery side and make thee euen vvith the ground and the children vvhich are in thee And they shall not leaue in thee one stone vppon an other bycause thou knovvest not the time of thy visitation And hee vvente
is the office of Chryst too sowe that is too say too teache rightuousnesse and eternall saluation Fourthly that no man can become good séede that is too say be iustified and renued too eternall life without Chryst the sower Secondly in as much as the world is called Christs féeld many things are offered vs too thinke vpon Firste that no any one kingdome of the worlde not Italie not Greece not Iewrie no nor any other nation vnder the sunne can claime too it self alone too bée the Lords féeld For all y e whole world is that féelde wherein Chryst the sower soweth this séede Wherfore like as no nation no nor any may iustly coÌ„plain that he is shut out of the kingdom of heauen so no people caÌ„ as I sayde chalenge this glorie too it selfe alone Secondly héere it is séene that Gods mercie is infinite whoo offereth Chrystes benefites that is too wit wisedome iustification sanctification and redemption too all men throughoute the wide world Thirdly It is to be obserued why the world is called a feld For vnder this Metaphor is signified that manuring is néedfull For as this féeld is too bée tilled by the preaching of repentance so is it also too bée watered with the blood spirit of Chryst otherwise the séede is choked and so perisheth The séede in this place signifieth both that which is sowen and that which groweth What is sowen Chrysts Gospell which as it offreth frée remission of sinnes so it requireth a continuall repentance This séed that is too say Christes Gospell the féeld receyueth by fayth But it is cherished and preserued by the holy Ghost that it bée not drowned by the stormes of the fleshe and of persecution and so die and come too naught Ageyne that which commeth of the séede is called séede also namely the Wheate it selfe that is too say the children of God For the woord of God or the Gospell is that incorruptible séede whereof wée growe ageyne the children of God This therfore is the description of the kingdome of Heauen that is too say of Gods Church in this world Wherby wée are taught first that the Church is not the woork of any other man than of the Sonne of God And therefore right fonde is the Pope when hée braggeth himself too bée the sower of this Church And secondly that this Church is not builded by mans doctrine but onely by the Gospell of Iesus Chryst which whosoeuer doo teach purely are the woorkfelowes of Chryst the sower ¶ Of the seconde THis Parable teacheth that Chrystes kingdome shall always haue enimies in like wise as the first promis also telleth in the third of Genesis The séede of the serpent shall lie in waite for the séede of the woman How true this is the storie of the Church from thenceforth that the séed was promised vntoo this present day teacheth vs. Whersoeuer is an Abell there is also some a Cain Wheresoeuer is an Isaac there is also an Ismaell Where as is a Iacob there is also some Esau or other Whereas is a Dauid there is also a Saule Whereas is a Christ there is also a Iudas Wheras is Paul there is also some Nero. And wée must not looke too haue it otherwise For Sathan lieth alwayes in waite for Christes churche whiche he endeuoreth eyther vtterly too abolishe or els too defile it with wicked doctrine and maners But when come the enimies When men sleep then commeth the enimie and soweth Darnell By this sléepe are noted both the ministers of the woord and also the héerers therof The ministers of the woord are sayde too sléepe when they doo not their dutie faithfully in teaching things that are holsome in admonishing those that séeme too bée slouthful in rebuking those whom they sée not too walke the right way too the truth of the Gospel in comforting the fearful consciences and in confuting erronious opinions whiche fight with the foundation that is too say the articles of our faith The hearers also are sayde â—oo sléepe when they eyther heare the woord negligently or else were colde and by little and little fallaway as wée sée many doo now a dayes When men sléepe so then commeth the enimy and that bicause hée is the enimy of Christe whose kingdome that is too say the Churche hée desireth too wast and too enlarge his owne kingdome by lying and murder What dooeth the ennimie Hée soweth in the Lordes féelde What First false and hereticall doctrine fighting ageinst the Articles of oure faithe And this practise hée béegan in Paradise continuing it on stil in all ages For whersoeuer the true and sincere doctrine of the gospel is preched there also is the enimie at hand too poyson the fountaines of our Sauiour with his owne venim least men should drawe saluation out of the pure fountaines of our Sauioure Secondly hée soweth contempt of the woord in many Of these séedes spring vp Darnel that is too say naughtie children as are first Hipocrites secondly Sophisters thirdly Tirants fourthly blasphemers and fifthly wicked men And all these knitting their powers toogither assault the church that is too say that little séelie flocke of Christes But what meaneth it that he sayth that the enuious man hauing cast his séede of Darnel in the Lords féelde went his way Dooth the Deuil depart from Hipocrites Sophiâ—ters â–ª and Tirants In no wise But he is therefore sayd too go his way for that he putteth on another face He wil not séeme an enimie but the spirite of God an Angel of light as it is 〈◊〉 be séene in the Anabaptists whoo make great boast of Gods spirit and of secret Reuelations when as notwithstanding they be deceyued by the sleights of Sathan And so this second place teacheth 〈◊〉 that the church hath hir enimies euen in the middes of the féelde that is too say in the outward societie of the church Secondly it admonisheth vs that wée consent not to our enimies Thirdely that wée may learne too descerne the enimies from the true Citizens of the Church Fourthly it warneth vs that after the example of many we should not eyther altoogither fal vtterly 〈◊〉 the Churche or bée offended at the calamitie of the Churche whiche in this life is set open too the iniuries of so many enimies ¶ Of the third THe seruants come too the master of the houshold and say Diddest thou not sovve good seede in thy 〈◊〉 By this 〈◊〉 of the seruants too the â—aister of the house 〈◊〉 the prayer of the godly for the Churche ageinst sects stumbling blocks in the Church For as the godly doo continually pray for the prosperitie and welfare of the Church so doo they prayâ— that no euill or hurteful things may befall it which thing is too â—panâ— euery where in Dauids Psalmes Aske those things saith hée which are for the 〈…〉 so mighte they prosper that peace of Hierusalem wise Let mine enimies 〈◊〉 confounded sayeth hée and let them bée destroyed that would mée euil Also
in the seuenth Psalme Let his woorke turne vpon his owne head and let his wickednesse light vpon his owne croune But how can this stand with Chrysts commaundement who bids vs too pray for them that cursse vs doo vs wrong The prayer of the Church ageinst hir enimies hath alwaies a condition of Repentance and Conuersion annexed vnto it For the méening therof is eyther that they may bée conuerted vntoo repentance or else that they may bée confounded perish that they may not always crake blasphemies ageinst God and bée troublesome too Gods saincts Wée must therfore pray for our enimies that they may bée conuerted wée must pray ageynst them that they may bée confounded disappointed of their deuises wherby they practise myschéefe ageinst Chrystes Church VVilt thou sayd his seruantes that vvee go and pluck them vp by the roote too vvhome hee sayd No but let them both grovve togither least in gathering the Daâ—nell yee plucke vp the VVheat thervvith â–ª 〈…〉 ¶ Of the fourth ANd in the time of haruest I vvill say too the haruest folke first gather yee toogither the darnell and binde it toogither in bundels too bée burnt but gather the vvheat intoo my barne Here he preacheth of the separating of the godly from 〈…〉 curse of al creatures which punishment how horrible it is no toong is able too expresse Besides this they shal be punished with double fire namely wyth the fire of euil coÌ„science the torment wherof shall neuer haue end and with fire burning the bodie and not consuming it for the bodie being adiudged too eternall torture shall féele euerlasting fire If wée thought vpon these things earnestly wée woulde not bée so colde in matters of our saluation In the sentence giuen vpon the godlie is set forth a double reward namely the blissing of the father his inheritaÌ„ce of Gods kingdome The one is set as contrarie ageinst cursing and the other is set ageinst eternall punishment Wée may therfore gather a double argument héereof One of the punishment of the vngodlie and the other of the rewarde of the godlie And eyther of them both if it bée thought vpon as it ought too bée is effectuall too woorke in vs the feare of God and true and continual repentance By this meanes therefore all the whole Parable ameth at this marke that the vngodly should leaue his own way wherby hée sinneth that the vnrighteous shoulde leaue his thought wherby hée dispaireth of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes and according too the saying of the Prophet bée conuerted too the Lord bicause hée is readie too forgiue In this readinesse nothing wanteth but there is in it almightie mercifulnesse and mercifull almightinesse too whome be glorie for euer Amen The Sunday called Septuagesima ¶ The Gospell Math. xx THe kingdom of Heauen is like vntoo a man that is an housholder vvhich vvente out early in the morning too hire labourers intoo his vineyarde And vvhen the agreement vvas made vvith the laborers for a penny a day he sent them into his vineyard And he vvent out about the thirde houre and savv other standing ydle in the market place and said vnto them Go ye also into the vineyard and vvhatsoeuer is right I vvil giue you And they vvent their vvay Ageine hee vvent out about the .vj. and .ix. houre and did likevvise And about the .xj. hour he vvent out and found other standing ydle and sayd vnto them VVhy stand yee here al the day idle They sayde vnto him Bicause no man hath hired vs. He sayth vnto them Go ye also into the vineyarde and vvhatsoeuer is right that shall ye receiue So vvhen euen vvas come the Lord of the vineyard sayd vnto his Stevvarde Call the Laborers and giue them their hire beginning at the last vntill the first And vvhen they did come that came about the eleauenth houre they receyued euery man a penny But vvhen the firste came also they supposed that they should haue receyued more and they likevvise receyued euery man a peny And vvhen they had receyued it they murmured ageinst the good man of the house saying These last haue vvrought but one hour and thou hast made them equall vvith vs vvhich haue born the burthen and heate of the day But he aunsvvered vnto one of them and sayde Freende I doo thee no vvrong diddest thou not agree vvith mee for a pennie Take that thine is and goe thy vvay I vvil giue to this last euen as vntoo thee Is it not lavvful for me to do as me listeth vvith mine ovvne goodes Is thine eye euill bicause I am good So the last shall be first and the first shall be last For many be called but fevv be chosen The exposition of the text THis Parable setteth before our eyes the image of the Churche For therein is shewed howe the Church which is likened too a Uineyarde is dealte wythall For as the woorkemen are in respecte of a Uineyarde so are men in respect of the Church The workmen are called intoo the vineyard some soner and some later Some labor much and long time some labor little and short time So of men some sooner some later are gathered intoo the Churche by the preaching of the Gospel and they worke some more some lesse Moreouer as the housholder giueth too some their dayes wages vppon couenaunt and vntoo other some as muche of his owne good will so in likewise our heauenly Father is a like bountiful too all that labour in his Churche Ageine as the housholder biddeth the proud and stubborn go their wayes and maketh muche of those that take his liberalitie in good worthe So God the father reiecteth those that séek rewarde of workes whereas hée bestoweth eternall life vppon those that depend vpon his frée and franke good wil. And so the meaning of this Gospel is that no man eyther truste in his owne workes if they be many or despaire if they bée none but onely depend vpon the goodnesse of God walking in the feare of the Lord. And héereof may thrée places be made 1 That euery Christian is hyred intoo the Lordes vineyard too worke 2 A generall doctrine concerning good works and the rewarde of good works 3 Of Chrystes saying So shall the last bée first and the first be last many are called and few chosen ¶ Of the first THe Church of God is in the scriptures oftentimes called the Lords vineyard and that first bicause the Lord hath chosen it and vouchsaued too make a couenaunt of grace and euerlasting saluatioÌ„ with it and bestowed innumerable benefites vpon it and hathe planted and furnished it All the whole Church is a vineyard and all Christians are the vine braunches whiche in an other respect are also called workemen Secondly this naming of it sheweth how muche the Lord estéemeth his Churche for no possession is more precious than a vineyarde Neyther dooth any require greater or more continuall laboure Thirdly when as the Lord calleth his churche a vineyarde he