vs but because that God had compassion of our miseries as it is also saide in Iohn That God so loued the worlde Iohn 3.16 as that hée spared not to deliuer his onely begotten Sonne to death for vs. And therefore let vs after this manner come vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe to wit that the message which is héere published vnto vs by the Angels might bée a burning Lanterne to shew vs the way faith to bée our guide so that wée might vnderstande that hée is nowe God in vs because he is God with vs. For as I haue alreadie saide hée is declared to bée our God with vs when as hée meant to dwell in our humane nature as in his temple But hée is nowe God in vs. That is to say wée féele him conioyned to vs in farre greater power then when hée shewed and declared himselfe a mortal man Yea for he is nowe both God and man in vs. For first hée quickneth vs by the power of his holy spirite and hée is besides man in vs because hée maketh vs pertakers of the Sacrifice which hée offered vp for our saluation and declareth vnto vs that it was not without cause that hee saide that his fleshe was meate indéede and his blood drinke in déede And therefore wée sée why the holy Table is made ready for vs to wit to the end that wée knowing our Lord Iesus to bée descended héere belowe Iohn 6.35 and vtterly abased yet that hée is not for all that separated from vs although hée bée ascended into the heauens in glory and maiestie But rather vpon this condition that wée might bée partakers of his body and blood And why so For wée knowe that his righteousnesse and obedience was the satisfaction for our sinnes and hath appeased the wrath of God through the Sacrifice whiche hée offered of his body and blood in the same humane nature which hée tooke vpon vs. Since thē it is so let not vs doubt when Iesus Christ biddeth vs to this Table although wee can perceiue nothing els but bread wine but that hee verily dwelleth in vs and wee so surely knit vnto him that there is nothing which is his but hée will communicate the same to vs. Let vs therefore I say acknowledge this to the end we might know to make our profit of this Sacrament which he himselfe hath established and let vs vnderstande that so often as wée receiue the same that hée might verie well haue deliuered vs by some other meane from the bottomelesse pitte of Condemnation wherein wée were if it had pleased him but that his meaning was to graunte vs more assurance of the loue hée beare vs when as we haue Iesus Christ for a pawne because we might séeke after our saluation in him and acknowledge that wée are no manner of way whatsoeuer able to reioyce vntill suche time as hée bée geuen vs as it were amongest vs and bée so néere vs as that by his meanes wée might bée brought to the kingdome of heauen whereof wée were depriued by reason of our sinnes And thus wée sée that Iesus Christ must bée the ready way for our saluation if euer wée intend to come vnto God desire to haue a true spirituall ioy and a spirituall contentation and quietnesse and if wee also desire to bee armed against all the temptations wherewith Satan is able to attempt vs. But and if wée will be partakers of this holie table let vs consider wel with our selues in the first place acknowledge our miseries and be displeased and vtterly ashamed of them Moreouer let vs acknowledge and confesse that God meant to asswage all our sorowes griefes when as hée so liberally shewed himselfe in his onelye begotten Sonne and would haue vs fully and wholy ioye in him And although we be subiect to many miseries in this world and are besieged with enimies like vnto rauening woolues so that the deuill ceaseth not to make a pray of vs and the Infidelles barke at vs like mastyfe curres although I say wée be on euery side troubled and threatned and although we must abyde many griefes Philip. 4.7 yet let vs hold this for a most sure ground that wée shall haue alwayes peace in our God and let vs beséech him that he will make vs féele it by his holy spirite because it is a thing that surpasseth all mans reason as we haue already touched of S. Paule and learne to bée so contented with our Lord Iesus Christ and with the spirituall benefites wherof we are pertakers as that we may patiently abide all the afflictions and miseries of this worlde And besides let vs beséeche him that wée take it not in euill parte to bée contemned and on euery side troubled to bée short to bee put too all reproche and shame so that Iesus Christe bée with vs and blesseth all our myseries and afflictions and that wée bryng foorth suche fruite thereby as that it may bee knowne that in the middest of all our miseries wée desire nothing els but the glofiyng of our GOD. And where the worldlinges triumphe to their shame and confusion because all their ioy is too striue against GOD Let our true ioy bée too serue him in all feare and humilitie and yeelde our selues wholy to his obedience And héere wée sée the way by which wée must make our profite vpon this doctrine Let vs nowe fall downe before the Maiestie of our good GOD and acknowledge our faultes beséechyng hym too make vs more and more to féele them that héereby we may learne to submit our selues vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe knowyng that if wee bée separated from him all our whole life and whatsoeuer benefites els wee receiue from GOD shall turne to our most gréeuous condemnation And that wée maye féele his death and passion to bée communicated vnto vs and bee taken for the members of his body to the ende the afflictions whiche wée shall abide héere in this worlde may be so many helpes and furtherances vnto saluation So that wée may all saye O moste Mightie GOD and Heauenlie Father c. The first Sermon of the passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ Math Cap. xxvi 36 Then went Iesus with them into a place called Gethsemane and saide vnto his Disciples Sit ye here while I goe and pray yonder 37 And he tooke Peter and the two Sonnes of Zebedeus and beganne to waxe sorrowful and grieuously troubled 38 Then sayde Iesus vnto them my Soule is very heauy euen vnto the death tarie yee here and watch with me 39 So he went a little farther and fel on his face and praied saying O my Father if it be possible Let this cup passe from me Neuerthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt WHen any thing is spoken which concerneth our saluation The scripture setteth before vs thrée endes The one is That wée might know the inestimable loue which GOD beareth vs to the end wée might glorifie him therfore as he is worthy The
him before the Cock crow thou shalt denye mee thrise So he went out and wept bitterly Chapter xxvij 1 When the morning was come all the chiefe Priestes and Elders of the people tooke counsell againste Iesus to put him to death 2 And led hym away bound and deliuered him vnto Pontius Pylate the Gouernour 3 Then when Iudas whiche betrayed hym sawe that hee was condemned he repented himselfe and brought againe the thyrtie peeces of Siluer to the chiefe Priestes and Elders 4 Saying I haue sinned betrayinge the innocent blood But they sayde what is that to vs looke thou to it 5 And when he had cast downe the Siluer peeces in the temple he departed and hanged him selfe 6 And the chiefe priests tooke the Siluer peeces and saide it is not lawfull for vs to put them into the treasurie because it is the price of blood 7 And they tooke counsell and bought with them a potters fielde for the buriall of Straungers 8 Wherefore that fielde is called the field of blood vntill this day 9 Then was fulfilled that whiche was spoken by Ieremiah the Prophet saying and they tooke their siluer peeces the price of him that was valued whom they of the children of Israel valued 10 And they gaue them for the potters fielde as the Lorde appoynted mee 11 And Iesus stood before the Gouernour and the Gouernour asked him sayinge Art thou the Kinge of the Iewes Iesus saide vnto him thou saist it c. 2. Cor. 2.16 AS Saint Paul telleth vs that the preaching of the Gospell is a sauour of life vnto those whom God hath called to be saued and a sauour of death vnto the reprobate which perish euen so haue wee héere also two notable examples set before vs and worthy the remembraunce to shewe that the death and passion of the sonne of God was saluation vnto the one and a condemnation to the other For in the fall of Peter wee sée what the worke was which must draw him from out the bottomlesse death wherinto he fell headlong For as much as in hym lay he banished himselfe the heauenly kingdome estraunged him selfe from all hope of saluation and cut hym selfe cleane of from the Churche as a rotten member And yet the death of our Lorde Iesus Christ was it that must doo hym good although he deserued it not And as for Iudas it is saide that when hee sée our Lorde Iesus Christ to be condēned he desperatly hung himself Now he should as we haue said haue taken a good hart with hym to haue put his trust in God by reason of the condemnation of our Lorde Iesus Christ bicause we are pardoned by the power and vertue thereof Howbeit it was méete that these two specktacles should héere bee set before vs to the ende we might the better know that if we are not called by an especiall grace and fauour to bee pertakers of the fruite of the death and passion of the sonne of God it will avayle vs nothing And therfore it is not enough that our Lord Iesus Christ suffered without the benefit which he obtayned for vs bée bestowed vpon vs we to haue the full possession therof And euen then are we most assured of it whēas we are drawne vnto him by Faith But to the end we might the more perfectly vnderstand the matter let vs follow the text of the Storye as it is set downe It is sayde that our Lorde Iesus Christ was shamefully entreated in the house of Cayphas that they spit in his face buffeted him and slaunderously skorned him by callinge him a Prophet Now all this was to let vs vnderstand that what soeuer he suffered in in his owne person was to deliuer and frée vs before God and his Angels For there néedeth no spitting in our face to cause vs appeare before God spotted and blemished because we are not onely deformed and ougly by reason of our sinnes but also full of abhominable infections Moreouer we héere sée how that the Sonne of God the derye liuely Image of his Father Heb. 1.13 in whom his glorye and maiestie shineth hath suffered all these shames that wee might now appeare before God in his name to obtayne fauour and grace and thereby acknowledge vs as his Children being cleane voyde of all spots blemishes And this is it which we are to consider of in this fyrst place Now let vs come to the fall of Peter It is sayde That when a Mayd saw him she tolde him that he was one of Iesus Disciples but he denied it And that an other Mayde tolde him the like tale and he agayne denied it Afterwarde diuers pressed him with it and vrged it more vpon him and then hée began to sweare and curse him selfe as if he should haue saide I pray God I bee damned and come to naught and the earth open and swallow mée vp If I know him Héere then we sée how horribly and gréeuouslye Peter fell thrise which ought greatly to feare vs in reading of the Story Now we know how zealous hee was Iohn 24. Moreouer our Lorde Iesus Christ commended him and was called Péeter to signifie vnto vs the constancy of his faith he was brought vp in a very good Schoole and he had heard this doctrine taught whosoeuer denieth mée before men Math. 10.33 I wyll also denie him before my father which is in heauen And yet we sée how he fell And héere euery of vs hath good occasion to tremble and be afearde because Peters weaknesse was no greater then ours if we be not holpen from aboue wherfore in the first place we sée how fraile we are so soone as God taketh his hande from vs. For mention is not héere made of a skorner nor of a prophane man neither yet of one who had not tasted of the gospel nor that feared God or yet reuerenced our Lord Iesus Christ But it was all cleane contrarye because there were excellent giftes in Peter Math. 16.17 For the sonne of God fayde vnto him Fleshe and blood hath not reuealed these things vnto thée but my father which is in heauen We sée then that the holy ghost was in Peter And yet what a combat had he about the denyinge of our Lord Iesus yea with a silly Mayd But if a man had so spoken vnto him or if some honorable personage had made him afeard he might haue had some coulor for himselfe but we sée that a poore Mayd was enough to cause him forsake the hope of lyfe and saluation Let vs therefore looke vpon the person of Péeter and we shal sée that God had néede to strengthē vs euery mynute of an howre because we are not els able to abide it and although we haue laboured to come néere vnto his maiestie and that wee haue done many vertuous déedes yet shall we in the turning of an hande be altogether chaunged without God continueth in vs an inuincible constancie therfore let vs learne to put Paules admonition in
wée knowe Iesus Christe to bée the myrror of all perfection and enter into the tryall and examining of our sinnes and bée displeased with them and condemned and we should haue béene had he not deliuered and fréed vs. Nowe when Pilate had taken the Bason and washed his hands that was ouer trifling a a Ceremony and a very foolish fashion as though he coulde haue discharged himself before God for it Howbeit when he attempted to appease the rage of the people that was not to make his excuse vnto God For he protested not before God that he was innocent but said only to the people looke well to your selues my maisters For as for my selfe I am innocent As if hée shoulde haue said it is you that inforce mée to doe this But all this as I haue said wil not excuse him Neither did he the duetie of a Iudge For he shoulde haue chosen rather to die an hundred times then to haue declined from the doing of his duetie whenas he sée such troubles in the worlde yea hée ought to haue had this magnanimitie with him to do the thing which he knew to be both good and iust But when he saw the people in this heat he was contented to be carried as pleased them Notwithstanding he must in spite of his bearde be a witnesse of the innocency of Iesus Christe euen for the iustifiyng of him by his owne mouth And yet he would néedes condemne him howbeit therein lyeth al our comfort for we know that when we are at this day brought to appeare before the iudgement seat of God it is not to the end wee shoulde bee condemned But because the blood of our Lorde Iesus Christ which was shed for vs is the true and right clensing and washing of our soules hée receiueth vs as pure and cleane And thus wée see whereunto wée must trust Yet for all this we héere what the Iewes say for they are so headlong caried by the strength of Satan as that they crie out His blood be vpon vs and vpon our children Now they were Gods inheritance and the very elect and chosen amongest all the nations of the earth and yet they gaue ouer this honor and all the promises of saluation and this holy aliance which God had established with their line And héere we sée how they were deproued of al the benefites which God had before distributed vnto them because they came of the seede of Abraham and it came so to passe that the blood of our Lorde Iesus must fall on their heads euen to the vtter destruction of them and their posteritie as before he had also declared For thus it is saide Mat. 23 3â— It must néedes be that your iniquitie must be great and that the blood of Martyres euen from the iust Abâ—â— vnto Zachare as the sonne of Baâ—acheas whom yée somtime slew do put you in remembrance and that you might sée that you haue béen alwaies murderers of the Prophets and by that meane haue waâ—â—ed against God and his worde Thus we sée that the blood of our Lorde Iesus which shoulde bee the saluation of the whole worlde but specially of the Iewes because the first begotten apperteineth to them hath cryed for vengeance against them Howbeit let vs nowe learne to plunge our selues in and beséeche the Lorde to light vpon vs after another maner both vpon vs and vpon our children particularly that is to say that we myght be washed cleansed of theÌ„ wheÌ„as we sée our selues by reasoÌ„ of our sins to be abominable in the sight of god vntil such time as we be washed and let vs suffer the blood which hath béene shed for our redemption to light vpon vs and bée deawed with it by the power of the holy Spirite as Saint Peter saieth in his Canonicall Epistle and haue great regarde howe wée refuse the grace which God offereth vnto vs 1. Pet. 1.2 which the Iewes lost through their vnthankfulnes and prouoked him more and more to wrath And therefore let vs at this day dispose our selues and bée ready to receiue the cleansing of our Lorde Iesus Christe which wée cannot lay holde on but by faith and beséeche the Lorde that wee may not receiue this washing in vaine but that wée may from day to day haue all our spots wyped away Let vs also desire our God that it woulde please him to increase in vs this puritie which our Lorde Iesus Christe purchased for vs vntil such time as wée are come vnto his kingdome where we shal be discharged of all the corruptions of our sinnes Let vs nowe fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him that wée may haue such a liuely féeling of them as that it may make vs runne with a greater desire to the remedie which is set before vs to wit to the death which his onely Sonne suffered And that wee may come with suche repentance as may obteine mercy at his handes and that not onely for a day but that it may also continue with vs both in life and death And in the meane while that wée myght bée so renued by his holy spirite as that wée might perseuer in seruing and glorifiyng of him as he is worthie and wholy cléene vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe that since hée died and is rysen againe wee might liue and die in him seeke nothing els but to make our selues conformable and fitte vnto his worde And so Let vs all say O Almightie God and heauenly father c. The sixt Sermon of the Passion Matthew .xxvii. 27 THen the souldiers of the gouernour tooke Iesus into the common hall and gathered about him the whole band 28 And they stripped him and put vpon him a Scarlet Robe 29 And platted a crowne of thornes put it vpon his head and a reede in his right hand and bowed their knees before him and mocked him saying God saue thee King of the Iewes 30 And spetted vpon him and tooke a reede and smote him on the head 31 Thus when they had mocked him they tooke the Robe from him and put his own raiment on him and lead him away to crucifie him 32 And as they came out they founde a man of Cyrene named Simon him they compelled to beare his crosse 33 And when they came to the place called Golgotha that is to say the place of dead mens sculles 34 They gaue vineger to drinke mingled with Gall and when he had tasted thereof he would not drinke 35 And when they had crucified him they parted his garments and did cast lots that it might bee fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet They deuided my garments among them and vpon my vesture they cast lottes 36 And they sate and watched him there 37 They set vp also ouer his head the cause written THIS IS IESVS THE KING OF THE IEWES 38 And there were two theeues crucified with him one on the right hand another on the left 39 And
Iesus was taken from the crosse to wit that hée was thrust into the side to sée whether he had yéelded vp the Ghoste or not For they hastened not his death so fast as they dyd the two Théeues But when they thought him to bee dead they thrust a Speare into him and then they knewe that he was dead which pleased well the souldiers Now it is true that if we shoulde not be able to bring in the lawe for a testimonie we should haue somewhat a cold pull of it But S. Iohn giueth vs a full proofe that our Lorde Iesus Christe was the true Paschall Lambe since he was by the wonderfull prouidence and counsell of God preserued that there was not abone of him broken Exod. 12.46 Num. 9.12 For it said in Exodus that the Paschal lambe should bée eaten but there should not one bone of him bée broken And why were not the bones of Iesus Christe crushed since it was the common maner at those dayes Surely their will was not to spare him and hée was hanged betwéene two Théeues because they thought him to be the most vyle and detestable person Wée sée then héere that this was the worke of God in kéeping backe the handes of the Souldiers and his will also was that his Sonne should make a spéedie dispatch to the ende hée woulde preserue him and that it might bée an euident signe vnto vs in this place that in him the trueth of this auncient figure shoulde be fulfilled Héere then are wée to obserue that the bones of the Sonne of God were preserued from breaking because we might take him for our Paschall Lambe who shoulde preserue vs from the wrath of God whenas wée are marked with his blood And therefore must wée come to this point that since he is our Paschall Lamb wée must eftsoones bee dewed and sprinckled with his blood for without that the shedding of it will doe vs no good But when we shall accept him with this Sacrifice and séeke remission of our sinnes also thereby because we know that vntyll hée hath washed and cleansed vs wée are very filthie then are wee be dewed with his blood through the spinckling of the holy ghost vpon our soules and so are made cleane and God accepteth and taketh vs for his people and we are assured that although his wrath and vengeance bée ouer all the worlde yet looketh hée on vs with his eye of mercy and alloweth vs for his children Wée sée then in this place what wée are to consider when it is saide That the bones of our Lorde Iesus were not broken to the end we might vnderstand that the thing which was declared by figure in the law was verified in his body And besides it is also saide That water and blood issued out of his side and hee that sawe it beare witnesse thereof When wée sée that water blood issued so out wée must remember that it was hee as Saint Iohn sayeth in his Canonicall Epistle 1. Iohn 5.6 who by his sacrifice wrought our purgation and peace for the blotting out of all our sinnes In very déede Blood when one is dead wil waxe thicke by nature and from it will very thinne water come because the colour and thickest of the blood wil goe from it But howeuer it is Saint Iohn saieth that GOD woulde shewe for what cause the death of his sonne profiteth vs to wit Heb. 9 2◠in the first place hée is at peace with vs by reason of the shedding of blood for as it is saide There can bée no remission of sinnes without the effusion of blood For beholde why Sacrifices were vsed from the beginning of the worlde And God hath saide that hée would be mercifull to all miserable sinners which put their truste in him But yet he woulde haue sacrifices to bee offered as if hée should haue said that men should be fréely forgiuen their sinnes because they can bring nothing of their own with them to obteine it But must haue a mediator to recompence it Wée sée then that the blood which ranne downe from the side of our Lorde Iesus witnesseth vnto vs that the Sacrifice which hée offered was a satisfaction for all our iniquities so that we are discharged of them before God True it is we must cōtinually féele our selues to be gilty that we might bée humbled and brought to true repentance and bée cléerely voide of all presumption But howeuer it is wée are assured that God acquitteth and pardoneth vs in the name of his sonne when we come to acknowledge our sinnes and iniquities And why so Because the sacrifice of his death is sufficient to blot out the memory of al our transgressions It is the water then that cleanseth Wherefore to the end we might be washed from all our spots let vs vnderstande that the meaning of our Lord Iesus Christe was that water shoulde issue out of his side to declare that hée is in very déede our puritie and that wée must séeke for none other remedy to washe vs from all our filthinesse And thus wée sée howe water and blood came from him by which meane wee are throughly saued in him and therefore must make no wandlesses to séeke our ayde els where But when wée shall consider more néerely of the matter wée shall sée a very notable similitude betwéene the blood and the water which issued out of the side of our Lorde Iesus Christe and the Sacraments of the Church in which the thing that was perfourmed in his death is allowed and sealed vnto vs. For after hée had suffered whatsoeuer was requisite for our saluation and fully satisfied GOD his Father by sanctifiyng and purchasing vs full righteousnesse hée would that all the whole matter should bée witnessed vnto vs in the two sacraments of his owne institution I speake of two because there are no moe instituted in his worde But Baptisme and the Supper For all the reste is but a vaine imagination deuised by the rashe boldenesse of men Thus wee see that our Lorde Iesus Christe powreth out the vertue of his death and passion aswel vpon Baptisme as on the holy Supper For Baptisme is a witnesse vnto vs that hée hath so washed and cleansed vs from all our filthinesse as that God receiueth vs vnto his fauour as if wée came cleane and neate before him Now wée must vnderstand that the water in Baptisme worketh not this effect For howe can a corruptible Element washe and cleanse our soules But the matter is because water issued out of the side of our Lorde Iesus Christ And therefore when wée woulde that Baptisme should doe vs good let vs goe vnto him who was crucified for vs and when we would féele the fruit therof let vs runne vnto our Lord Iesus Christ who would haue vs séeke for euerie parte and parcell of our saluation in him without wandring and whéeling hither and thither And besides wée haue in the holie Supper a testimony that Iesus Christ is our
Satan And therfore wée are so much the rather to make an obseruation of this doctrine That as God hath not set downe in the Law and saide You shall not serue mée this way and that as pleaseth you But placed and ordeined the sacrifices Ceremonies conteined in the Law thereon stay them selues without deuising any newe and strange kind of Seruice meane to obteine fauour grace Euen so likewise must we at this day be contented with the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christe because we know that that is the only meane by which God will be mercifull fauourable vnto vs by which also he wil receiue adopt vs vnto himselfe Thus we namely sée what it is that the Prophet meaneth to offer héere vnto vs. Now it is moreouer said That he will prolong his dayes that he shall see his seed to be permanent that the wil or plesure of the Lorde shall prosper in his handes Héere he bringeth vs yet once againe back vnto the consideration of the glory excellencie of our Lord Iesus Christ to the end wee might be so muche the more assured that we may come vnto him for if hée had remoued in death as a vanquished person it had béen impossible for vs to haue béen euer iustified quickened by his grace For how could death a lone haue brought righteousnes life with it as of it selfe but because of the sacrifice of his death he rose again therin resteth our ful whole cōfidēce Thus we sée that we haue obteined victory ouer sin to the end we might be takē to be righteous death is abolished in vs that wée might haue life In déede this in the first place hath relation vnto the person of the Sonne of God For as wée haue alredy said hée dyed according to the infirmitie of his fleshe 2. Cor. 13. 4. howbeit the heauenly power of his holy Spirite was shewed in his resurrection and heereof hée gaue this testimony for these were his wordes destroy yée this Temple and within thrée dayes I will rayse it vp againe Iohn 2.19 Loe héere howe the Sonne of God as touching his person did sée a great age For hee rose not againe to shew himselfe vnto the worlde for a whyle and then dye againe But after hée had shewed himselfe vnto his Disciples and made them witnesses of his resurrection hée ascended into heauen and so exempted himself from all humane frailtie This then it is whereon wee must builde our faith in him when as wee sée him to haue in such sort ouercome death and the Diuell and triumphed ouer him as that after that hée was offered vp for a Sacrifice hée was receiued and exalted vnto this power and dignitie whereof mention hath alredy béen made But wée must also note by the way that all this belongeth to the whole body of the Church for it is not the purpose of Iesus Christe to separate himselfe from it Heb. 2.11 And in déede it is further said that hee shall see his seed True it is wée are called the brethren of Iesus Christe For wée coulde not bée called the children of god but by the same name And therfore hée who is the onely beloued must receiue and ioyne vs so vnto himselfe as that we might haue that by adoption which is onely his by nature howbeit this is no let vnto vs from being as children ingendred of his séede For what is the true séede of the Churche Verily euen the worde of the Gospell as Saint Peter telleth vs. 1. Pet. 1. 23. 25. And in déede it is the very selfe same which we haue already séene veryfied vnto vs out of the Prophet Isaiah That the worde of the Lorde endureth for euer because by it wee are made incorruptible Isaiah 40.8 whenas wee receiue profite thereby according to that measure that it is giuen vnto vs by the holy ghost this then is the séede by which wee are regenerate into euerlasting life Howbeit wee must fyrst come vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe And how commeth it to passe that the Gospell hath this office and Property to beget vs to bée the children of GOD Forsooth the reason is this because the blood of our Lorde Iesus Christe was a true séede to quicken vs. And therefore it is not for naught sayde héere That hee shall see a seede of long continuance or an euerlasting seede So then wee are againe to conclude that the benefit which our Lorde obteined by his resurrection was not particuler for him selfe alone But that wée might haue parte thereof and be called vnto his company because we are members of his bodie Nowe wée are héere by the way admonished not to séeke for one droppe of life in our selues but to take it wholly from our lord Iesus Christ Why howe will God then acknowledge vs to be his children Howe shall wée haue any place in his Church Howe shall wée be taken to be of his flocke Forsooth wée must come to this point Because wée are partakers with our lord Iesus Christ Thus wée sée howe God accepteth of vs this is our begetting and first birth And nowe let our fréewill men goe and brag of their frée will by which they suppose them selues to be readie to receiue the grace of God For what abilitie is hée able to haue to doe eyther good or yll that is not yet begotten in the wombe of his mother Wherefore let vs vnderstande thus much that since our chiefe and first creation is this that we are begotten in Iesus Christ that wée are able to doe nothing neither yet that any thing procéedeth from our power and strength but that all whatsoeuer wée haue commeth from that frée goodnesse of his whereof we are made partakers And this is the summe and effect of all that which wée haue to consider of But by the way to the ende wée might also haue a great deale the better taste of his death passion it is saide Because hee gaue his soule an offring for sinne to wit for satisfaction or for sacrifice that hee should see his seede For wée right well shewe that wée would blot out all hope of saluation if wée glorified not the goodnesse of God in the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ And to say truely they that proudly disdaine to cleaue vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ because hée was crucified rightly declare that they haue not knowne the ende thereof For without it what should become of vs Surely wée shoulde haue no Church in the worlde there should be no saluation and to be short there should bée no hope of any goodnesse For without doubt wée should bée all remedilesse confounded lost and condemned without Iesus Christ had offred vp his soule bought vs againe by that onely meane 1. Cor. 6. 30. And for this cause the Scripture also oftentimes sheweth vs that wee were redéemed with no small price And thus much we
Seruant we haue before séene that it is no whit derogatorie from the maiestie of our Lorde Iesus Christ For although hée was Lord ouer all Creatures yet obteined he a newe gouernment in the person of a Mediatour and in our nature according to that saying of Saint Paule to the Philippians and as we haue also séene partly heretofore Phil. 2.9 for it was his meaning to become a seruant and to humble him selfe vnder that state and condition And therefore it was not in vaine that hée was called the seruaunt of God Now this ought to be no straunge thing vnto vs But this should be much more strange vnto vs that Iesus Christ being the verie Sonne of God Iohn 17.9 and coequall with God his Father in glorie should become a seruant to men as it is saide in the Gospell after Saint Iohn and so abase him selfe vnder this condition Mat. 20.28 as that hée woulde serue vs and yet notwithstanding it was so in déede Marke also why hée saide I was conuersaunt amongst you as a seruant and not as a Maister Nowe since it is so that Iesus Christ became so humble as to make him selfe the seruant of men it is not for naught then that hée is here called the seruant of God And to say the truth he could not otherwise haue redéemed vs. I speake now in respect that God his Father had so decréede it as we haue alredie heretofore sayde For I know that God could if it had pleased him haue saued vs without any meane But we are alwayes to presuppose that it was Iesus Christ which must purchase life for vs. And therefore for the bringing of this matter to passe it was eftsoones méet that he should become a seruant because hee could not otherwise haue yéelded his obedience vnto God his Father and without this obedience it was impossible for him to haue repaired our transgressions and iniquities Thus then we sée why he was called a righteous seruant To be short the Prophet doeth vs to wit that because we were and yet are rebels to God vntill such time as he hath reformed vs by his holy spirit and againe although after he hath giuen vs the touch of a good mind yet are we vnprofitable seruants and tryp and stumble euerie hand while and besides when wée shall thinke that the seruice which we doe him should be well accepted of him yet may it be verie well amended yea worthie to be reiected and therefore for the blotting out of our offences it was méete that the seruice and obedience of our Lord Iesus Christ should please God and that it should also carry with it a right and full satisfaction This then is the summe and effect of his meaning And herevpon we are to gather that Iesus Christ did not onely iustifie vs in that he was God but through the power of his obedience in that he tooke vpon him our nature and therein would accomplish and fulfill the lawe which was impossible for vs to doe because it was such a burthen as would haue pressed vs all downe and haue broken our neckes Forsomuch then as our Lord Iesus Christ forsooke himselfe for our saluation and became obedient vnto God his Father we sée in what sort he hath iustified vs. Now he speaketh also namely of his knowledge meaning thereby to expresse that it was not inough that our Lorde Iesus Christ performed in his own person all whatsoeuer that was necessarie for our saluation but that wee also should take fast hold therof by fayth And therefore knowledge is verie requisite For how many incredulous or vnbeléeuing persons doe we sée perishe vnto whom the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ serueth to none other purpose saue onely for their greater condemnation because they treade his most holie and precious blood vnder their féete and vtterly refuse his grace which hee offreth vnto them Iohn 3.14 Numb 21.9 And so although our Lorde Iesus Christ be lyke vnto the Serpent whiche was set vp in the wildernesse for the healing of all diseases yet can we for our partes receiue no profite by him except we know him For as it was méete also that the brasen Serpent should be looked on in the wildernesse and without which looking on the byting or stinging of the Serpentes was alwayes deadly Euen so at this day is the Gospell vnto vs as a Scaffolde whereon to set vp our Lorde Iesus Christ or els lyke a Banner to represent him vnto our eyes 3. Cor. 4.1 that we might sée him a great way of To bee short The preaching of the Gospell as Saint Paule sayeth is not darke For we may in it beholde the grace of God appearing in our Lorde Iesus Christ or els the Deuill hath blindfolded our eyes But howe euer it is we are throughly to consider of that which is here spoken that Iesus Christ iustifieth not but by his knowledge In deede it is most true that the verie substance of our saluation must come from thence For when it is saide that we are iustified by Fayth this is not to exclude Iesus Christ neyther yet the mercies of God but rather to lead vs and bring vs vnto them But to the ende we might the easelyer come to the vnderstanding hereof we are to consider in the first place that we are not righteous of our selues since we must borrowe it of some other For if wee were able so to rule and order our life that it might be all in all answerable vnto the law and will of God then in déed we deserued that hee should accept vs. And why so Forsooth because he is to allowe of the good since he is the fountayne thereof for els hee shoulde deny him selfe And therefore if we coulde frame our lyues to agrée with the lawe of God and bee so perfect as hee requireth we should then without doubt be iustified by our woorkes and Iesus Christ as Saint Paul saith should profite vs nothing Collos 5.4 But contrariwise when we are driuen to borow our righteousnesse of our Lorde Iesus Christ and séeke it at his handes that is as much to say that we are as bare of it as we say as my nayle Wherefore let vs thus conclude that the whole worlde is condemned of sinne and God sheweth vs that wee are all accursed when as it is saide that wee must come vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ And thus much for this point Now to say the trueth the auncient Philosophers spake thus much of vertue and this hath béene alwayes a common opinion that God will accept of vs for our good life and conuersation But what are wee the better for all this For there was nothing but hypocrisie in the best liuers and in such as was thought coulde in no wise be touched and as for the rest they were altogether giuen to wickednesse But to speake of those who were thought of all others to bée the most able and renowmed people
is no doubt but that we shall all be linked together in this prayer in all the prayses thankes giuing vnto the Lord and that Iesus Christ doth as a man would say powre out and become as it were the chiefe chaunter to bring vs into our prayers so that by his meane the sound of our voices do in such sort ioyne together as that they make very swéet pleasaÌ„t harmony For when we the Angels of heauen shal pray together to God will not this be a most excellent priuiledge But when the sonne of God wil vouchsafe to be so familiar with vs as to say come your wayes I will be your spokes man would not this meruellously rauish vs Moreouer his was figured in the Lawe whenas the high Priest did not onely offer vnto God the Sacrifices but ioined also with them prayers supplications And therfore vnder the auncient shadowes no Priest could make intercessioÌ„ vnto god and be made acceptable without the sheading of blood howbeit hée ioyned also with blood prayers that the sinnes of the people might be forgiuen and that God might receiue such to mercy as were worthie to be reiected Thus we sée that our Lord Iesus Christ hath taken away the figures of the lawe and hath fulfilled and ended them in his owne person That is hée hath offred vp blood for the washing away of our sinnes not the blood of Calues Hebr. 9.14 and shéepe as the maner was in the lawe but euen his owne precious blood which was consecrated by the holie Ghost to the ende wée might be wholly sanctified by him And yet hée ioyned prayers with the effusion of blood And therefore we sée why at this day he is called our Mediatour and maketh intercession for vs. And when Saint Paule speaketh of prayers hée saieth 1. Tim. 2.5 That there is one God and Mediatour euen the man Iesus Christ Hée might verie well haue sayde There is one God and one Iesus Christ who is the eternall word of God and of the selfe same essence glorie and maiestie Nowe hée vseth not this kinde of spéech But hée saieth there is one God and one Mediatour betwéene God and men euen the man Iesus Christ As if hée should haue sayde Hebr. 4.15 Hebr. 7.27 9.7 Behold the Sonne of God who after hee had taken vpon him our nature and was made man lyke vnto vs sinne except maketh now intercession for vs. Nowe the Priestes in the olde time néeded to pray for them selues and so they did and for the sinnes of all the people in which number they were also comprehended But our Lord Iesus as touching him selfe néeded not so to doe neither is there any cause why he should for his parte craue pardon for any sinnes that hée had committed but maketh intercession for vs. Rom. 8.31 And therefore when Saint Paule would enbolden vs to come vnto God hée namely saith If God be on our side who shall be against vs For although we haue many enemies yet let vs not be afeard and vnto whom must we yéeld an account of the bestowing of our whole life Who also is our Iudge Forsooth euen the man Iesus Christ and he him selfe also is our Aduocate to make intercession and an agréement betwéene God and vs. It is euen he that must obtayne grace for vs. Wherfore we may with good courage come before the maiestie of God yea boldly present our selues before his iudgement seat since we haue Iesus Christ to stand there betwéene him and vs. Thus then we sée what is the effect of that which we haue to consider of when as this saying of intercession is here spoken of To be short as often as the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ is talked of let vs ioyne theretoo eftsoones the prayer which he made once for all to the ende it might remaine for euer and woorke his effect For it is not nowe needfull for our Lorde Iesus Christ to kneele on his knees before God his Father to pray vnto him In deede it is saide that he will make alwayes intercession for vs. But howe Forsooth euen by the power of his death and passion and by the prayer that is made at this day For through the power thereof we are heard as if he him selfe at this day spake for vs and besides as I haue saide all our prayers are sanctified by him otherwise they should be but prophane And to say truely as often as the faithfull prepare themselues to pray vnto God They where the Papists sprinkle holy water as they call it about and charme coniure or rather mask mumme should féele that their praiers are besprinckled with the blood of Iesus Christ to the ende they might be pure and cleane and that God might receiue them as a swéete smelling sacrifice And herevpon let vs vnderstande that our Lorde Iesus Christ was not a sacrificing Priest for a day onely but kéepeth that office still euen vnto this day and for euer that we might alwayes féele the fruit therof Now if this had been rightly knowne men woulde not haue exceeded as hath come to passe in so many villainies superstitions For we sée howe the Papists at this day wander about lyke miserable stray beasts not knowing which way or path to take to pray vnto God For they haue an infinite number of Patrones and Aduocates and euerie man buildeth vpon his owne Patrone and Aduocate In déede they haue many common and ordinarie ones but yet after al their kyries as they say euerie man will say his deuotions to the Saint which he hath forged vnto him self Thus we see how Iesus Christ is robbed of his honour and glorie And this is out of all doubt that when they are not contented with Iesus Christe it must bee that the Deuill hath possessed them and put them in such a furie as it were to despight God who speaking of Iesus Christ in giuing him that office they haue giuen the right of it to this bodie that As the Papistes as this day call the virgine Marie their Mediatrix Nowe the Deuill goe with all their prayers For this is as much as if they forsooke God and our lord Iesus Christ And it cannot be chosen but that the virgine Mary her selfe cryeth out for vengeance against them Iohn 5.45 because they haue made a detestable Idoll of her and robbed Iesus Christ of the honour of this sacrifice ratefied by God with a solemne oth and haue done all they can to falsefie the whole scripture The Papistes think that the virgine Mary will help them but shée will rather as I haue alredie saide call for vengeance against them for the wrong which they haue done her For if they should spit on her do her all the villainies that were possible to be done without doubt they could not deuise to do her a greater shame then to call her a Mediatrix And why so Psal 110. â—
haue bestowed one péece of it in this place and another in that and haue diuided it euen as pleased themselues and whereas Iesus Christe shoulde haue béene onely exalted and the Prophetes and Martyrs made of no estimation in respect of him they haue turned all cleane contrary Wherefore séeing we are inclined to this sinne to magnifie Creatures and to robbe Christ Iesus of his glory Let vs so muche the rather remember that which is said That Iohn baptized with water to shew that if we would haue any grace we must neither goe to Peter nor yet to Iohn Iohn 1.15 3.34 but to Iesus Christ of whom it is saide that he receiued the grace of God full and whole to shewe that we must come to him alone Moreouer héerein hath béen occasion taken to say that the baptisme of Iohn was imperfect but this is plain deceite for the meaning of Iohn when he spake so was not to declare the truth of the Sacrament which hee administred but onely to shewe the difference that was betwéene him Iesus Christe And therefore although the sacrament of Baptisme which Iohn administred and the Sacrament which Iesus Christ administred was al one tended to one the selfesame end yet Iohn declared that it was not in his power to make baptisme of any force But that Iesus Christe must do it And therefore it is not to be doubted but that he administred true baptisme For we looke not to the signe but to the truth and yet the signe agréeeth with the trueth of Iesus Christ But the principall matter which we haue to consider of in Baptisme consisteth vpon two points that is that we haue put of the old Adam and are renued vnited to Iesus Christ cleansed of al our spots when God forgiueth vs our sinnes And this is the summe effect of Baptisme Mat. 3.2 8. Mar. 1.4 Luke 3.3 8. Let vs now consider if Iohn did not al this It is most certaine that he did For he came preached remissiō of sins baptized to that end purpose Moreouer whē he baptized he preached repentance which importeth as much as we haue said That wee our selues must be mortified this corruptiō which wee receiued frō Adam must be put of that the righteousnes of god might reigne in vs. And so when as we haue thrust out all the corruption we can yet shal we find nothing els in vs But what we must make a difference betwéene the person of the Minister and the person of Iesus Christ In déed this is true that when we speake of baptisme as it is in it self Acts. 9.18 it is a washing away of our sinnes How so Because by it we are cōfirmed ingraffed into Iesus Christ that we might be cleansed liue by his mighty power For so saith the scripture as may be séen whē Annanias baptized Paul who said to him come and wash away thy sins And whē baptisme is spokē of we speake not only of the signe but of the thing signified to wit that we are acceptable to God through the forgiuenesse of sinnes and renued by his holy spirit to the ende we might no longer liue to our selues and as we lust Wherfore doo wée saye that all this is within the compasse of Baptisme forsooth because the commission of Iesus Christ is most certaine and sure and hee performeth that inwardlye whiche is outwardlye signified for otherwise it were but a may game if the truth were not ioyned together with the signe Thus we sée how God ioyneth the truth with the signe to the end wée might vnderstand and know that as the visible signe signifieth a thing euen so also receiue we the graces therein signified And the like may bée saide of the Supper For when wee come to the supper looke how the minister distributeth to vs the bread and wine euen so doth Iesus Christ make vs partakers of his body blood that we might bee truly and indéede his members and by that meane we may say that the supper is a partaking of the body and blood of our Lorde Iesus But when wee shall come to handle by péece meale the thing which mortall man doth we must then looke what power and authoritie he hath As when I baptise to wit whether haue I the holy ghost in my sléeue to giue or not or when I celebrate the holy supper haue I the body blood of our Lord Iesus to giue to whom it liketh mée Now this were ouer great arrogancy to attribute that to mortall men which properly belongeth to Iesus christ And therfore let vs not take from Iesus Christ the office of baptising with the holy ghost For as I take water to baptize euen so doth Iesus Christ accomplishe the thinge which I signifie by his owne power and might Wherefore let vs mark the saying of Saint Iohn I baptise with water saith hée and Iesus Christ baptiseth with the holy ghost Thus we sée what we haue héere already handled and shal be more throughly in the eleuenth chapter Moreouer it is for vs thus to make aunswer to witte Acts. 11.16 that wée cannot fulfyl the things wherof we make a shew And yet neuerthelesse we must assure our selues this that God accomplisheth that which is signified by the signe and as by the water is signified the washing away of sinnes euen so doth he accomplish it by his blood And thus we sée how we must distinguish betwéene the person of our Lord Iesus Christ and the person of the Minister to the ende euery man might haue his degrée and measure and wée to know that Iesus Christ is the fountaine of all perfection Moreouer this is certaine that whē Iohn said that Iesus Christ should baptize with the holie Ghost and with fire this doth not restrain Mat. 3.11 but that the holy Ghost did once appeare in the same shape For this promise hath byn already performed and shal take place vnto the worldes end Let vs then consider that when the holy Ghost was visibly sent vnto the Apostles it was to signifie vnto vs that the Church should bée alwayes gouerned by the holie Ghost should fill vs with so many of his graces as were néedfull In very déede we shal neuer haue them in ful perfection because it is néedful that we should be humbled For if wée shoulde haue them in ful perfection what would become of vs Surely we would neuer haue anie care to call vpon God neither yet once thinke that wée stoode in néede of him And therefore it is méete wée shoulde alwayes féele the want of his benefites to the end wée might bée stirred vp to beséech him liberally to bestow them on vs. But by the way let vs vnderstand that wée are all baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire and that Iesus Christ will in no wise that his Sacramentes should bée receiued in vayne of his faithful ones In déed although a man bée baptized
shall neuer perish as hée himself hath said Iohn 6.39 10.28 Wherfore let vs submit our selues vnto our lord Iesus Christ if we will féele the benefite accomplishment of the thing which S. Luke here speaketh of to our saluation to wit that God doth not onely speake to our eares his voice resounde in the ayre But his doctrine also pearseth our heartes that wée might be so enflamed perboyled renued as that we might cast away the corruptions of this world So that as we would be taken allowed for his people we might in trueth call vpon our God in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto whō we are conioyned to this end that he might perfectly vnite vs vnto God his father And therfore behold why this holy Table is at this present made readie for vs. For as I haue before said we cannot possibly be partakers of any of the graces of the holy Ghost but by being the members of our Lord Iesus Christ Now how can we attain therto without he offer himself vnto vs biddeth vs vpon such a condition as truely ioyneth vs vnto him and he so dwelleth in vs as that whatsoeuer hée hath is oures whereby we might enioy the benefites which were graunted to him in our name Isaiah 11.2 It is said in the prophesie of Isaiah That the spirit of God rested on him howbeit it was not because he had any néed of the same nor yet for his own priuate vse But it was for the benefite of his whole body to wit the whole Church Let vs then know that since the Supper is at this time offred vnto vs that the meaning of our Lord Iesus is that we shoulde séeke all our felicitie in him And because we are very farre from him he of his great goodnesse commeth neare to vs. In very déed hée leaueth not his heauenly glory For we must not thinke that hée descendeth héere below as the Papists imagine to bestowe his body and blood vpon vs But although wée are farre from him yet ceaseth hée not to refresh vs with his body and blood neyther let vs leaue so farre foorth as shall be néedefull for vs to bée perfectly vnited to him Nowe marke why I say perfectly although in very déede hée maketh vs go on in some measure but yet how euer it is let not vs leaue to ioyne our selues to him And let vs vnderstand that hee will not deceiue vs of our hope séeing hee hath declared vnto vs that hée is our head and wée his members and that if wée suffer him to gouerne and guide vs wée shall finde him to bée a good and sure guide and the power of his holy Spirite to bée infinite to defend vs. In the first place then when wée come to this holy Table Let vs vnderstand that it is a secrete surpassing our capacities and therefore wee must héere giue place vnto faith And let vs know that the thing which wée cannot conceiue and vnderstand is notwithstanding accomplished by the secret and inuisible grace of the holy Ghost for sée how we are made partakers of the body blood of our Lord Iesus Christe Moreouer since hée dwelleth in vs and that wée are truly and in déed his body let vs not doubt but that whatsoeuer Isaiah speaketh of the graces of the holy Ghoste they belong and are proper vnto vs In very déede wee receiue not the holy Ghoste perfectly Ephe. 4.7 because there is a measure of the gift according to the saying of Saint Paule and wée must increase in it more more Besides it is not without cause that our Lorde Iesus hath so distributed it to vs by certaine and sure portions and degrées For it is néedefull that his power shoulde bee made perfect in our weakenesse to the end wée might hang alwayes vpon him 2. Cor. 12.9 and carefully call vpon his holy name that wée myght also bée humbled because wee know that there are many things in vs which may be amended Wée see then that wee should vnderstand that Iesus Christ dwelleth not in vaine in vs because hee will effectually witnesse vnto vs that his holy Spirite will powre foorth his power to strengthen vs in him that we might forsake this world and come vnto heauen It is said in that place of Isaiah That the Spirit of wisedome rested vpon him by which hée meaneth to shew that we are nothing but darknesse and miserable blinde foules and in steed of thinking our selues to be both able and skilfull wee shal alwaies peruert and falsifie the trueth of God vntill such time as hée inlightened vs and graunted vs an heauenly cléerenes which commeth not vnto vs either by birth or yet by inheritance And it is said besides that he hath the spirite of the feare of God and al because our desires are so many enimies against the will of God vntill such time as they be refourmed Rom 8.7 and altogether chaunged Besides it is said also that he hath the spirite of power to the ende we might vnderstand our weakenesse so that we coulde not choose but quaile if we were not strengthened from aboue wée shoulde then feele al these things whenas we should come to the receiuing of the testimonie which is héere set downe vnto vs and we should be persuaded that as mortall men distribute the bread and wine euen so will our Lord Iesus worke therein because it is done by his authoritie in his name is no deuised thing of mans braine but that Iesus Christe is the Authour thereof Thus we sée wherunto we must apply this history Moreouer let vs bée so vnited vnto this head as that wee may worship our God with one heart and one mouth and in the meane while let vs ioyne our selues together For it is not said that the apostles ioyned with all in one accord Because al the whole towne of Ierusalem was an enimie vnto them and yet although they were but few in number and a contemptible people they ceased not to persist and ioyne themselues together vnder the Ensigne or banner of God in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Euen so thē séeing there are such a number of Curre Dogges barking against vs and that the Diuell raiseth vp so diuersly many troubles let vs ioyne our selues together so much the more constantly and let not the bond of our concord bée loosed Rom. 12.18 that wée may by that meane be able to set our selues against Satan all his supporters True it is that we ought generally to séeke for peace with all men without exception For we should loue those which hate and persecute vs and wish them good although they deserue it not and yet wee must be their enimies for otherwise we should separate our selues from Iesus Christe And therefore let vs set our selues against all the world and let vs besides vnderstand that we must forsake our selues to be ioined to our Lorde Iesus Christe and he doth
vseth these tearmes yet doeth he it only to fit himself vnto the time wherin he was because we shuld not say but that we haue a greater measure of knowledge For to say truely GOD neuer shewed himselfe so manifestly in the olde Testament as hée hath nowe doone to vs by Iesus Christe For where God had appointed the offerings to bée sacrificed in the old Lawe which were but figures and shadowes to bée oftentimes vsed that it might bée séene that men could not come néere vnto God but by the meane of a Mediator wée haue at this present the personall presence of the Mediator himself who once for all hath fulfilled euery thing by his alone Sacrifice And therefore there is nowe no Sacrifice to bée doone for the purging and sanctifiyng of sinnes Mala. 1.11 but onely the Sacrifice of thankesgiuing vnto our GOD who therewith is well pleased through our Lorde Iesus Christe And although it is said in the Scripture that at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christe Altars shoulde bée set vp throughout the whole worlde to Sacrifice vnto the Lorde our God yet must wée leaue the figure and rest in the trueth For inasmuch as the Altar was a signe of the worship of God because it is saide that Sacrifice should bée doone all the worlde through the meaning is that God shoulde vniuersally bee worshipped No doubt of it the Pope with all his Colledge of Cardinalls and all other his deare friendes the Romanistes wyll conclude vppon this place that there must néedes bée Sacrifices had And therefore when they woulde haue their Masse allowed they bring in this testimony of the Scripture Howbeit if it were so as they make themselues beléeue Surely surely they muste néedes conclude that Iesus Christe hath not yet appeared nor that his kingdome is yet come Neuerthelesse wée sée the contrary And therefore séeing the Prophets haue thus said it is not only to shew that God should be vniuersally worshipped in spirite trueth and not in figures Moreouer héere is to bée noted that the saying of Prophesie is not meant by the Prophet to tell of things to come as in the olde time it was taken but the meaning is that whosoeuer shal haue the gift of Prophesie shoulde bée able to teache and apply doctrine to the ende wee might bée brought to the knowledge of the trueth and profite therby And so the promise that was made vnto vs of the cōming of Iesus Christ conteyneth thus much that we should be more déeply séene in heauēly things then heretofore we haue béen For we sée in very déede that S. Paul calleth it the wisdome of God ◠Cor. 2. vnder which all things should be subiect Wée are nowe therefore briefly to conclude vpon all things That as our Lord in sending Iesus Christe his sonne into the worlde to make vnto vs a more liuely assurance of our saluation Euen so by sending vnto vs his holy spirite hée hath made vs greater partakers of his graces then euer hée did before The Prophet Ioel soone after setteth downe in this place That God will doe wonderful things in heauen aboue and signes in the earth belowe blood fire and vapour of smoke that the Sunne shall bee turned into darkenes and the Moone into blood These wordes shewe that greate and maruellous things must come to passe whenas Iesus Christ shall manifest himselfe And why so Forsooth because the the worlde shall then bée changed For they which woulde followe Iesus Christe must wholy alter their nature And therefore is the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe called the latter dayes Moreouer this is not spoken for a day or for a moneth But the Prophet referreth all that is héere spoken vnto the whole time frō the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe vntill the day of iudgement so that wée must inclose the wonders which shall bée doone at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe from the time of his comming vnto the last day And to say truely the forwarder wee goe the greater thinges will hée doe as wee dayly finde by experience Nowe that we vnderstand the meaning of the Prophete let vs apply the same to our owne vse For where it is said in the first place that God will powre out his spirite vpon all flesh we are to consider that the greatest benefite which we can possibly haue is to bée partakers of the graces of his holy spirite And this is the most excellent gift which God bestoweth vpon vs in respect wherof all the worldly liberalitie which he rendreth vnto vs is nothing For whensoeuer wée are bereaued of this gift Iesus Christe is taken from vs and vntill suche time as wée are clothed with him all whatsoeuer wée doe tendeth to our condemnation Wherefore God saith that we cannot be his children without wee bee bedeawed and sprinkled with his holy spirite Nowe if wee bée not his children wée shall neuer be partakers in the communitie of Iesus Christe For although God offereth vnto vs his graces yet is Iesus Christ nothing vnto vs vntill such time as wée haue receiued the holy Ghoste Let vs then conclude héereupon that vnto the time that wee are partakers of the holy Ghost wée are reprobate and the children of perdition because it is hée which sanctifieth and maketh vs holy in the sight of God So then vntil such time we be as called by the knowledg of the holy scripture which wée can no way haue but by the gift of the holy ghost to lift vp our mindes on high wée are fast tyed to the earth as if it were in Hell And héereupon it is that Saint Paule speaketh when he saith Rom. 8.14 That they which haue receiued the holy Ghost guiding themselues according to the will of God declared in his word are I say the children of God and they without all doubt are the children of the Diuell who following their carnall affections giue themselues ouer to their pleasure and delight Thus we sée how necessary a thing it is for all those that would bee acccounted the children of GOD to haue the knowledge of Gods trueth Moreouer wée cannot excuse our selues if wée receiue not his graces because hée offereth them vnto al but wée are so accursed as that we forsake the benefite which hée would bestowe vpon vs. And héerein is knowne the goodnesse of God to vs warde that although wée striue alwaies against his will yet ceaseth hée not for all that to offer himselfe vnto all as it is héere said by the Prophet That young and olde men and women shal all receiue of one and the selfe same spirite And it is to this end that no man might bée able truely say O Sir I am vtterly vnlearned and therefore it is impossible for one to vnderstand the Scriptures whereby I might receiue the holy ghost Why I beséech you hath God promised vnto the learned alone the grace of his holy spirite to none other Nowe surely this is a very
strange kinde of excuse And therefore when wée sée that God so liberally dealeth as that hée will neither exclude age nor sexe from receiuing of the holy ghoste are not wée very accursed to withdraw ourselues from him when as hée is desirous to come néere vs And to say the truth the prophesie that is héere spoken of is to be accomplished at the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe Wherfore since he at this day hath all power and dominion it must néedes bée manifested wée must also vnderstand that the thing which was foretolde is most true And therfore since the thing that was spoken of hath so manifestly appeared cursed are we if wée doe not our best to walke in the feare of the Lorde and receiue the graces whiche hee offereth vs. Wée haue alredye saide that hée taketh exceptions too none Howbeit wée are so wicked as that wée cannot take in good part the thing offered vnto vs. What is the cause thereof surely surely our infidelitie Wherefore neither young nor old can excuse themselues of this fault in not submitting themselues vnto the obedience of God séeing hée hath called all thereto Neither is it to be wondered at although they so little profit in this doctrine For if we marke it the elder sort will growe so obstinate and ouer growne in wickednesse as that no exhortation will doe them good And the younger sort are as dissolute as Diuels For if they bée exhorted they waxe so madde as that to any mans thinking they would tread vnder foote both God and his worde and as many as deliuer it Now Iesus Christe who is the wisedome mildenesse and méekenesse of the Father wyl haue nothing to doe with such foxes and Lions And if they be told that they must humble themselues vnder the mightie hand of God to the ende they might vnderstand that they haue a Father in heauen who will not care onely for their bodily nurriture but will also entertaine and gouerne them by his holy spirite they passe not an hawe of al this but take leaue to doe what wickednesse soeuer they lust Now because the time will not serue to procéede any further héerein we will reserue the handeling of the residue vntil Sunday next And sith we cannot be acceptable in the sight of the Lord our God but by the meane of our Lord Iesus Christ let vs fall downe before his maiestie in his name and beséech him so to instruct vs by his holy spirite as that wée may vnderstande that the Prophetes spake by him for our instruction and that we also might learne to benefite our selues so that it might turne to the glory and praise of his holy name and the edifying of our neighbours And so let vs most humbly say O Almighty God and heauenly father c. The third Sermon of the descending of the holie Ghost Actes second 18 ANd surely in those dayes I wil powre out of my spirit vpon my seruants vpon my handmaides and they shall prophesie 19 And I will shewe wonders in heauen aboue and tokens in the earth beneath blood and fire and the vapour of moke 20 The Sunne shal be turned into darknesse and the Moone into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come 21 And it shall come to passe that whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lorde shall bee saued VPON Sunday last past we declared vnto you howe that at the comming of Iesus Christe God so powred out his great treasures in the worlde as that both men women young and olde were partakers of his grace Now the riches which the Lord God of his bountifull goodnesse so liberally bestowed were no earthly riches which could perish come to naught But euen the holy Ghoste himselfe from whom commeth all the riches and treasure of saluation And besides wée haue shewed that God hath not doone it only for a time but is also redy to continue the same which hée hath spoken yea and at this day he inricheth vs with his graces if the fault be not ours But wee bée so accursed as that wée are voyd of them by reason of our vnthankefulnesse For his liberalitie is as great at this day as euer it was in the time of the Apostles whenas hée sent downe vnto them the holie Ghost euen to make vs partakers of the self same grace which hée liberally bestowed vpon them howbeit wée are so incredulous and faythlesse as that we stoppe that way vpon him by which he would come vnto vs. For when hée calleth vs by his worde to make vs partakers of his holie spirite wée drawe arsewarde so that a man would thinke wée had conspired to set our selues against him And where both olde and young men and women are called to be partakers of this grace and ought to endeuour them selues by all meanes possible to receiue the holie Ghost and more and more to perseuere and continue in receiuing of the same we sée the elder sort to be more hard hearted and obstinate then the rest and the younger people to be giuen ouer to all kinde of lewdnesse so that if they be tolde of their dissolutenesse they wax so madde and furious as that it should séeme they would marre all And when men should be manlyke and sharpe witted to giue diligent héede vnto the word of God they are become as blockish as bruit beastes And where the women also shoulde be humble and walke soberly and honestly they are extreame dissolute and too too gallaunt and full of all superfluous vaine vanities And therefore if nowe we sée not men enioy the graces of the holie Ghost which God here speaketh of that hée will poure out vpon his seruantes and handmaydes it is not because hée hath chaunged any whit his determination and purpose but by reason we will not suffer him to do vs good For when he commeth neare vs we drawe backward Wherefore hée is not the let why we doe not all receiue his graces For the Prophet saieth as wée haue heretofore saide That God will poure out his holie spirite vpon all flesh Hée namely sayeth vpon all flesh which is vpon all people without exception True it is that Iesus Christ was sent vnto the Iewes not onely to pull them from out of the bondage of the Deuill but to make them partakers also of the giftes of the holie Ghost Howbeit wée are at this present gathered altogether into one Church and therfore there remaineth nothing but to shewe the effect of our Christianitie and of the graces which God hath bestowed on vs and thē let vs not doubt but that we shall receiue the giftes of the holie Ghost since it is saide that God hath not poured them out vpon one or two but generally vpon all men Wherefore it is not enough for vs to boast that we are Christians without we shew the effect thereof that it may be knowne that we vainly take not vpon vs this name of Christianitie For
able to giue our selues either to one thing or other but that we shall swarue from the right rule yea and spurne as it were dispituously against his Maiestie And therefore what conflict is it that wée can set in order to doe any good For when we sée that our Lord Iesus Christe in whom was nothing but purenesse and righteousnesse was not able to submit himself vnto God his father without he had denied himselfe is it not to bee doubted that we are any way able throughly to performe it Let vs then learne to fight more couragiously But because we see we cannot and that all our strength and power bendeth it selfe rather to doe euill and not one droppe of goodnesse in our nature but so weake as that wée shoulde be ouercome an hundred times euery minute of an houre let vs come to him that was made weake that wée might as S. Paule saieth be filled with his power And therefore since our Lorde Iesus Christe hath thus denied him selfe let vs learne if wée will bée his Disciples to doe the like And because wée sée that wée cannot of our selues attaine thereto but goe altogether backewarde let vs beséeche him 2. Cor. 13.4 that hée woulde by the power of his holy spirite haue dominion in vs to strengthen vs as it is said that hée suffered in the infirmitie of his fleshe but was raised vp againe through the power of the spirite that we might bée partakers of the afliction which hée susteined and féele the fruit and excellencie of his power in vs. Heere nowe wée sée in effect what it is that wée must beare in minde when it is saide that Christe gaue ouer his owne will that hee might fully and wholy submit himselfe vnto God his Father Notwithstanding we haue heere continually to remember that the Sonne of GOD determined not onely to set foorth himselfe héere for an example or glasse but to shew vs how dearely our saluation cost him For the Deuill meaning to darken the infinite grace of GOD which hath béene shewed vs hath saide That Iesus Christe was onely as it were a patterne of all vertue For marke how these hypocriticall pratling Iacke dawes in Popery behaue them selues who although they cannot set down what obedience is nor yet what it is to forsake a mans selfe yet they say that whatsoeuer the Euangelist hath written of Iesus Christe is to this ende that wée shoulde followe him and bée like vnto him Now this is somewhat But yet not all neither the principall matter For an Angell might very well haue béene sent to haue tolde vs that wee muste followe him But when Iesus Christe became the redéemer of the worlde hée of his owne good will submitted himselfe vnto this miserable condition as héere wée see And therefore must wée alwayes vnderstande that when wée can finde nothing in our selues that may giue vs any hope of saluation it remaineth that wée must séeke for that in him which is wanting in vs. For wee are neuer able to obteine the grace and fauour of GOD nor yet come néere him without wee come as poore Beggers vnto Iesus Christe which can neuer bee doone vntyll such time as we knowe our miseries and wants and to be short except we know vtterly our vnablenesse wee sée then what it is that wee are to remember to the end that after we haue vnderstood that the whole perfection of our life is to obey God and to forsake our affections and thoughts and whatsoeuer els that is in our nature which is to make vs agréeable vnto him when wee vnderstand this much we must craue at the handes of God that which we haue not And that wée might know also that our Lorde Iesus Christ is not deliuered vnto vs for an example onely but is eft soones declared vnto vs that if we be separated from him our life must néedes bee accursed and that in death we sée the bottomlesse depthes of the curse and that gulfe of Gods wrath to swallowe vs quite vp and that not onely one feare but a million of feares haue laide fast holde on vs and al the creatures of God crie for vengeance on our behalfe And therfore let vs haue this féeling because we might acknowledge our sinnes sigh and be ashamed of our selues and take boldnesse to come vnto God with true humilitie and repentance Let vs likewise estéeme of the goodnesse and mercy of our God as héere is shewed vs and haue our mouthes wide open to pay vnto him the Sacrifice of thanksgiuing and depart from the inticements of Satan who hath pitched his nettes to holde vs still in this worlde Let vs also leaue our commodities and pleasures that wee might come vnto this heauenly inheritance which hath béen so dearely purchased for vs and because we haue to communicate the Supper of the Lorde the next Sunday and that God after he hath opened vnto vs the kingdom of heauen setteth before vs a spirituall banket let vs bée so much the more touched with this doctrine And to say the trueth when wée dayly eate and drinke for the refreshing of our hungry bodies God therein sheweth vs sufficiently that he is our father and careth for these earthly bodies insomuch that we cannot eate one morsell of bread but that it witnesseth vnto vs that God is careful ouer vs. But in the Supper is a speciall reason for God doth not there fill our bellies but lifteth our mindes vp into the kingdome of heauen hee setteth before vs our Lorde Iesus Christe his sonne for meate and drinke And Iesus Christe is not onely contented to receiue vs to his Table but intendeth therewith to bee our féeder for hee sheweth vs in effect that his fleshe is meate in déede and his blood drinke indéede Wherefore when wée sée our Lorde Iesus thus gently to bid vs vnto him are not wée too too villanous if we holde not our selues back from doing of any thing that may withdraw vs from him And although we come but as men trailing our legges after vs yet let vs stil be displeased with our sins that we might obey him and streine our selues so much as is possible to be rid of this worlde and come to the kindgdome of heauen And therefore let euery one consider to what ende the holy Supper serueth For when we see that our Lord Iesus calleth vs vnto it that we might be partakers of his death and passion let vs inioy the fruite which he hath obteined for vs by that meane be fully resolued that God alloweth vs for his children and with open mouth claime him for our father Let vs also bring with vs a true faith because we knowe wherefore God the father sent our Lorde Iesus vnto vs and is at this day a Mediator as he hath alwayes béen And thereupon set vs labour to bée so vnited to him as that we may knowe that this is not onely spoken to euery of vs in particuler but to euery of vs in
perceiue how And thus much for this Nowe séeing it was the will of God that his sonne should be put to death let not vs be ashamed of that which hee suffered nor yet think that the wicked did beare the sway that the sonne of God could not haue found meanes to haue defēded himselfe For all came frō the wil vnchangeable decrée of God which he had determined therin And therfore we sée why our Lord Iesus saith in S. Luke Luke 22.53 This is now your very houre the power of darknes As if he shuld haue said what make no great boast of that you haue done For the diuel is your maister ringleader By which he sheweth that they did nothing but by the leaue of God And although the diuel vrged thē thereto yet neither they nor hee coulde haue brought any thing to passe if God had not licēsed them Thus we sée in sūme that our eyes all our senses must be fastened vpon the wil of God and vpō his euerlasting councel when we heare the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ spoken of For he declared that this was the will of God because it is writtē For if Iesus Christ had not had some testimony of the thing which God his father had ordeined he might as yet haue stood in doubt but he knew what his office was And God would not haue sent him downe here below but that hée gaue him forthwith an expresse charge withal It is very true that inasmuch as our Lord Iesus is God eternal that he néeded not to be taught of the scripture but inasmuch as he is our redéemer is clothed with our nature that he might be of right brotherhood it was méet he shuld be taught the holy scripture we sée also that he at no time refused any such instruction So thē because God shewed him wherunto he had called him we sée wherupō he established himselfe we also sée why he behaued himselfe like a prisoner would not start away because he knew that he must fulfil the charge cōmitted vnto him which was to offer himselfe a sacrifice for the redēptiō of vs al And therefore we are to learne that forsomuch as the will of God is secrete incōprehēsible in himselfe we must haue recourse vnto the holy scripture True it is that God determineth of things in his secrete councel which wee thinke to come by chaunce as wee say which is not shewed vnto vs neither haue wee alwaies a speciall reuelatiō that we are able to say that God hath determined either this thing or that And therfore must we suspēd our iudgemēts for we sée why it is that we pray him to heale vs of our sicknes or why we would haue him to deliuer vs from any other affliction whereinto we are fallen And why doe wée so Because wee knowe not what he wil doe In very déed we must not appoint him a law but that this conditiō must alwaies be adioyned that his wil be done But all our prayers ought to tende to this pointe to craue at his handes whatsoeuer he knoweth to be necessary profitable for vs and to leaue vnto himselfe whatsoeuer is laid vp in his secret councel to the end hee might doe that which to his maiesty shall séeme best But whē wee haue a testimony out of the holy scripture that God willeth any thing we must not as I haue already said stand against it Now we are here a great deale better confirmed as touching the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ that hee was not thus cruelly afflicted so shamefully slanderously handled onely as the vngodly wicked men lusted but because God had so decréed it And how appeareth this by the holy scripture For were not the sacrifices in the law ordeined two thousād yeres before Iesus Christ was borne And had not God enspired taught the auncient Fathers how to sacrifice before the law was eyther giuen or written Or could the blood of bruite beastes obtaine remission for sinnes and make men acceptable vnto God No But it was to shew that God should be reconciled by a Redéemer whom he had established and sithens that time he hath set downe an expresse mention and declaration by the scriptures Isaiah 53. 2. We also sée howe the Prophets haue spoken thereof and namely he alledgeth them For when Isaiah saieth That the Redéemer should be disfigured and disdayned deformed and vnbeautifull like a Leaper scourged and beaten by the hande of God that he should be an horrible thing to beholde to be short that his life should be taken from him in what power was this prophecied of was it because God could not withstande Satan and all the rable of the wicked No But it was because he had pronounced by the mouth of Isaiah the thing which he had before appointed Dan. 9. 24. And in Daniell it is a great deale more expresly set downe Séeing then it is so that God hath declared that his onely Sonne must be sacrificed for our redemption and saluation we are nowe much more confirmed in that which I haue alreadie spoken which is we must alwayes sée that it is the hand of God which gouerneth when as we see the Sonne of God to be so subiected to the slaunders and reproches of mortall men Wee see also why Saint Peter namely saieth in the Actes Act. 4 27. That Iudas all the Iewes yea and all the souldiers and Pylate also had done none other thing but that which the hande and Councell of God had determined as hereafter shall more at large be handled And here we sée wherevnto wée must looke when we would not be troubled in our foolish imaginations which is that God hath sent downe here belowe his onely begotten Sonne that he might accept his obedience through his death and passion for the taking away of all our sinnes and iniquities And this is the second point which I haue handled to wit the fruit benefit which commeth to vs by the suffering of our Lorde Iesus For if we knew not why it was we should lose the tast of that which is here recited vnto vs. But whē it is said that he was bound manacled for our deliuerance and that we sée what the state condition of our nature is to wit that Satan holdeth vs vnder the tyranny of sinne and death that wée are very bondslaues so that in stead that we were created after the image of God there must néeds be found in vs nothing but corruptiō and accursednesse must be led into this cursed captiuitie like miserable wretched beastes Now when we know all this and that we on the other side sée that the Sonne of God refused not to be slaunderously bound to the end that al the spiritual bonds of sin death which kéepe vs boūd vnder the bōdage of Satā might be brokē in sunder thē haue we wherefore to glorify God
thinges this day in a dreame by reason of him 20 But the chiefe Priestes and the Elders had perswaded the people that they should aske Barabbas destroy Iesus 21 Then the Gouernour answeared and sayde vnto them whether of the twayne wyll yee that I let lose vnto you and they sayd Barabbas 22 Pylate saide vnto them what shall I doe then with Iesus which is called Christ They all saide vnto him let him be crucified 23 Then saide the Gouernour But what euill hath he done Then they cryed out the more saying Let him be crucified 24 When Pylate sawe that hee preuailed nothing but that more tumult was made he tooke water washed his handes before the multitude saying I am innocent of the blood of this iust man looke you vnto it 25 Then answered all the people and said his blood be vpon vs and on our children 26 Then let he Barabbas loose vnto them and scourged Iesus and deliuered him to be crucified WEe haue héere before alreadie séene that our Lord Iesus so willingly offered himselfe to be made a sheriffee for the repairing and blotâ—ing out of our iniquities through his obedience as that hée was verie wel contented to be coÌ„demned And here we sée why it is saide that he answered to none of the accusations that were brought against him Hée was able â—ust â—iâ—ally to haue done it but he held his peace as it is also laide of him by the Prophet Isaiah Which thing was not done Isaiah 53. 7. onely to shew his patience but also that we might be able at this day fréely to glorie that we are iust and innocent before God although our owne consciences accuse and condemne vs because we knowe hee hath receiued vs to â—â—â—â—y and that also in sinnes are taken away by reason of the perfection thee was found to be in our Lord Iesus Christ And thus we see how that the Sonne of God hath purchased vs libertie that we might be able boldly to glorie that we are the children of God and taken before him to be righteous to wit when he would make no reply for the setting foorth of his purenes of life Now in verie déede a man would at the first sight thinke it verie straunge that he held his peace yet saide that he was King of the Iewes For these things séeme to be cleane contrary Howbeit Ioh. 6.15 S. Iohn goeth on further and saith that hée declared that his kingdome was not of this world and besides said that he was the Sonne of God For he protested that he was come into the world to defend the trueth And all this agreeth verie well together For it must néedes be that our Lord Iesus should shewe him selfe to bée the King of the Iewes and the Sonne of God also without yee would haue denied the Prophecies howbeit hée did not this to acquit himself but choose rather to hold his peace and vse few words because he would be condemned We haue then here to note that when we heare the silence of Iesus Christ spokeÌ„ of it was because he would make no excuse and therfore held his peace and yet was he coÌ„tented to speak as much as was néedful We sée also why S. Paul saith that he made a good confession before Pontius Pylate 1. Tim. 6.13 For if our Lord Iesus would haue stood to his defence the Iudge was alreadie persuaded of his innocency And so by his speaking he might haue had the day And this was it that made Pylate so to wonder and yet our Lorde Iesus was contented â—o vnâ—nesse as much as God had enioyned him to do not 〈◊〉 that he should teach for that was no place for the purpose buâ— to confirme and ratefie the doctrine which before he had deâ—â—eâ—â—â— Nowe we are on the one side to note by the way that the offence which chiefliest troubled the Iewes was that he had made a garâ—oâ—â— hindred the payment of tribute to the Emperour of Rome which was a thing to moue the Gouernor being a Pagan whom the Emperour had sent thither to wrath In deed this is very certaine that our Lord Iesus shewed himself to be a king Iohn 6.15 but yet no earthly Prince for we sée that wheÌ„ the Iewes would haue crowned him he withdrew himselfe and hid him in a mountaine and thereby he cut the throate of this slaunder because he should haue made the Gospel to haue béen euil spoken of if he had peruerted the politike order and gouernment of the world For be that came to call vs all to the kingdome of heauen and to make vs partakers therof meant not to abolish earthly kingdoms séeing they are vpholden by him and his power And therfore it was not méet that the Gospell should carry with it any such blame as that Iesus Christ was come to vsurpe any worldly power or authoritie And héere we sée why he namely saieth vnto Pylate that his kingdome was not of this world And to say the trueth what were it and if the kingdom of Iesus Christ were earthly For what should we get by putting our trust in him 1. Cor. 15.19 when as we sée our estate to be so miserable in the worlde Truely the very Infidels are in better case then we considering the afflictions which we must abide In déede it is true that God sendeth his scourges ouer the face of the whole earth and they which desire as much as is possible to be freed from them shal neither will nor choose but be subiect to a number of miseries and afflictions And yet for al this we shal alwayes be more roughly handled For God must first begin to chastise his owne house and Church And therfore if our Lord Iesus had béen an earthly King it shoulde séeme that we were méere straungers vnto him Moreouer let it bée that wée had all the pleasures in the world and that by the meane of the Sonne of God wée were héere as in a Paradise yet shoulde our life bée but a shadowe and our felicitie verie short and transitorie And therefore we ought verie well to knowe and be fully persuaded that the kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christ is heauenly that wée might bende our selues to the euerlasting life wherevnto wée are called Thus we sée that the kingdome of Iesus Christ is euerlasting because it consisteth not of any thing in this corrupt worlde Let vs therefore patiently beare all our aduersities considering it neither diminisheth nor lesseneth the grace which our Lorde Iesus Christ hath obteined for vs for they are eueÌ„ so many helps to our saluation as Paule witnesseth Rom. 8.28 And when the worlde shall despise and mocke vs we suffer many slanders abide hunger and thirst drawe our legges after vs and be harried on euerie side yet must we haue this consideration that God accepteth of vs. And this is as if hée chocked vs by the thinne and saide Looke vp a soft and set not your mindes
muste needes submit my selfe vnto him But within a while after hée became worse then euer hee was euen so fared it with Pilate Nowe this is to admonishe vs that wee make not accompt of the feare of GOD as of a blaste of winde but let it bee strongly rooted in our hearts For how did Pilate feare God Forsooth it was such a feare as made him only to be more inexcusable And here wee may sée why God awakeneth the cōsciences of those that are a sléepe and would vtterly cast of the yoke which bringeth them to a more narrow consideration of themselues so that they shal be made spite of their téethes to acknowledge their miseries and féele their sinnes although they woulde walter themselues asléepe in them And therefore all the doubtes which all the contemners of God and the wicked haue are euen so many adiournaments or dayes ouer which God graunteth them to make them voide of all excuse of ignorance But anon after they let slippe the Reine and runne at randon without any stay as héere wée sée Pilate did At the beginning hée was greatly afearde but soone after hée returned to his olde byas againe For thus he saide to Iesus Knowest not thou that I haue power to loose and condemne thee Let vs héere in the first place note that if he had béene a théefe yet could not he once remoue his finger without God had giuen him power Howe then durst Pilate warrant himselfe such an outragious licence to condemne and pardon as pleased him And surely it were much better to set at libertie all Théeues to robbe and spoyle in the woods then to set men in so honorable a place who take pleasure and delight in their authoritie and neuer haue any care of conscience but bring the whole worlde vnto confusion Nowe wée sée héere as I haue said that Pilate his feare neuer tooke déepe roote in him but was onely a puft of winde Wherefore let vs learne to haue asure and constant feare of God that we may walk in his obedience and valiantly fight against whatsoeuer might put vs by and alwayes thus restraine our selues as that we prouoke not him to wrath who hath all power ouer vs. And this is it which wée are héere to consider of Let vs also besides consider that the glory which Pilate attributed to himselfe is notwithstanding turned to his great shame For his enimies coulde neuer speake worse of him then for this to wit that hee woulde be taken to be a man of no discretion to discerne betwixte good and bad and yet hée boasted himselfe of it Héere therefore wée sée that the higher the dispisers of God think to aduance them selues they must alwayes feele that they are the more shamefully to bée throwne downe and God so giueth them ouer into a reprobate sence as that they bragge of their iniquities that they might become detestable both in heauen and earth What is there then for vs to doe Forsooth let vs learne to glory in that which is good and haue an eye to doe the thing that is lawefull For they which glory in their mightinesse and in their authoritie without doubt doe prouoke the Lorde to anger because they haue many times gotten their riches and credit by vnlawfull meanes as by rioting crueltie and all kindes of extortion Wherfore when they glory héerein it is as it were to set them selues against the Lord. For he that hath gotten euery way by spoyle will say I am wealthie and sée he wil say I haue gotten whenas he hath sucked the blood of the poore out of them But howe Surely by deceipt and wicked practises in robbing the one and glutting the other Another man through abition and vnlawful meanes is aduaunced to some honor and héerevpon forsooth this man would bée greatly feared And this kinde of dealing is manyfestly to stande against God And therefore as I haue said let vs learne to glory in that which God alloweth and liketh of True it is that although there bée valure in vs yet is it not lawfull to vsurpe the commendation which God reserueth to himself and for the which wée ought to honor him because all that we haue commeth of his frée gifte Wherefore wée must not without doubt glory in our selues as if that which God giueth vs apperteined vnto vs But I say our glory shoulde be onely in this that it hath pleased God to adopt vs for his children and hath giuen vs his grace to walke in his feare and power also to abstaine from euill And héerin ought to be all our glory And besides if wée bée of no reputation in the worlde let vs beséeche him to graunt vs pacience and rather desire to liue in this estate then to bée exalted and yet to reioyce and bée glad but not as the worldlinges doe who make thēselues such sporte as that there is nothing that is able to holde them in And therefore the summe and effect wherein wée must glory is this to wyll and desire no more then God woulde haue vs to doe and set our selues against whatsoeuer hée misliketh of although the worlde and all such as commit tyranny and excéede in doeing wickedly reioyce in it Wherefore let vs gladly and willingly leaue all these glories desiring nothing els but to haue God to acknowledge and allow vs for his children And this is in effect the thing which wée haue héere to consider of Nowe for a full conclusion it is saide That when Pilate sawe he preuailed nothing and that the people made a greater stirre hee washed his handes and saide I am innocent of the blood of this man Wée haue already saide that our Lorde Iesus muste bée founde innocent euen by the Testimonie of the iudges owne mouth For where it is laide that Iesus Christe was condemned and suffered vnder Pontius Pilate it is not sufficient for vs that wée haue vnderstood the History But wée must eftsoones acknowledge that Iesus Christe was not onely innocent but was also the fountaine of all holinesse and perfection Why then was he condemned Iohn 1.29 1. Pet. 1.19 Galat. 3.13 it shoulde séeme that héere are two diuers and sundry thinges For it is saide that hée is the vnspotted Lambe of God And because hee was the Lambe of God it was méete that hee shoulde bée condemned as a Sacrifice This worde Lambe importeth that hée must bée offered vp And what is it that the law calleth Sacrifices Forsooth it is sinnes and curses And wée sée why it is said that our Lord Iesus was accursed for vs to wit he receiued vnto himselfe the curse which was due for our sinnes Thus wée sée in what qualitie and state hée was condemned because GOD had established that hée shoulde bee as it were the Lambe which shoulde be offered for a Sacrifice Howbeit it was méete hée shoulde bée knowne to be without spot and his puritie be openly séene to the ende wée might take holde of our sinnes vntyll the time
héereupon the Euangelist telleth That there was a vessel ful of vineger yea as before hath béene saide mingled with Gall and that one tooke a Réed or as Saint Iohn saith a long Isop braunch and tyed a spunge at the ende therof to put it to the mouth of our Lord Iesus Now Saint Iohn speaketh of this matter more distinctly For hée saith That Iesus Christe knowing that all thinges were ended saide that hée was dry and thereupon saide againe It is finished Wée sée then what is héere for vs to note when this drinke was giuen to the sonne of God to wit that hée desired not to drinke because hée was drye for hée refused it as wée haue heretofore séene And why did hée so Because forsooth this drink was giuen him to shorten his life Nowe our Lorde Iesus meaning was altogether paciently and quietly to waite vpon the leasure of God his Father Thus we sée what the cause was why he would not hasten his death but helde himselfe quiet and obedient vntyll such time as all was finished although hee had not as yet yéelded vp the Ghost nor was risen againe for the meaning was that he had shewed his full obedience hytherto so that there was no let why he might not nowe render vp his soule vnto God his Father Héere wée then see howe this place is to bée vnderstood which is this that our Lorde Iesus declared that there wanted nothing to the finishing of our redemption sauing his departure out of the worlde which hee was very ready to doe and to yéelde his soule vnto God Wherefore when hee sawe that he had discharged the office of the Mediatour and had doone whatsoeuer was requisite for the appeasing of the wrath of GOD for our sakes and satisfied for our sinnes he determined to call for this drinke And héere is a most notable and excellent saying All is finished For this is certaine that our Lord Iesus spake not of any trifling or ordinary thing but hée meant that in his death we haue all whatsoeuer that is to bée had for our cōming vnto God and the obteining of his grace Not that his resurrection is héereby taken away but it is as much as if he had said that he had faithfully done his dutie and came not like an halfe Sauiour but perfourmed the charge committed vnto him euen to the vttermost leauing nothing of his fathers wil vnfulfilled And since it is so we are taught to put our trust fully and wholy in our Lorde Iesus Christe because wee knowe that euery part and percell of our saluation is finished in that which hée hath done and suffered for vs. And héere wée sée also why his death is called an euerlasting Sacrifice by which the faithfull and chosen children of God are sanctified Will wée then be throughly assured that God is our father Would wée haue frée libertie to call vpon him Woulde wée haue peaceable and quiet consciences Woulde wée bée fully assured that wée are reputed for righteous that wée might be acceptable vnto God Let vs then abide in Christe Iesus and wander neither to nor fro and knowe that in him lieth all perfection They therfore which séeke after other helpes would be supplied this way that as if there might bée something wanting in the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ doe cléerely forsake the power whereof wée now speak To bée short they trample the blood of our Lorde Iesus Christ vnder foote because they dishonor him And therefore what other thing is there in all Popery but an vtter deniall of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christe For inasmuche as they thinke to doe good workes which they call merites by which they thinke to purchase the fauour of God surely they deny the saying of our Lorde Iesus Christe All is finished And this prooueth it to bée so for when they thinke to bée saued before God and would bee pardoned of their sinnes whether runne they but vnto their foolish deuotions For euery man will frame vnto himselfe some masking mawmetrie at his pleasure so that all the religions of Popery is so many blasphemies to make this saying of our Lord Iesus Christe of none effect All is finished What shall wée then doe Let vs vnderstande that there is not a droppe of vertue nor merite in vs without wée come vnto this fountaine wherein is all fulnesse And thus we sée that our faith must be setled in our Lord Iesus Christe Moreouer let vs chiefely vnderstand that when hée offered himselfe for a Sacrifice that it was for the pardoning of vs for euer and as the Scripture saith to sanctifie vs perpetually And therefore let vs looke for none other sacrifice but him In very déed this abhominable diuelishe Masse is called in Popery a dayly sacrifice they say Psal 110.4 Heb. 7. 21. that Iesus Christ was once for al offered for a Sacrifice for the obteining of the forgiuenes of our sins yet neuertheles that hée must bé dayly offered vp which is manifest blasphemie because they falsly take vpon them the office which was appointed to our Lorde Iesus Christe whenas hée was ordeined to bée the onely euerlasting Priest yea and God bound it with an othe that his Priesthood shoulde last for euer And therefore when mortal men will thrust in themselues to come before God offer vp Iesus Christe doe they not robbe him of the honor which hée reserued vnto himselfe alone and which may not bée giuen to any other creature Since then it is so wée sée that these miserable blinde soules thinking to make peace with God prouoke his wrath and vengeance denying the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christe And therefore ought wée so much the more magnifie the grace of God for that hée hath drawne vs out of such a bottomelesse depth that when we thought to haue come néere him wée set our selues openly against him For wee rob him of the benefite of his death and passion when wée seeke after any other Sacrifice then that which he offered in his owne person Nowe it is saide That he cryed againe with a loude voice and yeelded vp the Ghoste and this was it Into thy hands I commit my soule or my spirite And héerein wee see that our Lord Iesus so fought against the sorrowes of death as that he became afterwarde a Conquerer and tryumphed because he had ouercome the hardest matter of al. And this is the thing which belongeth to vs to wit we must apply it vnto our owne vse For wee are assured that the sonne of God did not onely fight for vs but also that the victory which hee obteined for vs apperteineth vnto vs and that we shoulde not at this day be afeard of death because wée knowe that the curse of God which was so terrible is abolished and that death in stéede that it might haue deadly wounded vs serueth vs now for a medicine to yéelde vs life Nowe as hée had
Shepheard and that vnder the bread and wine hée presenteth vnto vs his bodie and blood Héere then wée sée the whole perfection of our saluation when as wée are thus cleansed and that God accepteth vs as if wée were pure and righteous and are so acquited before him as giltlesse because our Lorde Iesus Christ hath made full satisfaction for vs. Thus we sée howe wée must profite by the Sacramentes by directing our whole fayth vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ and not to encline vnto creatures Wée sée also howe wée ought to be confirmed by the suffring of our Lorde Iesus Christ and let it be alwayes freshe in our mindes when as God sheweth vs euen to our faces of what valure the issuing out of blood water from the side of our Lorde Iesus Christ is And so this is in summe the thing which we are to consider of concerning the persing of the side of our Lorde Iesus Christ And besides when it is saide That the Scripture was accomplished let vs vnderstand that this was spoken long before this time that all was gouerned by the secrete Councell of God and although the Souldiers knew not what they did yet God effectually executed that which he had spoken aswell by Moses as by his Prophet Zachary Wée haue alreadie séene the testimony of Exodus and Saint Iohn hath also put too the saying of the Prophet Zachary whose words are these They shall see him whom they had perced In déede God vseth in that a similitude For Zach. 12.20 hée setteth him selfe against the contemners of his worde whose heartes were rebelliously and wickedly hardened Well saieth hée they thinke they make warre agaynst the Preachers of my word and that they may by this meane stop them Notwithstanding it is against mée they fight and whensoeuer they contemne and refuse my word after this maner it is as if they wounded me with the stabbe of a dagger and so shal they sée him whō they had persed But this was truely accomplished in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ for they persed him in his mortal body And thus we sée how he was manifested to be the liuing God who was in all ages spoken of by his Prophetes since we sée that whatsoeuer was spoken was accomplished in his person Now it is afterward said that when Ioseph had obteined of Pilate to take away the bodie of Iesus from the Crosse to bury him that he tooke a cleane linnen shéete and bought swéete ointments also which as S. Iohn saieth Iohn 19.39 cost a great summe of mony of Myrrhe and Aloes and buried him in a new Tombe which hée had newe made and heawen out of a rocke In this Sepulcher or Tombe our Lorde Iesus Christ first began to shew the issue of his death which was that hée shoulde verie spéedely glorifie himselfe in his resurrection and it was the will of God eftsoones to manifest it And here we sée an infallible testimony that amongest so many confusions which we read in this history that might trouble vs and as it were shake our Fayth we may perceiue that God had alwayes care of his onely Sonne as of the head of his Church and of his welbeloued not to the end onely that we should trust in him but that wée should also by litle litle looke vnto it that since we are the members of his bodie that the Fatherly care of God will stretch it self not onely vnto vs but also to euery one els which trust in him But by the way this question might be asked why our Lorde Iesus would be so sumptuously buried For it should séeme that it was a superfluous thing to vse the costlinesse of Aloes Myrrhe and such lyke And to say the trueth what profiteth this a dead man to be washed and annointed or to haue any other glorious shew And therfore a man would think that this agreed not with the doctrine of the Gospell where as it is saide that wée shall bée raysed vp agayne at the latter day by the wonderfull power of our God Wherefore it séemeth that all those pompes shoulde be naught set by and be cleane forgotten And héerevpon it might be thought that Ioseph his religion was but foolish which should darken the hope of the resurrection Howbeit wée haue héere to note that the Iewes vsed these kinde of Ceremonies vntill the time our Lord Iesus Christ had accomplished all whatsoeuer was requisite for our saluation And the buryall at those dayes were as the Sacrifices washinges and lightes of the Temple and such lyke And because they were rude people it was méete they should be handled like yong children In verie déed buryall was taken to be an holie thing all the world ouer and it was the wil of God that it should be engrauen in the heartes of the verie paganes because they might haue no excuse when as they would be so beastly as not to hope for a better lyfe Nowe the Paganes abused the same But be as be may it will be cast in their téethes at the latter day that they were ouer curious in the burying of the dead for there was not so barbarous a nation in the world which made not great account thereof And yet they knew not why they did so no more then they knew the meaning of their sacrifices howbeit this is enough to condemne them insomuch as they departed from the trueth of God and corrupted the testimony that was giuen them which should haue brought them to the beliefe of the heauenly lyfe But howeuer it is The Buriall of it selfe was alwayes as a myrror of the resurrection For they put the bodie into the grounde to be kept for a time For if there were no resurrection it were no matter if they had been cast out of the dores to haue bin eaten of Dogs or wilde beasts But they honourably buried them that they might not be pulde in péeces although they were sure they turned to dust In déede the Iewes obserued many Ceremonies And yet the Egyptians farre passed them But this their great sorrowing lamenting and tearing of their haire were all but bragges This then was the manner of the Egyptians whom the Deuill had bewitched because they peruerted all good order But the Buriall of the Iewes strengthened their beliefe of the resurrection And so according to that which I haue saide our Lorde Iesus would be buried after the auncient fashion because hée had not as yet by his resurrection fully accomplished our saluation This is true that at his death the vayle of the Temple rent in sunder wherein God shewed that that was the ende and perfection of all thinges̄ and that the figures and shadowes of the lawe should last no longer Howbeit the world sée not this neither was any man able to conceiue that all the figures of the lawe were ended in Iesus Christ And therefore his will was to be buried And thus much for this point Let vs now also vnderstand
goeth on with the matter we are to ayme coÌ„tinually at this marke that where the faythlesse are abashed wheÌ„ as they sée how God the father hath after this sort afflicted tormented his sonne Iesus Christ do take occasioÌ„ of offence to estrange themselues far from him we ought so much the rather to be stirred vp to séeke after him to be farther in loue with him since he spared not himself to take vpon him our whole burthen that we might be eased therof And therfore when as wée sée that our Lord Iesus Christ hath made such an â—xchange for vs and taken vpon him to paye all our debtes to the ende to discharge vs and woulde bée condemned in our behalfes and in our person that wée thereby might be pardoned sée what a merueilous occasion hée hath offred vs to drawe néere vnto him yea to be altogether earnestly in loue with him because in him resteth all our quietnesse Nowe it is saide That he was afflicted by the hande of God but it was for our transgressioÌ„s For if we looke into the iudgement of God the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ shal be to vs as an vnprofitable thing neither shal we receiue any fruite or benefit thereby For the principal point is that we might be at an attonement with God who is our enemy vntil such time as our offences are buried because that he who is the fountain of righteousnes cannot abide to loue iniquitie And therefore so long as he imputeth vnto vs our sins seeth what we are he must néeds be our iudge But when as Iesus Christ coÌ„meth betwéene vs him speaketh for vs we are then acceptable in the sight of God because he hath made satisfaction for all our iniquities For the coÌ„demnation which our Lord Iesus Christ suffred cannot be vaine Now hée in very déed had committed no fault neither was he guiltie in any thing And therefore he was coÌ„demned that we might be pardoned 1. Pet. 1.19 for the which cause he is called the immaculate Lambe which sheweth that hée beare our burthen And for this cause also is it said that his blood is our washing For we are abhominable filthy foule vntil such time as the blood of our lord Iesus Christ cleanseth vs. Wherfore it is not for naught that the Prophet bringeth vs back to the consideration of Gods iudgement saying That Iesus Christ was afflicted that hée might beare our coÌ„demnation To be short so often as we think for what cause it is that the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christ hath done vs good let euery of vs put himself ouer vnto the iudgement seat of God and there we shall finde that we are worthie of death Now what is the rigour of Gods iudgemeÌ„t how horrible is his vengeance Surely it is euen to swallow vs vp to cast vs all down headlong into the bottomles pit of hell Howbeit because God spared not our Lord Iesus Christ but laide the rigour of his iudgement on him that hée became our pledge we may nowe be assured that God will no longer pursue vs nor call vs to any further reckoning neither yet punish vs according to our deserts and offences And why so Forsooth because Iesus Christ hath clearely discharged vs of them all Now this is true that God was neuer otherwise affected towardes his onely Sonne then as hée had pronounced when as hée saide Mat. 3.17 17.5 Ephe. 1.6 This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him God then had long before saide that Iesus Christ contented him verie well and that in him was his whole delight And in déede as S. Paule to the Ephesians saith it were impossible for vs to be acceptable before the lord God in the name of his onely sonne without in the first place hée were the best beloued and in the highest degrée Notwithstanding this was no let to our discharge because God had laide his rigour vpon our Lorde Iesus Christ For although hée loued him yet would hée afflict him for our offences For hée had no regarde to the righteousnes sinceritie and perfection that was in him But rather tooke him as one that beare the person of all sinners vpon him Thus we sée howe Iesus Christ was charged with all our sins iniquities not that hée was any way guiltie of theÌ„ but would haue theÌ„ all to be imputed vnto him and take the reckoning vpon him and the payment Wée sée then howe the wordes of the Prophet are to be vnderstood when hée saieth that Iesus Christ was not crucified onely by the handes of men but that hée also stood foorth before the iudgement seate of God answered for vs and submitted him selfe to beare the burthen which wée were worthie to haue borne Marke also why hée sayeth 1. Pet. 2. 24. That hee beare all our sinnes and transgressions for so are also the wordes of Saint Peter who naming the Crosse meant to signifie Deu. 21.23 that that kinde of death which the sonne of God suffred was a visible and open testimony that our iniquities were layde vpon him because it was saide in the lawe cursed be hée that hangeth on trée Iesus Christ was hanged thereon to the ende wée might vnderstande and knowe Gala. 3.13 that hée was as one accursed in our behalfe according to the saying of Saint Paule to the Galathians For hée there telleth vs that therin wée are to consider of the wonderfull goodnesse of God and of the infinite loue of our Lord Iesus Christ to vs warde when as hée was not onely contented to dye for vs but suffred also a most cursed death to the ende wée might be blessed of God And although our sinnes and iniquities haue terrefied vs for it could not be chosen but that wée must be afeard of the iudgement of God when as we heare the thinges that are héere set downe to wit that wée are abhominable by reason of our thus offending our good God and that our conscience so telleth vs yet let vs be assured that hée will forgiue vs our sinnes receiue vs as his best beloued children yea euen as iust righteous people because our curse was abolished by this Gallow trée wheron our Lorde Iesus Christ was hanged Loe héere the meaning of the Prophetes spéech for the more liuely setting foorth of the matter Nowe hée eftsoones setteth downe That hee was afflicted because the correction or chastisement of our peace was laide vpon him hée set downe no straunge thing but declared him selfe more familiarly that hée might shewe howe the thing was to bée vnderstood and taken which was that our Lorde Iesus Christ was beaten and smitten by the hande of God to the ende wée might bée discharged And therfore hée beare the correctioÌ„ of peace which was due to vs. In déede some men vnderstand it that it was méete that our Lorde Iesus Christ should be thus punished for our sakes
because wée were stubborne that none of vs thought once to humble our selues before God but were altogether blinded in our offēces Howbeit we sée that this is the naturall meaning of the Prophet that for the obtaining of peace at the handes of God it must néedes be that we were to be reconciled by an other meane I haue alredie said that God being the iudge of the world could not choose but of verie right hate and detest vs for as shall be soone after declared what haue we brought out from the wombe of the sea and what treasure haue wée gathered together all our life long Surely wée doe nothing els but prouoke the wrath of God as if wée had made a league with Satan continually to encrease more and more his fury Sée nowe in what sorte wée haue deserued to bée hated and reiected at the handes of God Beholde how his wrath is kindled against vs and it is impossible but that hée must néedes be our enemy because wée fight against him and with might and mayne make suche warres as that we vyolate and breake all order of iustice And therefore I say must God in this respect ryse vp in iudgement agaynst vs because wée knowe it to bée his verie office to maintaine and defende equitie and right Wherfore since it is so that he seeth vs to be ful of iniquitie and corruption and altogether rebellious it is meete hée shoulde stretch foorth his arme and shewe that because we are his enemyes hée will render vs the lyke And therefore wée had néede to haue peace and our consciences will alwayes witnesse agaynst vs and although wée goe about carelesly to sleape in our flatteryes yet will GOD so pricke and spurre vs and make vs féele in despight of our téeth that wee are altogether malicious and vnthankfull Wherefore it is impossible that GOD shoulde bée mercifull vnto vs and wée to bée assured to finde fauoure with him vntill such tyme as wée féele his correction Not that GOD is desirous of reuenge as men are For a man when he is in an heate woulde haue the fault that is committed to bee amended and some redresse and punishment to be made and had that hee might be reuenged Howbeit there are no suche passions in God But how euer the case standeth God will haue his iustice and iudgement to be knowne and feared to the ende wée might the rather bée afearde of our sinnes and learne to abhorre and detest them For if GOD woulde haue forgiuen vs except Iesus Christ had made intercession and pawned him selfe for vs wée woulde haue made no account of the matter and euerie of vs woulde haue smoothed him selfe and woulde haue taken also a greater occasion of lycense to sinne But when we sée that God hath not spared so rigorously and extreamely to handle his onely Sonne as that hée did not onely cause him to suffer the most gréeuous torments in body that might bée but also so extremely afflicted his soule as that hée made him to crye out and say My God My God why haste thou forsaken mée Mat. 27.46 When wée sée all these thinges I say it is impossible except our heartes bée harder then flynt stones but that wée must bée gréeued and conceiue suche a feare as that it must vtterly confounde vs and neyther will nor choose but detest our sinnes and iniquities since they so prouoke the heauy wrath of God against vs. Thus wée sée why it was requisite that our whole correction of peace shoulde bée layde vpon Iesus Christ to the ende wée might finde fauour before God his Father that is to say that we might be at such a league with him as that we might at this day be bold and frée to call vpon God as our Father although of very right hée is our enemy and hateth vs as wée are in our owne nature Wée sée then at this present what the Prophet his meanyng is when hée sayeth that our Lorde Iesus Christ was afflicted by the hande of God disfigured and forsaken of all men and that no man once vouchsafed to looke vpon him by reason of his merueylous deformitie Howbeit hée sayeth that it was because God had kindled his wrath against vs and was armed and bent to cōfounde and throwe vs downe headlong into the pit of hell vntill such time as that attonement was made And which way came it to passe Forsooth God of his méere mercy and goodnesse fréely forgiueth vs our sinnes howbeit the price of our redemption was in the person of his onely Sonne Now we haue héere to note that by reason of the condemnation of our Lord Iesus Christ we are pardoned and al our sinnes buried shal neuer again rise vp against vs before the maiesty of God whē we speak of the forgiuenes of our sins it is not spokē as though God had so discharged vs as if we had throughly cōtented payde him but we are acquited by his méere liberality And although we are guilty before him yet forgetteth he al receiueth vs to mercie Mat. 7.19 because as the prophet saith he casteth our sins into the bottome of the sea but by the way we haue also here to note that this was no frée forgiuenes vnto the persō of our lord Iesus Christ for it cost him the setting on as we say Now if we cōsider what a grieuous cruel slanderous death this was which he abode besides what anguishes his soule endured whē he was called before the iudgemēt seat of God his father to abide our condēnation if we cōsider wel of all this geare I say we shal find that our Lord Iesus Christ hath made a woonderful paymēt for the discharging of our sins Loe here howe we at this day are fréed of thē And héerof we are throughly to cōsider for the diuel hath cōtinually gone about to darkē this doctrine because it is the chiefest article of our faith In the beginning of the world God would haue sacrifices offred vnto him for the forgiuenesse of sinnes And why was that Forsooth it was to this ende and purpose that men should not trust vnto him but by the meane of a sacrifice and the shedding of blood And therefore they all protested in their sacrifices that they were not able to come néere vnto god except they had béen redéemed by the purging of their sinnes iniquities which was to be done by our Lord Iesus Christ And yet by the way neither Iew nor Gentile but trusted to their own merits thought themselues able to make satisfaction vnto God by thē Here then we sée that the diuel euē at the time wtdrew miserable sinners frō our lord Iesus Christ frō the payment which he had made by his death passiō And yet now sée in what case the papists are For they wil cōfesse that wee haue full remission of our sinnes by the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ yea but that is as they
corrupt wil hunt after euill in stéede of good vntil such time as our Lord Iesus Christ hath corrected reformed vs put into vs a right affection to obey him And this is it which the Prophet meaneth to declare Now let vs conclude that all such as tosse to fro doe depart frō our Lord Iesus For the Prophet saith That all the Patriarkes Prophets euery one of the holy Fathers and Martyrs haue néeded to be reconciled vnto God through the death and Passion of our Lord Iesus Christ For if Abraham the father of the faithful If Dauid the mirrour of al righteousnesse and if others such like as Iob Daniell who are called as it were the myrrours of all holinesse and perfection If these I say were poore strayed and lost shéepe vntill such time as they were recōciled by our Lord Iesus Christe Alas what shall become of vs And therefore when we shall séeke after our Mediators and thinke by their meanes to escape the destruction wherein wée are do wée not shew our selues too too vnthankefull vnto our Lord Iesus Christ And are not wée in the meane while too too voyde of sense and reason to craue any thing at their handes who also haue néede to runne for help to the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ For if necessitie inforceth vs to séeke for remedie we must goe vnto him vnto whom all the faithfull in euery age had recourse For neither Saint Peter nor yet Saint Paul ne the virgin Mary nor any whatsoeuer that are exempt frō it And therefore let vs learne to goe to the spring head and fountaine and drawe cut of that which is wanting vnto vs. For our Lorde Iesus hath wherewith to satisfie vs all and wée must not feare that the fulnesse of his grace can any way bée drawne dry but bée assured that he will giue to euery one his parte and portion thereof which will come to séeke for it Wherefore let vs come vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe and he will satisfie vs all But whosoeuer declineth from him either one way or other suche a one cannot bée holpen with that remedie which is offered vnto him but refuseth it asmuche as in him lyeth so that his vnthankfulnesse is a let for the inioying of the grace that is presented vnto him And so much the more shall wée bée inexcusable since this is dayly preached vnto vs. For God was not contented to haue sent his Sonne for a time to thrust him out to bée slaine and to beat him in his wrath although hée loued him as his onely sonne for notwithstanding he woulde cast him downe to the outward shew and vsed all the rigour that was possible against him yet was hée alwayes his best beloued sonne as alredy hath béene said howbeit all was to the end that we might bée pardoned yet was hée not I say contented with this but dayly deliuereth vnto vs this treasure to the end wée might inioy it hée declareth vnto vs that Iesus Christe who was thrust into the side hath at this day his hart as it were wyde open that wée might bée assured of the loue hee beareth vs and that as his armes were tyed fast to the crosse euen so hath he now stretched them out to imbrase vs and pull vs vnto him and woulde haue all these thinges to doe vs good and as hée hath shed his blood so would hée that wée should at this day bée plunged therein Wherefore when God so neatly inuiteth vs and that Iesus Christ also séeth before vs the benefite of his death and passion and telleth vs that his blood is alwayes freshe according to the saying of the Apostle to the Hebrewes that it is not like dry blood which becōmeth nothing Heb. 10 2◠but because it is sanctified by his heauenly power therefore this blood is continually fresh for the Apostle hath vsed this spéeche that wee might vnderstand that his power is not lessened but hath continually his full and whole strength such as it had from the beginning to the end wée myght all come and submit our selues vnto our Lord Iesus Christe And after wée haue confessed our sinnes and be ashamed of them let vs not doubt but that he is sufficient to giue vs such remedy as that we may conclude that God hath receiued and allowed vs as his own children and accounteth vs as righteous and perfect where before wée were abhominable in his sight Thus wée sée what we haue to learne out of this doctrine And because we sée that at this day some iest and mock and other some waxe proude presumptuous and thinke by their righteousnesse to satisfie God let vs deny all such blasphemies and in true faith and repentance séeke for our Lorde Iesus Christe and with all our affections submit our selues to him whenas we shall féele our selues thus charged with so insupportable a burden Let vs nowe fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God acknowledge our offences beséeching him to cause vs so to féele them as that wée may grone for them all our life longe and be moued to haue recourse vnto him and not to wander and roile in our foolish wicked and diuelish opinions But in vnderstanding that al our blessednesse and whatsoeuer els belongeth to our saluation is in our Lord Iesus Christ that it would please this our good God to make vs come wholy vnto him and so kéepe our faith as that we neuer be turned away from it And that it would please him also by his holy spirite so to worke in our heartes that we knowing our selues to bee fréely forgiuen of our sinnes might also acknowledge what a great pryce it cost and howe deare and precious it was vnto his onely Sonne that thereby wée might bée so much the more styrred vp to magnifie him And forasmuche as wee must bee healed by him that it woulde please him to cleanse vs dayly of all our faultes and sinnes vntyll such time as hee hath brought vs vnto that perfection wherunto wee ought to growe al our life long that it would please him not onely to shew vs this fauour but also vnto all people and nations of the earth c. The fourth Sermon of the Prophesie of Christe Isaiah liii 7 HEE was oppressed and afflicted yet did hee not open his mouth hee is brought as a sheepe to the slaughter and as sheepe before her sherer is dumbe so he openeth not his mouth 8 Hee was taken out from pryson and from iudgement and who shal declare his age for he was cut frō out of the land of the liuing for the transgression of my people was hee plagued WHen the Prophet had shewed that euery of vs was to looke into himselfe and vnto his owne sins if we woulde receiue any benefite by the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christe hée now saith that he suffered not cōstrainedly but willingly for if he had not done so we should neuer haue
were notwithstanding infected with verie gréeuous sinnes And therefore let men presume as much as they lust and think howe they will to liue vertuously yet when they haue done all they can and set downe many lawes and rules for their gouernment they shall neuer be able to be iustified before God by that meane And why so Forsooth because sinne hath taken suche déepe roote in vs as that it cannot bee pulde out of vs by mans helpe To bee shorte wee shall neuer bee iustified by goyng to Schoole with men although they teache neuer so muche what vertue is And that which is more Beholde God publisheth the lawe wherein is true and perfect righteousnesse for marke what Moyses sayeth Beholde sayeth hee I pronounce at this day both good and euill I shewe vnto thee the way both of life and death But by the way can wee bee iustified by it Can it so order vs as that God will take our life to bee good and holie 2. Cor. 3.7 Rom. 4.15 No surely it is all cleane contrarie For the lawe engendreth death redoubleth our condemnation and kindleth the wrath of God against vs. Thus wee see what tytles the holie Scripture giueth vnto it And therefore since the lawe of it selfe cannot iustifie vs how then is it possible for men by their doctrine statutes and ordinaunces make vs to be truely righteous Nowe if it be asked howe and wherefore the lawe is not able to iustifie the reason is alredie set downe It is true in deed that God declareth vnto vs in his lawe howe wee ought and may attayne vnto lyfe if so bee wee were suche as that there were no let in vs. Wherefore although the lawe of God speaketh vnto vs yet it refourmeth not our heartes For when God telleth vs and sayeth Beholde what it is that I require at your handes But if in the meane while all our desires affections thoughts bee altogether against that which hee commaundeth wée are not onely condemned But the lawe also as I haue alredie saide maketh vs so muche the more guiltie before the Maiestie of God For before the lawe was giuen wée sinned through ignoraunce but nowe wee so wittingly and willingly stande against him as that it séemeth we woulde euen despight him For we know that the seruant which knoweth his Maisters will and doeth it not shall be beaten with many strypes Thus we see why it â—e said that the lawe engendreth nothing els but wrath to wit that when wée haue béen instructed in it it kindleth God his wrath so muche the more against vs and bringeth with it death but howe Because forsooth we sée in it that we are condemned and vtterly cast away What is it so that it announceth not life no and yet by the way we cannot attaine theretoo And therefore we must be iustified after an other maner which is by the Gospell For God saieth not vnto vs in the Gospell Beholde yée shall doe this or that But hée saieth Beléeue that my onely Sonne is your Redeemer embraâ—e his death and passion as a remedie for all your diseases wash your selues in his blood and he shall purge you and ye shall bee made cleane therewith staye your selues vpon the sacrifice whiche hee hath offred vp vnto mee and then see in what sort you shal bee iustified Wherefore forsomuch as the Gospell bringeth vs back vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ and commaundeth vs to seeke for all our righteousnesse in him because he hath made full satisfaction for vs through the free mercy of God see howe we shall be iustified by his knowledge Rom. 10. And this is it which Saint Paule handleth in his Epistle to the Romanes For there hee maketh a comparison betweene the righteousnesse of the lawe and the righteousnesse of Fayth For he sayth that there is this righteousnesse in the lawe when as it sayeth Whosoeuer shall doe all these thinges shal liue by them For this is most true that if wee be able to fulfill all the commaundementes of God so that our life be in such sort ruled as that it is without spot or wrinckle God hath promised to receyue vs as righteous that wee shall be verie sure of our rewarde and not misse of it Marke then the certayntie that is in the lawe but tel mée who it is that doeth al that the law commandeth Surely we goe altogether backward and a man would thinks as I haue beforesaid that wée would go about euen to set our selues against God Thus we sée that the gate of the righteousnesse of the law is quite shut vp against vs and that there remayneth nothing els for vs but the very curse of God But in the Gospel it is saide behold the woorde is in thine heart and in thy mouth But how forsooth after thiâ— sort S. Paule speaketh of it and saith Rom. 10. â— That if wée will haue the word in our heartes and mouthes wée must come vnto Iesus Christe because it is hée which wryteth and imprinteth the doctrine of saluation by his holy spirite with which doctrine wée haue had our eares beaten vnprofitably and in vayne And therefore since our Lorde Iesus Christ putteth his word in our heartes let â—â— beséech him to graunt vs this grace as that we may haue a pure and frée affection to the end we might séeke in him whatsoeuer is wanting in vs. Thus wée sée howe wée shall bée iustified by his knowledge for it is out of al doubte that wée are no way able to bring any satisfaction of our owne with vs which may please God and to make this accompt as to say wée haue deserued O Lord that thou shouldest receiue vs but we should rather say we confesse O Lorde that wee are miserable sinners bound ouer so thy iudgement and it is impossible for vs to make satisfaction therto so that wée must néeds acknowledge that there is no sufficieÌ„cie in any but in Iesus Christ alone to make satisfaction for the same Wherfore we should most humbly coÌ„fesse this say that we are forlorne damned creatures vntil such time as our Lorde Iesus reacheth out his hand to pâ—â— vs out of the pit of hell Now here we confessed all this to be so And besides wee knowe that our Lorde Iesus also supplyeth all our wantes For if wée â—ée foule and filthie his blood washeth vs wherewith wee 〈◊〉 â—â—eane If wee bee fallen in debte not onelye vnto GOD â—ut also vnto Satan as too our enemie Ephe. 5.1 the payment was made â— the death and passion of the Sonne of GOD And if wée bée defyled and not to bée abidden the Sacrifice which our Lorde Iesus Christe offered is suche a sweete smelling sauour as that all our wickednesse is defaced Thus then we sée how we are iustified by the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ And according to this doctrine wée sée in the first place that we must not séeke far for our righteousnes because we shal find it in
are to consider of that which hath bene before spoken to wit that the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ is not effectuall to all men because it is a speciall grace whiche God bestoweth vpon his chosen whenas hee toucheth them by his holy spirit and although they fal yet lifteth he them vp agayne yea though they stray lyke wandring shéepe yet gathereth he them together agayne and giueth them his hand to bring them to the fould For wee sée how Iudas was cleane rased out from amongst the number of Gods Children and therfore it was méete his condemnation should bee séene and layde wide open before the face of the whole worlde And so let vs learne as we haue already said altogether to acknowledge the inestimable goodnesse of our God For as he hath declared his loue vnto mankynde when hee spared not his onely begotten sonne but put him to death for sinners Euen so declareth he vnto vs the especall loue he beareth vs whenas he toucheth vs with the acknowledging of our sinnes by his holy spirit and causeth vs to grone that wee might bee brought vnto him by true repentaunce Wherefore the entraunce whiche wee haue to come vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe commeth not from our selues but because that God gouerneth vs pleaseth to shew his choice Now these circumstaunces are greatly to be noted wee sée that Iudas who was one of our Lorde Iesus Christ his Disciples wrought myracles in his name and yet what became of him let vs learne carefully to feare and walke and submit our selues wholye vnto our God beséeche him not to suffer vs so shamefully to fall as dyd this miserable man And agayne let vs also beséech him that if we shal fal at any time into the like to lift vs vp by his power that we may returne vnto him not with such repentaunce as Iudas dyd but with a true and right confession For the wicked as it is said by the prophets Ieremiah and Ezechiel will laugh God to skorne as much as is possible because they take pleasure glory in their sinns and in the end become lyke shameles whores But yet God at the last maketh them to féele their sinnes and so terrifieth them as that they chafe and cry out alas neuerthelesse they doe not thus of any hope they haue neither doe they present them selues before God But are rather pushed forward with a fury and flye from him as farre they can and woulde bee glad to pluck him out of his thorne by the eares For there is no speaking to thē because they are angry and rebelliously whet their téeth against him Howbeit we must be brought to another kinde of repentaunce whiche is we must not become like wilde and sauage beastes séeing we cannot escape the hande and heauy iudgement of God but let vs confesse our sinne and abhorre it and stil draw néere vnto God with out enforcement and worship him willingly confesse the we are worthy of destruction but yet let vs be assured that although we are guilty of an hundred thousand deathes that hee will alwayes haue compassion on vs for we sée how Peter repented But the repentaunce of Iudas ought to shewe vs that it is not enough that we féele our sinnes bt we must be fully brought home vnto God And this is a very notable thing to consider because we sée that a great number and almost all men doo flatter themselues for they thinke that if they haue in worde acknowledged their offences be they neuer so haynous that they are cleane discharged of them as if their mouthes were fully cleansed Agayne if a man be earnest with them they think they are offered great wronge What saye they haue I not confessed my falts and haue I not repented me And this is al the reckoning that they make of it as if God were a yong child who would be appeased with a smiling dissembling coūtenance ful of leasing hipocrysy Howbeit this is our cōmon māner for we would appease god we know not how euē as it is said with such a repentance as Iudas repēted Wherfore let vs feare and tremble when God giueth vs warning causeth vs to féele our sins not stay altogether vpon it for that is no true repentance but this is the true triall by which we must know whether we be true penitent sinners or not which is whenas we of our owne accord séeke to be at peace with God forsake not his iudgmēt yea seing he receiueth vs to mercy Which he wil do whenas we shal condem our selues for whsoeuer shal be his own iudge condēne himself before God before Angels men the man I say shall bée iustified pardoned because hee desyreth none other thing but to haue God mercyfull vnto him This then is the summe and effect of that which we are héere to obserue Now Iudas must néedes make this confession because the priests might be so much the more without excuse The Euangelist likewise maketh this recital that we might the better behold how Satan had blinded al these reprobates and that euery of vs might looke narowly into himselfe And when God setteth before vs such exampels of his yre vengeance and to be short that we like men betwitched and voyd of sence reason become so beastly as to throw our selues headlonge into an hellishe furie This is to make euerye of vs to stoupe and to cause vs know that wee may oftentimes fall into the same were if not that our God preserueth vs by his grace and goodnesse But by the way let vs beware that we fight not agaynst our own consciences as the priestes did for as many as so harden themselues against God shal in the end fall into such a reprobate sence as that they shall be cleane without all reason for after they haue once so excéeded against GOD they will also bee past all shame before men For it is good reason that the whole worlde should sée their beastlinesse and that there shamlesnes should be so knowne as that euery man might abhorre their villanie Héere then wee sée why the Euangelist maketh this recitall that when Iudas came to restore the siluer the priestes were no whit moued therewith Indéede they sayde it was not lawfull to put it into the treasury because it was the price of blood And héere also we may sée that hypocrits will alwaies be sure to haue some fine shifttes or other to shadow and couer their iniquities but it is all to mock God For they neuer come perfectly and soundly vnto him For what is this to say ho surely we wyll neuer put this siluer amongst the holye offerings because it is the price of blood Now I pray you tel mée from whence came this siluer truly we know this that the priests liued vpon the offerings of the temple as at this day they whiche in popery are called prelats and churchmen glottonously consume the