innocent blood in their land Therfore the wicked are punished for their tyrannie whereby they oppresse the godly neither in deede will Christ suffer this to escape vnreuenged who testifieth himselfe to bee afflicted in his members as we said of late From hence therfore let vs fetch comfort in persecutiō neither let vs be offended with the successe of the wicked who shall one day wee reigning in the heauens bee cast into vtter darknesse and there tormented for euer 4. A perpetuitie hee promiseth a perpetuitis which thing alone sufficiently teacheth that this place ought not to be vnderstood of the carnall Iuda but of the spirituall or Church For it is euident that the people of the Iewes were cast out of the lande of promise and had lost all forme both of Church and Common weale The Prophet therefore saith But Iuda shall dwell for euer and Ierusalem from generation to generation Which may bee meant onely of the Church vnto whome Christe being about to conueigh his body from the earth into heauen Mat. 28. said Behold I am with you euen vnto the ende of the worlde And that the same shall neuer die Math. 24. 1. Cor. 15. 1. Thes 4. the prophesyinges of the same Christe and Apostles as touching the last day doe aboundantly teathe when as they testifie that then there wil be some who being caught vp in the ayre to meete Christ shall enter into possession of the heauenly kingdome Forasmuch therefore as the Churche shall bee vpon the earth euen vnto the end of the worlde and the same then beeing translated into heauen shall bee indued also with the immortalitie of the body it is plaine perdy as the Prophet speaketh that the same shall dwell for euer Why therefore doe wee feare the attempts of persecutors Why tremble wee at the dangers that hang on euery side ouer vs In times past forsooth most mightie Kinges and Emperours haue assayed to subuert ouerthrowe the Church but they haue bin so farre off from atchieuing their purpose that in so doing they haue gamed nothing but perpetuall shame and ignominie and an vurecouerable losse as well of their goods as also of their bodies and soules The like lot also shall light vpon those that doe in these dayes followe their steppes 5. A cleansing from sinnes But forsomuche as the conscience of sinnes calleth into question all the promises of God in the fift place the Lorde addeth And I will cleanse their blood which I haue not cleansed and the Lord wil dwel in Zion By blood the scriptures vnderstand al greeuous and haynous sins The meaning therefore is this Whatsoeuer filthinesse remaineth in them which might seeme as yet not to be clensed and taken away all that will I cleanse purge This was performed also in Christ whose blood as the Apostle saith cleanseth vs from all sin and of whō the Baptist witnessed Beholde the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world But especially this seemeth to bee referred to the calling of the Gentiles who where before also they wanted the purifiyngs of the lawe God had suffered them as the Apostle saith to walk in their owne wayes Act. 14. yet the same beeing brought to the knowledge of him he deliuered set free by the merit of Christ frō their sins from condēnation Our sinnes therefore beeing cleansed done away which alone separated vs from God it followeth necessarily that God will dwell in Zion that is the Church that he wil neuer leaue it destitute of his fouour and protection Hitherto maketh the place of Paule writing to the Romanes Rom. 5. God setteth out his loue toward vs seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. Much more then being now iustified by his blood we shal bee saued from wrath through him For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled we shal be saued by his life c. And thus doth the diuine Ioel conclude and shet vp his prophesie with a promise of the Gospell nay if you consider more aduisedly of him throughout yee shall finde him to bee an Euangelical Preacher For hee beganne with the rehearsall of the punishments which hee sheweth they deserued by their sins And immediately he exhorted them to repentance gaue foorth the true fourme and maner thereof Then heereunto he added promises touching the penalties of the enemies perpetual happinesse of the godly Let vs therfore transferre these thinges to our times and from hence take aduice as touching the auoyding of plagues and calamities whereof the summe is this that wee forsaking our sinnes and the cares of this wicked world doe with our whole heart 〈◊〉 turne conuert vnto God through Christ Iesus who as hee hath cleansed vs from our sinnes and reconciled vs to God his father so doth hee protect and defende those that beleeue in him amiddest the dangers of this life and finally causing them to escape and surmount all calamities hee will translate them into his owne kingdome 〈◊〉 to the places of eternall happinesse To him therefore with the father the holy ghoste three persons and one eternall and euerliuing God bee all blessing honour glory and dominion for euer and euer Amen Imprinted at London at the three Cranes in the Vintree by Thomas Dawson for William Ponnsonby 1582.
not vnsittingly if so be I dedicated this our Ioel especially vnto you Neither in deede doe I weigh their iudgements who as they thinke the state and condition of those men that are conuersant in princes courtes to be very farre disagreeing from the ministery of the church so are they of opiniō that nothing can be done more absurdly or incōueniently thē if any thing be offred vnto head men in the common weale that sauoureth of diuinitie of the word of God For mine opinion is farre otherwise who do iudge the states of men to be esteemed accounted of rather according to the end wherunto they aime leuel then after the outward pompe shew when as no wise man wil deny that among those that tend to one the selfesame end there ought to be a most neere bond and coniunction both of minds studies But the very same end is propounded as well to those that are conuersant in the common weale as also in the ministerie of the church namely the safetie and preseruation of their common countrie church which the one sort ought diligently to promote defend by their coūsell and authoritie and the other by doctrine and exhortations There ought therefore to be a most sure knot and coniunction betwixt these two orders such as wee reade was in times past betweene Moses and Aaron also the Prophets and most holy kinges Dauid Iosaphat Ezechias Iosias and others lyke vnto these But for so much as God is the only author of the publike welfare as also of all other good giftes beside it behoueth either of them as wel magistrates as ministers to loke into his worde out of it to deriue the fountains both of their counsels doctrine and al to this end and purpose that the people committed to their charge may haue God fauourable vnto them and in him enioy true peace felicitie In which behalfe the ministers forsooth ought to be present at hand with the Princes and magistrates to teach admonish them and these agayne ought to defend their authoritie For so commeth that thing to passe that Plato long agoe iudged to be very necessary in a common weale namely that both Philosophers should haue the chief rule of thinges they that haue the chiefe rule should play the Philosophers in deede For why that the true philosophie cannot be fetched from any other where then out of the word of God it appeareth abūdantly whē as this alone containeth the mysteries of the heauenly wisdome teacheth men to iudge rightly of things as wel humaine as diuine In consideration wherof God in times past said that the Israelites only were a wise vnderstāding people because that vnto thē alone he had committed his lawes the oracles of his word But with how great care and industry the wil of God ought in these dayes to be sought after I suppose no man to be ignorant that doth not ydlely marke and obserue the tokens of Gods wrath now euery where imminent at hand Doubtlesse al sorts degrees of men complaine very much of the perils of our time there is also great consultatiō euery where how by what means both the church common weale may best be prouided for And we see no small nūber vtterly to despaire of the successe of things to cast of al care consideration of the publike safetie when as they perceiue abrode opē enemies to be at hand and at home al things to be out of order through discords debates again publike discipline through the vnbrideled libertie of many miserably broken and pluckt in pieces But if so be they would hearken to the scriptures they would by and by euen in the most perillous times of al minister most certaine and assured perswasions of health and preseruation And that we may omit al other writers of Gods misteries onely Ioel may suffice vs in this behalfe He prophesied vnder the reigne of Ezechias what time the church was assaulted with the power of the Assyrians and nowe brought into extreme hazzard neither wanted there such as by blowing the bellowes of newe sinnes dayly kindled the burning wrath of GOD more and more Neuerthelesse Ioel willeth the people not to dispayre neyther doeth hee forsake the office of teaching committed vnto him But perceiueth that hee hath with so muche more diligence to apply himselfe if by anye meanes hee might finde a remedye for the afflicted state And this remedye hee sheweth to consist onelye in repentance and in the true conuersion vnto GOD whereunto he exciteth and prouoketh al men but especially hee exhorteth the Priestes and with these the other states also of the kingdōe that they would become the leaders of the people hereunto To whom being conuerted vnto God he promiseth a ioyfull change and alteration of thinges and sheweth them that the wrath of God shall be turned vpon the wicked enemies themselues and finally prophesieth of the blessed instauration of Christes kingdome Neither in deede wanted his holy counsell happy successe For by the fearefull iudgement of God the hoast of the Assyrians was ouerthrowne by an Angel and the grand captayne thereof Sennacharib that the vnworthines of the fact might increase the sorrow of his death cruelly thrust through and slayne of his owne sonnes being in the temple of his God and there busie in offring of sacrifice And from that time sprang vp amōg the continuall afflictions of Gods people the kingdome of Christ which being long agoe by the Apostles happily spread abrod through the whole world and afterwarde agayne oppressed with the darknes of Antichrist God hath in these last times restored with mightie successe and dayly amongst the most cruell ragings and deuises of the enemies still wonderfully preserueth it Seeing therefore euen amidst the extreame corruptions of maners and horrible idolatries we may see so notable tokens of Gods grace and fauour shall wee doubt of his goodnes if so be that imbracing the counsell of Ioel we turne vnto him with our whole heart and casting farre away al superstitions and alurements of sinne followe the puritie of fayth and innocencie of life These thinges therefore ought the ministers of the word and Sacramentes to vrge these thinges should be handled in the counsels of princes yea these things are oftentimes to be propoūded of those that wish wel to the publike welfare would haue things restored to a better state You see therfore worthy Eberhard that the argument of the Prophet agreeth very well to vs both And albeeit I doubt not but that the matters by him handled are especially well liked of you yet haue I thought good somewhat more largely to debate of the same with you to the intent that the Gentlemen of your place and calling being stirred vp by your example may doe the like and so endeuour to procure a remedie to the desperate and almost forlorne estate of thinges in our time And I beseeche you by
24. and of this preaching hee appointeth two parts to witte repentance and remission of sinnes The very selfe same also do the examples teach which are set foorth in the Ministers of the newe Testament Certesse the first of them Iohn Baptist dealt more hardly and seuerely with none then with the Pharisees whose authoritie at that time was greatest in matters of religioÌ„ The same thought good not to spare euen Herode himselfe Math. 3. Luke 3. when as hauing forgotten both his owne dignitie and publike honestie hee kept to himselfe his brothers wife What shoulde wee say of Christe Mark 6. Math. 15. 21.23 Luke 11. Ioan. 8. Act. 2.3 c. who beeing wont to deale very gently with the people yet against the Priestes and Scribes inueigheth as I may so say with full sayle And the Apostles folowing his example doe publikelye in their Sermons hitte the Priestes in the teeth with their sinne of murthering the Sonne of GOD. Neither did the dignitie of their order defende them which they were not ignorant was long before ordeined of GOD and full of the Mysteries of Christe Iesus Loke distinct 40. cap. Papa Detestable therefore is the pride of the Romish Bishops which will bee checked and controused of none although they both neglect their office and carry away innumerable soules to hell Yea when as they treade all holy thinges vnder foote make all religion their owne gaine and offer the same to the Iewes Turkes to bee laughed to scorne they persesecute all those with fyre and sworde that couet the restitution of sounde doctrine and the pure Seruice and worship of GOD. Compâ—â—â—ns of these men are all those princes and magistrates made which whilest they openly sinne will yet also suffer themselues to bee admonished and reprooued of none But we reade howe Dauid Ezechias Iosias afterwarde Theodosius were farre otherwise minded who in this behalfe procured to them selues most excellent commendation and to their kingdoms assured peace for that they set the worde of God before their eyes to be folowed and paciently suffered the rebuke thereof c. He instituteth publike repeÌ„tance But after that hee hath taught what ought priuately to bee done of euery of the Priestes nowe he telleth them what they shoulde doe publikely and so compriseth in fewe woordes whatsoeuer belongeth to publike repentance a thing very needefull in common calamities First sanctifie sayth he a fast That is to say 1. A fast proclaime such a fast as all men at once forsaking al their prophane studies delightes may bende themselues onely to those things that serue to Gods glory and the leading of a holy and Christian conuersation for by the name of Fasting the Scripture vnderstandeth not a superstitious abstinence which consisteth in the difference of meats and obseruation of certaine dayes such as of late tymes was brought in by mens traditions but it requireth a discipline where by the pride and lust of our fleshe may be tamed and kept vnder This discipline is extended to all those thinges that cause the flesh to become more proude or fierce whether the same bee meate or drinke or apparell or also company with our wiues asit shal appeare in the second Chapter There can therefore heere no certaine lawes bee prescribed but euery man must be a law to himselfe whilest he obserueth the nature and disposition of his owne flesh and withdraweth the nourishments of lust from the same Neither also are these thinges required to this ende and purpose as though they merited any thing of themselues for the kingdome of God is not meate and drinke Rom. 14. but righteousnes and peace and ioye in the holy Ghost And the saying of the Lorde is wel knowen in the Prophet When ye fast ye fast to your selues and when yee eate Zach. 7. yee eate to your selues c But that the spirite myght haue and enioye this power and dominion in vs least that the fleshe preuayling ouer it shoulde disturbbe and put bye the exercise of repentance Whiche also is the cause that it is not tyed or bounde to anye certayne dayes but is then commaunded when eyther wee stande in neede of publique repentaunce for speciall causes or else wee our selues priuately feele the power of the spirite to decay and waxe weake in vs so farre foorth that Christe whiche in the brydegrome of our soules may seeme to bee departed and gone fromvs of whiche thyng hee hym selfe in the Gospell inueyghyng agaynst the Pharisaical fastes Math. 9. putteth vs in mynde Ioel therefore prescribeth no superstitious thyng but hee vegeth this at their handes that reiectyng the baites and entysementes of sinne they woulde prepare them selues vnto prayer and amendemente of lyfe But some man may say Why wylleth hee a faste to be publikely proclaymed Math. 6. when as Christ commandeth vs to hide also conceale our fastes where we must marke and obserue that some fastes are priuate and other some publike And those that are taken in hande for priuate causes ought as Christe teacheth to be closely handled least wee shoulde seeme to seeke our own priuate glory and a vaine estimation of holines with the people There is another consideration to bee had of publike fastes whiche serue to the publike confession of sinnes repentance suche as in this place Ioel commaundeth and such as that was also which wee reade the king of the Niniuites caused to be proclaymed And that these shoulde bee done openly Ion. 3. it is requisite for many causes for so are mens mindes the more stirred vp by the examples of other and those are euen for shame of the worlde kept from sinning which were before touched with no religion agayne it is meete and conuenient that such as were not ashamed to sinne openly shoulde also not be ashamed of open repentance whereby they may craue mercye at Gods hand Secondly 2. Holy assemblies he sayeth Call a solemne assembly And immediatly he setteth bowâ— who they are whither they should be called Gather the Elders and all the inhabitantes of the lande into the house of the Lord your God He will haue the Elders to be called by the name of whom are vnderstood as many as beeing placed in anie dignitie doe surmount other in authoritie And he hath a speciall eye vnto these because that by the example of such publik asseÌ„blies repentance is greatly furthered Yet he adioyneth vnto theÌ„ al other states degrees whatsoeuer for why it is coÌ„uenient that seeing al together haue by sinning prouoked God vnto anger all likewise shoulde bee carefull howe to appease the same But he will haue these assemblies to be made in the Temple and that because it had excellent promises as appeareth in the first booke of the Kings 1. King 8. not verely for the gorgious building thereof but for that as well the Temple it selfe as also the things that were done in it by the appointâ—◠〈◊〉 of the
4. there at length by the Apostles the church beganne to be gathered and the worde of the Lord comming out of Sion in a very shorte space spread ouer the whole world Saluation only to be had in the church We are admonished here that saluation is to be fofid only alone in the church a type figure wherof in times past was Ierusalē which was situate vpō moūt Siō famous renowned through the temple of the Lord for that these thinges are not to bee taken litterally or according to the sense of the letter that we should tye the grace of God and our saluation to the terrestriall Sion and Hierusalem it appeareth abundantly by this that Christ called the same citie afterward a denne of theeues and threatened vēgeance vnto it Math. 21.23.24 such as was neuer shewed the like since the foundation of the world These promises therefore ought to be extended to the church in the bosome wherof doe lye safe Luke 19. Psal 48. Psal 84. as many as shall haue recourse vnto it For there the Sparrowes finde a nest and there the Swallowes laye their yong ones because there florisheth the merit of Iesus Christ who offering himselfe on mount Sion for our sinnes hath pacified God his father toward vs. This Church shall alwayes endure howsoeuer the world storme and rage For why it can by no meanes reele or stagger because it is grounded vpon Christ which is the rocke against whom the gates of hell shall neuer preuayle Matt 16. 28. and who hath promised himselfe to be present with vs euen vnto the end of the worlde It behoueth vs therfore to haue an eye vnto these promises if at any time we be tempted and not to measure the stabilitie of the Church or the certaintie of our saluation after the attempts and enterprises of this worlde Saluation belongeth to the elect But wee haue to marke with singular diligence vnto whom that saluation belongeth that God hath prepared in Sion Namely to the remnāts whom the Lord shall call He nameth these expressely to intent he might exclude hypocrites which trust in the merites of their owne workes and to the end he might shewe vnto vs the foundation of saluation only and alone in the grace and fauour of God For wee haue beene all of vs subiect vnto sinne and by reason of sinne to euerlasting damnation Rom. 3. and haue beene destitute of the glory of God in so muche that if the Lorde had not reserued vnto vs certayne small remnants we shoulde haue beene as Sodome and shoulde haue beene like vnto Gomorrha Esay 1. These remnantes hee hath chosen by his euerlasting purpose before this worlde was made and the same moreouer Epes 8. when it pleaseth him hee calleth and being called iustifieth them Rom. 8. and beeing iustified glorifieth them as Paule teacheth To these Dauid consenteth Psa 65. who comprizing the whole order of our saluation in the selfesame heades sayth Wicked deeds haue preuailed agaynst vs But thou wilt be mercifull vnto our transgressions Blessed is hee whom thou choosest and causest to come to thee hee shall dwell in thy courtes and shal be satisfied with the pleasures of thine house euen of thy holy temple For so much therefore as out of the corrupt masse of mankind some are saued that is onely of meere grace by the which wee are elected in Christ and by this it commeth to passe that like as in tunes past when the Tyrant of the Assyrians wasted destroyed all that euer was both far neere God saued his people in Hierusalē euen so in all ages hee deliuereth his out of the snares of the Diuel by the preaching of the Gospel calleth thē into the felowship of his church maketh them partakers of saluatiō in Christ In the meane season the wordes of remnantes reliques betokē the fewenesse of beleeuers which if they be compared with the multitude of the vngodly The fewnesse of the faythful beleeuers may be accounted very few as we are admonished euery where in the scriptures Christ verily calleth his a little flocke he saith that many are indeed called but few chosen which doe passe by the strait gate into the kingdōe of God Luke 12. Math. 20. 22. 7. There is no cause therfore why we should be mooued at this day with the slanders of such as do cast in our teeth the fewnes of thē that beleeue the Gospel gloriously vaūt of the gay shew of their owne party Neither also let vs hearkē vnto those that contēd auouch that euery man may be saued in by his own religiō For in the church onely saluation betideth vnto the elect chosen who being called by the gospel apprehēd embrace Christ Iesus Actes 2. without whō there is no name wherein men may be saued To him therfore be giuen blessing honour glory and dominion for euer and euer Amen Chap. 3. Of the iudgments of God agaynst the enemies of his people Sermon 12. 1 FOr behold in those daies and in that time when I shal bring again the captiuitie of Iuda and Hierusalem 2 I wil also gather al nations and wil bring thē down into the valley of Iehosophat will pleade with thē there for my people and for my heritage Israel whom they haue scattered amōg the nations parted my land 3 And they haue cast lottes for my people and haue giuen the childe for the harlot sold the damosell for wine that they might drinke 4 Yea what haue you to doe with me O Tyrus Sidon al the coastes of Palestina wil ye render me a recōpence if ye recompēce me I wil swiftly and speedily render your recompence vpon your heade 5 For ye haue takē my siluer my gold and haue caried into your Temples my goodly and pleasant thinges 6 The children also of Iuda and the children of Hierusalem haue you sold vnto the Grecians that yee might send thē farre from their borders The argumēt vse of this present place THe Prophet Ioel hath with many argumentes and perswasions comforted the people of his time against the terrours of the Assyrian warre and amongest other thinges he enterlaced a prophesie of Christes kingdome to the end they might vnderstand that God can by no meanes neglect that nation of whom it behooued the promised redeemer of mankinde to be borne who shoulde spreade abroade his kingdome through the whole world And vpon that occasion he entreated of the most perillous estate of the latter time and withall instructed the godly with holesome counsell vnto whom hee promised a most sure hauen refuge of saluatiō in the Church But whilest he propounded these thinges the faith of a number was not a little tempted when they saw the power of the Assyrians to be in a manner inuincible that the neere natiōs had either cōspired or otherwise taken part