things which in his word he hath promised vs For he geueth vs the holy ghost who giueth vs faith confirmeth vs with his word that we may depēd vpō him cōstantly cleaue to him as to a most strong rock so in all aduersities calamities stande stedfast vnmoueable against the assaults iniuries of our enemies so the at the last we may ouercome them vanquish them with the Psalmist reioyce say the lord our God is my strength And with Paul to the Phil. I am able to do al things through the helpe of Christ which strengthneth me The fourth name is Gibbor that is the lord or giant In the former names we are taught what maner and meane Christ vseth and how he handeleth vs when he wil bring vs to his kingdome First of all he handleth vs straightly mortifieth our olde Adam which seemeth vnpleasant to the flesh worketh al things so by contrarieties that our reason is confounded and knoweth not how to vnwynd it selfe Secondly he comforteth vs by his gospel Thirdly he is present with vs in all his might and strength deliuereth vs out of al extremities and perill But this 4. name telleth vs how Christ vseth and handleth his and our enemies Christ is called in the scriptures Gibbor that is lord or giant for his inuincible might and power For seyng he is king and will gouerne his kingdome peaceably he must nedes suppresse and vanquish the enemies of his kingdome that christians may liue safely without feare and hurt but he cannot beat down and breake the force of his enemies without great power seyng Satan with the world and sinne with death are most horrible vgly strong and outrageous enemies Death is stronger then the whole world And Satan as Iob witnesseth is of such might strength that al men in the world are not to be compared to him He is the prince of all the children of pride and disdaine And he is that strong mā armed that kepeth his palace so that all that he possesseth is in peace But Christ is much stronger who ouercommeth the euil spirite and deliuereth vs from all power of darknes wherof Dauid saith He reioiceth like a mighty man or giant to run his course Christ hath ouercome death the deuil now alone the lord of all things is with great triumph rightly honored by these titles He is lord to whō euery knee doth bow and lord ouer the quicke and the dead And Iohn saith Christ the sonne of God appeared that he might loose the workes of the deuil And Paul to the Col. saith He hath spoiled the principalities power hath made a shew of thē openly and hath triumphed ouer thē in the same crosse He is called in Esay Maher schalal that is make hast to pray As if one should say a quicke spoiler Hashbaz that is make hast to spoile or a spedy spoil We were the miserable seruants of the deuill sold vnder sinne and he held vs vnder his tiranny molested vs at his pleasure will. Thē came the mighty giant our lord Christ a lion of the tribe of Iuda fought with that prince of darknes which had rule ouer death got the victory and by his death destroyed the power of the enemy set vs being deliuered out of his tiranny at liberty according to that of Iohn If the sonne shall make you free you shal be free in deed The 5. name is Abiad that is a father for euer or always and euermore a father world without end By this name we feele and perceiue the mercy clemency pity grace of this child toward vs Because he will not be such a king amongst vs his poore people as at whose maiesty the godly shold be amased feare quake trēble but he loueth vs fatherly he embraceth vs louingly he wil norish defēd cherish vs singularly And as a godly louing father is by the instinct of nature wel affected to his welbeloued son as he is careful ouer his child alwais thinking how to prouide for him honestly how to bring him vp vertuously how to instruct frame tech chastē gouern rule defēd him fatherly make him apt fit for his heritage So doth Christ in his kingdom with vs Here is nothing but natural loue fatherly affectiō toward vs nothing but a vehement loue nothing but a care and desire to do vs good nothing but infinite beneuolence towards vs. But in this simile there is great difference betwene a worldly father Christ our father For we haue much greater better and fatherly gifts of Christ thē any beloued sonne hath of his earthly father though he be a most louyng intreater of his children The earthly father which is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in deede loueth his children careth for them fostereth them cherisheth them fedeth them and bringeth them wel vp yet this care regard good will and diligence of earthly parents is temporal and cannot continue abide for euer And it happeneth oftentimes that when the children stande most need of their parents helpe or counsaile then are theyr fathers constrained to leaue them and dye But Christ is always our perpetual euerlasting eternal father for he suffred once for vs his childrē now he suffreth no more And he neither can nor wil leaue vs without helpe he both can wil maintaine feed care for kepe and defend vs here for euer God prepareth vs here for his own inheritance that after this temporall lyfe we may liue with him for euer And hereunto accordeth very well the translation of the 70. interpreters who cal this word Abiad father of the world to come or of the lyfe that shall be to the ende they may thereby signify the mystical resurrection into lyfe euerlasting of all that beleue in Christ At which tyme shal be plainly opened and reueled in what honor and dignity the godly shal be and how derely Christ hath loued them how he hath embraced them and what care he had ouer thē Let therfore euery godly mā kepe this title of Christ in his mynd whē death approcheth he shal find therby a singuler comfort For then he knoweth that Christ is not only here but shal be for euer a most louing father Which thing Paule knew very well and was thereof throughly persuaded yea he had so grounded it in hys hart that euē in death he was of good courage saying Christ is to me life and death is to me aduauntage I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ Why then do we not desire to be dissolued why then are we not desirous to die how happeneth it that we feare death truly because we do not firmly and constantly beleue the scriptures because our faith is weake little And because we let not this heauenly and deuine comfort of Gods
glad of the bride so shall thy God reioyce ouer thee Here the prophet sayth a great part of men regard neither God nor Christ and yet shall the elect seeke for the spirituall and true Sion and waight for Christ their onely Sauiour But seing the Church lyeth open to Sathans persecutions and of him is afflicted and wasted it hath great neede to be comforted Therefore he sayth I will not keepe silence but I will teach Christ cōtinually vntill he come For Christ as Paule witnesseth is the onely righteousnes of Sion or of the spirituall Hierusalem And he is the onely saluation of the Church as the Euangelists and Apostls teach in euery place Esay therfore teacheth of none but Christ Iesus whome God sent vs to be our Sauiour that both Iewes and Gentiles might enioy and be partakers of this his benefite as it hath ben fulfilled in all places euer since thapostles tyme And this new name here spokē of is nothing els but that Gos people is now called the Church of the sonne of God and the true and heauenly Hierusalem which is the mother of all the elected saintes And heare behold how precious and deare a darling the Church is to God our good and faithfull father For the prophet calleth it a crowne of glory the worlde counted the godly as vngodly as fooles as doultes as outcasts and as of scouringes of all thinges euery man did scoffe mocke scorne and iniury thē at their pleasure But the Church hath here an other manner of name for it is called a beloued precious glorious crowne my delight is in her and a people that hath a god that will not forget them These be most cōfortable promises when we be vnder the crosse But they must be stedfastly beleued or els they little auailed For it is most certaine although in this world we be contemned and afflicted that God yet loueth vs so derely and wel that al the creatures of the world are compelled to serue helpe vs euen then when the world supposeth they must torment vs Yea the Angels in heauen care for cherish and defend vs and God himselfe beareth vs in his armes as doth the louing Father his onely beloued childe But now consider this great worke of the loue of God I meane the passion of Christ and that God became man for vs All these thinges he did for the Church to the end that hauing deliuered them by this meanes from all euills he might bring them to health lyfe euerlasting How could he declare and shew a more fatherly loue and good will to his Church thē he hath done in deliuering his onely begotten sonne vp vnto death for it that he might deliuer it when as yet it was his enemy Though this infirmitie sore temptation and cros of ours in this world appeare outwardly horrible and detestable yet in deede thy are nothing els but a Fatherly rod wherewith he correcteth amendeth and reformeth his derely beloued children As for the glory which in the day of redemption shall be reuealed vnto vs I wil now say nothing of it but thē it shal appeare how dearely God loueth his church And then shall it be seene that this temporall trouble which we Christians haue heare is a certaine signe of Gods great good will and true fatherly loue towardes vs Esay his wordes seeme to sound as though he spak of that earthly Ierusalem in the land of Canaā And the prophet beholding the Church with spirituall eyes is cōpelled to speake as if he spake of these earthly thinges because they were figures of the true and heauēly Ierusalem and land of righteousnes As Peter and Paul doe sufficiently witnesse prescribing vs a sure rule how to vnderstād the prophets aright when they speake of Christ and his kingdome the church Note also that Esay calleth the church such a crowne as is in the hand of the Lord or which is caried in the Lordes hand Whiche is as much to say as the Church is a spirituall kingdome which God himselfe doth gouerne and rule It is also a crowne of glory or a glorious crowne in the hand of the Lord because it doth not appeare glorious in the eyes of the world And wheras the prophet taketh his similitude of a mariage and of fayth geuen betwene man wife that is very comfortable For hereby we learne how dearely tenderly and inwardly God loueth vs what infinite treasures we shall receaue of him For we know that the bridgrome makes his bride partaker of all he hath It followeth I haue set watch men vpon thy walles O Ierusalem which all the day and all the night continually shall not cease Ye that are mindful of the Lord keep ye silēce geue him no rest till he repare and set vp Hierusalem the prayse of the world The watchmen are the faythfull preachers of Gods word which watch and take paines in the Church in prayer doctrine least Sathan that deadly enemy by his false prophets should deceaue ouercome thē And these prechers alwayes preach true repentaunce and the grace of God in Christ and they diligently by their exhortations and sermons teach vs the knowledge of god and our selues and to geue God thankes for all his vnspeakeable benefits It followeth The Lord hath sworne by his right hand and by his strong arme surely I will no more geue thy corne to be meate to thine enemies and surely the sonnes of the strangers shall not drinke thy wine for the which thou hast labored But they that haue gathered it shall eate it and prayse the Lord and the gatherers therof shal drinke it in the courtes of my sanctuary This is spoken and ment of the spirituall corne and wine And this is the meaning therof It cannot be but the worde which these preachers teach should take place after it shall follow and rise the fruite of fayth which appeareth not at all in the vngodly These courtes that he speaketh of is the congregatiō or Church of Christiās or the godly amongest whome the gospell is purely taught where mens consciences were pacified quieted mery and pleasaunt in the Lord when the inward man feeleth peace tranquilitie quietnes securitye felicity perfect pleasure in the worde of god None of the vngodly either feele or haue taste of this pleasure And least we should any thing doubt of this promise he bindeth it with an oth that we shall haue those things which he promiseth It foloweth in the text Go through go through the gates prepare you the way for the people Cast vp cast vp the way and gather out the stones and set vp a standerd for the people Behold the Lord hath proclaimed vnto the endes of the world Tell the daughter Sion Behold thy Sauiour commeth Behold his wagis is with him and his worke is before him and they shall call them the holy people the redeemer of the Lord And thou shalt
wherin the prophesies of the old Testament concerning Christ are godly and plainly expounded Vrbanus WHy are you sadder wife Ann then you were wont to be and specially on this Easter day when all Creatures ought infinitely to reioyce and triumph with Christ raysed again to life What trobleth your mind Why doe you sigh so often Do you not know that Iesus Sirach willeth vs to pluck vp our harts in holines and to driue al heuynes away from vs Sorrow saith he hath slain many and there is no profit therin Do you not know that S. Paul also biddeth vs alway reioyce in the Lord ¶ Anna. I know it wel but sorrow and sadnes are not both of one kind neither be our mindes alwayes pensiue vpon one and the same occasion Doth not the same Paul also say that there is a godly sorow or heuines which causeth repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of cōtrarily a worldly sorrow which causeth death ☞ Vrbanus You say well in deed But what is the matter I pray you that you are so full of heuines What is it that trobleth you thus ¶ Anna. What was it that trobled and vexed those two Disciples Cleophas and his companyon as they went to Emaus Vrbanus O they had very great causes to be sad For as thē their harts were al blinded with the darknes of ignorance and their faith was litle and slender and they had not a sufficient and perfect knowledge of Christ although they had now a long time professed themselues to be his Disciples ¶ Anna. And the same thing also is the cause of this my heuynes For in asmuch as I am baptized into Christes death and am adorned with that most glorious and sacred name of Christ and am called a Christian It greeueth me that I find not my hart furnished and indued with such plentiful and sound knowledge of Christ my Lord as it ought to be ☞ Vrb. There be more then you that in this behalf bewayle their infirmity you are not alone sick of this sore you haue a good many partakers in this grief which tast with you of this cup. True it is there is much and often mention made of Christ and he is diligently preached and many famous things are honorably and truely spoken of him and yet there be very many which neuertheles haue not yet perfectly and playnly known him as they ought ¶ Anna. But seeing I haue so great cause of grief I cannot cease sorrowing before my eyes be opened as the eyes of those two disciples were which went to Emaus that I may haue the true and ful knowledge of Christ For I remēber I haue heard you many times say that there is no arte no knowledge nor no wisdome more excellent necessary nor heauenly then the knowledge of Christ because that knowledge bringeth with it euerlasting righteousnes and saluation ☞ Vrb. I confes I haue alwaies taught so and so say I stil and the same also wil I both say teach while I liue and my profession is so to teach and no otherwise But there be some fantastical and giddy heades which set aside Christs humanity and wil be aloft and so climing into the very heauens busely indeuour thēselues to search and try out what the euerlasting infinite vnmeasurable incomprehensible Deity of God is occupyed about And marueylously and busely they beat their braines by sharpnes of wit to attaine to those things which in the Scriptures are set down of the essence or being of God of the persons of God of the vnderstanding and knowledge of God and of predestination and other like Where it is much more necessary and meet that we geue our selues wholly ouer to learn to finde out and to know what Christ is and who he is For seeing that most high and infinite maiesty hath abased it self so extremely low as that he vouchsafed to descend into the lowest parts of the earth to vs and tooke our flesh vpon him and became man that he might delyuer mankind which was in bondage and thraldome of euerlasting death and hauing deliuered it bring it to heauen to the glory of the immortall and euerlasting life Seeing I say thus standeth the case it is not meet that euery mā should make and appoint for him selfe his own ladder whereby to mount vp to God to the glory of his maiesty but it becommeth vs to vse that ladder those steps which God the father him self hath ordayned and appointed for that ascention and we must goe in by that path and way which God the father him self hath shewed by which he would haue the passage to heauen lye Truly our Sauiour Christ in Iohn sayd grauely and for great causes I am the way and the truth and the life No man commeth vnto the Father but by me If there had ben another and shorter way if there had been an easyer or redyer ascētion to heauē God had neuer in vayn sent his only begottē sonne into the world neither wold he haue suffered him to take our miserable frayle nature vpō him for this end only that he should being made man after death raysed to life ascend to heauen and cary vs men with him to his father The holy Scriptures call Christ a Peacemaker a Mediator a Priest an Aduocate a Shepheard a Way a Candle a Lanthorn a Light a Maister a King a Head a Redeemer a Iustifyer and Lyfe itself With all these names and epithetons doth the holy Scriptures adorn Christ And why I pray you Verely because we can neither come to God the Father be reconcyled to him or haue any thing to do with him by any other meanes or way but only by Christ very God and very man To be short God cannot will not nor suffereth not him self to be apprehended or found of vs without a Medyator If you wil come to God if you desire to see the face of his diuine maiesty if nearly truly and thorowly you long to know God then you must needs first wel and perfectly know Christ our Mediator if you set light by the knowledge of Christ you shall neuer find God. Esay sayth that God hath set Christes humanitye before vs and displaid it as it were a certain and glorious ensigne or streamer wherwith he might cal cōgregate and gather together his Children out of the world to him self And S. Paul saith that In Christ doth the fulnes of all Deity dwel bodely Yea Christ him self saith a. All things are geuen me of my Father and no man knoweth the Sonne but the Father neither knoweth any man the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Son wil reueale him And immediatly after these words he allureth vs to come to him saying Come vnto me all ye that are wery and laden and I wil ease you Wherefore I haue alway both sayd and taught that we must both learn and know Christ And I would to God
Christ and being sent vnto thē on whitsōday taught thē put them in remembrance of all thinges which were written of Christ which Christ before his death with his own tongue had taught them And looke what soeuer the Holy Ghost taught them it tended only to this end That they might know Christ and by Christ know the Father and through this knowledge be iustifyed and saued ¶ Anna. It is possible then as far as I perceiue to know what that Sermon was which Christ made to those two Discyples as they went to Emaus wherewith he made their harts so burne within them But if I also might come to the hearing of that Sermon Oh I would desire nothing in comparyson of it nay I had rather heare that sweet Sermon then haue all the pleasures in the earth and ioyes of the world ☞ Vrb. You may easily coniecture what that Sermon was seeing he expounded all the Prophets beginning at Moyses Doth not Luke I pray you eloquently and plainly testifie that he expounded to thē all that is writen of him in the wholl Scripture It was the Prophesies therfore which are writen in the Scripture of Christ which he interpreted vnto them which is nothing els but euen the very Gospel it self which he commaunded his Discyples to preach and spread euen to the worlds end For this Gospel is the doctrine of Christ the Sonne of God which telleth why he was made man and declareth to vs the eternall counsell of God the Father and his great good wil to vs in promising so redely that he wil be our Father and in imbrasing vs with more then a Fatherly affection and in vouchsafeing to knowledge vs for his deere Sonnes but onlye through his onlye begotten Sonne Christ This Gospel teacheth vs also that the Father so ordained that when the fulnes of time was come Christ should be born true man of the seed of Dauid and that he should dye on the Crosse and rise againe from the dead to the end he might purge mannes sinnes pay the raunsom for them destroy and take away death bring vs to euerlasting life reconcile his Father to vs and ascend into heauen and sitting there at the right hand of his Father begin his true and euerlasting kingdome where we shal raign and reioyce with him for euer Into this glory would his father haue him to enter by his own payn passion and opprobrious death of the Crosse That by this meanes he might deserue the same glory for vs This was done at Ierusalem vnder Herod Pontius Pilat and Caiphas when Tiberius Caesar was Emperor and so were the Prophesies fulfilled which are written of him Now he sitteth at the right hand of Gods Maiesty and being Lord of all he defendeth and gouerneth his Church that is to say all godly and truely beleeuing men by the holy Ghost and in the last day he shall come in his Maiesty to iudge the quick and the dead and shall geue euerlasting Life to those that beleeue But he shall throw hedlong down into hel amongst the multitude of Deuils all those that at that day shall not haue beleeued the Gospell And he doth by his Ministers dayly declare vnto vs these his Merits Works precious Passion Resurrection and Ascention into Heauen That those which beleeue of Christ the sonne of God as the scriptures do speake of him might be deliuered from the burthen of their sinnes be reconcyled to God the Father and liue with him for euer in the glory of Christ And for this cause especially doth the gospel moue vs and cal vs to repentaunce to the end that we may be hartely sory for our sinnes that we may abhor and detest our sinnes and with al our indeuour fly al things that might moue vs to sinne seeing our sinnes could be taken away by no other Sacrifice but only by the most precious bloud of Christ which he shed for vs that he might cleanse vs and delyuer vs from sinne death and hel And furthermore the Gospel promiseth remission of sinnes and euerlasting life to all that beleeue in Christ and refuse not this Gospel but with all their hart faithfully receiue the same vsing it reuerently and holyly And thus of meere grace without all our deserts only for the works and merits of Christ if we beleeue in him are we washed from our sinne beutefyed with the holy Ghost and are iustifyed sanctifyed saued and made heyres with God and coheyres with Christ in his kingdome and liue for euer We also heare the Gospell with a godly deuotion we trust in Christ and we beleeue him to be the only Sauyour of the world And then also are we angry with our sinnes and detest and abhor them we repent vs and are sory that through our sinnes we haue offended God we begin better to frame our liues and we loue God with all our harts which hath bestowed his great and wonderful mercy and his vnspeakable and infinite goodnes in Christ Iesu his Sonne vpon vs we loue also our neighbours euen as Christ loued vs and we doe our diligence that we may as becometh holy children lead a chast holy modest sober and innocent life after Christes example and so for the loue of righteousnes and godlynes we doe all good works sauing that while we are in this flesh we haue not the full feeling of our frailtye and sinne and that our faith and knowledge of Christ that is of the great and incomprehensible mercy loue care grace and benefits which in Christ and for Christ are freely geuen and bestowed vpon vs is not full perfect and pure in this life but while we liue doth stil grow and increase And we must also fight and striue continually while we liue with the flesh and mortefie renue and reforme our old Adam vntil the Image of God be renued again in vs and vntil we shall haue put on that most beutiful and holy Image of Christ like as before our receiuing of faith and regeneration we did beare that euil fauoured and horrible Image of the old Adam Now you haue heard what Christ taught his two Disciples And without doubt the Apostls afterward taught the same things which Christ did teach and confirmed the doctrine of Christ after the same sort by the Prophets wrytings For the holy Ghost had sufficyently instructed them therto as plainly appeareth in the Actes of the Apostles ¶ Anna. As far then as I perceiue Christ preached nothing to those two Discyples out of the prophesies but the very pure doctrine of the Gospel wherby they might learn what Christ was for what cause he was sent into this world what he did what he suffered what he meryted by his suffering and how we might haue benefit by his Merits and what was to be hoped and looked for of him This then no doubt was it that comforted them so made their harts so glad ☞ Vrb. And haue not these thinges I pray you sufficient matter inough to make
he might by his death take away our sinnes and he rose again from the dead and threw Sathan all conquered and ouercome vnderfoote and bereued him of the spoyle and pray which through his false lye he had brought into the bondage of sinne death and damnation that is to say he brought mankind again into the kingdome of God which is the kingdom of health and euerlasting life This is the first promise of grace I wil put enmity betwixt thee and the woman betwixt thy seede and her seede He that is to say the seed of the woman for so is the Hebrue text shal break thy head and thou shalt bruse his heele In these words God promysed his Sonne to the world And this promise is the Gospel it self that is to say most mery and pleasant tidings of Christ Adam being now drowned in sinne and the child of wrath and being both in body and soule subiect to the curse saw nothing but euerlasting damnation and therefore his conscience was miserably trobled vexed and tormented so that in this his agony he was almost come euen to desperations dore For he felt no kind of comfort but the horrible torment of euerlasting death and bitter greef of hart For he had cast him self by disobedyence into the tiranny of Sathan and was now become his prisoner and seruant through sinne But as soon as God had promysed to him the seed of the woman straight way he conceaued hope of life and beleeued that god of his grace and mercy would by that promised seed saue him and delyuer him out of Sathans tyrannye The Gospell therfore is the promise of lyfe in this seede of the woman or through this seede Thus then God promised his naturall sone which should be born of a woman but without sinne that he might tread down and breake Sathans head that is to say that he might ouerthrow Sathans power and kingdome which is the kingdome of sinne and death and that he might tread vnderfoote ouercome and destroy sinne death and hel This promised seede is Christ as Paule sayth The wordes of this promise be but fewe but they contayne many and great misteries First they shew vs that God should take vppon him mans flesh For if that seede had bene nothing els but man he could neuer haue broken the head of Sathan that is haue abolished sinne and death and haue subdued and destroyed Sathan him selfe Furthermore these wordes import that this seede should not be subiect to any sinne neither be naturally conceiued after the manner of man and of mans seede but by the holy ghost and that this seede should not be born as al other mankinde is of a woman that had known a man but of a pure virgin Therfore is he not here called the seed of man but onely of woman Also seing he would deliuer and make mankind free from the tyranny of Sathā sinne being taken away it was needefull that all sinnes should first be purged and that he should first satisfie the high and seuere iustice of God and so this seede or this sonne of this woman is set in the place of a captiue man seing all mankinde for sinne was appointed to dye it was determined that he to wit this seed of the womā should suffer death that by his death he might pay and discharge the sinnes of mankinde That we being deliuered from the power and tyrannie of Sathan might be reconciled to our God by a sufficient purgation and satisfaction Now then if he ought thus to tread downe the head of Sathā to wit abolish death it could in no wise be that he should still abide in the graue but seing he should dye for out offences leauing this fraile and temporall life it was very necessary that he should rise againe from death and begin and posses another euerlasting life Otherwise he could neuer haue delyuered man from so great and horrible a calamity wherin he was Neither could man haue been saued vnles satisfaction had been made for his sinnes and vnles death had bin ouercome and eternal life so obteyned and geuen that neither sinne death nor Satan could further hurt vs Furthermore as the Text here maketh mention there is enmity betwixt Christ and that Serpent the Deuil And by this same Text we know which of them should get the victory to wit the seed Christ with his seruants he shal ouercome and tread down Sathan that venemous Serpent And although that Serpent doe neuer so deadly sting the heele of Christ and the true Church that is persecute and tempt them yet Christ being both far greater mightyer and stronger then he doth return Conqueror from the bataile and caryeth away the victory and in the end tryumpheth with the whol Church that is with the true godly beleeuing which shal raign and liue with Christ foreuer And thus in this promise is foretold as you see the birth passion and resurrection of Christ together with the victory wherin Christ broke the force of Sathan sinne death and hel And though in hid and figuratiue words yet such as admit no other sence but truely and plainly import that which we haue sayd Christ is prefigured prophesied of in the Scripture two wayes Sometime in darck figuratiue and hidden promises and types Other sometimes in manyfest promises and expres and playn words Therfore all promises which followed this in the Byble did betoken this seed and are to be applyed to this seed and are made more manifest and known vntil Christ put on our flesh fulfilled them Some Latin Bibles in this Text of Genesis haue it She shall tread down the head of the Serpent not he nor it Wherupon it grue that this promise was taken to be spoken of Mary as if she had troden down the Serpents head But this promis can in no wise be referred to Mary The Hebrue tongue saith not She but It doth perform this work And the same Text doth vnderstand the seed of the woman For thus saith the holy Ghost in that Sacred tongue wherein the Prophesies were writtē Vben sarecha Vben sarach hu ieschupcha rosch That is I wil put enmity betwixt thy Seed and the Seed of her that is to say euen the seed of the woman shall tread down thy head For it is euident that Hen doth not signifie her but Him or It and this is the proper and right signification of this word * Thargum hath it thus betweene thy Sonne and her Sonne which wordes doe expresse and declare the meaning of this Text more plainly and perfectly For it is ment only of Christ by him alone and by no other Seed nor man is Sathan ouercome sinne abolished and remission of sinnes and life recouered and freely geuen Adam and all Adams childrē that is to say all mankind had been damned and subiect to Sathans tyranny and had perished eternally in hell vnles that seed had bin promysed and geuen vs. He which reiecteth this
was fixed on Christ which was to come for whome they wayted and whom they beleeued should be their onely sauiour and redeemer who should come to deliuer them out of all calamities and daunger both of lyfe death And therefore were they as good Christians as we sauing onely that we do not now looke for that promised seede but perfectly knowe that he is come and hath already broken the serpents heade And this victorye which Christ hath of the serpent to wit the promise of life by the Gospell is now openly preached in the world to the iustification and saluation of all that beleue his Gospell This promise of the seede of the woman after many yeares was renued to Abraham where is playnely declared what commodity this seede should bring vnto the world You may reade this promise in Genesis and it was made also to Isaack and Iacob The wordes of the promise he these By my selfe haue I sworne sayth the Lord in thy seede shall all the families of the earth be blessed Here agayne is Christ promised And this is that famous worthy and excellent promise which both the Prophets and Apostles haue continually geuen out honorably commended and largely amplifyed as the cleere Sonne and very voyce it self of the Gospel and true testimony of Christ and which they haue declared and esteemed to be as a most precious pearle whatsoeuer the Prophets doe prophesie of Christ it floweth out of this promise as out of a Fountain For the especiall duty and trauel of all Prophets is both by figuratiue speech and plain promises to foreshew that Christ should come and to extol and diligently beat into mans eares his eternall kingdome of grace righteousnes innocency life and euerlasting saluation and to inflame and stir vp al men to wait watchfully for his comming And this must be wel and diligently obserued Paul to the Romanes saith that the Gospell of God concerning Christ was long before promised by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures And Peter saith in the Actes Al the Prophets from Samuel and thenceforth as many as haue spoken haue likewise foretold of these dayes That is to say they told of that most desired and holesome time of the new and euerlasting Testament and of the eternal and vnfallible mercy of God promised to Dauid Esay also doth prophesy that Christ should come to deliuer vs from all our miseries and calamities And he telleth by what meanes and way he should delyuer vs out of those trobles The Prophets also accuse the people and vrge the law and threaten the punishment and wrath of God against the hard harted and vnpenitent They haue also prophesied many things which properly belong to the comming of Christ with all they mixe earthly kingdomes and gouernments But yet the end of all their prophesies reprouings and thretnings haue only respect and relatiō vnto Christ For they did but study and indeuour by those meanes to keep the people in obedience and to make them feare God and keep order and sought to prepare them and make them redy for the comming of Christ and to bring them to akknowledge their sinnes and to terrifie their consciences that by the confession of their sinnes and feeling of Gods wrath their harts might be prepared to receiue and embrace Christ as the true and only Sauiour of the world And the wholl old Testament is nothing els but a certain forerunner as I may tearm it and such a preparatiue or readynes for the new Testamēt that the way to Christ might be made straight and plain against his comming and that the entring to him might be readyer For as a Scholemaster with sharp admonitions great threatnings hard beating and rough correction doth reform and frame his masters Sonne with whom he is put in trust and whom he hath to teach that in the end he may become an honest housholder and a profitable member of the common weal so doth the old Testament make vs ready to receaue Christ and bring vs to Christ And after this sort doth Paul speake of the law to the Galathians saying The law was our Scholemaster to bring vs to Christ And to the Hebrues he saith The law hath a shadow of good things to come and not the very Image of the things And in the seuenth chapter he saith The commaundement that went before is disanulled because of the weaknes therof and vnprofitablenes for the law made nothing perfect but was the bringing in of a better hope made perfect wherby we draw neare vnto God Christ therfore our chief treasure and that our most precious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Iewel must be sought for of vs in the Prophets as we read in the Acts that he was sought for at Thessalonica For without all doubt there is nothing in the Prophets which doth not represent Christ and his Church and agreeth with him As Christ himself doth witnes in Luke saying These be the words which I spake vnto you while I was yet with you that all must be fulfilled which are written of me in the law of Moyses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes And in Peter it is plainly declared that the Prophets did not looke for the temporall kingdome of Israel and for the mortall ruinous and empty pauilion of this life and state of this world but that they chiefly respected the euerlasting kingdom of Christ and the heauenly life Peters words be these Of the saluation of soules the Prophets haue inquired and searched which prophesied of the grace that should come vnto you searching when or at what time the Spirite that testified before of Christ which was in them should declare the sufferings that should come vnto Christ and the glory which should follow Vnto whom it was reuealed that not vnto themselues but vnto vs they should minister the things which are now shewed vnto you by them which haue preached vnto you the Gospel by the holy Ghost sent down from heauen the which things the Angels desire to behold c. Thus far speaketh Peter And to this end also Ignatius not only in title but in deed a true and famous Bishop wrote a thousand and four hundreth yeares agoe to the Magnesians The Prophets saith he were Christes seruants who foreseing him in Spirite both wayted for him as their master and in hope looked for him as their Lord and Sauyour saying he shal come and saue vs And Tertullian a thousand three hundreth yeares agoe interpreting that sentence sayth Christ is the seal of all the prophesies fulfilling all things which the Prophets in old time did foretell of him ¶ Anna. I pray you tell me the meaning of the promise which God made to Abraham ☞ Vrb. In that promise if it be inwardly and thorowly searched and pondered the summe of the holy Gospel with the pith effect and all the misteries of Christ are comprehended For first you shall
run hither in this iuel I find that only heroical helper which both wil can deliuer me frō al perils dangers For he is that true God Iehouah He became also true man that he might beare my offences die for my sins giue himselfe all that euer he had for me When my consciēce beginneth to dispaire saith how wilt thou stand before God how wilt thou escape euerlasting death thou art a sinner the stipend wages of a sinner is nothing els but wrath ire affliction tormēt both in this life in the life to come When I am thus I say shaken with these forceable violent tēptations I run to this saying my iuel sacredanker This saying is my sword my complet harnes my chief armour my strōg tower of defēce then I burst forth into these words say I cōfes it is true ah alas it is to to true that I am a miserable sinner as far as belōgeth to my self my own person therfore haue I deserued very sharp punishment but God promised to send vs sinners a bud of righteousnes but of the stocke of Dauid that he should be God and also our righteousnes And he hath long since performed this his promise made vnto sinners in that he gaue and sent his sonne to vs that he might be our righteousnes which wordes Paul vseth respecting only this posy Wherfore although I know my selfe most guilty of many diuers hainous heauy sinnes yet wil I not discourage my self or dispaire For in sacred baptisme I haue put on Christ our saluation giuen of god by whom he hath both promised and geuen vnto vs euerlasting life That Christ out of all doubt is holy enough And seing he is mine although I be neuer so loden with sinne yet for all that in as much as I haue repented do repent me hartily of my sinne and seing that I do lament that euer I sinned I haue sufficient to answer my sinnes to wit that euerlasting righteousnes euen Christ himself with his passion resurrection which is freely giuē me of God. Him may I set forth to answer the heuy and grieuous wrath of God behind him as a true propitiatory may I hyde and shroud my selfe and so be remaine vntouched eyther of sinne death or Satan For the innocency righteousnes of Christ is infinite euerlasting inuincible yea it is more mighty then all the sinne of man and able to answer for al sinne if there were a thousand mo worlds of sinne His life was such so proper so passing forceable and mighty that it got the victory ouer death sinne and hell To be brief no tong can tell nor hart thinke what treasure what riches what wealth it is to vs that Christ the true naturall sonne of God is become our righteousnes If he had bene righteous and holy for himself alone then had it profited vs nothing But now seing he needed not be righteous for himselfe but is become righteous for vs who I pray you if we beleue this faithfully if we persuade our selues herein certainly cā hurt vs who can make vs afraid or what can make vs dispaire nay may not we with Paul holily triumph glory say If God be with vs or on our side who can be against vs who spared not his own sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shal he not with him geue vs all things also who shal lay any thing to the charge of gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shal condēn it is Christ which is dead for vs yea or rather which is risen agayne who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs Who shall separate vs frō the loue of Christ Behold how full of hart how proud in holines and how couragious this sentence made s Paule Lo what strength what stomacke it ministreth vnto him in so much that he feared himself nothing but stood stoutly vndiscouraged with any euill or temptation may not we thē likewise recreate solace our selues therin If Christ be our righteousnes as he is in deede then must nedes all our sinnes be forgeuen vs then God himself accounteth vs righteous for Christes sake For before this righteousnes of his can no sin remain but must nedes be quēched out euen as a litle spark of fire is put out in the great sea And if our sinnes be blotted out then is death also so choked that the death of the godly is but a slepe a redy way vnto immortallity then hath Satan no more power ouer vs but we being clothed with the righteousnes of Christ are become the sonnes of God and shal with Christ inherite euerlasting lyfe Chrisostome saith vpon Iohn 2. Who so euer hath Christ hath all welth and treasure For he hath perfect holines which he may set against the law iudgemēt of God true life to set against death euerlasting saluation against damnation As Paul sayth Christ is the ende or fulfilling of the law for righteousnesse vnto euery one that beleueth who so beleueth in him is righteous Paul tooke such a holy pride and trust in these wordes of Iere. that he was not afraid to iest at death sinne the deuil saying O death where is thy sting O graue or hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Lo Christ as you see is our righteousnes his righteousnes and victory ouer sinne death and hel is giuen vnto vs that it may be our own that we may chalenge it by right for our owne O would to God that all which doe professe the name of Christ did thorowly vnderstand and beleue this ¶ Anna. O how happy were we if these so excellent and precious words of God were so depely printed in our mindes that we could surely ground them in our hartes This saying hereafter shall also be my iuell And God graunt me faith that I may euer kepe it in my hart Amē But why do you translate these wordes Edonai zid kennu the lord of our righteousnes or the lord our righteousnes and not rather our righteous God as the common translation hath it ☞ Vrb. Some do read it our righteous God but seing S. Hierom readeth it out of the Hebrue the God of our righteousnes I had rather folow him For so is it fuller hath more force to make vs know Christ and to comfort vs And so hath the holy ghost by s Paul translated it saying Christ of God is made vnto vs wisdom righteousnes and sanctification redemptiō He that reioiceth let him reioyce in the Lord. Christ is also called God in other places as in Esay where the prophet calleth Christ El whereof commeth
dye and be buried but not corrupt and rotte as our sinfull flesh doth and that his blessed deuine soule should not be cast in hell or graue but be vnited againe to the body that he should rise agayne from death sit at the right hand of God giue vs euerlasting lyfe It was meet that he should be the first fruites of thē which were dead that by his glorious resurrection he might open vs the true gate vnto lyfe and make the way for vs by which we also must go to him But Peter and Iohn the other Apostles before Christs rising againe vnderstood not this although they had heard it oftentymes vntill they saw the lord aliue agayne Wherfore it is no wonder though Cleophas and his companion vnderstood it not Dauid saith O lord my God I cryed vnto thee and thou hast restored me O lord thou hast broght vp my soul out of the graue Thou hast reuiued me from them that go downe into the pitte Arnobius and Augustine vnderstande this prophesie of the death and resurrection of Christ And againe he sayth God shall deliuer my soule from the power of the graue for he will receiue me Selah The church vnderstādeth these wordes also to be ment of the death descending into hell and risyng agayne of Iesus Christ And in another place he sayeth Thou hast shewed me great troubles and aduersities but thou wilt returne reuiue me And wil come again take me vp frō the depth of the earth These wordes also doth Arnobius expound of the death of Christ of his descendyng into hel and of his resurrection And againe in the 86. Psal. Christ saith to God the father Thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest graue S. Augustine and with him the whole church of Affrica vnderstand this to bee vndoubtedly ment of the descending of Christ into hell of his rising againe The 22. psalm doth more fully and plainly then any other describe the passion resurrectiō and euerlasting kingdom of Christ And there are the very same wordes in which Christ in his great agony his extreme necessitie called vnto his father vpon the crosse And that psalm describeth Christ his passion also setteth forth the fruite of his death resurrection saying My God my God why hast thou forsaken me All they which see me haue me in derision they make a mo nod their hed saying He trusted in the lord let him deliuer him let him saue him seyng he loueth him They perced my handes and my feet I may tel al my bones yet they behold and looke vpon me They part my garments amōg them and cast lottes vpon my vesture Behold how exactly how liuely how truly and how excellently the holy ghost foretold Christes passion vsing the very same wordes which the Iewes vsed when they mocked Christ hanging on the crosse And the Euangelists are witnesses that al these things happened in his passion which were fore told of it And they recite the very same words to the end they may proue that it was the good will both of God the father and the son that Christ suffered seing the holy ghost prophesied many yeres before that all these things should happen vnto Christ Yea the spirite foreshewed also that Christ by this his passion should enter into his glory be lord ouer al things As before ye haue heard in the 8. psalm But in this 22. psal he saith I will declare thy name vnto my brethren and in the middest of the congregation will I praise thee Do you see he shal first suffer his passiō but he shall not bide in his passion and death For euen thē shal he magnify his fathers name and make it famous and wel known through the whole world by this glorious and famous preaching of Gods mercies in that he spared not his owne onely sonne but gaue him for our sakes to the death of the crosse that we might therby obtaine the benefite of euerlasting lyfe For so it followeth in the psalm The poore shal eate and be satisfied they that seeke after the lord shal prayse him their harts shall liue for euer This eating and satisfieng of the poore is a spiritual satisfieng when the poore sinners eate the true bread of heauen that is when they heare the gospel of Christes humanity passion and resurrection and kepe it in their hartes by fayth For then are they fed by it vnto euerlasting life according to that of Iohn I am the liuing bread which came down from heauen if any man eate of this bread hee shall liue for euer Neither can mans cōscience be otherwise satisfied and set at quiet that it be not vexed and troubled by any other thing but onely by Christ apprehended by fayth It followeth All the endes of the world shall remember themselues and turne to the Lord and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee For the kingdome is the lordes and he ruleth among the nations This is when men by the preaching and doctrine of the Gospell are put in mynd of gods great benefites and are constrayned to acknowledge worship confesse glorify and call vpon Christ their lord who is appointed of God the father to be the head of all things and king ouer all nations of the whole world Here haue ye the kingdome of Christ which is the holy catholike church spread ouer the face of the whole earth And now in all things and places where that euill spirit the deuill before ruled by lying hauing seduced all people and led them into all kindes of errors and idolatry that they might be as Paul sayth without Christ without the worde without hope and without God in the world there I say in those partes shall Christ now be heard It followeth their seede shall serue him and the lord shal be preached from age to age But if Christ shal haue seede that is to say spirituall children borne by the gospell as well of the Iewes as Gentiles as you see by this text he must then can he not be ouercome by deth nor abide in the graue For how could he then regenerate and congregate the Gentiles together into the catholike fayth and rule such an empire which should fill the whole world whose dominion should not extende through one piece of the earth onely but thorough the whole circuit of the wide world and so cōtinue for euer world without end For whosoeuer beleueth in Christ shal be partaker of euerlasting lyfe Wheresoeuer therfore the prophets set down the kingdom of Christ saying that it shall haue continual peace health and felicitye there is set downe and in dede declared the deth and resurrection of Christ and all christian men For if Christ shal be a king and set vp and haue an heauenly and euerlasting kingdome it must needes follow that he should leaue this temporall mortall lyfe by death
Christ when the welsprings of liuyng water shall flowe from place to place in the desert where God before was not knowen nor heard of because that out of one church or congregation of the godly the gospell shall flowe and spread abroade into other places that there they may learne to know Christ And where the serpentes before spewed out theyr poyson of false doctrine superstition and idolatry thither shall the sounde doctrine of the truth now bee brought and there shall it bring forth most plentifull fruites ¶ Anna. What way and holy pathe is that which is here spoken of in this prophesie by which he sayth no sinner goeth ☞ Vrbanus Hee speaketh in this prophesie of the Gospell of Christ and of hys Church The holy way therefore whereof he speaketh here is fayth in Iesus Christ true God and perfect man borne here of the seede of Abraham and Dauid In this way walked Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid Mary and the Apostles neyther is there any other way but this vnto the liuyng God as Christ sayth I am the way and the truth and the lyfe no man commeth vnto the father but by me There is no other true faith but the christian and catholike fayth All other sectes though they seeme neuer so holy are nothing els but errours and Satanicall superstitions No man was euer saued vnlesse he beleued in Christ And therfore this Christian fayth is called the true right onely and holy way vnto euerlasting saluation He that walketh this way whosoeuer he be though he be a very foole in worldly matters yea a most simple ideot or vilest sinner hee can not but must needes be pertaker of euerlasting lyfe But whosoeuer goeth any other way although he seeme to the worlde learned holy wyse and of great experience yet he wandereth all wyde and goeth astray nay he hasteth hedlong vnto hell Furthermore this way onely is most sure and safe In this way Lions and wylde beastes can not hurt vs For neither tirantes nor false teachers can hurt them whosoeuer they be that abide in this way and goe not out thereof For though they take from them both their goodes and lyues yet shall they haue no losse but gayne thereby For all thinges happen vnto their health so long as they are kept of Christ who hath such care ouer them and so preserueth them that he suffereth not the least haire of theyr heade to perishe ¶ Anna. But who are these redemed of the Lord ☞ Vrban Euen both Iewes and Gentils which beleue in Iesus Christ namely all true Christians These were once seduced by Sathan and brought into the horrible captiuity of sinne and death and therin had remayned for euer if the lord had not himself come and by his precious bloud deliuered thē But the Lord himselfe came and vanquished and spoiled Satan And so these redemed turned to Sion that is into the holy catholike church by faith and the sacraments and they come with prayse ioy and exultation For the more vile and horrible the captiuity was so much greater is the ioy of the prisoners which are redeemed But this was a most vile and horrible continuall captiuity wherin we should haue bene for euer most miserably tormēted both in body and soule with al kind of calamities tortors I say which are such that they passe all our sences and capacity And therfore this our ioy in the Lord in Sion is and that by right infinit incomprehensble and more then hart can conceiue The world also hath his ioy but the ioy therof is momentany and very short for it hath his ende and continueth not But the ioy of the faythfull christians is eternall It beginneth here in fayth but afterward whē our last enemy death shal be swalowed vp and Satan with the wicked and deceitfull world cast downe into the pit of hell there to bee tormented for euer then at the last it shall burst forth and shew it selfe And all they that beleued in Christ to wit his whole kingdom shal frō that tyme forth be no more afflicted with enemies Then shall the true and euerlasting ioy of the faithfull christians begin heauines sorow and griefe shal then haue an ende For that kingdom when the glory therof shall be made manifest shall then at the last haue no more sinne nor feele death sickenes persecution calamity troubles or aduersitie for all causes of sorrows and sadnes are then through Christ taken away As Christ witnesseth in Iohn I wil see you againe and your hartes shall reioyce and your ioy shall no man take from you And in the Apocalips the voyce saith That GOD shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and there shal be no more death neither sorow neither crying neither shal there be any more payne ¶ Anna. Seyng that we through our Messias should haue such full and perfect redemption from all our sinnes death and damnation and enioy euerlasting lyfe felicity out of doubt he neither could nor should remayne in death And would to God we could beleue this and alwayes reioyce in the Lord. Vrban Truely so we should in deede alwayes beleue and reioyce But that euill spirit through his wicked temptations oftentymes doth so with thick clouds darcken this cleare sonne of ioy and fayth in vs that sometymes we cannot see it Yea he maketh vs sometymes so heauy that we either altogether forget this great and iuestimable promise of euerlasting life or els waigh it not so diligently nor print it so deeply in our harts as we ought But let vs alwayes keep in our hands the sword of the spirite that is the gospell and therewithall defend our selues from the fiery dartes of our enemies We must stir vp and exercise our faith by diligent vsing reading hearing and handling the scripture least we sleep in carnal security Yea we must say euery foot with the holy prophet Dauid Behold heare me O Lord my God lighten mine eyes that I sleepe not in death lest mine enemy say I haue preuayled against him and they that afflict me reioyce when I slide Esay prophesyeth again of Christ O Syon that bringest good tidings get thee vp into the high mountaynes O Ierusalem that bringest good tidings lift vp thy voice with strength lift it vp be not afrayd say to the Cities of Iuda Behold your God behold the Lord God will come with power and his arme shall rule for him Behold his wages is with him and his worke before him Here Syon and Ierusalem are warned that they preach the comming grace power of God in Christ As if he should say to other cities in Iuda ye haue looked long for Messias which was promysed in the law and prophets now looke vp now lift vp your eares and harts behold here is your God Messias the most mighty Lord who hath shewed his power in that he hath redeemed you from those mighty and cruell
and condemned to the death of the cros but that heuy and vnspekable payn that the Lord of all things and iudge both of the liuing and dead suffered himself to be iudged and condemned by sinful men was not to continue longer then three dayes After which torments he should at the last being rysen agayn raigne with great glory ouer Israell He dyed once and dyeth no more Death henceforth hath no more power ouer him but he is ruler ouer it for euer Whereupon sayth the prophet who shal declare his age or generation or tel of the time of his raign When the Iewes supposed he had bin dead and quite destroyed then at the last he passed from time which perysheth into eternity which neuer shall haue end and he rose from death into the glory of the euerlasting ioy and immortality This is that infinite merite of Christes passion by which he deserued for vs forgeuenes of all our sinnes and euerlasting life He was cut of and taken away by his passiō out of the land of the liuing which liue here in this transitory life Our life verely is miserable and short and alwayes caryeth death about with it and is euery moment in danger of death and hath death following it euen as the shadow doth follow the body But Christ then in his passion passed from death to euerlasting life where he doth now raign our Lord and king for euer and euer ¶ Anna. Why saith Esay the Lord made his sepulchre with the wicked or suffered him to be buryed as the wicked ☞ Vrb. The prophet speaketh of the outward passion of Christ Paul to the Gala. calleth him a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is cursed or maledcition and there he sayth that for our sakes he became accursed as though he should say although Christ as touching his own person was innocent and that blessed seed of Abraham againste whom neither sinne nor death had any power yet of his own free wil he became in his outward man contemned and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accursed and suffered himself to be slain vpō the cros for vs poore miserable sinners this kind of deth is due only to those who for their offēces and wicked life are condemned He suffered this most shameful death became for our cause the curse that we through him might obtayn blessednes Thus then suffered he on the cros for great offences wherewithall the blinded Iewes did most vniustly charg him They accused him of blasphemy and sedition saying that he trespassed against God Cesar so rightly deserued that cruel death wheras in deed he suffered willingly for our sakes that vile ignominye false accusation which they falsly forged against him For he him self neuer sinned neither could offend but so was the wil of our heauenly father He spared not his deerely beloued Sonne that we poore sinners might by that his most shameful and contemptuous death but vnto vs sure saluation be delyuered from all our sinnes Esay teacheth in the words following what commodity we haue by this miserable and ignominious death of Christ and he sayth The figures or types of the sacrifices in Moyses law are fulfilled by this onely Sacrifice of Christ These be his words when he shall spend his life for our sinne when he shall make his soule an offering for sinne or when he shall geue his life a sacrifice for sinne then shal he haue seede his age shall be prolonged that is when he shal haue offered himselfe vp in Sacrifice vpon the cros to his heauenly father for our sinnes then shall he haue seed or children that is faithfull beleeuers in him And his yeares shall be so long that the life of him and all faithfull christians shal be without end It is otherwise with erthly kings for they when they dye depart from their kingdomes their Successors possesseth thē But this our king of glory Christ dyed another holesome and liuely kinde of death by which he entereth into true life and most mightely beginneth the administration of his eternall kingdome And here again is the resurrection of Christ and faithful Christians foretold For this is the right and true ruling gouerning erection and establishing of a kingdome whē the king erecteth such a kingdome as wil neuer decay in which the subiectes alwayes haue continuall and perfect safety protection peace surety felicity and all good things aboundantly and this can no earthly king doe For all earthly kings dye their kingdomes perish and decay with them as we see all dominions princely power and kingdomes continue in this world but a while and not for euer but within a few ages to come vtterly to ruine Wherupon Esay saith that the wil of the Lord is in his own hand or his determination or purpose by the hand of Messias shal haue prosperous succes For what thing soeuer the father commaunded Christ to doe for vs all that hath he fully finished with perfection yea with faithfulnes and to our great commodity and he plainly declareth that this was done by Christes merite where he saith his soul was in payn that is he suffered much vexatiō greef sorrow misery for our sake but shall haue a great reward or worthy hire For after so many tribulatiōs he shal see those things which wil make him ioyfull that is the catholick church or the true godly who through sincere faith doe openly honor Christ glorify Christ preach Christ and confes the Lord Christ and so highly esteem these his labors miseryes and greefes that they doubt nothing but that by the same they shal attain euerlasting saluation peace rest and consolation And therfore they wil not be afraid to suffer temporall death for the glory of Christ For they know that true righteousnes euerlasting life eternall saluation and aboundant treasures of all goodnes and felicity are to be found in Christ Iesu Now haue you heard how Christ bare our sinnes and satisfyed for them In the words following Esay teacheth vs how we may be iustifyed and made partakers of that most holsome passion and merits of christ And he sayth his knowledge or the vnderstanding of Christ is the mean wherby we receaue attain that great treasure Wherfore wife if you beleue this prophecye to wit that Iesus Christ the true sonne of God God man tooke away from you your sinnes satisfyed for them and offered him self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sacrifice for you and that he became your sauiour hath by his myserable and innocent death reconcyled you to God These I say if you beleue by this faith shal you receue forgeuenes of your sinnes and be reputed before God both iust and holy as the Euangelists and Apostles and especially S. Peter Paul and Iohn in euery place witnes This is the righteousnes of Christians to acknoledge and beleeue that Christ is our onely Mediator Sauyour and Redeemer whom God sent to take our sinnes vpon him and satisfy for them
The prophet also confirmeth that cōfortable promise of Christ signifying that although to the carnall eye the Church seemeth very small and litle and as though God had forsaken it and that it were as a forlorn perished thing yet it should be great For god shal be her spouse Feare not for thou shalt not be ashamed neither shalt thou be cōfoūded for thou shalt not be put to shame yea thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth and shalt not remember the reproch of thy widdowhead any more for he that made thee is thine husband whose name is the Lord of hostes and thy redeemer the holy one of Israell shall be called the God of the whole world this is a spirituall mariage and we may haue great comfort in it S. Paule doth famously paint out and amplify this comfort in the epistle to the Ephesians And he calleth it a great mistery that God him selfe would in mans nature bespouse vs to him selfe and ioyne vs with him in the bond of mariage wherby now we learne that whatsoeuer is Gods is ours and what is ours the same doth God take away and lay them all vpon him selfe as they were his owne We haue sinnes and death with the euerlasting curse and damnatiō Christ hath righteousnes lyfe and saluation So then those euill hurtfull deadly thinges of ours doth he ouercome destroy and take from vs in stead thereof he freely geueth vs all these other good treasures of his Is not this I pray you an amiable and sweete mariage So then as an honest wife doth promise her selfe all happines of her husbands head whome she hath euer found faythfull and loyall and as of the other side the good husband entirely loueth cherisheth and delighteth in such a wife so standeth the case betweene God and vs. We may therfore be of good courage and reioyce alwayes in the Lord and not be dismaide in any extremitye either when sinne troubleth our consciences or when death terrifieth vs For we shall not be confounded we shall not be ashamed For he that defendeth vs both can and will redeeme vs from all euils And note in this place that he sayth our redeemer to wit Christe shall be called the God of the whole world or God in all the earth Heare we see the diuinitie of Christ and that men should acknowledge and worship Christ through the whole world as true and onely God. And note this also that the Church looketh lyke a forsaken and mourning woman whereupon we gather that her exceeding great ioy is here in hope but after this life her glory shall be made manifest If then she must be sorowful heare in the earth Christes kingdome is not a corporall or earthly kingdome for he sayth But for all this the Lord hath called thee being as a woman forsaken afflicted in spirit as a yong wife when thou wast refused sayth thy God. But for all this there is no daūger she shall not be vtterly forsakē The world counteth the church a forsaken and miserable people but God sayth in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a litle seasō but with euerlasting mercy haue I had compassiō on thee sayth the Lord thy redeemer Note how frendly and fayre the Lord speaketh to the Church comforting her and promising that her crosse and sorrow should not continue alwayes but her ioy and fame shall neuer haue end And so doth Paule comfort vs to the Romaines and Corinthians Esay addeth also a similitude wherin he sayth that God would shew his mercy vpon vs and how he would doe it As he promised grace vnto Noe saying that he would neuer after drowne the world with water and he gaue him the rainebow for a signe So also will he firmely constantly performe to vs his promised grace these be the prophets wordes For it is vnto me as the waters of Noe for as I haue sworn that the waters of Noe should no more goe ouer the earth so haue I sworne that I would not be angry with thee nor rebuke thee for the mountaines shall remoue and the hills shall fall downe but my mercy shall not depart from thee neither shall the couenaunt of my peace fall away sayth the Lord that hath compassion on thee Which is thus much to say Although thy aduersaries be strong yet shall they not be able to hurt or destroy thee They shall feare fall and vanish away but my grace and health shall not be remoued but remain for euer For I haue made a couenaunt of grace with thee O this is a comfortable worde that the Lord saith he will not be our Iudge but our mercifull Father And yet the afflictions of the church shall not onely be short but they shall serue to this end to increase and multiply the faythful The more the church is afflicted the more fruitfully it increaseth For the Lord doth with it as the quarriers or rough masons doe with the rough stones of bricke which they chop and hewe with their mallet now on this side thē of that striking of the knobbs that they may make them square and fit for the building so doth the crosse hew and cut the old man with his lusts and concupiscence and this is the cause that god suffereth his Church to be afflicted crossed persecuted to make it by crossing it a goodly fayre kingdome all of precious stones to wit Christians which are taught of God. For the Christian mans art and science is the gospell which reason hath not found nay it cannot conceaue it For the Gospel is not naturally ingrafted in our reason it is not borne with vs as the lawe is but the holy ghost by whome it is sent from heauen vnto the earth must teach vs by the preaching or ministery of the word In this kingdome shall be true peace with God through fayth in Christ that the Church in all kindes of afflictions may haue wherein to comforte her selfe and to pacify her conscience seeing God him selfe is her forgeuer And true godly workes of righteousnes in deede follow this peace as the wordes following doe import O thou afflicted tossed with tempests that hast no comfort behold I will lay thy stones with the carbunckle and lay thy foundations with Safires I will make thy windows of Emerauds and thy gates shining stones and all thy borders of pleasaūt stones and all thy Childrē shall be tought of the Lord and much peace shall be to thy Children In righteousnes shalt thou be established and be far from oppression For thou shalt not feare it and from feare for it shall not come neare thee Behold the enemy shall gather him selfe but without me whosoeuer shal gather him selfe in thee agaynst thee shall fall All these thinges are spiritually wrought in the harts and consciences of the godly and shall at last be fulfilled in the day of redemption The Iewes looke for a Ierusalem that should be builded
be named a Citye sought out and nōt forsaken In these wordes the prophet commaundeth that the word of the Gospell should be diligently painefully and continually tought in all places where men be to heare it The gates of the Church doe stand alway open all thinges are now ready there lacketh nothing but that you diligently vrge and beleue the doctrine of the word and that ye remoue take vp and sweepe away all thinges whatsoeuer hinder the crosse and increase of the Gospell that it may haue better successe Preach you Christ crucified and he shall by his spirite gather and draw all men vnto him To be short the Gospell ought to be published and preached through all the world Tell the daughter Sion that is you must declare to all the electe both Iewes and Gentiles that their Sauiour Christ Iesus is at hand and whatsoeuer he promiseth or enterpriseth for the sauing of his people that is to say the spiritual Sion the same he mightely performeth For the captiuitye wherein he was and the passion which he suffered is our redemption and saluation and his death is our lyfe And though Sion that is the Church be counted but base and vile in the eyes of the world yet shall it be glorious famous of great dignity before God and it shall haue this worthy name and title to be called the holy people of God whom God himself in mannes nature which hee tooke vpon him hath redeemed And although the world supposeth that God hath reiected and forsaken the church and that God himself is sore displeased with it because they see it in misery calamity and vnder the cros yet neuertheles shall it both be called and in deed be found that perfect citye of God which God in no case can forsake And here you see the articles of the creed I beleeue the holy Catholick church the communyon of saints For he that beleeueth in Christ is a citizen in this Citie and a saint in Christ which forgeueth our sinnes and sanctyfieth the church by his word and holy spirit Now then if you wil not haue this work of Christ our Sauiour to be fruitles it is necessary that the gospel should be preached in all the world and that there should be in all places faithful beleeuers in Christ and that the same beleeuers be delyuered from death to the end the church may be made this beutifull citie fayre dwelling or house of god which he cānot forsake Here also it is euydent that it behoued Christ to rise again from death to the end this citie might be builded in all the world and that the faithfull in Christ may be delyuered from all their calamities sinne death and damnation This did not Cleophas and his companion while they were on their way to Emaus vnderstād and that was the cause that they were so sad But let vs now goe to the 63. chapter of Esay in which the magnificall and glorious tryumph of Christ is descrybed to wit how by his cros bloudsheding he marueilously ouercame his and the churches enemies namely sinne death Sathan and the sinagogue of the vnbeleeuing Iewes and valiantly vanquished them by his own strength and vertue Esay in this chapter also vseth after his maner a figuratiue speech saying Who is this that commeth from Edom with red garments from Bosrah He is glorious in his apparrell and walketh in his great strength Here the prophet wondering at the passion of christ vseth an interrogatiue speech Edom signifyeth red ruddy or redly colored Bosrah signifyeth a vine branch from whence the clusters of grapes be gathered which are troaden and prest in the wine pres He calleth the Sinagogue of the Iewes Edom or red because they all bestayned and defyled them selues with the bloud of the prophets and Christ when they sayd his bloud be vpon vs and our children The prophet therfore saw in the spirite how that bloudy Sinagogue tormented afflicted Christ all be slubbered and berayd him in blod as we see the grape treders are besprinkled bestaind with the wine in the vintage He saw also in the same place by the spirit what Christ by his blodsheding hath wrought and done to wit how he hath by his own strength and vertue without the help and ayd of any other ouercome and vanquyshed his enemyes admirably tryumphed as a most fortunat and worthy warryar in his triumphes conquest and signes of victory worthy to be beholden of all men For when the Iewes thought verely he had been dispatched and deead in deed then rose he again from death and began his kingdome and declared him selfe to be a valyaunt vanquisher of sinne death and all the kingdome of darcknes and punished with the horrible plague of captiuity hardnes of hart and apostacy the Iewes in all the world whersoeuer they be for this horrible and cruel fact of sheding of innocent bloud Vnto this interrogatiō of the prophet doth the Messias answere saying I speake in righteousnes and am mighty to saue That is to say why marueilest thou what I am I am he whom God hath sent to teache righteousnes nay euen to help that is to say iustifye and saue of mine own hability But by and by the prophet addeth another interrogation If thou be the true Sauyour which shalt help and geue life in deede wherfore then is thy apparrell red and thy garmentes like his that treadeth in the wine pres How doth this agree and stand with thy promyses wherin thou takest vpon thee to help and saue vs To this Christ answereth I haue troaden the wine pres alone and of all people there was none with me for I will tread them in mine anger and tread them vnder foot in my wrath and their bloud shal be sprinkled vpon my garments and I wil stayn all my rayment For the day of vengeance is in my hart and the yeare of my redeemed is come and I looked and there was none to help and I wondered that there was none to vphold Therefore mine own harme helped me and my wrath it self sustayned me Therfore I wil tread down the people in my wrath and make them dronken in mine indignation and will bring down their strength to the earth In this answere of Christ we see how he would by his passion enter into his glory and thorowly delyuer vs for euer He sayth thou shalt not maruail to see my rayment red For this is the true and redyest way and meanes to saue the world God hath so ordayned it I haue troadē the wine pres alone that is to say I alone haue born the sinnes of the world vpon the crosse No man els was able to satisfy God for the sinnes of the world but I alone It was my bloud only that both could and ought to doe it and nothing els There was no other meanes nor way to saue you from your sins And in that my infirmity I shewed great strength and I
will reioyce ouer thee in great gladnes that is he will poure forth all his faythfulnes vpon thee and his fatherly good will towards thee that at the last the world may be compelled to see and palpably feele but especially the children of God shall know that the Lord loueth thee aboundantly as Paul writeth to Titus And he promiseth Christian liberty because he will take away these toyes to wit the lyfe and tradition of men we knowe the pharasies taught the law naughtely and went a horing with the doctrine of men teaching that men should do the workes of the law to the end that they should be iustified and haue remission of sinnes by the workes of the law and not by the mere grace of God and Christ alone And he promiseth the Church such a helpe as by which her enemies should be destroyed but she continew still Wherfore though hereticks lye and deceaue neuer so much though tyrantes murder and kill neuer so many though false Christians berwaye and betray all they can and though Sathan rage and rore neuer so much Yet in the end shall the Church the kingdome of Christ ouercome and the enemies of christ yea death the last enemy of Christ Christians shall be destroyed The Church as Sophony sayth hath a mighty Sauiour which can mightely saue and deliuer her And as Math. sayth a rock whereon it is builded against which euen the gates of hell can not preuaile And although gods children are a miserable afflicted and calamitous poore people though they be crippells and outcasts and though they be outwardly in body persecuted inwardly in the soule shakē and tormented with the terrors of death and with feare of damnation yet will Messias helpe them and ayde them and bring them to honor and gather them into his kingdome as Luke sayth in the 11. chapiter where Christ calleth the halt and lame to his supper Is it not a marueilous great honor and glory that he pronounceth of the Iewes that saluation shall come of them and of the Church that it is the Citie of God which the Lord himselfe hath foūded and builded and that there is no other true ioye peace safety righteousnes fortitude riches honor lyfe or saluation but onely that which is in the catholicke Church in the time of grace and Messias I will bring you that is I will by the Gospell call you on all sides from amōgest the wicked vnto Christes kingdome and I will gather the disparsed children of the Lord and I will exault them to honor when I shall haue turned away their captiuitie Man speaketh not these thinges but God himselfe whose will or purpose no man can let or hinder He sayth that he will gather his seruaunts into the kingdome of Christ and therein make them honorable in deede For as it is the vildest shame and greatest ignominy that can be to be a sinner and bondslaue of Sathan so on the other side it is the greatest glory laud and honor that can be to be deliuered from sin and Sathan and to be made the childe of God by the gospell To conclude in that we be made by grace children by adoption so that now we may lyue and raigne with Christ for euer who can either speake or thinke of this glorious glory gloriously enough ¶ Anna. Hath Aggeus any promises of Christ ☞ Vrba Yea forsooth For he prophecied after the captiuitie of Babilon and he moueth the people earnestly to build vp the temple agayine that the worship of God might be restored For this second temple should become very honorable because the true God of Israell himselfe should personally come into it as Mallachy prophecieth And afterward he promiseth Christ and sayth that the time of his comming draweth nye his wordes be these Thus sayth the Lord of hostes yet a little while and I will shake the heauē and the earth and the sea and the dry land and I will moue all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory sayth the Lord of hostes The glory of this last house shall be greater then the first sayth the Lord of hostes and in this place will I geue peace sayth the Lord of hostes This prophecy forespeaketh of the former comming of Messias into the world how he should come to Ierusalem into the temple and how there should be a great change both in heauen and earth For the Lord hath sent the Angell of the great counsell euen his son in the flesh that by Christ he might summarily restore all thinges in heauen and earth wherefore it was of necessitie to follow that Iudaisme should be abrogated and that the Iewes should reuolt and that the gētiles should be made the people of God and that great wōders should be don at which euen the Angels should maruell for euer And he sayth that Christ is the hope of all nations For all men are borne sinners and sinn dayly but he which sinneth doth the worke of the deuill and is the seruaunt of Sathan and child of death From the which kingdome of sin death and damnation no man can otherwise be deliuered but by Messias who onely was sent of God to take away the workes of the deuill and destroy the kingdome of Sathan to wit sin and death and to geue vs true life And therefore he is the hope of the whole world neither is there any comfort helpe forgeuenes of sinnes righteousnes peace safety ioy lyfe or health any where els to be found but onely in Christ Therefore all the elect euen from the beginning haue very carefully and earnestly desired Christ because no man either could or ought to helpe the wretched world or deliuer it from euerlasting misery and calamity and bring it to euerlasting ioy but only Iesus Christ Whē Christ in the last week of Daniel came into this world then came our true preacher our onely reconciler and mediator who made and confirmed the euerlasting couenāt of peace betwen God and vs And the prophet repeateth this word the Lord of Zebooth 5. times that the faint harted Iewes ready to fall to desperation should in no wise be discouraged but finish the worke which they had begun and stedfastly waight for the comming of Messias seeing the almighty God who is the truth it selfe had so often and so earnestly made promise of him And so we haue Christ the comfort of all nations of all sinners the true peace of the whole world and that in the temple that is in the Churche of Christ who him selfe is our peace as Paule sayth And seeing Christ is the comfort of all nations it followeth that both they ought to beleue trust in him and that his kingdome also should be among all nations both Iewes gentiles through the whole world And therefore shal they hope to haue also surely receaue of him forgeuenes of their sinnes righteousnes reconciliation
seed and trusteth not in him with all his hart he perysheth he is vndone he is ordayned to damnation he is the bondslaue of Sathan how great so euer he be both in body and soule But he that layth hold of this seed here promised by faith he escapeth the tyranny of Sathan and is delyuered from death and eternal damnatiō with him al things go wel because he shal be the Sonne of God partaker of euerlasting saluation and heir of life which lasteth for euer Here must we diligently mark that God doth promise help deliueraunce and sure victory of Sathan death and sinne but not without our Mediator not for our own sakes not by our own strength not for our own vertues not by our own wisdom not by our own skil not for our deserts or worthines By or for what then Not by or for any other thing but only this seed of the womā that is Christ alone our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mediator To this word or holy promise must we trust which if we doe there is no doubt but that God by Christ wil delyuer vs out of the power of Sathan Which thing the holy Ghost doth fully witnes by many testimonies in the new Testament where he saith that Christ is our Priest our high Priest our Righteousnes our Mediator our Redeemer our Life our way our Light our Truth our Sauyour and the Conqueror of the Prince of the world And one that hath geuen vs again a great deal more fully and absolutely those thinges which we lost in Adam then before we had them And this doth Paul very notably set forth to the Romans where making an Antithesis betwixt Adam Christ Sinne and Grace he saith But yet the gift is not so as is the offence for if by one mannes offence many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Iesus Christ hath aboūded to many The Latine text hath Insidiaberis calcaneo eius that is Thou shalt lay wayt to sting his heele as the seuenty Translators did translate it But the Hebrue text hath it Veathath teschu phennu akeb that is Thou shalt rent or bruise his heele The holy Ghost doth vse in both the places in the Hebrue tongue only this word scoph But Rabbi Salomon geueth this note In as much saith he as this word which is here vsed is twise set down in this promise it is as much to say as with hissing to assail or to hisse as doth an Adder which hissingly assayleth a man and puffingly bloweth vpon him and hath not yet stinged him And this interpretation hath a very good sence here very fit and agreeing with this place For although that old Serpent be most cruel and enuyous against vs and although he hate vs stil most deadly and striue against vs and tempt vs euery way yet hath he not power at his plesure to hurt vs as he would For it is but only with vain hissing that he assayleth Christ and his Church And the enmity which is betwixt that old Serpent that vnclean Spirit and Christ and Christians both hath and will shew it self by many and plain signes and persecutions For that sinful Serpent hissed vpon Christ when he was made man very bitterly and enuiously and he prickt and hurt his heel greeuously at what time the Iewes being set on fire with a most deuilish enuy hatred cruelty and spitefulnes rushed like mad men vpō Christ and first horribly and intollerably beat him and then nayled him to the crosse and lastly most shamefully killed him Yet was this foul Serpent so far from extinguishing and ouercomming Christ that by that very means wherby he wēt about to hurt him he ouerthrew him self and destroyed his own kingdome and power For then he lost all the right and abilitie which he had either to trouble appeach or accuse the true beleeuers in Christ And though he as his nature is sting and hisse at all the Children of Adam and miserably vexe greeue and torment them with temptations lyes heresies persecutions sinnes and death it self Yet all that he can doe against the godly though he be neuer so enuyous and wicked is nothing els but hissing yea he is so far from hurting or harming them that he greatly euen profiteth them when he killeth them and thinketh to hurt them For by that hissing wherwith he assayled the Seed of the woman he bringeth mankind out of this miserable and wretched world into most happy and euerlasting blessednes And the womans Seed that is to say Christ who himself also vnder the shape of a Serpent was lifted vp in the wildernes doth in the mean time break his head beat it all to pouder Who so euer doth behold this Christ with holy eyes putteth all his hope trust in him Sathan with all his poysened hissing and byting can neuer a whit hurt him in that appertayneth to the health of his soule He may in deed tosse vs with temptations and puffe vpon vs with his poisonful hissing and throw vs into the puddle of sinne But Christ is redy at hand to help vs and to heale the wounds which we receue of the Serpents biting He forgeueth vs our sinnes and strengthneth vs with his holy spirit that Sinne hath not henceforth dominion ouer vs and he restoreth vs again to life that by this temporall death we enter not into euerlasting death but sleep in Christ which is our life in whom both in body and soul we shal liue for euer So that both truely and godly it may and ought be sayd that the Gentils and the vnbeleeuing only be they that dye and not the faithful in Christ This is most certain and sure Christ by his desert hath wrought this thing in vs and is the Author of this great and wonderfull benefit Sathan can doe vs no harme he cannot any way hurt our soules but shal be thrown as subiect vnder our feet For Christ hath ouercome that our enemie bereft him of his pray and daunted all his force This victory which Christ hath got of Sathā and obtayned in his manhode for mannes saluation doth Paul set forth in the Epistle to the Hebrewes where he saith For asmuch then as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud that is for asmuch as men did spring of Adam He that is Christ also himself likewise toke part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the Deuil and that he might delyuer all them which for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage For he in no sort toke the Angels but he took the seed of Abraham And thus that cōfortable promise which was made to Adam was the Gospell and onely comfort of Adā and all the holy Fathers vnto Noe and Abrahā This promise the Fathers beleued and by this promise were they iustified saued For all their trust
concludeth and mightely affirmeth that we must couet this seed saying The promise that he should be the heyr of the world was not geuen to Abraham or to his seed through the law but through the righteousnes of faith For if they which are of the Law be heires faith is made void and the promise of none effect For the law causeth wrath for where no law is there is no transgression therefore is the heritage giuen by fayth that it might come by grace and the promise might be sure to all the seede not to that only which is of the law but also to that which is of the fayth of Abraham Secondly in this mere promise the great and infinite grace of God doth appeare For our desert or worthynes did not deserue that God should vouchsafe to be made man of the seed of Abrahā but it was the meere grace and mercy of god Of his meere grace he promysed Christ and of his meere grace he performed his promise by sending of Christ the law and the workes of the law neuer deserued it For you see here that God promised this blessing to the Patriarch Abraham 430. yeares before the law was giuen to Moses which he did least man should attribute some thing in the worke of lyfe and saluation to him selfe and so glory in his owne merites for grace is not mingled with works it is without all our deseruing and before all our good workes Thirdly for as much as God would lay the cause of his blessing and grace which we receaue vpon Christ through him wil onely blesse whome he doth blesse It necessarily followeth that without Christ there is neither blessing righteousnes lyfe nor health and that all that are without Christ be accursed because they remaine in sinne death and damnation We may well thinke there was some weightye cause that moued our gratious immortall high God to speake a thing of such weight a thing which is so full of cōsolation where in he bindeth himself with an oth that he would through this seede geue vs his blessing and life euerlasting Ought not I pray you the whole company of Angels with all kinde of men all sorts of creatures both in heauen and earth with great reuerence holines pietye and with vnspeakeable and infinite ioye heare their Lord God speaking these wordes and promising such precious giftes Paule sayth God willing more aboundantly to shew vnto the heires of promise the stablenes of his counsaile bound him selfe with an oth And do you not here see that he both promiseth and also sweareth but if then any could obtayne this blessing that is life and saluatiō without Christ why hath God promised the blessing in Christ so earnestly yea and that with an oth Wherfore I see not why any should thinke he can beleue in God and yet is not in the Christian faith No in deede there is no trew faith but the Christiā fayth All other opiniōs be errors God will take none for his vnlesse he be in this seede Christ that is if he be not a Christian if he beleue not in Christ Nether in deede shall we euer any where finde the fauour of God true innocencye righteousnes satisfaction for our sinnes helpe counsaile life and saluation but only in this Christ The Fathers beleued in him before he was made man and were saued In him also beleue wee and are saued And in this promise also is proued the humain birth death resurrection and eternall kingdome of Christ which all belong to this blessing in which all happines is promised For this benediction in the seede of Abraham is libertie and absolution from sinne and deliuerance from death and euerlasting damnation and on the other side it is pure innocencye righteousnes fulfilling of the lawe and renuing of the image of God in vs with securitye ioy peace and life euerlasting What more can you desire In this Christ is all righteousnes included and all kinde of cursednes excluded And therefore the Apostles diligētly vrge this promise and euery foote recite and repeate it But the deliuerance from this curse is marueilously wrought to wit by the infamy and slaunder of the crosse For so sayth Paule Christ redeemed vs from the curse of the law whē he was made a curse for vs. This was done on good fridaye when he hong on the crosse before the Iewes and the gentiles as if he had bene forsaken of God and all his creatures He bore our sinnes in his body vpon the tree of the crosse that we being deliuered from sinne might liue in righteousnes For it is written in Deut. in Ebrew that holy tongue The curse of God is on him that is hanged For so doth the Ebrew word signifye The 70 interpreters did translate it He is accursed that hangeth on tree that is He is a stumbling blocke to the Iewes and folishnes to the Gentiles but euen this Christ to the Iewes and also to the Gentiles which are called is the power and wisedome of God. Nothing appeareth more foolish and fond vnto naturall reason then that it is sayd god would in mans nature suffer this shame but so it seemeth good to God as Paule witnesseth For seing by wisedome we know not God in the wisdome of God it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleue If the mightiest God so abased him selfe for vs most vnthankful sinners that he vouchsafed to descend into the lowest partes of the earth and to suffer the greatest shame that could be for vs consider and way I pray you how greuous hainous great and monsterous our sinnes are and how patiently moderatly and in good part we ought to take the affliction and crosse which is layd vppon vs for them seing through Christ the cursse is to vs now turned into a blessing This seede Christ which was first promised to Adam and then to Abraham did God oftē renew afterward to other also of the fathers after Abraham For he promised it to Isaak and then to Iacob and the promise of Christ was againe renued in the 49. of Genn to the Patriark Iacob who a little before his death did thus prophecy of Christ The scepter shall not be taken from Iuda nor a law geuer from his feete till Siloch or he that must be sent come And he shall be the expectation of the Gentiles and the people shal be gathered vnto him In this promise is notably and playnely declared and described the tyme when Christ should be looked for as also what his state and condition should be or what a kinde of kingdome he should haue ¶ Anna. I pray you teach me playnely to vnderstād this promise made to Iacob ☞ Vrb. This worde Schebet or scepter signifieth as you know princely or kingly power or gouermēt The Caldes bible vseth this worde Schultan that is empire or power God did so ordayne among the Iewes
Christ in earth hath no father and in heauen no mother he is euerlasting God and also immortall man And in this order neither went any before him nor shall come after him He was not made priest according to the law of the carnall cōmandement but after the power of euerlasting life who truly blesseth vs and deliuereth vs from our sinnes from eternall death and giueth vs euerlasting life He is Malchizedek Malchischolam that is a king of righteousnes who is our righteousnes and doth iustify vs before god He is also a king of peace because by him only we haue peace with god As Paule sayth to the Rom. and the Eph. ¶ Anna. Vndoubtedly in this mysterie as in the other before is to be vnderstoode that Christ should first die seing Paul to the Hebr. sayth that this true Melchisedech Christ of the tribe of Iuda should be borne a very true man and yet neuertheles immortal who should liue eternally that he might helpe vs euerlastingly But Cleophas and his companiō did not vnderstand nor beleue this For if they had they would neuer haue bene so pensife nor offended at Christes death ☞ Vrb. In deed they had prophesies figures and testimonies enow of the scriptures out of which they might haue gathered that Christ should first dye And they had but euen three dayes before eaten the Paschal lambe which by Gods commaundement they ought to kill eate without leuen They tooke also the bloud of the lamb and therwith they oynted and sprinckled the two side postes the vpper post of the dores of their houses which was a tokē of grace For whē God killed all the first borne thorow all the land of Egypt the Iewes were safe in their houses For vpon what dore so euer the Angel saw the bloud of the lamb sprinckled he past it ouer This lambe with his bloud was a figure of the immaculat lamb Christ which was slayne and offered for vs by whose bloud we be deliuered from death S. Paule fitly and aptly expounded this figure saying Christ our passouer is sacrificed for vs Therfore let vs keepe the feast not with old leuen nether in the leuen of malitiousnes and wickednes but with the vnleuened bread of sincerity and truth ¶ Anna. It might manifestly and easely by this figure appeare that our passouer or pascal lambe Christ should be slayne and that his bloud should be shed ☞ Vrb. They might haue learned out of the 23. of Esay who was the trew lambe but their eies were holden neither could they vnderstand the scriptures till Christ him selfe opened their hartes ¶ Anna. Hath Moyses any more tipes or figures of Christ in his bookes ☞ Vrb. He hath and that a great many but I will onely expound those that be most principall as they stand in order In the 25. of Exo. there is a notable delectable and beutifull tipe of Christ in Caporeth God commaunded Moses that he should cause the arke to be made and be couered within without with gold and that vppon the vpper part aboue he should put the mercy seat made of pure gold You know that this word Caporeth is deriued of Ciper and signifieth a peace offering a reconciliation or the place of mercy This is a worthy mistery For God promised to the children of Israell that he himselfe would dwell in that mercy seat and that he would make answere and say his minde to the people out of it This same mercy seate both is and signifieth Christ Iesus our Sauiour ¶ Anna. How may we know that Christ is ment by that Caporeth or mercy seate ☞ Vrb. The holy Ghost by Paule doth so expound this figure to the Roma where he sayth All haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God but are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Iesu whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation or a peace offering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the mercy seat thorow fayth in his bloud And to the Ebrews where he speaketh of the hye priest Christ which is moued with the feeling of our infirmities he sayth Let vs go boldly to the throne of grace that we may receaue mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of neede And so did Moses in his mercy seate liuely and plainly paint forth Christ in his humanity in whome alone all wee finde both mercy and God him selfe as Paul sayth to the Colos In Christ dwelleth all fulnes of the Godhead bodily Of this Caporeth Christ God himselfe talketh with vs as Christ in Iohn sayth My doctrine is not myne but his that sent me Christ is the euerlasting word of the father and his onely begotten sonne true god If we see and heare Christ we heare also the father as Christ witnesseth in Iohn saying f. Phillip he that hath sene me hath sene my father also doest thou not beleue that I am in the father and the father in mee We haue here large scope and matter ministred to speake of this Caporeth but I may not tary in figures because I would come to the manifest and playne prophesies of Christ and especially to those which speake of his death and resurrection Let this therfore suffice concerning Caporeth For by Christ we be reconciled and at one with God and by him we receiue forgiuenes of our sinnes to be short in Christ we finde and obtayne God himselfe as we reade in the new testament for there is no other God but Iesus Christ ¶ Anna. What is writt of Christ in the third booke of Moses ☞ Vrb. Whatsoeuer is spoken in Leuiticus of the outward priesthood of Aaron and of all kynd of sacrifices of the sheding of blood and of forgeuing of sinnes all these were nothing els but figures of Christ our true priest which by his true sacrifice offred vpō the crosse hath redemed vs and purged vs from oursinnes ¶ Anna. How may we know that ☞ Vrb. The new Testament doth well interprete and expound these figures to vs and it applieth them all to Christ but aboue the rest the epistle to the Hebrues in which Paule plainly declareth and teacheth that Aaron the priest and the whole priesthood in the law with all the rites sacrifices offrings clensings orisons doctrines reconciliatiōs propitiatiōs sprinklings of bloud and other fit figures for that purpose do plainly set forth and prefigure vnto vs Christ For what things soeuer were then done they were onely shadowes and types of the new testamēt of Christ because that then there was no true reconciliatiō forgiuenes of sinnes or righteousnes in that outward priesthood and sacrifices Dumbe and brute beastes were then offred whose bloud as Paul sayth cannot take away sinne There were many sacrifices effutiōs of bloud washings in the law which were but tipes shadowes and could make no man perfect within in conscience They were onely figures and memorials of sinnes
and of the forgiuenes of sinnes which we haue onely by the bloud of Iesus Christ as it is written to the Hebrues They were only exercises of outward discipline holines and iustification of the flesh which beyng but giuen vntil the tyme of reformation were then to haue the full end when he should come which by these types and figures was prefigured ¶ Anna. I would gladly heare how Aaron with his priesthood and sacrifices do signify prefigure Christ And I pray you expoūd me euery parcell of it orderly ☞ Vrb. I wil. But that you may as in a table plainly see it and that the matter may the better be vnderstood and perceiued I haue here vnder set downe the figures of the old testamēt with the fulfilling of them the truth of the new testament set ouer against them ¶ A Table conteyning the figures of the old law and things in deede figured therby The Figure The things figured 1. AARON with his priesthood in Leuiticus 1. CHrist and his euerlasting priesthood in the whole epistle to the Hebrues 2. Aaron the hie Priest in the law 2. Christ a high priest in the whole epistle to the Hebrues 3. Aarō teacheth the law giuē by Moses which accuseth vs and worketh wrath Iohn 5. Rom. 4. 3. Christ teacheth the Gospell which excuseth and defendeth al true Christians giueth thē mere grace Ioh. 1. Grace truth by Christ 4. Aarons doctrine was the letter writtē with the finger of God in tables of stone 4. Christes doctrine is spirite and lyfe the christian faith written in the fleshly tables of the harte by the holy ghost Iohn 6. Iere. 31. 2. Cor. 3. 5. Aaron praieth for the people 5. Christ is our Mediator aduocat praieth for vs Ro. 8.1 Tim. 2. 6. Aaron beareth the sinnes of the people the 3. booke of Moses 6. Christ is the true lamb of God which beareth the sinnes of the world and paieth the raunsome for them Ioh. 1. 7. Aarō offred vp beasts and bloud of beastes for the sinnes of the people 7. Christ offred vp him selfe for the sinnes of the world and shed his owne bloud for them Ebr. 9. There be fiue kind of sacrifices in the law All kindes of sacrifices were fulfilled in Christ 1. The Holocaustum was consumed with fire Leui. 1. 1. Christ is our true burnt offering burning in the feruēt fire of loue towardes vs and geueth himselfe wholy for vs that he may thereby deliuer man holily 2. The offering vp of sacrifice in Leuit. 2. 2. Isichius vnderstādeth by the offering of the sacrifice the manhood of Christ Ierome also vnderstandeth Christ who is the bread of life Ioh. 6. 3. The peace offering Leuit. 3. 3. Christ is our true peace offring Rom. 5. 2. Cor. 5. by the death of the sonne we are reconciled to god Col. 1. he hath set at peace by the bloud of his crosse all thinges c. 4. The offring for sinnes Leu. 1. 4. Christ is our true offering for sinnes committed and duety omitted 2. Cor. 5. Ro. 8. 5 The offring for transgression Leui. 6.7 5. For our sinnes he laid downe his lyfe the Lord layed vpon him the iniquity of vs all Esay 53. Figures The truth and the thing figured 1. The bloud of beastes was shed in the law to purifie sinnes Heb. 9. Leui. 9. 1. Onely the bloud of Christ Iesu the sonne of god which he shed on the crosse doth purge vs from all our sinne 1. Ioh. 1. Heb. 9 2. The high priest once and no more euery yere entred alone into the holy of holiest or into the second tabernacle Leui. 16. Exod 30. by the bloud of beasts with which yet notwithstanding he could not eyther iustifie or purifie any man. 2. But Christ an high priest of good thinges to come once entred not into a tabernacle made with handes but euē into the very heauens into the presence of God by his owne bloud wherby he reconciled vs purified vs and obtayned for vs euerlasting lyfe Heb. 9. 3. Aarons sacrifices of necessitie ought to be most pure cleane and perfect without eyther blot or spot 3. Christ of al the sonnes of men had neyther spot blotte nor blemish beyng conceyued of the holy gost and borne of the pure virgin Mary Esay 53. These sacrifices shedings of the bloud of beastes in the lawe signified the precious and incomparable death of Messias because he in the nature shape and state of man would once be slayne and offered vp to wash away our sinnes Here must we first well diligently obserue that the sacrifices of the law with the bloud therof cannot in deede purge or take away any sinne neither reconcile any man to god They were onely figures ordeyned and instituted of God that they might represent vnto vs that only and true sacrifice and reconciliatiō of the new testament that is to say Christ on his crosse by whose only sacrifice sinne was truly and verily purged clensed and washed away certain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is redemptiō is obtained Secondly that if only by the death of Christ sinn be truly purged and washed away then by it alone shal death be vanquished and extinguished in as much as death is the rewarde of sinne and where no sinne is there death can haue no power Thirdly this also doth follow by a firme and inuincible consequence that Christian beleuers who haue part of this sacrifice are truly deliuered from their sinnes and shal by it also though in body they dye yet be restored againe to lyfe All the priestes of the law died successiuely neither could they deliuer themselues nor others from sinne and death but Christ hath no successor because he is alway one and bides for euer a priest of the euerlasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 priesthood by which he both can and will saue vs for euer and by which he purchaseth for vs euerlasting redemption Heb. 7. and 9. Wherfore all which are his that is which beleue in him shal be fellow heyres with him of euerlasting lyfe He is not God of the dead but of the liuing And therefore they also must needes by Christ rise againe frō death but if we should rise again frō death enioy euerlasting life it was needefull that he should first rise again frō death and be the Lord of life as Esay sayth When he shall make his soule an offring for sinne he shall see his seede shall prolong his dayes Here the Prophet teacheth that Christ after he had finished his sacrifice on the crosse should liue and raigne with his church for euer and neuer die as other priestes kinges and lordes did Must not a godly hart of necessity here conceyue much ioy when he seeth and considereth how plainely how clerely and how directly vnder the shadowe of these figures both the death and the resurrection of Christ and all faythfull christians are signified and set forth and also when we see
by what meanes it pleased God to redeeme the captiue worlde and to reconcile it to him by Messias his only begotten sonne We read in the booke of Numbers which is the 4. booke of Moses that Moses by the commaundement of God erected in the wildernes a brasen serpent which when the children of Israel should behold they should be restored to their former health although they were stinged with the deadly woundes of the firy serpentes and should not die of the poyson and stinges And so was it meete that the sonne of man as Christ sayth should be lifted vp that all they which beleue in him should not die but haue euerlasting life In this figure of the serpent the crosse and wholesome deth of Christ together with the fruit and vse of the same that is to say our deliuerance from death is very well and fruitfully prefigured ¶ Anna. By this figure also Cleophas and his felow might haue coniectured and seen that Messias should die and afterward rise agayne to euerlasting lyfe ☞ Vrb. They needed not in deede haue bin so pensife neither yet haue wauered doubted or bin so offended about Messias as they wer if thei had wel known Gods purpose and predestinated ministery of Christ Neuertheles they had plainer and liuelier prophesies of Christ in the Prophets then these out of which they might more certainly and euidently haue gathered the death and resurrection of Christ ¶ Anna I pray you go through and explicate to me the rest of the prophecies which Moses hath of Christ ☞ Vrbane Saint Peter in the third of the Actes reciteth out of Deuteronomie 18. a famous prophesie of Christ and worthy to be remembred where Moses sayth thus to the people The Lord thy God wil raise vp vnto thee a Prophet like vnto me from among you euē of thy brethren vnto him shall you harken and who so euer will not hearken vnto my woordes which hee shall speake in my name I will require it of him sayth the lord It is euident and certaine that in this text Christ is that prophet of whō Moses here maketh mentiō For the holy ghost himself doth apply it to Christ speaking by S. Peter And the multitude which was refreshed with meate speaketh after this sorte of that excellent prophet in Iohn where the Greeke text is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say This verily and without all doubt is the selfe same prophet which is to come into the world according to the prophesies of the prophets Luke also saith A great prophet is raysed vp amongst vs and God hath visited his people And here is to be noted that Christ should first be a true man and consequently be partaker of death And then he saith A Prophet like to me of your bretheren Secondly ye see that Christ also should be a doctor should bring into the world the word of God his Father the word of life the holy sauing Gospell Here you see he speaketh spiritually of the kingdō of Christ And thirdly is to be noted that he which doth disdayn to heare this word of life and wil not beleeue it shall bring vpon him self the iudgement and wrath of God And that God for that mans vnbeleef will visite him in his indignation and will plague him with horrible punishments Of this is Paul a witnes to the Thessalonians where he saith When the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them that do not know God and which obey not the gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ which shal be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he shal come to be glorified in his saints and to be made maruelous to all thē that beleue And Peter also in the Acts when he hath recited the wordes of the prophesie addeth these wordes It shall be that euery persō which shall not heare that prophet shal be destroyed out from the people The Latine translation in Deut. sayth it thus If any man will refuse to heare the wordes of this prophet God will be reuenged of him By which wordes we see that there must be a Iudgemēt By all which it followeth that Christ should not remayne in death but rise agayne to lyfe ¶ Anna. What is there written of Christ in the other prophets as in Samuel Dauid Esay Ieremy and Ezechiel c. ☜ Vrb. They prophesie sufficiently of all thinges which is nedeful for vs to know As of the genealogy or stocke of Christ according to the flesh Of the city where he should be borne Of the pure virgin Mary his blessed mother Of the manner and circumstances of his conception and natiuitie Of his name which should be giuen him Of his firster and poore comming into the world Of his condicion and lowly lyfe which should be void of all worldly ostentation and when that commyng of his should be Of his double birth wherof one was Eternall of his Father and of his true Godhead the other temporall of the vndefiled Virgine Mary which neuer knew man. Of his flight into Egypt Of his office that is to say that he should be our King. Priest Doctor Reconciler Mediator Shepeherd Redemer Deliuerer and Iudge of the world Of his miracles Of his shamefull and reprochfull but vnto vs most wholsome and happy death Of his descending into hell Of his glorious resurrectiō and of the causes and vnspeakable commodities therof Of his passion and resurrection that is to say of his maruelous victory wherin he ouercame destroied therfore Mathew calleth Christ the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Abraham Heare you see that Christ came of the tribe of Iuda and Mathew reckeneth vp some of Christes ancetors or progenitors from Abraham to Ioseph which was Maries husband and of the house and line of Dauid So that we may plainly see that God stood to his promise and very faithfully performed that which he had promised to Abraham and Dauid in sending that blessed seed Christ ¶ Anna. I know that Mathew wrighteth a Cataloge of Christ was not the sonne of Ioseph but seeyng Christ was not the sonne of Ioseph but onely of Mary the pure virgin which neuer knew man being conceaued by the operation and vertue of the holy Ghost without mans seede not after the cōmon and naturall order of mans conception as the text in playn words doth testifie saying of whom that is of the which Mary was borne Iesus I do not yet vnderstand how Christ can come of the stocke and linage of Abraham and so of Dauid For what I pray you doth Iosephs kinne or family make to Christs byrth seing Christ was not the sonne of Ioseph In deede if S. Mathew had recited Maries ancetors and progenitors from Abraham to Marye so it might haue appeared very euidently and playnely that the promise had ben fulfilled
or if S. Mathew had proued and declared that Marye had ben Dauids daughter or of Dauids house then I thinke there would haue ben no cause of doubting but for all my simple capacitie it would haue bene both esy playne and yet I would not you should think I speake this as one that doubteth any thing at all of the truth of the Gospell For I beleue verely that all which is in the scripture is most true and I yeld vnto God such dew honor that I beleue that his word is as it is in deed the truth it selfe and such a sound certaynty and sure foūdation as neuer shal be remoued But I say it because I earnestly desire to learne some certayne ground and profe out of the holy scriptures of this matter wherby my fayth may be strengthened ☜ Vrb. In asmuch as Mathew sayth that the virgin Mary the mother of Christ was betrowthed to Ioseph he needed not recken vp the petegrees of the woman or the genealogy of Mary for it was sufficient to set out Iosephs petegree whereby it is of it self playne and certayne that Mary was of the tribe of Dauid and so Christ the sonne of Dauid For as Hierom sayth the scripture doth not vse to draw the petegree of the woman This is the truth of the matter Ioseph and Mary were both of one tribe to wit of the tribe of Iuda For Ioseph tooke Marye who was his cosin to wife according to the law of the Lord in Nume the wordes of the law be these They shal be wiues to whome they thinke best onely to the familye of the tribe of their father shall they mary So shall not the inheritance of the children remoue from tribe to tribe for euery one of the children of Israell shall ioyne himselfe to the inheritāce of the tribe of his fathers And euery daughter that possesseth any inheritance of the tribes of the children of Israell shal be wife vnto one of the family of the tribe of her father that the children of Israel may enioy euery man the inheritance of their fathers neither shal the enheritance go about from tribe to tribe but euery one of the tribes of the children of Israell shall stick to his owne enheritance as the Lord cōmmaunded Here now it appeareth that in as much as Ioseph and Mary were spoused together they were both of one tribe and family For she could not marry any man vnlesse he were her cosen or of his owne tribe linage If therfore Ioseph be of the tribe of Iuda Mary his spouse is also of the tribe of Iuda Wherfore S. Math. in that he drew the genealogy of Christ from Zerobabell Abiud comming downe to Ioseph the husband of Mary drew it well and truly according to Moises his law Yet S. Luke draweth this genealogy from Zerobabell by Resa Iohanna Iuda or Ioseph Semei til he came to Hely and so to Ioakim who was the father of the virgin Mary the blessed mother of god And this genelogy is also both trew very wel drawne You heard a little before a prophesye out of Esay which sayth There shall come a rod of the stock of Ishai and a graffe shall grow out of his rootes and the spirite of the Lord shall rest vpon him Here the Prophet sinne death and hell Of his glory and his ascending into heauen Of his Eternall kingdome as both of what sorte it should be and how he should raigne And of his other second or latter and glorious cōming in the last day to Iudgement ¶ Anna. There be me thinks many articles of Christ in the prophets did Christ I pray you expound thē all to those two disciples on the way betwixt Ierusalē and Emaus which towne as the scripture witnesseth in Luke was but threescore furlonges distant from Ierusalem ☜ Vrb. Christ as I thinke onely expounded those prophesies which are written of his passion death resurrection and glory Because in those that is to say in his passion they were most offended supposing in so much as they had seene him end his natural lyfe vpon the Crosse there had bin neither counsaile hope nor helpe left in him for Israell to looke for and for this cause were they so sad They sorrowed and were pensiue because they knew not nor thought not that Messias ought first to suffer that vile and ignominious death and rise agayne and so enter into his glory redeeme the world and remaine our God for euer as I haue sayd before But when they now vnderstood the prophesies of his passion and resurrection and when they had learned by the prophets that it was gods wil and ordinance that Messias by dying should become Lord of life death they had no further cause to sorrow and therfore their hartes were so ioyfull and their hope so sure that they could not hide their ioy but vttered and participated it with their fellow disciples which were at Ierusalem ¶ An. God be praised for euer Verily we haue no perfit or right ioy in deed vnles first we be wel throughly acquainted with Christs death and resurrection which if we surely beleue and haue them inwardly by fayth grounded within vs they not onely expell all mistes and cloudes of sorrow but also make vs triumphantly reioyce in the lord And although Christ perhaps opened no prophesies to those two disciples but onely of his passion and resurrectiō yet would I faine heare what els the scripture hath prophesied of him concerning those things which you haue alredy summarily gathered into a Catalogue certayne articles that I may herby haue a more sensible sure feling of Christ ¶ ☞ Vrb. It shal be no great labor for me to recite and expound them all whereby the rather we may haue euery part of the Sermon which Christ thē preached and I will doe it so much the more willingly and diligently because S. Luke sayth Christ begonne at Moyses and interpreted vnto them all scriptures which were written of him That Sermon then must needes haue ben a good long sermon if he expounded all the scriptures to them and therefore my explanation of them will also require some tyme. Of the stocke or genealogie of Christ ¶ Anna GO to then first say what the scripture hath of Christes stock ☞ Vrb. You haue hard before that he should come of the seede of Abraham and the prophesye in the 18. of Deutero declareth that he should be born of the Iewes to whome the promise was made and this was no small prerogatiue nay there was none like it as Paul witnesseth to the Romans saying The Israelites are they to whome pertayneth the adoption and the glory and the couenauntes and the geuing of the law and the seruice of God and the promises of whome are the fathers and of whome concerning the flesh Christ came who is God ouer all blessed for euermore Amen This promise in processe of tyme did God make to Dauid by the
nor no tyme to come as the creature hath and therefore Christ speaketh of his deuine and eternall nature in that one word or syllable of the present tyme saying I am For in deed eternitie is for euer and hath neyther former nor latter tyme beginning nor ending The vacabond and vnbeleuing Iewes supposed iudged that he was no more but bare man and such a one as Abraham or Elias was neither could they abide to heare the mysteries of Christes wordes or giue credite to them They dreamingly thought it could not be possible that he should haue seene Abraham seyng it was ful two thousand yeares and more betwixt Abrahams departure out of the world and Christs comming in the flesh into the world neither did they know or vnderstande the scriptures which teache and foreshew that Messias should not only be borne in Bethleem in tyme but also that his forth going was before all tyme as Paul testifieth to the Hebrues saying Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same also euen for euer Here then if you will well waigh this prophesie you maie see in it both the death and resurrection of Christ which necessarily is to be required that hee might raigne and rule eternally and spiritually For in as much as it was determined that he should be borne of the stocke of Dauid a perfect and very natural man in the citie of Bethleem it was not to be thought strāge though he should dye as well as Dauid Salomon other men did What meruail is it I pray you to see a naturall man die certainly the corporal or vitall life can not alway indure Neuerthelesse for all that in as much as he should be the true and chiefe Lord of Israel it can not be that he should be subiect to death or that death should vanquish or deteyne him but that of necessity he must rise agayne from death liue for euer And therfore is he compelled by temporall death to leaue his mortall lyfe for how can mortall man come to immortalitie least first he put of his mortall body which can not be done but by corporal death And thus it behoued him to change this frayle corporal and corruptible lyfe into a spirituall inuisible immortall and incorruptible lyfe that he might become the true and euerlasting Lord of all the Israelites as well of those that before had bene as of those that thē were and afterward at any tyme should be and that he might also begin his true eternall and spirituall kingdome the administration whereof is not after the maner of men nor yet consisteth in worldly matters And therefore Iohn sayth Verily verily I say vnto you except the wheat corne fall into the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit ¶ Anna. O good Lord though it be not seene and known of fleshly eyes yet how full of sweete comfort and consolation how full of marueilous maiesticall deuine wisdom and deep mysteries is the sacred scriptures O how great and vnspeakable wisdome and knowledge lyeth hid vnder the letter how truly sayd Dauid O how sweete are thy promises vnto my throte yea sweeter then hony vnto my mouth By thy Commandements haue I gotten vnderstanding therfore I hate all wicked wayes Thy worde is a lanterne vnto my feete and a light vnto my paths O I say what a tresure of knowledge wisdome what precious pearles of euerlasting lyfe lye hid in the wordes of God how doth it flow with vnderstanding most aboundantly and intelligence farre passing mans capacitie what sound present and aboundant comfort may a godly man cōceiue of this holy worde If these two disciples after this sort had known the person of Christ in this prophesie of Micheas they had not bene so offended at his death but had vnderstood and receiued comfort Because God had so ordeyned prouided all these things to come to passe and had so determined that the crosse of Christ should be the glory and triumphant victory of all true Christians But in as much as you haue shewed me the scriptures concernyng the place of his birth Say also I pray you what is written of his Mother ¶ Of the Virgin Mary the Mother of Christ and of Christes conception Vrbane WHen Pekah the king of the ten tribes which fell away in Israell and Rezin the king of Syria made warre vpon Achas the fifteenth king of Iuda murthered and spoyled the inhabitantes of the country purposing and determining to remoue Achas place an other in his kingdome then the holy ghost while these two kings with detrunēt and bloodshed had all to defaced the land of Iuda prophesied by the Prophet Esay Of the blessed Virgine Mary that she should beare the child Christ And although those kings were very cruell vpon Achas and were both mightily and maruelous bloudily bent against him yet did not God for all that suffer them to preuayle against him and his poore tribe of Iuda because he would faithfully perform and pay that which he had promised to Dauid euen that Messias should come of his house and lynage He comforteth therfore Achas the king in this perill purposing to quicken and confirme his faith by this miracle to the ende he should not feare his enemies For God promised that he himselfe would ayde him But Achas was an Idolater and an hypocrite neither did he receyue that for a signe of Gods helpe Wherfore God reiected that wicked king and yet neuerthelesse published the myracle and gaue the signe to the house of Dauid which was the signe of true helpe and deliuerance from the horrible and euerlasting calamity and misery wherin all we were wrapped euen death damnation and the tiranny of Sathan These be the wordes of the prophet Behold Haalmah or a Virgin shall conceiue and beare a sonne and his name shall be called Emanuel or Immanuel Loe here you see that he prophesieth of the Virgin Mary and her sonne Christ our Sauiour And here the holy ghost telleth vs that Messias should not be borne after the maner of all the other sonnes of Adam of the seed of man but onely of the pure and vndefiled virgin Mary And therfore his birth is not as ours is vncleane defiled and infected but holy pure and free from all blemish of sinne Because he is that blessed seed of Abraham by which onely and by no other all we wretched children of Adam conceiued and borne in sinne must be clensed blessed sanctified iustified frō all the filthines of our sinnes Moreouer the wordes of this prophesie do plainly paynt out the maner of his conception signifiyng that he was not conceyued of mans seede but that Mary onely by the vertue of the holy ghost conceiued For here is promised that a child should be borne and yet the mother remayne a pure virgin And yet here is no mention of any father because it might bee a famous signe and miracle
of the priests asked Peter and Iohn in the Actes by what power and in what name they helped the lame man Peter answered by the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth For in deede there is none other name vnder heauen giuen vnto men in which we can or must be saued ¶ Anna. Is not the high priest in Zachary also called Iesus how commeth that to passe or how can this so deuine and glorious a name be giuen to him ☞ Vrb. The high priest in that place is only a figure of Christ and therefore hath he this name giuen him For Iosua the sonne of Nun is called Iosua because he was a figure of Iehoscuah Iesus And although God gaue the people of Iuda many benefites and commodities and increased them maruelously by these mens meanes yet were they all but only temporall and terrestriall giftes which they receyued of God by theyr handes and very trifles in deed in comparison of the great giftes and benefits helth and helpe which God through Iesus Christ hath now giuen not to one people only but to all the world For Christ deliuereth vs from eternall misery from sinne from death and from euerlasting damnatiō and giueth vs innocency helth lyfe and eternall saluation This name therfore filleth heauen and earth with vnspeakeable ioy because by this name commeth true and present helpe in all troubles and certain saluation from all calamities As Peter sayth in the Acts. To him giue all the Prophets witnesse that through his name all that beleue shall receyue remission of sinnes To conclude this in deede is true helpe true lyfe and true liberty What I pray you is the ayde helpe of all the world and worldly creatures in comparison of this can they deliuer a mā frō any sinne can they giue any mā eternall lyfe can they saue ones lyfe or rayse one frō deth or deliuer one from the deuill a fig they can But our Christ only is he that can helpe the world neither can he only but also will doth that which he can Wherfore he only and none other is that true Iesus which both in body and soule and in lyfe and death helpeth aydeth deliuereth and with eternall lyfe blesseth all that beleue in him This true helpe and helth and this holy name full of all comfort consolation was oftentimes foretold of by the prophets As in Iere. the 7. where Israel confesseth that there is no helpe any where but with god And there amongst other he sayth Truely in the Lord our God is the health of Israel In the holy tongue it is Theschath that is thy sauiour helpe or health Thus haue you heard that life is promised to the worlde in no other but only in Iesus Christ as Peter saith in the Acts. Wherfore it may be supposed that where so euer mention is made in the Scriptures after this sort of the ayde helpe or saluation of God that there Christ is to be vnderstood Christ also in Esay comforteth his church and promiseth her the seruice and ministery of the Gentiles and kings and amongst other he hath these wordes Thou shalt sucke the milke of the Gentiles and shalt sucke the brestes of Kings thou shalt know that I the lord am thy sauiour and thy redemer the mighty one of Iacob What other redemer doe we here vnderstand but Iesus Christ whō al the godly know and beleue to be promised giuen of God to redeme and deliuer the world Also in the 43. of Esay it is said I am the Lord thy God the holy one of Israel thy sauiour In both these places the name of Christ Meschiah is vsed which commeth of the Hebrue word Iascha that is saued And in the 45. of Esay it is said Israel shal be saued in the Lord with an euerlasting saluation you shal not be ashamed nor confounded world without ende And here the word Thescuah in Hebrue is vsed And that which is sayd here is in deed fulfilled in the true and spirituall Israel that is in the Catholike church of Christ which findeth euerlasting lyfe health helpe in Christ Iesu Wheresoeuer also we finde in the Psalmes Ieschuath cha which signifieth thy sauior or saluation there Augustine alwayes vnderstandeth Christ our alone sauiour as in the Psalm 119. and in many other which for multitude I cannot recite For we see thē euery where Rabbi Ishak Nathan hath gathered a great many of them together in his Perusch Aleph and Beth which you may read if you will. But here I would not haue you ignorant that some men thinke Iehoschuah and Iesus not to bee both one For they say that Iesus is deriued of the Hebrue word Iesch which as Capnio interpreteth it signifieth is or els of the true and proper name of God Iehouah which signifieth such a one as hath not or borroweth not his beyng of any other but is of himselfe as Christ saith to the stubborne Iewes in Iohn Before Abraham was I am Wherby is proued that Christ is truly and properly so called and els no man For God calleth himselfe I am that I am where telling Moses what is his name he sayth I am that I am Thus shalt thou say to the childrē of Israel I am hath sent me vnto you Hereupō some suppose this name Iesus to be the very name of God Tetragrammaton which in the holy tonge is written with foure letters namely Iod hoe uof hoe In stead of which name the Iewes for religion and reuerence sake vse this word Edonai Now if we put in this letter schin with these fower letters they wil make the word Ieheschu or Iesu which properly signifieth God himself or the deuine essence For God promised in his prophets that he himselfe would come and saue vs And we in our true and vndoubted Catholike faith beleue that Christ is true and natural God which both made and preserueth all things c. Wherefore this holy and royall name Iesus is giuen only to him By which the Angel Gabriel said he should be called whē as yet he was not conceiued by the holy ghost This most holy name was giuen him openly when he was circumcised neither hath it ought it or iustly can it be giuen to any other but onely to our true Messias For the scripture witnesseth that he is very God in mans nature Paul to the Phil. sayth f. Christ had a name aboue all names And what name can that be but onely the name of God and thus much of his former name Iesus Now the other of the two names which in the scriptures be commonly giuen to Christ is Messias which word signifieth annointed and belōgeth to a king For in the law the kings were annointed as well as priests Yet was not Christ annointed after the maner of other kings but after a strange and peculiar maner so that he is a Messias peerlesse to whom there is not an
For that same word in that holy tonge is vsed also actiuely in this same signification in which the Latine translator doth here vse it calling it a Sauiour or deliuerer And the 70. Translators do nothing differ from our interpreter For they vse in this place this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth sauing The Iewes also before the comming of Messias at Babylon vnderstood this word actiuely For their Thargum hath it thus sakai vporik which is to say innocent a deliuerer or sauior The prophet also calleth him Poore the Hebrue word is Eny which signifieth carefull contrite in hart sory tormented hūbled and one of a lowly humble mind in whom is no hautines no cruelty no pride no swelling But one in whom is all meekenes lowlines humility and myldnes and one whose good will toward others is such that he is much troubled and greued at their hurtes and misfortunes Wherupon S. Mathew alledging this prophesie vseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is meeke And of this his meekenes and humblenes he gaue some testimony when he rode to Ierusalem vpon an asse And yet for all this the highest and chiefest estates of Ierusalem did so tirannically hate him that as enuious bloudsuckers they sought all occasions they could to kil him But Christ nothing moued with their enuy and as it were not regarding his death which he knew certaynly the princes of Ierusalem with the Pharises and Scribes went about did this present daunger of his lyfe not regarded euen from his very hart bewayle both the blindnes of the men and the calamity and destruction of the city yea they were the greatest things that troubled him For his bitter teares sufficiently witnessed both his griefe for them good wil towards them This his heauenly hart which appeared so mild and so pitifull toward his neighbor was farre from all ostentation For he nothing esteemed riches worldly traine pompe and vanitie as appeareth by the whole course of his lyfe which he led here in lowlines pouerty trouble grief danger and grieuous sorow and he himselfe is witnes of this where he saith The Foxes haue dennes but the sonne of man hath not where on to lay his head But this his humble entring into the city all without ostentation doth plainly inough argue his humilitie pouerty Zachary saith not that he rode to Ierusalem like an armed emperour reioicing triumphing in scarlet in purple glistring robes and in cloth of gold vpō a lusty palfrey magnifically sadled princely trapped with a great troupe and gard that he might amase men The prophet sayth not that Christ came so But he saith he sate vpō an asse a beast which is vile poore contemptible and ridiculous And in that his so doing he shewed a very great lowlines humility modesty and meekenes yea such that no man neede be afrayd of him This was fulfilled vpon Palme sonday when Christ sent his disciples to fetch an asse with her colt from Bethfage vnto mount Oliuet and came into the city vpon her as the euangelist Mathew saith witnessing of the fulfilling of this prophesie It foloweth in the prophet And I will cutte of the chariots from Ephraim and the horse from Ierusalem Here the prophet sheweth the nature and condiciō of Christ his kingdome For seyng he had called Christ a kyng which should come vnto his people he must also haue a kingdom But marke what and what maner of one his kingdome is It is not an earthly or a worldly kingdom neither is it ruled or gouerned and mainteined by hostes of men munition or mans power and strength nor by any such means as earthly kingdoms are ruled and gouerned And therfore he saith that he wil take away and destroy their chariots horses bowes Which kind of munition in this world princes vse eyther to establishe their kingdomes or to repulse the force and violence of their enemies which either seeke the vpper hand or els to increase and inlarge the territories of their owne dominions Esay also describeth the kingdom of Christ much after this sort saying The law shall go forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem and he shall iudge among the nations and rebuke many people they shal breake their swordes also into mattocks and their speares into sithes nation shall not lift vp a sword against nation neither shall they learne to fight any more By Ephraim Zachary vnderstandeth the ten tribes of Israel which beyng vnder Roboam fell away from the house of Dauid to Ieroboam set vp a kingdom of their owne Whereby the Prophet meaneth that whē Christ should come these two kingdomes Iuda and Israel should not continue any longer deuided but bee made one vnder the true king Christ Which thing came then to passe when Christ his Apostles preached in Galily and in all those countries euen to Ierusalem when Christ the true prince in Israel gathered together into the vnitie of the Christian fayth all his people by preaching of his Gospel It followeth And he shal speake or he wil teach peace c. That is Christ will not establish or preserue his kingdome with armour because he is called the kyng of peace He shal raign gouerne his kingdom not as the world doth but spiritually by his word in which the very true peace safety tranquillity health and chiefe felicity is preached and deliuered not to the Iewes alone but to all the whole world euen the Gentiles also This peace doth farre and infinitely excell the peace of this world For it is a most perfect peace with God our most mighty lord He which is at peace with God to wit with whom God is well pleased and to whom God is fauourable mercifull and gratious that man may stoutly stand without feare He is out of danger he sayleth in safety he as one sitting on an high rock or a sure and inuincible tower may looke and laugh at his enemies below and he both may ought hartily to reioyce and be mery in the lord And such now be we for we haue peace with God or towards God through Christ our onely mediator and aduocate As Paul witnesseth to the Rom. saying We were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne Christ is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken the stop of the partition wall in abrogating through his flesh the hatred that is the law of commaundementes which standeth in ordinances for to make of twaine one new man in himselfe so making peace And that he might reconcile both vnto God in one body by his crosse and slay hatred therby and came and preached peace to you which were a farre of and to them that were nere for thorough him we both haue an entrance vnto the father by one spirite Esay also hath delectably and pleasauntly prophesied that Christ and his Apostles should be the ioyfull messengers of that
most happy peace saying How beautifull vppon the mountaines are the feete of him that declareth and publisheth peace that declareth good tidinges and publisheth saluation saying vnto Sion thy God raigneth The Apostles declare the true peace they tell vnto vs out of the Gospell most ioyfull and good tidings to wit that God will be no more angry with vs but will be our mercifull father through his sonne Christ who hath pacified and mitigated his wrath and brought vs peace as Paul sayth It pleased the father by his sonne Christ to reconcile all things to himselfe and to set at peace through the bloud of his crosse both the things in earth the things in heauen This comfort doth God in his gospell giue vs by the apostles and ministers of his church And of this peace the scripture in sundry places maketh mencion as in Esay where it is sayd The encrease of his gouernment and peace shall haue no ende And Christ in Iohn saith vnto his disciples Peace I leaue with you my peace I geue vnto you And because they should not dreame of a carnall peace he by and by addeth Not such peace as the world giueth giue I vnto you In the world you shall haue affliction but be of good comfort I haue ouercome the world It followeth and his dominion shall be from sea to sea Here he describeth how farre the bondes of Christes kingdom should reach what limits it should haue and how great it should be to wit he shall not only be lord and king of the Iewes but also of the Gētiles so of the whole world according to the Psalme The earth is the lordes and all that therein is the rounde world and they that dwel therin And Abdias witnesseth that Christes kingdom extendeth it selfe ouer all that dwell vpon the earth according to the exposition of Thargum which sayth from the waters vnto the ende of the earth In which text by waters we vnderstand Iordan which is a worthy and famous riuer in Canaan It followeth Thou also by the bloud of thy couenant hast deliuered the prisoners out of the pitte wherein is no water The prophet in the former wordes said that the kingdom of Christ should be spirituall vile poore miserable and of no beauty in the eyes of the world and yet for all that the king of this kingdom should iustifie saue his people And his helpe should be so great and auailable that both the Iewes and Gentiles in all the world should feele the sweetnes of his grace and that this king should make them be at peace one with an other nay which is more he saith that for this kings sake they should haue peace with god These be excellent things and such as passe all other But now seyng the kingdom of Christ is spirituall and doth not stand on worldly power vaine glory or any other earthly thing Perhaps some may thinke and aske how by what meanes and way then did he meane to worke such wonderfull things The Prophet answereth this obiectiō saying It shal be wrought by bloud Our redemption shal cost this king much for he shal be constrayned for payment thereof to shed that which is most precious and best beloued vnto him euē his most holy precious bloud by which only he deliuereth cleanseth vs from all our sinnes and so redemed vs. And where he sayth thou hast deliuered thy prisoners by bloud c. He doth allude and hath respect to Moses who after the same sort in the olde testament sacrificed with blood and by the bloud of the old testament brought Israel out of Egypt And it is as much as if he should say thou bringest thy people out of bondage euen as Moses brought the people of Israel which was a figure of the church out of Egypt But thou doest it more mightily royally and maruelously then Moses did For that bloud in the old testament was nothyng but a figure of thy bloud But thou madest a new testament and thou diddest make and confirme a newe graunt of grace not by the bloud of beasts but euen by thine owne blood by which thou didst not deliuer a few or certaine number of men as Moses did but an innumerable people to wit all that beleue in Christ through out the whole world and thou bringest them out of that most darke and dangerous Egypt the tiranny of Sathan and euerlasting damnation which in deed is a place without water that is in which is no recreation no refreshing no comfort no rest For when the sinner beyng in the bondes and chaynes of sinne vnder the law is in state of damnation then feeleth he nothing but feare terror trembling dread horror anxiety abashment of hart desperation and death it selfe gnawing vpon him Neither findeth he any helpe counsell comfort or remedy either in the world or worldly creatures vnlesse he be sprinckled with the bloud of this new testament that is vnlesse he beleue that Christ as the Gospell teacheth hath shed his bloud to pacify Gods anger for his sinnes and wash them away This if the sinner beleue then is he thorow that fayth by which he beleueth that Christ shed his bloud for his sinnes deliuered out of that lake to wit his conscience and he hath comfort and reioyceth in the lord This prophesie doth also plainely tell vs that Christ our king should suffer death because he could by no other meanes but through his bloud deliuer iustifie bring his captiue people into euerlasting lyfe But he could not haue deliuered his seruantes from death if he had continued still in death And therefore it was needfull that he should rise agayne from death and vāquish and ouercome death This knew not these two disciples going to Emaus and therfore they were as you heare offended at Christes death and they supposed that all their hope which they had conceiued of Christ for the deliuerance of Israel had bene quite frustrate Now then you see in this prophesie that Christes conuersation at his former comming should not bee stately or lofty but lowly contemptible humble and modest For there was nothing to be seen in him but gentlenes towards poore sinners with much misery grieuous calamitie great stormes and heauy burdens of persecutions afflictions tribulations yea at the last death it self all which he suffred for our sakes But you shall heare of this Christ more out of the same prophet who sayth u. And the Lord shewed me Iehoschua the high priest standing before the Angell of the Lord Sathan stood at his right hand to resist him and the Lord said vnto Sathan the Lord reproue thee O Sathan Now Iesus or Iehoschua was clothed with filthy garments and stood before the Angell and he answered and spake vnto those that stood before him saying take away the filthy garmēts from him In this prophesie the high priest in the law who was
what els I pray you do they and haue they sought in Christ all their tyme but temporall riches carnal commodities and worldly dignities ☞ Vrb. Well let vs here leaue these vagabonds ill men let vs returne to the interpretatiō of the prophets ¶ Anna. To that am I most ready for I had rather heare of my Christ my lord then of their villanies and wickednes which for a tyme were coloured hid with the cloke of religion and profession of the gospel but now God be thanked wel discouered and brought to light Wherfore I pray you go to the exposition of the prophets ☞ Vrb. Esay vnderstandeth an other kind of Christ he setteth him forth after an other sort then this fantasticall and folish kind of people do He sayth not that he should stand on his pantophles in princely pomp and magnificēce either yet be a prouider only for the belly or a minister of pleasures but he sayth that he shold come as a preacher apostle who should rule his empire by the word spirit And to the ende we should not looke for any magnificence carnall pompe pride or worldly insolency in Christ Esay sayth He commeth to preache good tidings or the gospell to the poore that is to the afflicted and men oppressed with calamities and miseries Worldly kings and princes haue nothing to do vouchsafe not to deale with the feble vile contemptible deafe lame blind wretched poore afflicted miserable and diseased persons but they are delighted in the company of the healthfull handsome pleasant headed well mannered beautifull iocund ioly rich honourable and couragious courtiers I say they loue and desire the company and presence of such that they may serue them honour them and be delighted with them But Christ came into this world for the miserable afflicted that he might cōfort encourage heale help deliuer thē For Christ is not such a poore simple king as erthly kings be who stand in need of other mē must nedes haue their help counsails comfort seruice ministrations Christ is no such king but an euerlasting king a rich king a plentifull king a king of wonderful great power maiesty might who is the welspring author and giuer of euerlasting lyfe and therfore standeth in no need of our seruice riches or obedience But he is a king of such great mercy goodnes liberalitie bountifulnes that he hath not these great treasures glorious riches for himselfe alone lying on them like a couetous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 miser and pinch peny but he maketh them common vnto vs and largely and liberally bestoweth on vs these his great substance wonderfull treasures and precious Iewels Wherefore he cōmeth not to the strōg mighty but to the afflicted poore sinful S. Luke translateth the Hebrue word Enonim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to the poore And the 70. Translators vse this same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherupō it is likely the the Hebrue text which the seuenty interpreters folowed hath not Enonim but Eniim of Eni which worde Zachary hath in his 9. chapter And that word signifieth poore heauy humble oppressed brought low of base condition and afflicted But howsoeuer it signifieth whether poore or afflicted all is one for by both these words are ment those whō Christ in Math. called poore in spirite who receiue the gospell to whom the gospell with fruit is profitably preached Which haue broken and contrite harts and troubled consciences which feele the burden of their sinnes and tast of the wrath and iudgement of God which are horribly afrayd of gods indignation and for feare thereof begin to dread quake tremble which vncessantly long loke for the grace and helpe of God and which with ardent great and continual prayers desire and craue nothing els but that they may be deliuered from their sinnes and obtayne the grace and fauour of God these men which are thus affected are most fit scholers and disciples for the doctrine of the gospell And these are that good grounde in Luke which bringeth forth fruit On the other side they which do not acknowledge their sinne which see not their misery which feare not God which desire not his grace and which couet not his mercy such as be the hard harted and blind childrē of this world holy hypocrites and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secure fellowes which know not how to repent thē of theyr sinnes These I say desire not regard not and waigh not Christ and his Gospell And therefore doth Christ pronounce a sharpe sentence against them saying The whole neede not a Phisition but they which are sicke I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance By these righteous in this text are ment such as be negligent proud and hautie spirites which are bewitched by a false persuasion of themselues and thinke that they be alredy iust and do not acknowledge their sinnes And therfore are presumptuous carelesse and stubborne and feele not their owne miseries and remember not as they should death the day of iudgement and the wrath of God to come All which must needes come vpon this world but beyng deeply drouned in carnal securitie haue their myndes busied about nothing but the transitory thinges of this world are nothing touched with the desire of the lyfe to come euerlasting saluation The Prophet teacheth in the wordes followyng what the fruties of this gospell are who these poore and afflicted are saying That I might bynd vp the brokē harted These tidings are in deed true ioyfull tydings these are comfortable and pleasaunt newes to heare these tydings are ful of consolation Moises his law teacheth vs to acknowledge our sinnes and the curse due to vs for our sinnes This knowledge of the lawe terrefieth our consciences For the law onely sheweth and reueleth sinnes but it taketh them not away but leaueth them still in our remembraunce And where sinnes be there death hath dominiō there is trēbling feare horror heauines and desperation so long as the conscience which is the place of tormēt and storehouse of sinne is disquieted and feareth death Such then as feele their sinnes are the contrite in hart and most afflicted of all men these see their misery calamity and danger but to heale themselues and to deliuer them selues out of such danger and miseries they are of thēselues in no wise able But when as Christ commeth accompanied with the healthfull preaching doctrine of the gospell then commeth their comfort and consolation Because the gospell offreth and frely giueth forgiuenes of sinnes true holines euerlasting lyfe to all that faithfully beleue For thus it sayth speaking vnto the poore sinner If thou be a sinner if thy cōscience be troubled if thou be afraid of deth if thou feare gods iudgement marke what thou must do Fly vnto Christ who only can and wil of his own good wil
this child had not bene borne for vs we had all vtterly perished for he was borne for the helpe helth and deliuerance of vs all Wherefore most swete Iesu Christ our child most comfortable which for our sakes humbled thy selfe vouchsafed to be made man we beseech thee to deliuer and defend vs from the tiranny of the deuill This is the meaning of this Germains song which I here recite because it containeth expresseth the effect of this prophesie in ful graue and plaine words because it sheweth the piety of our forefathers and their true faith in Christ First here the holy church saith that a child was borne for a special comfort for all mortal mē And furthermore it saith that for vs and for our sakes he was borne For he had no neede neither was there any cause why he should be born for himself For what nede standeth god of any creature Secondly the church here declareth setteth forth the fruit vse of Christes natiuity to wit our saluation For vnles this child had bene borne for vs we had abidden still in our sinnes neither could we haue deliuered our selues but had all died eternally Thirdly the church confesseth that this sauior or saluation happened to all which thing Simeon confesseth in Luke saying Mine eyes haue seene thy saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people to be a light to lightē the Gentils to be the glory of thy people Israel And Paul saith Christ Iesus gaue himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a ransome for all men Fourthly the church speaking of the kingdom and power of Christ confesseth the true manhood and godhead of the child Iesus beseching him and desiring him for his names sake which is Iesus that is our sauiour or deliuerer that he would preserue and kepe vs from eternal deth By which song the church confesseth this childe to be king and most mighty lord ouer sinne death and hell Which seing it is true it must needes follow that he is true God and that our health and saluation is in his hand and power and that he onely can and will saue deliuer vs from hell fire ¶ Anna. What meaneth this which this prophet Esay sayth his gouernement or kingdome is on his shoulders ☞ Vrb. Did you neuer see the image of the child Iesus painted as if he went downe from heauen vnto Mary bearing the crosse vpon his shoulders ¶ Anna. I haue seene it often but that signifieth his passion What other thing did he beare in his crosse but vs miserable and wretched sinners the heuy burthen of our sinnes Iohn saith This is the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world He is the good shepeherd which sought the lost and wandring shepe and hauing found it caried it home vpō his shoulders We also are the kingdom or principalitie of Christ For Peter calleth vs a royal priesthood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a people redemed or peculiar vnto Christ Christ is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefe corner stone or to be placed in the chiefe corner vpon whom all the other stones the spirituall building to wit the whole church standeth leaneth For the church is builded on Christ as on a most soūd and sure rocke The Calde text is in this place of Esay thus Hee that is this child shall take vpon him the law that he may fulfill and kepe it This text out of doubt hath in it notable comfort For our corrupt and sinfull nature could not with all her strength keepe the law of god For it is a law that cōmaundeth such high great things as homo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the natural man cannot perform And therfore God sent his derely beloued sonne Christ Iesus that he might fulfil the law be the fulfilling thereof to all that truly beleue in him who although they should be most miserable sinners yet for Christes sake should they be accounted as righteous before God as if they themselues by their own righteousnes had fulfilled it and that he might deserue for vs and geue vs the holy ghost which might heale reforme restore our wounded decaied and corrupted nature so that euen our nature also might by the spirit of Christ keep the law without which it could neuer haue done it Now followeth vi most notable worthy names or titles of the child Iesus vsed in this prophesie First he is called Pele that is admirable wōderfull merueilous or doing merueilous things he is in deed marueilous in hys person merueilous in hys doyngs and his kingdom is merueilous and he defendeth and gouerneth it merueilously His person is meruelous because he is true man and yet neuertheles holy euerlasting God borne after a strange maner to wit of that virgin without mans seed all hys works are merueilous for being a child of xij yeres old he disputed with the learned and great doctors in the temple at Ierusalem But after when he came to mans state he wrought such wonders strange things as no other man could euer do as Nichodemus witnesseth in the iij. of Iohn Hee gaue sight to the blind and made the deafe to heare he droue wicked spirits out of the possessed he clensed the leprous he healed all maner of sicknes and diseases he raised the dead to lyfe he fed many thousandes with a few loues hee commaunded the sea to be quiet and straight way it waxed calm he forgaue sins he restored men both body and soule to lyfe and health and whē of his own free will he had for our sakes suffered death he by his own power rose agayn from death But look I pray you by how strāge a way it pleased hym to deliuer vs from Sathan and to bring vs into hys kingdom When he would deliuer man from death geue hym euerlasting lyfe he became man hymselfe he yelded himself to death and was buried and taryed in the graue vnto the third day Was not this a very marueilous thing what can bee more marueilous it is hee thorough whom we shall haue euerlasting life whereunto the Prophetes and the Gospell beare witnesse And Paule calleth the Gospell the promise of lyfe in Christ Now consider with your selfe how wonderfull all things be whether it is merueilous or no that our King about to erect hys kingdome redeme hys seruants deliuer vs from all euill casteth hymselfe into extreme misery yeldeth himself to be crossed afflicted reuiled and opprobriously killed He becommeth poore to enrich vs he becommeth shamefull ignominious and suffreth vpon the crosse to exalt vs to honor glory And he promiseth to giue vs power and strength against our enemies where he himselfe vsed no power nor force against his foes but was of thē taken bound whipped crouned with thornes crucified and killed To be briefe he promised to helpe vs when he himself vpon the crosse
calling for helpe cryeth as one helpeles My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And where as he had sayd that who so beleued in him should not see death for euer yet he himself both suffered death and was buryed in the sepulcher Here if we were led by humayne reason we should with Cleophas and his companion say Wee hoped that he had bene the redemer of Israell whiche should haue saued vs all but now he himself is dead Howe shal a dead man saue vs and how can he which is slain haue an euerlasting kingdom You see howe this name Pele was not without special cause geuen to this child whō it doth by that name of sauiour represēt For so he is in deed the true sauior redemer which deliuereth vs from all our sinnes and miseries And so it pleased him by hys pouerty to blesse vs with spirituall riches by the tauntes and checkes which he suffred to deliuer vs from euerlasting shame by his crosse to bring vs to eternall honour and glory by his weaknesse to giue vs eternall strength and by his death to giue vs a flourishyng lyfe and to abolish our death by dying hymselfe All these he hath done and daily doth in vs when he maketh vs like himself that is to say weake in body but strong in spirite base lowe and contemptible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very ofscouringes before the world but the vessels and instruments of glory in the sight of god And thus he suffereth vs to dye that the Infidels may thinke there is no difference betwene a Christian and no Christian as Turke or iewe But yet our death is precious in the sight of the lord neither doth he suffer vs to abide in death All these things are great meruelous wonderful and far passing our reason and vnderstāding yea far exceding all the strength power effect working of our nature An other name is Ioetz that is councel For though this Pele doth lead and gouerne vs thus wonderfully by his crosse ignominy maketh vs glorious yet are we ignorant rude fayntharted fearfull and therfore is it necessary that he merueilously prouide for coūsail and help vs For it is not in our power and strēgth to endure and stand in trouble and persecutiō But what counsel geueth he verely cleane contrary to the world The world willeth vs to beware flie and eschue the cros affliction to reuenge our selues But Christ casteth hys seruantes into trouble and vexations and therein trieth them as gold is tryed in the fire furnace But yet so that he comforteth them alwayes most louingly as it appereth in Ioh. where he saith vnto the Apostles Be of good chere I haue ouercome the world And a little before he sayth Ye shall weep and lament the world shall reioyce ye shall sorrow but your sorrow shal be turned to ioy and your ioy shal no man take from you What els I pray you is the whole sacred scripture but a plentifull and rich Pharmacopole whence wee may fetch present help and most fruitfull and sound comfort for all sicknes calamities and euils as Paule witnesseth saying what soeuer things be writtē afore tyme are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might haue hope For hee whiche speaketh in the scriptures is almighty and both can will help vs alway His word is not spoke in vayne but al things are done which he hath promised Yea the holy ghost himselfe whiche is the spirit of truth is our comfort and help For thus we read in the book of wisdome O Lord neyther herbe nor plaister healed thē but thy word which healeth all things hath made vs safe And Ionathas the high priest saith vnto the Spartanes We Iewes stand no nede of the societie and friendship of the Gentiles hauing the holy bookes which are in our hands for our cōfort And now I pray you what trouble what affliction what calamity or what dāger in al this world cā be so great how great so euer it be against which the word of god that most holesome and holy gospel cannot minister giue most holesom plētiful perfect sound consolation and comfort seeyng that it promiseth not only corporal but heauenly help And the promises therof are by Christ confirmed established and sure yea and Amen If you read better read all the workes of the Heathen philosophers you shal find nothing in them and yet their whole study trauel was to find some comfort against death wherin you may take true cōfort All their arte al their knowledge all their wisdom and all the remedies that euer they found are nothing if thei be compared but with these two comfortable sentences in Mat. The first is Feare not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule Here you see the immortalitie of the soule of which the Ethnikes speake euen as blynde men of coulors But the words folowing which is the second are not vttred by any philosopher but by Christ himself the euerlasting truth and very true lyfe Euery one sayth he that beleueth in the sonne of God hath euerlastyng lyfe and I wil raise him vp in the last day Here you haue the resurrection or rising againe of the flesh of which the Gentils and the whole world with all their wisdome had no knowledge Go to then if any be in the agony of death or assailed with the tempests of persecution afflictiō either els vexed pinched with the bitter dolors terrors of conscience for his sinnes as soone as he shal lay hold on these two sentences by faith lay them vp in his hart he shall find comfort haue true and plenteous consolation For he hath forgiuenes of his sins sure hope of euerlasting life nay rather he hath life alredy because he is in Christ Christ in hym This in dede is true counsell For all mens counsels consolations are vaine momentany cannot help deliuer vs in extremity peril danger but the counsel of the lord doth abide continue for euer God the father commaunds vs to heare this counsailor saying Heare him The 70. interpreters haue expounded this word Ioetz the angel of the great counsail beautifiyng Christ with the notable and apt epitheton giuing him the proper title For Christ is the legate angel of the great counsail of the triple vnitie and most holy trinity and is also the eternal wisdom of the father The third epitheton or name of the child is El it signifieth strēgth fortitude or God as the 70. interpreters haue translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the mighty god This name conteineth a singuler cōfort For it telleth vs that Christ doth not only prouide for vs by the word of his gospel but also is presēt with vs doth mightily help vs faithfully perform to vs those
liuely word where Christ is called a father for euer so depely and thorowly sinke into our harts and because we do not meditate so of it do not so wel vnderstand it nor so stedfastly beleue it as Paul did For our harts would not so faile vs as they do if we beleued and certainly knew what a God what a King what a lyfe and what a father Christ is vnto all those that faithfully beleue The name is Sarscholam that is a prince of peace Christ hath a kingdom wherin is peace security safety freedome from death Satan and all other dangers But here is all the labor and trauel to come vnto to attaine to dwel in that euerlasting kingdom If we be once there then are we safe without gunshot then are we sure then are we in a most happy state If sinne pricke vs in our consciences Christ is by by at hand defendeth vs He toke our sinnes vpon him and satisfied for them and became our righteousnes He put out as Paule saith the hand writing of ordinances that was against vs which was contrary to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vpon the crosse Of this true heauenly peace the scripture speaketh in many places As to the Rom. where Paule sayth We haue peace toward God through our lord Iesus Christ Sinne had made vs the enemies of God as Paul calleth vs in the same place But Christ himself wiped away our sinnes and reconciled vs vnto God so that now he is not an enemy or iudge vnto vs but a welbeloued father For if when we were his enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled we shal be saued by his lyfe And not onely so but also reioycing in god through our lord Iesus Christ by whom we haue receiued the atonement And nowe in Christ Iesus we which once were farre of are made neere by the bloud of Christ for he is our peace This therefore is true peace when we haue peace with God through our mediator peacemaker Christ For what would the peace and friendship of all the world and worldly creatures auaile profit vs if God were our enemy and angry with vs but if God who taketh more care for vs and loueth vs better then any father doth hys children fight for vs if we be at one with him if he wish vs wel and if he profit vs what can now hurt vs how can the earth with all the creatures therein euen once touch vs Thus you heare that when we beleue in Christ we haue this peace with God thorough Christ so that we may now say If God be on our side who can be against vs and he that kepeth Israel will neither slumber nor slepe Wherefore although we haue affliction in this world yet haue we perfect peace in Christ our peace-maker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Sarscholam that is the prince of peace or peacemaker He obtained merited peace for vs with God the father giueth vs his spirite the spirit of peace that we may also haue peace with our neighbour He wisheth vs this peace saying Peace I leaue with you my peace I giue you not as the world giueth it c. He also preserueth vs that we be not hurt of our enemies that we may be safe from all dangers By these epithetons names of Christ many mysteries are to be noted as that he is true God that he shold die because he was borne a mā but that he should not abide in deth because he was to raign eternally Wherby is plainly truly proued that both Christ we shal rise againe For we which beleue in Christ both are his members enheritance and kingdom shal be for euer The sonne hath prayed for vs his praiers are heard The father hath giuen vs his sonne with him shall we dwel for euer Our mansion house our lodging our abiding place is already prepared And Christ saith in Ioh. Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am In the wordes following the prophet Esay prophecieth of the euerlasting kyngdome of Christ how it should be great seyng he was to be king not only of the Iewes but euen of the Gentils also dispersed through the whole world how he should daily increase and inlarge his dominion euen to the last day and how he should execute confirme establish and for euer preserue and gouerne the same by iustice and iudgement but of this part of the prophesie I will speake more by Gods grace in the title of the kingdome of Christ You haue heard before where I expoūded the 5. of Micheas and the 2. of Luke where and how the child Christ should be borne Well then Christ was borne at Bethelem Iuda in December in the midst of Winter and was swadled layd in a manger For Ioseph and Mary could not be lodged in any Inne for there was no roume for them The holy prophet foretold this sacred and blessed birth of Christ as you haue heard And the angels from heauen afterward did declare it vnto the shepeheardes in Luke where the angel saith Be not afraid for behold I bring you tidings of great ioy that shal be to all the people that is that vnto you is borne this day a sauiour in the city of Dauid which is Christ the lord And straight way ther was with the Aungell a multitude of heauenly souldiours praysing God and saying glory be to God in the heauens and peace in earth towards men good wil. The shepeherdes which saw this birth of Christ published and shewed it abroade The starre also in the East and the wisemen which came thēce vnto Bethelem were witnesses of the birth of Christ Simeon also Anna in the temple saw this childe who was the promised author of our saluation and they bare witnes that Messias was present And this doth the whole church of Christ beleue confesse preach and declare through all the world and the name of God is preached and praised in euery place And these glad tidings to wit that Iesus Christ our saluation is borne in Bethelem is preached in euery place And Ierusalem that is the catholike church doth reioyce and skippe for ioy for this natiuity bringeth vnto vs all felicity saluation and consolation ⧠Of Christes flying into Egypt ¶ Anna. WHat say the Prophetes of Christes flying into Egypt ☞ Vrb. Mathew saith in his 2. chap. when the wise men of the East returned from India they returned into their own country an other way and went not to Herode After their departure the angel of the lord appeared vnto Ioseph in a dreame saying arise and take the babe his mother flie into Egypt there lie vntil I bring thee word for Herod wil seke
shout 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and with the voyce of the Archangell and with the trumpe of god And againe He shal be reueled frō heauen with his mighty angels in a flamyng fire rendring vengeāce vnto them that do not know god which obey not vnto the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ And in Mathew it is sayd He shal sit vpō the throne of his glory before him shal be gathered all nations he shal seperate them one from another as the shepeherd seperateth the shepe from the goates and he shall set the shepe vpon hys right hand and the gotes on his left then shal the king say to them on his right hand come ye blessed of my father inherite ye the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world but then shall he say vnto them on his left hand depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuil and his angels And agayn Dauid sayth Geue thy iudgment to thy king O god thy righteousnes to the kings son then shal he iudg thy people in righteousnes and thy power with equitie This kings son is Christ he iudgeth the that world here by the word and the spirit he punisheth the wicked and defendeth the godly But in the last day he will execute that iust iudgment and punish them euerlastingly which refused the gospel and would not acknowledge hym to be their king and agayn Dauid sayth The Lord raigneth let the earth reioyce let the multitude of the Iles be glad cloudes and darcknes are round about him righteousnes and iudgment are the foundations of hys throne there shall go a fire before hym and burne vp hys enemies rounde about his lightninges gaue light vnto the world the earth saw it and was afrayd the mountains melted like waxe at the presence of the lord at the presence of the lord of the whole earth And agayne he sayth The Lord commeth to iudge the earth he wil iudge the world with righteousnes and the people in his truth Esa. saith Behold the Lorde will come with fire and his chariots lyke a whirlewynd that he may recompence his anger with wrath and his indignatiō with the flame of fire For the lord wil iudge with fire with his sword all flesh And Zach. saith The lord shal go forth fight against those nations as whē he fought in the day of battel his feet shall stād in this day vpon the mount of Oliues which is before Ierusalem on the East side And the mount of Oliues shall cleaue in the midst therof toward the East toward the West there shal be a very great valley halfe of the mountain shal remoue toward the North and half of the mountain toward the South And ye shal flie vnto the valley of the mountains For the valley of the mountains shal reach vnto Azal yea ye shal flie like as ye fled from the earthquake in the daies of Vzzia king of Iudah and the lord my God shal come and all the saintes with them Here Zachary prophesieth of the second comming of Christ at the last day howe that hee shall come as a captayne or Emperour to assayle and destroy hys enemies and that his last comming shall be so fearful that euery one if they could would be glad to flye It will be fearful in deed vnto the wicked vnbeleuing who thē shall be no longer able to withstand Christ Then shal their rage and insolency agaynst the Godly with their tyranny and sauage bitternes and cruelty which they haue vsed agaynst the members of Christ haue an end For there is ordayned for them an euerlasting prison euen continual torment in hel fire for their wickednes Then all theyr might all their force all their pride all their crueltie all their contumacy all their threates shall cease neyther shall they afterward be able to persecute or in any wise hurt Christ or his seruants as before that last day they had done They shall then sodēly vnwares be cast down from the face of God and the glory of hys fortitude into euerlasting destruction For that is the day of redemptiō in which Christ as Paule sayth shal be glorified in his saintes be made maruelous in all thē that beleue The scripture vseth such similitudes as these in discribing Christes cōming to iudgement as in Paule to the Thes For when Christ shall come to iudgment our enemies shall be slayn and put to flight The wicked world and Sathan shall in the turning of a hand euen in one moment become very firebrands of hell so continue for euer Then shall death be swallowed vp in victory then shall all the Godly be taken vp in clouds to meete the Lord God in the ayre and so shall we euer be with the Lord. ¶ Anna. We may easely perceiue and gather by these prophesies of the euerlasting kingdom and priesthood of Christ that he should be both a mediator to pacify God turne away his wrath from vs and a shepeherd and redemer which alwais in al places might feed vs and saue vs at the end iustly iudge the world Moreouer there was no doubt but Israel was truly redemed seyng Christ had suffered For in as much as God in Christ had promised such a blessyng to the world it was not possible that Christ should abide in death but then truely in deed lyue for euer But these two disciples vnderstode not those things which the prophets had written of Christ as Christ obiecteth vnto them and therfore they were not sad without cause But now I pray you let me heare what the prophetes haue written of Christes miracles ¶ Of Christes miracles Vrbanus THe prophet Esay prophesieth thus of Christ God commeth with vengeance euen god with a recōpence he wil come saue you then shal the eies of the blind be lightned the eares of the deafe be opened then shal the lame man leape as an hart the dumme mans tong shall sing This prophesie was fulfilled 1576. yeres ago whē Iesus Christ true God man went about healyng all diseases griefes of the people in the country of Galile And Christ himselfe saith in Math. vnto Iohns disciples Goe shew Iohn what things you haue heard and sene the blind receiue sight the halt go the leprous are clensed the deafe heare the dead are raised vp and the poore receiue the gospel You see also in the history of the gospel how this prophesie is fulfilled in the 8. of Mat. Christ clensed the leprous he healeth the Centuriās seruant restoreth the sick of the palsie He deliuered Peters wiues mother being sicke of a feuer In the 9. He healed an other sicke of the palsie Hee restored the dead to life again he healed the woman of the bloudy issue he gaue sight vnto the two blind men And in the 12.
of Math. he made a poore man see he made the dūme speake the deafe here he cast forth a spirit and restored the dry hand and in the 15. of Math. he healed the Cananites daughter which was troubled with a deuil he restored the lame the blind the deafe the dumme the maimed many other diseased to their former helth And so by these his mighty actes strange maruels he sheweth that he was the true Messias of whom Esay writeth thus Hee wil destroy death for euer or he deuoured it or swalowed it vp For he called the dead to life again As the princes of the sinagogs daughter the widowes daughter and Lazarus which had lyen in the graue 4. dayes and did stinke The raising of these to life was a foreshewyng certification confirmation sure argument of his true resurrection from the dead Of which we in the last day also shal be pertakers when the lord shall sūmon all the dead raised out of their graue before his tribunall seat in the twinckling of an eye We may finde his other miracles wōders which he wroght est down in the euangelists so that it is not nedefull here to speake any more of them ¶ Anna. Now I know why you still apply and include those miracles that Christ did in the gospel as his restoring of the sick to helth and the dead to lyfe in the article of the resurrection of the dead to wit that we may more surely aod deepely by these miracles imprint and ground in our harts the hie mistery of the last rising agayne of the body and that we may therby confirme and kepe the fayth hope of our resurrectiō But now explicat proue out of the prophets the other articles of Messias to wit of his passion descēding into hel resurrectiō of his kingdō ¶ Of the death descending into hell and the glorious resurrection of Christ of the causes and infinite commodities of his passion resurrection and of his euerlasting kingdome Vrbanus THese in deede were the chiefe articles which Christ taught Cleophas his companion as they went to Emaus And seyng the holy prophets prophesie of these ministeries of Christ in one place annexe them together we will also speake of them together as it were knit them vp in one and open them seuerally or ioyntly as the prophesies giue occasion And first of all let vs heare the worthy prophet Dauid in the 8. Psalm where he sayth What is man that thou art so myndful of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him for thou hast made him little lower thē God crowned him with glory worship thou hast made him to haue dominion in the works of thine hands Thou hast put al things vnder his feet all sheep oxen yea and the beasts of the field the foules of the aire the fish of the sea and that which passeth thorough the pathes of the seas O lord our lord how excellent is thy name in all the world This psalme which the new testament doth soundly opē vnto vs prophesieth of Messias saying that it should come to passe that for a tyme Christ should be humbled debased and as it were forsaken of God the father And that tyme was the space of 3. dayes when he was taken deliuered to the Iewes and Gentils and when they beat him with whips crouned him with thornes crucified him killed him and buried him The Hebrues text is thus Vathechasrehu meat meeloim that is for a tyme thou sufferedst him to be without God or thou shalt suffer him a while to be forsaken of god For it seemed that God had forsaken him all the tyme of his passion euen vnto the third day because he suffred him to be slaine and buried And the Iewes thought that Christ had bene dead in deede and vtterly destroyed Neither did they vnderstand that comfortable decree of the Lord how that therefore he sent his sonne that he might by his crosse reconcile his father to vs and that Christ suffred not of constraynt but was willingly and gladly obedient vnto his father euen vnto the death the death of the crosse The Greeke text is thus As Paule also citeth it to the Hebrues in the 2. chap. where this Psalm also is applyed to Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Thou hast made him a little inferiour to the Angels The Caldee Bible hath in that place mi maleachia that is from the Angels As our Lord sayde vnto Peter when he had cutte of the eare of the high priestes seruauntes and so thought to helpe Christ Thinkest thou that I can not nowe praye to my father and hee will giue me moe then 12. legions of angels how thē should the scriptures be fulfilled which saye it must be so Christ would here stand great neede of help that therby he might succor vs For for our sakes he came into the erth humbled himself and suffred himself to be forsaken to wāt al help so that no angel could help or deliuer him Paul vnto the Hebr. expoundeth these words of the Psal. applieth them vnto Christ saying For in that he hath put al things in subiection vnder him hee left nothing that should not be subiect vnto him but yet we see not all thinges subdued vnto him but we se Iesus crouned with glory honor which was made a little inferior to the angels through the suffring of death that by gods grace he might tast death for al men for it became him for whō are al things by whom are al things seyng he brought many children vnto glory that he shold consecrate the prince of our saluation through afflictions for he which sanctifieth they which are sanctified are al of one And so the prophet marueleth that this true man sonne of man was for the little time of his preaching and passion here vpon earth forsaken contēned humbled or abased but after a little that is after 3. dayes highly glorified honored crouned made lord of al creatures in heauen earth And that afterward his name became renomned famous and admirable through the whole world As Paul out of this Psal. teacheth at large to the Ephes where he sayth That the god of our Lorde Iesus Christ the father of glory might giue vnto you the spirit of wisdom reuelation through the knowledge of him that the eies of your vnderstanding may bee lightened that ye may know what the hope is of gods calling what the riches of his glorious inheritance is in his saintes what is the exceding greatnes of his power towards vs which beleue according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him vp frō the dead set him at hys right hand in the heauenly places far aboue al principalitie power might dominion and euery name that is named not in this world only but also in that that
is to come hath made al thinges subiect vnder his feet hath appointed him ouer all thinges to be the head to the church which is hys body euen the fulnes of him that filleth al in al things Many mysteries of our faith are contained in this Psalm to wit Christes passion resurrection and dominion which he hath ouer al creatures both in heauen earth and what the fruite of Christes workes to wit of his passiō is For he was by his passion to deserue and giue vs infinite benefits that all which beleue the gospel might be deliuered frō Satans kingdom haue place with God in heauē and be ruled and saued by Christ for euer But yet here in this world by faith vnder the crosse but after this fraile and miserable life opēly in glory The kings of this world do get gouerne kepe establish their kingdomes by the sword force of armes ouercomming vanquishing their enemies but this king after a new strāge proper and cleane contrary maner beginneth gouerneth and fortifieth his kingdom to wit by suffering dying on the crosse For in that he was killed he killeth ouercommeth his enemies This passing and exceeding great submission and lowly humbling of himselfe euen to the death of the crosse doth preuayleth more then the force sufferings strength might of all creatures could haue done For it ouercame Satan it swalowed vp death obtayned worthy honor glory As Paul saith to the Phil. Christ humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto death euen the death of the crosse wherfore God hath also highly exalted him giuen him a name aboue euery name that at the name of Iesus shold euery knee bow both of things in heauen and thinges in earth and things vnder earth and that euery tong should confesse that Iesus Christ is the lord vnto the glory of god the father ¶ Anna. Seyng the scriptures set down so many mysteries of our faith briefly and in one place for now I heare in this 8. Psal. the passion resurrection ascension and kingdom of Christ all in one the selfe same place comprehended and fully touched I would haue you expound and teach the vse of the death and resurrection of Christ what his kingdome is briefly And thus in reciting the prophesies concerning these articles as they offer themselues you shal find an indifferent easy way so that you need not ouer labor and wery yourselfe as of late you haue done ☞ Vrb. The fruit and commoditie of this most precious death and glorious resurrection of Christ is the redemption of mankind from al euils and calamities and mans victory ouer death the deuil damnation So that now by Christes infinite and great merites by his deserts and not by ours we obtayne forgiuenes of our sinnes grace peace with God perfect holines the holy ghost with his giftes and that blessed adoption by which we are the children of god and he our father and that after this short life we looke for the resurrection of our flesh in which we shall receiue both in body and soule and immortal incorruptible inheritance an inheritance that shal not fade euen life euerlastyng and the eternall kingdom of Christ which was promised vs in the law and prophets But al this we receiue onely in Iesus Christ the seede of Abraham and Dauid according to the flesh who purchased and deserued all these things for vs This is daily preached to vs in the gospel and all mē are called vnto this grace none is excluded none refused The Euangelists and Apostles as the true expounders of the Prophets do worthely in all places of the new testament preach and declare out of the prophets this fruit of Christes passion Paul to the Rom. sayth Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen agayne for our iustification And agayne in the same epistle God setteth out his loue toward vs seing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs Much more then being now iustified by his bloud we shall bee saued from wrath thorough him For if whē we were his enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled we shal be saued by his life And to the Cor. he sayth Christ is made of God vnto vs wisdom and righteousnes and sanctification and redemption In these few wordes he openeth and declareth all those things which Moses and the prophets wrote before of the offerings sacrifices oblations which were offred for the peoples sinnes and offences These sacrifices oblations could reconcile none vnto GOD neyther clense any man from sinne but were onely figures of that most precious sacrifice the bloud of Christ It was he that should recōcile his father to vs and by his precious bloud clense vs from all our sinnes Paule to the Corrinthians sayeth Christ dyed for all that they which liue should not henceforth lyue vnto themselues but vnto him which died for them and rose agayn God made hym which knew no sinne to be sinne for vs that we might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him And to the Gallathians he sayth Christ Iesus our Lorde gaue himself for our sinnes that he might deliuer vs from this present euill world according to the will of God euen our father to whom be glory for euer and euer Amen And agayne Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law while he was made a curse for vs for it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree And to the Ephesians he sayeth By Christ we haue redemption thorough his bloud euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to his rich grace And agayne he sayth But now in Christ Iesus ye which once were farre of are made nere by the bloud of Christ for he is our peace which reconciled both vnto god in one body by his crosse And agayne Christ hath loued vs and hath giuen himself for vs to be an offring and a sacrifice of a sweete smellyng sauour to God. And to the Collos he sayth God by Christ reconcileth al things to himselfe and setteth at peace through the bloud of his crosse both the thinges in heauen and the things in earth And agayne God raysed Christ from the dead and you which were dead in sinnes and in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened together with him forgiuing vs all our trespasses and putting out the hand writing of ordinaunces that was against vs which was contrary to vs he euen tooke it out of the way and fastened it vppon the crosse triumphing in himselfe ouer all principalities and powers in the same crosse And to the Thessal he sayth I would not brethren haue you ignorant concernyng them which are a sleepe that ye sorrow not euen as they which haue no hope For if we beleue that Iesus is dead and risen agayne euen so them which
slepe in Iesus will God bring with him And to Tim. he sayth Christ came into this worlde to saue sinners And againe There is one God and one mediator betwene GOD and man which is the man Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe for a ransome for all men And againe God saued vs and called vs with an holy callyng not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen vs through Christ Iesus before the world was but is now made manifest by the appearing of our sauiour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality vnto lyght through the gospel And to Titus he saith For the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should deny vngodlinesse worldly lustes that we should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this present world loking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the mighty God of our sauiour Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeme vs from all iniquity and purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe zelous of good works And to the Hebr. he sayeth Forasmuch then as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud he also himself likewise tooke part with thē that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the deuil and that he might deliuer all them which for feare of death were all their life tyme subiect to bondage For he in no sort tooke the angels but he tooke the seed of Abraham Wherfore in all things it became him to be made like vnto his brethren that he might be mercifull and a faythfull high priest in things concerning God that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people For in that he suffred and was tempted he is able to succour all them that be tempted In the same place the Apostle sayth that Christ by the grace of God tasted of death for all men Read the whole epistle to the Hebr. but especially the 5. 7. 8. 9. 10. chap. concerning Christes priesthood and sacrifice for it is in deede a most worthy and precious treasure Peter sayth Blessed be God euen the father of our lord Iesus Christ which according to his aboundaunt mercy hath begotten vs agayne vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead And it followeth You are not redemed with corruptible things as with siluer and gold from your vayne conuersation receiued by the traditions of the fathers but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot which was lord before the foundation of the world but was declared in the last tymes for your sakes which by his meanes doe beleue in God that raysed him from the dead and gaue him glory that your faith hope might be in God. And agayne Christ himselfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree that we being deliuered from sinne should liue in righteousnesse Christ also hath once suffred for sins the iust for the vniust that he might bring vs to god And Ioh. saith The bloud of Iesus Christ the sonne of God clenseth vs from all sinne And againe We haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the reconciliatiō for our sinnes ▪ and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world It followeth Your sinnes are forgiuen you for his names sake And againe For this purpose appeared the sonne of God that he might loose the workes of the deuill And again In this appeared the loue of God toward vs because God sent his only begotten sonne into the world that we might liue through him Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to be a recōciliation for our sinnes To be briefe this is the pithe of all the Apostles preaching And this is the summe of their doctrine that we obtaine forgiuenesse of all our sinnes and euerlasting lyfe by none other but only by Iesus Christ and by no other worke but by his most precious death and victorious resurrection Therfore Peter with great boldnes instructing the Iewes concerning Christ comprehendeth all the whole matter briefly in few wordes in the 4. chap. of the Acts where he sayth You haue crucified Christ whom God raysed frō the dead This is the stone which was cast aside of you builders which is become the head of the corner neither is there saluation in any other For among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen wherby we must be saued And Paul to the Cor. saith Christ died for our sinnes according to the scripture and was buried and rose agayne the third day according to the scriptures And if Christ be not raised agayne then is our preaching vayne and your fayth vayne Ye are yet in your sinnes and so they which are a sleepe in Christ are perished If in this life onely we haue hope in Christ we are of all men the most miserable But now is Christ risen from the dead and was made the first fruits of them that slept For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead For as in Adam all die euen so in Christ shall all be made alyue S. Augustine hath a learned and worthy saying namely that one resurrection of Iesus Christ saith he hath giuen vs two resurrections to wit one spiritual from our sinnes and the other corporal For when as Christ rayseth vs vp from the spirituall death of sinne by his holy Gospell and lighteneth our hartes with the knowledge of Gods grace and our sinnes When he pardoneth our sinnes and whē he giueth vs the holy ghost then do we rise from our wickednesse and are counted righteous in the sight of god This resurrection is here in earth by fayth in Christ which we receyue whē we heare his word in the holy gospell As Christ sayth in Iohn Verily verily I say vnto you the houre shal come and now is when the deade shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God and they that heare shal liue Which words are spoken of the rising from our sinnes as S. Augustine expoundeth them The other resurrection which Christ hath deserued wrought or obtayned for vs by his resurrection is that resurrection of the body which shal be in the last day Of which Iohn sayth thus The houre shall come in the which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce And they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of lyfe but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation And Paul saith to the Thes If we beleue that Iesus is dead is risen euen so them which slepe in Iesus will God bring with hym For this say we vnto you by the worde of the Lord that we which
lyue and are remaining in the comming of the Lord shal not preuent them which sleepe For the Lord himselfe shal descend from heauen with a shout and with the voice of the Archangel with the trump of God the dead in Christ shal rise first Thē shal we which liue and remain be caught vp with them al in the clouds to mete the Lord in the ayre and so shall we euer be with the Lord wherfore comfort your selues one another with these wordes An. I haue oftentimes bene tēpted about our resurrectiō these cogitatiōs greuously vexe me Christ did rise in his owne power strength as true God but how shal we poore wretches rise which cannot remooue or driue away from vs euen the lest sicknes that hapneth to vs wherfore I besech you tell me how Christes resurrection maketh vs to rise Vrb. Whose sinnes were they which Christ did beare An. It is manifest certain that he bare our sinnes Vrb. What maner of nature was it which Christ tooke vpon him An. It was our nature For we beleue that he toke vpon him our very humaine nature Vrb. Wherfore did the son of God take vpon hym our nature in the vniō of his deuine euerlasting person why did he take vpon him our sinnes An. He became true man for our sakes toke vpō him our sins that he might be a true oblation and sacrifice for them on the crosse and wipe them away and reconcile God the father vnto vs. Vrb. I heare you say that our sinnes were the cause of Christes death but what hurt did sinne vnto vs men An. It brought vpon vs an horrible destruction decay of al mans strength as wel of body as soule together with euerlasting death and condemnation Vrb. Seyng then that Christ by his death satisfied for our sinnes and suffered death for them that he might put them away it is not to be doubted but that he also abolished and destroyed death which had rule dominion ouer vs But if he destroyed death in vs as I say he did it followeth well that we shall rise agayne to lyfe For he did not these most worthy workes to wit that he suffred that he dyed that he rose again for himself or for his own cause for he is innocent free frō all sin so that he had no nede to do any of al these for himself nay there was no cause why he should do these things in respect of himself or in his owne behalfe but for vs Yea whatsoeuer he did or suffred he did it suffred it al for our sakes profit he gaue vs that his victory ouer deth This therfore is a good consequēt Christ died for our sins rose again for our iustificatiō Therfore shal we also rise in our flesh otherwise should we deny the vertue operation of Christs passion resurrection in our nature and be worse and more wicked thē Turks or Ethnikes which deny Christ An. Now you bring into my remembrance the 15. cha of the first to the Corrinthians which you do so highly and often commend vnto me wherin you say that Paule hath so coupled and ioyned Christes and our resurrection together that they can in no wise be seperated ☞ Vrb. That chap. hath such and so much sweete and sound comfort in it that I wish all christians in the worlde would wel faithfully remember it Paul in that cha reasoneth thus Christ is risen from the dead therefore shal we also rise againe from the dead because he dyed and rose againe only for our sakes for our saluation If we should stil abide in death then the death and resurrection of Christ had nothing profited vs neyther had they wrought any alteration in our nature but we had still bene should so haue continued in death euen as in our earthly father Adam we were borne to die But god forbid it were so our hope is sure For as it is certaine that Christ rose from death sitteth at the right hand of God so certain is it that we shal rise again because Christ is our head our bridegrome our redeemer our life And therfore wheresoeuer Christ remaineth and is there must nedes we also be abide for euer There is no cause why you should dout left Christ our head should leaue vs his beloued members spirituall body here behynde him in earth Marke what Paul teacheth vs in the 5. to the Eph. Note how he bindeth vs tieth vs to Christ We are saith he the members of his body of his flesh and of his bones ¶ Anna. Blessed be God our louing fauorable and heauenly father for euer euer for these infinite riches of his grace These wordes of Paul do greatly comfort ioy vs for if we be the members of Christ of his flesh surely there is no doubt but as Christ did rise again in his owne body euen so shal we also rise agayne in our bodies vnto euerlasting life by the power of the glorious resurrection of Christ Vrb. This is as certaine as you see now your selfe and heare your selfe speake ¶ Anna. But the condicion state of our bodies shal not then be such as they be now for now our bodies eate drinke slepe are subiect to wearines We eate disgest and waxe hungry and they that do not eate and drink must nedes decay and die But though we do eate and drinke yet can not these earthly meates or drinkes maintayne our lyfe here for euer For when we be olde and sickly and when our stomacks leese their naturall heate and disgesture then can neither meat nor drinke help preserue or prolong our life But when the natural helth strength is gone we end our dayes and die It must nedes therfore be a strange kinde of meate which we shal eate in the world to come which maketh vs liue for euer And the condicion and state of our body which shal be then must nedes be far differing from this and much better more excellent happy and blessed thē either hart can thinke or we desire ☞ Vrb. Paul hath taught this euidently plainly manifestly in his epistle to the Phil. where he saith Christ in the last day shal change our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodye according to the working wherby he is able euen to subdue al things vnto himself Lo both in this place to the Cor. he saith the our bodies in the last resurrection shal be pure cleare and vnspotted like the stars of the firmament and lyke the sunne moone And among other things he saith that this body of ours is as a graine of corne sowen in the earth in corruption and is raised in incorruption it is sowne in dishonour and raysed in glory it is sowen in weaknes and is raised in power it is sowen a natural body is raised a spiritual body that is to say
our body here is a natural body and to the fustentation therof we must if we wil liue eate drinke slepe disgest purge And the same body is weried and in the ende corrupteth and fadeth And therfore as sone as that soule departeth frō the body the corps beginneth to smell putrify so that no man can abide the stinke therof This is the dishonor which for sinne is laid vpon the body But in the last day the lord wil trāsfigure our body into such brightnes make it so beautiful that it shal be like the sunne so shal alway abide continue a firm sound immortal body without bodily meat fed of god for euer And therfore saith Paul pointing as it were to his body with his finger this corruptible body wherin I now stād sit walke speake this same body I say must put on incorruption this mortal must put on immortalitie When this corruptible body hath put on incorruption this mortal hath put on immortalitie then shall bee brought to passe the saying that is written Death is swalowed vp into victory ¶ Anna. Now I haue heard the fruit of Christes passion resurrection which I take to be this That what Satan in Adam our nature by sin had corrupted destroyed the Christ by his death resurrection hath recouered restored to wit he hath destroyed sin ouercome death giuen life that we which beleue in Christ may be deliuered from our sins freed from the tiranny of deth the diuel be made heires of euerlasting life Now shew me what maner of kingdom Christs kingdom is which is so magnifically set forth promised vnto vs in the law prophets and euangelists ☞ Vrb. The kingdom of Christ which is promised in the prophets is a spirituall kingdom not of this world it is a kingdom of euerlasting blessednes mercy truth righteousnes peace life wisdom light ioy security liberty euerlasting saluatiō in which Christ the king of glory being taken vp into heauen exalted at the right hand of god doth by the gospel the holy ghost in fayth raigne inuisibly gouern defend al that beleue in him euen in the midst of their cruel deadly enemies to wit the world Satan heretikes persecuters of the church sin death Moreouer he is our intercessor in heauen to god the father he forgiueth vs our sinnes he sēdeth his holy spirit into our hartes he renueth repayreth our corrupted depraued decaied nature and he restoreth in vs the most beutiful image of god which through sinne was blotted out destroyed in vs To be briefe he sanctifieth vs defendeth vs preserueth vs in all dangers euils and so he in this life euen vnto the day of iudgement gathereth vp into his kingdom which is the true catholike church of the godly the children of God dispersed throughout the whole world He ouercōmeth in them sinne death the prince of this world by this means he prepareth maketh thē redy for that great glorious day of our full perfect redemption And although the godly die in the mortal body yet will he raise thē all again at the last day and they shall liue with Christ for euer But vntil the day both the euil and the good the godly the vngodly shal be mixt dwel together and the vngodly wil colourably seeke to beare a face and outward shew of godlines wil also be taken in place for godly nay they will be the chiefe in this earth and sit as magistrates vaunt themselues to be the heads of the church as Annas and Caiphas did in Christes tyme yea they wil root out curse and vehemētly persecute the true godly to the vttermost For in deede the true church is so hidden in this world the some times in great temptations it cannot for a space see it selfe ¶ Anna. What meaneth the miserable people the Anabaptists what madnes moueth them to seeke to cōgregate a church heare in this world which shold be pure vnspotted vndefiled and without all blot and where in they wil haue no sinner seing that euē the godly offend fal in many things the greatest part of those which are called christiās are mere hypocrits very wicked mē ☞ Vrb. These miserable mē vnderstand not the scriptures And therefore they know not what is the true church what maner of church it is or what the state of the true church is in this world Christ only is he which at the last day shal purge the chaffe that is the vngodly frō the good wheat which is the godly christians In the meane time that godly are compelled here to dwel liue among the vngodly And yet shall they not haue any discōmōditie or losse therby if they learne not at thē to liue be vngodly The godly may bear publik offices haue such politike functions as the ciuile magistrate doth ordain so long as they be not cōmaunded compelled to do that that is contrary to the commaundement of God and his holy word yea they both may with a safe conscience also ought as far as belōgeth to the body tēporal goods vse al humane publike ordināces and cōtracts which make for that maintenāce of this life society If so be they may be suffred to kepe retaine the true doctrine of the sauing gospel liue as it cōmādeth ¶ Anna. Seing you haue alredy described the kingdom of Christ I pray you discouer me the kingdō of Satan ☞ Vrb. Sathans kingdom is quite contrary vnto the kingdom of Christ it is a kingdom of euerlasting perdicion of lies of death of sinne of ignorance of blindnes of darkenes of heauines of affliction of sorrowe and of continuall captiuity and damnation And this kingdom of condemnation beginneth in this worlde and hath in it all the vngodly which will not beleue and obey the Gospell in whom the euill spirit worketh and is effectual And therupon is called in Iohn the prince of this world the god of this world This spirit blindeth the mynds of that vnbeleuers so that they see not the most cleare light of the gospel of the clearenes of Iesus Christ which is the image and caracter of God. ¶ Anna. How doth Sathan raigne in this world ☞ Vrb He is the strong man armed in his house of whō Luke speaketh who kepeth the wicked in his hande and hath thē in his power driueth thē whether he will at his pleasure Paul saith he bindeth thē holdeth thē in strōg lies errors darknes bewitcheth their harts and casteth thē hedlong into al wickednes filthines vncleannes and moueth and inflameth thē to all vngodlines Satan is alwais an enemy and an aduersary vnto true christians in all their godly enterprises procedings He stirreth vp fals teachers and draweth many into horrible heresies He alwais maketh
not slide Thine handes shall finde out all thine enemies and thy right hand shall finde out them that hate thee Thou shalt make them like a firy ouē in tyme of thine anger The lord shal destroy them in his wrath and the fire shall deuoure them Here agayne we see that Christ after he had humbled and debased himselfe should be exalted aboue all thinges as the true king of eternall blessednes and felicitie and that the enemies both of Christ and Christians should perish eternally Wherefore it is something strange that those two disciples were so offended at Christes suffring ¶ Anna. It is a strange thing in dede that they vnderstood not their owne prophets For seyng they were Iewes borne they should not haue bene ignoraunt of any of those thinges But peraduenture the carelesnesse and slouthfulnesse of the churchmen or priestes was the cause that the Iewes had so little knowledge of Messias and his kingdom I remember I haue heard you say that when Christ came into the sinagogue the Scribes and Pharises had layd aside the holy Scriptures and taught and vrged the doctrine and traditions of men What meruaile thē if the rude vnlearned people knew not the Scriptures seing they which boasted themselues to be the rulers of the church were blinded and vnderstood them not ☞ Vrban It is as you say for you see in Mathew how at that tyme those blynd guides set aside and despised the commaundements of God and preferred the doctrine and traditions of mē before the word of god Sathan hath alwais his false prophets among the children of God and he soweth spreadeth his errours in all places ¶ Anna. God the father kepe vs and destroy the deuises and assaults of that enemy But now go on and open the prophesies which be in the psalmes ☞ Vrb Dauid prophesieth in the 24. Psalme that Christ should be a most mighty and puissaunt prince in all the world And there he commaundeth that all worldly princes potentates should open the gates dores of glory vnto this most maiestical king and that they should on eche side go out of his way that he might haue a wide large way to walke in For he sayth he is the almighty God that most mighty puissant lord strōg in battail These are the prophets wordes Lift vp your heds you gates and be ye lift vp ye euerlasting doers and the king of glory shall come in Who is the king of glory The lord strong and mighty euen the Lord strong in battail Lift vp your heades ye gates and lift vp your selues ye euerlasting dores and the king of glory shal come in Who is the king of glory The Lord of hostes he is the king of glory Selah And againe he saith The lord doth remayne king for euer The lord shal giue strength vnto his people the lord shall blesse his people with peace This god shal rule for euer Iesus Christ and no other whose kingdom only shal remaine for euer Neither is his kingdō an earthly kingdome wherin Israel accordyng to the flesh raigneth in the lande of Canaan as the Iewes dreamed but it is an heauenly kingdome For Dauid sayth not here that the lord will giue his people cities fieldes grounds medowes vineyardes wealth riches but he sayth he wil giue them strength fortitude and power to wit the power of the holy ghost which is the spirite of strength and fortitude He sayth that he will blesse his children with peace and he blesseth them in deede with that true and eternall peace and enricheth and encreaseth them in all heauenly gifts The 72. Psalme also doth excellently prophesie of this heauenly kingdom of Christ shewyng what kind of kingdome it should be to wit a kingdom of righteousnes a kingdome in which should be perfect true holinesse without hypocrisie a kingdom of true peace wherin nothing is done contrary to law and equitie a kingdom wheras no man hath wrong but al things be wrought and done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by true iustice equalitie equitie and clemency a kingdom where all peace quietnes humanity and iust dealing florishe and a kingdom where the poore afflicted oppressed contemptible and wretched find present helpe comfort and consolation And further he sayth that this kingdom wherin true life dwelleth is so wyde that it extendeth it selfe not ouer Iuda onely but ouer the whole worlde For thus sayth Salomon Giue thy iudgementes to the King O GOD and thy righteousnesse to the kinges sonne Then shall he iudge thy people in righteousnesse and thy power with equitie The mountaynes and the hils shal bring peace to the people By iustice he shall iudge the poore of the people he shall saue the children of the needy and shall subdue the oppressour They shall feare thee as long as the sunne the Moone endureth from generation to generation Hee shall come downe like the rayne vpon the mowen grasse and as the showers that water the earth In his days shall the righteous florishe and aboundaunce of peace shal be so long as the Moone endureth His dominion shal be from sea to sea and from the ryuer vnto the endes of the lande They that dwell in the wildernesse shall kneele before him and hys enemies shal licke the dust The kings of Tharses and of the Iles shall bring presentes The kings of Sheba and Seba shall bring giftes yea all kinges shall worship him all nations shall serue him For he shall deliuer the poore when he cryeth the needy also and hym that hath no helper He shall bee mercifull to the poore and needy and shall preserue the soules of the poore he shall preserue and redeeme the soules from deceite and violence and deare shall their bloud be in his sight yea hee shal lyue and vnto him shal they giue of the gold of Sheba or Arabia they shal also pray for him continually daily blesse him His name shall be for euer His name shal endure as long as the sonne all nations shall blesse hym and be blessed in him It was nedefull that Christ should rise from death that this prophesie might be fulfilled that he might begin enlarge establish preserue this his most ample and wide kingdō for euer and euer And the holy ghost in the 45. Psalm also setteth forth Christ and his kingdom with wonderfull glorious wordes callyng Christ true god Which testimony Paule also citeth to the Hebrues saying O God thy throne is for euer and euer The scepter of thy kyngdome is a scepter of righteousnes thou hast loued righteousnes and hated iniquity Wherfore god euen thy God hath annointed thee with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellowes Read the whole Psalme for it doth excellently set forth Christ and his spirituall kingdome in which both sinne death and Sathan yea els whatsoeuer afflicteth and troubleth the godly are extinguished destroyed and ouercome in their places is giuen euerlasting lyfe Also in the 47.
Psalme the holy ghost very sweetly and comfortably setteth forth Christes ascension glorification and ample kingdome saying thus All people clap your handes sing loud vnto God with a ioyful voice for the lord is high and terrible a great king ouer all the earth God is gone vp with triumph euen the Lord with the soundes of the trumpet Sing prayses to God sing praises sing praises to our king sing praises For god is the king of all the earth Sing prayses euery one that hath vnderstāding God raigneth ouer the heathen God sitteth vpō his holy throne In this Psalme all nations are stirred vp to laud and prayse the Lord who in Christ raigneth now ouer all the world If then all these thinges ought to be accomplished through the whole earth it could not be that Christ should continue in death especially seing it was prophesied that Christ should deliuer the world out of the bandes of death himself be exalted placed in the highest type of honor glory The prophet Dauid also speaketh of the battail victory of Christ in the 68. psal telling how he ouercame death and Satan and by his mighty deuine power deliuered al thē from Satans tiranny which were his captiues ascended into heauen And this psal Paul citeth to the Ephes saying He ascended vp on high he led captiuity captiue S. Augustine here vnderstandeth by captiuity captiue euen death it selfe which held al the children of Adam as sinners in captiuity and mightily ruled ouer them yea euen ouer good christiās which lay bound and captiue vnder the yoke and captiuity of Satan but by Christs death and resurrection are deliuered and redemed Dauid saith The lord raigneth and is clothed with maiesty the lord is clothed and girded with power The world also shal be established that it cānot be moued Thy throne is established of old thou art from euerlasting the floudes haue lifted vp O lord the flouds haue lifted vp their voice the floods haue lifted vp their waues The waues of the sea are maruelous through the noise of many waters yet the lord on hie is more mighty Thy testimonies are very sure holines becommeth thy house O lord for euer Here God the holy ghost prophecieth of the kingdome of Christ to wit how Christ the king of all glory so wonderfully kepeth surely establisheth strōgly fortifieth his kingdom that it cannot fall and be ouerthrown although the sea of this world by violence and huge stormes inuade it set vpon it and seke cleane to subuert it The Iewes did all they could vpō good Friday quite to extinguish this king And now that he is risen again from the dead both Iewes Gentiles Turkes heretikes and false christians with the world and Satan al their power resist him and his kingdom They forge most impudēt and shameful lies against him they lay snares by subtleties to intrap him they fill all places with slaughter of him they assay euery way to hurt him and they doe the worst they can both by force and cunning agaynst him But though they try euery thing they shall preuayle nothing Al their deuises shal be frustrate al their trauaile shal not preuaile yea all their power shall not profite them for he died once and henceforth dieth no more Now he sitteth at the right hand of God aboue the heauens and is the euerlasting and eternall God himselfe whose throne is builded and standeth on so sure a foundation and ground worke that it cannot be moued or ouerthrown Yea the very gates of hell cannot preuail against the poore church in as much it only dependeth vpon this head Christ that glorious kyng of heauen that most sure and vnmouable rocke He which falleth on this stone shal be broken but on whomsoeuer it shall fall it will grind him to pouder Seing then the habitatiō of this king shal endure for euer it must nedes follow that he shal both liue for euer and also giue euerlasting lyfe vnto vs. Againe Dauid saith The lord raigneth let the people tremble he sitteth betwene the Cherubins let the earth be moued The Lord is great in Sion and he is high aboue all people They shall prayse thy great and fearefull name for it is holy and the kings power that loueth iudgement for thou hast prepared equitie thou hast executed iudgement and iustice in Iacob exalt the lord our God and fall downe before his footestoole for he is holy This king is Christ who ruleth the church which is the spirituall Sion thorough the whole world He hath placed his throne in a high place euen in the very heauens and all the earth is his footestoole and he ruleth for euer But Sathan and the world beyng set on euill cannot abide this And when they are not able to throwe downe Christ from the seat of his maiesty they fret and fume agaynst the godly and cruelly persecute them But for all that they cannot take away their saluation although they indeuour it neuer so much For where this king is there shall all those be also which beleue in him Therefore the vngodly cannot hurt the righteous so as may truely bee called hurting For when they kill them and take their lyues from them which to the world seemeth the greatest hurt that can be then do they most profite them For death is vnto them the gate and redy way to lyfe but the enemies of Christ and his church shal in the end be thrown vnder foote troden downe and be more vile and filthy then any rubbish dirt or dung And agayne Dauid sayth Thou wilt arise and haue mercy vpon Sion for the tyme to haue mercy theron for the appoynted tyme is come For thy seruantes delight in the stones therof and haue pity on the dust thereof Then the heathen shall feare the name of the Lord and all the kinges of the earth thy glory when the Lord shall builde vp Sion and shall appeare in his glory and shall turne vnto the prayer of the desolate and not despise their prayer This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shal be created shall prayse the Lord for he hath looked downe from the height of his sanctuary out of the heauen did the lord behold the earth that he might heare the mourning of the prisoner and deliuer the children of death In this Psalme we see how earnestly the godly Christians which were before Christes natiuitie did in feruency of prayers looke for his kingdome wherin onely or els not sinnes are pardoned and death is vanquished These true Christians desire and praye that Zion that is the church may be builded euery where and the glory of Christ seene and propagated through all the world as did Dauid Samuel and the rest of the Prophetes who with spirituall eyes saw long before that Messias should first be debased but afterward exalted and glorified through the whole world Neither were they offended at
the light of the Lord. ¶ Anna. The prophets vse a straunge kinde of speakyng when they prophesie of Christes kingdome for they speake of some temporall or politike kingdom here in this earth For Esay saith that the whole world shall run together to the hill Sion in Ierusalem and there shall all the world heare the worde of God and there shal be no more warre in the earth but true perfect and euerlasting peace amongst all men yet this is impossible and vncredible ☞ Vrbanus The prophets haue their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and peculiar maner of speaking but when they prophesie of the kingdome of Christ thē especially they vse strāge and figuratiue wordes and rare speches which are full of figures and similitudes as if they should speake of corporall kingdoms on earth and of the great mighty potentates of this world But I told you in the beginning of this our talke out of the first of Peter that the Prophets speake of a much more excellent thing then at the first sight their wordes seeme to import vnto men which are not well seene in scriptures to wit they speake of eternall saluation and of Iesus Christ the sonne of God how he should come into the world and be borne of the virgin Mary true man of the stocke of Abraham and Dauid and how he should beare the sinnes of the world and by his death take away our death with all our iniquities and sinnes and how he should rise agayne from death and receiue all power in heauen and on earth and giue vnto all faithful christiās his eternall kingdom with life euerlasting which kingdome of his shall containe such glory as eies haue not sene eares haue not heard neither hath entred into the hart of man as Esay saith In so much that all maiesty might magnificence brightnesse beauty power riches glory dignitye honours worshippes pleasures ioy peace tranquillitie comforte fortitude strength and vigour yea life in this worlde And to be short what pleasure or happinesse so euer this visible and frayle worlde contayneth are not all so much as a shadowe in comparison of the glorye to come in the kingdome of Christ Wherfore seyng the Prophets speake of such great and meruailous thinges promised vs in Christ as farre passe all our vnderstanding and capacitie and are so wonderfull that euen the Angels in heauen are glad and reioyce at them they are constrayned to vse similitudes and comparisons and to speak as if they spake of corporal states and earthly things of worldly kingdomes and of corporall honour peace glory and such other that by the visible temporall known things which are set forth to our eyes and senses they might moue and draw vs to consider and with harty praiers to desire those spirituall inuisible and eternall things for the possession and enioying of which we together with the angels are ordained For we must wander here a tyme as strangers or pilgrimes in this visible world but at the last we shall be made lyke to the angels and be placed in the spiritual and heauenly kingdom of Christ in the fellowship of Angels And here if we well consider the prophesies of the Prophetes we may easily vnderstand and iudge by the circumstances of these writings that they speake of the spirituall and heauenly kingdome For they attribute such great thinges vnto the kingdome of Christ as are not to be found in any earthly kingdome As in that they say that the king of this kingdome shall be poore and contemned in this worlde and shall teache suffer dye and be buried and yet for all that by this meanes become a great and victorious prince ouer sinne death and Sathan and raigne a king for euer But what a happy thing is it that we haue the newe testament the writings of the Apostles and Euangelistes which are the most sure and true interpreters of the Prophetes But now when we heare in the new Testament that the kingdome of Christ is not of this world but spirituall heauenly and eternall we must needes vnderstand the Prophets according to the exposition thereof which if we do we can neuer erre nor be deceyued ¶ Anna. I pray you tell me what Esay meaneth by these his figuratiue wordes what is that of which he speaketh which is that house of God whether run the Gentils ☞ Vrb. I neede not expound it for Paule expoundeth it to the Hebrues where he sayeth You are come to the mount Sion and to the city of the liuing GOD the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels and to the congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen Here we see that the earthly mount Sion the house of Dauid and the earthly Ierusalem is nothyng els but a figure of the spirituall mount Sion and the heauenly Ierusalem that is of the catholike church of all the elect Into this mount and to this true Ierusalem which is the house of the liuyng God all nations come on heapes The holy ghost was sent from heauen in mās sight manifestly into this earthly Sion and Ierusalem In it also was the gospell preached by Christ and his Apostles There also began the church by the reuelation of the new testament so the doctrine of Christ went out of Sion and taried not only there but was published through all the whole world that the heauenly Ierusalem beyng spred through all nations myght be builded agayn as Christ witnesseth in Luke where he sayth It behoueth Christ to suffer and to rise again from the dead the third day and that repentaunce and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name among all nations This should begin first at Ierusalem whether all nations come on heapes to heare the gospell preached How far and wide did euē Paul himselfe by preaching spred the Gospell how many people leauing the erronious and idolatrous race of their vngodly lyfe run then into the mount of the lord that they might learne his law and gospell For the lord iudged among the nations when by the spirit and gospell he reprehended the world of sinne that they might acknowlege their wickednes and repent and desire the grace of Christ and so be made faithfull christians by faith haue inwarde peace with god Swordes among christians are turned into shares when they enioy through the gospell celestiall peace when their hartes conceiue true perfect peace with God and when they liue peaceably with their neighbors and alway study peace Christes kingdome is thus at peace Mē are humble and submit thēselues one to another they do not braule and striue bitterly enuiously about trifles but are merciful towards their neighbors oppressed with calamity and they shew thē selues gentle pitifull lowly and humble vnto al men and redy to maintaine iustice equity and vpright dealing they know not how to faine or dissemble but are plaine simple and mercifull dealers with all men c. And to be
deadly sicknes of sinne and ouercome the power of darknes thorough the might and power of this signe Christ crucified But it is especially to be marked that the prophet saith All nations shal seke vnto him The 70. translaters haue interpreted these wordes thus Which shall rise again to be the king of the Gentiles that is of all people in the earth in him shal the Gentils trust Like as the patriarke Iacob said according to the exposition of the 70. translaters in these wordes Siloh shall be the hope or expectation of the Gentils Here haue we a plaine euident testimony of the calling of the Gentiles to the grace of the gospell For they shal enquire after Christ or seeke him as their only sauiour put all their hope trust in him What els is this but that they shall acknowledge Christ to bee true GOD and true man of the stocke of Dauid For hope in the first commaundement is the honour due onely and soly vnto the true and liuing god And thus the kingdome of Christ according to this prophesy shall be as wide and large as the whole worlde so that the Iewes shall bee the least and smallest parte of Christes kingdome And euen all the Iewes vnderstande this chapter of Messias who should recouer and restore the kingdome of Israel And where as the Prophet sayth His rest shall be glorious that is his death and buriall shall be glorious for his body is neither corrupt nor rotten He died an innocent whose death brought all vs the childrē of Adam out of eternall death and shame into euerlasting honour and glory For Christ by this his most holy and sacred death entred into his glorious and euerlasting kingdome and so after his death began his raigne in lyfe And when as the Iewes supposed that hee was dead in deede and quite extinguished al those things which he had promised and spoken to be vaine and of none effect as Cleophas also and his companions supposed then beeing risen from death to life came forth and ouercame and quite destroyed and killed death and became glorious and was made kyng both of the Iewes and Gentiles and raigneth for euer throwyng downe his enemies with euerlastyng shame First therfore in these wordes is contained the deth of Christ for the prophet sayth his rest And afterward is noted his glorious victorious resurrection For the prophet saith that his rest shal be glorious but his rest or death could not haue bene glory or glorious or honorable if he had abiden still in death wrought done nothing by it In Exodus it is written that the lord stretched out his hande and by his great miracles declared his power that he might deliuer his captiue afflicted and oppressed people out of Egypt and bring them vnto the promised land of Canaan And here the Prophet doth agayne promise such a deliueraunce but a much more glorious and meruailous deliueraunce then that was when hee drowned Pharao with all his hoste in the red sea and brought his people out of all danger into the land of promise without hurt and harme The deliuerance out of Egypt was but onely a figure of this deliueraunce of which the prophet speaketh here For God wil deliuer the remnant of the Iewes and Gentiles out of the eternall captiuity of Satan by Iesus Christ and gather them all together into the kingdom of heauen where they shall neuer suffer eyther damage detriment or losse And he calleth all nations throughout all the whole worlde For saluation hath extended it selfe to all the world that the dispersed and wandring children of god might be gathered together out of all quarters of the earth as Christ himselfe saith in Iohn And I if I were lift vp from the earth will draw all men vnto me And agayne Christ should dye for the nations not for the nations onely but that he should gather together in one the children of God which were scattred abroade The prophet Esay singeth a notable Psalme of this great and inexplicable benefite of the true and spirituall redemption in Christ wherby we be deliuered from euerlasting damnation And in that Psalme he meruailously setteth forth the goodnes of god in Christ saying Behold God is my saluation I will trust and wil not feare for the lord God is my strength and song he also is become my saluation If Cleophas and his companion had known him to be the sauiour and deliuerer of Israel as well as Esay did they had neuer bene in harte so heauy as they were It followeth in the prophet Esay Therefore with ioye shall ye drawe waters out of the welles of saluation And yee shall say in that daye prayse the Lorde call vppon his name declare his workes among the people make mention of them For hys name is exalted Syng vnto the Lorde for he hath done excellent thinges This is known in all the world Cry out and shoute O inhabitant of Sion for great is the holy one of Israel in the midst of thee Note here how greatly and aboundantly the prophet reioiceth in spirit or the bountiful grace of god offred in Christ our only sauiour and deliuerer When the gospel of God is taught vnto vs then is the holy ghost with all his graces giuen vnto vs to wit remission of sinnes peace of conscience true ioy He is the true fountain spring of the liuing water of which Christ speaketh in Iohn saying The water that I shall giue him shall be in him a well of water springing vp into euerlasting life And againe Christ sayth If any mā thirst let him come to me drinke he that beleueth in me as saith the scripture out of his belly shal flow riuers of water of life He spake this of the spirit which they that beleue in him should receiue For he obtained this holy ghost by his deth for vs and he mightily shewed forth to vs how that by his death the victory of his resurrection he ouercame sinne death and Satan The true Sion that is the catholike church of the faithfull doth in dede and not without good occasion reioice shout for ioy yea she may well and worthily glory For she hath gotten forgiuenes of sinnes righteousnes the holy ghost peace of conscience and euerlasting saluation For Paul sayth to the Corinthiās That God hath giuen vs a glorious victory triumph ouer the law sin death hel through our lord Iesus Christ Esay prophesieth in like maner in his 25. chapter of the victory of Christ saying God Messias will destroy death for euer and the Lord God will wipe away the teares from all faces and the rebuke of his people wil he take away out of all the earth For the lord hath spoken it Now then if Christ hath swallowed vp death then are we surely deliuered from it For death neither hath nor euer had power ouer Christ because he was
pure free frō al sinne All mankind in deed is subiect to it But Christ paied the price of all our sinnes and in his owne person ouercame death and so destroyed it that henceforth it cannot vtterly vndo vs and deuour vs Because all we which beleue in Christ shall rise again by the vertue of Christes resurrectiō This also might haue comforted Cleophas and his companion haue certified them that Christ was a spirituall king which should not restore that corporall kingdome of Israel but redeme the true Israelites to wit the children of promise through the whole world from the kingdome of Satan and bring them into the heauenly and spiritual kingdom of euerlasting lyfe and immortalitie Esay in his 26. chapter hath a notable song of the kingdom of Christ of the church of the faithfull and of the fortitude and security therof where he sayth We haue a strong city saluation shall God set for walles bulwarks That is to say the walles and armour of it are the sauing helth and victory of Christ which are sure and inuincible fortresses Open ye the gates that the righteous nation which kepe the truth may enter in Here are the citizens of this city described to wit the righteous which beleue in Iesus Christ It followeth By assured purpose wilt thou preserue perfect peace because they trusted in thee This is spokē of the king which ruleth this heauenly city because he doth alwayes and in all places giue and maintayne true pleasant and perpetuall peace against Satan the world and the flesh This peace is in consciēce through faith in Iesus Christ A little after Esay doth prophesie of the resurrection of those dead which shal haue beleued in Messias and are citizens of that heauenly Ierusalem saying Thy dead men shall liue euen with my body shall they rise Awake and sing ye that dwell in dust For thy dew is as the dew of herbes and the earth shal cast out the dead Come my people enter thou into my chambers and shut thy dores after thee Hide thy selfe for a very litle while vntill the indignation passe ouer for loe the Lord commeth out of his place to visite the iniquity of the inhabitauntes of the earth vpon them and the earth shall disclose her bloud and shall no more hide her slaine Now if the righteous which yet lye in the earth shall rise in theyr owne bodies then must it needes be that Christ should rise before who is the head kyng by whome they are iustified and deliuered from theyr sinnes and by whom they shall rise agayne The prophet therefore vndoubtedly speaketh here of the resurrection of Christ and christians and calleth the faythfull of Christ the lordes dead that is pertayning vnto the lord or which are the lordes of whome God will take an accompt and whome he will preserue and not leaue them in death but bring them to euerlasting lyfe For if God be theyrs and they Gods then out of all doubt can not they continue in death neither hath death totally swallowed them vp and cōsumed them but it hath for a short tyme separated their body and soule For God is not the God of the dead but of the liuyng The soule is with Christ and the body in the ground But at the last day the lord will purge and purifie theyr bodies and adorne them with infinit and vnspeakable glory Esay teacheth vs what maner of lyfe we shall haue after our death when he sayeth Awake and sing If the godly must sing and vndoubtedly they shall syng that euerlastyng Alleluya that is a thankesgiuyng because death is swalowed vp in the victory of Christ then out of doubt shall our lyfe after this temporall lyfe be a most happy and blessed lyfe and we shall haue continuall ioyes without any tast of payne or sorrowes perpetuall health without sickenesse eternall and true pleasures delightes and comfortes without any wearisomnesse or molestations After that day sicknesses shall trouble our bodies no more neyther shall olde age wither our bodies or decrease our strength but we shal alwayes haue a continual spring euerlasting pleasure and perpetuall beauty Therefore sayth the prophet Thy dewe shall be as the dewe of a greene medowe That is after your resurrection you shall not fade or decay but flourish alwayes and for euer and be as a fayre medow and greene garden which by her sweete dew comfortable buddes and pleasaunt delectation feedeth the eyes of all men But before this most ioyfull day of the resurrection of the faythfull we must suffer much affliction and heauinesse as Christ warneth vs in Iohn saying In the world ye shall haue affliction and bee made conformable vnto hys death This must be suffered paciently and moderately that be suffering we may be made lyke vnto Christ and so according to our portion be partakers of glory And so Paul sayth to the Philippians The thinges which were vauntage to me the same I counted losse for Christes sake that I might winne Christ and that I might knowe hym and the vertue of hys resurrection and the fellowship of his affliction and bee made conformable vnto his death if by any meanes I might attayne vnto the resurrection of the dead In the meane while we sit as it were shut vp vnknowen to the world in our parlor or closset of the holy church beleuing the doctrine of the sacred Gospell and confirmyng our fayth and hartes with the sweete promise of GOD in hys worde euen vnto the last iudgement that the wrath of GOD may passe ouer and that which ought to be iudged receiue iudgement Our afflictions here are not continuall but for a short tyme which compared vnto eternitie is not the twinckling of an eye And this tyme once finished the Lord will come to iudgement and giue vnto euery one accordyng to his workes Then shall the godly and guiltlesse Abel ryse from the dust of the earth and then shall not the earth any longer couer the bodye of the righteous but it shall giue them vp that together with their soules they may be glorified And the Prophet in his 27. chapiter prophesieng of Christes kingdome and the catholike church calleth it a vineyarde saying In that day sing of the vineyarde to wit the church of red wyne I the Lorde do keepe it and will water it euery moment least any assaile it I will keepe it day and night Hereafter Iacob shall take roote Israel shall flourish and growe and the worlde shall bee filled with fruite And in that day also shall the great trumpet be blowen and they shall come which perished in the land of Ashur and they which were chased into the land of Egypt and they shall worship the lord in the holy mount at Ierusalem This vineyarde is the church of the faythfull which is enclosed and hedged about with the worde of God adourned with the holy spirite and moystened and watered with the
way my paths shal be exalted Behold these shall come from far And loe these from the North and from the West And these from the Lord of Sinim Reioyce O Heauens and be ioyfull O Earth burst forth vnto prayse O Mountaynes for God hath comforted his people and will haue mercy vpon his afflicted But Sion saith the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Can a woman forget her child and not haue compassiō on the sonne of her wombe Though they should forget yet wil I not forget thee Behold I haue grauen thee vpon the palmes of my hands Thy walles are euer in my sight thy builders make hast thy destroyers and they that made thee wast are departed from thee Lift vp thine eyes round about and behold all these gather them selues together and come to thee As I liue saith the Lord thou shalt surely put them all vpon thee as a garment and gird thy selfe with them like a bride For thy desolation and thy wast places and thy land destroyed shall surely be more narrow for them that shall dwell in it And they that did deuour thee shall be far away The children of thy Barons shall say againe in thine eares The place is straite for me geue place to me that I may dwell Then shalt thou say in thine hart who hath begotten me these seeing I am barrain and desolate a captiue and a wanderer to and fro and who hath nourished them Behold I was left alone Whence are these Thus saith the Lord god Behold I will lift vp my hands to the Gentils and set vp my standard to the people and they shall bring thy sonnes in their armes and thy daughters shall be caryed vpon their shoulders And kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queenes shall be thy nurses They shall worship thee with their faces towards the earth and lick vp the dust of thy feet And thou shalt know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that wayt for me Shall the pray be taken from the mighty Or the iust captiuity deliuered But thus saith the lord Euen the captiuity of the mighty shall be taken away and the pray of the tirant shall be delyuered For I will contend with him that contendeth with thee and I will saue thy children and will feed them that spoyl thee with their own flesh and they shal be dronken with their own bloud as with sweet wine And all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Sauiour Redeemer the mighty one of Iacob This prophecy comforteth true Israell to wit the church the spiritual kingdome of Christ congregated of the Iewes and Gentils and it teacheth vs what is the state of Christes kingdome in this world to wit that nothing in this world is more contemptible and vile then the true Israelites or the right beleeuers in Christ Iesus For the king him self in this earth shewed all humility and submission and was so far frō al pride cruelty ostentation and worldly pompe that the world vtterly despised and contemned him euen as if all that euer he had done had been nothing For when he had continued almost 34. yeares in very humble and low state euen as a pilgrim or stranger here on earth at last they put him to a most shamefull and ignominious death And those as S. Paul witnesseth that beleue in Christ must be like vnto their head Christ that is in this world they must be contemned persecuted afflicted and subiect to all calamities Tertullian in his Apologie against the Gentiles saith that in his time Christians of all other were counted vnprofitable persons and men good for nothing And Ciprian against Demetrian sayth that in his dayes what euil so euer happened in the earth either dearth of victuall or other euil or misfortune it was alway imputed to the Christians And Paul to the Rom. saith out of the 44. psalme that Christians in this world are accounted as sheepe for the slaughter For who so euer they be that be enemies to Christ the same also goe about to kill or destroy those that truely beleeue in Christ and they that kill them thinke they doe God seruice Wherefore it is specially to be required that the godly here arme them selues and strengthen their harts with true consolations against all assaults least they be discouraged and faint vnder the cros ¶ Anna. What comfort then doth the holy Ghost geue them in these great calamities ☞ Vrb. First he calleth the remnant of his people that is the faithfull Christians poore and contemptible soules which the world abhorreth and which are constrained to be sheep ordained for the tirants slaughter But on the other side he promiseth that there shal be in those enemies great change to wit that they shal be so clean altered and haue their disposition maners and nature so changed and become such that they will imbrace and honour the godly for Gods sake whom they shall by the preaching of the gospell know and professe And this was fulfilled when the Romaine Emperors who before time had bitterly vexed and persecuted the kingdom of Christ continually destroying his faithful christians at last were content in their own persons to professe the name of Christ and did highly honour the christians and decrely and hartely imbrace and reuerence them as the only beloued people of god Of this sort was Constantine the great Theodosius and Charles the great and many other Emperors wherby they which beleeue in Christ haue euen in this world much pleasure and ioy But the true comfort conteyned in the words following shall at last appeare The prophet saith I haue heard them in an acceptable time c. This acceptable time or time of mercy is that time of grace of the new testament in which the Lord the most plentiful welspring of mercy opened the treasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most precious gifts of his grace and commaunded the euerlasting couenant of his mercy to be published abroad preached throughout al the world as Paul expoundeth this prophecy to the Cor. For the Lord sent Christ and Christ performed al things which made for mans deliuerance for with his sacrifice he pacified God for sinne blotted out sinne and swallowed vp death and fulfilled the law and conquered Sathan All which great benefits and rich treasures together with his royal victory and life God cōmaunded shold be offered and geuen to the world by his gospell Indeed this day of the Lord is a most acceptable ioyfull and comfortable day This is the day of perfect health help The Lord also hath geuen his seruants to wit the true beleeuers in Christ for a league of his people euen as Christ is a league betwixt God and man For the word of God and the holy sacraments by which the church doth bring other also into the league of grace that they likewise may be partakers of Gods promises are found and remain in
causes then all the kingdomes empires powers honors wealthes and riches of this world to wit to destroy the workes of Sathan with the kingdome of sinne and death and to establish his kingdome of righteousnes and euerlasting life But carnall men do carnally expound the promises of the Lord vntill they receaue the holy ghost the true Doctour and teacher of the truth It is the spirite of God which at the last doth trulye open the eyes of the hart that the truth of God may be seene perceaued and vnderstode The Euangelists vse so to speake of the person of Christs as though we may take thē some tyme to speak of the Godhead and glory of Christ and sometyme of his humilitye submission affliction miserye and contemptible state in the eyes of the world euen as occasion and place serue You haue heard before how Esay prophesied that the onely begotten sonne of God Iesus Christ who was spoken of before by the prophets should come into this world euen in his own person But Esay now in this 35. chap. telleth what he should doe and performe at his cōming in the fleshe to wit that he should be our seruaunt And the Father calleth him his seruaunt in respect of his office because he is to helpe vs obediēt to his Father euen vnto the death the death of the crosse and because he humbleth himselfe beneath all men and is a very abiect and lowlye seruant to all men that thereby he may exalt all men The Prophet also sheweth that Christ after this his humilitye should be exalted vnto the most highest state of honor and glorye ¶ Anna. I pray you then tell me how shall Christ obay and how shall he rule ☞ Vrba Very wisely For he will so rule and gouerne the misterye which his Father committed vnto him that no man can euer sufficiently commende him For though it may seeme absurde and foolish vnto reason that Christ should promise to deliuer other mē from death whē he himselfe dyed and to bring all that beleeue into eternall glorye when he himselfe came to eternall shame and ignominye yet this was the best and fastest way to worke such a notable worke For how can the euerlasting wisedome of the Father doe anye thing that should not in euery respect be most excellently done And Iaskaet may be thus translated He will geue wisedome and vnderstanding or he will make men wise and skilfull For Christian beleuers teach true and perfect wisedome in the schoole of Christ which wisdome no worldling can vnderstād The children of this world by the wisedome of the flesh can search after and get nothing but the fraile and transitory goodes of this world But faythfull Christians are much wiser they vse this world and the treasures thereof as the stranger vseth his inery they after the true eternall treasures of their heuenly cuntrye But we must note that this seruice of Christ was not of long continuaunce and that after it should follow true and perfect glory with euerlasting honor And therfore sayth Esay he shal be exalted extolled hiely estemed And this thing shal be so that many may wonder and be offended at his great and extreame humilitie which thing hapned in the Iewes who abhorre and thinke it detestable great wickednes to say that Messias which is promised in the prophets should be constrained to suffer a most vile and ignominious death whereupon they call Christ Thalui that is hanged vp blaspheming him most horribly wickdly and detestably The cause why they are offended at the crosse of Christ is because they seeke in Messias the corporall goodes and temporall honors and dignities of this world They thinke it wickedly and impiously spoken to say that so great a king of Israell should hang among theues as though he himselfe had bene a most hainous and wicked offender But if so be that the sight of him should be so miserable so vncomely so vile so foule that he should not seeme in the eyes of the world to be the man that could deliuer others and bring them vnto honor and glory and this is the cause that he is the stone of offence how could his kingdome be worldly Worldly princes must so set forth their brauerye dignitye and maiestye that men may euen be amased to looke on them A worldly kingdome cannot stand vnlesse there be in it both power and reuerence where the prince is poore and dispised and oppressed by the violence or tyrannye of the enimies and doth neither in power nor riches excell his aduersaryes there must needes the kingdome come to ruine But this our king wil doe more by his humility then all the princes and kings in this earth can doe with all their pompe power and riches What will he then doe The prophet saith He wil sprinkle many nations This is an Hebrue phrase This word Iaseh doth properly signify to disparce abroad hether and thether euen as drops of water are sprinkled here and there This sprinkling therfore of the Gentils betokeneth nothing els in this place but to teach and preach gods word amongst them and this was fulfilled when the Apostles by the holy ghost instructed the gentils through the holy word opened vnto them this welspring of Gods grace in christ Iesus and dispersed the same euen as the fertil rayn which falleth in May that therby the fruit of Gods knowledge might grow and increase in al places they preuailed so much through the preaching of Gods word that euen mighty Emperors and Princes did worship adore and feare Christ Iesus and held their tongues and were astonyed And among the gentils and other places where before the scriptures were not known and the gospell not heard of there did they so teach the great misteries of the gospel that they were vnderstood Seeing then in Christ such great maruels and wonders are wrought to wit that God becommeth man humbleth him self very lowly and in his blessed and most innocent humanity I cal his humanity that humain nature which he tooke vpon him suffereth so great shame greef and calamity and that of his own people whom he had blessed with so great and infinite benefits both of body and soule and seeing he must by this his ignominious death be exalted vnto honor and so begin his spirituall kingdome but must first as the king therof labour vnder his crosse and suffer all kind of calamity and shame and yet by the self same crosse be in deed exalted to honor and crowned with eternall glory seeing I say these wonderful things which are contrary to mans reason are done in Christ and his kingdome the world wil not beleeue them when it shal heare them And this thing the prophet saw in spirite when he sayd who wil beleue our saying that is our preching or doctrine They are so great incredible that reason cannot be perswaded that such wonders either are or could be done How did
the Iewes I pray you in the beginning receaue the gospel how absurd and incredible seemed it to them Did not Christs own kindred according to the flesh at the first refuse to beleue him had not Iohn Baptist much to doe to draw his discyples from himself and to bring them to Christ And when they had seen all those great miracles and wonders yet would they scarcely in the end geue credit vnto Christ so offended were they at his base habit and lowly conuersation And this ran alwayes in their heads if he had bin our true Christ or Messias he would haue come after a more regall magnificent and imperiall sort then thus But how fel it out with Cleophas and his companyon was not this prophecie verefyed and fulfilled euen in them they had heard before of Christ and they had seen his works and great wonders Whereupon they supposed and iudged that he was the true deliuerer of Israell But when they saw so much humility and weaknes in him on good Fryday that he suffered himself to be slayn and buryed it offended and trobled them very much so that they then began to stagger and wauer and doubt whether he was the true Messias or no. It would not sink into their heads that Iesus whom they had seen crucified could help other and delyuer Israell seeing that was now the third day since he himself suffered death vpon the cros And these cogitations ran in their heads How shal he delyuer Israel from al his calamities which suffered himself to be taken and nayled to the cros we beleeued that he had been the redeemer of Israel but our hope is frustrate Behold how hardly the disciples beleued the misteries of the gospel concerning the death resurrection and kingdome of Christ But when the women sayd that they had seen Angels at the graue and when the discyples heard them say that Christ was rysen to life agayn O how strange was that to them how hardly did they beleue it Christ in Luke told his disciples before what things should happen vnto hym at Ierusalem that is to wit how he should suffer and rise agayn the third day But Luke sayth that they vnderstood not those things So vtterly ignorant were they of all these things And in the last of Luke when Christ was rysen the discyples hardly beleeued that he was rysen and when Christ appeared vnto them they thought they had seen some spirit or vision vntil they had seen and handled his true body and eaten meat with him and therfore it is sayd in Esay to whom shal the Lordes arme be reueled This arme is Christ the vertue and power of God who is eternall infinite and almighty Reason cannot perceiue or vnderstand it and therfore was it needful that it should be reueled vnto our harts by the holy spirit by which spirit onely we are able to vnderstand perceiue and beleue these great and wonderful treasures which Christ hath geuen vs. Paul to the Corinthians saith The natural man neither perceiueth nor vnderstandeth these things Therfore Christ himself opened his disciples harts and by his holy spirit lightened them that they might both vnderstand and beleue the scriptures ¶ Anna. Why doth the prophet call Christ a branch or root springing out of a dry and barrain ground ☞ Vrb. This may be vnderstood two wayes First of his wonderful natiuity For al mankind was a dry and barraine ground destitute of the liuely water of grace And yet of this dry and cursed ground of mankind was Christ borne a most beutyful and blessed branch and was made man in deed without all spot of sinne Surely surely this is a very strange branch which groweth out of such a dry ground and yet bringeth neither blot nor blemish of that cursed ground with it He hath the nature of Adam truely but cleane without sinne Secondly it may be vnderstood thus It is wonderfull that Christ after he had put of that base habit and humiliation is made Lord of all things No man would euer haue thought that such a glorious glory should come of so vile a cros For there was no beuty then in his flesh all was dry vaded feeble flagge withered and weake And therfore the prophet sayth very well and to good purpose he shall grow vp or he ascended vp before him that is before God because he was before him a most beutifull branch He was before God in the most splendent and highest glory although contemned of the world and without beuty in his passion The prophet saith he was not beutiful alas what beuty could there be in him his most blessed face was all to be torne and defyled with bloud and spittle and so deformed rent with thornes that euen Pilate the Gentile wondered at their cruel dealing and had more compassiō on him then those enuyous blind Iewes In the words folowing Esay doth more at large set forth the ignominious passion of Christ telling vs how he was miserably and cruelly tormented He was sayth the prophet most despised and least regarded of all men There was no account made of him and out of doubt in deed the Iewes regarded him nothing but had him in great despite for they made him being the king of glory their mocking stock and sent him to Herod for a may game But seeing that Esay had foretold thus much of Christ the Iewes ought in no wise to haue bin offended at the contumelious and shameful passiō of Christ especyally seeing these things happened by the ordinance will and prouidence of god And seeing that Christ yealded himself into the Iewes hands of his own wil not of compulsion But now harken what good he wrought by this his passion and debasing of him selfe Hee bare not his owne infirmities but oures Wee had perished in euerlasting shame if he of his meere mercy had not taken compassion vpon vs and born that most heauy burthen which came by our sinnes and was layd vpō all mankind to wit if he had not taken vpon him selfe our calamities which was due to al mankind for their sins and born them himself and quite discharged vs of that burthen we had dyed eternally And now first of all learn here that mans nature through sinne is most dāgerously diseased and should by eternall death haue dyed for euer if Christ had not helped vs and not borne our deadly disease and great weaknes Secondly it appeareth that our sinnes and those infirmities which proceed of sinne was so great so heuy and so importable a burthen that al mankind could not beare it but had fainted vnder the burthen and so must needes haue been drowned in hell And therfore natural and simply mā which being no more but mā could not make satisfaction for sinnes But Messias who was not only true man but also true God onely both had abilitie and ought to doe it Thirdly it must needes be both meere and horrible blasphemy to teach
Paul calleth this righteousnes the righteousnes of faith which standeth not on our merits but on the merits of christ He therfore that knoweth Christ and beleeueth that he is the true purger of sinnes and the destroyer of death and apprehendeth him in his hart by true faith and taketh him for his only treasure of life that man is iustyfyed and saued But he which doth not beleeue is already condemned for the Lord hath decreed this thing and told it vs by his law prophetes and euangelists that he wil haue mercy on vs for nothing neither in heauen nor earth but by Christ and for Christ for whose cause he wil pardon our sinnes and geue vs euerlasting life if we will beleeue in him Act. 4.13 Rom. 3. Gal. 23. And therefore not without a cause sayth the prophet he shall beare their sinnes seing that there is no other neither in heauē nor earth who can beare or purg our sinnes but euen that Messias It followeth therfore vndoubtedly that no man can be iustified saued and deliuered from his sinnes vnles he beleue in this onely sauiour Iesus Christ Now then you heare that Christ is the seruaunt of God in the worke of our redemption and that hee is therefore worthely called righteous because he onely is iust iustifieth others as S. Steuen calleth him He iustifieth vs in his owne knowledge and vnderstanding that is he iustifieth vs when we heare in the gospell that he onely and none other hath borne our sinnes and when by sure fayth we retayne it and put all our trust in him both in our lyfe and death and saye both with hart mouth Christ onely hath borne our wickednes and died for our sinnes and onely is our righteousnes before God and this righteousnes which we get thus by fayth because it is founded built on Christ stādeth fast and firme agaynst the gats of hell ¶ Anna. As far then as I can heare if I should be asked how it commeth to passe that I being a sinner am become righteous thus I ought to annswere I am not righteous because I haue not sinned or because I haue done many good deedes or for that I haue satisfied for my sinnes but I am righteous because Christ hath borne my sinnes in whome I beleue and in whome I repose all my trust Vrba You aunswere well and soundly and so haue all the patriarks prophets apostles and true Christians from the beginning of the world to this day beleued neither is there any other beliefe auailable before god He that beleueth not as you haue said isdāned neither can there be any waye found to saue him though he were couered with all the cowles of all the monks in the world and had all the good workes merites crosses sufferinges and penants in himselfe alone that is in the whole world For they all cannot auaile him or healpe him but he must needes be a firebrande of hell there to burne for euer if he doe not beleue as you say Well let vs hold one The prophet furthermore speaketh here of the fruit and reward of Christs passion And he sayth it is an eternall triumph or victory ouer sinne death the world and the deuill For Christ hath ouercome these cruell and bloudy enemies and hath deliuered his elected from them and so hath receaued through the whole world generally for his inheritaunce a great and glorious people or a most beutifull church which is his spirituall kingdome And this hath that the ignominious death of Christ don because he bore our sinnes and suffered himselfe to be hanged betwene ij theeues and prayed for transgressours and sinners as Paule sayth to the Hebrues Christ in the dayes of his flesh did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was also heard in that which he feared and though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the thinges which he suffered and being consecrate was made the author of eternall saluation vnto all them that obay him and is called of god an highe priest after the order of Melchisidech ¶ Anna. What sayth Esaias of Christ in the 54. chap ☞ Vrb. In that chapter he describeth the kingdome of Christ in fayth that is to say the catholick Church which in this word is vnder the crosse poore miserable helplesse and base to behold But he comforteth it promising to helpe it and enrich it so that it shall become most populous with men of all sortes from ech side presing into it in so much that it shall bring forth an infinite multitude of Children of grace and haue many moe sonnes then the malipert synagoge though she seemed neuer so fruitfull and in deede she seemed fruitfull for she had the law and many good workes and worke mongers or worketeachers with all kind of merites these be the prophets wordes Reioyce thou barren that bearest not burst out and sing thou that trauailest not because the desolate hath more Children then the maryed sayth the Lord. This comfort must also be well obserued least taking offence at the smale number of Christians we be dismayd and fall from the fayth For the dayes will come when the number of the faythfull shal be great and populus Thus was Sara barren but our God so blessed her that she became the mother of many Childrē and a great people To be short Abraham must needes according to Gods promise in Genesis and according to the Etimologie and signification of his name be made a father of many people heyre of the earth For his blessed seede with all his blessinges was also promised to the gentiles The prophet moreouer vseth certayne similies taken of tentes which are set vp and spread in the fieldes so largely that many may dwell in them Whereby he geueth vs to vnderstand that the church should be spread all abroad through the whole world and that the day should come that the Gospell should be preached in all landes and that they should receaue Christ These be his wordes Enlarge the place of thy tents and stretch out thy cords make fast thy stakes for thou shalt increase on the right hand on the left He promiseth moreouer to the church Gentiles for inheritaunce But not so that the Churche should inherite the Gentiles after a worldly manner of inheriting as kinges of the earth inherite and haue their people in subiection For Christes kingdome is not of this world It is a spirituall inheritaunce which the Church by the Gospell getteth and it shall dwell there where before through ignoraūce and incredulitye was a deserte and wilde wildernes as it was at Athēs where before the Gospell came they vnderstod nothing of God aright But S. Paule conuerted many at that place and tought them which came and beleeued the Gospell the right fayth And therefore sayth the prophet thy seed shall possesse the Gentiles and dwell in the desolate cities
the blinded Iewes and foolish Cheliasts the prophet saith in the words following that this corporall and visible sun shal not make the gates and walles of this Citie visibly to be seen with bodely eyes in the brightnes and light of the sonne There must be a much cleerer light for the beholding of this Citie God himselfe shal shine in this citie as the visible sun and shall lighten our harts with the gospel And by this light may we see all those great things and excellent benefits which God hath promysed to his church Hereby also know we that the catholick church and the kingdome of Christ is not a visible kingdome For these worldly kingdomes dominions or politik powers may be beholden in all their regal pomp with corporall eyes But the church and the beuty thereof cannot be seene but with spirituall eyes for an other kind of sun must shine in it then doth in this world But now mark what excellent and comfortable promyses we haue in Christ The sun of Christes kingdome shal not goe down This visible sun on the day time hauing runne his course doth euery day goe down and bydes himself til the next morning But our sun and our moone tary with vs for euer For Christ the sun of righteousnes ryseth and shineth to vs by his gospel and shall neuer goe down from his elected For though neuer so great a cloud of temtation darken this sun yet shall it not vtterly goe from vs but at the last day of redemption it shal apeare and shine vnto vs most cleere where neither cloud of affliction ignorance or incredulity can couer hinder or blemish his brightnes Then at the last shall be seen the fulfulling of the great promises of the peace helth and ioy of the church Whē Christ our euerlasting light shal be made many fest then shall we see him face to face then shall our afflictions end and then shall the day of eternall glory appeare to the children of God. Note also here that in the church or kingdome of Christ there shall be none but iust men Here in the world godly vngodly dwel and are mixt together but in the true church the congregation of Christians in the spirit is such that there is not one vngodly person For in the last day the vngodly faithles shall be euen corporally seperated for euer from the godly The fantasticall and mad rable of Anabaptists suppose that they can gather together all the godly into some one erthly city and that they should so corporally fulfil this promise But their conate shall be frustrate they shall labour in vaine it cannot be so in this earth while this life lasteth At the last day the Tares shall be seperated from the Wheate But here in this church the vngodly as theeues and robbers in a kingdome which abuse all Creatures and with violence and iniurye possesse and cease all things into their hands are mixed with the godly vntil the last day But the godly shall raign with Christ in heauen and earth God shall excellently and brauely burnish the earth and visible creature and shall geue it a new shape and marueilously beutefy it that the childrē of God may inioy it And thus shall the godly inherite and posses a new heauen and a new earth in which righteousnes shal dwell as Peter saith But how shall they come to so great a glory And why shal they haue it Euen therfore shal they haue it as Esay sayth because they are the bud or bowes or young plant which the lord himself hath planted with his own hand because he hath renued in vs the Image of God by his word and his spirite and hath made vs new men and a new creature in Christ In the end of this chap. Esay promyseth it shall come to passe that though the church be small and rare yet shall it so increase that an innumerable and infinite number of people shall receaue the faith of Christ And least when we see the true godly persecuted and slayn on heapes and the world swarme with a great multitude of vngodly and worldlings and the church in comparyson of the world but litle and straight wee should something doubt how this should come to pas In his conclusion he saith that it is not mannes deed thus gloryously to exalt the kingdome of Christ but God himself shal doe it in his due time For to see the gospel taught men beleue such hidden misteries beleeuers of Gods promyses to relinquish and contemne this world and valyantly by death to confes Christ passeth al mannes reson wisdome and worldly power These must nedes be the works of the mighty God which by his power and spirit doth work them preserue them and increase them in vs. Agayn you may gather out of this prophecy that the kingdome of Christ is spirituall and eternall and that it behoued him to rise again from death if he shold be the sonne and euerlasting light of the godly that we also shal rise again that we may in the life to come receue and for euer enioy al these great promises made in the prophets Whosoeuer beleeueth this sorroweth not as did Cleophas his cōpanion For he knoweth that Christ shal come to delyuer Israel and aduaunce it to glory But this glory is not seen in this frail life it is here but in hope but after this life we shall see and haue it in eternall and perfect possession Now shall you heare what Esay prophesyeth of the church of vs christians and of Christ the Sauyour of the church how that he shall come in Syon and iustify the gentils How euen the very gentils shall receiue Messias how he shal geue this church faithful bishops and pastors and how he shall gloriously beutefy it and diligently cōserue it as his only beloued spouse Wherby all men may plainly see that though the church be here crossed to the end it may be made like her Lord king yet is she not forsaken of God. And thus he sayth in the 62. chapiter For Sions sake I will not hold my tongue and for Hierusalems sake I will not rest vntill the righteousnes thereof breake forth as the light and the saluation therof as a burning lampe And the gentiles shall see thy righteousnes and all kinges thy glory and thou shalt be cald by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name Thou shalt also be a croun of glory in the hand of the Lord and a roiall diadē in the hand of thy god It shall no more be sayd vnto thee forsaken neither shall it be sayd any more to thy land desolat But thou shalt be called Hephzibah That is to say my delight in her and thy land Beulah That is to say inhabited For the Lord delighteth in thee and thy land shall haue a husband For as a young man marieth a virgine so shall thy sons mary thee and as a bridgrome is
haue troaden down the hugest and most deadly enemies of man I haue ouercome them and destroyed them and I haue vanquyshed Sathan with all his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his false deceate malice and trouble which he hath brought into the world for the destroying of man And whereas the vnbeleeuing sinagogue reiected me and could not abide to acknowledge me for their Lord I haue ouercome Sathan which blinded the Iewes And I am placed in heauen Lord of all creatures in heauen and in earth to take iust vēgeance vpon those that wil not beleue And now haue I won vnto me the Gentils to be mine own peculiar people This haue I done onely by mine own strength and power as Paul witnesseth to the Colossyans And in mine anger haue I duely punished mine enemies because I haue with zeale taken vpon me and fulfilled the ministery which my father hath committed vnto me and haue so confounded the Iewes that they haue lost all the dignitie priuiledge and prerogatiue that before they had This day of reuenge and deliuerance is the time when Christ suffered the Iewes to be blinded and dispersed and receued the gentils to fauor in their place by the doctrine of the gospel whereby he brake the head of the old serpent and bestowed the victory that he had gotten vpon the gentils and tooke away from the sinagogue all the knowledge and vnderstanding of the scriptures Now he holdeth on to speake of his passion and agony which he suffered for our sakes saying I looked about me to wit in the time of his passion and weakenes and there was none to help me there was not one that either would or could help me I had none on my side no man helped me yet I helped my self No mans strength could doe me good but mine own I held me by mine own arme In mine own zeale did I preserue deliuer and rayse vp my selfe now I am king and now doe I punish them that despysed me and I take from them their strength ability and els whatsoeuer I had geuen them as the scriptures and euery other excellent and great gift wherein they excelled other nations This prophecy is now manifestly fulfilled in our sight Behold the Iewes in these our dayes how ignorant they are of the scriptures and how far from the vndrstanding of the law and promises in Christ They vnderstand the law carnally and they presume but in vayn that they are able without the help of Christ to fulfill the law not knowing like blind men as they be that they cannot doe it without the helpe of Christes spirite They see not that the promises of Christ speake of the spirituall kingdome and that the Law is but a scholemaster vnto Christ in whom we are only blessed iustifyed and the law fulfilled Thus these two discyples Cleophas and his companion should in this case haue thought with them selues It pleased Messias once willingly to dy and to suffer the sinagogue to kil him for so is Gods ordynance and Christs wil and the prophets fortold it and Christ also to his discyples long before his death how he determyned to delyuer his children from death by this kind of death and he also told them that he would rise agayn the third day from death But now let vs see what shall become of the pharysees and proud prelates and let vs see how this their detestable deed shall in them be punished Their ioy shall not continue long no not three dayes For after three dayes Christ shall rise agayn to life and shake of death and in his fury tread down ouerthrow and destroy these bloudsuccors and spoyl them of their victory which they thought but falsly they had gotten of him And when they count themselues sure and thinke themselues conquerors then without any hope of recouery shall they vtterly lose all they haue both law prophets lands city temple and they shall be punished with continall calamity horible destruction and vtter subuertion of all their Iudaisme and so pay for the bloudy coate of Christ The pharisees and Christs killers haue good cause to sorrow seeing they haue brought vpon their own heads such horrible punishment and greeuous wrath and yet haue done Christ no harme But we in so much as he is risen again may wel reioyce be glad sing and comfort our selues in his resurrection For Christ hath by his death destroyed death and redeemed Israel But the natural man doth not vnderstand these supernaturall things The spirite of Christ must in these matters be our Master and Instructor Esay also in his 65. chapter prophesyeth of the receiuing of the Gentils and of the backslyding and refusing of the Iewes The same prophecy doth S. Paule recyte in the tenth to the Rom. And thus doth Christ speak in that prophecy I haue bin sought of them which asked not I was foūd of them which sought me not I said Behold me behold me vnto a nation that calleth not vpon my name I haue spread out my hands all the day vnto a rebellious people which walked in away that was not good euen after their own imaginations But least any should thinke now when he had thretened vnto the Iewes their destruction and punishment which should come vpon them that Christ had vtterly cast them of so that not one of them should euer obtain mercy He promysed that he would be gracious vnto some of that huge multitude which he wold take agayn to mercy for thus he sayth As the wine is found in the cluster and one saith destroy it not for a blessing is in it so wil I doe for my seruants sake that I may not destroy them wholl But I will bring a seed out of Iacob and a roote of Iuda that shall inherit my mountayn and mine elect shal inherit it and my seruants shal dwel there This was fulfilled in the Apostles and in them of the Iewes which beleeued the Apostles These are the kirnell of Iuda the elected seed and the childrē of promise which the father drew that they might come to Christ these be they that posses the mountaynes to wit the spirituall Syon of the church ¶ Anna. Cleophas his companyon might in this prophecy also haue seen that at Christes comming the Iewes religion should come to an end and the gentils should beleeue and that the Iewes through their incredulity should perish and fall away from their Messyas though yet some of them should be saued and delyuered Vndoubtedly this is the spirituall delyuerance of Israell And here must we marke that not all Israell according to the flesh should imbrace Christ and that this promysed deliuerance of Israell by messyas which the prophet spake of should not so come to pas that all the twelue trybes of Israell should be deliuered bodely from the violence iniuryes of the gentils and so haue vnder Messyas in the land of Canaan an earthly kingdome in which according to the
herbe and the hand of the Lord shall be knowne among his seruauntes and his indignation against his enimies You heare in this prophesy that Ierusalem grones vnder her crosse because she is so miserably and hotly persecuted and troubled here in the earth But God promiseth that there shall be such plentifull comfort in the heauenly Ierusalem that the faythfull beleeuers shall not remember their former griefes He vseth a figuratiue speach saying lyke as a hungry sucking infant greedely draweth his mothers brestes with pleasure and thinketh nothing sweeter then his mothers milke so shall there be brests of all comfort in the church by which the faythfull shall take most pleasaunt repast and pleasure For the Church in this lyfe hath the most pleasaunt and hony sweete milke of Gods promises which the children of God suck and with which they are nourished and battned in fayth and by which they are vnspeakeably and vncredibly comforted in the spirite which doth inwardly illuminate and teach them the misteries of the gospell And though the Churche here vpon earth be afflicted tormented and tossed with troubles and hath no resting place yet doth god promise it great plenteous and eternall peace which as a flowing riuer whose course is neuer stayed shall neuer be dried For the kingdome of Christ is a kingdome of eternall peace whiche wee haue with God through Christ And as the tender mothers nourishe and beare their young infantes in their laps armes so do the pastors in the kingdome of Christ beare the faythfull Christians and they faythfully minister and truely breake to them the pure and sound foode of the word of God and geue to euery one as well weake as strong according to their neede Neither was there euer yet vpon this earth any parents though they were most pampering and fond of their children that could so sweetly intreate so delicatly nursse or so derely loue so faythfully carefully watchfully looke to their childrē as God doth to vs And therfore though the Church of the faythfull lye opē to euery crosse calamity after her christs exāple yet is the force of these heauēly promises such in the middest of these troubles that doubtedly all the ioyes pleasures cōsolatiōs of this world are nothing in respect of them For as Paule witnesseth to the Cor. As the sufferinges of Christ abound in vs so our consolation aboūdeth through Christ In the psalmes also it is written in the multitude of my thoughtes in my hart thy comforts haue reioysed my soule and Christ tould his desciples vs before hand that they should wepe and morne in this world but the world should laugh and reioyce But immediatly after he greatly comforteth them and vs with a comfortable promise of eternall ioy saying your sorrowe shall be turned into ioy which no man shall be able to take from you for euer Hath not a godly man passing surmounting ioy here vpon earth when hee remembreth this heauenly Ierusalem and beholdeth with spirituall eyes this glorious city of God and when he remembreth that all Gods deere childrē in all the wide world which are innumerable shall haue one father one king one teacher one fayth one minde one hope and one euerlasting inheritaunce together with them that are allready departed in the Lord and which we shall see at the last day in a gloryfied body with these eyes O what an exceeding ioy will it be to behold that Christ the head of all Saints and holy Mary the blessed mother of God with all the Patriarches prophets Apostles virgins martyrs infāts angels in heauē Verely mans hart in this mortall flesh can not thinke or with sence conceaue any part or parcell of this so great excessiue euerlasting treasures and ioyes For it far very far passeth our capacitie as Paule witnesseth out of Esay saying Eye hath not seen neither eare hath hard neither came into mans hart the thinges which god hath prepared in his heauenly Ierusalem for them that loue him Besides this our bones shall florish and bud This is not to be vnderstood onely of the recreation refection and ioy that we haue here by the word of God but as the Church hath hetherto euer expounded it of that glorious resurrection of our bodies in the laste day when our dry bones be they neuer so ill fauored broken and parched wheresoeuer they be either by water or by lande shall bud and florish that is shall be restored and repared at the sound of the archangell and the bodye it selfe shall be indewed with eternall helth and prosperitye by this meanes our bones may bud for euer seing our bodyes though now they be weake feble and fraile shall contrary to Porpherye lyue also for euer For the Lord hath said it Thus then in that heauenly Ierusalem after domes day shal be no sicknes no old age no death but continuall health of body and alwayes a fresh mery flowrishing and liuely youth To be short as Saint Augustine sayth There shal be an euerlasting perpetuity of a most happy blessed merye and ioyfull life The children of God here in their lyfe tyme be but weake feeble dispised and subiect to the mockes and persecutions of the vngodly who kyll them and butcher them euen as Sheepe prepared for the shambles Contrarylye the world florisheth in power honor pleasure and prosperity and florisheth so in all dayntye delicates that there seemes to be no such calamities and miserable man as the true godly beleuer in Christ but at the last day when this heauenly Ierusalem shall be builded for altogether then shall Gods hand or power be knowen with which he will deliuer his seruants the true godly those that beleue in Christ Then shall they not be either weake feble miserable or contemptuous but they shall be strong bewtifull and sit on christes right hand in gloryfied bodyes lyke to Christ and being in hye and infinite glorye and adorned with inestimable ornaments and deliuered frō death and all misery They shall for ioy sing and triumph thē shal they sit in their maiesty and mock and point with the finger at death and Sathan saying death where is now thy sting hell where is now thy victory death is for euer swallowed vp in the victory of Christ And though the children of this world whiche would not beleue the gospell for a tyme here vpon earth haue had some wealth and wallowed in pleasure as if god had most fauored and loued them yet at the last day they shall well finde that they were Gods enemies and thē shall they to their smart feele how hote heuy and horrible the wrath of God is against them that be now agaynst Christ For then shall God without mercy and pitye throw them with Sathan and all his ministers hedlong downe to hell there to be damned for euer Esay in the end of his prophecy foretelleth of the calling of the Gentils to the gospel
been before him and raigned in the seat of Dauid For Ieremy saith that he shall execute iustice and iudgement in the earth through the whol world cōdemne destroy the wicked make them which were vniust and sinful very pure righteous For his kingdome is a kingdome of true iustice and innocency And Iuda Israel that is both those people shall haue help of him not that the x. tribes shold returne out of Assiria into Samaria and there haue a king of their own and set vp a corporall kingdome as Iudah had before time in Ierusalem when they liued vnder Dauid and Salomon with peace and quyetnes but that they shold haue a spiritual help through Christ who should deliuer them from sinne and death that so they might dwel boldly and safely that is that they might haue their consciences quyeted appeased and mery as men which now by faith in Christ haue their sinnes forgeuen are at peace with God through Christ So that they need not dread nor feare death or any other euill because that this wise king the most pure and florishing blossome of righteousnes is made the righteousnes of all Christians that all faithfull beleeuers the spirituall Israell consisting both of the Iewes and Gentils may through faith receiue the holy Ghost which testifyeth in their harts that they are the children of God heyres of God and coheires with Iesus Christ and so with bouldnes of siprite say with Paul We are perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Is not this a famous help and a strong and firme fortresse for the godly that they can say we know that we are translated from death vnto life That is the holy spirite hath taught vs by the word and heauenly vnction that Christ hath freed vs both from sinne and death and that we by him after death shall rise from death and liue for euer This is that hope of Israell which neither Gentil nor Infidel hath Now marke what noble and miraculous works of diuinity which none could doe but very God him selfe the prophet ascrybeth to this sonne of Dauid He sayth He shall execute and set vp iustice and iudgement in the earth And he shall iustify others Ergo he must not only outwardly but also inwardly purge the hart and forgeue sinne And this is only the worke of god For it is he onely that can change a wicked and malicious hart and it is he which can illuminate and regenerate vs and none but he And agayn if he can forgeue sinnes he can also abolish death which is the reward or stipend of sinne and the sting of death If then he could ouercom death and make vs righteous and geue vs euerlasting life he is true God which can only in deed deliuer vs from our sinnes and eternall death and geue and preserue true tranquility and peace If then Iudah and Israell that is the hole church of the godly shall be delyuered from their sinne and death then must it needes follow that they shall liue with Christ for euer Here then in this prophecy if we marke it wel we may see that Christ should dye as the naturall sonne of Dauid but not abide in death but that he should iustify and saue Iudah and Israel that is to say his people the godly and faithful And for this cause should he first rise again from death that he might rayse his Israelites that is his faithful from death and that he might purchase for them and geue them eternal life securitie for euer For if he should haue geuē them peace but for a time he should not truely and in deede haue delyuered them neither were it a true tranquility and peace Wherfore it was necessary that that peace and saluation which he should geue his elect should continue for euer and euer Thus then in this short prophecy haue we this eternall king together with his death resurrection and euerlasting kingdome expresly and soundly descrybed And so doth Ieremy again teach vs in the 33. chapter calling the gospel the voyce of ioy which God speaketh to Israel and Iuda For the law only sheweth Gods wrath and punishment but the gospel that new couenant promyseth meere grace and redemption And then he prophesieth how the helpe and redēption which this king bringeth shal extend it selfe to all people farre and nere The people of God in tyme past soong and spake of the great benefits of god how he brought them forth out of the land of Egipt and deliuered them by many marueilous miracles but when Christ that sonne of Dauid shall come then shall they gloriously triumph and tell of farre greater good gifts of God to wit how Christ hath brought and deliuered vs out of the hellish black Egipt and kingdome of sin death and euerlasting damnation and gathered not onely the Israelites after the flesh but all his elected children in all the world out of all nations into this Church of the godly which thing hath ben done euer since the Apostles time euen to this daye For wee which beleue in Christ haue a more excellent and notable captaine then Moses and Iosua Wee haue Iesus Christ for our captayn who hath deliuered vs out of the bondage and howse of the spirituall Pharao to wit from the captiuitie of Sathan This eternall redemption doth euery day renew in vs the remembraunce of our god so that we say the Lord liueth who hath deliuered vs from sin death and Sathan hath brought vs from all errors to the true knowledge of the Gospell This is a spirituall deliueraunce and bringing out of Egipt and a spirituall kingdome where in wee see Iudaisme should once cease Christianisme by Christ our king be set vp through all the world and therefore it was conuenient that he should rise agayne that he might erect this kingdome vpon earth and conserue it for euer To which sence the prophet speaketh saying Therfore behold the day is come sayth the Lord that they shall no more say the Lord liueth which brought vp the children of Israell out of the land of Egipt but the Lord liueth which brought vp and led the seed of the house of Israell out of the north country and from all countryes where I had scattered them and they shall dwell in their owne land Here we must note that all temporall deliuerances which the Iewes had here vpon earth from the hands of earthly tyrants and the gentiles were but figurs of the true and euerlasting deliuerance which we haue by our Messias Christ of which in this place to speake is not to our purpose The prophets for most part set downe such circumstances in their writings that we may well gather they had a farther respect then
set my sanctuary among them for euer more Thy tabernacle also shall be with them yea I will be their God and they shall be my people Thus the heathen shall know that I the lord doo sanctify Israell when my sanctuary shall be among them for euermore This prophecy was corporally fulfilled after they had ben captiues 70. years when the Iews returned into their countrye and assēbled themselues together and multiplied vntill the comming of Christ which was to come .490 yeares after that captiuitye then in deede had they one king But this prophesye was truely fulfilled in the last weeke spoken of by Daniell at the former comming of Christ when both he and his disciples conuerted thē in the land of Chanaan and els where where they were dispersed and gathered them by the gospell into that onely spirituall shepfold the Church of Christ before times Iudah Beniamin had a king of their owne and the ten tribes which fell from the house of Dauid vnder Roboham had another king of their owne but when Christ the true Dauid came all the Iewes were made one people vnder one true king Christ In this kingdome shall not the question be curiously asked whether you are of the tribe of Ruben Leuy Isachar Zebulon Dan Gad or Ashur c but it shall be asked art thou a Christian doest thou acknowledge and confesse Iesus of Nazareth to be the true Messias whom the patriarkes prophets and all the tribes of Israel did loke for They euen vnto this time carefully looked for Christ But when Christ himselfe came the true sheppard and king of Israell then was that euerlasting couenaunt of grace betwixt God and man ratified and then that true throne of grace wherein all fulnes of the Godhed corporally dwelleth that is Iesus Christ true God and true man was conuersant here himselfe in earth amongst men That ould Caporeth and their materiall temple and Leuiticall priesthood was then no more to be regarded for all tipes and figures then ceased the truth it selfe appered Christly fidelians who layd hould of Christ in their hartes by true fayth were then made the liuely temple and sanctuary of God. As Paule well and learnedly expoundeth such figures saying Know ye not sayth he that you are the temple of God and that the spirite of God dwelleth in you for the temple of God is holy which ye are And to the Corrinthians he teacheth what is true holynes and the fulfilling of al figures to wit Christ himselfe Who sayth he was geuen vs of the Father to be our wisedome holynes righteousnes sanctificatiō and redēption And as the Lord himselfe sayth a little after in Ezech. My righteousnes that is my sanctuarye or habitation shall be for euer among them This is the circumstaunce and prophets drift in the prophesye afore sayd to perswade and proue this congregation of the Israelites to be an euerlasting and spiritual kingdome vnder their owne king christ For the land of Canaan Ierusalem and the temple were brittle and but for a tyme euen as this visible world is Therefore that habitation could not continew for euer wherefore the prophet speaketh here of spiritual and eternal things which cannot by continuaunce of time decay dy but must stand for euer These things which are earthly and of this world vanish decay but the king Messias his habitation the house of Iacob and his kingdome abideth for euer Wherefore they are not earthly nor carnall but euerlasting and spirituall ¶ Anna. Yf according to this prophesye the house of Iacob or the kingdome of Messias should be the sanctuary of God for euer and this spirituall Dauid be the king of the faythfull Christians or Israelites for euer then must it needes follow that he should rise agayne and gather the disparsed Israelites or children of god together that he might erect an euerlasting kingdome and rayse his people from death and geue them lyfe and saluation in euerlasting peace This is that true holynes and full deliueraunce of Israell from all all euilles temporall and eternall If Cleophas and his companion had vnderstode and beleued this prophesy they would neuer haue said We thought that it had beene he that should haue redeemed Israell but they would haue sayd we hope and beleue that it is he that hath and shall redeeme Israell although he hath now suffred death For the promise of the Lord is sure and certaine and can neuer deceaue vs Farthermore in as much as Messias is called Dauid because he was born of Dauids stock and in as much as he is true man what maruaile is it if he be subiect to death and dyed But in that he should keepe and gouerne Israell for euer he could not abide in death but must needes rise agayne thereby to fulfill this and other prophesies concerning his euerlasting kingdome But there is one thing in this prophesye which moueth a doubt you sayd yesterday that Ezechiell in this chap. did prophesye of that generall and vniuersall resurrectiō which should be at the last day Wherefore then doth the prophet say that these dry bones were the house of Israell which was in captiuitie at Babilon how can you here by proue the vniuersall resurrection of the dead Vrba I confesse in deede that Ezechiel in this chap. doth speake of the deliueraunce and restitution of Israell and that he prophesieth also of their returne and as it were by law recouer their land lost in their absence But iudge you seing God by this similitude would comfort his people that they should not doubt of their deliuerance whether our resurrection maye not heare be gathered of this place as a certayne and vndoubted truth or no. For if our resurrection were vncertayne and doubtfull he could not by it haue proued or ministred vnto them any sownd and sure cōfort For then they would haue sayd loke how slender and small hope there is that these bones should liue agayne euen so small hope is there that we should be redeemed out of the captiuitie of Babilon But here the prophet bringeth in and alleageth the resurrection of their bones as a thing most sure of which no good nor godly man may doubt euen as if he had sayde looke how certayne and sure it is that these bodies shall rise and liue againe by the power of God euen so sure also it is that you shall be deliuered out of the captiuitie of Babilon and restored to your owne countrye agayne Moreouer wee know that the catholicke Church both in the east and west hath hetherto without all cōtrouersie by the instinct light of thy holy ghost expounded this prophesy of the resurrection of the fleshe Of which thing the holy Byshops and Doctors are plentifull witnesses as Ireneus Turtulian Ciprian Hillary Ambrose Gregory Nazianzenus and Gregory the great in his booke agaynst Valent. Turtulian in hys treatise of the resurrection of the flesh Cyprian in his third book to
wrought by corporall and earthly armour as bowes swords and such like but euen by the Lord their god What other thing is this but that God would after another way and meane bles and help Iuda that is Dauids kingdome and all other Israelites and confessors of God then worldly princes vse to helpe their subiects The Lord will haue mercy on them That is wil pardon them iustify them and saue them and so bring and delyuer them out of Sathans kingdome of which the Psalmist speaketh thus The Lord wil redeem Israell from all his iniquities This is the sole hope and redemption of Israel from his iniquity and consequently from all his euils which cursed sin had brought vpon man and all mankind that is from that horryble death and captiuity wherein the faithles reuolting murdering and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frauduler spirit did holde vs as Paul briefly expoūdeth this prophecye to the Eph. saying we haue in Iesus Christ the sonne of God redēption through his bloud euen the forgeuenes of sinnes according to his rich grace And although we vnderstand that temporall help by which God delyuered Iuda from Senachari◠and brought the Iewes from Babylon to Ierusalem yet was that temporal deliuerance angore of the true and euerlasting saluation by which Christ hath delyuered all true Iewes that is his elect from sinne death and the tyranny of hel by his crosse without all externall force But now see how the lord wil at the last forsake and abolish Iudaisme all their earthly and figuratiue priesthood The priests wife brought out a sonne whō the Lord called Loam that is not my people and he addeth the cause Because sayd he you are not my children neither will I be your God Hereby might the Iewes haue seen that there was a notable change to come And they ought thus seriously to haue reasoned the matter with them selues How shall we I pray you vnderstand the word of God He promiseth vnto Israel and Iuda great and infinite treasures in all the prophets he sayth he will be their king and they shall be his people and that he wil haue mercy on them and geue them on euerlasting kingdome and he made an eternall couenant of grace with them How then agree these thinges with this prophecye wherin it is prophesyed that Israel shall be captiue God wil forget them and neuer after haue compassion vpon them Are we the true Israelites or no truely it is like and must nedes be ment of vs And in the 6. chapter the Lord sayth For I desired mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge in God more then burnt offerings By these words of Hose they might easely haue vnderstood that the foundation of true religion consisted not of ceremonies but that God requyred faith that worketh by loue and is ready to doe good for which Abraham Isaac and Iacob were cōmended and called the seruants of God rather then for their corporall circumsition Here might the Iewes haue seene what was the matter and cause that the Lord denyed them to be his people Anna. I would heare the cause and see this question answered For I doubt not but as all thinges are come vpon the vnbeleeuing Iewes which God thretned so all things shall be performed which he promysed I pray you confer these places and reconcile them ☞ Vrb. God sayth in deed in the psalmes that he wil not reiect or cast of his people and forsake his inherytance And Paul saith That God hath not cast away his people And the Psalmist sayth The Lord hath remembred his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israell Like as also Mary the blessed mother of Christ sayth in her psalme of thankesgeuing And Zacharye sayth that God will not forget his mercy which he promysed to his people Israell Know you therfore that God is true and constant in all his promyses and that he perfourmed vnto the Iewes all thinges which he promysed them But the maner of Gods promyses must be marked for they are of two sorts Some of them are temporal or corporall and are made vpon condition As when God promysed that the land of Canaan and the materiall temple should contynue and such like These promises pertain to Iudaisme and haue this condition annexed If the Iewes would keep the law of God as it was to be kept then that promise should be fulfilled but they kept not the law and yet notwithstanding being blindly bewitched they looked for the fulfilling of those promises The Lord in deed performed those promises rightly as they were to be performed But figures ought of right to geue place when the truth commeth God sent also his sonne the Messias vnto thē that he might be born a Iew of the Iewish family of Abraham Dauid And for this his sōnes sake he brought them out of the land of Egipt and gaue them the land of Cannan for their inheritance and he separated them from all the people of the world by an earthly kingdome by an outward priesthood by an holy worship and by a propper forme in religion to be a people vnto himself and he preserued and defended thē afterward by great wonderfull miracles yea he brought them out of the captiuity of Babilon To be breef he preserued their law religion temple citie and politicall gouernment by a singular care and marueilous zeale euen vntil the promised Messias the true and eternal king of Israel was come of them Wherby in deed they receiued a great glory and prerogatiue aboue all the world and many of them by Messias were deliuered from sinne death and damnation and so at the last were brought into that true Ierusalem and Syon And these are called in the prophet the remnant of his people the remnant of Iacob and Israell whom God amongst others had chosen to himselfe and predestinated to saluation in Christ of which sort there be many But if they be cōpared to the great number of the vnbeleeuers they are but a few There are other free promises of the meere grace and mercy of God without all mans desart and worthynes These doe appertayn to the new testament and consist in the merits and worthynes of Messias These haue a firme sound and vnshaken foundation to wit the great and wonderfull mercy of God and his fatherly goodnes and truth and they depend not of our worthynes at all Wherfore they are firme and certayn and cannot be called back agayn And they are promises of the spirituall and euerlasting treasures to wit of the victory by which sinne death and Sathan were extinguished of the forgeuenes of sinnes of the true and euerlasting righteousnes and of life and saluation in Christ These kind of promyses doe not only appertayn to Israelites Iudaisme and the Iewes according to the flesh but all respect set aside without difference not regarding whether they be Iewes or Gentils to the true Iewes Israelites according to the spirit
Christ must from hence forth increase and grow greater and greater vntill the worldes end whereas all earthly empires shall decrease fall and be destroyed And Hose prophesieth againe in the end of the 2. chapiter of the euerlasting couenaunt of grace betwen God and vs in a pleasaunt sweete and comfortable similitude saying And in that day will I make couenants for them with the wilde beastes and with the fowle of heauen and with that that creepeth vppon the earth And I will breake the bow and the sword and the battell out of the earth and will make them to sleepe safely And I will mary thee vnto me for euer yea I will marry thee vnto me in righteousnes and in iudgement and in mercy And in compassiō I will euen marry thee vnto me in faythfullnes and thou shalt know the Lord. He speaketh not here of earthly thinges but of the heauenly peace of conscience with God through fayth in Christ which neither tyrants in the earth nor wicked spirits in the ayre can ouerthrow or take away How can any thing hurt the faythfull christians seing they be by fayth dedicated and as it were maried vnto Christ the Lord of zeboth and are by this spirituall mariages made one flesh by which vnion and coniunction we receaue al these excellent promises which by the commaundement of god the prophets and Euangelists make vnto the Church ¶ Anna. How I pray you commeth this to passe ☞ Vrba Those thinges which are the husbandes are the wiues and so one the other side those that are the wiues are the husbandes Those that be maried together haue all thinges common betwen them We vpon our part haue sinn death and damnation but Iesus Christ our husband is full of grace life and health If therfore we trust in Christ and acknowledge him for our onely husband redeemer and Sauiour then doth that fayth vnite knit vs so to Christ that he becommeth our husband and head and we his mēbers Thus Christ taketh vpon him our euills and calamities geueth vs his graces and felicitie thus are we made righteous and thus are we quickened and saued where before we were sinners dead and damned These are the vnsearchable riches of Gods grace geuē vs in Iesus Christ of which Paule to the Ephesians doth so gloriously bost saying that they exceed all humaine senses passe the capacity of al creatures Consider then what he is able to do and what kinde of parson Christ is to wit an infinite parson God man which can not sinn dy or be dampned because his righteousnes life saluation are inuincible euerlasting and almighty Seing therefore that his innocency lyfe and saluation wrastled and fought vppon the crosse with our sinnes death and dampnation which were not able to ouercome him it must needes follow that in him our sinns death and damnation are swallowed vp and taken away Seeing then that we are ingrafted in christ by faith in him we are also by his mere grace and loue both deliuered from all our sinnes and freed from Sathans tyranny and haue the euerlasting righteousnes lyfe and health of our husband Christ geuen vs Thus doth Christ adorne and decke his welbeloued spouse the Church that she may be glorious without spot or wrinkell and yet purified by the lauer of water in the word of life that is by the fayth of the word of lyfe righteousnes and saluatiō Now ye see how the Lord ioyneth true Israell in mariage to him selfe as his wife in fayth in righteousnes and iudgement Here also must be marked that this mariage shall continue for euer as the prophet sayth Wherby it followeth that Christ must needes rise againe from death and raise his bride to lyfe that she might liue with him for euer This is that euerlasting kingdome of Christ the kingdome of grace out of which all sin death and wickednes is cast and banished and in which meere grace righteousnes innocency lyfe and saluation doe fully dwell for euer as the prophet sayth Thou shalt know the Lord. But to know him is eternall life And in that day I will heare sayth the Lord I will euen heare the heauens and they shall heare the earth and the earth shall heare thee come and the wine and the oyle and they shall heare Israell and I will sow her vnto me in the earth and I will haue mercy vppon her that was not pitied and I will say to them which were not my people thou art my people and they shall say thou art my God. He speaketh here of that most wished and ioyfull time of the new testamēt For whē the gospel is taught and Christ by fayth receued then will not God suffer his Church to want but will prouide for her and cherish her and though in the meane time she gloriously wrastle and grone vnder the crosse yet shall she be so prouided for that she shall not want thinges needfull for her For the true Israell shall by Messias be increased and multiplied The Church shall become true Israell that is the seede of the Lord that it may increase and continue for euer so mercifull is the Lord vnto the rest of the Iewes and Gentills The Iewes or Israelites were before without mercy But in the time of Christ the Lord tooke compassion vpon them The Gentills were not the people of God but in the tyme of Messias being called through the gospel they are made his people which acknowledge calle vpon and honor God in true fayth by our onely sauiour and mediator Christ ¶ Anna. Haue not the Iewes or the Israelites according vnto the flesh son hope in the scriptures that they shall be deliuered from that obstinacy and hardnes of hart wherein they now are Shall no Iewes but onely the Gentills hereafter be partakers of the spirituall kingdome ☞ Vrba Yes they haue some hope that they shall be deliuered And I would to God they could vnderstād the scriptures would learn thereby what grace yet the Lord hath left in store for them For Hose saith The children of Israell shall remayn many dayes without a king and without a prince and without an offring and without an Image and without an Ephod and without Teraphim Afterward shall the children of Israell conuert and seeke the Lord their God and Dauid their king and shal fear the Lord and his goodnes in the latter dayes You haue heard before that Paul would not haue the Iewes despised For they haue a promise of their conuersion before the last day when they shall become christians that is when the Israelites according to the spirit to wit the elect number of the children of God among the gentils shal be accomplished Thē shall the Iewes haue their eyes opened be gathered vnto the true Messias Iesus Christ and embrace the gospel Paul vnderstood this wel out of Hose who maketh here a comfortable promise vnto the Iewes that at
the length the Lord will take compassion vpon them and call and conuert so many amongst them by the gospel as appartayn to the kingdome of Christ which knoweth who be his sheep and his sheep shall know their shepheard This prophecy is so playn that it needeth no long exposition The Iewes haue now these 1560. yeares since the comming of Iesus of Nazareth which time is those many dayes which the prophet speketh of bin dispersed abroad throughout the whol world and haue neither king nor prince of their own neither yet vntil this day know they Christ the true Messias or king And they are constrayned as afflicted and abiects and miserable men to liue here and there vnder straunge kings throughout the whol world Their temple and altar with their place of sacrifice are destroyed and so continue And they haue neither priest nor true diuine seruice God graunt that they may shortly be plentifully conuerted Amen The word of God can not lye or deceiue vs They shall seek the true God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob the father of our Lord Iesus Christ by Iesus of Nazareth the true Messias And after their long error at the last they shall be conuerted and brought into the way and shall seek after Iesus Christ the true king promised in Moyses and the prophets who was sent at the fulnes of time born of the house of Dauid and is placed at the right hand of the father and equall with him in power They shal also preach and set forth with vs his bounteous grace and liberality which he offereth and geueth vs in the gospel Anna. Hoseas saith that they shall come vnto Dauid in the last day Shall Dauid then rise again before the last day to be king ☞ Vrb. No forsoth You haue heard before in Ezechiel and in the psalme that Christ is called Dauid because he was born of Dauids stocke according to the flesh And he is in deed true Dauid as in this place S. Hierome noteth that is strong of hand For he onely by his own power vertue and strength delyuered his people frō the captiuity of the deuil and so the Iewes themselues vnderstood this prophecy to be meant of Christ the seed of Dauid of which thing their Thargum is witnes in which this text is read thus After this shall the children of Israell be conuerted and seeke the glory of their God and be obedient to Messias the sonne of Dauid that is to Christ their king ¶ Anna. If the matter stand so then truely are not the Iewes quite to be condemned and reiected seeing God hath promysed that he will be so gracious vnto them and conuert so great a number of them ☞ Vrb. I often speake and geue warning of this that christians doe not with such despight vpbrayd despice or spite so proudlye and contemptuouslye at the Iewes but let them call to minde and wey well the warning which S. Paul geueth to the Rom. Hose doth prophecy more of our resurrectiō by messias saying In their affliction they will seek me diligently saying Come and let vs returne to the Lord for he hath spoyled and he will heale vs He hath wounded vs and he will binde vs vp After two dayes will he reuiue vs and in the third day he will rayse vs vp and we shall liue in his sight Then shall we haue knowledge and indeuour our selues to know the lord His going forth is prepared as the morning and he shall come vnto vs as the rayn and as the latter rayn vnto the earth which maketh it fruitfull S. Ambrose and other holy doctor of the church doe vnderstand this prophecy to be meant of the resurrection of Christ and of our rising agayne For Messyas rose agayn frō death the third day And whē we haue borne our cros in this frayl and mortall life and are fully mortefyed vnto the world then will he rayse vs vp againe in the day of redemption and we shall euer be and liue with him as Paul saith to the Thessalonians For he is rysen again and hath appeared with the bright morning star as the true sonne of righteousnes which doth illuminate vs and make vs fruitfull with the ferrill rayn of his grace that we may bring forth the fruit of true repentance And Hoseas in his 13. chap prophesyeth very plainly of Christ his victory how that for our sakes profit he hath ouercome sinne death and hel saying I will redeeme thē frō the power of the graue I will delyuer thē from death O death I will be thy death O graue or hell I will be thy destruction This thing Christ fulfilled when for our sakes he died vpon the crosse and gloriously rose againe the 3. day by which he satisfied for our sinnes and ouercame death which had ouerthrowne vs redeemed vs frō the damnation of hel The sin with which mans nature was infected euen vnto euerlasting death was deadly or present poysō but now Christ by his death destroyeth sin and killeth death in which of right we should haue taried for euer Hose also in his 14. chapiter doth very cōfortably prophesy of Christ and his kingdome and telleth vs that in him is grace and forgeuenes of sinns in him is mere loue and fayth in him are true good workes and securitye and in him is great good will toward vs and the bud of God in vs For Iesus Christ is God in deede and our defender saying O Israell returne vnto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thy iniquitie Take vnto you wordes and turne to the Lord and say vnto him take away all iniquitie and receaue vs gratiously so will we render the calues of our lips Asshur shall not saue vs neither will we ride vpon horses neither will we say any more to the worke of our hands ye are our Gods for in thee the fatherles findeth mercy I will heare their rebellion I will loue them freely for my anger is turned away from him I will be as the dew vnto Israell he shall grow as the lily and fasten the rootes as the trees of Libanon His braunches shall spread and his beuty shall be as the olyue tree and his smell as Libanon They that dwell vnder his shadow shall returne they shall reuiue as the corne and florish as the vine the sent therof shall be as the wine of Libanon Ephraim shall say what haue I to do any more with Idolls I haue heard him and looked vpon him I am lyke a greene fir tree vpon me is thy fruite found In the beginning of the 14. chapiter Hoseas moneth the Israelites to repētaunce But seing that true repentaunce is the worke of the holy ghost in vs and not of the naturall man the holy ghost at the end addeth these notable promises that Israell by them might be stirred vp to beleue the grace which god promised so receaue the power of the holy ghost that he might obay the
commaundements and word of God. Is not this promise full of comfort where he sayth I will heale Israells backsliding that is he will pardon all their offences and neuer be angry with them any more for their sinns In which promise Christ the throne of grace is included and comprehended For these determinations of God is that he will forgeue sin to no man that he wil loue no man and that he wil receaue none vnto grace by any other meanes but by his deerely beloued sonn who is become our onely redeemer mediator recōciler bishop priest propiciatory or throne of grace as Paule affirmeth saying We are accepted in his beloued by whome we haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgeuenes of sinns according to his rich grace It is manifest therfore by the firme foūdation of the apostles doctrine that Hoseas here speaketh of Christ although he name him not seing that there is no other reconciler which can turne the wrath of God from vs but onely Iesus Christ Wherefore I haue often sayd that where the Lord promiseth his grace redemption forgeuenes of sinns righteousnes lyfe and health that there is Iesus Christ promised by whose death and pretious bloud we are reconciled to God the father and receaue forgeuenes remission of our sinns true righteousnes and lyfe euerlasting There followeth in the text more promises but expressed in figuratiue wordes For he taketh a similitude of the dew of roses of Libanō and of the oliue tree which wordes import nothing els but the great felicitie of Israell or christifidelians after that they beleue and are receaued in the grace of God and obtaine forgeuenes of their sinns Is it not an exceeding great felicitie to obtaine forgeuenes of our sinns to be counted righteous before God and to receaue the holy ghost with all his gifts and by the same to be healed vp in fayth Which is the receauing of that great pretious and heauenly earnest peny that is the spirite of God the father and the son which doth assure vs that we be the children of God and so his heyres and coheyres with Iesus Christ what I pray you can he want which hath the Lorde for his inheritance This prophesy chefely taketh place in the tyme of Christ when the gospell brought forth fruite throughout the whole world and christs heauēly kingdome was builded in euery place that Christ the king of glory be imbrased for our God and sauiour through fayth by which we are made the children of God and shall prayse him for euer together with his holy angells to whome we shall be like in the world to come in the resurrectiō of the dead the glory whereof exceedeth all that the hartes of earthly creatures can conceaue but it is now hid For we are as yet but blessed in hope but when our king the prince of glory shall come in his maiestye to iudgement then shall our felicitie be made manifest To be short the Lord shall be the defence bulwark comfort helpe solace and sound felicitye of Israel But the Prophet speaketh of a greater defence comfort helpe and benefit thē this world hath or can vnderstand The kingdome therfore of Christ is a kingdome of blessing wherin we inioy aboūdance of all goodnes The prophets prophesied that this deliueraunce helpe comfort and kingdome should be a continuall and spirituall not a tēporall kingdome which aboundeth in fraile vayne and transitory welth of this world as the carnall Iewes dreame and imagine ¶ Anna. What I pray you doth Iohell the prophet prophecy of Christ ☞ Vrba Ioell in his 2. chapiter prophesieth that the kingdome of Christ shall be illuminated and beutified with the rich knowledge of God and that it shall receaue the holy ghost with all his gifts and that espetially in the mount Sion to wit in the catholicke church where shall be true deliueraunce helpe and redemption from sinn and death and that afterwarde there shall be no more respect of persons betwene the Iewes and Gentiles but whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord Messias shall be freely deliuered from all his sins These are the wordes of the prophesye Ye shall also know that I am in the middest of Israell and that I am the Lord your God and none other and my people shall neuer be ashamed And afterward as Peter cited this prophecy on whitsonday in his sermon at Ierusalem In those dayes that is in the tyme of Messias I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh And your sons and daughters shall prophesy your ould men shall dreame dreames and your young men shall see visiōs and also vpon the seruants and vpon the maydens in those dayes will I power my spirite and I will shew wonders in the heauens and in the earth bloud and fier and pillers of smoke The sun shal be turned into darknes and the moon into bloud before the great and terrible day of the Lorde come But who so euer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued For in mount Sion and in Ierusalem shall be deliueraunce as the Lord hath sayd and in the remnant whome the Lord shall call This prophesy tooke place in Christs time for Israell had then experience in deed that god was with thē in mans flesh And the holy ghost was then much more gloriously royally and aboundātly geuē them thē before the natiuitie passiō resurrectiō of Messias For before they were but few which had the spirit of prophesying but when Iesus Christ was ascended vnto the right hand of his father then the holy ghost withall his giftes was wonderfully and richly geuē vnto many as the hebrew word Eschpoch declareth which signifieth to poure out The holy ghost was visibly poured vpon faythfull Christians when they were baptised and the Church in all places had his teachers who had the spirite of prophesying And the knowledge of Christ is now spread abroad and dispersed throughout the whole world But where the prophet speaketh of Sion and Ierusalem it must be vnderstood of the church of faythfull Christians wherein Christ hath his habitation as in his owne kingdome Who so euer will be saued from sinne death and tyranny of Sathan he must beleue in Christ call vpon Christ and be brought into the church of christ for without that Church is neither health nor forgeuenes of sins Neither is there any cause why any sinner should respect this or the citie aboue other as the Iewes did earthly Sion Ierusalem seeing Ioell sayth that the Lord would poure out his spirite vpō all flesh not only vpon the Iewes in Ierusalem or in the land of Canaan but euery where through the whole worlde where the Gospel is beleued It followeth therfore that whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of god shall be safe and not the Iewes onely which serued and called vpō God at Ierusalem for then was that time come of which Christ sayth in Iohn that the heauenly father requireth
of Israell should come after the captiuity of Babylon as we haue sayd before out of the 9. chap. of Danyel And that your Iudaisme should then haue an end and that that earthly kingdome of Iuda should be an eternal and heauēly kingdome Goim that is the Gentils should also come out of all the parts of the earth and be partakers with true Israell of all Gods blessings promised in Messias Wherfore Abdias must be vnderstood here to speak of this spirituall possession which is that Messias And the Apostles and true beleeuers shal through the gospel bring all nations vnder the sweet yoke and obedience of the christen faith that they may acknowledge Christ for their only and euerlasting king and confes the Apostles of Christ with all faithfull Christians conuerted by the Apostles to be the Church their spiritual mother and glorious Citie of God to whom they doe readely and willingly yeeld them selues and obay as you haue heard out of Amos. Now I will expound the prophesy and then shall you more easely vnderstand it Mount Siō you know is the Church of Christ it is also a holy hill because the Lord dwelleth in it and Christ the holyest of all holy consecrateth and sanctifieth it by his word and spirite to be his holy habitatiō for euer as Esay sayth when you reade this hebrew word Kodesch it signifieth the holynes For true holines righteousnes is no where but in this holy mount the Church of Christ Many do reade Kodosch and then it signifieth holy as we haue spoke before The house of Iacob is called the scripture the house of Dauid the tribe of Iuda which alwayes taryed with the house of Dauid And when it is called Iudah and the house of Iacob and Ierusalem and the house of Dauid it is for the most part all one And this was a figure of the great kingdome of Christ Iesus And therefore the Archangell Gabryell in Luke calleth Christes kingdome the house of Iacob the trone of Dauid in which Christ shall rule for euer For the spirituall kingdome of Christ begun in Sion the earthly kingdome of Dauid and from thence spred it selfe through out the whole world when the Apostles according to Gods commandement begun to preach the gospel of christ to all creatures and in the name of Christ preached repentaunce and remission of sinns amongest all nations beginning at Ierusalē as Luke witnesseth Note also how God promised the Patriarkes Abraham Isaac and Iacob seed of their owne flesh and bloud in which all the earth should be blessed that is should be freed and deliuered from the euerlasting cursse of sinn from death and from the bondes o Sathan and be made the children of God who should raigne together with the same seede Christ in the kingdome of innocēcy lyfe and saluation for euer and euer This was a great promise and therefore doth the scripture in euery place make mention of these patriarkes For when this seed was promised them and whē god promised that their childrē should be in number as the sand of the sea then was Christ the eternall king and his eternall kingdome promised them and vs And therfore is this kingdome of Christs also called the house of Iacob the seate or trone of Dauid that is the Church of Christ The house of Ioseph in the scriptures is the very same that the other 10. tribes of Israell be which fell away from the house of Dauid and chose vnto themselues a king of their owne This kingdome seperated by it selfe is called Samaria of that head and Metrapolitaine citie It is called also Ephraim because of Ieroboham which was of the tribe of Ephraim and it is also called Ioseph or the house of Ioseph because Ioseph was the father of Ephraim The house of Esau is the kingdome of the Edomits which tooke their beginning of Esau and had their dwelling in mount Seiar ny to the great desart which lyeth from Ierusalem Southwardes The Southrē menare they which dwelt in the tribe of Iuda Those which dwelt in the champion coūtries are Lidda Emaus as Saint Heirome saith Those v. Citties Gaza Ascalon Azotus Accaron and Geth which lye westward be the Phelistians Ephraim is a country of Samaria wherin dwelt the tribe of Ephraim who was the son of Ioseph Beniamin is a peculier and propper tribe of the Iews but it is counted in the kingdome of Iudah Saint Herome sayth that Gallaad is Arabia The citye Zarphad was betwen Tier and Sidon wherof Iosephus speaketh Siphrad was a citye in the land of Babilon This therefore is the meaning of the prophets he prophecied of the captiuitie of his people and how Edome should be layed wast but now he comforteth the Iewes least they should haue ben discouraged as if therehad bin no hope for Siō in the captiuitie of Babilon as if Messias should not haue come And he promiseth also vnto the Iewes deliueraunce that they should come agayne into Sion though they yet layed wasted by the Babilonians and Edomits For he saith the Lord will bring deliuerance helpe and redemption vnto Sion which came so to pas in deed For hard after that the Iewes came from Babilon and that the citie of Ierusalem with the temple and deuine seruice was restored came Messias our true Sauiour and deliuerer into Sion The Lorde had often times before helped the mount Sion and the Citye Ierusalem but they were not the true helpe or sure saluation which Messias in his owne person should bring But when the king of Israell borne of the tribe of Dauid was come into Sion thē came there also with him all felicitye saluation and aboundance of all good thinges For he began by his word and spirite to call back and redeeme his people from that spirituall captiuity which they suffered vnder Sathan and other false teachers He fulfilled the prophets and obtained a true and euerlasting deliuerance vnto his people by his blessed death and glorious resurrection This was that true Pletho that is redemptiō all other deliuerāces were but only figures of this deliueraunce Reade the acts of the Apostles and note how saluation by the gospell begunne in Sion and thus spread forth it selfe through the whole world Peter redeemed and conuerted 3000. men at on sermon and from that time forth the Lorde mightely increased the kingdome of Christ as luke witnesseth saying the Lord added daily to the congregation such as should be saued This saluation was shewed forth with such powre of the holy spirite that the remnant of Israell the Apostles and their fellow laborers being the true house of Iacob and Ioseph were a flame of fier which lyke straw burnt and consumed the house of Esau that is the Edomits who before were mortall enemies to the house of Iacob Ioseph so that many of the Edomits were in deed won to the gospell and the wickednes and hatred of their Father
the 7. chapiter he doth wonderfully and aboue measure land and extoll the great and inestimable riches of Gods mercies which were promised vnto vs in Christ and which were promised vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob of whose stock Christ the king of glory should come according to his humanitye These are the wordes of the prophecie Who is a god like vnto thee that taketh away iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage He retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercy pleaseth him he will turne againe and haue compassion vpon vs he will subdue our iniquities and cast al their sins in the bottom of the sea Thou wilt performe thy truth to Iacob and mercy to Abrahā as thou hast sworne vnto our Fathers in ould time This was a very necessary comfort in the captiuitie of Babilon vnto the Iewes least they should haue fallen into dispaire and doubt of the mercy of God as if the Lord would altogether haue forsakē his people and reuoke his promises of grace in Messias for the sinnes of the people For it is as if he should haue sayd go to we shall be led into captiuitie but it is the iudgement of the Lord and his will. We haue in deede aboundantly deserued all kinde of calamities yet must we not therfore doubt of the mercy of god For his grace in Christ Iesus is very great deepe and a bottomlesse sea wherein all our sins may be drowned and swallowed vp The Lord hath made a couenāt of grace with our fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob that in their seede Messias all nations of the earth should be blessed that is receaue forgeuenes of their sins be deliuered from death and be saued from euerlasting damnation and receaue the free gift of innocensie and euerlasting life This promise will neuer deceaue vs For the Lord sware vnto vs by a holy and faythfull oth that so the rather he might confirme vs in fayth and make vs the lesse doubt that all those thinges should come to passe which he had promised and that for Messias his sake he would helpe vs be gratious vnto vs and deliuer vs from all our calamities This grace and truth can not be called backe but as sure as god is good so sure is it that we shall be partakers of his grace if we beleue his promises Wherfore let vs be of good chere Our sins shall not nor cannot hinder nor make frustrate those thinges which God promised to our forefathers He hath promised Christ therfore out of doubt he will send Christ for our deliueraunce And this was the hope of Israell to wit of all faythfull Christians from the beginning of the worlde euen vnto this day And this in deed is the true Gospell which Messias by his death and bloudshedding confirmed namely that the sonne of God should be made man and borne of Abrahams seede that he might geue vs the heauenly benediction that is righteousnes life and health that we might by him be freed from our sinnes and deliuered frō death and be raysed vnto euerlasting life and raigne with him for euer in euerlasting glory And this is the chiefe summe of all the prophets touching Christ and his kingdome according as God after the captiuitie of Babilon fulfilled them and sent Iesus Christ our true king and deliuerer vnto the world ¶ Anna. What sayth that comforter Nahum of Christ For he may well be called Nahum that is cōforter ☞ Vrba He agreeth with the 52. of Esay vpon the gospell saying Behold vpon the mountaine the feete of him that declareth and publisheth peace O Iuda keepe thy solemn feastes performe thy vowes for the wicked shal no more passe through thee he is vtterly cut of That you may more easly vnderstand what Nahū prophecieth note first he prophesieth against the Monarchy or kingdome of Assiria especially against Niniue the great citie of Assiria which the prophet Ionas conuerted afore that. These thinges therfore was their comfort namely the the enemies of Iuda to wit Sanherib his kingdome who before had proudly and cruelly triumphed ouer Israell and conceaued an opinion of them selues that they could deuour Iuda should be wasted destroyed as Esay in 36.37 comforteth Ierusalem and the king Hischia by the commaundement of God in his 36. and 37. chapiter saying And he will cast vnto it that which shall be escaped of the house of Iuda and that which shall remaine to plant and he will make it to take roote downward and beare fruite vpward For out of Ierusalem shall a remnaunt go and they that escape out of mount Sion the zeale of the Lord of hostes shall doe this Therefore thus sayth the Lord concerning the king of Ashur He shall not enter into this citie nor shoote an arrow there nor come before it with shield nor cast a moūt agaynst it By the same way that he came he shall returne and not come into this citie sayth the lord For I will defend this Citie to saue it for mine owne sake and for my seruaunt Dauids sake Then the Angel of the Lord went out smote in the campe of Asshur an hūdreth foure score and fiue thousand So whē they arose early in the morning behold they were all dead corpses So Sanherib king of Asshur departed and went away and returned and dwelt at Niniueh And as he was in the temple worshipping of Nisroch his god Adramelech and Sharezer his sonnes slew him with the sworde and they escaped into the land of Ararat and Esarhaddon his sonne raigned in his stead You haue heard the history note therefore this also that Nahum comforteth Gods people in this his prophesy bydding them be of good cheare and dispayre not For although the king Asshur will besiege and afflict Ierusalem yet shall there be no danger For God will helpe them they shall heare ioyfull tidings to wit that the enemy shall not hurt their citye but dye miserably that they may yet againe celebrate their feastes merely reioyce in quiet peace And this was fulfilled as you heard of late out of Esay But you must know that this temporall deliueraunce in which earthly Ierusalē was deliuered was onely a figure of the true and euerlasting deliueraunce which we haue in Christ The Angel of the great counsell which was sent to prostrate and destroy the enimies of the spiritual Ierusalem that is of the catholick church and to ouerthrow and abolish that wicked spirite or Sanherib that very Belliall with all his hellish hoste and to deliuer vs from him which thing he performed and by his owne power ouercame those enemies The euangelists and the preachers of the new testament bringe vnto vs this ioyfull and gratious tidings to wit that Sathan is conquered and we beleuers truely deliuered These preach in all congregations perpetuall and euerlasting peace and saluatiō by Christ Iesus And this is the meaning of this prophecye and of Christ and his
with God true peace securitye euerlasting ioy true life and eternall saluatiō For if the sin of the Gentiles should not be taken away then in deede should neither death nor Sathans tyranny and kingdome be taken away neither could they haue any cōfort or hope But seing that Christ is their hope and comfort and that no vaine comfort for God himselfe speaketh it then surely must all heuines calamities and misery be taken away from the gentiles also which is nothing els but sin euill conscience death and euerlasting damnation And therfore must they also of necessitie rise from death and liue for euer with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen You see by the Epistle of S. Peter that the prophets haue respect vnto the health of the soules and therfore their whole indeuor is to preach true comfort seing the prophecie of Christ who brought vs from sin to righteousnes and innocencye and from death to life euerlasting as we finde he doth in deed Moreouer he hath deserued for vs the comforter the holy Ghost by whome he helpeth and comforteth vs vnder the crosse vntill we be called out of this fraile and miserable life and receaue the promised crowne of glory which in deede we posses in this earth though it be but yet in fayth and hope ¶ Anna. You alwayes haue sayd that Zachary is a prophet full of notable comforts Let vs therfore here what comfort he geueth vs by his promises ☞ Vrba He is in deede a comfortable prophet and the dayes wherein he liued required the same For he prophecied when the Iewes were euen at the point of returning out of the captiuitie of Babilon and when the Citie with the temple should be builded agayne The people at that time were yet faint harted fearefull and doubted that they should not be safe from their enemies and therfore he comforteth them and setteth Christ before their eyes as a louing Sauiour that so they might be of good cheare saying that Christ should spedely come and helpe his seruantes and spread his kingdome through the whole world and therfore was it needefull that Iuda and Ierusalem should be builded againe to the end they might receaue their owne king And the prophet speaketh as followeth Ierusalem shall be inhabited without the walles for the multitude of men and cattell therein For I sayth the Lord will be vnto her a wall of fire round about and will be the glory in the midest of her Here he prophesieth of the spirituall Ierusalem to wit the church of Christ for the earthly Ierusalem had hir boundes and walles but the heauenly Ierusalem shal be so wide and large that it can not be compassed with any walles yea it shall be as wide as the world For it is the kingdome of Christ which by little and little without ceasing shall be increased vnto the last day and the true children of Abraham are as the God of Abraham promised euen as the sand of the sea and the starre in the firmament and the promised blessing shall come vpon all nations through the whole world that Christ maye be knowen and worshipped euery where for the true Lord god By the cattell vnderstand weakelinges and such as are ignoraunt in the knowledge of the scriptures and fayth these are led and fed in the pastures of Christ by those which are more strong and firme in fayth But he is a merueilous wall which is all fiery truly the Church of Christ in this place hath so great and comfortable a promise of Gods helpe as you shall scarsely finde in any other place of the scriptures For I wil be saith the Lord a wall of fire round about hir the Church of Christ You see that he speaketh here of the heauenly Citye wherein God himselfe will be the watchman keper wall defēder if their God be thus present with vs we haue iust cause to reioyce in the Lord seeing that wheresoeuer God himselfe watcheth defendeth and fighteth for vs there are we safe out of daunger of this world and Sathan and neede not feare them To be breefe the great humilititie of Christ Iesus in that he vouchsafed to become man being the true son of God and the sending of the holy ghost the true teacher of holsome doctrine in the Church of God whereby the church is still houlden and preserued in truth that it may stedfastly cleaue to God where as otherwise the whole world is blinded with errors caried away with lyes and miserably deceaueth it selfe these I say do sufficiētly declare how gloriously the Lord hath shewted himselfe in this spirituall Ierusalem Sathan the world and heretickes do not cease nor sleepe but bend themselues in all they may yea they striue with hand and foote to destroy Christ his church But although according to the flesh it be weake yet neuerthelesse it standeth and getteth the victory ouer all hir enemies So plentifully doth the Lord declare his glory in his spirituall citye the Church In the wordes following he setteth forth the helpe and comfort which we shall haue in Christ his kingdome saying He which toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye How I pray you could a most louing and tender father speak more louingly or sweetely euen to his darling and derely beloued son if the Lord looke carefully to vs as men vse to looke to the apple of their eyes then surely can no hurt happen vnto vs in the kingdome of Christe neither neede we to feare any daunger A little after Zachary comforteth such Christiās as are vnder the crosse and by reason of the weakenes of the flesh are in feare and trouble euen as the Iewes were at that time saying Reioyce and be glad O daughter Sion for I come and will dwell in the middest of thee sayth the Lord and many nations shall be ioyned to the Lord in that day and shall be my people and I will dwell in the middest of thee and thou shalt know the Lord of hostes hath sent me vnto the. And the Lord shall inherit Iuda his portiō in the holy land and shall chuse Ierusalem agayne Let all flesh be still before the Lord for he is raised vp out of his holy place That is to say O Sion although thou be afflicted here in the earth yet be of good chere because thou shalt cōtinew For I my selfe do come and abide with thee Was not this fulfilled when god became man and at this day wheresoeuer Gods word is receaued there doth God dwell and that is the true Sion as Christ sayth in Iohn He that loueth mee keepeth my commaundementes and my Father will loue him and we will come vnto him and will dwell with him Surely this is the spirituall kingdome wherein god dwelleth with vs by the gospel and by fayth which the holy ghost worketh in vs as S. Paul sayth to the Ephe Christ dwelleth in our hartes by fayth And Esay telleth vs where God
therfore there are not eares in the stone but eyes onely are grauen therein They therfore which imbrace the gospell by the holy ghost that they may beleue in Christ and know the vnsearchable riches of his grace and bring others to the knowledge therof they are the 7. eyes The Apostles truely were sharpe and quicke eyes and also the godly which do yet to this day learne to know Christ Wherfore where Christ by the Gospell is not yet knowen there is black and thicke darknes and neuer one eye at all And the eyes are onely in the stone The faythfull Christians be onely they which see know all thinges as namely what God is what Christ is what the spirite is and what life righteousnes sin hel and Angels be and what the deuill the world the lyfe present and the lyfe to come be Of all which the wise of the world can not so well iudge as the blind man doth of colors And where he sayth that he will cut out the grauing of that stone that is meant of the passion of Christ because that by his crosse and passion he was as it were pollished grauen that he might be the corner stone of the church he was also formed and pollished to his glory euen as a stone is cut and pollished for the building as he himselfe also sayth vnto these 2. his disciples Was it not meete that Christ should suffer and so enter into his glory And Paule sayth That he by afflictions should confecrate the prince of their saluation The instrumentes for this ingrauing were they which martired Christ as the souldier which perced the holy side of Christ and other tormenters Iohn 19. And this stone with his afflictions is the foundation of this new and heauenly temple vpon whome all the other building doth safely stand All faythfull Christians are builded vpon this stone and haue all their righteousnes strength life by Christes passiō And he himselfe now plainely declareth what profit the grauing or pollishing of this stone or the passion of Christ bringeth vnto mankinde Saying I will take away the iniquitie of this land in one day As if he should say in the leuiticall priesthood were diuers sacrifices for sin but those sacrifices could not in deed take away any sin by their bloud they weare only figures betokening Messias to come he only alone both can must by his ingrauing death in one day that is to say on good friday offer vp such a sacrifice and make such a reconciliation for sin as may be sufficient for all the sins which haue ben committed from the beginning of the world and shall be vnto the end thereof Hereby also you may gather his resurrection For if he must be cut of that is put to death and so take away all sin and consequently abolish death it selfe it must needes that he must rise agayne and raise vs vp also at the last day And seeing that the truth it selfe that is Messias should not long after the captiuity of Babilon come to beutify and set vp a true omnisufficient priesthood and kingdome therfore that tipicall priesthood of the Iewes and the earthly kingdome had their end as sone as that true and perpetual kingdome of Christ came in which in one day because of the sacrifice that then was offered is perpetuall remission of sinnes and reconciliation with god But seing sin is purged for which there was perpetuall enmity betwixt god and man seing the wrath of God is pacified seing we are reconciled vnto our God by the death of Messias we haue true peace and tranquilitie in Christ his kingdome need not feare our enemies sin death and sathan For Christ hath vanquished them al for vs which thinge the prophet meaneth by the wordes following In that day that is in the day of Messias shall ye call euery man his neighbor vnder the vine and vnder the figg tree In these similitudes and figuratiue words he speaketh of the spirituall peace of God which is in the Church And in his 6. chap. he sayth Behold the man whose name is Zemath that is the braunch he shall grow vp out of his place and he shall build the temple of the Lord and he shall beare the glory and shall sit and rule vpon his throne and he shall be a priest vpon his throne and the counsell of peace shal be betwene them both In this prophecy is Christ with his double kingdome promised to wit his kingdome priesthode for the prophet was made to set 2. crownes vpon the head of the hye priest Whereby it was signified that Messias should be the true king and priest in Israell And it is meete that these two kingdomes the priesthood and princely power should both be found in one person Christ For he putteth the crown onely vpon the head of him that was then the hye priest but he did not put it vpon the leuitical magistrate Zerubabell And againe he calleth Messias Zemath he sheweth the cause why he calleth him so For this king and priest shall haue so great felicitie and prosperitie in his kingdome that all thinges shall haue prosperous successe and shall fall forth happely and according to his minde and desire And Esay sayth The will of the Lord shall prosper in the hande of Messias As a fine bow or braunch at the first is small and tender but after groweth hyer and hyer and doth shute forth vntill at the last it become a faire pleasant and hye tree full of faire and bewtifull braunches so that it delighteth the eyes of all men and is also very pleasaunt by reason of the shadowe therof euen so Christ although he was in the beginning but small and vnknowen when his name was yet but onely knowen in Iudea in the land of Israell and was dispised of the most part of men yet did he grow so mightely and shute vp so hy and spread so broad that he filleth the whole world with his bowes and braunches as Esay sayth that he may confirme and strengthen it c. And Daniell sayth that the stone which is taken out of the mountaine without handes becommeth a great mountaine and filleth the whole earth This Zemah is not tied vnto a certaine place where he should be king as Dauid was vnto Ierusalem but he is king in al the world and raygneth in all places by the gospel the holy ghost Sathan with this his world goeth about to hinder destroy cut downe and pluck vp blossomes while it be young that it grow not but the more they hinder it the better it prospereth and groweth and buildeth Gods temple that is the church of Christ with pretious and liuely stones of which Peter speaketh But this is a far greater temple then that which Iehoschua and Zerubabell builded at Ierusalem It is a temple which no Nebucadnezer no Antiochus nor Tytus can burne and destroy This temple is the spirituall
is the most splendent and bright son of all innocency and righteousnes in whom is neither blott cloud nor spot of sin He onely kindleth maketh warm our cold harts with the beames of his spirit he fructifieth our dry and parched ground that we may bring forth vnto him the fruits of righteousnes for without him we can do nothing that is good When this sun shal rise in his perfect brightnes thē shall it bring to vs that bright and wished day of liuely eternity and it shall shine vnto vs for euer and shall neuer go from vs Vnder the winges of this son is lyfe and health the Hebrew word in this place is maruell comming of this worde Ropho which signifieth to heale or medesine Note therfore that we are dāgerously and deadly sick For sinne hath destroyed and infected both our body and soule with deadly poyson The soule is full of sinne the body also is all sinfull and mortall so that of necessitie we had died for euer if the Lord had entered into Iudgement with vs but he gaue vs Christ the Phisition of our wounded and deadly sicke nature to deliuer mans nature from all sicknes and to restore vs both body and soule to perfect health He which calleth vpon this Phisition and beleueth in him shall be lightened and clerely deliuered both in body and soule from all sinne and euill which sin brought with it into the world the soule shal be clensed frō the staines of sin and frō euill thoughtes naughty lustes and vngodly desiers and the body shal be deliuered from mortalitie and corruption For this phisition is the Lord himselfe who for this cause onely tooke vpon him our nature that he might in vs make it altogether cleane innocent immortal and pure and saue it Whereupon the prophet sayth Health is vnder his winges For he which flieth to be vnder the winges of this son and seeketh health and saluatiō at his hāds is saued In deed these wordes are figuratiue but they meane nothing els but that which the Euangelistes and Apostles speake in plaine wordes to wit that he which beleueth in Christ shall be saued and haue euerlasting lyfe But if he which beleeueth in Christ hath euerlasting life surely he hath also true and euerlasting health For he which abideth in his sinns abideth in a most dangerous disease dieth an euerlasting death For the wrath of God abideth on him But he which layeth hold on Christ as one the true phisition by fayth he obtaineth euerlasting health both of body and soule Christ verely cōpareth himselfe to a phisition in Math. saying that he came vnto the sicke men as the phisition to the sick and he mightely shewed and exercised this art in this earth all the time of his pilgrimage when he healed and restored not onely the soules frō sinne and the bodies from all kinde of sicknes and diseases but raised them vp euen from the dead ¶ Anna. What meaneth Malachy in that he saith you shall goe forth and grow vp as fat calues or you shall goe forth and daunce or leape and come in like a fatted calfe ☞ Vrb. This is a figuratiue kind of speech spoken of the godly to whom the word of God is a most pleasant pasture for it shall goe wel with them in the last day For then shall they be free and safe from all euill sinne lust feare heauines and persecution Wherupon Paul calleth the last day the day of redemption And Christ in Luke exhorteth the godly to lift vp their heads when the day of the Lord draweth nye because then their redemption also is at hand Then shall that last enemy of the godly to wit death be destroyed and mortality shal be swallowed vp in the life of Christ Then shall they all haue lyberty and ability to be alwayes with Christ without any impedimēt of the body Now the body is slothful loytering and weake but at the last day it shal be as cleere as the sun immortall elegant strong puissant liuely suttle neate pure spirituall and nimble and haue eternall health For they are saued both in body and soul as our creed doth teach vs I beleeue the rising again of the flesh which with the soule must be glorifyed and haue euerlasting life The vngodly here in this earth doe miserably kick treade vpon afflict iniury and mock the godly and count thē as ofscourings of the earth nay they iudge them to be most wicked men of all and euen sacrifices for sinnes For the elect shall haue tribulation euen vnto the last day but when Christ the sonne of righteousnes shall come down from heauen to seperate chaffe from wheat to wit his seruants from the wicked then shall there be an alteration of all things then shal the pompe brauery and glory of this world with all the foolish confidence therof fail and fall Then shall the wicked be tumbled down from their honor and be for euer vtterly shamed and be made our footstole Then shall they be broaken and troaden down and be contemned for euer and be more filthy and vile then the durt in the streetes For he which here suffereth with Christ shall in the world to come be glorifyed and raign with Christ for euer But he which here beleueth not the gospell in this life and is not like to Christ our head in the crosse he at the last iudgement shall be condemned vnto horrible and euerlasting death lamentations calamities and miseries with all the deuils in hell And this shall the Lord of Zebooth or the Lord of hostes doe He shall bring that day vpon the world when it shall liue most securely and vnto his that is vnto the Christifidelians he shal geue that kingdome of glory which by the prophets and euangelistes he hath promised them In the wordes following he exhorteth the people that they call to mind the law of Moyses as if he had sayd the time of Messias is not far of it is euen now at hand Beware and watch that ye despice not the day of your visitation that when the Lord commeth you be not offended at him Moyses hath foretold you in Deuter. that the Lord wil rayse vp vnto you a prophet of your bretheren like vnto him to Moyses that is one which is true man as Moyses was he shall teach by the commaundementes of God and the Lord will punish him which will not heare him For Moyses saith that God will require it of them that is they which wil not beleue the gospell of Messias shal at the last day geue account vnto the lord and for their vnbeleefe they shall be iudged in the Lords anger If the Iewes had obayed this admonition and more diligently sought Christ in Moyses if they had learned better to know his person and office seeing Moyses speaketh so plainly of Christ then had they not so wickedly and cursedly despysed that day of their visitation but would haue imbraced Christ
Christ 22 Carpenters of the Church 134 Cattell who be 203 Christ how when and why promised 7. 10 11. 16. 63. prophesied of in scripture two wayes 8. why promised before the law 15. his natiuitie 3. 7. 16. 31 84. 96. his acceptable yeare 60. his manhood 18. 20. 31. 33. 41. 49. 50. 71. the sonne of Abraham and Dauid 27. 28. how Dauids sonne and Lord. 112 the sonne of the pure virgine Mary 28. 33. a stone cut of a mountaine without hand 35. 63. why the seede of the woman and not of man. 7. the necessitie and benefite of his natiuitie 24. 64. 84. the time of his natiuitie 16. 63. of the Citie where he was borne 29. his flight into Egipt 90. his parents why remoued from the kingdome of Israel 18. 20. to whom he was sent 14. 57. why sēt 64. his names 29. 36. 39. 81. why called Siloh 20. 18. why called Christ 38. an Angell 8. an Angell of the great coūsayle 87. Messias 39. Israell 54. a stone 61. the lord of Zeboth 76. Amon. 71. Moschell 30. Melchisedech 21. 112. his person discribed 49. 50. his Image painted 85 How he is knowen and how necessary to be knowen 2. 4. his cōuersation on earth described 47. Why he eate with publicans 50. his humilitie and pouertie 18. 43 44. 47. 50 59. no cause of our fall 118. our Iewell 11. the end of the Iewes kingdome 18. 44. 66. his teares for Ierusalem 43. his seruice toward vs. 4. 6. how he handleth his frends enemies 87. his cōfort against our ingratitude 54 his comfort for an heuy consciēce 85. he hath followers according to his humanity 74. at enmitie with the the serpent 8. 9. afflicted 47. why painted with a crosse on his shoulders 62. how long he liued 69. Christ his kingdome what a one it is 17. 20. 41. 44. 53. 64. 85. 105 110. 119. what maner of king he is 19. 57. 63. 91. how he ruleth his kingdome 20. 99. by what armour it is sustained 44. how far it reacheth 45. his scepter 17. 61. 74. 120 his poore royaltye 49. his power 44. 88. how he is a Gyant 87. his peace 49. 89 Christ his priesthood and ministrye 21. 47. 51. 91. 53. 6. how annointed 55. 74. 38. aparaled with filthye garmentes 46. the true Melchisebech 112. 21. the high priest 93. our shepheard 92. 94. 85. Gods seruaunt 92. signified by the brasen serpent 21. by Aarons priesthood ibidem by the mercy seate 20. 22. by the pascall lambe 114. 22. he and Moyses cōpared 45. 59. the seale of the Prophets 12. 43. his doctrine gospell 4. 6. 44. 53. the wisdome of his word 34. his maner of teaching 57. 91. his mouth called a sword 53. his Sermon going to Emaus 27. 35. 97. called a prophet 91. a preacher 57. his preaching to what end 91. sanctified of God to be our teacher 55. he counsayleth contrary to the world 86. his care ouer his Church 4. our mediator 93. the onely way to God. 29. 128. our onely sauiour 37. 93. 9. 16. 39. 60 43. 99. 100. 63. 2. 3. our righteousnes 43. 108. 79. 87. 89 our redētion 46. 107. 9. 11. 94. 59. 78. the only forgeuenes of sinnes 46. 99. 100. our reconciliation 23. 39. 100. 45. our propitiation 79. 93. a gage that God is with vs. 52. his exceeding grace loue and mercy to man. 35. 42. 50. 16. 88. 58. 35. his mercifull nature described 50. 57. how he calleth and iustifieth vs. 43. the fulfilling of the law 43. 12. richer in grace then we in sinne 9 Christ his Godhead proued 84. 72. 76. 31. 35. 77. 81. 74. a necessarye point of religiō 83. he is God and not the Father 71. no God but him 21. the bud of the Lord and fruite of the earth 119. his vnion of both natures 18. 82. 48. 49. 3. his name Iehoua 76. how he sitteth on Gods right hand 112. how he is with vs. 36. his miracles 78. 85. 97. his omnipotencye 51 Christ his death and passion 7. 16. 25 32. 10. 85. 107. 98. of what force it was 99. he suffered wholy 82. why he required helpe vpon the crosse 98. his buriall and resurrectiō 121 10. 7. 102. it is made oures 102. the cōmodity of his death resurrection 99. 103. his victorye ouer sin death Sathā 9. 10. 52. 59. 88. 94. 99. 122. our banner in battaile 12. his iudgement 49. 95. 96. Christ killers their punishment 158 Christianitie or Christiās lyfe 5. 116 170. their cognisance 120. why so named 16. 160. what people they are 186. their ioye 1. 6. 128. 27. 42. 58. 133. 136. 163. 153. 122. 161. their state in the world to come 123. 103 163. 178. 153. why afflicted 120. their comfort in affliction 52. how they ought to iudge 50. the temple of God. 176. their foode and bread 160. their thirst and hunger how restored 132. without mony 149. their wisdome 139. why and how they shal be glorified 153. their prayer for the Church 112. their arte 148. they onely saued 93 builded vpon the corner stone 148 false Christians described 55 Christmas caroll at Geneua 84 Church Gods vineyard 124. no peace without it 125. afflicted but not vāquished 91. 112. 105. 103. 151 156. how nourished and comforted 162. 152. 155. how Christ purgeth it 117. why called a crowne 155. deare to God. 154. called a sect of the Iewes heresy of papists 118. the largenes of it 147. defended by Christ 204. 153. 155. her weakenes how comforted 133. 130 136. 147. her mariage 147. the beuty of it 148. her victory 196. her builders 134. the gates thereof are alwayes open 156. False Church described 199 Circumsition and ceremonies of no force 171 Citie of the world most honorable which 30 Cleophas sad in his iorney to Emaus 1. 27. cōforted agayne 3. 5. 27. the Sermon he hard 4. 5. Comforts in persecutiō 131. in tēptation 132. 134. 135. 136. agaynst sinne 58 Confession of sinnes onely hath the benefite of the Gospell 58. it is such as the fayth is 61 Conscience laden with sinne onely pacified by fayth in Christ 107. 58. 78. true councell whence it is fetched 87 Creatiō of man how pure it was 13. Creede the principall article of it 83 Crosse why to be suffered patiently 16. D Daniell his prophecye and prayer in captiuitie 62. his dreame of the foure Monarchies 63. his prayer for the comming of Messias 65 Dauid a figure of Christ 91. strong of hand 184. his ruinous tabernacle restored by Christ 188 Daughter of Hose the prophet what it meaneth 179 Dead where they be till the last day 123 Death comforts against it 87. it is but a sleepe to the Godly 79 Deuill vanquished by his owne hissing 10. his wife 186. he is figured by Pharao 168 Deliueraunce of ours how strong it is 85 Disciples how they vnderstood the Scriptures 4 E Earth a vale of misery 161 Easter daye 1 Eating spiritually 107 Edome what it signifieth 157 Egipt a figure