the Niniuites which vndoubtedly sprange of faith for they beleued the words of the Prophet he had psty on them and spared them Sentences out of the new Testament Now is the axe put to the roote of the trees Euerye tree therefore that bringeth not foorth good fruites is hewen downe cast into the fyre Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorify your father which is in heauen Euerye good tree bringeth foorth good fruite An euil tree bringeth euil frute A good tree cannot bring foorth euill frute nor an euill tree good frute Euerye tree that bringeth not forth good fxnte is hewen down andeast tntoâ—…he fyre Whosoeuer heareth of me these words 〈◊〉 doth the same I wil likeÌ„ him vnto a wise man which bnilte his house on a rock c. A good man out of the good treasure of his hart bringeth soorth good thinges and an euill man out of that euill treasure bringeth forth euil thinges If ye were AbrahaÌ„s children ye would do Abrahams workes We knowe that God heareth no sinners but if anye man be a worshipper of God and obedyent his wil him heareth he He that hath my commaundements kepeth theÌ„ he it is that loueth me If any man loueth me he will keepe my wordes In the sighte of God they are not righteous which heare tee lawe but the doers of the lawe shal be â—…uste fied We are the workemanship of God created in Christ Iesu vnto good workes which god had prepared that we shoulde walke in them Be ye renued in the spirit of your minds and put on the the newe man which after the image of god is shapen in righteousnes and true holines walke worthy of y â— lorde in al things y â— please being fruitful in al good workes â—…ncreasing in the knowledge of God Brâ—…theren be not werye in wel doing Be to them that beleue an example in woord in coÌ„uersation in loue in spirit in faithe puernes Thou which art the man of Godfollowe righteousnes godlines loue patience and â—…eaknes The suer grounde of God remaineth hath this seale the lorde knoweth them y â— are his and let euery man that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitye Lusts of youth loke thou auoyd folow righteousnes fayth loue peare w t them that call on the Lord with a pure hart Dearely beloued I besech you as strauÌ„gers and pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule And see y â— ye haue honest conuersation among the heathen that they which backbite you as ill doers maye see your good works and prayse God in the day of visitation If we say we haue felowship with god and yet walke in darknes we lie do not the truth But if we walke in light euen as he is in light then haue we fellowship with hym and the bloude of Iesu Christ hys sonne maketh vs cleane froÌ„ all sinne He that doth righteousnes is righteus He that coÌ„mitteth sinne is of the deuill for the deuil sinneth from the beginning See ye be doers of the worde and not hearers onely deceauing your selues Read the whole epistle of S. Iames. God sayth to the false and fayned Christians I knowe the blasphemie of them which cal themselues Iewes and are not but the Sinagoge of Sathan Examples out of the new Testament THe idle were reproued because they wrought not they that would laboure were hired into the vineyarde at nighte receiued their reward The seruauntes which receiued taleÌ„ts of their Lord and occupied them and gayned moe by them are praised and rewarded for wel doing But the idle seruaunte whiche would not occupy the talent that he receiued of his Lorde but went and hid it in the grounde gaining nothing therewith was cast into vtter darknesse where weping and gnashing of tethe is The fig tree whiche was vnfruitful brought for the nothing but leaues was cursed and withered away Zache a ruler amonge the Publicanes gaue half his goods to the poore and if he did any man wrong he restored him foure times as much Therefore said Christe vn to him this day is helth come to this house forasmuche as he also is become the childe of Abraham Against the troublous tempestes of sicknes of losse of goods or any other kinde of aduersitie IF Sathan when thou art assailed â—… any kinde of trouble laboureth to moue thee to despaire of Gods good wil toward thee as though he had vtterly forsaken thee geuen thee ouer and care no more for thee but sendeth thee that punishment and layeth y â— cros vpon thy back 〈◊〉 tokeÌ„ of his anger and heauy displeasure against the take hede that y â— doest not submit thy selfe to his suttle sugestioÌ„s but rather perswade thy selfe that thy crosse Whatsoeuer it he coÌ„meth of the good wil of god towarde thee and is sente vnto thee for thy healthe comforte and saluation Looke that thou therfore take it both patiently and thankfully and that thou maist so do furnish thy brest with these treasures of Gods most blessed word ☞ Examples out of the olde Testament After y â— lord hath punished the tried the at last he wil haue pity on the. The lord kileth maketh aliue bringeth down to the graue fecheth vp again The lord maketh pore maketh rich bringeth low and heauethe vpon high Call vppon me in the time of thy troble I wil deliuer the thou shalt honor me Blessed is y â— man whoÌ„ thou nurterest O Lord and teachest him thy lawe It is for my welth y â— thou haste brought me vnder y â— I may learn thy righteousnes Naked came I out of my mothers woÌ„be naked shall I turne thither againe The Lord gaue y â— lord hath taken away euen as it pleaseth y â— lord so is it come to passe blessed be the name of the lorde If we haue receued prosperity at y â— haÌ„d of god why should we not also receue and suffer aduersitye Blessed is the man whoÌ„ God punisheth therfore refuse not thou y e chastening of y e almighty For though he make a wouÌ„d he geueth a plasture though he smite his haÌ„d maketh whole agayn My Sonne despise not the chastning of the lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lorde loueth him he chasteneth yet delighteth in him as a father in his owne sonne Whatsoeuer hapneth vnto thee receiue it suffer in heuines and be patiente in thy trouble For like as gold and siluer are tried in the fire euen so are acceptable men in the fornace of aduersity Examples out of the olde Testament Iob being grieuously plagued not onely with the losse of his goods but also with di â—…ers diseases of his dody praysed the Lord â—…uen in the middest of his trouble Tobye when he
wyll caste an hunger vppon the earth not the hunger of breade nor the thirst of water but of bearing the word of the Lord. And they shal go from sea to sea and walke aboute from the South to the East sekinge the worde of the Lorde and yet shall they not finde it ☞ Examples out of the 〈◊〉 Testament GOd the Father wrote the law of the ten coÌ„maundements in tables of stone with his finger and commaunded Moyses to declare them vnto the people The people are commaunded of God not only to rede his holy law but also diligently to exercise them selues in the me ditation therof so long as they liue and to teach it their childreÌ„ yea to talk of it both in their house and when they go abroad and to write it vpon tâ—…e thresholds dores and postes of their houses that it may bee â—…er in their sight For man shall not liue with breade alone but with euery worde that procedeth from the mouth of God A kinge is commaunded to reade the boke of the law of the Lorde all the dayes of his life that he may feare the Lorde his God Iosua was commaunded that the boke of the Lordes law should not depart from his mouth but that he shoulde study in it day and night that he might kepe and do all thinges that are written in that boke King Saul was cast down from his roy all estate because he was negligente and disobedient to the law of God When Dauid lay on his deathe bed he saide to Sallomon thou shalt prosper and come to great renoume if thou kepest the commaundementes and ordinaunces which the Lord commaunded Moses Ioas when he was crowned in y â— temple had the law of the Lord deliuered vnto his handes that he shoulde keepe and maintaine the same Iosaphat that walked in the commaundementes of the Lord loued Gods word so entierly that he sent hys princes Leuites and priestes to teach in all partes of Iuda which had the booke of the Lordes law with them and went about in all the cities of Iuda and taught the people Ezechias diligently walked in the law of the Lord purged his realme of all idolatry set vp againe the true worshipping of God exhorted all his subiectes to followe the lawe of their Lord God Iossas that most godly king which walked so purely in the waies of the lord that he declined neither on the ryght hand nor on the left when the boke of the law was deliuered vnto him did not only cause the booke to be red before hym but he himself also red it before all his people both small and great and all idolatry destroyed restored the true religion to hys kingdome Esdras red the law of the Lord plainly and distinctly to the people they gaue very earnest and diligent attendaunce to the bearing of it Susan from her infanciâ—… was so diligentlye brought vp of her parentes in the lawe of God that she did not onely feare god but also chused rather to be stoned vn to death then she would once transgresse the law of god by committing adultery Sentences out of the newe Testament Man shall not liue with breade alone but with euery worde that commeth out of the mouth of God Uerely verely I say vnto you this age shal not passe till all these things be done Heauen and earth shall passe awaye but my wordes shall not passe away Blessed are they that heare the word of god and kepe it Blessed is he that eateth bread in the kingdome of God They haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heare them If they heare not Moyses and the Prophets neither will they beleue though one shoulde rise from the dead Thys is condemnation that lyghte is come into the world and that men loued darkenes more then lyght because theyr workes were euill For euery man that doth euill hateth the lyght neyther commeth he to y â— light least his workes should be reproued but he that doth truth commeth to light that his deedes myghte bee known how they are wrought in god Search the scriptures for ye thinke to haue eternall lyfe in them and these are they which testifie of me neyther will ye come vnto me that ye may haue life The wordes that I speake to you are spirite and life Lord to whom shal we go Thou hast the wordes of euerlasting lyfe He that is of god heareth the wordes of god But ye heare not bicause ye are not of god If a man kepeth my worde he shal neuer see death My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and thei folow me and I geue them euerlasting lyfe Walke while ye haue light least darknes ouerwhelme you He that walketh in darknes knoweth not whether he goeth While ye haue light beleue in the lyghte that ye may be the children of lyght He that hath my preceptes and keepeth them he it is that loueth me If any man loueth me he will kepe my word and my father will loue him and we shall come to him and dwell with hym This is euerlasting life euen to knowe thee the alone true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Euery one that is of the truth heareth my voyce The gospell of Christ is the power of god vnto saluation for so many as beleue Except the Lorde of bostes had left vnto vs sede that is hys most blessed word we had bene as Sodom and might well haue bene likened to Gomorra Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Whatsoeuer thyngs are written afore time are writteÌ„ for our learning that we thorowe pacience comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope The word of the crosse is to them that perishe folishnesse but to vs â–ª that obtaine saluation it is the power of God If the gospell of Christ be yet byd it is byd among them that are loste in whom y â— god of this world hath blinded y â— minds of them which beleue not least the light of the glorious gospel of Christ which is the image of God should not shyne vnto theÌ„ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly with all wysedome Teach and monish one an other Quench not the spirite Despise not the studies and preachinges of the holy Scripture Proue all thinges and that is good holde faste God will all men to be saued and come vnto the knowledge of the truth Geue thy minde to reading exhortation and doctrine continue in these things Continue in reading the holy scripture which is able to make thee wyse vnto saluatioÌ„ thorow the fayth which is in Christ Iesus For all Scripture geueÌ„ by inspiration of God is profitable to teache to improue to amend and to instructe in ryghteousnes that the man of god may be perfecte and prepared to all good workes The word of God is
deuise thinges which be to harde to be kept through which the poore are oppressed on euerye side and the innocentes of my people are therewith robbed of iudgement Wo be to those shriÌ„kiÌ„g childreÌ„ saith y â— lord which seke counsel but not at me whiche take a web in haÌ„d but not after my will y â— they may heap one sinne vpon an other Thus saith the Lorde my thoughtes are not your thoughtes and your wayes are not my wayes but as farre as the heaueÌ„s are higher then the earth so far do my wayes exceade youres and my thoughtes your thoughtes Your lippes speake leasinges and your tong setteth out wickednes No man regardeth righteousnesse and no man iudgeth truly Euery man hopeth in vaine things and imagineth disceite conceiueth wickednes and bringeth forth euil They breede Cockatrices egs weaue the spiders web Whosoeuer eâ—…eth of their egs dieth but if one tread vpon them their commeth vp a serpent Their webbe maketh no cloth and they maye not couer them with their laboures Their deedes are the deedes of wickednesse and the worke of robbery is in their handes their feete runne to euill and they make haste to shed innocent bloude Theyr councels are wicked councels hate and destruction is in their wayes but y â— way of peace they know not In their goings is no equitie their waies are so crooked y â— who so goeth therin knoweth nothing of peace My people haue committed two greate euils They haue forsaken me the fountaine of liuing waters and digged them pits pits I say that are broken and can hold no water Take bâ—…de saithe the Lord ye truste in coâ—…sels that begile you do you no good Heare not the wordes of the Prophets that preach their owne dreames Heare O ye house of Israel saith the lord Is not my way right or ar not your waies rather wicked The children of thy people saye tushe the way of the Lord is not right where as their way is rather vnright Examples out of the olde Testament Ieroboam kynge of Israel contrary to gods word made two calues of gold and set them vp to be worshipped of people as their goddes but both he and his posteritie were greuously punished for it How greuously god punished al such as brought in strauÌ„ge worshippings of god or any matters concerning Idolatrye or ought els contrary to y â— word of God although y â— authors of theÌ„ made the simple people to beleeue y â— they were verities although vnwritteÌ„ as the Papistes do now adaies y â— holy scriptures in diuers places do euideÌ„tly shew namely in the bokes of the kinges and of the chronicles ☞ Sentences out of the new Testament Except your righteousnesse dooth excede the righteousnes of the Scribes and Phariseis ye can not enter into the kingdome of heauen Beware of false Prophets which câ—…me vnto you in sheepes clothing and inward ly are rauening wolues Why do ye transgresse the commaundenâ—…ent of God for your tradicions Euery plant y â— my heaueÌ„ly father hath not planted shal be plucked vp by y e rotes This is my welbeloued Sonne in whom I am wel pleased heare ye him Teache them to kepe all thinges that I haue commaunded you Ye leaue the commaundemeÌ„t of god and maintaine your owne constitutions Well ye do caste aside the commaundemeÌ„t of god to kepe your own tradicions If ye abide in my worde ye are my disciples in deede and ye shall knowe the truthe and the truthe shall make you fre He that is of god heareth the wordes of God My sheepe heare my voice I knowe them and they followe mee neither shall they at any time pearishe nor yet shall any man pluck them out of my hand He that hathe my commaundementes and kepeth them he it is that loueth mee If any man loueth me he will keepe my wordes If ye keepe my commaundementes ye shall abide in my law Ye are my frends if ye doe those things that I commaund you Euery one that is of the truthe heareth my voyce I dare not speak of any of these things that Christ hath not wrought by me I beseeche you brethern marke them that make deuision and geue occasions of euil contrarye to the doctrine y â— ye haue learned and auoid them For they that are such serue not the Lord Iesu Christe but their own bellies with swete preachiÌ„gs and flattering words deceiue the harts of the simple Though we our selues or an Angel froÌ„ Heauen preache any other Gospel to you then that whiche we haue preached vnto you holde him accursed As I saide before so say I now againe if any man preach any other thing vnto you then that ye haue receiued holde him accursed Thoughe it be but a mans testament yet no maÌ„ despiseth it or addeth any thing therto when it is once alowed How much more ought nothing to be added to the tes tament of the moste highe God nor yet be taken from it Be no more children from heÌ„ceforth wandring and caried with euerye winde of doctrine by the wilines of men crafts whereby they lay awaite for vs to deceiuâ—… vs but let vs follow the truth in loue and in all thinges growe in him whiche is thy head that is to say Christ. Caste away vngodlye olde wiues fables exercise thy self vnto godlines If any man teache otherwise is not content with the wholsome words of our Lord Iesus Christe and with the doctrine of godlines He is pufte vp knoweth no thing but wasteth his brains about questioÌ„s strife of wordes wherof spring enuye strife rayling euill surmisinges and vaine disputations of menne of corrupte mindes and destitute of the truth whiche thinke that lucre is godlynes From suche seperate thy self If any man speake let him speake as though it came of gods owne mouth Whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not god He that endureth in the doctrine of Christ hath bothe the Father and the Sonne If there come any vnto you and bring not this lerning him receiue not to house neither bid him god spede For he that bid deth him god spede is partaker of his euil deedes Be not caried about with diuers and straunge learninges If any man addeth to these thinges god shall adde vnto hym the plages that are written in this booke And if any maÌ„ shall minish of the wordes of this boke of this Prophecy god shal take away hys parte oute of the booke of life and out of the holye citie and from those thynges which are written in this booke Examples out of the newe Testament Christ rebuketh the pharises for bringing their traditions into the churche of God by that meanes defacyng the glory of Gods most holy worde Blessed Sainct Paule reproueth them which be dead with Christ from the commaundements
Watch and praye that ye fall not into temptation Let your loines be gird about and your lightes be burning and your selues like men that waite for their maister when he will returne from the weddings that as foone as he commeth and knocketh they may open vnto him Blessed are those seruauntes whome the Lorde whan he commeth shall find waking Take hede watch pray for ye knowe not whan the time is As a man which is gone into a strange country and hath left his house and geuen his substance to his seruaunts and to euery man his worke and commaunded the porter to watche Watch ye therfore for ye know not when the mayster of the house will come at eueÌ„ or at midnight whether at the cockecrow ing or in the dawning lest if that he come sodenly he find you sleping and that I say vnto you I say vnto all watch Take heede to your selues least your hartes be greued with surâ—…eting and dron kennes and cares of the worlde and that daye come sodenly on you For as a snare shall it come on all them that sit on the face of the earth It is euen now hye time that we wâ—…ke out of sleepe Beholde nowe is the accepted time now is the day of health The day of the Lord shall come euen aâ—… a thefe in the night When they shall saye peace and no danger then commeth there on them soden destruction as the trauayling of a woman with child they shall not escape Let vs not sleepe as other doo but let vs watch and be sober The Lord is at hand Be patient and settle your hartes for the comming of the Lord draweth nigh Behold the iudge slaÌ„deth before the dore Be sober and watche for your aduersary the deuil walketh aboute like a roaring lion seeking whom he may deuour whome resist being stedfast in fayth The daye of the Lorde shall come as a theefe in the night Litle children eueÌ„ now is the last time Yet a little while he that shal come wil come and will not tary If thou shalt not watch I wil come on 〈◊〉 as a theefe and thou shalt not know what hour I will come vpoÌ„ thee Behold I come shortly Hold that which thou hast that no man take away thy crowne Beholde I stande at the dore to knock yf any man heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me The time is at hand He that doth enâ—… let him do euil stil. And he which is filthy let him be filthy stil. And he that is righteous let him be more righteous And he that is holy let him be more holy And because I come shortly and my reward with me to geue euery man accordinge as his deedes shal be Examples out of the newe Testament That seruaunt that diligeÌ„tly watcheth at all hours for his masters coÌ„ming doth in the meane season such things as his ma ster hath appoynted him is blessed for he shall enter into his masters ioye But the seruaunt that liueth without care is idle watceth not loketh not diligently vpoÌ„ his office thinketh not of his masters coÌ„ming smiteth his fellowes eateth and drinketh with the dronken that seruant I say shall haue his part with Hipocrites and shal be cast into vtter darknes where wepinge and gnashing of teeth shal be The 5. wise virgines prepared both lampes and oyle tarriing and watching for the comming of the bridgrome There fore when he came they being in a redines went in with him vnto the wedding But the fiue folishe Uergines slumbred and slepte so that when the bridegrome came they were vnprepared and hadde no oyle in theyr lampes and therfore were they shutte out of the dores and entred not into the mariage Let vs therfore watche for we know neither the daye nor the howre when the sonne of man shall come Against the slacknes of doyng good workes IF that futtle Sathan by his crafty persuasions woulde at any time make thee beleue that thou art so thorowly iustified by faith alone and so perfectly saned by Christe onelye that thou nedesâ—… not do any good workes nor yet bring forth the frutes of faith according to thy profession but liue as thou lust and do what thou wilt so at the full art thou saued thorow faith in Christe take hedâ—… thou be not deceiued with this painted visar but rather to the vtteriâ—…ost of thy power labour to coÌ„ firme thy faith with the plenteous doynge of good workes workyng thinc owne saluation as blessed Paule saith with feare and trembling And that thou maiest be the better encouraged so to do set these sentences and examplee of the holy scripturs euer before the eies of thy minde Examples out of the olde Testament I am the almightye God walke before me and be perfect Kepe the commaundementes of the lord thy God and his witnesses and his couenauntes which he hath commaunded thee and do thou that which is acceptable and good in the sighte of the Lorde that thou mayest prosper Now Israel what doth the lord thy god require of thee but to feare the Lorde thy God and to walke in all his wayes to loue him and to serue the Lorde thy God with all thyne harte and withal thy soul namely that thou kepe the commaundementes of the lorde and hys ordinaunces that thou maiest doe wel and prosper The faithful man is like a tree planted by the water side that will bring forth his fruite in due season Thou hatest althem O Lord that work iniquity Lord who shall dwel in thy tabernacle who shall rest vpon thy holy hill Euen he that leadeth an vncorrupt life worketh righteousnesse c. ¶ Reade the whole Psalme Departe from euill and do good Put thou thy truste in the Lord and be thou doing good Cease to do euil learne to do good Seke to do right deliuer the oppressed helpe the fatherlesse to his right defend the widow Breake thy bread to the hungry the nedy and the wayfaring man lead thou into thy house Whan thou seest a naked man couer him and hide not thy face from thy neighbour c. Examples out of the olde Testament Nohe was perfect and iust in his generations and walked with god loued god that is to say beleued in god leued god feared god soughte the glory of god and framed his life according to the wil of god being plenteous in al good and godly workes therfore God preserued him and his when he droâ—…ned all suche as were wicked persons and doers of no good workes Abraham was obedient to the wil of god and walked after his holye commaundements euer doing good works god therfore meruelously blessed hym made him the father of many nations and promised him that in his seede all kinreds shoulds be blessed God saw the workes of