better coÌ„fort in this case to lay sure holde on the words of the Apostle vsed vnto the Corinthians where he saith * There hath no 1 Cor 10 13. tentation taken you but such as appertaineth to man God is faithfull which wil not suffer you to be tempted aboue your strength but will euen giue the issue vvith the tentation that yee may be able to beare the same His grace alone is sufficient for as many 2 Cor 12 9 as shall vnfainedly put theyr confidence in him and his power is made perfect through our weakenes §. 13. And although as Dauid affirmeth the Psal 34 19 troubles of the righteous are great yet this comfort euen by the selfe same mans saying presently followeth that the Lorde deliuereth him out of them all Hee also maketh the afflictions of the Tertullian godly serue as fit occasions to drawe theyr mindes wholy vnto him and in the end turneth all the sufferings of his Saints to theyr names eternall prayse their soules greater glory So that it is a surer signe of Gods loue Gregory and fauour towards vs when hee giueth vs force and strength to beare troubles then it is when hee taketh the same temptations away from vs. And no man deserueth to be counted Bernard constant in his tryall except he arme himselfe with patience and be renewed vvith fresh courage euen in the midst of his afflictions Remembring that all the miseries in mans life can neuer be so sharp and bitter Erasmus as euerlasting felicitie will proue vnto the godly sweet and pleasant §. 14. Hold fast therfore the vertue of patience Mar. Aurel. in all thine aduersitie Sorrow truly for thy former sinnes and Eugâ—nius practise to please GOD by thy vertuous amendement Let hope encourage thee to be constant Euagoras though thy miseries be daily augmented And put alwaies such faithful trust in the Rauisius promises of Gods mercy as may keep thee from despaire make lesse thy calamity §. 15. Behold wee count them blessed vvhich Iames. 5 11 endure Yee haue heard of the patience of Iob haue knowne what end the Lord made For the Lord as hath already been said is very pittifull and mercifull VVho-soeuer shall call vpon his Name Rom 10 13 shall be saued And hee that trusteth in the Almightie Ecclê° 32 24 shall take no hurt §. 16. Consider saith Sirach the old generations Ecclus 2 11 of men marke them well was there euer any one confounded that put his trust in the Lord or who hath continued in his feare and was forsaken or whom did hee euer despise that called vpon him I haue been young and nowe am olde Psal 37 25 saith the Psalmist yet neuer sawe I the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging bread Wherefore though the Lord seeme for Ambrose a time to be angry with thee and to turne away his face from beholding thine affliction yet be not thou any whit thereby discouraged but rather endeuour to be the more patient thou shalt assuredly find that hee will not forget thee For hee endureth but a vvhile in his anger Psalm 30 5. but in his fauour is life weeping may abide in the euening but ioy commeth in the morning Hee himselfe hath commaunded vs to call vpon him in the time of our trouble Psal 50 15 and with more then promise to heare hee hath plainly said that he will deliuer vs we shall glorifie him Doubtlesse hee is now no lesse powerfull then heere-to-fore hee hath been for hee is still * God all-sufficient Gene 17 1 His hand is not shortned that it cannot Esay 59 1 saue neyther is his eare heauie that it cannot heare But hee delighteth in them that feare Psal 147 11 him and attend vpon his mercie And is theyrs onelie that patientlie abide Ecclê° 34 19 him in the vvay of truth and righteousnesse ¶ Of trouble and persecution for the Gospells sake where-vnto euery faithfull Christian is continually subiect during this life §. 1. IF any man will follow me saith Christ Math 16 24 let him forsake himselfe and take vp his crosse and follow mee Yea if any man will come after me Luke 9 23 let him denie himselfe take vp his crosse daily and follow mee For whosoeuer beareth not his crosse Luke 14 27 and commeth after mee cannot be my disciple §. 2. Thinke not saith hee that I am come Math 10. 34 to sende peace into the earth I came not to sende peace but the sword For from hence-foorth there shall be Luke 12 52 53. fiue in one house deuided three against two and two against three The Father shall be deuided against the sonne and the sonne against the father The mother against the daughter and the daughter against the mother the mother in lawe against the daughter in law and the daughter in law against her mother in law And who-soeuer will seeke to saue his Mark 8 35 Luk 17 3â— life hee shall lose it but who-soeuer shall lose his life for my sake the Gospels he shall saue it §. 3. Hee that loueth father or mother more Math 10 37 then mee is not worthy of mee And hee that loueth sonne or daughter more then mee is not worthy of mee If any man come to me and hate not his Luk 14. 26 father and mother and wife and chyldren and brethren and sisters yea his owne life also hee cannot be my disciple The disciple is not aboue his maister nor Math 10 24 25 the seruaunt aboue his Lord. It is enough for the disciple to be as his Maister is and the seruaunt as his Lord. And who-soeuer will be a perfect disciple Luke 6 40 shall be as his Maister is §. 4. Behold saith our Sauiour vnto his followers Math 10 16 17 18. I send you foorth as sheepe in the mids of wolues be ye therefore wise as Serpents and innocent as Doues But beware of men for they will deliuer you vp to the Counsels and will scourge you in theyr Sinagogues and ye shal be brought to the Gouernours Kings for my sake in witnes to them and to the Gentiles Yea the brother shall deliuer the brother Marke 13 12 to death and the father the sonne and the chyldren shall rise against their parents and shall cause them to die And yee shal be hated of all men for my verse 13 Names sake but who-soeuer shall endure vnto the end he shall be saued If the world hate you yee knowe that it Iohn 15 18 19 hated mee before you If yee were of the world the world would loue his own but because ye are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Remember that I saide vnto you The verse 20. seruaunt is not greater then his maister If they haue persecuted mee
the waters vvere gathered that it should bring forth beasts as foules and fishes and it was so For the dumme waters and without life brought foorth lyuing thinges at the commaundement of GOD that the Nations might prayse thy wonderous works Vpon the sixth day thou gauest commaundement 2. Esdr 6. 53 vnto the Earth that before thee it should bring forth beasts cattell creeping things And besides this Adam also whom verse 54 thou madest Lorde ouer all the workes vvhich thou hast created Of him come wee all and the people also whom thou hast chosen §. 4. Hee that liueth for euer made al thinges Ecclus. 18. 1 2. together saith Sirach the Lord who onlie is iust and there is none other but hee and hee remaineth a victorious King for euer He ordereth the world with the power of his hande and all thinges obey his will for hee gouerneth all things by his power and deuideth the holie thinges froÌ„ the prophane O hovve delectable saith he are all the Ecclus 42 22 23 workes of God and to be considered euen to the sparkes of fire they liue all and endure for euer and when soeuer neede is they are all obedient They are all double one against another verse 24 25 he hath made nothing that hath any fault the one commendeth the goodnesse of the other and who can bee satis-fied with beholding Gods glory For all the workes of the Lord our God Ecclus 39 33 34 are good and hee giueth euery one in due season and when neede is So that a man neede not say this is worse then that for in due season they are all worthie praise §. 5. The heauens declare the glory of God Psal 19 1 2 saith Dauid and the firmament sheweth his handie worke Day vnto day vttereth the same and night vnto night teacheth knowledge The Sunne also a meruailous instrument Ecclus 43 2 3 4 when it appeareth declareth at his going out the worke of the most mightie God At noone it burneth the earth and who may abide the heate thereof It burneth the mountaines three times more then hee that keepeth a fornace with continuall heate It likewise casteth forth fierie vapours and with shining beames it blindeth the eyes Great is the Lord our God that made it Ecclê° 43 5 and by his commaundement hee causeth it to runne hastily For it turneth round about heauen in 1 Esdr 4. 34 one day and runneth againe into his owne place The Moone also hath hee made to appeare Ecclê° 43 6. 7 according to her season that shee shoulde be a declaration of the time and a signe for the world The remembrance of solemne feasts are verse 8. appoynted by her she is a light that diminisheth and increaseth againe The month is called after the name thereof and shee groweth wonderously in her changing The Armie of Heauen also is in the Ecclê° 43. 9 height in the firmament of heauen it giueth a cleere and glorious shine This is the cleerenes of the starres the beautifull apparrell of heauen and the ornament that shineth in the high places of the Lord. By the commaundement of the Holie verse 10 one they continue in their order and not one of them faileth in his watch Looke vpon the Raine-bow and prayse Ecclê° 43. 11 him that made it very beautifull is it in the brightnesse thereof It compasseth the heauen about vvith a verse 12 glorious circle and the handes of the most High haue bended it Through his commaundement also hee Ecclê° 43 13 maketh the snowe to fall and the thunder of his iudgement to smite speedily At the worde of his mouth the treasures verse 14 are opened and the clowdes flee foorth as the fowles For in his power hath hee strengthened Ecclê° 43 15 the clowdes and by his might hath he broken the haylestones The Mountaines melt at the sight of verse 16 him and the South-winde bloweth according to his will The sounde of his thunder beateth the Ecclê° 43 17 earth so doth the storme of the North The vvhirle-winde also as byrds that flie scattereth the snow and the falling downe thereof is as the Grashoppers that light vpon the ground The eye meruaileth at the beautie of the verse 18 whitenes thereof and the heart of man is astonished at the raine of it Hee also poureth out the frost vpon the Ecclê° 43 19 earth like salt and when it is frosen it sticketh on the toppes of pales When the colde North-winde blovveth verse 20. an Ice is frosen of the vvater and it abideth vpon all the gatherings together therof couereth theÌ„ ouer as it were with a breast-plate It likewise deuoureth the mountaines Ecclê° 43. 21 and burneth the Wildernesse and destroyeth that that is greene like fire But the remedy of all these saith Sirach verse 22 is when a clowde commeth hastily and when a dew commeth vppon the heate it refresheth it §. 6. VVith all manner of liuing beastes as the vviseman saith hath the Lord our God Ecclê° 16 30 couered the face of the earth and they shal all be turned into it againe In the desert likewise hath hee made 2 Esdras 16 52 53 springes of vvater and Pooles vppon the toppes of Mountaines to poure out floods froÌ„ the high Rocks to water the ground Yea he hath made Man also and put his hart in the midst of his body and giueÌ„ him breath life and vnderstanding So that among all the vvorkes of God Augustine his creation of Man as S. Augustine saith is the cheefest and hath the most principall or first place For in creating all other creatures but Ambrose Man hee saide FIAT Let this be and that be but in creating Man hee spake in the person of the Trinitie saying FACIAMVS Let * vs make Man according to our similitude c. But heere by the way vvee ought thus much to vnderstand that Man as Beza Beza â— saith is the Image of God neyther as touching his body neyther yet as touching his soule but as touching the principalitie and dominion that God hath giuen him For GOD calleth the principality and Chrisostoms lordship that he gaue to Adam his Image and likenes because hee made him Emperour Ruler ouer all things vpon earth Besides the Image of Almighty God in Man is referred as S. Augustine saith vnto Augustine the workes of righteousnesse and true sanctification of our liues As the speech of God himselfe importeth in the Law where he sayth Be * ye holy because I the Lord Leuit 19. 2. your God am holy And the very wordes likewise of the Apostle testifie asmuch vnto vs vvhere hee saith * Put yee on the new man vvhich Ephe 4 24 after God is created vnto righteousnes and true holines Moreouer God hath created Man as S. Bernard saith foure seuerall waies The Bernard first without Man and Woman as
verse 3 4. and the ingraued forme of his person and bearing vp all thinges by his mightie word hath by himselfe purged our sinnes and sitteth at the right hande of the Maiestie in the highest places and is made so much more excellent then the Angels in asmuch as hee hath obtained a more excellent name then they For vnto which of the Angels said he at Heb 1 5 any time Thou art my sonne this day begate I thee And againe I will be his Father and he shall be my sonne Or vnto which also of the Angels said Heb 1 13. he at any time Sit at my right hande till I make thine enemies thy foote-stoole §. 2. By this man namely Christ vvere all Colos 1. 16 17. things created vvhich are in heauen and which are in earth things visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers All things were created by him and for him and hee is before all things and in him all things consist Hee is the heade of the bodie of the verse 18 19 20. Church hee is the beginning and the first begotten of the dead that in all things hee might haue the preheminence For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnes dwell and by him to reconcile all things vnto himselfe and to set at peace through the blood of his Crosse both the things in earth and the thinges in heauen Wherefore God hath also highly exalted Philip. 2 9. 10 11. him giuen him a Name aboue euery name that at the Name of Iesus euery knee should bow both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth And that euery tongue shoulde confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord vnto the glorie of God the Father For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of Colos 2 9. the God-head bodily And in him are hidde all the treasures of Colos 2. 3. vvisedome and knowledge Vnto him is all power giuen both heauen and in earth Math. 28. 18 For the Father loueth the Sonne and Iohn 3 35 hath giuen all things into his hand The Father iudgeth no man but hath Ioh 5 22 23 committed all iudgement vnto the Sonne because that all men shoulde honour the Sonne as they honour the Father In his hand also are the keyes both of hell Reu 1 18. and of death And hee likewise hath the key of Dauid Reue. 3. 7. which openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth §. 3. VVherefore if any man be willing to Iohn 14 6. come vnto God our Sauiour Christ declareth himselfe to be the Way the Truth and the Light and that no man commeth vnto the Father but by him Hee is the doore by him if any man enter Iohn 10 9 in he shall be saued and shall goe in goe out and finde pasture He is the true light which lighteth euery Iohn 1 9 man that commeth into the world He is that preuailing seed of the woman Gene 3 15. which vvas promised in Paradise by God the Father vnto Adam that hee shoulde breake the head of the deuill He is that spirituall Rock of whō all our 1 Cor. 10. 3. Fathers did eate and drinke He is acknowledged and openly confessed Mark 5 7. by his greatest enemy to be the Sonne of the most high God Yea hee is confirmed by a voyce from Math 3 17 heauen to be that beloued sonne in whom God the Father is well pleased Hee is that sonne whom Dauid vvilleth Psalm 2 12 vs to kisse and embrace least he be angry and we perrish from the right way Hee is the Lord of Lordes and King of Reue 17 14 Kings and they that are on his side are called and chosen and faithfull Hee is the Lambe of God which taketh Iohn 1 29. away the sinnes of the world Hee is that kinde louing Samaritane Luke 10 34 which healed the wounded man that was found in the high-way halfe dead He is that gentle and compassionate Soueraigne Math 28 27 which freely forgaue his seruant the tenne thousand talents that hee owed vnto him He is that cheefe corner stone vvhich Acts 4 11 the Iewes counting themselues builders refused He is the Mediatour of the Newe-Testament Heb 12. 24. He is the end of the Lawe for righteousnesse Rom. 10. 4. vnto euery one that beleeueth Hee is the onely Mediatour betweene 1. Tim 2. 5. God and man He is both the power of God and the 1 Cor. 1. 24. wisedome of God He is our wisdome and righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30 sanctification and redemption He is that Lord of life whom God hath Acts 3. 15. raised from the dead Hee * is our peace And the * Prince of Ephe. 2. 14. Heb 2. 10. our saluation He is the Sheepheard and Bishop of our 1 Pet. 2. 25. soules He is the Vine we are the branches Iohn 15 5 Heb 6 20. He is our high-priest for euer after the order of Melchisedecke Hee is our Aduocate vnto God the Father 1. Ioh 2 1 Hee is the reconciliation for our sinnes 1 Iohn 2 2 not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world Finally hee is the Authour and finisher Heb 12 2. of our fayth For without him we can do nothing Iohn 15. 5. §. 4. If any man thirst saith Christ let him Iohn 17 37 come vnto mee and drinke Hee that beleeueth in mee as sayth the verse 38 Scripture out of his belly shall flowe riuers of water of life I am the light of the world hee that followeth Iohn 8 12 mee shall not walke in darknesse but shall haue the light of life I am the bread of life hee that commeth Iohn 6. 35 to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst I am that liuing bread which came down Iohn 6 51 from heauen of whom whosoeuer eateth hee shall liue for euer I am the resurrection the life hee that Iohn 11 25 26. beleeueth in me though he were dead yet shall hee liue and whosoeuer liueth beleeueth in mee shall neuer die ¶ Of Christes comming into the worlde and the seuerall causes thereof §. 1. WEe when vvee were children saith the Apostle were in bondage Gala 4 3 4 5. vnder the ordinaunces of the world But when the fulnes of time was come GOD sent foorth his Sonne made of a vvoman made bond vnto the law to redeeme them which were bond vnto the law that we through election might receiue the inheritance that belongeth vnto the naturall sonnes §. 2. Man liued in the worlde for a time saith S. Augustine without the Lawe written Augustine to teach him that he was not a law to himselfe and a certaine time vnder the Law to make him finde by proofe
8 of thine house the place where thine honour dwelleth The zeale of thine house ô Lord hath Psalm 69 6. eaten mee vp One day in thy Courts is better then a Psal 84 10. thousand other-where I had rather be a Doore-keeper in the house of my GOD then to dwell in the Tents of the vngodly As the Hart brayeth for the Riuers of Psal 42 1 2 water so panteth my soule after thee ô Lord. My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God When shall I come appeare before the presence of God I will loue thee deerely ô Lorde my Psal 18. 1. strength VVhom haue I ô Lord in heauen but Psal 73 25. thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire in comparison of thee I haue longed ô Lord for thy saluation Ps 119. 174. and thy law is my delight Oh how I loue thy law It is my meditation Psal 119. 97 continually Oh teach mee thy statutes ô Lorde Psalm 119. 26 27. make mee to vnderstand the vvay of thy commaundements and I will meditate in thy wondrous workes Teach mee ô Lord the way of thy statutes Psal 119 33 34 I will keepe it vnto the end Giue mee vnderstanding and I will keepe thy Law yea I will keepe it with my vvhole hart Direct me in the path of thy commaundements verse 35 for therein is my delight Behold I desire thy commaundements verse 40 quicken me in thy righteousnes And incline my hart vnto thy testimonies verse 36 Deale with thy seruaunt ô Lord according Ps 119 124. 125. to thy mercie and teach mee thy statutes I ô Lord am thy seruaunt graunt mee therefore vnderstanding that I may know thy testimonies Looke vpon mee and be mercifull vnto Psalm 119 132. mee as thou vsest to doe vnto those that loue thy Name Direct my steps in thy Worde and let verse 133. none iniquitie haue dominion ouer me Teach mee to doe thy will for thou art Psal 143. 10 my God Let thy good Spirit lead me vnto the Land of righteousnesse By these and manie moe such like sayings in the Booke of Psalmes dooth thys princely Prophet make manifest as I said before with vvhat earnest zeale feruent affection hee alwayes loued the Lord and his Law The true and perfect loue also of man to his Maker was as it seemeth deeply rooted in the hart of old Eleazer when he refused all the friendship worldly fauours 2 Mac 6 28 that were offered vnto him by the seruants of Antiochus and chose rather to suffer death by torments then to saue his life by breaking the rules of his Religion With the like loue and constancie did the seauen brethren and their mother endure 2 Mac. 7. death by tortures vnder that wicked Tyrant Antiochus and left behinde them a woorthy remembrance of their feruent affection to the Lawe of the Lorde their God VVe reade also in the Newe-testament that Saint Stephen the first Martir after Acts 7 59. Christ through his religious loue to his Lord and Maister willingly suffered himselfe to be stoned to death commending his spirit into the hands of his Creator And such like diuine and holy loue to Christ our Captaine ought euery Christian professor to harbour in his heart else may it greatly be doubted that hee shall shoote short of life euerlasting §. 6. But as I said in the beginning this loue is both diuine and charitable First mouing man to loue the Lord and his lawe for the sundry blessings and benefits which God both already hath and daily doth bestowe vppon him through Christ Secondlie to loue his neighbour or brother as himselfe because GOD in his holy Worde hath so commaunded him and for that hee is the very forme of his own Image or likenes With which kinde of charitable loue of man to man or man to his neighbour was the heart of the Samaritane softned vvho Luke 10. 33 34 35. finding a stranger in the high-vvay halfe dead first bound vp the wounds of his body then setting him vpon his own beast brought him to an Inne and made prouision for him commaunding the Host of the house to take care of him and looke quoth he what-soeuer the charges of this man commeth vnto more then the two pence which I now giue thee at my next comming hether I will pay thee all But with more then charitable loue of man to his neighbour was the hart of holy Moises moued when through his great affection hee prayed vnto the Lord to pardon the foolish and Idolatrous sinne of his people Yea such was his feruent affection more theÌ„ charitable loue towards them that he desired of GOD in his prayer to Exod 32 32 graunt that theyr foule offence might be forgiuen or else his owne name to be rased out of the Booke of life And vvith more also then charitable loue of man to his neighbour was the Apostle Saint Paule acquainted when verie zeale for Gods glory and loue to his owne Nation enforced him to say * I vvould Rom 9 3. wish my selfe to be separated from Christ or to loose mine owne saluation for my Bretheren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh I terme these two last ensamples more then charitable loue because it made these men ready to refuse their ovvne soules health rather then their Brethren should be vnpardoned and cast from their Creator for their offences §. 7. By which few examples onely wee may sufficiently perceiue the forcible effect of true and perfect loue and iustly may wee confesse with the afore-named Apostle That * although we speak with the tungs 1 Cor 13 1 2 3. of men and Angels and haue not loue we are but as sounding Brasse or a tinckling Cymball And though wee had the gift of prophecie and knewe all secrets and all knowledge yea if we had all fayth so that we could remoue mountaines and had not loue we were nothing And though vvee feede the poore with all our goods giue our bodies to be burned haue not loue it profiteth vs nothing For God hath chosen vs in Christ Iesus Ephe 1 4 before the foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue And this commaundement haue we of 1 Ioh 4 21. him that he which loueth GOD should loue his brother also For as a King is honoured in his Image Bernard so God in man is either loued or hated hee cannot hate man who loueth GOD neither can hee loue GOD who hateth man Also like as the body without the soule Fulgotiâ—â— enioyeth no life so all other vertues without godlie loue are but colde and fruitlesse §. 8. If wee loue one another saith S. Iohn 1 Ioh 4 12 God dwelleth in vs and his loue is perfect in vs. Also hee that loueth his Brother abideth 1 Ioh 2 10 in the