secondly for that we be made partakers of his flesh and of his Godhead and thirdely for that by it we communicate and are vnited togither one with another Moreouer by this supper is ment that wée are spiritually nourished and susteined or fed with the body and blud of Christ. For like as bread and wine doo nourish encrese preserue and comfort mens bodyes So doth Chrystes body blud nourish encrease preserue and comfort our soules vnto euerlasting life if so be that true fath bée found in vs. What is the signification of this Supper in respect of the time to come This holy supper signifieth that by the power of Chrysts body raised from the dead our bodies also shal one day rise ageyn that they may be made like vnto the glorious body of Chryst. Wherevpon Paule sayth If Chryst bée risen agein wée also shal rise ageine that we may enioy the cōtinual presence of Chrysts body for euermore Whervppon certein of the holy fathers haue termed this Supper conduct money bicause it putteth them that receiue it before their death in mynde that Chryst is vntoo them the passage from these troubles to eternal blisse What is the signification of the Lords Supper in respect of the euerlastingnesie It is a perpetuall warrant of Gods fauour towards men at no time subiect vntoo chaunge and therfore the Lord himselfe calleth this his supper the newe Testament as which shall neuer become olde at any tyme. How be it too the intent this thing may be vnderstood more cléerly I will as bréefly as may be declare what things are most méete in euery Testament and how all those things which ought to méete in euery last wil or testamēt doo méete héere and moreouer what the new testament is In euery testament or last wil there be fiue things First the Testator that maketh the wil. Secondly the goods which the Testator bequeatheth Thirdly the heirs that are made Fourthly the death of the testatour And fifthly the conditions that are to bée kept of them that are made heires by the wil. In this new Testament the testator is Chryst. The heritage is the possession of eternall life The heires are the children of God that is to say al that beléeue in Chryst. The death of Chryst the testator folowed presently after For he died was buried and rose ageine the third day The conditions too bée obserued of the heyres that are named are that they should beléeue in Chryst and obey him and continue in innocencie of life vnto the end And if they fall intoo sinne that they earnestly repent them before their death Héerevppon wée may now in this wise conclude what the new Testament is The new Testament is is an euerlasting couenant stablished by the death of the Testator Iesus Chryste concerning the grace of God the forgiuenesse of sinnes and the frée gift of eternall life promised too all nations people that beléeue in Chryst crucified ¶ Of the second WHen Paule sayth Let a man examine himselfe and so eate of that breade and drinke of that cuppe for hee that eateth vnvvorthely and drinketh vnvvorthely eateth and drinketh his ovvne damnation These woords of Paule confirme foure things First that the vse of the Supper ought too bée in the church Secondly that it is necessary for men to trie themselues before they vse this Supper Thirdly that hée which receiueth thys Supper vnworthely dooth sinne most gréeuously And fourthly that this supper is too bée ministred onely vnto those that are able too examine themselues I will speake of the second only that is to say how euery man ought to examin himselfe that mindeth too vse this Supper too his behoofe How then must he proue himselfe that will vse this supper That doth Paule teach the seconde Epistle too the Corinthians and y e .xiij. Chapter in these woords Examin your selues whither you bée in faythe examine your selues Know yée not your selues that Chryst is in you By which woordes is vnderstoode that rightful triall consisteth in this that true Fayth and the presence of Chryste bée felte in vs that is to say too vse plainer woordes He is tried and cōmeth woorthely too Chrystes holy Supper that commeth too it reuerently in the feare of God in true repentance in true faith and with a Godly purpose And on the contrary parte he that preaseth to it vnreuerently without the feare of god without true repentance without true faith and with purpose to sinne commeth vnworthely not making difference of the body and blud of the Lorde and hée eateth his owne damnation Therfore whosoeuer approcheth too this supper and hath a purpose to continue in his sinnes he is a blasphemer and receiueth the sacrament with Iudas But too the intēt rude people shold not rashly presume to come to this supper the discipline of confession absolution is instituted in our churches too very good purpose For this discipline auaileth greatly to this that a man may orderly examine himselfe Howbeit too y e intent we may iudge aright cōcerning cōfession and absolution first it is too bée known that as there bée two sorts of cōfession so there be two sorts of absolution also One kind of confession is to God only that is too wit when a man confesseth his sin before God acknowledgeth himself to bée a sinner and desireth forgiuenesse for Christes sake without such confession none of ful yéeres is saued In this wise did Dauid confesse himself when he sayd Haue mercie on mée O God for I haue sinned against thée Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for no man liuing shal bée iustified in thy sight So confesseth Daniel himself when he saith Wée haue sinned and done amisse with our fathers So did y e publican whē he durst not lift vp his face vnto heauen but strake his brest saying O God be mercifull too mée ◠sinner Unto this cōfession aunswereth the absolution that is giuen by only God And this is done when a mā beléeueth his frée promise For whosoeuer beléeueth is iustified from sinne that is to say set frée from sinne For sith that sinne is a falling away from the lawe will of God with a binding vntoo euerlasting death damnation vndoutedly absolution must be the releasing of the beléeuing man from that bonde wherby he is bound to euerlasting death and damnation So was Manasses assoyled so was Dauid so was the théefe vppon the crosse so was Mary Magdalene So are we assoyled dayly when we say with a true heart I beléeue the remission of sinnes and when we pray with faith forgiue vs oure trespasses Let this suffize concerning the first kynd of confession and the absolution of the same An other Confession is of Discipline when a man for counsell instruction and confirmation of his Faith commeth to the minister of the Churche acknowledgeth himselfe a sinner craueth comfort and desireth too bée instructed with Gods woord too the intent his conscience may be made quiet In
good his owne promises For he promised his Disciples that after hée had bin deliuered too the Gentiles and mocked of them he should be put too death and rise ageine the third day And he preuented not the third day bicause all men might certeinly know that hée was dead in déed Therfore by lying fortie houres in his graue he shewed himselfe too haue bin dead in very déede And why he delayed not his resurrection til the last day there are right weightie causes ready too be shewed The first is bicause it was written Thou shalt not suffer thy holy one too sée corruption For Chrystes body might not rot in the graue First for that it was made of the bloud of the moste chaste virgin by the woorking of the holy ghost Secondly for that as long as hée liued in this world he kept it pure and vndefiled Therfore had it bin vnméet that suche a body should haue become woormes meat The seconde cause why hée delayed not his resurrection is our hope For thus sayeth Peter Blissed bée God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Chryste for begetting vs ageine too a liuely hope throughe the resurrection of Chryste from the dead The third cause is that hée should be the first of them that rise ageine For like as Adam was the firste that appéered in mortall body by reason of sinne so ought Chryste too bée the first that should appéer in immortall body iustifying vs and healing our bodies from eternall death And although wée shal all rise ageine and that others besides Chryst haue risen ageine Yet is there excéeding great difference betwéene the resurrection of Chryste and of other men For first Chryst rose ageine by his owne power whiche thing no man coulde euer doo saue onely hée Secondly the other that were raysed as the widowes sonne the ruler of the Sinagogs daughter and Lazarus and others rose too die ageine But Chryste rose too liue for euermore Besides this Chrysts Resurrection differeth from the Resurrection of other men in frute and efficacie For Chryste by his owne power rayseth vp others which thing was shewed in the Garden where he was buried and rose ageine at the rising of the Sunne Lastly Chrysts rising ageine differeth from oures in time also For as it is already shewed and as we knowledge in our Créede Chryst rose ageyne the third day but our Resurrection shall bée delayed till the last day For then shall appéere the euerlasting life and endlesse righteousnesse which he shall giue too all his that is too say too all them that beléeue in him Thus much concerning the second place why Christ rose ageine the third day and how his resurrection differeth from oures that by the Resurrection of Chryst wée may conceiue liuely hope of the euerlasting and incorruptible heritage in heauen ¶ Of the thirde NOw remayneth the thirde place concerning the frute of Chrysts Resurrection which is more plentifull and abundaunt than that it may bée expressed by mannes tung Paule saythe that by Chryste all things are restored in heauen and in earth For first Chryste by comming out of his graue sheweth himselfe conquerour and triumpher ouer Death Hell and Sathan and so maketh good the promisse vttered concerning him in times past The séede of the woman shall treade downe the Serpents head whiche Prophecie Iohn expounding sayth Chryst appéered too destroy the woorkes of the Deuill How bée it as too vs warde that are men for whose saluation he came downe from heauen was made manne dyed and rose ageyne there are foure sundrye kindes of frutes of Chrystes Resurrection too bée considered For Chrysts Resurrection is first our Iustification Secondly the power whereby sinne is subdued in vs thirdly an example of newnesse of lyfe the cause therof and fourthly the cause of our resurrection and a most assured warrant of the same Of these foure maner of frutes I will speake in order Therfore the first frute of our Lordes resurrection is the iustification of vs of which frute Paule speaketh in y e fourth too the Romanes Hée died for our sinnes and rose ageine for our iustification And Daniell in his .ix. Chapter Iniquitie shal bée taken away and euerlasting righteousnesse shal bée brought in To the intent this frute may bée the swéeter wée must consider of how great value it is Wée are borne in sin and subiect too Gods wrath Ephes. 1. Wée are all by nature the children of wrath The reward of sinne is death Ro. 6. frō this death are wée deliuered by the resurrection of Christ. For by Christ wée are quit from the gilt of sinne and so consequently from eternall death Héervpon commeth that saying in the Apocalips Blissed and holy is he that hath his part in the first resurrection for vpon them hath the second death no power but they shal bée préests of God of Chryst and they shall reigne with him For as the first death is by Adam so the first Resurrection is by Chryst. Héervntoo also perteineth this saying Blissed are they that wash their garmentes in the Lambes blud that they may haue power in the trée of life and may enter in at the gates of the Citie The second frute of our Lords Resurrection is that it is the power whiche is shed intoo the beléeuers which maketh them able too ryse from vices vntoo vertue This power is bestowed vppon vs in Baptim and confirmed in the Lordes Supper so that wée bée not behinde hande with our partes And yet this power is felt in those only that are borne agein of immortall séede 1. Peter 1. The thirde frute is the example For as Paule sayeth Chryste rose ageine too the intent wée might walke in newnesse of lyfe Those therefore that folowe their owne vices liuing wickedly vnclenly doo testifie by their own doing y t they despise Chryste whose Resurrection is set before vs as a glasse to sée how we ought too leade our life For they think that Chryst was scourged crowned with thornes and shed his blud vppon the altar of the crosse too the intent that they may giue ouer themselues too all outragiousnesse tyranny pryde and lusts and after this maner as much as in them lieth they crucifie the sonne God of new agein We therfore who couet not only to be called but also to be the same that we are called that is to say Christians must think vppon the mater as it is in déede namely that Chryst dyed for the clensing of suche mennes sinnes as receiue Faith with him and liue in true repentance by mortifying the old man and quickening the new man There bée foure euils wherewith men are burthened ignorance giltinesse of sinne vices and feare of endlesse damnation Ageinst ignorance Chryste is vntoo vs wisdome whyle he by his Gospel instructeth vs of his will towards vs. For if we were not instructed concerning his will by the woord of god our mind should be wrapped in continual darknesse which darknesse is put away by the
kéepeth Chrystes sayings shall not sée death for euer Howebéeit too the intent wée may the better vnderstand these thinges I will shew forth in order what they conteyn For the first thing too be obserued héere is Chrysts othe The second what maner a ones wee bée without Christ. The third what wée obteyn by him The fourth how we may be able too béecome partakers of Chrystes benefits His othe is to this end too assure vs of Gods truth ageinst all the doctrines of men and deuils against the reason of the flesh yea against the whole kingdome of the Deuil which consisteth of Sophistrie Hipocrisie and Tyrannie For it is not possible that the sonne of God should deceyue whoo hath warranted his doctrine by so great an othe What maner a folke bée wée without Christ By Christ it cōmeth too passe that wée sée not euerlasting death Wherfore without Chryst wée are giltie of euerlasting Death Now as there are foure kindes of Lyfe so are there foure kindes of death also The first is the lyfe of nature wherby wée naturally liue in this world This life simply in respect of it self is good bycause it is the gift of God which hée promiseth in the fourth commaundemente but it varieth according too the state of men Untoo Abraham it was good bicause hée vsed it too Gods glorie But vntoo Nero it was euil bicause hée abused it both too the reproch of God that gaue it also to his owne damnation Ageinst this natural life is set naturall death which of it self is euil bicause it is the punishment of sinne Notw tstanding it varieth according to the states of men For lyke as vntoo Abraham this death was a passage vntoo a better life and therefore was good vntoo him so vntoo Nero it was the gate of Hel and therfore too him it was euil The second life is of sinne namely wherby sinne liueth in man and reigneth through his lusts as it dooth in all the vngodly This is alwayes euil bicause it tendeth too dānation Ageinst this is set the death of sinne wherby sinne is mortified in vs which thing cōmeth then too passe whē wée liue in true repentance the feare of God This death of sinne is euermore good bicause it is the passage too eternal life The thirde life is of grace whereby Christe lyueth in vs through grace This is euermore good bicause it is Gods gift and the way too glorie Ageinst this is set the death of grace that is too say the priuation of grace whiche thing commeth too passe when wée slide backe ageyne intoo sinne and cast away fayth This is alwayes euill bicause it is the way intoo hell The fourth life is the euerlasting lyfe by which the godly shall liue with God and his Angels in endlesse blisse This life is most excellent good Ageinst this is set euerlasting death which is endlesse damnation Unto this endlesse death are all men subiect without Christ. For vnlesse wée bée deliuered from this death by the benefite of Chryste it shall bée our perpetual reward for sinne as Paule sayth too the Romanes the .6 chapter Such are wée without Chryst that is wretched damned and giltie of eternall death But what doo wée become through Chryst That doothe Chryst assure vs of by his othe namely that being deliuered from euerlasting death wée are rewarded with eternal life in which shal be ioy without end Howe are wée made partakers of Chrystes benefites This Gospell aunswereth Verely verely I say vntoo if any man kepe my saying he shal not see death for euer Then is this great treasure in Chrystes woordes which who so kéepeth hath Chryst whoo only is the way too life What is too kéepe the woord of Chryste It is too héer it too lerne it and to beléeue it according to this saying He that beléeueth in the sonne hath life euerlasting Why so bicause hée that beléeueth is iustified by his owne faithe that is to say is set frée from sinne endued with the rightuousnesse of Chryste and accepted too eternall life for Chrystes sake He therfore that coueteth eternall life let him marke well the things aforesayd let him liue in continual repentance let him héer Christes word let him beléeue it and let him cōtinue in the faith euen vnto death So shal it fall out that this naturall death shall be vnto him a passage vntoo eternall life But what say the Iewes too this healthfull Doctrine of Christes Chryst saith He that kepeth my vvord shall not se death The Iewes answere now wée know wel thou hast a Deuil Abraham and the Prophets are dead and thou sayest if a man kéepe my woord he shall not tast of death for euer Art thou greater than our father Abraham who is dead c. Whom makest thou thy self As if they had said If thy woord bée of such power that they which héer thée shall not taste of euerlasting death surely thou art greater than the prophets and our patriark Abraham which are dead but this is false for thou art not greater than Abraham Ergo it is false that thou sayest he that kéepeth my saying shall not tast of death for euer Therfore thou art a blasphemer of God and hast a Deuil Christ answereth and sayeth If I glorifie my selfe my glory is nothing that is too vvit by your iudgement It is the father that glorifyeth mee The méening of these words is this The only begotten sonne of God is greater than the seruāts of God or than the adopted sonne of God I am the only begotten sonne of God according as the father himself witnesseth by his own voyce and woorks But the Prophets and Abraham are Gods seruants and Gods children by adoption wherfore I am greater than Abraham and the Prophets Ergo it is no maruel though my woord bée of greater power than theirs Then vsed they a poynt of Sophistrie For that which Chryst spake of the euerlasting death they construed of the naturall death howbeit maliciously Wherfore Chryste procéedeth too reproue them saying If I say I knovve him not I shall be a lyar as you are For you say you know him whom you know not But what is it to knowe god First it is to know whoo he is that is to wit the father the sonne the holy Ghost Secondly to beléeue in him And thirdly too order a mans life according to his wil. Howbeit bicause the Iewes gloried of their father Abraham Chryst procéedeth too shew how vaine this boasting is and sayth Your father Abraham vvas glad to see my day and reioyced In these woords Chryst teacheth thrée things The one that he was before he tooke mās nature vpon him that is to say from euerlasting God euerlasting The other that Abrahā beléeued in him For too beléeue in Chryst is spiritually too sée him And Chryst is séene thrée ways in body only as the Iewes saw him that talked héer with him in spirite only as Abrahā wée y t beléeue in him
séen Chryst the author of this peace sayd Now let thy seruant depart in peace for mine eyes haue séene thy saluation The frute of this peace after the Resurrection shall bée euerlasting ioyfulnesse euerlasting gladnesse and euerlasting fruition of the sighte of GOD and of all the Sainctes that haue liued from the beginning of the worlde too that day This frute is no man able too conceiue sufficientely in this life Now that I haue somwhat largely spoken of those things that méete toogither in this peace I will drawe intoo a bréefe summe or description what this peace is The peace béetwéene GOD and man therefore is a mutuall agréemente of GOD and man Of GOD accepting man intoo fauoure for Chrystes sake and of manne receyuing by fayth the grace that is offered him and promising earnestly his obedience vntoo GOD. Let this suffize concerning the peace which Chryst offreth héer not onely too the eleuen disciples whiche were then present but also vntoo vs and too all that will receiue this peace when it is offered them by the preaching of the gospel ▪ After this peaceable gréeting it foloweth in the text by what means Chryst proued him self too be risē agein frō death in déed And hée sheweth that the same thing was so foretold in Moyses in the prophets in the Psalms But for as much as you haue herd of these things vpon Easter day and yesterday I wil speak onely of the necessitie vse of Chrystes death and resurrection ¶ Of the second SO is it vvritten and so ought Chryst too suffer and rise agein from death the third day and repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes too bee preached in his name too all nations beginning at Hierusalem First therfore when hée saith so is it written His wil is that not reason but Scripture should wey with vs as often as the kingdome of God cometh in question Where this is written hée addeth saying It must néedes bée y t all things bée fulfilled in the law of Moyses in the Prophets and in y e Psalmes Therfore when any question is put foorth concerning saluation Moyses must bée called too counsell the Prophets must bée read and the Psalmes must bée perused and consequently the wrytings of the Euangelists and Apostles Whatsoeuer is repugnant too these wrytings muste bée reiected as procéeding from Sathan What is written that Chryst ought so too suffer and rise from death the third day When hée saith So ought it importeth a necessitie of Chrystes death and resurrection Why then ought hée First that the scriptures whiche can not lie might bée fulfilled For like as GOD endureth for euer so his woord endureth for euer And Chryste sayeth Heauen and Earthe shall passe but my woordes shall not passe Secondely this thing muste néedes bée doone bicause God hath so determined For it cā by no meanes be auoyded but that that thing whiche God hath certeinly determined muste néedes take effecte Thirdly it was of necessitie that Chryst must suffer for the redemption of man from endlesse punishementes whiche they hadde deserued by their sinnes For had not Chryste suffered wée had abidden in our sinnes vnder the wrath of GOD. Fourthly it was of necessitie that Chryst should suffer for the glorie wherewith hée was too bée crowned afterwarde Fifthly it behooued Chryste too suffer for our instruction comfort Forasmuch as he is our head it behooued him to leade vs the way as well in persecution as in glory Sixtly it behooued Christ to suffer too the intent y e truth might answere the figures For many figures of the old Testament did represent Chrysts death and Resurrection of which is spoken vpon Easter day Bréefly too conclude in one woord Chryst suffered dyed and rose ageyn that Gods displeasure might bée pacified mankinde saued and the diuels kingdome destroyed Thus haue wée of howe great necessitie it was that Chryst should dye and rise agein Nowe let vs héere what is the frute and vse of this wonderfull woorke ▪ Whiche thing the Lorde declareth in these woords And repentance and forgiuenesse of sins too bee preached too all nations in his name By these woords is gathered first what the Gospell is and what is the effect of it The Gospell is a preaching of repentance and forgiuenesse of sinnes for Chrysts sake The effect of the Gospell is that deliueraunce from sinne and saluation happen through Iesus Chryst only Howebeit too the intent it may appéere the more playnly vntoo vs how great benefites are offered vs by the Gospell all which lye hidde vnder these woords of Chryst I wil bring a somwhat more large description out of the Scriptures The Gospell is a generall preaching wherein is vttered the deliueraunce from the cursse of the lawe and Gods wrath and wherein forgiuenesse of sinnes Saluation and Eternall lyfe is proclaymed too them that beléeue in the Sonne of GOD for the Sacrifice of him according too the promyses made in olde tyme too the Fathers that the glorie of Gods goodnesse might continually bée published and that moreouer men béeing delyuered by Chryst might bring foorth frutes méete for the Gospell and at length enioy euerlasting life In this description is fyrst set foorth from what euils wée bée set frée by meanes of the Gospell that is too wit from the curse of the lawe according too that sentence Galath 3. Chryst became accursed for vs that is too say he tooke vppon him the cursse that wée deserued for our sinnes too the intent wée might become heyres of righteousnesse and blissyng This thing also auoucheth Paule 2. Cor. 5. where he sayth thus Him that knewe no sinne he made sinne that wée might bée made the righteousnesse of GOD in him This is as much too say as Chryst whiche was frée from all sinne became giltie for vs. Therefore is it well sayde that deliueraunce from the cursse of the lawe is preached vntoo vs by the Gospell Moreouer bicause Gods wrath was ioyned with the curse of the lawe wée are also delyuered from Gods wrath when wée beléeue the Gospell He that beléeueth not sayeth the trueth the wrath of God abydeth vppon him Therefore he that beléeueth is no longer vnder wrath but vnder grace Nowe where as grace reigneth there the diuels tyrannie hath no power there is no sting of euerlasting death there is no feare of hel from these euils therfore dooth the Gospell preache deliueraunce But what are the good things that it bringeth woord of It bringeth tidings of forgiuenesse of sinnes of saluation and of eternall lyfe Wée béeing giltie of sinne are by nature cursed and damned to euerlasting death But nowe dooth Chryste in his Gospell offer vs Forgyuenesse of sinnes Saluation and euerlasting lyfe Whiche good things hée hath purchased for vs by his death and glorious Resurrection Wée haue heard by what euils wée are set frée by meanes of the Gospell and what good things are offered vs by the same Nowe followeth too whom these good things happen namely too
the godly mennes soules after this lyfe Lazarus is caryed intoo Abrahams bosom What is Abrahams bosom Like as Abraham was therfore called the father of the faithful bycause that with him was layd vp the couenant of eternall lyfe the which he kéeping in faythful custodie deliuered as it were from hand too hand first vntoo his owne children and afterward too all nations that they are called his children as many as are heires of the same promisse So after death they are sayd too bée gathered intoo his bosom bycause thy receyue the frute of the same fayth with him For like as a mannes sonnes whē they come home toogither at nyght from their dayly labor are cherished as it were in their Fathers bosom So the godly after their trauels taken in this life are after death gathered togither intoo blisful rest where they are wel at ease and in happy case vntil the rysing agein of the dead This bosom of Abraham is called also Paradyse as in that saying of Christ to the théefe this day shalt thou be with mée in Paradyse where according too the Psalme is abundance of ioy by beholding of God and euerlasting pleasures in his right hand Too be bréef Blissed are they that die in the Lord bycause they shal bée euermore with God shal enioy endlesse ioy And as concerning the communication of Abraham the Glutton it is to bée known that these things happened spiritually For so thought the Glutton wyth himselfe in his torments and such answer receyued he in his owne conscience Seuenthly behold in Lazarus the image of the Church in this lyfe For it is afflicted and it is despysed of the mighty rich men of this world ¶ Of the third THey haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heere them ▪ This is a very weighty admonishment and excéeding behoofeful for by this saying many are damned First euery one is damned that receiueth not Moyses and the Prophets For these are giuen of God too lead vntoo God and to shew the way of saluation He therfore that receiueth them not abydeth in his damnation Secondly they are damned that receyue them but yet set more by mennes traditions and rather frame their life after mennes commaundements than after Gods commaundements notwithstanding Gods charge giuen openly too the contrary For thus sayth he in Ieremy Cap. 20. Walk yée in my statutes and not in the cōmaundements of your fathers Thirdly are dāned héer Pope Gregorie the Anabaptists and other Euthusiasts which looke for new Reuelations frō heauen and giue more credit too the fumes of a frantike and melancholicke brayne than too the heauenly voyce or rather forsake and vtterly cast away the woord of God Fourthly wée learne héerby too make much of the doctrine of Moyses the Prophets and Apostles which wil be a lanterne for vs too eternall saluation so wée folow the lyght therof For the world hath not a more precious treasure than Gods woord Dauid did make more account of this than of y e finest golde Through this Lazarus who was poore in the world was rich before God By this did Iob rayse vp himself in the middes of his miseries Wherfore ryght déere brethren let vs also loue Gods woord Let vs assure our selues that that is the instrument wherby is offered vntoo vs the preciousest of all treasures Iesus Chryst and by him euerlasting lyfe which our heauenly father graunt vntoo vs by the same Iesus Chryste too whom bée honor and glory for euer and euer Amen Vpon the .ij. Sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospell Luke xiiij A Certain man ordeined a great supper and bad many and sent his seruant at supper tyme too say too them that vvere bidden come for all things are novv ready And they al at once began too make excuse The first sayd vnto him I haue bought a farme and I must nedes goe and see it I pray thee haue me excused And an other sayd I haue bought fyue yoke of Oxen and I go too proue them I pray thee haue mee excused And another sayd I haue maryed a vvyfe and therfore I cannot come And the seruaunt returned and brought his master vvord againe therof Then vvas the good man of the house displeased and sayd too his seruaunt go out quickely intoo the streetes and quarters of the citie bring in hither the poore feble the halt blind And the seruaunt sayd Lord it is done as thou hast cōmaunded yet ther is roum And the Lord sayd vnto the seruant go out into the hie vvayes hedges cōpell them too come in that my house may bee filled For I say vntoo you that none of these men vvhich vvere bidden shall taste of my supper The exposition of the Text. LIke as the last Sunday it was shewed in the Glutton y t the contempt of a mannes neighboure is hinderance too saluation so in thys Gospel we are taught another let which is too bée shunned that is too wit that wée set not more by our owne possessions and affaires by the care of worldly matters thā by the Gospel of Chryst or that we suffer not our selues to be letted and busied w t the commodities and pleasures of this world that wée come not too the supper vnto which wée are bidden by the preaching of the Gospel Now the occasion of this Parable was a certein Pharisies talke at a feast too which Chryst was bidden For when Chryste had declared that suche as are liberall too the poore shal bee rewarded in the resurrection of the rightuous the Pharisie intending too sooth Chryst in his woordes sayd Blissed is he that eateth bread in the kingdome of God Notwithstanding for as much as Christ saw the ouerthwart cōditions and froward inclination of this Pharisie and of the rest of the Iewish nation he put foorth this Parable wherin he peinteth out bothe the iust reiecting of the Iewes and the frée receyuing of the Gentiles The dryft end of which Parable is that wée should not suffer the transitorie things of this life too bée a hinderance vntoo vs for cōming too the heauenly supper whervntoo wée are bidden by the gospell The places are foure 1 The greatnesse of Gods mercy is poynted out in thys Supper 2 The vnthankfulnesse of the world is noted in those that refuse too come when they are called 3 Of his compulsion how he compelleth and by whom 4 A thretning of punishmente too them that receyue not the Gospell ¶ Of the firste HOw great Gods mercy is towards mankinde it is euident by many proues For not only Gods woord but also Gods excéeding great benefites towards the whole world and specially towardes Chrystes churche beare witnesse of Gods inspeakable mercie The earth sayth Dauid is full of the Lordes mercye The greatest proofe of this mercy is the giuing of his Sonne too redéeme the worlde drowned in vtter miserie and that by his death and passion too the intēt that men béeing deliuered from this
only that wée should learne by the example of this multitude first too séeke the kingdome of God but also that we should bée confirmed concerning the power of Chryst. For Chryst sheweth that he hath a care of those that hée his and he declareth that no man is able too performe any thing in his vocation vnlesse â—e be present with him in his businesse and as it were put to his hand too the dooing of it according as he sayeth Without me yée can doo nothing And the Psalme sayeth Unlesse the Lord build the house in vayne doo they watche that kéepe it The places are foure 1 The néedfulnesse in héering Gods woord is commended by the example of this multitude which was so gréedy too héere Chryst. 2 An Image of the Church and of the teachers hearers of the woord 3 The present miracle and the vse of the same 4 The example of Peter bothe in catching the Fishes and also in the acknowledging of Chryst méete too bée folowed ¶ Of the firste ANd it came too passe vvhen the people preased vpon him too heere him The example of this multitude teacheth vs that the gospell is too bée herâ— desirously For this people would neuer haue folowed Chryst so earnestly if they had not vnderstoode that his doctrine had bin very néedfull This multitude then folowed Christ not too lye in the wynde for him not too take aduauntage of his woords not too laugh him too scorne as the Scribes Pharisies and Hypocrites did but too héer Gods woord too déefed with the bread of saluation For the woord of God is heauenly bread farre swéeter than the Hony and the Hony combe as is said in the Psalm This multitude therefore like a sorte of hungry soules come flocking about him as one that were dealing of some large almesse and not without cause For as the body is susteyned with materiall bâ—â—â—d bicause it is materiall it selfe so is the soule nourished with spirituall bread â–ª which is the woorde of God bicause it selfe is spirituall Ageyne like as the appetite too meat betokeneth health and the lothing of it is a â—oken that the body is faint and ill at ease So the longing after Gods woord 〈◊〉 a sigâ—â— that the soul is in good plight and contrarywise the lothing of Gods woord bewrayeth the disease of a crased soule Therfore if wée lothe Gods woord wée must doo as they doo that are diseased in their body For like as they take counsell of Phisitians that by receyuing a medicine they may recouer health and haue a good stomacke too their meate So wée when Gods woord goeth ageinst oure stomacke and that our soule lotheth it must by Prayer séek too Chryste the Phisitian that hée may make oure soules too like of Gods woorde whiche is the breade of saluation least wée starue for want of Gods woorde For Gods woord is the heauenlye foode That is too say the breade of life and the drinke whereof who so euer drinketh shall not thirst for euer Ihon. 4. How bée it too the intent we may hunger after this bread of life and thirste after this heauenly drinke as this multitude did Wée muste thinke vppon the néedfulnesse of thys foode whiche béeing perceyued there is no man but wil haue an appetite too it vnlesse it bée suche a one as is so blinded bereft of his wits by the Deuil that hée hath no care at all of his soule helth The first néedfulnesse is this that euery soule must néeds die whiche is destitute of this heauenly foode vntoo the ende For firste wée obteine life when wée conceiue fayth by the woord Ageine the woorde is the foode of fayth wherewith it is fed and nourished This néedfulnesse is confirmed by oure Lords saying Hée that beléeueth not shall die for faith coÌ„meth not from else where than by héering the woord of God Rom. 10. Ageine without this food maÌ„ abideth vnder Gods wrath Hée that beléeueth not sayth Chryst the wrath of God abideth vpon him Besides that this is the food that strengthneth too eternall life Héeruppon sayeth Paule The Gospel is the power of God too saluation too euery one that beléeueth Lastly to coÌ„clude all in one woord Gods word is y e vncorruptible séed as the Apostle Peter teacheth wherwith wée who before were the children of wrath by reason of y e sinne of our first Parentes and of our selues are begotten a new borne a new through the grace of the sonne of God Therfore as by nature wée are born the children of wrath that is of damnation vntâ— euerlasting death So by grace through the séed of Gods woorde wée are borne the children of grace that is to say of blissing to eternal life They that beléeue are the children of Abraham and heires of the promisse Wherfore if the helth of our soules if the escaping of death Gods wrath and damnation if the dignitie that wée are called too by being adopted the sonnes of God doo moue vs Let vs bée desirous of Gods woorde let vs héere it and kéepe it and that not onely after the example of this multitude but also of the whole Churche whiche coueteth nothing more than too bée throughly fed with this woord of God ¶ Of the second IEsus vvent intoo a Shippe in vvhiche he sate him dovvne and taught the people standing on the shore In these woordes is the state of the Church militant and floting in the waues of this world very trimly peinted out In which picture thrée things are too bée obserued The ship it self Chryst sitting in the ship and the people standing on the shore The shippe it self is a shadowe of the Churche Chryst betokeneth all true Preachers and teachers The people standing on the shore represent the héerers of the woorde Now like as a shippe is horribly shaken when a tempest riseth on the Sea euen so nothing is more shaken and tossed in the worlde than the church which thing the story of the whole world auoucheth How sorowful was the shaking of this shippe when Cayne slue his owne brother And afterwarde when Lothe was in Sodome and Abraham in his wayfarings Ageine howe sore was Gods Churche shaken firste in Egipte and after that by the space of fortye yéeares toogyther too passe ouer in silence the persecutions whiche the Churche endured at all times vnder the Iudges vnder the kings and in the captiuitie of Babilon And too omit other things and too speake of our time Howe sore is the Churche shaken by them that wil séeme too bée Citizens of the Churche Some assaile it with heresies as with horrible tempests sent out by the Diuell him selfe What is it that the Sacramentaries doo not What is it that the other Sectaries Anabaptistes and Libertines doo not too ouerturne this little ship of Peters The Byshops condemne it of heresie The Iewes iest at it The Turke despiseth it The ciuill Magistrate in many places appeacheth it of sedition as wée reade in the storie of
bicause yée must folow him into the wildernesse wheras is y e crosse famin woolues a thousand deadly daungers but rather that wée lift vp our minds intoo heauen where Chryst sitteth at the right hand of the father in heauenly glory For we that are his meÌ„bers shal by none other way come intoo heauen than by the same that he weâ—â— whoo is our head He in this life endured hunger cold and other distresses let vs also beare the lyke paciently Which thing if wée do wée shall one day bée glorified with him ¶ Of the second ANd the Lord said to his disciples I haue pity of this people bicause they haue folovved me novv these three dayes and haue nothing to eate And if I shal send theÌ„ avvay to their ovvn houses they vvil faint by the vvay In these woords is described the affection of Chryst toward the people y t folowed him He is sory for the hunger of their bodies much more it is to be thought y t he was sory for the hunger of their soules For as the soule is much nobler than the body so y e hunger of y e soul is much more hurtful What theÌ„ dooth the merciful Lord He féedeth the body w t bodily food the soul with ghostly food He féedes the body with earthly bread the soul with heauenly bread y t is with gods woord Héer our reasoÌ„ which wil séeme to haue skil in gods matters though it be but foolish demauÌ„deth What is not Chryst God why then did he not woorke a miracle féede them out of hand or why did he not sustein them without bread He wold not alter y e order or nature w tout a great cause And the order appoynted by God is y t like as the body is fedde with bread so the soul should bée nourished and susteyned by Gods woord And this is it that is spoken in Moyses Man liueth not only by bread but by euery woord that procéedeth out of the mouth of God Therefore it is not his wil y t we should loke for any thing coÌ„trary to this order appoynted by God but that we should leane vnto his heaueÌ„ly mercy looking for help at his haÌ„d in time conuenieÌ„t This order established by God madbraind heads do inuent It is written of two Hermites that fell among théeues and had not aught too eate that when they had endured hunger a great whyle and that one of the Théeues at lengthe taking pitie vpon them gaue them bread too eate The one of them sayd I will eate none vnlesse it bée giuen mée from heauen But the other tooke it with thanksgiuing ate it and anone â—â—ter he that looked for bread from heauen dyed for hunger whereas the other escaped that looked for no miracle but tooke the bread that the théeues gaue him as it had bin at the hand of God The Anabaptists also inuert this order at this day Chryst hath commaunded the Gospell too bée preached that the soule may bée nourished with it as spirituall foode But the Anabaptists despysing the woord looke for new reuelations without the woord Whereby it commeth too passe that they fall into the Diuels snares who turneth himselfe intoo an Angell of light too the intent he may throwe them headlong intoo damnation Therefore bicause Chryst would not inuert the order established by God he delayed the miracle But yet at length the affection that he beareth too those that bée his which is greater than the affection of the father towards his children did ouercome him For what maner of affection Chryst beareth towards those that are his not only the Euangelist sheweth in this Gospel when he sayth I take pitie of this people But also the Prophet Esay 49. setteth it out in a most goodly figure Can the moother sayth he forget hir owne chyld y t she should not pitie the sonne of hir owne wombe Although she should forget yet will not I forget thée Beholde I haue written thée vppon my handes Also the Parable of the prodigal childe peynteth out this affection of Chrysts towards those that bée his What shall I say of similitudes parables Chrysts crosse sheweth what maner affection he had towards his owne For he so loued vs when we were yet his foes that he suffred most reprochfull death too redéeme vs. But too what purpose are all these things First too this purpose that wée should put on a childly affection toward God the father our Lord Iesus Christ. Secondly that by falling intoo consideration of his loue towardes vs we shuld in this life hold nothing déerer nothing swéeter nothing preciouser than too submit our selues wholly too his will and too obey his voyce wherein consisteth the perfection of a Christen man in this life Wee read that our father Abraham did so who after he had herd the Lorde say vntoo him Walke before me and bée perfect receiued a commaundement too offer in sacrifice his only begotten sonne Isaac whom Sara had borne vntoo him in his olde age But what dooth he he obeyed Gods wil without delay making ready a bundel of stickes went about too slea his sonne But the Angell of the Lord withhild his hand This being doone God sayd vntoo Abraham Now I know that thou fearest me We sée héer in our father Abraham how earnest he was too obey God sith he wold not spare his only sonne but wold haue killed him at the commaundement of the Lord. But alas for sorow there are many too bée found that will not kill so much as one of their affections at the commaundement of their most mercifull father God so farre of are they from desire of folowing the example of our father Abraham Furthermore Chrystes fatherly example towards vs must put vs in mind of like good will and loue towards our brethren I haue giuen you an ensample sayth he loue ye one another like as I haue loued you ¶ Of the third THis present miracle wherein God with seuen loues and a few small fishes féedeth foure thousand men serueth too this purpose too confirme the truthe of Chrysts Gospel and too encrease the faith of the people that were present wherof I wil say no more at this time But I wil speake somewhat concerning the right vsage of Gods giftes wherby we may bée stirred vp too thankfulnesse towards God and vse Gods blissing aright First therefore this is too bée obserued that the bread encreaseth in the hands of Chryst as he prayeth and giueth thanks too the heauenly father Wherby we are taught that all blissing is of the Lord according as Paule 1. Timoth. 4. teacheth when he sayth All the creatures of God are good Stay héer a litle consider how the things which thou hast as bread and drink are Gods creature and not thy creature Wherfore thou playest the théefe if thou take any thing froÌ„ him ageinst his wil. Which thing thou dost as often as thou vsest Gods creatures without thanksgiuing and
onely Carnally only Chryste was séene of the greatest parte of the Iewish nation which neuerthelesse was damned Therfore the séeing of Chryst in the flesh onely dooth not of it selfe profit too saluation but rather furthereth too greater damnation Herode saw Chryste so did Pilate likewise so did Iudas Cayphas and many other vngodly persons whose damnation teacheth vs that too sée Chryst outwardly in the flesh auayleth not too saluation if there go not true faith in Christ with it Chryst was séen in the flesh and in the spirit at once toogither of the wise men of Marie of Simeon Zacharie Zacheus the Apostles and many others whose séeing turned too their soule helth bicause they not only beheld Chryste with their outwarde eyes but also with the eyes of their harte Whiche thing is manifestly séen in that woman whiche for washing Chrystes féete with hir teares wiping them with the hear of hir head heard Chryst say vntoo hir that hir sinnes were forgiuen hir for the faiths sake whiche shée had in him Of this séeing chéefly speaketh our Lord in this place when he sayth Many Prophets and Kinges haue longed too see that you see and haue not seene In spirite onely doo all they sée Chryste whiche beléeue in him for so dooth Chryst him self interprete it when he saith As Moyses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernesse So must the sonne of man bée exalted that all whiche beléeue in him may not perishe but haue life euerâ—asting After this sort did Abel sée Chryste in his sacrifice so did Abraham of whome Chryst beareth recorde saying Abraham sawe my day and was glad So sée we Chryst at this day as many of vs as beléeue in him Now that they whiche sée Chryst in this wise are blissed this saying of our Lord vntoo Thomas testifieth Blissed are they that beléeue and sée not For we sée him in the Gospel where he appéereth face too face vntoo vs that we should be transformed intoo the likenesse of him Hithertoo concerning the first maner of séeing Chryst and the partes of the same after which maner hée is séene in this world Now foloweth the other maner of séeing which is in the glory too come where we shall sée him moste perfectlie bée delighted with euerlasting gladnesse enioying the moste pleasant and comfortable beholding of him But wherfore dooth hée auouch those too bée happy that sée Chryst First for that Chryste is the woorde of life without which there is no saluation too bée looked for For this woord of life deliuereth the beléeuers from eternall death For like as he that séeth not Chryste and specially with the eyes of faith abideth in prison and vnder the power of the Diuell euen so he that séeth Chryst ouercommeth the world and all euils according too this of Iohn This is the victorie that ouercommeth the world euen your faith But doo we not sée many godly men too be in yl case in this life and too be put too moste gréeuous punishement I answere Yet are they blissed for the sequele of the matter For there shall be a moste ioyfull deliueraunce from all euils wherewith the godly are oppressed in this life And therefore Christe saythe in Mathew Blissed are those that mourne for they shal receiue comfort ¶ Of the second A Certeine Lavvyer stood vp tempting him and saying Master vvhat shall I doo too haue euerlasting life Iesus ansvvered Thou shalt loue the Lord thy GOD. And as it is written in Mathew if thou wilte enter intoo life kéepe the commaundements Too the intent we may vnderstande this answere of Chryste aright it is too bée noted that there are two kindes of men with whom Chryst hath too doo For some are Hipocrites and some repent in good earnest The Hipocrites béeing proude and swelling throughe opinion of their owne rightuousnesse think them selues too haue no néed of Chryst and therfore they persecute him one while by tempting him another while by slaundering his doctrine and sometime by open violence When suche as these bée doo séeke the way of saluation he poynteth them too the lawe and saythe If thou wilt enter intoo life kéepe the commaundementes But those that fall vntoo repentaunce and séeke the way of saluation at Chrystes hand are not sent by Chryste vntoo the law and too Moyses but he taketh them too him self and biddeth them beléeue on him Which thing wheÌ„ they do he grauÌ„teth ouer his owne rightuousnesse vntoo them that they should not be subiect too the curse of the law Wée wil make this more apparant by examples The Pharisie of whom wée heard a late séemed rightuous vntoo him self but he was pronounced vnrightuous by Chryste bicause he had not the rightuousnesse of the law whiche he made his bragges of Contrariwise the Publicane that broughte his sinnes intoo the Temple with him whiche hée there bewayled fléeing too the mercy of God went his way home iustified And in as much as he was iustified and made rightuous he was also made an heir of eternal life In Mathew the lawyer asketh Christe the question saying what shall I doo too get eternall life and Chryste answereth If thou wilt enter intoo life kéepe the commaundements Contrariwise the wretched théefe being a sinner repenteth vpon the Crosse and calleth vpon Chryste by faith too whom Chryst sayth This day shalt thou bée with mée in Paradise that is too wit in euerlasting lyfe In this Gospel coÌ„meth also a Doctor of the law too tempt the Lord sayth what shall I doo too possesse eternal life Too whom our Lord answereth Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God thy neighbor as thy self which is all one as if hée sayd if thou wilt enter intoo life kéep the commaundements But too the sinfull womaÌ„ Luk. 7. he saith Thy faith hath made thée whole And so Chryst dealeth with twoo kindes of men according too the diuersitie of whom hée sheweth the right way vntoo heauen Why sheweth he the way by y e law sith no man was euer able too come too heauen by y e way Bicause it is the straightest way too heauen according too this The man that doth these things shall liue by them This way therfore doth Chryst shew too them that hold scorn of him For whosoeuer despiseth Chryst eyther hée shall die for euer or else fulfill the lawe which is impossible for him too doo Agein there is another way to heauen which is open too those only that beléeue in Chryst who is the way intoo heauen ¶ Of the thirde THou shalt loue the Lord thy God vvith all thy vvhole hart vvith all thy vvhole soule vvith all thy vvhole povver and vvith all thy vvhole thoughte and thy neighboure as thy selfe This is a summe of Gods lawe and an abridgement of the ten commaundements In both of these commaundementes there are foure things too bée considered First the affection that is required too bée in man towardes God and his neighbour 2. The obiect namely God and
of the law which is openly proclaymed ageinst all that repent not that is ageinst all spirituall Lepres But what remedie is there ageinst this ghostly Leprosie It is not too bée cured by any cunning of man There is but only one Phisitian that can clense it which is Iesus Chryst. Too whō if the Lepre come and humble himselfe before him calling vpon him and crauing too bée healed This most skilful Phisitian wil by and by first with his own blud wash of the filth of this spiritual Leprosie and then with his spirituall oyle anoynt the infected limmes vntill they bée made ful whole Untoo him therfore must wée go on the féete of faith his medicine which is offered by the voyce of the Gospell is too bée receyued with the mouth of the hart that is too say with fayth Of him is too bée requested that effectuall Oyle wherwith the appaired powers strength are renued and great héede is too bée taken that wée fal not intoo this Leprosie ageine by loosing this helthfull medicine of Gods worde and this healthfull Oyle of the holy Ghost Which thing if wée doo the curing of vs will be the harder afterwarde For when any disease hath taken too déepe a roote it is a harder matter too heale it Of the second ASsoone as he savv them he said Go and shevv your selues too the preest Whom he had healed in their going away by his only becke thē sendeth hée too the préestes who though they were wicked and couetous yet did they serue in the ministerie ordeyned by God But why sendeth hée them too the Préests There were many and great causes The first was that hée might trie their faith whither they beléeued his word and his promisse For God is woont by diuers means too trie the stedfastnesse of his seruants in faith not too their hurt or hinderaunce but too the intent that their fayth béeing tryed and as it were fined in the fire of temptation maye become the purer So was the fayth of Abraham tryed when he was commaunded too go kil his onely begotten sonne So was the womans fayth of Syrophaenicia tryed and there bée manye other examples as of Iob Ioseph Dauid and all others The seconde is that by this his dooing hée may confirme the publike ministerie ordeyned by GOD. For the Préests had a commaundement too discerne and iudge of Leprosie too receiue intoo the open congregations suche as will bée throughly clensed excluding the others And if hée had doone otherwise hée mighte haue séemed too haue broken Moyses law which hée came not too break but too fulfil performe The third is bicause the lawe the Préesthood beare witnesse of Chryst according as hée sayth himself The law and the Prophets beare witnesse of mée For wheras the préests were commaunded too iudge of Leprosie and to take an offering for the clensing of the Lepre that was healed It was a figure of Chrystes power who cannot only iudge of Leprosie but also clense the same and that with the sacrifice of his owne bodie and with his owne precious bloud The fourth is that the préests might lern by that miracle that the true Messias was come For so Esay tolde them before that Chryste shoulde shewe his presence by woonderful miracles among whiche this is reckened vp for one that hée should make the blinde too sée clense the Lepres Therfore when the préests had séene this heauenly miracle they shuld haue concluded vppon the Prophecie of Esay that Iesus the sonne of Mary was the true Messias promised in old time too the fathers specially sith the Prophesies cōcerning Chrysts comming did leuell all too this time The fifth is that the Préestes béeing by this miracle conuicted that Chryste the true Messias was come should sende their hearers and the people vntoo Chryst the moste skilful and cunning Phisitian bothe for bodie soule which thing they didde not leaste their owne gaine shoulde bée abated They haue many folowers now a dayes specially in the papacie The sixth is that these Lepres béeing receyued by the record of the Préests should shew their bountifulnesse toward God and the ordinarie ministerie Notw tstanding beside these true causes for which Chryst sent these Lepres too the Préests The Papistes haue forged another namely that wée shoulde shriue oure sinnes too the Préests numbring vp all our faults with all the circumstāces of them which surely is a thing vnpossible The Papists therfore doo wrest this text too a straunge sense with their allegorie doo make grinnes wherewithall the wretched consciences are horribly snarled And so of a moste comfortable Gospel they make a moste butcherly slaughterhouse of consciences What Is not priuate confession too bée reteyned Yes in déede but not in consideration of this Allegorie nor yet after the maner of the Papists whiche like Iudges exact the reckening vp of all a mannes sinnes and denie that ther is any remission if there bée not a ful rehearsal of all the sinnes which as Dauid witnesseth no man vnderstandeth muche lesse can hée then recken them vp But what is the cause why auricular confession is kepte stil in our Churches of Denmark For the commodities therof whiche are very many The first is that in this priuate talke the rude and ignorant may bée instructed which haue need too bée instructed in the Cathechisme The second is that in it striplings and yong men may bée tryed howe they profite For it is the duetie of a good shepeherd not only too teach godly doctrine openly but also his office requireth that after the example of Paule hée shoulde make a proofe of his hearers at home howe muche they haue profited in godlinesse For in this priuate cōmunication hée shall pricke foreward the slouthful as it were with a spurre hée shall commende the diligence of those that haue profited muche and encourage them too like continuance The third is that in this priuate conference an accounte of their fayth is required of those whose fayth and relygion may iustly bée doubted of The fourth is that in this talk the weak consciences are reléeued with doctrine counsel and comforte specially when they bée entangled with any scruple of conscience For suche persons doo wel by themselues if they get them too their shepherds that they may bée raysed and receiue comfort The fifth is although hée that beléeueth truely in Chryst is cléerely acquit from his sinne for where as sinne is a falling from Gods law and wil with a binding of the partie too euerlasting death and damnation out of doubt euery one is acquit that beléeueth the free promise according too this saying hée that beléeueth in the Sonne hathe euerlasting life whervpon it foloweth that true absolution is a deliuerance of the beléeuing man from his béeing bound too eternal death and damnation yet notwithstanding it is profitable for all men too heare the Gospell priuately also which béeing vttered by the mouth of the Minister declareth forgiuenesse
not only ageinst the sorow that wée conceiue for the deade but also ageinst all afflictions as well of minde as bodie But some man obiecteth I haue forgon the comfort of my life TheÌ„ thou bewaylest not him that is dead but thou bewaylest thine owne self and thy losse that thou hast by forgoing him It is a naturall thing too wéepe Thou sayest truthe but let grace ouercome nature Thâ—s muche is added bréeflye in the seconde circumstance concerning comfort at the death of our déere fréends The third Our Lord toucheth the coffin wherin the deadâ— men lay By which touching he declareth that his body was the instrument too get vs life and saluation The fourth He speaketh too the yoong man and sayeth I say to thee yong man arise So also raysed he the yong maâ—d as is in Marke So raysed he Lazarus that had bin buried foure dayes as is in Iohn Héere wée are taught bothe that Chryst is stronger than death and that his word is the word of life and saluation The fifth The dead man ryseth at Chrysts call and this is the miracle he riseth y t was dead he began streight wayes too speake and our Lord deliuered him too his moother The sixth Feare fel vpon them al â–ª and they glorified God saying A great prophet is risen vp among vs and God hath visited his people and this saying vvas spred abrode of him through all Ievvrie Héere is described a double frute of this miracle The one befalleth too the present héerers and the other extendeth vntoo others too whom the report of this miracle came The present beholders conceyued faith héereby and so feared God glorifying him with true woorship and acknowledged the Messias too bée come whom also they confessed Besides that the report héereof came vntoo others that were in Iewrie and the countrey bordering thervpon who in likewyse conceyued Fayth in the Messias And in these dayes the report héereof commeth vntoo vs wherby we may acknowledge Christ too bée the very Messias and too bée stroÌ„ger than death â–ª and may conceiue faith in him magnifying God with hart voyce confession and manners and so it will come too passe that one day wée shall haue by him a ioyfull resurrection too euerlasting life ¶ Of the second SAinct Ambrose sayeth that the image of the Churche is set foorthe héere and bicause it representeth our estates it is woorth the opening The widow saith he signifieth y e church the dead yong man euery sinner y t liueth without repentaÌ„ce and the 〈…〉 the body of sinne The widow bewaileth hir dead 〈◊〉 â–ª That is to say the church lâ—â—â—nenteth for the vnrepentantnesse of the wicked entreateth Chryst too moue them and draw them too him with his woord his spirit Chryst therefore biddeth them that caried the corse too stand still Foâ— the sinner is borne to hell byfoure porters which are theâ—e First 〈◊〉 of longer life Secondly looking vppon other mennes faultes Thirdly presumption vppon Gods mercy And fourthly â—â—atterie of lend company Now if thâ—u wilt ryse from the death of sinne thou must néedes héere Chryst who biddeth the porters stay First therefore then must exclude hope of long lyfe bicause life is â—ncerteyn according as the experience of many teacheth and perill is at hand as it is too bée séene in the riche glutton Ageine thou muste not set another mannes euill lâ—â—e before thée as a paterne too follow â–ª but thou must submit thy selfe too God as Abraham did thou must trust in him and thou must â—mend thy coÌ„ditions knowing thâ—t the 〈…〉 in iudgement â–ª It 〈…〉 The 〈◊〉 that thou gauest mee hath giuen mée of the Apple Thirdly lâ—y away presumption of Gods mercy for this presumption is a great contempt of God Rom. 2. Fourthly put away flatterers that entice thee too euill And when thou hast done so leane vppon Chryst with liuely faith the will quicken thée too eternall lyfe the which Chryst graunt vnto vs 〈◊〉 whom bée 〈◊〉 for euermore Amen Vpon the .xvij. Sunday after Trinitie ¶ The Gospell Luke xiiij IT chaunced that Iesus vvent intoo the house of one of the cheefe Pharisies to eate bread on the Saboth day and they vvatched him And behold there vvas a certeine man before him vvhich had the dropsie And Iesus ansvvered and spake vntoo the Lavvyers and Pharisies saying Is it lavvfull too heale on the Sabboth day And they hild their peace And he tooke him and healed him and let him go and ansvvered them saying vvhich of you shall haue an Asse or an Oxe fallen intoo a pitte and vvyll not straight vvay pull him out on the Sabboth day And they coulde not ansvvere him ageine too these things He put foorth also a similitude too the guestes vvhen he marked hovve they preaced too bee in the highest roumes and sayde vntoo them VVhen thou art bidden too a vvedding of any man sit not dovvne in the hyest roume lest a more honourable man than thou bee bidden of him and he that bad him and thee come and saye too thee giue this man roume and thou beginne vvith shame too take the lovvest roume But rather vvhen thou art bidden goe and sit in the lovvest roume that vvhen he that bad thee commeth he may say vntoo thee frende sit vp hyer Then shalt thou haue vvoorship in the presence of them that fit at meate vvith thee For vvhosoeuer exalteth him selfe shall bee brought lovve and he that humbleth himselfe shall bee exalted The exposition of the Text. THe occasion of this Gospell was this Chryst beyng bidden too dinner of a certeyne Pharisie was watched by those that sate at meate with him that either in his woordes or in his déedes they might haue found somwhat too charge him withall For the world is so wicked that like as men cloke vices vnder the visors of vertue So they are not ashamed too rayse slaunder vppon honest déedes and true vertue So great is the malice of men Notwithstanding Chryst is not feared away with their leudnesse but kéepeth his old woont and executeth his office euen in the thickest of his enimies leauing vs an example that wée should not cease too procéede in well dooing though wée should sée all the whole world hent ageinst vs. Chryst therefore healeth this wretche declaring therein the might of his Godhead his most forward will too helpe them that bée in miserie and his Office for which he came intoo the worlde Moreouer he sheweth the right maner of halowing the Saboth day and by his déede dooth as it were define the true kéeping of the Saboth By which thing like as he reproueth the pryde of the Pharisies and their ignorance in the scriptures So he exhorteth them vntoo true humilitie And thus much concerning the summe of this present Gospell The places are thrée 1 Of the Saboth and the true woorks therof 2 Of the miracle by which the true vse of the Saboth is confirmed 3 Of true Humilitie ¶ Of the firste WHen the
say Graunt mée now that I may die in peace and happily Héereof may wée gather bothe instruction and comfort Instruction that the spirituall beholding of Chryst whiche is by Faith maketh a man too depart ioyfullye oute of this life bicause hée that before his death séeth Chryst in this wise hath a light too guyde â—â—m vntoo lyfe He that foloweth me sayth the Lorde walketh not in darknesse Contrarywise he that séeth not Chryste passeth from the death of this present lyfe vntoo euerlasting darknesse And wée may gather comforte bycause they that sée Chryst at the instant of death haue wherewith too comforte themselues They know they are at the point too bée dismissed in peace They know they shall not goo too darknesse but too euerlasting ioy Bicause the théefe vppon the Crosse not only saw Chryst with his bodily eyes piteously tormented but also saw him conqueror of death with eyes of his faith he herd the Lord say This day shalt thou bée with me in Paradyse So Steuen at his death saw Chryst and with excéeding pleasure and ioyfulnesse of mynde sayde vntoo him Intoo thy hands O Lorde I commit my spirit After this maner thou also when sickenesse brings thée too the pittes brinke looke too Chryst thy Sauiour by Faith and desire of him that he will let thée departe in peace that is too say that he will giue thée leaue too depart out of this lyfe and too enter intoo the rest that is promised too al the faithfull This thought will make vs manfully despise this world and the miseries of this present lyfe and comfort our minde with hope of saluation the whiche he that can not lye hath promised vs. Now ensueth the other part of this song VVhich thou hast prepared before the face of all people to bee a light to lighten the Gentyles and to bee the glory of thy people Israel Héere are bréefly shewed two things The one what are Chrysts benefites the other to whoÌ„ these benefits are appoynted The benefits are saluation light and glorie Without Chryst then the world sticketh stil in damnation darkenesse and shame and that is for sin For Christ taketh away damnation and restoreth saluation he driueth away darknesse sheadeth foorth light he remoueth shame and giueth glorie How great things are these I pray you Surely no man is able too value them sufficiently But 〈◊〉 whom are these benefites appoynted Too all people Iewes and Gentiles howbéeit they must bée receyued by faith For they are offered vniuersally too all suche is the vnserchable goodnesse of God Howbéeit with condition he that beléeueth shal bée saued and he that beléeueth not shall bée damned Wherfore if wée couet these good things let vs with Simeon receiue this our Lord and Sauior Iesus intoo the armes of our hart leane vntoo him with stedy faith To this our sauior be honor glory for euer euer So be it Vpon the Annuntiation of our Lady Sainct Mary the Virgin The Gospel Luke j. AND in the sixth moneth the Angell Gabriell vvas sent from God intoo a citie of Galilee named Nazareth too a virgin spoused too a man vvhose name vvas Ioseph of the house of Dauid and the virgins name vvas Mary And the Angell vvent in vntoo hir and sayde Hayle full of grace the Lorde is vvith thee Blissed art thou among vvomen VVhen she savv him she vvas abashed at his saying and cast in hir minde vvhat manner of Salutation that shoulde bee And the Angell saide vntoo hir feare not Mary for thou hast founde grace vvith God Beholde thou shalt conceyue in thy vvombe and beare a sonne and shalt call his name Iesus Hee shall bee greate and shall bee called the sonne of the hyghest And the Lord God shal giue vntoo him the seate of his father Dauid and he shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdome there shall bee none ende Then sayde Mary too the Angell hovv shall this bee seeing I knovv not a man And the Angell aunsvvered and saide vntoo hir the holy Ghost shal come vppon thee and the povver of the highest shall ouershadovv thee Therfore also that holy thing vvhiche shal be borne shal be called the sonne of God And beholde thy cousin Elizabeth shee hathe also conceyued a Sonne in hir age and this is the sixth Moneth vvhiche vvas called barrein for vvith God nothing shall bee vnpossible And Mary sayde Beholde the handmayde of the Lord be it vntoo mee according too thy vvoord And the Angel departed from hir The exposition of the text THis feaste conteyneth the story of the conception of Iesu Chryst which is told vntoo the virgin by the Angel of God For long agoe the thrée thousande nine hundred sixtith yéere before his conception God promised the séede of the woman that shoulde tread downe the Serpents head that is too say which shuld destroy the Deuils woorks sin and death God béeing mindful of this promise sends his Angel too the most chast virgin too whome hée bringeth tidings that shée shoulde conceiue by the holy Ghoste without the séede of man and bring foorth a Sonne that should bée the sauiour of the worlde This is the summe of the story whereof there be fiue principall points and these are they 1 A description of the message 2 The Salutation of the Angel 3 The comforting of the troubled Uirgin 4 An exposition of the Message 5 The maner of the conception ¶ Of the firste IN the description of this Message many circumstances are too bée obserued of whiche wée wil consider euery one seuerally by it selfe too the intente wée may drawe out of it some doctrine too confirme our selues The first is time In the sixth moneth sayeth hée that is too wit after the conception of Iohn Baptist who according too the sayings of the Prophets should bée the forerunner of the Lorde that men myghte prepare the waye ageinste the comming of their King And it was the twentith yéere since the Scepter was taken from Iuda For thus was it Prophecied before by the Patriarke Iacob The scepter shall not bée taken from Iuda â–ª vntill Silo come that is till the séede of the woman come whiche was promised too our firste Parentes Therfore this circumstance of time conuinceth that this son of the virgin is the true Messias For hée was borne the selfe same time that y e holy Ghost had spoken of before by the prophets And as concerning y e day this is woorthy too bée remeÌ„bred that the killing of the paschal Lambe the conception of Chryst the passion of him fel all vpoÌ„ one day of the yéer on which day the holy Fathers supposed that AdaÌ„ was created These things set oute vntoo vs the truthe of Gods promises God delayed too sende his Sonne a great while after the promise was made but yet hée continued true in his promises The Sonne hath promised that hée wil come too iudgement but he maketh delay yet wil hée come when he
vp the bréers wheÌ„ he sayth bring yée forth fruts worthy of repentance A like example haue wée in the Prophet Nathan First he did cast downe the mountaine that is to say the hipocrisie in Dauid who hauing coÌ„mmmitted aduoutry and murder liued carelesse as though he had done very well And this did he by propounding a parable of twoo men of whome the one was poore and the other rich The rich man had many Oxen and shéepe the poore man had nothing but only one shéepe which he had bought and nourished and which had growen vp in his house among his owne children eating with hym of his bread and drinking of his cuppe and sléeping in his bosome and was to him as his daughter But when a straÌ„ger came to the rich mans the riche man tooke this poore mannes shéepe and set it on the table for his guest sparing his owne When Dauid heard this he was sore displeased saying he is the child of death that hath done this déede Nathan aunswered thou art the same man Thou hast slaine Urias the Hethite with the sword and hast taken his wife too bée thy wife Behold sayth the Lord I wil raise vp mischief ageinst thée Sée how Nathan chargeth Dauid with his sin taketh away the matter of boasting least he should think he ought not too bée punished bycause he was a king and he threatneth punishmeÌ„t vntoo him Héere is that great mountaine and hipocrisie beaten downe But when Nathan saw Dauid cast downe vnder foote in so much that he sayd with a great outcry I haue sinned ageinst the Lord hée raiseth vp this vallie saying the Lord hath taken away thy sinne thou shalt not dye Afterward also he cutteth vp the Bréers when by prophecying the death of his sonne for a punishment hée kéepeth him in his dutie After the same sort Peter in the Actes of the Apostles first by preaching the law cutteth the combes of the Iewes and maketh low their mountaines He chargeth them with their sinnes he telleth them it bootes them nothing at all too bée of the posteritie of Abraham and he layeth before them the threatnings of punishments vnlesse they amend By and by after when he héereth how they are stricken too the hart and cast downe with consideration of their sinne he rayseth them vp by offering Chryst vntoo them He biddeth them repent and bée baptised in the name of Chryst. And finally he taketh héede that no Bréers grow vp by promising them the holy Ghoste These examples are notable and agree to the conuersion of the first maÌ„ Adam by folowing his new schoolemaster the Deuil wexed proud Him dooth God first cast downe too the ground by rebuking him in setting before his eyes the greatnesse of his sinne Anon after he raiseth him vp ageine by giuing him a promis of the séede that should tread downe the Serpents head Likewise the Lorde abaseth the proude Pharisies and raiseth vp the troubled Mary Magdalene whom he encourageth too godly and holy lyfe saying Thy faith hath made thee whole goe in peace But as for those ministers of the woord which after this sort do neither beate downe the mountaines nor raise vp the vallies nor cut vp the brambles they deâ—e not like the seruants of God but like the bondslaues of the Deuil and of their owne bellye Many make outcries in generall termes ageinst whordome incest vsurie and other vices but there are few that wil chardge a man with his faults too his face as Iohn did Herod the Pharisies and hypocrites as Chryst did to his héerers as Ambrose did to Theodosius And why doo they not so Partly bicause they wey not earnestly whose roome they supply and partly bycause they feare hazarde of their life and goodes But let them ageinst this blindnesse and fearfulnesse set the commaundement of their calling the promis whereby Chryst hath assured his seruaunts that he wil be present with them and that he imputeth doone vntoo himselfe whatsoeuer is doone vnto his ministers Furthermore they must coÌ„firme themselues by the stedfastnesse and example of Iohn of other holy ministers they must from tyme to time pray vnto god to giue them corage that they may bée bolde too doo those things which may make too the furtherance of his glorie too whom bée honor world without end Amen The feast of Christes birth ¶ The Gospell Luke ij THere vvent out a commaundement from Augustus the Emperour that all the vvorlde should be taxed And this first taxing vvas made vvhen Cyrenius vvas liuetenannt in Syria And euery â–ª man vvent vntoo his ovvne Citie too bee taxed And Ioseph also ascended from Galylie out of a Citie called Nazareth intoo Ievvrye vntoo the Citie of Dauid vvhich is called Bethleem bycause he vvas of the house and linage of Dauid too bee taxed vvith Mary his spoused vvife vvhich vvas vvith child And it fortuned vvhyle they vvere there hir tyme vvas come that she should bee deliuered and shee brought foorth hir first begotten sonne and vvrapped him in svvadling clothes and layd him in a maunger bycause there vvas no roome for them vvithin the Inne And there vvere in the same region shepherds abyding in the feeld and vvatching their flocke by night And loe the Angel of the Lorde stoode hard by them and the brightnesse of the Lord shone round about them they vvere sore afrayd But the Angel sayd vntoo them Bee not afrayd For behold I bring you tydings of great ioy that shall come too all people For vntoo you is borne this day in the Citie of Dauid a sauior vvich is Chryst the Lorde And take this for a signe ye shall find the child svvadled and layd in a maunger And streight vvay there vvas vvith the Angel a multitude of heauenly souldiers lauding God and saying Glorie too God on high and peace on the earth and vntoo men good vvil The exposition of the text THYS Storie is a confirmation of the Article of oure beléefe Whiche was borne of the Uirgin Marie Which Article setteth forth vntoo vs hys newe byrth whiche sanctifieth the olde Adamish and corrupte byrth in all them that take holde vppon this CHRISTE by Fayth And albeit that this Article of Chrystes birth oughte too bée throughly knowne euen vntoo the children of the Chrystians yet notwithstandyng the Church for great causes hath appointed a certeine Feast thereuntoo verely that the Storie thereof with his circumstaunces may bée set foorth and learned not onely that wée might bée delighted with the declaration of this most goodlie storie but rather much more that the vse and profite of this most high Article may bée séen in strengthening and raising vp of mens consciences For the holy stories are not too bée red as the stories of men but too the intent wée should continually thinke vppon them and exercise our selues in them for our teaching instruction and comfort and too the intent that by reading the scriptures wée may haue hope Hereof wée wil make
is not too bée imputed vntoo God but too the malice of men which will not followe God that draweth thē by his woord Why the vngodly shall persecute the apostles the Lord sheweth plainly in the tenth of Mathew where he sayeth And yée shall bée hated of all man for my names sake Iohn the .xvj. And the houre commeth that vvhosoeuer sleaeth you shall think he doth God hye seruice And these things shall they doo too you bycause they knovv not the father nor mee Héere hée alledgeth the cause why the vngodly are so mad vppon the godly that is to say bicause they knowe not God which want of knowing God bringeth too passe that the murtherers them selues doo think they offer holy sacrifices vnto God when they put the faithfull too death Yea and they that knowe not God runne hedlong into hipocrisie and out of hipocrisie intoo murther vntill they haue filled vp the measure of their wickednesse What then dooth Christ He commeth too the sicke But they as folke out of their wittes set them selues against Christe whom they couet too dispatch out of the world He by his ministers sheweth them their disease They on the other side will be knowen of no disease and therfore they bothe dispise the Phisitian and persecute his messengers ¶ Of the seconde THat vppon you may come all the righteous blood that is shed vpon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel c. How sore the persecuters of the church doo sinne he sheweth héere For hée sayth that they shall bée giltie of all the blood of the Sainctes that euer was shed no lesse than if they wyth their owne hands had slaine all the godly men and sainctes yea and Christ him selfe For amongst all the vngodly there is a certeine alyance of vngodlynesse whiche maketh their punishementes a lyke gréeuous and their giltinesse a lyke equall ¶ Of the thirde VErely I say vntoo you all these thinges shall come vppon this generation Althoughe these things are peculiarlye spoken of the Iewes béeing persecuters yet generally they perteine to all persecuters of the Church The othe that the Lorde addeth teacheth vs two things First that the vngodly shall one day in déede bée caried too punishment how long so euer hée séeme too delay their iudgement And secondly that the godly which suffer persecution shal one day bée gloriously deliuered and their ennimies bée put too euerlasting torments Whereby the godly may learne not too grudge at the vngodly persecuters but rather too bée moued with compassion for their assured damnation and too make intercession for them that the Lord will turne them that they bée not al damned according as Stephan did as wée haue heard before ¶ Of the fourth O Hierusalem Hierusalem vvhich sleaest the Prophets c. These woordes of Christ calling vppon Hierusalem by name conteine first an vpbraiding Secondly they declare Christes affection towardes them Thirdly they doo vs too vnderstand that they perish through their owne default and lastly they threaten punishment For when he sayth how often wold I haue gathered thée toogither hée vpbraideth them with vnthankfulnesse for that they would neither receiue the benefite that was offered them nor had any regarde of their owne welfare and much lesse would acknowledge the liberalitie of their benefactor or be thankful too him for it Would God that a number of them that heare the Gospell at this day were not like them which thing verily they shew by their frutes The Lord declareth his affection towards them when he compareth himself too a hen which loueth hir chickens most entierly and doth al that shée is able too doo too the intent shée may kéepe them from the foules that are ennimies too them God forbid that it should enter intoo any godly hart too think that Christ determined otherwise with him self concerning the Iewes by some secrete wil than he pretended by his teares and by his spéech For it is a horrible thing too think that there are contrary willes in Chryst who himselfe condemneth a double heart Therefore hée willed their saluation in déede according too the saying of the Prophet I will not the death of a sinner but that hée should conuert and liue In the third place when the Lord sayth And thou vvouldest not ▪ he opēly testifieth that the Iewes peryshed through their owne default and that of their owne malice they striued against Christ who offered them saluation Hée sayeth not And God vvould not receiue thee intoo fauoure but thou vvouldest not Wherfore wée may learne twoo things héereby One is that béeing made warer by the harme of the Iewes wée giue eare too Gods woorde and yéeld our selues obediēt too Christ when he allureth vs that wée striue not against the holy Ghost who stirreth vp the witts of al men that héere the Gospell An other is that whosoeuer héere the woord obey it not doo perishe through their owne fault Whose destruction and damnation is not too bée ascribed too any destinie or secrete will of God as thoughe there were some whom hée would not haue saued Fourthly when he addeth And your house shall bee left desolate vnto you Although this threatning of punishment perteine in speciall too the Iewes that were persecuters too whom he threatneth the vtter ouerthrow of their religion common weale and priuate state yet in generall it perteyneth too al persecuters of the gospell And he thretneth them that at least wise some of them shoulde amende For all the thretnings of the prophets haue a couert condition namely vnlesse yée repent like as wée sée in the Niniuites and as wée héere Chryst witnessing in these woords Unlesse yée repent yée shall perish all toogither Luke xiij Let vs then bée warned by this threatning if wée minde too scape the wrath of God too repent vs in good earnest and too call vpon Chryst our sauiour with true gronings that he may kéepe vs in true faith and inuocation Too whom with GOD the father and the holy Ghost bée praise honour and glorie for euer and euer Amen The third holiday in Christmas commonly called S. Iohn the Euangelists day ¶ The Gospell Iohn xxj IEsus sayd vntoo Peter Folovv thou mee Peter turned about and savv the Disciple vvhom Iesus loued folovving vvhiche also leaned on his brest at Supper and sayd Lorde vvhiche is hee that betrayeth thee VVhen Peter therefore savv him hee sayde vntoo Iesus Lorde vvhat shall hee heere doo Iesus sayde vntoo him If I vvill haue him too tarrie till I come vvhat is that too thee Follovv thou mee Then vvent this saying abroade among the brethren that that Disciple should not die Yet Iesus sayed not too him hee shall not die but if I vvill that he tary til I come vvhat is that too thee The same Disciple is he vvhich testifieth of these things and vvrote of these things and vvee knovve that his testimonie is true There are also many other things vvhiche Iesus did the vvhiche if they should
bee vvritten euery one I suppose the vvorlde could nor conteine the bookes that should bee vvritten The exposition of the text THe summe of the Gospell After that Christe had asked Peter thrice whether hée looued him hée commaunded him too followe him meaning thereby that he should glorifie him by his death Furthermore by correcting Peters errour the Euangelist correcteth the opinion of the other disciples who misvnderstanding the Lordes woordes were in a wrong opinion that Iohn should not die Last of al he auoucheth that the Gospel whiche Iohn wrate concerning Christe is true And of this Gospel let vs make foure places whiche are these 1 The talke betwéene Christ and Peter Christs commaundement that he should folow him 2 As euery mans vocation is commended too him so is curiousnesse condemned 3 The correcting of the errour of Christes disciples risen of the mistaking of the Lordes woordes 4 A commendation of the Gospel written by Iohn ¶ Of the first ANd vvhen he had sayd so he said vntoo Peter folovve mee Bicause Peter had denied Christ thrice it was the Lordes wil to restore him too his former estate and Apostleship by his thrice confessing him For it was méete that hée whiche had so often denied his Lord and maister should by this meane and as it were by this discipline bée chastised and tried and that his conuersion should bée made knowen There are thrée things whiche Christ dooth héer with Peter First hée asketh him thrée times whither hée looueth him Too whom Péeter answereth thrice also that by this thrée times confessing hée might washe away his thrice denying of him and so bée restored into his place againe Secondlye hée commendeth vntoo him the office of Apostleship thrice saying Féed my shéepe that is too say bée my Apostle too gather my shéepe vntoo me by the doctrine of the Gospell by my sacramentes and by holy life Here it is giuen vs too vnderstand that the duetie of the Apostleship yea and of all ministers of Gods woord is too féede Christes shéepe Besides this by the metaphor of Shéepe is signified what maner a companie of men that shall bée whiche is figured vnder the name of shéepe First therefore somewhat must bée sayde héere of the manner of féeding and secondlye of the Shéepe Christ féedeth and the apostles and other ministers of the woorde féede but the manner of them all is not alike For Christ féedeth as owner and shepherde of the shéep the apostles féede as his seruantes Christe inwardly by his spirite the Apostles by their outwarde ministerie For suche as in crueltie of cōditiōs were Beares or Lions they make tame through the Lordes woorking inwardly by his holy spirite And so they bring them intoo the shéepfolde of Christ that is too say Christes kingdome and this they doo by putting too the keys of Christes churche giuen them of Chryst the true shepeheard Nothing else are these keys than the woord and Faith The minister applyeth the woorde outwardely and the spirite of Chryste inwardly ioyneth fayth too the preaching For the preaching of Gods woorde concerning the forgiuenesse of sinnes too bée obteyned through Christ is the onely key too open the kingdome of heauen Now if he that heareth ioyneth also thervnto true faith and do verily agrée vnto the Gospell then commeth also the other key With these two keis is the kingdom of heuen opened and forgiuenesse of sinnes obteined That is too say the Ambassage of Chryst sheweth wherein that which is spoken figuratiuely vnder the name of keyes is expressed in cléere and plaine meanyng woordes When hée sayth Go and preach the gospell too all creatures Behold héere haue you the firste key And when hée addeth hee that beleeueth shall bee saued Hée sheweth the other key The woord and fayth therfore are the twoo keys wherewith the kingdome of heauen is opened The woorde is applyed outwardly by the Minister which béeing receyued by the vertue of the spirite engendreth Faythe wherethrough men enter intoo the shéepefolde of Chryst. And when the shepherds haue let in the shéepe into Christes shéepfolde they must féede them with the woord and with his Sacraments When any stray from the shéepfold they must fetch them backe againe wyth theyr shéepehookes that is too say with rebuking them If any bée weake and sickely they must refresh them with chéerfull comforte And they must alwayes kéep watche about their flock least wolues come and breake vp the folde and scatter the shéepe All these things the Lorde committed too Peter and the other Apostles or rather too all the ministers of the Gospell when hée sayd too Peter féede my shéepe But why calleth he them shéep whom the apostles bring vntoo Chryst I finde specially thrée causes Wherof the first is for that it behoueth them too bée méeke which professe Chryste or will bée named Christians For it becommeth not them that will bée registred intoo Chrystes houshold too bée cruel like Lions rauening like Wolues wylie like foxes lecherous like Goats filthy like swine or too shewe them selues in affections like too other wilde beastes The second cause is for that like as shéepe doo know the voyce of their owne shepeherde and flée from a straunger so the godly acknowledge Chryste onely for their teacher and will héere those onely that vtter his woord and not any other how greatly renoumed so euer they bée no thoughe they were Angels from heauen The thirde cause is for that like as shéepe followe their owne shepherde whither so euer he goeth so must the godly folowe Christ in life in persecution and in glorie beholding hys lyfe as a rule too leade their life by bearing his Crosse through pacience as often as néede shall require and afterwarde becomming partakers of his glorie whose companions they had bene in persecution according as Paule sayth If wée suffer with him wée shall also bée glorified with him Hereby therfore may the godly ministers of y e woord learne too féede Christes flock And let the shéepe bée méeke let them héere the voyce of their shepherd only and let them folowe him in life in crosse and in glorie The thirde thing that Christ dooth héere is that he doothe Peter too vnderstand with what kinde of death hée shoulde glorifie God when he sayth VVhen thou vvert yong thou diddest girde thy selfe and vventest vvhither thou vvoldest but vvhen thou art olde thou shalte stretche out thy hande and an other shall girde thee and leade thee vvhither thou vvoldest not It is ment by these woordes that Peter for confessing Christ should one day be crucified which thing Irenaeus and diuers of the auncient writers testifie too haue béene done at Rome in the reigne of Nero. Herevntoo Christ addeth his commaundement vntoo Peter and bids him folow him not deny him any more as he had heretofore done but too shew him self stoutly an inuincible souldier of Christ euen vntoo death And let euery one of vs think the same too bée spoken too him selfe ¶
without the which no mā can turne vntoo God For by faith as saith Paul we haue accesse vntoo God Moreouer where as is added make too your selues a new harte and a new spirite hée requireth that wée should become a newe creature liuing according too Gods wil. Héereupon it is gathered that the true and helthful repentaunce is a hartie sorinesse for Gods displeasure with a desire and hope of forgiuenesse and an earnest endeuer too eschue all sin and too make the whole life from thencefoorth allowable before God This thing we may sée plainlier in this notable example Dauid after his horrible fall intoo aduoutrie and murther repented him according too the fashion expressed in the Psalm First he saith Haue mercy vpon mée O God according too thy great mercy Héer hée both soroweth for his owne miserie that he had so lewdly offended God and also acknowledgeth God too bée merciful Wherby there was in him desire and hope liuely trust of the Messias Now how great his sorow was and how great his faith was whereby he ouercame the sorowe the same Psalme declareth in many woordes And where as hée addeth in the same Psalme Create a new spirite in my bowels hée desireth too become a new creature Such examples as this there bée many as of Adam Manasses Peter the théefe and Mary Magdalene and others whiche things it behoueth vs too thinke vpon that by their example wée may bothe bée taught what true repentaunce is and also repent vs earnestly as they did Although that by the things whiche wée haue said it may bée méetly wel vnderstood how true repentance is doone yet wil I shew it more distinctly For nothing is more necessary too man than by true repentāce too bée reconciled too God and too bée saued Too the intent therefore that wée may knowe how true repentance is doone seauen pointes are too bée obserued First the knowledge of God who requireth obedience This is fetched out of the table of the ten commaundementes I am the Lord thy god that brought thée out of the lande of Egypt c. Héere god requireth an acknowledging of him selfe Secondly foloweth what maner of obedience he requireth Thou shalt haue no strange gods before me Thirdly the threatnings that are added doo testifie that he condempneth disobedience Uisiting sayth he the iniquities of the fathers vpon the children vntoo the third fourth generation Lastly also it is too bée knowne concerning God that hée is mercifull according to the voyce of the gospell Therfore before the entrie bée set open too true repentauuce there is required the knowledge of god who looketh for obedience iudging and condemning disobedience in good earnest and agein pitying and receyuing sinners intoo his fauor for the mediators sake 2 After this knowledge must folow an examinatiō of our dooings by y e law of god and euery precept is to be considered seuerally by himselfe First therfore in this examination sée whether thou make such accompt of God that thou trust too him only sée whither thou feare him loue him worship him with all thy powers sée whither thou halowest his name whither thou extol him praise him and cal vpon him according as the precepts of the first table cōmaund thée After the same maner must thou make thine examination in the secōd table concerning thy neibor c. By this examination thou shalt come to the knowledge of thine owne filthinesse iust damnation for offending God And such an examination demaundeth God at our hands as oft as the Scripture exhorteth vs too repentaunce 3 This examination béeing made by y e knowledge of sin y e iudgemēt of god ther ariseth a great fearfulnesse in y e cōscience which fearfulnes is augmēted by y e circūstāces of Gods iudgemēt which are these present calamities the tiranny of the diuell the paines of hell eternall death and damnation 4 In this great terrour infinite persons should perishe if Fayth rescued them not For in this terror by the beholdings of Gods mercy promised for Christs sake is conceiued trust of remission of sins And so man wresteth himselfe as it wer out of hell and taketh holde on the hande of Gods sonne who haleth him out of hell Héere the minde thinketh vppon Gods promises looketh vpon the sonne of God hanging on the crosse for thy sinnes and mine héereth the voyce of Ioel most full of comfort saying turne too the Lorde your God bicause he is gracious and mercifull slow to wrath swifte too pitie and one that beareth with your naughtinesse Let the examples of these promises bée considered that wée may bée strengthned by them 5 The sinner knowing this mercie of GOD conceyueth hope of forgiuenesse and begynneth openly too bewayle his sinne he confesseth his lewdnesse vntoo God and with earnest prayer and a feruent hart fléeth vnto Gods mercy 6 He that in this wise ascendeth by these degrees first acknowledging Gods iudgement and mercie according as is alreadie set foorth he by this confidence is assoyled of his sin and iustified before God not through his owne righteousnesse but through Chrysts whiche is imputed to euery one that beléeueth For our true iustification is the absolution from sinne of the person that beléeueth in Chryst the imputation of Chrystes righteousnesse vntoo him and the accepting of him fréely vnto life euerlasting for Chrysts sake 7 He that is iustified by fayth and adopted the Sonne of God and regenerate yéeldeth thanks too God extolleth god and amendeth his whole life from that time forwarde Howbeeit too the intent these things may bée the cléerelier vnderstoode of vs I will propounde an example of helthful repentance whereof you haue heard and that shall be Manasses king of Iuda in whose helthful repentance all these things are too bée séene according as it appeareth in his Prayer For first when he sayth O Lorde almightie the God of our fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob whom all men fear and tremble at the countenance of thy maiestie Importable is the wrath of thine indignation vpon sinners but vnmeasurable and vnserchable is the mercy of thy promise for thou art the moste high Lorde gracious merciful and ful of compassion and sory for the naughtinesse of men In these woords of Manasses is first an acknowledging of God 2. A testification of due obedience 3. A confession of gods iudgement against sinners 4. An acknowledging and setting foorth of his mercy Then foloweth the second thing that is too wit the examination of Manasses his dooings by the rule of the lawe For thus he saith I haue sinned aboue the numbre of the sand of the sea my sinnes are multiplyed O Lord. Thirdly how great terrour was in his harte hée sheweth when hée sayth And I am not woorthie too beholde and looke vpon the high heauen for the multitude of mine iniquities Fourthly in these terrours he rayseth him self with thinking vpon Gods mercie and sayeth And nowe I bowe the knées of my hart praying vntoo thée O Lord
who haste promised repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes too them that haue sinned against thée Fifthly foloweth entreatance of forgiuenesse Wherefore I pray and beséeche thée forgiue mée Lorde forgiue mée and destroye mée not toogither with my sinnes neyther bée thou angry with mée for euer for my euil dooings For thou arte GOD I say the God of the repentant shewe all thy goodnesse vpon mée Sixthly hauing prayed in this wise he firmely beléeueth him selfe too bée heard and iustified Wherefore hée addeth For thou shalt saue mée vnworthy person according too thy great mercy Héere Manasses béeing iustified by fayth becōmeth a new creature Seuenthly after this frée iustification ensueth amendmēt in his whole life Whervpon it foloweth in his prayer And I will euermore praise thée all the dayes of my life bicause all the powers of heauen praise thée and vntoo thée bée glory for euer and euer Amen This maner of repenting haue al the saints euer folowed ▪ Dauid acknowledgeth God he acknowledgeth gods iudgement he acknowledgeth his mercy he examineth his owne dooing he is afrayd for sinne he lifteth vp him selfe with confidence of mercie he prayeth forgiuenesse he is iustified by faith and béeing iustified he prayseth God These things are too be séene in the .51 Psalme We haue herd what repentance is how it is doon Now is too be lerned which are the chéef parts of it They are coūted thrée which are sorinesse faith and newnesse of life Untoo sorinesse are required the first thrée things whiche are the knowledging of God the examining of the déede and the terrour of conscience for sinne Untoo faith are required the thrée nexte that is thinking vpon mercy desiring of forgiuenesse and iustification Untoo newnesse of life is required the last thing whiche consisteth in framing the hart the tung and the life according too the law of God ¶ Of the second IT is written in this gospel that Christ put back this woman Why did he so Why sayde hée that hée was not sent but too the lost shéep of the house of Israel Is not he the same Lord that saith Come vnto me all yée that labour are heauy loden c. I answer The Lord did not this without great causes First hée did it that the womans faith might by this delay bée exercised and increased Secondly that shée mighte bée an example of godlinesse againste the stiffnecked Iewes which despised Christe Thirdly that the Lord might shewe how hée would bée ouercome of vs by the importunatenesse of our prayers Fourthly that by this example hée might teach the present beholders a true experiment of godlinesse But the Lord assigneth an other cause why he put back this woman For he sayth I am not sent but too the lost sheepe of the house of Israel I aunswere Chryst sayth not this as though he denyed the Gentiles accesse vntoo his grace For that same woman was an Ethnicke But there are other causes First hée méeneth héere too note the obstinate malice and vnthankfulnesse of the Iewes who acknowledged not Chryst that was sent peculiarly too them The seconde is for that the selfe same Chryst should preache Gods woord to the Iewes before his death who after his death should giue commaundement to preach it too the Gentils For the Lorde had forbidden his Gospell too bée preached too the Gentils before his death But afterward when he was risen from death hée gaue this commaundement too the apostles Go yée intoo the whole world and preache the gospell to all creatures This commaundement dooth manifestlye declare that Chrysts benefites béelong both to the Iewes and Gentiles ▪ that is too say that all as well of the Iewes as of the Gentiles that receyue Chryst and truly repent are partakers of Chrysts benefites so that by his blood all their sinnes are washed away and finally at the last day all shal rise ageine too blissed immortalitie and euerlasting life But they that refuse too receiue christ liuing without repentance they without mercie shall bée punished in euerlasting paines with the diuell For as the Lord hath bin is and wil bée mercifull too al that repent without any respect of persons So hath he bin is and will bée an vntreatable iudge too them that repent not not passing whither wée bée Kings noble men Citizens or countrey folke ¶ Of the thirde A Moste goodly image of Chrysts Churche and of euery member of the same is described in this woman of Cananie For first as this woman of Cananie is ouerwhelmed with misery so also is the Churche and euery member therof Héerevpon Paule sayeth All that will liue godlyly in Chryst must suffer this persecution This doothe Chryste teache when he biddeth vs take his yoke vpon vs. For God will haue vs nowe become lyke vntoo his sonne in afflictions and miseries as well as we shall become like vnto him in time to come in glorie Rom. 8. Secondly the churche in these calamities prayeth for helpe For the church hath none other refuge than prayer vntoo God wherby helpe is obteined Thirdly chryst séemeth too turne away his eare when we doo not out of hand obteine that we would haue Fourthly the church after the example of this woman ceasseth not too pray but continueth in prayer vntil it haue obteined that which it desireth Moreouer euery seuerall member of the churche hath héere too learne by First let euery one of vs acknowledge himselfe too bée a Cananite that is to say vngodly and vnwoorthy of Gods grace Secondly let him crie out with this woman Haue mercy vppon mée haue mercie vppon mée Thirdly if thou bée tried yet continue thou after the example of this woman If he héere thée not to day or to morow yet shall not thy prayers be in vayne but they shall bée herd in déede for chrysts sake if thou pray with fayth as this woman did Fourthly acknowledge thy selfe with this woman too bée a Dog but yet such a dog as is fed with the crummes that fall from his maisters table and therefore continue in prayer Fifthly it will befall too thée as it did too this woman whiche erewhile was called Dog and anone was acknowledged for a daughter So great is the mercie of God to whom bée honour and glory world without ende Amen The thirde Sunday in Lent ¶ The Gospell Luke xj ANd he vvas casting out a diuil and the same vvas dūme And vvhen he had cast out the diuil the dumme spake and the people vvondered But some of them sayd he casteth out diuels through Beelzebub the cheefe of the diuels And other tempted him and required of him a signe from heauen But he knovving their thoughtes sayde vnto them Euery kingdome diuided against it selfe is desolate and one house doth fall vpon another If Sathan also bee diuided against him selfe hovve shall his kingdome endure Because yee say I cast out diuels through Beelzebub If I by the helpe of Beelzebub cast out diuels by vvhose helpe doo your children cast them
crummes which hée coulde scarce come by than the rich Glutton wyth his delycate fare Let euery one of vs thinke vppon these things aduisedly and wayt paciently for the Lordes promise that hée may blisse our laboures and encrease our breade For he commaunded vs too pray and say Gyue vs this day our dayly bread Ouermore Chrystes déede teacheth vs too gyue God thankes for his gifts when wée go about too vse his heauenly benefits and too desire him that he will halow his gifts with his blissing For the creature of GOD is made holy by the woord and by prayer according as Paul teacheth in the first too Timothie and the fourth Chapiter But it commeth too passe that many bycause they knowledge not Gods benefites and much lesse yéelde thankes too the gyuer are either néedie euen in great plenty of things or else are pressed with great pouertie Wherfore I exhort you to folowe this example of Chryst as often as you méene too vse Gods good gifts And let this suffise for this present miracle Now ensueth the third place ¶ Of the thirde WHen they had seene sayth the Euangelist the miracle that he had vvrought they sayde Of a truth this is that Prophet that should come intoo the vvorlde Therefore Iesus knovving that they vvould come and take hym vp too make hym kyng fledde ageyn intoo a Mountaine by himselfe alone Héere are two examples propounded one of the multitude and another of Chryst. In the multitude wée sée twoo things The one is that by the miracle they acknowledge the Messias Which thing is wel done of the people For the Prophet Esay foretold it should come to passe that when the Messias came into the world he should woorke great miracles by the which he should be known Thus far therfore the people iudged aright The other that wée sée in the people is the error of the people in iudgemēt Who perceiuing by the miracle that Iesus was the Messias would haue made him kyng But Christes kingdom is not worldly according as he himselfe sayd vnto Pylate My kingdom is not of this world The people would faine haue bin thankful to Christ but they shewed not their thankfulnesse according too knowledge Wherby we may lerne of this multitude too bée thākful too God how beit in as much as they were euershot in their dooing let vs imbrace Gods woord for a rule of thankfulnesse But when Chryste vnderstood the vnskilful zeale of the people that were minded too make him their Kyng he fled intoo a mountaine and suffred not himselfe too bée made king by the people What may we lerne héerby First that which I spake of euen nowe that Chrysts kingdom is not worldly Next that wée must couet no honor cōtrary to our vocation Let euery man content himself with that degrée of estimation that he is called vntoo not take vpon him an other mans office for desire of estimatiō But let euery one of vs in his own vocation looke vntoo these thrée things First let vs labour lustily in the feare of God Secondly let vs not séeke the praise of y e multitude if we shal haue doon any good Thirdly let this be our purpose to serue God and his church in the feare of God They that doo otherwise doo nothing aright but offend God and vtter their owne pride whome God suffreth oft to slide that their foly may be known and so may suffer punishment for their presumption That the which thing happen not vnto vs let vs pray God to gouerne vs with his spirit too whom the only and euerlasting god bée honor praise and glorie for euer and euer Sobeit The fifth Sunday in Lent commonly called Passion Sunday ¶ The Gospell Iohn viij WHiche of you can rebuke mee of sinne If I say the truth vvhy doo ye not beleue mee He that is God heereth Gods vvords yee therefore heere them not bicause ye are not of god Then aunsvvered the Ievves and saide vntoo him Say vve not vvell that thou art a Samaritane and hast the Diuel Iesus ansvvered I haue not the diuel but I honor my father yee haue dishonored me I seeke not mine ovvn praise there is one that seeketh and iudgeth Verily verely I say vnto you if a man keepe my saying he shall neuer see death Then sayde the Ievves vntoo him Novv knovve vvee that thou hast the deuyll Abraham is dead and the Prophets and thou sayest If a man kepe my saying he shall neuer tast of death Art thou greater than our father Abraham vvhiche is dead And the prophets are dead vvhom makest thou thy selfe Iesus aunsvvered If I honor my selfe myne honor is nothing it is my father that honoreth mee vvhich you say is your God and yet ye haue not knovvn him but I knovv him And if I say I knovv him not I shall bee a lyer like vntoo you But I knovv him and keepe his saying Your father Abraham vvas glad to see my day and he savv it and reioysed Then sayde the Ievves vnto him Thou art not yet fifty yeare old and hast thou seene Abraham Iesus sayd vntoo them Verely verely I saye vntoo you Ere Abraham vvas borne I am Then toke they vp stones to cast at him but Iesus hid himselfe and vvent out of the Temple The exposition of the text THys Gospell conteyneth a singular Doctrine concerning Chryste and a gaynsaying of the same doctrine by Chrysts enimies For lyke as Chryst defendeth his owne person office and doctrine and pointeth out the true fountayn of saluation so the Iewes Chrystes enimies set them selues against the person office and doctrine of Chryst and pleade against him with thrée arguments which Sathan hath vsed from the beginning of the world foorth And those thrée weapons are these Hypocrisie Sophistrie and Tyrannie This Gospell therfore conteyneth the discription of twoo Kyngdomes that is to say of Christes and of Sathans For as Christ héer mainteineth his owne kingdome So the champions of Sathan maynteyne their maysters quarel But bicause it is for our behoofe too harken what Chryst sayeth rather than what Sathan thynketh agaynst it I will propoūd twoo lessons out of this gospel grounded vpon Chrysts wordes and shew what his enimies answered and dyd ageinst eyther of them The places are twoo 1 That lyke as Chryste is the true Messias so euery one that héereth him not is not of God 2 That hée whiche kéepeth Chrystes woordes is set frée from eternal death And in these twoo chéefe lessons of this Gospell I will set forth the strife betwéene Chryst and the Iewes in declaration wherof many particular lessons doo offer themselues ¶ Of the firste OF the first lesson there bée twoo parts One that Chryst is the true Messias the other that he which héereth not Chryst is not of God Concerning the first part the texte hath thus VVhiche of you can rebuke mee of sinne If I speke the truthe vvhy doo not you beleeue mee The Iewes had found faulte with Chrystes doctrine
Chrystes must as well the godly magistrate as the ouerséers of Gods religion folowe that there be no defiling of Gods religion in the churches of christians Other that haue not this authoritie must be sory and testifie it in woords that they disallow the corruption of gods seruice Thirdly the signification of this déede is too bée weyed For as the temple was defiled so he ment that there should bée a spirituall purging of the temple by his owne death and glorious resurrection Moreouer in the cause of this déede which is expressed by these woords my house shal bee called a house of prayer c. we may lerne twoo things First that the temple is the visible seat of Gods seruice For all be it that euery place bée a temple too the godly in as muche as it is lawfull for them to call vppon God euery where yet notwithstanding the temple or church is the common place wherein we must assemble to pray and too doe other things that perteine to the outward discipline of godlinesse Another is that wée should reuerence the churches that are appoynted too Gods seruice and kéepe them cleane from Idols and Idol seruice But alas for sorow the Popish superstition sticketh so fast too the ribbes of a nuÌ„ber that they cannot abide that an Idol should be pulled out of their church But héerof shal more be spoken at an other time ¶ Of the second THe second part of the things doone by Chryst in the temple is that he healed the lame and blinde that came vnto him By which déed he testifieth first that he is the true Messias For the Prophet Esay foretold that when Messias was come he should woorke such miracles Secondly this déede sheweth that the office of the Messias is to destroy y e workes of Sathan For when Chryst taketh away the disease he remoueth the cause also and the cause of all diseases in sinne Thirdly he sheweth by an outward token how men should vse y e church for the healing of bodily diseases is a representation of the clensing of mennes soules from spiritual filthinesse Therfore the church must be appoynted too this purpose y t we may be purged there froÌ„ our spirituall diseases which thing is then doone when we beléeue the word that is there preached and by beléeuing are washed from our sinnes with the bloud of Chryst according as Iohn sayth The blue of Iesus Chryst clenâ—eth vs from all iniquitie ¶ Of the third parte WHen the children tryed in the temple Hosanna too the Sonne of Dauid and that the Pharisyes chid them Chryst tooke vpon him to stand in defence of the children and iustifieth their doing by record of the Scripture Haue yée not red saith he Out of the mouth of babes and suckelings hast thou made perfect thy prayse Héere wée haue to lerne of both that is to wit of the children and of Chryst. Of the children first let our childreÌ„ lerne too know Chryst and to set forth his praise For séeing that Chryste sayeth that the kingdome of heauen belongeth too children vndoutedly his will is too be praysed and magnified by the faith and by the voyce of children But alas there bée many children which not onely are Ignorant of Chryst but also are so leudly brought vp that they learne nothing but too sweare too lye too talke ribaudry too practise other naughtinesse who shall not onely bée punished themselues one day for their lewdnesse but also their parentes shall bée punished of God for that they haue so wickedly neglected the children that God hath giuen them to bring vp in nurture and godlynesse Ageine we may lerne of the children to confesse Chryst in the middes of his enemies Héere were present the Pharisies and Scribes the chéef Gouernours of this common weale who persecuted Chryste and were angrye with all those that yelded any honor vnto Chryst. Yet could not this cruelnesse so abashe the children but that the more they were forbidden the more they cryed oute For suche is the strength of fayth that whersoeuer it bée it can not bée hidden but always bursteth out intoo the praise of GOD. This dutifulnesse is required at all mennes handes according too that saying of Paule in the .x. to the Romanes with the hart we beléeue vntoo rightuousnesse with the mouthe is confession made vntoo saluation By the dooing of Chryst we may lerne first that he will defend those that beléeue him And secondly that after the example of Chryst according too the state of our vocation wée are bound to defend the innocencie of others and specially too succour maynteyne the godly that they bée not oppressed and troden down by the wicked ¶ Of the fourth parte THe fretting of the Princes the Préests and the Scribes against Chryst was foretold long ago by the voice of god and the Prophets For where as God in the third of Genesis told before hand that it should come to passe that the séede of the woman shoulde treade downe the serpents head hée méeneth that Sathan and his members heathenish and vngodly men should persecute Christ and his Church And Dauid in the second Psalme not onely foresawe in Spirit this fretting of the Iewes ageinst Chryste when he sayth why did the HeatheÌ„ frette and why did the people imagin vaine things But also by the sayd place of Genesis he promiseth it should come to passe that the womans séede that is to say Chryst and all that beléeue in him should ouercome Sathan his members Now in what thing this victorie consisteth Dauid in the â—ame Psalme declareth saying Blissed are all they that put their trust in him Wherefore let vs renounce Sathan and his members and with strong faith leane vpon Chryst the vanquisher of Sathan and giuer of eternall life to whom be honor and glorie for euermore â–ª Of the Lordes supper the first Epistle to the Corinthians and the xj Chapter THat vvhiche I deliuered vntoo you I receiued of the Lord. For the Lorde IESVS the same night in vvhiche hee was betrayed tooke bread and vvhen hee hadde giuen thanks hee brake it and sayd take yee and eate yee this is my body vvhich is broken for you This doo yee in remembrance of me After the same maÌ„ner also he tooke the cup vvheÌ„ Supper vvas doone saying this Cup is the nevv testament in my blud This doo as oft as yee drink of it in remembraunce of mee For as oft as yee shall eate this bread and drink of this cup yee shall shevve the Lords death til he come VVherfore vvho so euer shall eate of this bread drink of this cup vnvvorthely shal be giltie of the body and bloud of the Lord. Let a man therfore examin himself so let him eat of that bread drink of that cup. For he that eateth or drinketh vnvvorthely eateth and drinketh his ovvne damnation bicause he maketh no difference of the Lords body The exposition of the text THe cause why this feast is instituted
â—s that the storye of the celebration of the Lordes Supper should as this day bée handled in the church too the intent the true vse of this holy Supper may bée vnderstoode For when Chryst the day before he should suffer instituted this supper he gaue commaundement to his disciples that they should keep this supper in remembrance of him Wherfore it must nedes bée that there are great ◠〈◊〉 causes why it should be nedfull to make great account of the institutioÌ„ of this supper For vnlesse we thorowly and with good héed wey â—he causes of the institutioÌ„ of this supper we cannot sufficiently extol the goodnesse of our sauiour who although he were in most gréeuous sorow for his death which was at haÌ„d would notw tstaÌ„ding institute this supper leaue it too his church for a most assured pledge of our saluation purchased by him wherin the memoriall of the couenant established betwéene God man by the blud of Christ might be preserued for euer Howbeit to y e inteÌ„t wée may be the more distinctly instructed coÌ„cerning this supper I will propounde thrée places which by Gods grace I wyll expounde at this time The three places 1 The circumstaunces of the institution of this Supper and the signification therof wheruppon shal bee gathered the full description of the same 2 The true and lawfull triall of suche persons as méene too vse this Supper to their profit 3 The right vse and lawfull meditation of this Supper ¶ Of the firste THere be many circumstances in the storie of the Institution of this Supper which I wil set forth in order according too the texte The first is of the time For thus lie the words of the text Our Lord Iesus Chryst in the same night that hee vvas betrayed For he instituted this Supper vppon the Thursday late before the next friday folowing that he should bée crucified Wheruppon wée may gather twoo things First how great it must needes bée that Chrystes loue was towards vs whoo although he knew he shold die the next day would notwithstanding institute this perpetuall remembraunce of his benefits Another is that the celebration of this Supper must bée kept by vs in true repentance according as shall be said ageine afterward The second circumstaunce is of the guestes that were at this Supper The maister of the feast was Chryst they that were at it were his disciples good and bad The good surely were very weake and the bad was but only Iudas the traitor Héereby wée are taught that Chryste will alwayes bée present at this Supper and that this Supper perteyneth too Chrystes disciples And although the wicked doo also mingle themselues in among the reast yet notwithstanding thys Supper turneth to their iudgement and damnation as shall bée said ageine héereafter The third circumstance is of blissiing For he tooke bread and gaue thanks If the sonne of God gaue thanks before he vsed things what becommeth it vs too doo The fourth circumstance is of the elements For he vsed bread and wyne in the institution of this supper For as the outward man is nourished with bread and wine so the inward maÌ„ is spiritually fed with the body and blud of Christ. The fift circumstaunce is of the things that are present inuisible at this supper as are the very bodye and the very blud of our lord Iesus Chryst. The sixt circumstance is the coÌ„mandement for he commandeth his Church to kéepe continually the same maner of celebrating his supper Doo this saith he The seuenth circumstance is of the new couenant This Cuppe sayth he is the nevv testament in my blud Why this Supper is called the new Testament it shall bée tolde you afterwarde The eight circumstance is the end for which the Supper was instituted whiche end is expressed in these woords Doo yee this sayth hée in remembrance of mee That is too say As often as ye vse this supper renue yée the remembraunce of my benefits that is to wit of my death and resurrection and shewe yée forth my death till I come The ninth circumstance foloweth vpon the eyght namely that the celebration of this supper belongeth only too them that be of yéeres of discretion that may bée instructed of the Lordes death and that are able too giue thankes openly too the Lord for his benefits These are the circumstances of this supper that are too be weyed diligently Now will I shewe what things are ment by this Supper For as the Pascall Lamb had many significations in the old Testament So also hath this holy Supper of Chrysts which is succéeded in the place of the paschall Lambe Therfore as the Paschall Lambe firste did put the people in mind of the benefite doone in olde time that is too wit of their deliuerance from the bondage of Egipt And secondly confirmed the faith of them that vsed it and thirdly shadowed the sacrificing of Chryst that was to come and fourthly was a figure of the euerlasting couenant betwéene God man So also hath this supper sundrie significations and that partly in respect of the time past partly of the tyme present and partely of the time too come and partly of the euerlastingnesse Whiche significations I will declare as playnly as I can God further both mée in teaching and you in héering that it may turn too Gods glorie too the healthfull instruction of our selues What is the signification of the supper in respect of the tyme past If we looke back too the time past this holy supper is a certeine calling too mynd of the Storie of our Lords passion according too Chrystes commaundement Doo yee this in remembrance of mee As often then as wée come too the Supper or other wise bée present at the celebration of the supper wée must bée mindfull of the death buryall and resurection of our Lord. What is the méening of the supper in respect of the time present First it signifyeth that we are vnited and incorporated intoo Chryste and that spiritually For so teacheth Paule when he sayth The Cup of Blissing vvhich vvee blisse is it not the communion of Chrystes blud The bread than vve breake is it not the communion of Chrystes bodye That is too say the partaking of the body and blud of Chryst maketh vs to haue a certaine coÌ„munion with Chryst. Agein it signifieth that we also are vnited among our selues by y e spirit of Chryst as many of vs as are partakers too gither of this supper Of which communion the one lofe is a token as Paule testifyeth when he sayeth bycause as there is one lofe so wée béeing many are one body For as the lofe is made of many cornes so as many as communicate toogyther doo grow togyther intoo one body spiritually the head wherof is Chryst and this is the cause that Paule calleth the Supper a communion Hereupon one of the holy fathers sayth The supper is called a Communion first for that by it wée communicate wyth Chryst
bicause the tumb was nere at hand rolling a great stone to the mouth of the graue they went their wayes And there were presente Mary Magdalene and Mary Ioses sitting against the tumbe and other women which also were come with Iesus from Galilee beholding where and how his body was bestowed And when they came home they prepared spices and oyntments and rested the Saboth day according to the cōmaundement But the next day that foloweth the preparation of the passe ouer the high Preests and Phariseys came togither vnto Pylate saying Sir wee remember that this deceyuer while hee was aliue sayd After three dayes I will ryse agayne Therefore commaund the Tumbe to be garded vntil the third day leaste peraduenture his Disciples doe come and steale him awaye and say vnto the people Hee is risen from the deade and the last errour shall be woorse than the first Pylate sayde vntoo them Yee haue a watche go and make it as sure as yee can Then they went their wayes and garded the Tumbe sealing the stone and setting watchmen about it too keep it The exposition of the text FOrasmuche as no woorke is more woonderful than the work of our redemption which is the passion and death of our Lorde Iesus Chryste according too that saying of Peter in the firste chapter of his first Epistle Yée are not redéemed with transitorie things as Golde siluer but w t the precious blud of the vnspotted vndefiled Lamb namely of Iesus Christ It becometh vs right déer beloued brethren sistern to endeuer by al means possible to knowe the storie of this woonderful woork specially séeing it is betaken vntoo vs in the Articles of our fayth where we professe our selues too beléeue in the sonne of GOD our Lord Iesus Chryst that suffred vnder Ponce Pilate was crucified dead and buryed c. And that too the end that by the knowledge of this storie fayth might bée stirred vp in vs hy the holy ghost wherby it may come too passe that the frute of this woonderful woork may extend vntoo vs. How bée it too the intente I maye the more distinctly and plainly speake of this wonderfull woorke I will deuide the whole doctrine of the Lords passion intoo thrée places or articles whiche are these 1 How many sundry wayes our Lord suffred 2 The estimation and frute of our Lords passion 3 The godly and helthful meditation of our Lords passiō ¶ Of the first BIcause wée haue sinned bothe in bodye and soule and that satisfaction must néeds haue bin made for bothe our Lord Iesus Chryste suffered bothe in soule and bodie Therefore I wil speak of his suffring in bothe namely of the soule and body of our Lord. That he suffred in soule hée himselfe witnesseth bothe in spéeche and in outward apparance In spéeche when hée saith My soule is heauie euen vntoo death and vpon the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Héerunto also dooth pertein the prophecie of Dauid concerning Chryste The sorowes of Hell haue compassed mée aboute that is too say I was striken with excéeding greate sorowes Hée testifieth his sorowe in outwarde appéerance at the graue of Lazarus Iohn the xj and in the garden At the graue when hée thought vpon the Deuilles tirannie ouer mankinde and the miserie of mankinde For all the sorowes of minde that Christe endured by the space of thrée and thirtie yéeres vntoo his death are part of the passion which the sonne of God suffered In the garden hée sheweth that the heauinesse of his minde was excéeding greate when for the bitternesse of sorrowe he sweat droppes of bloud It is a naturall thing for a man too wéep and sometime too sweat in excesse of sorowe at the hearing of some sodaine euill but neuer was any man found yet that sweat bloud for sorowe for no man is able too susteine so great sorowe If yée demaund the causes of this excéeding great sorow yée shall vnderstand that it is not one cause but many whereof the chéefe are these First the thinking vpon the tirannie ouer mankinde and the excéeding great miserie wherwith all men were oppressed for falling from God Secondly the thinking vppon Gods wrath whiche it behooued him too sustaine for our sinnes whiche hée tooke vppon him selfe For all bée it that he were cléere from all sinne yet tooke hée vppon hym the gylte of the synnes of all the whole world Wherevppon Iohn sayeth The Lamb of GOD taketh awaye that is too say beareth in his bodie the sinnes of the world The sonne of God therfore did in very déed féel the wrath of his father Which féeling stirred vp so great sorow in his most holy soule that he swet blud Thirdly y e thinking vpon the punshment which he forsaw he should shortly the next day folowing suffer in his most holy body and the reprochfulnesse that he should bée put vntoo Fourthly the thinking vpon y e vnthankfulnesse of y t most part of the world For he forsaw it should come to passe that many wise men many mē of power diuers others shoulde take scorn of this his punishment which he should sustein too redéeme them yea that they should persecute him his Hée foresaw also y t the gretest part of thē y t beare y e name of christians should through their own wickednesse vngraciously depriue thēselues of this his benefit Which four causes procured most bitter sorow in y e hart of christ Upō this our lordes sorow must wée also thinke y t wée may bée stirred vp too fayth godlinesse least wée perish with y e thanklesse world Let this suffice bréefly too bée spoken concerning the vexation of Chrysts soule Now wil I speake of the punishmēt of his body For although that the vexation of his body began in the Ox stall whē ther was no roome for our lords mother in the Inne and afterward whē at the eight day of his birth he was let blud in circumcising and so foorth vnto the time that he was made a sacrifice for vs vpon the alter of y e crosse yet notwithstanding I will at this time intreate but of that punishment which he endured last of all And although that by the storie which I haue alredy recited a man may easily vnderstande how sundry wayes our Lorde was afflicted in his most holy body neuerthelesse I will gather intoo a short sūme that which is dispersed at large in the story diuide it according too the state of the places in whiche he was punished The places are these The gardin the house of Caiphas the consistorie of the préests the house of Herod the common hall and Galgata that is too say the place without the Citie where offenders were wont too bée put too execution What suffered he in the Gardin He was betraied with a a kisse the souldiers layde hands vpon him hée was apprehended and piniond he was led away like a théefe a murtherer and there also all
is performed Phi. 2. He humbled himself and became obedieÌ„t euen vntoo the death of y e crosse The seconde is that the Deuil is ouercome For this purpose sayth Iohn appéered Chryst that he might destroy the works of the Deuil according too the first promise The womans séede shall tread down the Serpents head The thirde is that man is saued from sinne and iustified Behold sayth Iohn the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world Also Rom. 4. He dyed for our sins 2. Cor. 5. Him that knew no sin he made sin that wée might bée made the rightuousnesse of GOD in him that is too say he made Chryste a sacrifice for sinne that through his rightuousnesse we might be made rightuous before God The fourth is that the Iewes and Gentiles are made equall according too that saying Ephes. 2. For hée is our peace whiche made bothe one and hath broken down the wall that was a stop betwéene vs and hath also put away through his flesh the cause of hatred that is too say the law of commaundementes conteyned in the law written too make of twaine one new man in himselfe so making peace that he might reconcile both vntoo God in one body through his crosse The fifth is that death is abolished Osée 13. O Death I wil be thy death Too be bréefe Chrystes sacrifice is oure redemption For it is the price payd for vs wherewith God is pacified man redéemed the Deuil ouercome yea all thinges in heauen earth put vnder one head which is Chryste Ephes. 1. ¶ Of the third THe godly helthfull minding of our Lordes passion may bée brought intoo sixe partes whiche Christen folk ought too think vpon not only at this time but all the time of their whole life For the godly minding weying of these partes dooth not onely confute those whiche in the Papacie thinke them selues too haue discharged their dutie if they say ouer so many Pater nosters and Aue maries knéeling before Idols set vp for a supersticious seruice of God but also woonderfully strengthneth and comforteth the godly I wil therefore set out the sixe partes of this minding The first is that therby wil come too our mind how great the wrath of GOD must néedes haue bin for the sinnes of men which could not bée appeased by the woork of any creature but that of necessitie the onely begotten Sonne of God must die too pacifie Gods wrath by making this rightful satisfaction for sinne The second is that therby wil come too our remembrance how vnmeasurable and vnsercheable hath bin the mercie of God the Father who rather would that his onely begotten Sonne should suffer moste bitter death than that mankinde whome hée had created shoulde perishe Peraduenture thou 〈◊〉 â—urmise that God coulde haue deliuered mankinde by some other meanes What art thou that wilt teache God what he might haue done Think thou vpon Gods Iustice and mercy togither For as his mercy moued him too saue so his iustice moued him too looke for rightfull amends of the wrong Man sinned and for so doing he must either perish or make amends Nowe man béeing no more but man could not satisfie Gods Iustice and other than man none ought too doo it Gods wisdome therfore found through mercie a remedie in this case which was that the eternal sonne of God should become man by meanes wherof he both was able too satisfie Gods iustice bicause he was God and ought too doo it bicause he had taken mans nature vpon him Thus in Chrysts Passion appéereth mercie too bée mixte with iustice and wisedome hath tempered them both The thirde is that thereby will come too mynde the moste excellent and vnspeakable loue of the Sonne of God towards mankinde who vouchsaued too turne the wrathe of his Father too him selfe and too abyde so slaunderous a Death and that for his enimies as Paule beareth witnesse Rom. 5. The fourth is that thereby will come too minde the true meane whereby the frute of our Lordes Passion may bée applyed too thee so as it may bée for thy soule health This applying of it is brought too passe thrée wayes by the woord by fayth and by the Sacrament By the woorde as it were by the hande of GOD is the benefite of the Lordes passion offered vntoo thée where and as often as the Gospell of Iesus Chryst is preached and the ministers of the woorde do in Gods stéede shewe the frute of our Lordes Passion too all that héere the Gospell Ageyne when the benefite of the Lordes Passion is thus offered as it were by the hande of God it must bée receyued by Faith as it were a certeyn hande of man the which Fayth the holy Ghost woorketh in men that héere the Gospell and obey it Furthermore it is sealed vp with either Sacramente of Baptim and of the Lordes supper and the strength and vse therof is painted out as it were in tables like as wée heard yesterday Therfore when thou rehersest the Article of thy beléefe concerning the Passion of the Lorde persuade thy selfe firmely and beléeue most assuredly that the sonne of GOD suffered death for thée Which thing if thou doo thou art partaker of the Lords death in so muche that all the whole obedience of Chryst is thy acquitall from sinne and thy righteousnesse But there is a double obedience too bée marked in Christ his obedience of the Crosse and his obedience of the lawe which was his perfect fulfilling of the same Like as his obedience too the crosse is our clensing from sinne so his obedience of the law is imputed to vs for our righteousnesse Rom. 5. The fifth is that when wée bée thus made partakers of the Lords passion through faith it wil come too our remembrance what is the lotte of the godly in this lyfe For like as Christ hath suffered so will he haue the rest of the godly too suffer that they may bée comformable too the image of the sonne of God Whervpon Paule in the sixt too the Romans sayth For therefore doo wée suffer with him that wée may bée glorified togither with him The sixt is that we shal call too minde what thing Chryste who hath redéemed vs with his own blud requireth at our hands For now sith we are redéemed by him wée must obey him What willeth he First that wee should renounce his enimie the diuil SecoÌ„dly y t we should flée sin that we offend not God ageine wittingly and willingly with our sinnes Thirdly that we giue our selues too holinesse and godlinesse and that wée serue him in true feare all the dayes of our life Which thing if wée doo wée shall obteyne the ende of our fayth that is the euerlasting saluation of our soules Whiche God the Father graunt vntoo vs through Iesus Chryst our Lorde Amen Easter day The Storie of the Resurrection of our Lorde Iesus Chryst compiled by laying toogither with the foure Eaangelists AS soone as the Sabboth daye
Angel that Chryste is risen This is the summe of the storie The women are willed not too bée afrayd This is the frute of this benefite and the women séek Chryst raysed from death By the example of whom is commended vntoo vs the helthful vse of our Lords resurrection Wherefore not without cause Paule wryting too Timothie sayth Remember that Iesus Chryste is risen from death For as the same Apostle saith in the .10 too the Romains If thou beléeue in thy harte that God hath raysed him from death thou shalt bée saued How bée it too the intent this Article of oure fayth may be the better confirmed vntoo vs I wil handle thrée places in this sermon whiche are 1 How many wayes there are too proue the Lorde resurrection 2 Why hée arose the third day 3 What is the frute of Chrystes resurrection ¶ Of the firste BY thrée kindes of Testimonies is the Lordes Resurrection confirmed For there are Testimonies that go before and that go with it and that come after it Of which I will speake in order Christ admonisheth vs in the .xxiiij. of Luke that we should aduisedly wey the testimonies that went before the Lordes Resurrection where he sayth So is it written and so ought Christ too haue suffered and risen agein the third day and repentance and remission of sinnes to be preached in his name vntoo all nations But where is this written He himself answereth and saith In Moises and the prophets the Psalmes it is written of mée Therfore in Moyses in the Prophets and in the Psalmes must wée séeke for the Testimonies that go before our Lords resurrection In Moyses there is a double kinde of Testimonie concerning the Lords Resurrection For it is both foretolde in expresse woords shadowed with many figures The expresse woordes are these The womans séede shall breake the Serpents head that is too say Chryst shall ouercome the Deuil which thing could not bée doone but by Chrysts rising ageyn from death ▪ For if Chryst had taried stil in his graue the deuil had had the vpper hand of Chryst. For as long as Chryst lay in his graue Christ had no victorie that is he had no triumph But assoone as our Lorde opened his graue and came out of it aliue he shewed him selfe conqueror and triumpher ouer Sathan Héerevnto also perteyneth this saying In thy séede shall all the nations of the earth bée blissed Now as in death is the curse so is blissing too bée séen in y e life of Christ. Also it is shadowed with figures in Moses Adam dying and afterward being raysed ageyne was a figure of Chryste dying and rysing ageine For thus sayth Augustine Chrystes resurrection was prefigurate in our first father Adam because like as Adam rising after sléepe knew Eue shaped out of his séede So Christ rising agein from the dead builded the church out of the wound of his syde Isaac also being laid vpon the altar too bée sacrificed and yet beyng deliuered by the Angell was a figure of Chryste offered vp vpon the Crosse and afterward raysed from death by the power of God Ioseph being cast into prison afterward brought foorth vntoo high honor did betoken the death resurrection of the Lord. In the Prophets also are both sayings and figures of this Resurrection Esai 53. chapter If he giue his soule for sinne he shall sée long lasting seede and the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Daniell telleth openly that Chryst shall bée put too death and that he shall reigne for euer Oseas also sayth the thirde day he shall quicken vs. Among many other figures are these Sampson is shut within the Citie and the gates fast locked And our Lord is closed in the graue fast sealed Sampson breaking the lockes and bearing away the gates escapeth without harme And Chryste breaking the powers of hell goeth out frée Like as the shippe should haue perished if Ionas had not bin cast out so should the woorld perish if Chryst had not suffered And like as Ionas was in the belly of the Fishe thrée dayes and afterwarde was cast out on lande So Chryste was thrée dayes in the earth and afterward came foorth aliue out of his graue In the Psalmes also are Testimonies and Figures of Chrystes resurrection The second Psalme entreateth altoogither of the kingdome and préesthood of Chryst. The fiftene Psalme Thou shalt not suffer thy holy one too sée corruption The .xxij. Psalme preacheth the Lordes Passion and resurrection The Cx. Psalme He shall drinke of the brooke by the wayes side therfore shal he lift vp his head The same Dauid doth shadow the death resurrection of the Lord. Dauid fléeing so oftentimes at length being aduaunced too the kingdom was a figure of Chrysts abacemēt by death of his glorificatiō by rising agein Such maner of proofes of y e lords death resurrection there are many in Moises in the Prophets and in the Psalmes but I haue recited but fewe for shortnesse of time To the furtherance héerof cōmeth it also y e Chryste oftentimes forewarned his Disciples of his deathe and resurrection Of testimonies that go with it there be twoo sorts namely expresse woords signes In this Gospel the Angel sayth He is risen he is not heer The signe was séen the graue was emptie there was an Earthquake the Lorde shewed him selfe first too Mary Magdalene afterward too the more part of the Apostles and then too fiue hundred bréethren hée is conuersant with his Disciples fortie dayes and at the ende in the sight of a great number he ascēded visibly intoo heauen from whence the .x. day after his ascencion hée sendeth the holy Ghost according too his promise whiche holy Ghost conuinceth Chryst too haue ascended intoo heauen in déed as triumpher ouer death and hel The testimonies that folowe are of twoo sortes also The preaching of the Apostles whiche is confirmed wyth sundry miracles afterward the recorde of the whole Churche confessing Chryst their Lord and mediator ▪ Besides these there bée other signes also The inward signe is Chrysts spirit in the harte of the beléeuers whiche testifieth vntoo them that Chryste liueth The outwarde signes are Baptime and the Lords supper For by Baptim is figured Chrysts death buriall and resurrection as Paule teacheth the .vij. too the Romaines The Lordes Supper dooth also represente vntoo vs Chrystes resurrection Hee that beléeueth not these testimonies going before it with it and comming after it shall one day sée him comming in the Clouds too be his iudge whome hée acknowledged not too be his Sauiour héer on earth ¶ Of the second WHy arose he ageine the third day Why did he not put it of till the last day that wée mighte haue risen toogyther with him He rose ageine the third day first too fulfil the Prophecies For it was tolde before by the Prophet Oseas and prefigured in Ionas that he should rise ageine the third day Secondly too make
their vndooing vnlesse they amende The thirde difference is taken of the effects For the godly doo blisse God and call vpon him in their crosse as Iob dyd But the vngodly freat at God and are angry with him The godly are nurtured the vngodly are confounded The godly are tried the vngodly are distroubled The godly vnder the crosse doo hope the vngodly do despaire The fourth difference is taken of the time The godly are afflicted for a shorte time that afterwarde they may bée glorified with Christ their head but the vngodly are wrapped in mischéefe for euer Whose present affliction is as it were a handfull of their endlesse paines in hell The fifth difference is taken of the place The godly are chastized in this world only but the fire of the vngodly shal neuer bée quenched For héere they are tormented with an euill conscience and in the woorld too come they shal bée ouerwhelmed with Gods euerlasting wrath and suffer punishement that neuer shall haue ende So haue wée the differences of the crosses of the godly and the punishments of the vngodly Now wil I adde a few things concerning the comforte wherewith the godly muste raise vp them selues vnder the Crosse. From whence then is comforte too bée sought First the godly that is pressed vnder the crosse shall consider two thinges in his affliction namely iudgement and mercie Iudgemente that hée is punished for his sinnes Therefore sayeth Chryste Sinne not leaste some woorser thing happen vntoo thée And mercie that hée is punished too the intent hée shoulde turne and repent according too this text 1. Cor. 11. When wée are iudged of the Lorde wée are chastized that wée bée not damned with this worlde Therfore when the faythful is exercised with the crosse let him séeke comforte at the fatherly mercy of God Secondly the godly in his crosse shall take comforte by examples whereof many are recited in the .xj. too the Hebrues And Paule dooth oftentimes lay before vs the example of Chryst too which it behoueth vs too become conformable vnder the Crosse that wée may be gloryfied with him in time too come For the godly suffereth with Chryste as it were a meÌ„ber of his For like as Chryst suffered first that hée might obey the Father and secondly that hée mighte vanquishe and condemne our sinne so must wée also obey GOD vnder the crosse bothe too vanquishe and too condemn our owne sinne not by making satisfaction for it as hée didde but by mortifying it Thirdly the godly shall fetche comfort at the endes of the Crosse. For the godly is not chastized with the Crosse too the end hée should perrish but too the end hée may bée holden in and as it were reyned with a certeine brydle from falling away from God Fourthly the godly shal coÌ„fort him self with the presence of God for thus saith God I am with thée in tribulation For if God defeÌ„ded vs not with his presence in our crosse our harts would vtterly faile and wée should renounce our profession Fiftly the godly shall take comforte at the promise of deliuerance asuagement of paines and at Gods helpe Our fathers cryed vntoo thée sayeth the Psalme and thou heardest them Sixtly the godly shall séeke comfort by comparing the present affliction with the glory too come The one lasteth but a moment the other is eternall Let this suffise concerning the crosse of the godly GOD graunt vs grace too glorifie him with true patience vnder the Crosse through our Lord Iesus Chryste too whom bée honour and glorie world without end Amen The iiij Sunday after Easter ¶ The Gospell Iohn xvj IEsus â—ayed vntoo his Disciples Novv I go my vvaye vntoo him that sent mee and none of you asketh mee vvhyther I go But bycause I haue sayed suche things vntoo you your harts are ful of sorovv Neuerthelesse I tel you the trueth it is expedient for you that I go avvay For if I go not avvay that comforter vvill not come vntoo you But if I depart I vvil send him vntoo you And vvhen he is come he vvill rebuke the vvorld of sinne and of ryghtuousnesse and of iudgement Of sinne bycause they beleeue not on mee Of rightuousnesse bicause I go too my Father and yee shall see me no more Of iudgement bicause the Prince of this vvorld is iudged alreadie I haue yet manye things too say vntoo you but yee cannot beare them avvay novv hovv be it vvhen he is come vvhiche is the spirite of truthe he vvil lead you intoo all trueth Hee shall not speake of him selfe but vvhatsoeuer he shall heare that shall he speak and he vvil shevv you things too come He shall glorifie mee for hee shall receiue of mine and shall shevv vntoo you All things that the Father hathe are mine therefore sayde I vntoo you that he shall take of mine and shevv vntoo you The exposition of the text THis gospel is a péece of that sermon that Christ made after Supper the night before he suffred wherin as I tolde you this day seuennight he warned his Disciples aforehande of his Passion Death and Resurrection and disputed of the persecution and comfort of the Churche and the state of his kingdome of what sorte it shoulde bée vntoo the ende of the world and that too this end that his Disciples should be confirmed in the faith and not renounce their profession for the crosse and stumbling blockes thervpon risen among many This also was the cause of this Sermon that I haue rehearsed the effect wherof is that Chryst promiseth to his church an aduocate teacher and gouerner the holy Ghost Wherby is shewed the difference betwéene the administration of the ciuill gouernement and the kingdome of Chryst. For that hath néede of outwarde sinues as lawes decrées of magistrates open punishmentes c. But this is gouerned by the woord by the spirite by fatherly discipline and by sacraments The places are thrée 1 The profite and néedefulnesse of Chrysts departure too the Father wherein the kingdome of Chryste is described 2 What the holy Ghost dooth in the world 3 Of the saying I haue many things too say vntoo you but you are not able too beare them away at this time ¶ Of the first I Go too him that sente mee and none of you asketh mee vvhither goest thou that is too say Nowe is my death at hande and my victorie ouer death which when I haue obteyned I will ascende too my father That the Lorde speaketh so darklye hée dooth it too this purpose too stirre vp his Disciples too make more diligent enquirie of his Death and resurrection But they for all that thought nothing lesse than that he whom they had acknowledged too bée the Messias should bée deliuered too so reprochful a death so blinde is reason in matters perteyning to God It créepeth héer vpon ground it can not déeme aright of heauenly things and of Chrysts kingdome Bicause sayth he I haue tolde you these things your hartes are filled
that thou in thy life time receyuedst thy pleasure and contraryvvise Lazarus receyued paine But novve hee is comforted and thou arte punished Beyonde all this betvveene vs and you there is a greate space set so that they vvhich vvould go from hence too you cannot neyther may come from thence too vs. Then hee sayde I pray thee therefore Father sende him too my Fathers house for I haue fiue brethren for too vvarne them leaste they come also intoo this place of tormente Abraham sayde vntoo him they haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heare them And hee sayde Nay Father Abraham but if one come vnto thē from the dead they vvil repent Hee sayde vntoo him If they heare not Moyses and the Prophets neyther vvil they beleeue though one rose from death ageine The exposition of the Text. FRom the first sunday in Aduent hithertoo hath bin set foorth the doctrine concerning euery seuerall article of our Fayth Now in the Sundayes folowing vntoo the first Sunday in Aduent agein is intreated of Chrysts miracles and of the nature and true frutes of faith and that too this intent that the truthe of the Gospell might bée confirmed by the doctrin of miracles and that the doctrine of fayth and the frutes of the same might stirre vs vp too good woorkes Chryst teacheth of good woorkes fiue wayes For sometime he is contented with the doctrine alone as whē he sayth Bée yée merciful fal too repentance bring foorth frutes woorthy repentance And sometime he alledgeth himself for an example for his too folow as when he sayth learne of me bicause I am méeke and lowly of hart One whyle he propoundeth parables as of the good steward of the ten virgins of the séede cast intoo the groūd and such others wherof there is store in the stories of the Gospel And another while he vseth threatnings as when he sayth except your righteousnesse excéede the righteousnesse of the Scribes Pharisses yée shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen Also wo bée too you Scribes Pharisies Hypocrites c. And now then he setteth foorth the rewardes and penalties with notable examples lyke as he dooth in this Gospell Too bée short the Lorde leaueth nothing vnattempted wherby he may make his disciples bent too liue honestly Now let vs come too this daies Gospel the summe wherof is that Chryst our Lord by putting foorth two examples discourageth vs from vnmercifulnesse and crueltie towards the poore and encourageth vs too pitie and too constantnesse in suffering the miseries of this life For as by the example of the rich glutton he teacheth what punishment remayneth for the vnmercifull So by the example of poore Lazarus he exhorteth too pitie and honest life in the feare of God The vse héerof therfore shal bée that the rich men which are mercylesse towards their neighbours may beholde as it were in a table what punishment they shall one day abyde if they amend not betimes And ageyne that the poore béeing godly and afflicted in this lyfe may by the example of this poore man Lazarus rayse vp themselues and patiently tarie for their deliueraunce and blissed rest yf they continue in faith vntoo their death The places bée thrée 1 The description of this Glutton with the lessons therof 2 The description of Lazarus with the comforts therof 3 The Lordes saying They haue Moyses and the Prophets ¶ Of the firste THere vvas a certeine riche man vvhich vvas clothed in Purple and fine vvhite In this first place are foure things too bée marked which are 1. A generall rebuke of them that are cruell to the poore 2. The cause of this riche mannes damnation 3. The right vse of riches 4. The state of the wicked mennes soules after this life First therfore when this Glutton is damned in generall are all they reproued that are hard too the poore and whiche flowing in riches them selues are touched with no care of the poore of which sort there bée many in the world This rebuke perteyneth too those also that neither with their counsell nor with their substance doo helpe the ministerie of the world or the néedy members of the church Wherfore let euery man aduise himself wel and take warning by the damnation of this Glutton that he may lerne too bee wise The cause of this Gluttons damnation ar not his riches and the finenesse of his apparell and his deintie fare so they had bin measurably vsed as it appereth by the Gospel it self For poore Lazarus was taken vp intoo the riche Abrahams bosom For if riches had bin y e efficient cause of damnation Abraham also had bin damned Dauid had bin damned and so had many other kings and rich men bin damned But riches and honor and such other things may bée an occasion of damnation namely when men abuse them to the dishonor of God and the contempt of their neighbor too the maintenāce of pride superfluitie But what were the causes why this Glutton was damned Thrée horrible faults which are noted expresly in the text Of which the first was fleshly carelesnesse which had with it these euils that he repented not that he had no féeling of Gods iudgement and wrath that he was touched with no care nor regarde of his duetie For fleshly carefulnesse hath these things continually going with it An other fault for which this Glutton was damned was ryot and surfeting by which bothe mennes bodyes and myndes are ouercharged that they cannot think a whit of the matters of their saluation The third fault for which the Glutton was dāned was the disdeyning of Lazarus which thing sufficiently bewrayeth that he had no faith For wher as is true faith there can bée no crueltie towardes the poore and néedie For these thrée causes was the Glutton damned After whose example many runne daily too assured damnation which with their riches do meynteine carelessenesse surfetting and disdain of Chrysts members Wherfore if we like too be saued let vs amend betimes and let vs take héede that wée abuse not Gods gifts too our owne destruction In the third place it is to be gathered by this example on the contrary part what is the true vse of riches which true vse consisteth in these foure poynts The first is that we employ part of our substance too the mayntenaunce of the ministerie and this vse is confirmed first by the end of man For man was made too the end he should acknowledge and praise God Wherefore the goodes that he hath ought too bée imployed too this ende Secondly this vse is confirmed by the commaundement of God oftentymes repeted For God commaūdeth vs too help the church with our abilities Moreouer this vse is stablished by the examples of godly kings and other holy men who wished nothing so much as with their riches too beutifie and maintain the ministerie of the woord Ageinst this first and godly vse of riches doo many offend among whome bée First suche as conuert their
should bring vp a worshipping of God contrary too his commaundement Fourthly that wée should wallowe in al filth and wickednesse Which so euer of these four things our enimie shal compasse he holdeth men as prisoners For he that denyeth Gods prouidence is condemned for one of Epicures sect He that executeth his vocatiō deceitfully is woorse than an Infidel He that setteth vp a woorshipping contrary too Gods commaundement despiseth God and is rather the Diuels seruaunt than the seruaunt of God He that liueth an vnhonest lyfe is the bondslaue of sinne and the hyreling of Deathe and of Sathan But what remedie is there ageinst these mischéeues Purenesse of Doctrine and absteyning from false prophets For the purenesse of doctrine teacheth vs that God regardeth vs in suche wise that the Lord kéepeth reckening of all the heares of our head The same pure doctrine holdeth vs in our vocation and teacheth vs the true manner of worshipping God Besides that it conteyneth the rule of true holynesse and of leading a blamelesse life The second thing which I admonished folke too consider in this first place is Bond. Now it may be demaunded whither this Bond perteyne too all men or but only too the gouernoures of the Churche For many thinke themselues excused if they obey those that haue the ordinary calling Untoo whom the prophet Ezechiell in his thirde Chapter or rather the spirite of Chryste speaking in Ezechiell answered in these woordes I haue made thee watche man ouer the house of Israell and thou shalt héere the woord at my mouthe and shalt giue them warning from me If I say too the vngodlye thou shalt dye the death and thou tell it him not nor speake vntoo him that he may turne from his wicked way and liue The vngodlye persone shall dye in his owne sinne and I will require his blud at thy hand But if thou giue the wicked man warning and he tourne not from his wickednesse and from his vngodly waye Hée verely shall die in his owne wickednesse but thou haste deliuered thine owne soule This saying of the Prophete sheweth sufficiently that they are farre wide whiche surmise it too bée inoughe for them if they obey their paryshe Curates whyther they teache well or ill If it were so the Turkes and Ethnikes should bée saued of whom many haue obeyed their teachers It is too bée knowne therefore that all men are bounde too flée false Prophetes as pestilent Plagues of their Saluation For Chrystes commaundemente is manyfest whiche héere is giuen too all men for he speaketh too the multitude And Iohn in his firste Epistle fourth Chapter sayeth Beléeue not euery spirite but trie the spirites whyther they bée of GOD for many false Prophetes are gone out intoo the world And Chryst sayeth My shéepe héere my voice But what dooth that tirant the Pope in this case Hée sayeth that the discussing of the doctrine belongeth too him his shauelings I pray you what can be spoken or imagined more shamelesse Is not this as muche as too ouermayster Chrystes spouse and too vsurp Lordship ouer the Lordes inheritance notwithstanding that Peter the Apostle whose successoure hée bosteth him selfe too bée were forbidden too doo it Iohn Baptist professeth him selfe too bée a seruaunt too the spouse but the Pope will bée mayster of the spouse Chryst coueteth too haue his spouse kept chast vntoo him self but the Pope defileth hir with horrible aduoutrie Hée teacheth the doctrines of Deuilles whereby shée may learne too play the strumpet Paule sayeth I haue betrothed you too one man that I may bestowe you a chaste virgin vppon Chryst. This betrothing is made by fayth of the moste pure and moste chaste woorde of GOD. But the Pope who bosteth himselfe too bée Peters successoure bestayneth this virgine with a thousand adulteries when hée leadeth hir away from embracing of hir husband Chryste too sundry Idolatries and woorshipping of Sainctes The third thing that I set out too be considered in this first place is the vse of this prohibition or forbidding Bevvare of false Prophets Whiche vse surely is manifolde For first this prohibition warneth vs that there shall bée false teachers in the Churche Which thing the Lord signified also by the Parable of the man that sowed good séede in his féelde and of the enimie that came and sowed Darnel in the same féelde For the woodnesse of the Deuill is so greate that hée neuer ceaseth woorking too corrupte Gods woorde whiche thing hée began too doo assoone as euer oure firste Parents were created in Paradise And at this daye the more is the pitie he woorketh his feats through the whole world Séeing that wée knowe this wée must bée the more diligent and looke better about vs. Secondly this prohibition Bevvare of false Prophets must stirre vs vp too giue our mindes more earnestly vntoo Gods woorde Wherevppon Paule wisheth that the Philippians may increase in all knowledge And Chryst saith Serch the scriptures and learn of mée If yée abide in my woord yée are my Disciples in déed and yée shall knowe the truthe and the truthe shall deliuer you Thirdly this prohibition proueth that the Churche maye bothe put downe false teachers and set vp true teachers in their steade For it were in vayne too bidde vs shunne false Prophetes vnlesse it were lawfull too displace them from the Office and charge of teaching and too appoynt true ministers in their roumes Praise woorthie therefore are those godly Kings and Princes that are careful for the reformation of the Churches and the maintenance of the ministery of Gods woord Fourthly also this prohibitiō sheweth how the woordes of those y t teach are too bée receiued If they teach the truth they are too be heard no lesse than God himselfe For so sayeth the Lord Hée that héereth you héereth mée and he that despiseth you despiseth mée If they teache amisse they are too bée eschued no lesse than Sathan him selfe For as Sathan seduced Eue with euill doctrine so they that teache lies disappoynt men of the grace of God or rather thrust them oute of the heauenly kingdome according as euery man knoweth too bée doone in the papacie ¶ Of the second WHich come vntoo you in Sheepes clothing but invvardelye are rauening VVolues In the declaration of thys place wée will looke vppon fiue things in order First from whence false prophets come and whither they go Secondly By what names they bée called in the scripture wherby the greatnesse of the perill may bée vnderstoode Thirdly What is the outwarde countenaunce of false teachers Fourthlye What is their desire and intent Fiftly What markes they haue wherby they may bée discerned from true Prophets If yée aske from whence they come and whither they go I answere in fewe woordes they come from Sathan as stirred vp by him and they goe intoo the Lords vineyarde that is intoo the Churche Héereof are many examples Into that little Churche of Adam Eue and Abell there came the false teacher Caine
Apostles testifie These are the things in generall that are too bée considered in this Gospell Howbéeit too the intente wée may receiue the greater frute thereby I wil propound thrée places whiche I will intreate of in this Sermon 1 What maner of affection Chryste beareth towardes vs. 2 The declaration of this present miracle with the circumstances of the same 3 An Image of all Mankinde ¶ Of the first THe Euāgelist telleth a storie of a certeine yong man that was dead and caryed out too be buryed at the sight wherof our Lord was moued with compassion For when hée behilde the sorowfull moother hée conceyued a déeper thoughte There came too his remembrance the fall of mankinde the tirannie of the Deuil the greatnesse of the miseries wherwith mankind is distressed by reason of sinne He considered it was his office too ouerthrow these fortificatiōs of Sathan For he saw in this womā a paterne of mans wretchednesse whiche did put him in minde of mannes fall and of his owne office Wée may therefore gather twoo things of this place One what wée be and another what Chryst is toward vs. Wée in very déede are miserable in distresse and damned and we cannot of our owne power wrest our selues out of so greate mischéeues Chryste is God and man and came too saue that whiche was loste who in this case vttereth his affection towardes mankinde For hée is none otherwyse mynded towards vs than he was towards this widow Hée is gréeued for hir calamities and he is gréeued for ours He helpeth hir and he wil help vs also This is the very thing that the Apostle sayth writing to the Hebrues we haue a high préest that can bée sory with vs in our infirmities Yea surely hée hathe greater affection and loue towards vs than this widow hath toward hir only sonne whom shée foloweth héer wéeping too the place of his buryall For thus sayeth the Prophete Can a woman forget the Babe of hir owne wombe though shée doo forget yet wil not I forget thée But what are the causes of this vnspeakable louingnesse of Chrystes towards vs that are all too bée dawbed with the filthinesse of many wicked crimes Surely there is no desert of ours ne woorthinesse in vs. Howbéeit there bée foure causes whereby the sonne of God is moued too embrace vs with so great louingnesse The first is his fatherly kindnesse For hée created vs and therefore wée are his by righte of creation And although hée know vs too bée ful of filth and wickednesse yet notwithstāding he findeth somewhat in vs that is his namely that wée bée his creatures Thou hast mercy on all things sayeth the wise man and thou hatest none of the things that thou haste made The seconde is the woorthinesse of our creation Namely for that wée are created too the likenesse of God according too this Let vs make man after our own image and likenesse And bicause this image was for the chéefe part thereof defaced through sinne the Lord himself came too repair it ageine Which thing cometh then too passe when wée beholding him stedfastly by true faith are transformed intoo the likenesse or image of God The third is the ende too whiche wée are created For wée are created too be the temple of God glorifying God And albéeit that this Temple was then vnhalowed through sinne yet the stuffe of it was stil remayning wherof Chryst might buyld vp a new Temple The fourth is the destruction of Sathans kingdome too ouerthrow the which Chryst came intoo this world A certein hansel of this destruction was giuen in this miracle Chryste encountered oftentimes with Sathan and oftentimes didde put him too flight and at length ouercame him when hée rose ageine from death This victorie of Chrystes shall bée séene perfect in the last day whē the last of al enimies death shall bée abolished These foure causes moued oure Lorde too take flesh vpon him and to become man and in the flesh that is in the nature of mā too suffer both in soule body for mankind And although this affection of Chrystes bée oftentimes cōmended vntoo vs in the woorde of God and warranted with many miracles yea and with the obedience of the Sonne of God himself who was obediente too the father euen vnto th◠death of the crosse yet notwithstanding there be thrée things that laboure too persuade vs otherwise That is the law cōscience and the heap of miseries wherwith ▪ we be ouerwhelmed in this life For these things crye vntoo vs that wée are abiects from Chryst. The law sayeth Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all the things that are written in the book of the law And there is no man but hée séeth hée hathe innumerable wayes transgressed y e law Wée look vpon Eue who became subiect to the sentence of cursing for breaking of one cōmaundemēt and what shall become of vs that haue offēded God so often The sentence of this law is confirmed by the fearfulnesse of the conscience whiche is as good as a thousand witnesses as it is sayed in the Prouerbe The conscience is a thousand witnesses Héeruntoo perteyneth this saying of the Poet As eche mannes conscience findeth him so feeles he in his hart a ioyfull hope or dreadful feare according too desert And S. Bernarde sayth The euil conscience of our sinnes is our witnesse our iudge our tormentor and our prison for it accuseth vs it iudgeth vs and it condemneth vs. What can bée more gréeuous I pray you than day night too cary suche a witnesse about vs in our brest Many béeing conuicted by the recorde of this conscience haue abridged their owne liues while they could not endure too heare hir accusing them and bearing witnesse ageinst them Too the furtherance héerof cometh the huge heape of calamities which confirme y e sentēce of the law the conscience Ageinst these .iij. moste gréeuous temptations let vs in true repentance set Christ alone He came intoo the world to take away y e curse of the law too wipe out sin too turn intoo glory al the miseries of those that beléeue in him howbéeit in such wise as al things ar doon orderly This world is a wast wildernesse frō whence wée must passe intoo our countrey The people of Israel came not by by intoo the resting place that was promised them Ioseph came not too so great dignitie in Egipt without imprisonment before Christ entred not into his glory till he had bin first crucified dead buried Wherfore it behoueth vs also to enter into glory by the crosse For thus sayth Paule If we suffer with him we shall reigne w t him also He y t shunneth the encounter looketh for y e garland in vain No mā shal be crouned saith the Apostle but he that contendeth lawfully The same sayth we are made safe by hope Therfore ageinst the cursse of the law let vs set Christ who became accursed for vs. Ageinst our conscience
accusing vs let vs set Chryst acquiting vs from sinne If the sonne set you frée sayth he you are frée in déede Ageinst the miseries of this present life let vs set Chryst and the purpose of God whose wil it is y t we should become like vntoo y e image of his sonne To be bréef let vs in true repentance faith flée to the throne of grace our Lord Iesus Christ. In him only shal we find help at time conuenient For he sayth too all that beléeue in him Bée not afraid my little flocke for it hath pleased my father too giue you a kingdome And so let vs not suffer any thing in heauen in earth or hel too persuade vs that Christ is otherwise affectioned towards vs thaÌ„ he was towards this widow Therfore let vs lern héerby y t god iudgeth far otherwise than dooth y e world Our God mediator Iesus Chryst dooth not after the maner of the world reiect them that be in misery and distresse but he receiueth al that come vnto him according too his promise Come vntoo me all yée that labor are loden I wil refresh you ye shal find rest vnto your soules Furthermore godly widowes may lern héerby what a patronâ— aduocate comforter they haue Let gouerners of churches lerne heereby not to shun such as be in misery distresse And let the magistrate lerne by the exaÌ„ple of Chryst not too despise not too shake of not too condemne men bicause they bée in miserie and distresse but rather too cherish comfort them Ageine let vs all lerne too embrace one another with mutuall affection of charitie too comfort one another after a godly maner And thus much coÌ„cerning the first part of this Gospell Now foloweth the second ¶ Of the second IN the declaration of this present miracle there bée many circumstances Of which eche one hath his seuerall lesson and therfore I wil reherse them in order with their lessons and admonishmentes The first VVhen the corse vvas caryed foorth the vvidovv his mother folovved after and a great coÌ„pany of the citie vvith hir Héer wée sée two things of which the first is the solemne bearing out of the Corse which the sorowfull moother foloweth and the other is the honour solemnitie of the buriall They cary the dead Corse after an honest sort too the place of buriall so also did the holy Fathers Abraham buryed his wife honourably Ioseph conueyed the Corse of the Patriarke Iacob too buriall with a great trayne of people Iacob and Esau buried their father Isaac honourably Too bée short among all the Godly there was great solemnitie vsed in burials And that was doone in hope of the resurrection of their bodies and of the immortalitie that is too come The Church at this day foloweth the example of the holy fathers though many bée too bée found which cast out their dead Corses as if they were the carkasses of swine In our burials is vsed suche a solemnitie as this is The godly béeing present folowe the Béere and there is singing ringing and sometime preaching They that folowe the Béere doo first vtter their good will towards him that is departed 2. By this déede they shewe an example of their fayth concerning the rising agein of the dead 3. They are warned that they themselues in their time when the Lord shall thinks good must folow and by death take their leaue of these miseries of the world Then is there singing and that is too the intent the liuing may comforte themselues wyth godlye Psalmes and gyue GOD thankes for him that is dead if hée departe in the true profession The ringing is not onely too call the people toogither too bring the Corse too church but also that the liuing may therby bée put in minde of Gods trumpet by whiche all the dead shall bée waked vp in the last day Lastly there is preaching too the intent that those whiche wayt vppon the Corse too Churche may cary home some instruction comfort with them ageinst death And thus much bréefly concerning the firste circumstance and the solemnitie of buriall whiche is obserued among vs. The second Our Lord sayth too the vvidovve vveepe not Héer some demaund whither it bée lawful too moorne for the dead The examples of holye men and the scriptures admitte mourning for the deade In Deuter. the last Chapter all the peoplâ— mourned in the desert for Moyses when he was dead Abraham bewayled his wife Sara Ioseph a holy maÌ„ mourned many dayes for his Father Iacob Dauid mourned for Ammon his sonne Israell for Samuell Martha for Lazarus and den Lord himselfe also wept for Lazarus Iesus the sonne of Syrach in his â–ª â—8 chapter sayth My sonne shed thy teares ouer the dead and begin too sorowe as if thou haddeâ—â— suffered harme But Ieremie in his â–ª 22. Chapter sayeth Bewaile not the dead And Chryst sayeth héere too the woman wéep not These countersayings Paule reconcileth Th. 4. where hée sayth â–ª Brethren I would not haue you ignorant concerning them that are falne a sléep that yée sorow not as others doo which haue no hope Then is it heathenish sorowing that is forbidden whiche hathe no hope of comfort by the resurrection of the dead But measurable mourning is grauÌ„ted such as they vse which haue coÌ„fort set present before theÌ„ But in as muche as wée fall intoo mention of comfort let vs bréefly say from whence Christians may fetch comfort in the death of their fréends First let them thinke vppon Gods wil which they are bound too obey 2. Let them thinke vppon the vniuersal case of al men For we must all die once 3. Let them thinke vppon Gods ryghtuousnesse For what is more rightful than that hée whiche hath giuen life shoulde take it too himself ageine and kéepe it when he sées it good so too doo 4. Let him thinke vpon Gods wisdome who only knoweth whither it is more for our behoof too liue or die For he taketh many away eyther bicause they should not bée made woorse or else that they should not endure any moe troubles in this mortall life 5. Let them thynke wyth themselues that the deade are set frée from all miseries of thys lyfe 6. Let them thinke it is vaine too take long sorowe for them fith sorowe cannot call them ageine For so did Dauid comfort himselfe in the. 12. Chapter of the seconde booke of Kings Hée moorned as long as his Child lay sick but when he was dead he arose washed and ate meat 7. Let them think that hée whiche soroweth ouermuche dooth hurte his owne body in so dooing sinneth ageinst God 8. Let them thinke that the blisse of immortalitie is not too bée enuyed too the partie deceased For blissed are they sayth the Scripture that die in the Lorde 9. Let them think vpon the resurrection of Chryst and of oure selues also which shalbée at the latter day For this thought must bée a common remedie
health Like vntoo whome are the moste parte of those that are called by the name of Chrystians Chrystes forwardnesse is set foorth for vs too folowe who vpon euerie occasion that hée coulde catche holde on was earneste too enlarge the bounds of his kingdome For as by this iorney hée sheweth howe greatly hée thirsted mannes saluation so by his example hée commendeth vntoo vs diligence in his vocation Now foloweth the first part of this Gospel And beholde they brought vntoo him a man that vvas sicke of the Palsie lying in a bedde And Iesus seeyng their fayth sayde vntoo him that vvas sicke of the Palsie â–ª Bee of good cheere my sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee In this firste parte of the storie wée haue foure things whiche are néedefull too bée obserued The firste is the example of the bearers Secondlye the man him self that had the Palsie Thirdly the respect that Chryst had too the fayth of theÌ„ Fourthly how the man that had the Palsie was receyued of Chryst. As concerning those that bare him their fayth bewrayeth it self by tokens certeine which burneth in suche wise whersoeuer it is that no ashes can choke the flame of it This faith had they conceyued eyther by séeing him teache and heale others before or vpoÌ„ the report that they had herd of Chrysts dooings The effect is that they had persuaded theÌ„ selues that hée woulde receiue them that were afflicted and heale them This liuely faith of these â—earers yéeldeth fiue folde frute of whiche the first is the confession of Chryst whome it was a harde rare matter too confesse among so many outragious enimies The seconde is inâ—ocation whiche can no more bée from true faith than heate can bée from fire For all the wisshes of the beléeuers whiche neuer cease are inuocations The thirde is valiantnesse of minde in that they hazarded their life for acknowledging of Chryste For the Pharisies Scribes and chéefe men of this people did persecute all those that gaue any honour vntoo Chryste The fourth is the loue of their neighbour whereby they fauoured their neighbours vnfeynedlye And the fifth is the paine and trouble that they took for the help of their neighbour For they not only beare him which was a point of charitie but also when they could not come the next way vntoo Chryst by reason of the throng they gate vp intoo the house top and let downe the diseased soule by the windbeams which déed was not voyd of daÌ„ger What learn wée by this Let vs euen in spite of the worlde coÌ„fesse Chryst as these bearers did Let vs cal vpon him both for our selues for others Let vs put our selues in peril for y e truth of y e Gospel if néed so require Let vs loue our neighboure entirely not onely in affection but also in déede And let vs spare no paines if wée may doo them any good An other thing whiche I sayd was too bée obserued in this first part is the man himself that was diseased of the Palsie in whoÌ„ are thrée things too bée marked His disease the cause of his disease and that hée wold bée caryed vntoo Chryst. His disease was the Palsie whiche is when one of a mans sides eyther the right side or the left loseth his féeling and natural mouing Surely a right gréeuous disease whereby y e whole vse of a mans bodie is hindered The cause of the disease was double Uniuersall which is originall sinne in all men And speciall whiche had his beginning eyther of disordered lyuing or else of some very sore disquietnesse of minde Nowe in that hée would bée borne vntoo Chryst it betokeneth that hée had fayth like as those had that did beare him Let vs also folowe this example of him that had the Palsie Let vs acknowledge as wel our inward as our outward disease let vs confesse our sinfulnesse and let vs suffer our selues too bée caryed vntoo Chryste as this man that had the Palsie did The thirde thing that I admonished you too consider in this first parte is that Chryste sawe the fayth of those men that is too witte of him that had the Palsie and of them that caryed him Whereby wée may learne these things First in what sorte Chryste is minded towardes vs. For hée is of the same minde towards vs that hée was towards the man that was sicke of the Palsie For the Lorde is no accepter of persons And secondlie that Chryst hath not an eye so muche too the greatnesse of our sinnes as too our fayth This fayth obteyneth of Chryst all things for the welfare both of the body and the soule And although I think this man that was sicke of the Palsie had some little sparke of fayth yet I will not striue ageinst it if any maÌ„ say that the bearers had the fayth and not the Palsie man For it is no straunge matter for corporall yea and for spirituall benefits too bée obteyned for the faith of other men For like as one man by his wisdome may make another man proue wise so he that beléeueth may by his faith obteine faith for other men Howbéeit like as no man is wise by another mannes wisdome but by his owne so no man is saued by another mans fayth but by his owne Héer then wée may learne both too pray for other folks that the grace of God may increase towards them and also too request others that they will commende vs too God with their prayers For the prayers of the godly is greatly auailable The fourth thing that I set foorth too bée lookt vntoo in this first parte is the manner how hée receyued this Palsie man whiche is expressed in these woordes Bee of good cheere my Sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Héere let twoo things bée thorowly weyed The one is why hée receyued this Palsie man in suche wise and the other is the saying of Chryste in receyuing him This Palsie man séekes deliuerance from his bodilye disease and wherfore then sayth Chryst thy sinnes are forgiueÌ„ thée Undoubtedly there bée great and weightie causes The first is too teache vs that diseases are the rewarde of sinne as Paule sayth the reward of sin is death And Christ in the .5 of Iohn sayth vntoo one whom hée had healed behold thou art made whole beware thou sinne not héereafter least some worser thing befal thée 1. Cor. 11. for misusing y e Lordes supper vnreuerently many were dead many were weak The second is too teache vs where the healing of the body is too bée begon namely at the minde whose spottes muste first bée cleane wiped out before a man minister Phisick too the bodie Let vs therfore kéepe this order in curing oure diseases First let vs acknoweledge the disease Next let vs repent and desire forgiuenesse of our sinnes for Chrystes sake Then let vs in the feare of God and with thankesgiuing vse the ordinarie meanes of helpe and let vs acknoweledge the Phisitian too bée Gods minister who in Gods
his posteritie from GOD by the space of nyne hundred yeres Howe great was the gréefe of Dauids mynde when he sawe the rauishmente of his daughters and the slaughter of his sonnes What should I speake of a few All men féele the byting of the Serpent which byting serueth too none other purpose than that wée should thereby acknowledge Gods moste iust iudgement and flée vntoo him for pardone by true repentance Manasses like a mad man rose vp ageinst the Churche of GOD by the space of .xxv. yéeres toogither and defiled himselfe in horrible wyse neyther hadde it come intoo his thought too repent him if hée had not bin led awaye prisoner intoo Babilon where the streightnesse of imprisonmēt gaue him vnderstanding For béeing nurtured there in the schoolehouse of miserie he bowed the knées of his hart and in humble wise desired pardon of his sinnes whiche thing hée also obteyned The thirde God setteth before vs the examples of other men tragicall factes and horrible punishementes of others that taking warning by them wée may fall too amendment For all the falles of men that are set out in stories eyther of the Scripture or of worldly wryters tende too this ende too make vs héedefull Caine by falling intoo sinne was ouerwhelmed with euerlasting paines Saule fel from God and returned not by repentaunce but was ouerwhelmed with Gods wrath Many in these dayes falling from the Gospell light intoo the Deuilles snares out of whiche they are neuer able too wynde themselues ageine Wherefore taking warning at these mens horrible falles and most dreadful punishment let vs fall too amendment betimes least God cast vs of in his anger and then wée too late remember the saying of the Poet For happy folke we may them take whō others harmes the warer make The fourth Somtime God preacheth by tempests earthquakes and dreadfull sights in Heauen suche as were séene before the destruction of Ierusalem as blasing starres in the likenesse of swoords of which sorte our age hath séene many wherat if wée take not warning too repent and amende wée shall fall intoo moste sore punishmentes The yéere .1561 since Chrysts birth there was séene in the Skie a man nayled vpon a Crosse hauing a Crowne of Thorne vpon his head Of this sight I haue many witnesses whereof diuers are noble men and godly persons right woorthye of credite The same day it rayned bloud and many other things are séene dayly As often then as suche maner of sightes are shewed vs from Heauen let vs knowe that God allureth vs too repentaunce by these tokens of his wrath And wheras the Lorde sayeth Bée not afrayd of the signes of Heauen hée meaneth that we should fall too repentaunce least the euilles which the signe◠threaten should light vppon vs. For all things woorke toogither too the welfare of them that repent The fifth The death of the Sonne of God is set foorth too vs wherin God sheweth that hée is excéeding sore displeased with sin and therwithal prouoketh vs too repētance For hée vpon the crosse stretcheth out his armes bathed in his owne blud and allureth all the whole worlde too repentance and offreth grace too all that repent Therfore whosoeuer maketh delayes too repent hée despiseth Gods sonne and shall suffer dreadful punishement when his time commeth The sixth The end of this life is vncerteine For our life is like a bubble or a floure in the field whiche flourisheth too day and too morow is cast intoo the fire Saint Iames also openeth vntoo vs the frayltie of this life Wée haue séene many that liued without repentance taken away with sodeine death so as they coulde haue no leasure too repente The Axe sayth Iohn is set too the root of the trée And Salomon saith Whither the trée fall too the South or too the North looke in what place the trée falleth there shall it lie That is too saye looke in what case the rightuous Iudge shall finde thée at the houre of thy death suche shalt thou bée iudged too bée Sée howe many wayes the Lorde prouoketh vs too repentance Himself sayth I wil not the death of a sinner but that hée should turne and liue This good-will of his hée declareth vntoo vs in y t he prouoketh vs so fatherly by so many means too repentance which prouocation too repentance doubtlesse perteyneth too all men But Paule sayeth that God hath not chosen many wise men after the flesh nor many mē of power nor many noble men borne and yet the same man sayth God will haue all men saued How then dooth he not choose God is sayde not too haue chosen them not bycause he would not haue them saued but for the sequele of it That is too say bicaus◠the wisdome of this world and power and nobilitie of birth doo like baytes entice and withdrawe many from obedience of the Gospell Dauid was rich and puisant and Nero also was rich and puissant Of which two the first was not enticed by his riches and power too fall from the Gospell but the other by making more account of his present prosperitie than of the glorie of the lyfe too come made his riches an occasion of his owne damnation Isaac was borne of a noble stocke and Ismaell was a noble man borne too But yet both of them were not of like inclination For Ismaell holding himselfe content with the noblenesse of his birth despised the promises wheras contrarywise Isaac by beléeuing the promise was iustified saued By these examples it appéereth euidently that the Lord reiecteth no mā for the gifts that himself hath heaped vpō thē For power riches noble birth are Gods good gifts And happy is he y t vseth them wel But he y t vseth them amisse he by his owne default turneth Gods gifts into instruments of his owne damnation Let vs therfore imbrace Paules counsel if we haue any care of our saluation For thus saith he 1. Cor. 7. Let thē y t vse this world bée as though they vsed it not He would not haue a christen mans mind abused about erthly things so as they shold lead vs away frō the right way of this life He will haue vs so to liue as if we should passe out of this life at euery minute of an hour Therfore in al y e affaires of this present lyfe let vs haue our hartes lifted vp too the consideration and mynding of the heauenly lyfe Héerevnto perteyneth this saying of Paule Séeke the things that are aboue where Chryste sitteth at the right hand of the father ¶ Of the second IEsus sayd vntoo him Vnlesse yee see signes and vvonders yee vvill not beleue Héer Christ findeth fault with the courtier who was in great fauour and one of the chéef about Herod which thing Chryst seldome didde specially for as muche as men came too him in heauinesse too séeke his help Héerby wée must lerne not too bée clawbacks of the Court too speake things that may please but too
certeine reported vntoo Christ how Pilate had mingled the bloud of the Iewes with their sacrifices and that the Toure of Silo falling down had killed eyghtéen men he sayd except yée repent yée shall all perishe likewise For he auoucheth that this was done not onely for those that perished there but also for others that they taking warning at their mischaunce mighte amende Muche more ought the miserie of the Iewish people too put vs in mind of repentance specially séeing the cause is not vnlike For they were plaged cheefly for contempt of religion And I beséeche you what thing is there héere vnlike Wherfore let vs take warning by the Iewes too amend betimes that wée run not intoo the hands of the liuing God sooner than wée looke for The fifth vse is that by the persecution of the Church whiche at that time was very sore wée must lerne that the Citizens of Chrystes kingdome in this world must not floorishe and enioye the outwarde dominion of the world For as the Church of Chryst is not bound too any certeine place so the glory renown therof consisteth partly in the conscience of the godly partly in loking for y e appéerāce of Iesus Chryst. The sixt vse is that wée shoulde ioyne our selues too the citizens of Chrysts kingdome and not bée frayed away with the hugenesse of persecutions For although al that will liue godlily in Christ must suffer persecution yet notwithstanding Chryst pronounceth them blissed bicause that after the present affliction shall folow glory whervntoo there is no way but by the crosse The second is that by the harmes of the Iewes and by their hurts wée shoulde become the warer Therfore too the intent wée go not astray with the Iewes let vs folow the Lampe of Gods woord for this alone can make vs safe from misgoing Thy woord sayth Dauid is a lantern too my féete and a light vntoo my steps And Paule will haue vs too cary before vs the woord of God as a burning cresset The eyght is that wée are admonished too set the name of God which is a most strong toure ageinst al y e misfortunes that hang ouer vs. For thus sayth Salomon The name of the Lorde is a most strong toure too whiche the iust man shal flée and bée saued Some put their trust in chariots saith Dauid and some in horses but wée will call vpon the name of the Lorde By the name of the Lorde is ment an humble prayer which procéedeth of true faith in Chryst this fayth is it that ouercōmeth the world For thus sayth the Apostle This is the victorie that ouercommeth the world euen your faith Why so Bicause they call vpon Chryst the vanquisher of y e world and haue Chryst present ageinst whom hell gates are able too do nothing Let vs pray therfore that neyther our minde may bée dazeled with brainesicke opinions nor our fayth quayle in so great hurlyburlyes The ninth is that wée should fortifie our selues ageinst stumblingblocks wherof there shal bée very many but whē they come wée must remembre Chrysts saying Beholde I haue tolde you before Neither shal these stūbling blocks bée al of one kind For some stumbling blocks shal bée of persecution some of y e fewnesse of thē that professe Christ some of them that fall from Chryste For many in these miseries that are too come shall vtterly renounce Chrysts name his Gospell and submit themselues agein vnto Sathā Many in this smal cōpany shal bée bringers vp of diuers sects and yet they shal professs Christ. Ageinst this géere will Christ haue vs fensed And bicause that harms foreséene doo hurt the lesse Christ would haue his church warned of them before hand The tenth vse is that we liuing in the fear of God should wayt for the comming of our Lord Lesus Chryst who shall bring vs full redemption which redemption is the full and finall ende of all Chrysts benefites vntoo which al other benefites are appoynted For the order of Chrystes benefites is this that is described in .1 Corin. 1. in these woordes God hath made Chryst our wisedome our rightuousnesse our holynesse our redemption too the intent that he which glorieth should glorie in the Lord. He is our wisdom when he reueleth his fathers will vntoo vs in his Gospell He is our rightuousnesse when we by beléeuing his Gospell haue his rightuousnesse imputed vntoo vs. He becōmeth our holinesse when wée béeing iustified are moued with the holye Ghost through whose operation wée henceforth purpose a new lyfe And at length he shall bée our redemption when full saluation shall happen vntoo vs through him too whom with the father and the holy Ghost bée honoure prayse and glorie world without end So bée it Vpon the Purification of Sainct Mary the Virgine The Gospel Luke ij AND vvhen the time of their Purification after the lavv of Moyses vvas come they brought him too Hierusalem too present him too the Lord as it is vvritten in the lavv of the Lorde euery man childe that firste openeth the matrix shall bee called holie too the Lorde and too offer as it is sayde in the lavve of the Lord a payre of turtle Doues or tvvo young Pigeons And beholde there vvas a man in Hierusalem vvhose name vvas Symeon And the same man vvas iust godly and longed for the consolation of Israell and the holy Ghost vvas in him And an ansvver vvas giuen him of the holy Ghost that hee should not see death before hee had seene the Lordes Chryste And hee came by inspiration intoo the Temple And vvhen the Father and Mother brought in the Childe Iesus too doo for him after the custome of the Lavve then tooke he him vp in his armes and sayde Lorde novv lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according too thy vvoord For mine eyes haue seene thy Saluation VVhiche thou haste prepared before the face of all people A light too lighten the Gentiles the glorie of thy people Israell The exposition of the text IN this feast is handled a part of Chrystes storie namely how he was offred vp in the temple according too the Law and how Simeon a ryghtuous man acknoweledged Iesus the Son of Mary too bée the very Messias yea and that by instinct of the holy Ghoste by whom hée had receyued an answere that hée shoulde not die before his eyes had séene Chryst the Lord. Whō when hée had séene hée tooke him intoo his armes and blissed him Whiche doone hée vttered his thankfulnesse too Godwarde in a song Héere wée muste call too remembraunce what wée haue hithertoo heard concerning Chryst too the intent wée may knowe the continuall storie of him Wée haue therefore herd first of his glorious birth that hée was borne in Bethléem Secondlye of his Circumcision that he was circumcized the eyght daye Thirdly howe hée was acknoweledged and honoured by the wysemen Nowe followeth the offering vp of hym in the Temple whiche offering vp
afterward whither he would haue bin circumcised and suffred death or no. But he y t was frée becam the seruaÌ„t of al to the intent he might make al free or as Austin sayth God became man to y e intent to make men gods Paule saith he was bound vnder the law too the intent he might redéeme those that were vnder the lawe And therefore he béeing the first borne would also bée offered vp in the Temple But how was he the first borne There was neuer any such borne First he was first borne in his Godhead for he was the eternall Sonne of God This day sayth he haue I begotten thée Secondly he was the first born son of Mary in his manhood For she neuer bare any before him nor yet after him Thirdly he was first borne in grace For he was the first man that euer was borne which being offered vp vntoo God was accepted of himselfe Fourthly in power For he was the firste borne of the deade And fifthly that wée might bée borne new men through him Furthermore it is too bée marked that mary offred a paire of yong pigeons wherby is shewed that she was poore For the richer sort did offer a Lamb. Héereby wée may lerne not too bée abashed of our pouertie It was Chrysts will too bée borne poore that he might make vs riche so that wée wyll accept his riches with a thankfull minde ¶ Of the second AND beholde there vvas a man in Hierusalem vvhose name vvas Simeon Héere we haue first a description of Simeon and afterward his blissing First he is commended for his rightuousnesse For he liued so among his people that he was counted of all men for a good and iust man The Euangelist méeneth not by this that he was so rightuous that he had no néede of any other rightuousnesse for in his owne song he confesseth Christ too bée his sauior but that he liued vnblamable among men and honestly so as he did no man harme but good too all men according too his power Suche a one is called of Cicero or rather of al men a iust or rightuous man Secondly he is commended for his godlinesse For he feared God Under the name of fear is comprehended the whole seruice of God For he that feareth God as he eschueth al things wherewith he knowes he shall offend him so also dooth he whatsoeuer he perceiueth too bée acceptable too him This feare hath his beginning of faith There is an other feare of God without faith which is no seruice of God and such a one there is in all the vngodly For they alwayes dread Gods iudgement agaynst them and wold rather that there were no God than too bée punished for their wickednesse The feare that is commended in Symeon was none such For it foloweth that he wayted for the comforte of Israel By which saying is shewed that he longed very ernestly for the comming of Chryst. For he knew that the prophesies of Iacob and Daniel pointed too this time of his Wherfore hée longed for it the more earnestly and wished that his life might bée prolonged vntil hée might sée Chryste present And it is no maruaile that hée wayted so earnestly for Chrystes comming For hée was sayth the Euangelist ful of the holy Ghost Suche was this holy man But what was the reward of this godlinesse Hée receyueth an answer of the holy ghost that he should not sée death before hée had séene the Lordes Chryst and by the motion of the same holy Ghoste hée came intoo the Temple And what did hée there When the Parentes Ioseph and Mary hadde brought in the Childe hée took him intoo his armes and praysed God Nowe hath this holy olde man that whiche hée desired so earnestlye and hée giueth witnesse too Chryste openly protesting this childe too bée the same anoynted Sauiour that was promised too the fathers Wée haue the godlinesse of Simeon what it was now let vs set him before vs. Let old men first and afterward al men learne of him too feare God Let them learne too liue holilye and vprightly among men Let them learne too take Chryste intoo their armes that is too say intoo their hartes Let them set him out praise him and professe him Which thing if thei doo they shall one day with Simeon receiue a plentuous reward in Heauen ¶ Of the third NOw foloweth Simeons song Lord novv lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy vvord This song hath customably bin soong in the church many huÌ„dred yéeres wée are wont to sing the same when corpses are layde intoo their graues For it coÌ„teyneth a doctrine concerning Chryste it techeth froÌ„ whence chéefe coÌ„fort is too bée sought specially at what time we must depart out of this life Now too the inteÌ„t we may vnderstaÌ„d this song the better I will deuide it intoo two parts In y e first wherof the old man Simeon reioyceth in his own behalf and in the latter part comprehendeth very bréefly the benefits of Chryst towards y e whole world The first part is Lorde novv lettest thou thy seruaunt departe in peace according too thy vvoorde For myne eyes haue seene thy saluation Héere the olde man Simeon reioyseth in his owne behalfe that hée had séene Chryste with his bodily eyes according too the answere that hée had receyued of the holy Ghost For albéeit hée had séene him before with the eye of his faith like as our Lorde saith of AbrahaÌ„ Abraham saw my day was glad yet notwithstaÌ„ding bicause he had receiued a promise of y e holy ghost y t hée should sée Chryst present w t his bodily eyes before he dyed he was gretly delited with his sight with great strength of faith desired streight too be deliuered froÌ„ his body y t he might be gathered to his fathers in peace But sée he receiued a promise that he should sée the Lords anoynted Héer is brought him a poore babe there appéereth héere none other outwarde countenance than of contempte Is hée offended at this outwarde countenaunce No. Whom hée saw too bée leaâ—â— with his bodily eyes him sawe hée too bée greatest with the sight of his faith Whom hée behild base in the shape of a seruant with his bodily eyes him knew he too be King of Kings Lord of Lords And he was not ignoraunt what Zacharie had prophesied of him who sayth Behold thy King cometh poore He knew he came not too take intoo his haÌ„d the kingdoms of the world but too giue the kingdom of God too beléeuers Héerby also wée may lern too beléeue the scriptures and too looke vpon Chryste and his church not only with our bodily eyes but much rather with the eyes of oure fayth And séeing hée desireth too bée let go by and by and to change this miserable life for death hée declareth sufficiently that Chrysts kingdom is not of this world but an euerlasting kingdome whiche consisteth in peace of conscience As if he should
our senses by outward signs which are the seales of his woord So in these dayes he had disclosed his wil vntoo vs by his Gospel the which he sealeth vp with the outward signes of Baptim and the Lordes supper Howbéeit in this coÌ„munication of the Angel with the virgin this spéech is too be noted wher he saith â—or vvith God no vvord shal be impossible This woord this saying of the Angel conteineth two things First it sealeth vp the truth and certentie of Gods promises And secondly it admonisheth vs to set gods power ageinst al sense iudgement of the flesh to assure our selues y t God is true although the whole frame of things shuld go about to persuade vs otherwise and to say with the virgin do according to thy woord thou reuelest thy wil by thy woord fulfil thy wil by thy power that thou alone may be glorified Thou art a sinner bewailest thy misery But herken what Gods woord saith of his wil. I wil not the death of a sinner Also all that cal vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued Include thou within this woord both Gods wil his power ageinst which nothing is able too staÌ„d When y u art sorowful bicause thou art at deaths doore flée vnto Christ héer his woord Blissed are they that die in the Lord. In this word ioyne togither Gods wil his power then assure thy self y t death shal be vntoo thée the way to blisfulnesse through Chryst Iesus our Lord too whom with the father the holy Ghost be honor praise glory world without end Amen Vpon the Natiuitie of Iohn Baptist. The Gospel Luke j. ELizabeths time came that she should be deliuered and she brought forth a son And hir neibors and hir cousins herde hovv the lord had shevved gret mercy vpon hir reioiced And it fortuned that in the eight day they came too Circumcise the childe and called his name Zacharie after the name of his father And his mother ansvvered and said not so but his name shal be called Iohn And they said vnto hir There is none in thy kinred that is named vvith this name And they made signes to his father hovv he vvould haue him called And he asked for vvriting tables and vvrote saying his name is Iohn And they marueiled al. And his mouth vvas opened immediatly and his toung also and he spake and praysed God And feare came on all them that dvvelt nie vntoo him And all these sayings vver noised abrode throughout al the hie countrie of Ievvrie and they that herd them laid them vp in their harts saying â–ª vvhat maner of childe shal this bee And the hand of the Lorde vvas vvith him And his father Zacharias vvas filled vvith the holy Ghost and prophecied saying Praysed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people And hath raysed vp an horne of saluation vntoo vs in the house of his seruant Dauid Euen as he promised by the mouth of his holy Prophets vvhich vvere since the vvorld began That vve should bee saued from our enimies and from the hand of all that hate vs. That he vvould deale mercifully vvith our fathers and remember his holy couenaunt And he vvould performe the othe vvhich he svvare too our father Abraham for too forgiue vs. That vvee being deliuered out of the handes of our enimies might serue him vvithout feare all the dayes of our life in such holynesse and rightuousnesse as are acceptable for him And thou childe shalt bee called the Prophet of the hyest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord too prepare his vvays Too giue knovvledge of saluation vnto his people for the remission of sinnes Through the tender mercy of our God vvherby the day spring from an hye hath visited vs. To giue light too them that sate in darknesse and in the shadovv of death and to guide our feete into the vvay of peace And the child grevv vvexed strong in spirit and vvay in vvildernesse til the day came vvhen he should shevv himselfe vntoo the Israelites The exposition of the Text. ALthough it bée a heathenish Idolatrie too call vppon Sainctes which thing is doone by the Papistes in the feastes of Sainctes yet it is very behoofefull and that for many causes too kéepe still the feasts of some Saincts The first cause is for that it is very profitable that the storie of the Church should bée known For from thence wée may fetche instruction confirmation and comfort The second is for that it is a swéete thing too thinke vppon Gods benefites towards his Church whereby commeth singuler frute too the godly hartes The third is that thanks may bée giuen to God for his benefites towards the members of his Churche The fourth is that by weying throughly the variable chaunces of the Sainctes wée may arme and strengthen our minds ageinst chaunces present and too come which we must needes taste of The fifth is that the Sainctes maye bée as it were samplers vntoo vs of repentance conuersatioÌ„ woorshipping confession constancie patience and other vertues according to which wée may frame our liues The sixth is that wée with godly gronings should desire too come too the felowship of the Saincts These and other weightie causes there bée why wée reteine feastes of Sainctes in the Church Would God that many men abused not the feasts of Saincts and other things too their owne pleasures and madde deuises like as many in the papacie abused chéefly this feast when they halowed it with dauÌ„cing and reueling with méetings of louers with bibbing and tippling al night long and with other more shamfull things which I will not speake of wherin they pleased not God nor the Angels and Saincts but they serued Sathan too the reproch of God and of the Angels and Saincts Thus much bréefly concerning the feasts of Saincts and the right vse of them In this feast I wil entreat of one point only that is too wit the story of Iohn out of which I will build certeine admonishments ¶ Of the Storie of Iohn Baptist. IN the Storie of Iohn Baptist let these circumstances bée weyed His parents his conception his birth his bringing vp his calling his office Chrysts recorde concerning Iohn his death and the things that hapned about his death and after his death Iohn Baptists parents wer Zacharie a préest a holy maÌ„ and of blamelesse life and his moother was Elizabeth a woman far striken in yéeres and of singuler godlinesse Of both these Luke the Euangelist beareth this witnesse in his first chapter They were both perfect before God and walked in al the lawes and ordinances of the Lord that no man could find fault with theÌ„ And they had no child bicause Elizabeth was barren both were well striken in age This description sheweth of what yéeres the parents of Iohn were with what innocentnesse they liued that being now growne in yéeres they were destitute of
Of the second PEter turning about savve the disciple vvhom Iesus loued folovving vvho also leaned vpon his breast at the Supper and vvhen hee savv him Peter sayde vntoo Iesus Lorde and vvhat shall he doo too vvhom Iesus ansvvered If I vvil haue him tarie till I come vvhat is that too thee folovv thou mee Peter hearing of the Lorde that hée shoulde one day suffer sharpe punishement for Christes sake considereth not so muche what was too bée doone on his owne parte as hée is carefull what shall become of others Hée is ready too beare the crosse for Christes sake but by the way throughe weaknesse of the flesh there coÌ„meth vpon him a certeine curiousnesse whiche maketh him inquisitiue of those things that belong not vnto him self For so great is the frailtie of man y t always in our own aduersities wée haue an eye too the happines of others wherby wée make our crosse more bitter and harder too our selues Wée would with a good wil that none should be happier than ourselues For according too the common prouerb It dooth a man good too haue company in shipwreck But wheÌ„ as the Lord rebuketh this curiousnesse in Peter wée ought too knowe that this reproofe perteyneth too vs also And too the intent too correcte this faulte in the Apostle he sayth VVhat is that too thee follovve thou mee As if hée had sayde Looke not thou vpon the happinesse of other men but rather sée too this that thou doo thine owne duetie and that thou beare what so euer the Lorde shall lay vppon thée too beare So is it the Lordes will that wée shoulde take héede too our owne vocation in the feare of GOD. Hée will not that wée shoulde thinke oure selues the more vnhappie though other séeme too bée in better case For euery vocation hath his crosse annexed thervntoo whiche is to be born with a quiet minde All sayeth Paule that will liue godlily in Christ shall suffer persecution No man therefore so hée bée godly shal be exempted from the Crosse. Wherefore casting away heathenishe curiositie let euery man abide in the vocation that hée is called vntoo Let him bée quiet and meddle with his owne matters according too Paules counsell Hée willeth vs too bée quiet that wée bée not busied in other meÌ„s matters as wicked men bée and as many bée now a dayes Hée wil haue vs too meddle with our owne matters that is too say hée wil haue euery one of vs too looke too the thinges that pertaine too his owne calling And too the intent that may bée doone there are fiue things too bée regarded in euery vocation First the calling or vocation muste bée lawful Secondly faith and charitie must bée the rulers too direct our dooings by in our vocation Thirdly if any thing chaunce amisse in our vocation a man must comforte him self in that his conscience assureth him that his vocation is lawful Fourthly a man must employ his vocation too the glorie of God and the profite of Christes churche Lastly forasmuche as nothing hath luckie successe in a mans vocation without Gods blissing hée must pray too God too put too his helping hande If a man doo this in the true feare of God verelye hée shall finde that his vocation shall not bée vnprofitable vntoo the Churche of God ¶ Of the third THere vvent a saying among the brethern that that Disciple should not die Sée how easely men slip intoo errour Christe sayth if I wil haue him tary what is that too thée and his disciples tooke it as thoughe he sayde I will that hée shall tarie and not die til I come Héere therfore wée are admonished too take good héed in the reading of holy scripture that wée builde not therevppon any other things than are spoken Then let vs embrace those things that are cléer and euident Such things as are spoken with condition or darkly let vs confer with playner places let vs call vpon God too giue vs the key of true knoweledge that wée may vnderstand without error such things as perteine too our saluation From vnprofitable questions such as make nothing too edification let vs absteine knowing that God liketh wel this simplicitie according too this saying Séek not for things that are aboue thy reache ¶ Of the fourth THe Euangelist him selfe closeth vp his Gospel saying This is the same disciple vvhich beareth vvitnesse of these things and vvrate them And vvee knovve that his vvitnesse is true This is as it were a sealing vp of the Gospel y t Iohn wrate When hée saith vve knovve he meaneth that the Gospell is certeine true and infallible This Gospell hée calleth a witnesse bicause it beareth witnesse of Christe and his benefits Too what end Iohn wrate his Gospel hée him self declareth in the end of the xx chapter where hée saith And these things are vvritten that yee may beleue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God and that by beleeuing yee may haue life throughe his name There are therfore twoo ends of the Gospel namely the knowledge of Iesus Christ and saluation through trust in him too whom bée glory for euermore Amen The Sunday within Crristmas weeke ¶ The Gospell Luke ij ANd his Father and Mother marueyled at those things that vvere spoken of him And Simeon blissed them and sayde vntoo Mary his Moother Beholde he is set for many too fall vpon and too raise vp many in Israell for a signe that is spoken agaynst Moreouer the svvoord shall passe through thy soule that the thoughtes may bee discouered out of many hartes And there vvas Anne a Propheâ—isse the daughter of Phanuell of the tribe of Aser Shee vvas grovven very olde and had lyued vvith a husband seauen yeeres from hir virginitie And this vvidovve being almoste foure score yeeres of age departed not out of the Temple but serued in fasting and prayer day and nighte And shee comming in the same houre in likevvise confessed vntoo the Lorde and spake of him vntoo all that looked for redemption at Hierusalem And after that they had made an ende of all things according too the lavve of the Lord they returned intoo Galilee intoo their ovvne Cittie Nazareth And the Child grevv vp and vvexed strong in spirit and hee vvas filled vvith vvisdome and the grace of GOD vvas vpon him The exposition of the text THis Gospel is a part of the things that were doone in the temple vpon the day of the purifying of the blissed virgin after that the Parents of Iesus according too the law of Moyses had offred vp set the Childe before the Lord. The summe of this part is that Simeon and Anne giue witnesse vntoo Christe and acknowledge him too bée their king Messias that was promised against whome the wicked worlde shall set it selfe too his owne destruction but the godly shall embrace him too them selues too their resurrection and saluation Let vs make héereof thrée places whiche are these 1 The maruelling of Christes parents 2 The witnesse