make all our whole life agréeable vnto God and as hée hath shewed him selfe fauourable vnto vs we might also labour most obediently to please him That it would please him not to shew this fauour vnto vs onely but also vnto all people and nations on the earth c. The sixt Sermon of the Prophesie of our Lord Iesus Christ Isaiah Liii 11 HE shall see of the trauaile of his soule and shall bee satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many for hee shall beare their iniquities ALthough the Prophet for a confirmation of that which hée hath alredy said bringeth in this sentence to wit that the death of the Sonne of God shoulde not be vnprofitable but should yéeld a most excellent fruite for the saluation of the worlde yet doeth hée more liuely set it foorth then héeretofore hée hath done For in the first place hée sheweth vnto vs the loue whiche Iesus Christ beare vs saying That hee shall be satisfied by reason hée had purchased for vs by his death euerlasting life and besides hee sheweth in the second place that hée shall not suffer onely in his bodie but in his soule also Nowe we knowe that this saying to be Satisfied or to be Contented importeth or carieth with it a great desire For many thinges shall come to passe which shall touch vs no whit and we ouerslip them yea and although they be for our commoditie yet is not for vs to say that we altogether rest in them And a man may haue a great number of things and yet not be contented For it is possible that he hath not the principall or els that hée hath not the whole But the Prophet sheweth that the Sonne of God shal be throughly satisfied neuer respecting him selfe when as hée shall sée that hée hath gotten vnto him his Church and that poore sinners shal be deliuered from the curse wherein they were and so be reconciled vnto God for the obtayning of the heauenly enheritance To be short wée sée here that our Lorde Iesus neuer respected his owne person but was rauished with the loue of vs wherin hée sought his whole contentment and felicitie as if that had béene his onely desire loue and care Now we haue againe here to note that if so be we looke for the benefite which our Lorde Iesus Christ purchased for vs by Fayth which is dayly offred vnto vs by the Gospell wée shall neuer be voide of our hope For the Prophet sayeth That hee shall see by which hée expresseth that God doeth not onely meane to shewe his mercy vnto vs in the person of his Sonne when as hée deliuered him to death But will bring it also to passe by his holy spirite that this his death shall not be fruitlesse and that many shall see finde by experience that it was not in vayne nor for naught that hée suffred so great tormentes And therefore let vs embrase our Lorde Iesus Christ to the end we drawing neare vnto him by fayth might be made partakers of the fruite of his death passion and let vs be assured that whēsoeuer we shal at any time estrange our heartes from him that God will not adde this benefit with the rest that as his wil was that his Sonne should be our Redéemer euen so also should we truly enioy the benefit which he hath brought vs and vnderstande that it was not in vaine that hée suffred such cruell torments for vs. And this is the thing which we are to consider of out of this place As for the second point which is propounded it is here shewed that Iesus Christ should not onely be beaten scourged and afflicted by the hand of God his father that he might beare the chastisement which wée were woorthie of but that his soule also shoulde bée gréeued and vexed It is not héere said that hée shall sée the fruite of his strypes affliction and death as the Prophet had before saide But also the fruite of the trauayle and griefe of his soule For the woordes which hée vseth importeth as much And therefore hée meant to expresse that Iesus Christ was not onely crucified after hée had aboad the gréeuous tormēts in his bodie but that hée should goe a great deale farther to wyt that hée should be heauy and sory for vs and suffer the sorrowes of death and be euen subiect theretoo for our iustification And to say truly to what purpose had it bin if our Lord Iesus Christ had but openly suffred in the sight of the world For if he had suffred but in body hee should then haue bin a Redéemer of bodies onely But because the principall matter why wée should beléeue in him is that we might féele and be fully persuaded that death shal be no more deadly vnto vs and that wée are freed from the curse of God it was méet that our Lord Iesus shoulde féele these pointes in himselfe so comming before God might be as a wretched malefactor before his Iudge For we know that the sin of man brought not with it a temporall death onely but also a féeling of the enmitie of God and of his horrible iudgement against vs. And what is that Forsooth the most insupportable and terrible thing that possibly may be And therfore it was méet that our Lord Iesus shuld be driuen theretoo for our deliuerance and this is it whiche the Prophet at this present declareth vnto vs. And héere we sée a great deale the better howe God hath loued vs and what the infinite Treasures of his grace and goodnesse are which hée hath powred out vpon vs. Moreouer wee may also verie well vnderstande what care and zeale our Lorde Iesus Christ had ouer our saluation when as hée forced not to make his owne bodie answere the satisfaction of our sinnes but also to bring him selfe into such an horrible feare as one that should féele the iudgement of God who layde holde on him as vpon him who had deserued the curse which God had pronounced from his owne mouth to wyt that it was the verie thing to swallowe vs vp into hell and a gulfe vtterly to destroy vs. And therefore it was méete that Iesus Christ should féele all this Nowe to say the trueth when wée sée that hée had thereby sweat water and blood Luk. 22.3 and that the Angels came downe to comfort him this could not choose but be an wonderfull extream sorrow and griefe séeing the like example had neuer béen séene all the worlde ouer Thus we sée the meaning of these wordes Of the trauaile or griefe of the soule of our Lorde Iesus Christ Nowe it is true as Saint Peter sayeth that the sorrowes of hell could not hold him vnder howbeit it was méet hée should striue with them Act. 2.24 and in the end hée had the victorie ouer them but it was not without great and painefull fight Moreouer wée are presently to gather out of this place that although wée must dye wée must
not therefore say that the death and passion of Christ was not effectual nor yet profited vs so much as was expedient because the death wherevnto wée are nowe subiect is but a warning vnto vs of the curse of God For if wée were clearely exempt from death we should then neuer know the grace which was purchased for vs by our Lorde Iesus Christ And we also knowe what néede we haue to bée humbled and that God maketh vs alwayes to féele his wrath For although we were altogether exempt thereof yet ought we to think still of it to the ende we might grone by reason of our sinnes and therefore magnifie his mercy so much the more Wherefore the death to speake properly which all men now dye as it were is not deadly to those which haue faith in Iesus Christ because they passe out of this life to liue vnto God And therefore when we dye wée are to comfort our selues and reioyce because we know that God will be mercifull vnto vs and conuert the euill into good make death which before brought with it a mortall wound to serue for a plaister And howe is that Forsooth because we shall vnderstande that God will not become a seuere Iudge vnto vs poure out his vengeance vpon vs when as we bring Iesus Christ with vs to shewe that hée hath made satisfaction for vs. And therfore death hath not taken such fearefull holde on vs as to confound vs and bring vs to dispaire Ioh. 6.39 10.28 But doe come fréely to put our selues into the handes of God For as it said that Iesus Christ commended his soule vnto God his Father Let vs vnderstand that it was to make him Gardaine of our soules and therefore may wée commende them most assuredly into his handes because hée hath said that whatsoeuer is giuen to him to kéepe shall neuer perish Thus then we sée to what ende this anguish of our Lorde Iesus Christ serueth and that ouer and besides he aboad death and the rest of the tormentes yet had hée also this terrour of the féeling of God to be his Iudge as if hée shoulde haue suffred the paynes of hell Nowe it is so farre off that this is any whit derogatorie from his Maiestie as that it is to make vs a great deale the better vnderstand howe greatly hée estéemed of our saluation and how deare and precious we and our soules were vnto him And therefore although hée was made of no reputation as before hath béen séene and had neither fourme nor fashion why men shoulde be desirous of him yet was this his light estimation of him to exalte him so much the more And in déede although God shewed his highnesse and infinite Maiestie in the creation of the worlde yet haue we a farre more large cause to glorifie God in the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ because Iesus Christ abased and humbled him selfe for vs and for our saluation and although hée was not robbed of his diuine Maiestie yet laye it hyd for a time and was neuer perceiued by any man And this is in summe that which the Prophet here handleth as concerning the payne and greefe of our Lord Iesus Now we sée herein that hée forgot him selfe as it were and neuer cared for him selfe and the reason is because hée was altogether giuen to saue vs And so answered for vs both in bodie and soule and was our onely pledge And in this we sée that the verie curres who would at this day abolish this doctrine haue neyther faith nor religion in them but bark at it like Mastifes they know not why nor wherfore And although our Popish hypocrites who vnderstand this but by halfes are yet notwithstanding howsoeuer the world goeth driuen to confesse that Iesus Christ felt most terrible panges In déed they were neuer able fully to define of al that was in it But yet how euer it commeth to passe they iumble partly at it Notwithstanding there are here a company of villaynes more Monkish thē they which liue in their Celles in those stews out of which they come who haue brought their stench infectiō into the Church of God And therefore this is most certaine that these Dogges which at this day carry the name of Ministers and do also occupie that place and yet make a Swynes stye of the Church of God being like Dogges without all religion and goe about nothing els but to deface and put out of mens mindes all the grace of God and whatsoeuer els our Lord Iesus Christ hath done for vs. Now when we sée that Satan hath thus pushed them forward as to become like shamelesse whores we ought so much the rather to consider of this Article of our faith which is That Iesus Christ was not onely condemned of Pylate being an earthly Iudge to the end we might be pardoned before God his Father and not only crucified that wée might be deliuered from the curse that hée did not onely suffer death that we might be freed from it But also that we at this day might haue peace of conscience and be glad in that we féele the fatherly loue of our God and so may be bolde to call vpon him with open mouth being assured that he will receiue vs that we shal be acceptable vnto him And it was méet that Iesus Christ should be plunged in these horrors which he felt it was also méete that he who was the immaculate Lambe of God should be made like vnto a wretched malefactor and that hée who was the mirror paterne of all holinesse perfection should answere for vs and become our Borrow euen to that verie pinch as if hée shoulde haue béen condemned vnto the bottomlesse pit of hel Moreouer he vanquished ouercame all these sorowes as we haue before said but yet he wrestled stoutly against them first Thus we sée what the meaning of Isaiah is when he saith that Iesus Christ must sée trauels griefes in his soule howbeit we sée that he was notwithstanding well contented and fully satisfied therwith alwayes prouided that we might be redeemed by that meane And therfore wée may at this day be so much the more bold knowing that if we haue a true obedience of fayth whereby to receiue the inestimable benefite which our Lorde Iesus Christ hath obtained for vs wée may féele that hée suffred not all these torments for vs in vaine Wherfore our vnthankfulnesse shall be so much the more inexcusable when as we come not vnto him with such an earnest zeale to enioy this inestimable benefite whereinto he is entred and whereof hée hath in our behalfe taken possession hauing tolde vs that hée hath reconciled vs vnto God his Father who is readie to receiue vs as his children Thus we sée in summe what we haue to consider of in this place Now the Prophet goeth on farther and saith That by his knowledge my righteous seruant shall iustifie many As for this word
Diuers Sermons of Master Iohn Caluin concerning the Diuinitie Humanitie and Natiuitie of our Lorde Iesus Christe As also touching his Passion Death Resurrection Ascention togeather with the comming downe of the holy Ghoste vpon his Apostles and the first Sermon of S. Peter The order of which you shall finde in the Page ensuing ¶ At London printed for George Byshop 1581. The order and number of the Sermons conteined in this Booke The first Sermon of the Diuinitie of Christe taken out of the first Chapter of Saint Iohns Gospel One Sermon of the Natiuitie of Christ taken out of the second Chapter of Saint Luke Nine Sermons of his Passion death buriall and resurrection taken out of the xxvj of Saint Matthew Seuen Sermons of the mysterie of his death and passion taken out of the Lij and Liij Chapters of Isaiah Fower Sermons of his Ascention and of the commandement which hee gaue vnto his Apostles taken out of the first of the Actes Fowre Sermons of the descending of the holy Ghost at Whitsuntide and of Peter his first Sermō taken out of the second of the Acts. One Sermon of the latter comming of our Lord Iesus Christ taken out of the first Chapter of the second Epistle to the Thessalonians To the right honorable Edward de Veere Earle of Oxonford Vicunt Bulbacke Lord of Escales and Badlesmere and Lorde great Chamberlaine of England The Lorde God graunt increase a liuely and true faith and continuance in the zeale of the blessed religion of our alone Sauiour Iesus Christe for euer IT is impossible right honorable for a man to turne himselfe any kinde of way heere in this world either in calling to minde generally the heauens and earth either yet particulerly the glorious garnishing light brightnes mouings of the one and the great plentie of all sortes of beasts foules and fruits of the other together with the infinite diuersitie of flowres wherewith God by his heauenly wisedome and goodnesse euery yeere afreshe meruellously clotheth and repareth them as it were with rich and beautifull attyres and colours But that hee as often I say as hee beholdeth these so wonderful works of his maiestie muste euen so often needes confesse that there is set before his eyes a most large matter argument for him to glorifie thee altogether good only omnipotēt God who hath not created all things for the vse of man only but also euen for his delight and pleasure For hee is so good and glorious a Father to all his children as that his very meaning is so wee take them modestly and thankfully to haue vs freely vse his benefits for our necessitie yea and receiue them with pleasure and delight without scruple of conscience For els to what purpose should we haue created such a number of sortes of fruites differing in substance strength and nurriture of so sundry shapes in greatnes thicknes colour in smel tast sauor except it had bin both to strēghtē delight vs For doth wine onely strengthen our bodies doth it not likewise as Dauid reckoneth it amōgst the benefites of the Almighty glad the heart of man And therefore what is hee that can bee so blockish as not to thinke as much generally of all the rest of the benefites of God which he dayly bestoweth vpon vs for the sustening of our bodies Yet notwithstanding this were not enough for vs hereupon to acknowledge as our dutie is the fatherly care which hee hath ouer our present life in administring to vs whatsoeuer is needfull for the same except wee eftsoones learned also heereby that hee alone who principally is the father of our soules for it is hee that hath created and regenerated them giueth the foode of euerlasting life vnto them by the bread of his holy word to the end we might be drawn as it were by degrees by our bodily food to attaine vnto spirituall life and thereby eternally liue in blisse which neuer shal haue end And in deed the eternall God brought the children of Israel heereunto by that Manna wherwith he fed them in the wildernesse Whereupon it will come to passe that if we doe as many of thē did who made none other reckoning but of stuffinge their paunches and thereby looked into none other matter that wee also shal die euen as they did For as it is impossible for vs to liue heere in this world without the vse of bread and other food which God the Creator hath ordeined as means wherby he adioyning thereto his heauenly power would susteine vs in this corporal life Euen so likewise is it as impossible for vs to be partakers of euerlasting life except we be fed with this food of the soule wherewith being appointed by God to the same end the holy Ghoste serueth as it were for an instrument to cause vs possesse through a liuely and true faith Christe Iesus who is alone giuen to vs for life and without whom we continually abide in death Wherefore seeing the soule is more excellent then the body the heauenly bread more precious then corruptible bread and euerlasting life farre more worth then the transitory life for a day it is most certaine that heauenly benefits are without al comparison a great deale more excellent then corporal and to be preferred before them Now if wee woulde at the least consider as in deede wee ought what a benefite were it to haue the true feare and knowledge of God in steede of being altogether ignorant thereof and contemning the same to trust surely in him alone in stead of trusting too too muche vnto our selues vnfeinedlye to loue our neighbors in steade of enuying and hating of them before wee are regenerate and to haue a pure and sounde heart belonging to euerlasting life in steade of all iniquitie wherein wee bathe and feede our selues as fish in the water To bee short if wee thinke it no small matter that all supernaturall giftes altogether abolished in man through sinne be restored to vs through Christ Iesus alone and that reason vnderstanding iudgement will and other such naturall giftes which man had of his Creator howbeit corrupted by the same fall be likewise through the same Sauiour renued in vs and to speake in one word if the image of God which was defaced by man his disobedience bee repaired in vs by our Redeemer who alone hath recōciled vs to God his Father cleansing vs from our sinnes making vs his brethren and enheritors of the kingdome of heauen freed from the tyranny of sinne and of the Deuill empouerishing himselfe to make vs Princes and companions with Angels and by his death recouering vs life If these inestimable benefites I say be not lightly considered of vs we should esteeme of them as it is good reason aboue all other things yea we should leaue forsake all other things to seeke and enioy them and neuer bee wearied with any paine neither yet faint hearted seeing it is the bread of the word of God
vs but because that God had compassion of our miseries as it is also saide in Iohn That God so loued the worlde Iohn 3.16 as that hée spared not to deliuer his onely begotten Sonne to death for vs. And therefore let vs after this manner come vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe to wit that the message which is héere published vnto vs by the Angels might bée a burning Lanterne to shew vs the way faith to bée our guide so that wée might vnderstande that hée is nowe God in vs because he is God with vs. For as I haue alreadie saide hée is declared to bée our God with vs when as hée meant to dwell in our humane nature as in his temple But hée is nowe God in vs. That is to say wée féele him conioyned to vs in farre greater power then when hée shewed and declared himselfe a mortal man Yea for he is nowe both God and man in vs. For first hée quickneth vs by the power of his holy spirite and hée is besides man in vs because hée maketh vs pertakers of the Sacrifice which hée offered vp for our saluation and declareth vnto vs that it was not without cause that hee saide that his fleshe was meate indéede and his blood drinke in déede And therefore wée sée why the holy Table is made ready for vs to wit to the end that wée knowing our Lord Iesus to bée descended héere belowe Iohn 6.35 and vtterly abased yet that hée is not for all that separated from vs although hée bée ascended into the heauens in glory and maiestie But rather vpon this condition that wée might bée partakers of his body and blood And why so For wée knowe that his righteousnesse and obedience was the satisfaction for our sinnes and hath appeased the wrath of God through the Sacrifice whiche hée offered of his body and blood in the same humane nature which hée tooke vpon vs. Since thē it is so let not vs doubt when Iesus Christ biddeth vs to this Table although wee can perceiue nothing els but bread wine but that hee verily dwelleth in vs and wee so surely knit vnto him that there is nothing which is his but hée will communicate the same to vs. Let vs therefore I say acknowledge this to the end we might know to make our profit of this Sacrament which he himselfe hath established and let vs vnderstande that so often as wée receiue the same that hée might verie well haue deliuered vs by some other meane from the bottomelesse pitte of Condemnation wherein wée were if it had pleased him but that his meaning was to graunte vs more assurance of the loue hée beare vs when as we haue Iesus Christ for a pawne because we might séeke after our saluation in him and acknowledge that wée are no manner of way whatsoeuer able to reioyce vntill suche time as hée bée geuen vs as it were amongest vs and bée so néere vs as that by his meanes wée might bée brought to the kingdome of heauen whereof wée were depriued by reason of our sinnes And thus wée sée that Iesus Christ must bée the ready way for our saluation if euer wée intend to come vnto God desire to haue a true spirituall ioy and a spirituall contentation and quietnesse and if wee also desire to bee armed against all the temptations wherewith Satan is able to attempt vs. But and if wée will be partakers of this holie table let vs consider wel with our selues in the first place acknowledge our miseries and be displeased and vtterly ashamed of them Moreouer let vs acknowledge and confesse that God meant to asswage all our sorowes griefes when as hée so liberally shewed himselfe in his onelye begotten Sonne and would haue vs fully and wholy ioye in him And although we be subiect to many miseries in this world and are besieged with enimies like vnto rauening woolues so that the deuill ceaseth not to make a pray of vs and the Infidelles barke at vs like mastyfe curres although I say wée be on euery side troubled and threatned and although we must abyde many griefes Philip. 4.7 yet let vs hold this for a most sure ground that wée shall haue alwayes peace in our God and let vs beséech him that he will make vs féele it by his holy spirite because it is a thing that surpasseth all mans reason as we haue already touched of S. Paule and learne to bée so contented with our Lord Iesus Christ and with the spirituall benefites wherof we are pertakers as that we may patiently abide all the afflictions and miseries of this worlde And besides let vs beséeche him that wée take it not in euill parte to bée contemned and on euery side troubled to bée short to bee put too all reproche and shame so that Iesus Christe bée with vs and blesseth all our myseries and afflictions and that wée bryng foorth suche fruite thereby as that it may bee knowne that in the middest of all our miseries wée desire nothing els but the glofiyng of our GOD. And where the worldlinges triumphe to their shame and confusion because all their ioy is too striue against GOD Let our true ioy bée too serue him in all feare and humilitie and yeelde our selues wholy to his obedience And héere wée sée the way by which wée must make our profite vpon this doctrine Let vs nowe fall downe before the Maiestie of our good GOD and acknowledge our faultes beséechyng hym too make vs more and more to féele them that héereby we may learne to submit our selues vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe knowyng that if wee bée separated from him all our whole life and whatsoeuer benefites els wee receiue from GOD shall turne to our most gréeuous condemnation And that wée maye féele his death and passion to bée communicated vnto vs and bee taken for the members of his body to the ende the afflictions whiche wée shall abide héere in this worlde may be so many helpes and furtherances vnto saluation So that wée may all saye O moste Mightie GOD and Heauenlie Father c. The first Sermon of the passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ Math Cap. xxvi 36 Then went Iesus with them into a place called Gethsemane and saide vnto his Disciples Sit ye here while I goe and pray yonder 37 And he tooke Peter and the two Sonnes of Zebedeus and beganne to waxe sorrowful and grieuously troubled 38 Then sayde Iesus vnto them my Soule is very heauy euen vnto the death tarie yee here and watch with me 39 So he went a little farther and fel on his face and praied saying O my Father if it be possible Let this cup passe from me Neuerthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt WHen any thing is spoken which concerneth our saluation The scripture setteth before vs thrée endes The one is That wée might know the inestimable loue which GOD beareth vs to the end wée might glorifie him therfore as he is worthy The
second That wée should abhorre our sinnes as we ought and to bée truely ashamed to humble our selues before the Maiestie of our GOD. The thirde that wée might in such sorte estéeme of our saluation as that it might make vs forsake the worlde and whatsoeuer thinge else belongeth vnto this transitorie lyfe and to bée in loue with this enheritaunce which was so déerely purchased for vs. And héere we sée whereon we must cast our eies and bestow all our senses when it is told vs that the Sonne of GOD hath redéemed vs from euerlasting death and purchased for vs euerlasting lyfe Wée must therefore in the first place learne to render vnto God the prayse due vnto him Now to say truely he might if hée had pleased haue deliuered vs from the bottomelesse depthes of death after an other sorte But his good will was largely to bestow and powre vpon vs the treasures of his infinite goodnesse when as hée spared not his onely sonne And our Lord Iesus would héerein giue vs an excellent pawne of his wonderful care towardes vs when as he offred himselfe willingly to death For we shal neuer bée touched to the quick nor enflamed to praise our God without we on the other side doe examine our estate and be as it were throwne downe into the bottomlesse pit of hell knowing what a thing it is to haue prouoke his wrath and to becom our mortall enimie hauing him as a terrible and fearefull Iudge so that it were a great deale better that heauen and earth and all the creatures had conspyred against vs then that wée shoulde once come néere his Maiestie so long as he is against vs. Wherfore it is very méete that sinners should be wounded with the féeling and conceiuing of their sinnes that they might know themselues to bée most miserable and feare their estate to the end they might thereby knowe how greatly they are beholden and bounde vnto God in that he hath compassion vpon them and séeing them in a desperate case hath very good will to helpe them without regard of any their worthinesse but onlie for their myseries sake And so also is it as we haue already saide because we are too too much intangled here below and when as God calleth vs vnto him our mindes and affections so kéepe vs backe as that we had néed to make much of the heauenly life as it is woorthy and knowe with how déere a price it was purchased for vs. And héere wée sée why it is told vs that our Lorde Iesus Christ did not only meane to suffer death and offered himselfe a Sacrifice to appease the the wrath of God his Father but also to the ende that hée might truely and indéede be our pledge he refused not to abide the anguishes and griefes which were prepared for all such as in conscience are touched and féele themselues guiltie of euerlasting death and condemnation before God Let vs then heare rightly note that the Sonne of God was not contented to offer vp his fleshe and blood and yéeld himselfe vnto death but would withall appeare before the iudgement seate of GOD in the name and person of all sinners ready there to be condemned and that because he beare our burden And therefore we must not be ashamed séeing the sonne of God hath submitted him selfe to such an infirmitie Neither was it without cause that Saint Paule exhorteth vs not to be ashamed of the preaching of the Crosse albeit it be to some foolishnesse and an offence to many For the more that our Lord Iesus Christ was humbled we sée thereby that the offences for the which wée were in arrerages and behinde with God could not be abolished without great extremitie And in déed we know that he was made weake that wée might be made strong by his power and besides hée would abide all our sufferinges sinne excepted to the ende hée might be readie at this day to helpe vs. For if hée had not felte in his owne person the feares doubtes and torments which we endure he would not be so enclined to be mercifull vnto vs as hée is Wée say that he who knoweth not what hunger and thirst meaneth will neuer be stirred vp to haue compassion vpon those that féele it because they haue alwayes taken their ease and liued in pleasure Now it is true that although God in his owne nature suffereth not any of our passions yet ceaseth hée not for all that to be curteous vnto vs but that is because hée is the fountayne of all goodnesse and mercy Neuerthelesse to the end we might be assured that our Lord Iesus Christ knoweth our weaknes to help it that we might come the boldlier vnto him haue a more familiar accesse The apostle saith Hebr. 2.10 that he would for the same cause be tēpted euen as we are So then we haue to obserue in this text which we haue read that whē our Lord Iesus was come into this village of Gethsamene namely into the Mount Oliuet it was to offer him self willingly to death And herein his will was to be discharged of the office charge that was committed vnto him For why cloathed he him self with our flesh nature without it were to repaire all our rebellions through his obedience to the end to purchase vs full perfect righteousnes before God his Father And therefore offered he him self to death because we might not be reconciled by any other meane neither yet appease the wrath of God prouoked by sin but by this onely obedience Thus we sée why the Sonne of God came fréely vnto the place where he knew that Iudas should finde him And let vs knowe that it so fell out because our father Adam through his transgression had throwne vs all downe headlōg into the bottomlesse depth that the sonne of God who had power ouer all creatures might be subiect and take vpon him the state of a seruant as he is likewise called the seruant of God of all his Sée also why S. Paul Isaiah 42.1 in shewing vs how we must stay our selues when we call vpon God with full assurance be heard as his children saith that we are reputed righteous through the obedience of our Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 5.19 For this is as it were a cloake to couer all our sinnes offences so that the thing that might hinder vs for the obteining of grace might not come into a reckoning before God But we on the contrary part sée that the price of our redemption cost very deare when as our Lord Iesus Christ was so tormented that hee aboad the very terror feare of death insomuch that hée sweat droppes of blood was as it were lyke one besides himselfe desiring if it were possible that hée might escape that distresse And therfore since we sée it to be thus it is good for vs to come to the acknowledging of our sinnes For it is no time for vs to rocke our selues here
able to giue our selues either to one thing or other but that we shall swarue from the right rule yea and spurne as it were dispituously against his Maiestie And therefore what conflict is it that wée can set in order to doe any good For when we sée that our Lord Iesus Christe in whom was nothing but purenesse and righteousnesse was not able to submit himself vnto God his father without he had denied himselfe is it not to bee doubted that we are any way able throughly to performe it Let vs then learne to fight more couragiously But because we see we cannot and that all our strength and power bendeth it selfe rather to doe euill and not one droppe of goodnesse in our nature but so weake as that wée shoulde be ouercome an hundred times euery minute of an houre let vs come to him that was made weake that wée might as S. Paule saieth be filled with his power And therefore since our Lorde Iesus Christe hath thus denied him selfe let vs learne if wée will bée his Disciples to doe the like And because wée sée that wée cannot of our selues attaine thereto but goe altogether backewarde let vs beséeche him 2. Cor. 13.4 that hée woulde by the power of his holy spirite haue dominion in vs to strengthen vs as it is said that hée suffered in the infirmitie of his fleshe but was raised vp againe through the power of the spirite that we might bée partakers of the afliction which hée susteined and féele the fruit and excellencie of his power in vs. Heere nowe wée sée in effect what it is that wée must beare in minde when it is saide that Christe gaue ouer his owne will that hee might fully and wholy submit himselfe vnto God his Father Notwithstanding we haue heere continually to remember that the Sonne of GOD determined not onely to set foorth himselfe héere for an example or glasse but to shew vs how dearely our saluation cost him For the Deuill meaning to darken the infinite grace of GOD which hath béene shewed vs hath saide That Iesus Christe was onely as it were a patterne of all vertue For marke how these hypocriticall pratling Iacke dawes in Popery behaue them selues who although they cannot set down what obedience is nor yet what it is to forsake a mans selfe yet they say that whatsoeuer the Euangelist hath written of Iesus Christe is to this ende that wée shoulde followe him and bée like vnto him Now this is somewhat But yet not all neither the principall matter For an Angell might very well haue béene sent to haue tolde vs that wee muste followe him But when Iesus Christe became the redéemer of the worlde hée of his owne good will submitted himselfe vnto this miserable condition as héere wée see And therefore must wée alwayes vnderstande that when wée can finde nothing in our selues that may giue vs any hope of saluation it remaineth that wée must séeke for that in him which is wanting in vs. For wee are neuer able to obteine the grace and fauour of GOD nor yet come néere him without wee come as poore Beggers vnto Iesus Christe which can neuer bee doone vntyll such time as we knowe our miseries and wants and to be short except we know vtterly our vnablenesse wee sée then what it is that wee are to remember to the end that after we haue vnderstood that the whole perfection of our life is to obey God and to forsake our affections and thoughts and whatsoeuer els that is in our nature which is to make vs agréeable vnto him when wee vnderstand this much we must craue at the handes of God that which we haue not And that wée might know also that our Lorde Iesus Christ is not deliuered vnto vs for an example onely but is eft soones declared vnto vs that if we be separated from him our life must néedes bee accursed and that in death we sée the bottomlesse depthes of the curse and that gulfe of Gods wrath to swallowe vs quite vp and that not onely one feare but a million of feares haue laide fast holde on vs and al the creatures of God crie for vengeance on our behalfe And therfore let vs haue this féeling because we might acknowledge our sinnes sigh and be ashamed of our selues and take boldnesse to come vnto God with true humilitie and repentance Let vs likewise estéeme of the goodnesse and mercy of our God as héere is shewed vs and haue our mouthes wide open to pay vnto him the Sacrifice of thanksgiuing and depart from the inticements of Satan who hath pitched his nettes to holde vs still in this worlde Let vs also leaue our commodities and pleasures that wee might come vnto this heauenly inheritance which hath béen so dearely purchased for vs and because we haue to communicate the Supper of the Lorde the next Sunday and that God after he hath opened vnto vs the kingdom of heauen setteth before vs a spirituall banket let vs bée so much the more touched with this doctrine And to say the trueth when wée dayly eate and drinke for the refreshing of our hungry bodies God therein sheweth vs sufficiently that he is our father and careth for these earthly bodies insomuch that we cannot eate one morsell of bread but that it witnesseth vnto vs that God is careful ouer vs. But in the Supper is a speciall reason for God doth not there fill our bellies but lifteth our mindes vp into the kingdome of heauen hee setteth before vs our Lorde Iesus Christe his sonne for meate and drinke And Iesus Christe is not onely contented to receiue vs to his Table but intendeth therewith to bee our féeder for hee sheweth vs in effect that his fleshe is meate in déede and his blood drinke indéede Wherefore when wée sée our Lorde Iesus thus gently to bid vs vnto him are not wée too too villanous if we holde not our selues back from doing of any thing that may withdraw vs from him And although we come but as men trailing our legges after vs yet let vs stil be displeased with our sins that we might obey him and streine our selues so much as is possible to be rid of this worlde and come to the kindgdome of heauen And therefore let euery one consider to what ende the holy Supper serueth For when we see that our Lord Iesus calleth vs vnto it that we might be partakers of his death and passion let vs inioy the fruite which he hath obteined for vs by that meane be fully resolued that God alloweth vs for his children and with open mouth claime him for our father Let vs also bring with vs a true faith because we knowe wherefore God the father sent our Lorde Iesus vnto vs and is at this day a Mediator as he hath alwayes béen And thereupon set vs labour to bée so vnited to him as that we may knowe that this is not onely spoken to euery of vs in particuler but to euery of vs in
the dutie of euerie man as much as lyeth in him to roote and blot out this filthy infection and yet when we haue all done God will haue a number of Iudasses continually to be in it For since it was figured in Dauid and perfourmed in our Lord Iesus Christ it is méet that wée should be made like vnto him according to that saying of Saint Paule for he beare as it were the ensignes Rom. 8.29 and badges of the house of God being the first born of all the faithful And therfore our estate ought to be like vnto his But we may here sée that this is spoken of a troubled cōscience when as God sendeth a troubled frantike or blockishe minde whereof he oftentimes speaketh by his Prophetes Wherefore let vs here looke vpon Iudas who sheweth the rewarde of those which wittingly fight against God that they must néedes become so desperate as that there is in them neyther sense nor reason and yet notwithstanding altogether goe about hypocritically to hide it vntill such time as God spyte of their téethes draweth and bringeth them vnto their last condemnation It shoulde séeme at the first sight that these two thinges shoulde bée contrarie the one to the other that a man shoulde runne his head against God lyke a wylde Bull and so forget him as to doe nothing else but spit at the Sonne and be angrie with nature and yet notwithstanding goeth about to hyde him selfe with subtlenes and thinketh to haue gotten something through his hypocrisie It may be saide that these two thinges agrée not verie well together But we sée them agrée well enough in Iudas For he had founde by good proofe the heauenly power of our Lorde Iesus Christ for his owne part had both séene and done a number of myracles in his name And although he knewe the Sonne of God to be Lord both of life and death yet betrayeth hée him and biddeth them wisely to kéepe him for otherwise saith hée hée will soone be gone and escape from you We sée héere then that Iudas was altogether without sence and reason and as it were like a frantike or madde man and yet by his kisse and faire wordes in saying Alas good Maister hée thought by these shiftes honestly to discharge him selfe But sée howe Satan bleareth their eyes whom hée holdeth within his nettes Let vs therefore learne in the first place to humble our selues to the ende none of vs spurne against this so hard a stone to wit that we make not warre against our Lorde Iesus Christ And therefore let vs beware howe wée lift vp our selues in so deuilishe a rage as to fight against the trueth and so skirmishe agaynst our consciences as wittingly to prouoke the wrath of God against vs as if wée woulde stande at defiaunce with him Let vs I say take héde of this thing and in the meane while let vs not so flatter our selues in our hypocrisie and fonde deuises least in the ende wée deceiue and beguile our selues For wee sée howe it fell out with Iudas as the storie telleth vs he néeded no iudge to condemne him nor yet to bée enforced to vnsay that hée had saide But hée confessed that hée had solde and betrayed innocent blood And yet craued hée not pardon for his misdéed but went and desperately hung him selfe and therewithall his bowelles burst out Acts. 18. Let vs therefore be well aduised how wée suffer Satan to haue any such entraunce into vs least hée cleane put out our eyes when as wée shall lye sléeping in our sinnes and thinke by such meanes to escape the hande of God Psal 2. 12. and let vs put farre from vs this hypocrisie And besides let vs knowe that wée are commaunded to kisse the Sonne of God But to this ende to reuerence him as our King and as the souereigne Lorde ouer all creatures For this saying to kisse importeth nothing else but a reuerence and solemne protestation that wée are his as hée sayeth yée call mée Maister and therein you doe well But let vs when we come vnto him bée well aduised not to call him Maister at the tongues ende and in the meane while are no better then his enemies and make an hypocriticall kinde of reuerence Iohn 13.13 and kicke against him with the héele That is to say Let vs not become like Rebelles and disloyall Roges but shewe our selues to haue sought none other meanes then to kéepe vs within his Church to the ende wée might serue our God Let vs then take héede vnto all this Moreouer although the wordes of our Lord Iesus Christ did not at the first shewe their effect in Iudas yet in the ende by the vertue of the same wordes yet it fell out that hée hung him selfe Ioh. 18.6 without looking for any other condemnation And in verie déede S. Iohn telleth vs how our Lord Iesus Christ hath thundred although hée vseth but few wordes against them who came to séeke him saying I am hee Beholde what a bande Pylate the Gouernour of the countrie sent and what a number of people the Priestes had gotten together and sent them out furnished with Clubs swords and staues and Iesus Christ is him selfe alone Isaiah 53.7 and as Isaiah sayeth of him lyke a Lambe brought to the shambles And what were the wordes hee spake forsooth euen this I am hee And by and by they all went backe and fell foorthwith to the grounde Wherevpon came this falling Herein we sée that although our Lord Iesus Christ humbled him self for a time yea and was made of no reputation yet kept he with him when he thought good his heauenly power that he might throw downe headlong all his enemies whensoeuer it pleased him Let vs nowe compare our time with the time that was then It fell out that Iesus Christ was tied and fast nayled as hereafter we shall see and must cease to bee Lord ouer his enemies For Satan had let goe the raynes to push them on into all furie and crueltie Luke 22.53 And this is it wherof S. Luke speaketh This is the power of darknesse But how euer it was in thus saying I am he it so fell out that the enemies were confounded and ashamed What will he then doe when he commeth in Maiestie with all his Angels When he shall make a footestoole of all those that haue resisted him When he commeth with a terrible countenance incomprehensible wrath According to the saying of Paul to the Thessalonians Thess 2. ◠How then shall the wicked and contemners of the Maiestie of God of the word of our lord Iesus Christ stand before his face when as he so ouerthrew his enemies euen then when hée was readie to suffer and vse none other defence then the same which God his Father vsed for as he saide hée could haue called to haue had a million of Angelles to bée sent him but he would not and yet his meaning was to shew that
héereupon the Euangelist telleth That there was a vessel ful of vineger yea as before hath béene saide mingled with Gall and that one tooke a Réed or as Saint Iohn saith a long Isop braunch and tyed a spunge at the ende therof to put it to the mouth of our Lord Iesus Now Saint Iohn speaketh of this matter more distinctly For hée saith That Iesus Christe knowing that all thinges were ended saide that hée was dry and thereupon saide againe It is finished Wée sée then what is héere for vs to note when this drinke was giuen to the sonne of God to wit that hée desired not to drinke because hée was drye for hée refused it as wée haue heretofore séene And why did hée so Because forsooth this drink was giuen him to shorten his life Nowe our Lorde Iesus meaning was altogether paciently and quietly to waite vpon the leasure of God his Father Thus we sée what the cause was why he would not hasten his death but helde himselfe quiet and obedient vntyll such time as all was finished although hee had not as yet yéelded vp the Ghost nor was risen againe for the meaning was that he had shewed his full obedience hytherto so that there was no let why he might not nowe render vp his soule vnto God his Father Héere wée then see howe this place is to bée vnderstood which is this that our Lorde Iesus declared that there wanted nothing to the finishing of our redemption sauing his departure out of the worlde which hee was very ready to doe and to yéelde his soule vnto God Wherefore when hee sawe that he had discharged the office of the Mediatour and had doone whatsoeuer was requisite for the appeasing of the wrath of GOD for our sakes and satisfied for our sinnes he determined to call for this drinke And héere is a most notable and excellent saying All is finished For this is certaine that our Lord Iesus spake not of any trifling or ordinary thing but hée meant that in his death we haue all whatsoeuer that is to bée had for our cōming vnto God and the obteining of his grace Not that his resurrection is héereby taken away but it is as much as if he had said that he had faithfully done his dutie and came not like an halfe Sauiour but perfourmed the charge committed vnto him euen to the vttermost leauing nothing of his fathers wil vnfulfilled And since it is so we are taught to put our trust fully and wholy in our Lorde Iesus Christe because wee knowe that euery part and percell of our saluation is finished in that which hée hath done and suffered for vs. And héere wée sée also why his death is called an euerlasting Sacrifice by which the faithfull and chosen children of God are sanctified Will wée then be throughly assured that God is our father Would wée haue frée libertie to call vpon him Woulde wée haue peaceable and quiet consciences Woulde wée bée fully assured that wée are reputed for righteous that wée might be acceptable vnto God Let vs then abide in Christe Iesus and wander neither to nor fro and knowe that in him lieth all perfection They therfore which séeke after other helpes would be supplied this way that as if there might bée something wanting in the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ doe cléerely forsake the power whereof wée now speak To bée short they trample the blood of our Lorde Iesus Christ vnder foote because they dishonor him And therefore what other thing is there in all Popery but an vtter deniall of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christe For inasmuche as they thinke to doe good workes which they call merites by which they thinke to purchase the fauour of God surely they deny the saying of our Lorde Iesus Christe All is finished And this prooueth it to bée so for when they thinke to bée saued before God and would bee pardoned of their sinnes whether runne they but vnto their foolish deuotions For euery man will frame vnto himselfe some masking mawmetrie at his pleasure so that all the religions of Popery is so many blasphemies to make this saying of our Lord Iesus Christe of none effect All is finished What shall wée then doe Let vs vnderstande that there is not a droppe of vertue nor merite in vs without wée come vnto this fountaine wherein is all fulnesse And thus we sée that our faith must be setled in our Lord Iesus Christe Moreouer let vs chiefely vnderstand that when hée offered himselfe for a Sacrifice that it was for the pardoning of vs for euer and as the Scripture saith to sanctifie vs perpetually And therefore let vs looke for none other sacrifice but him In very déed this abhominable diuelishe Masse is called in Popery a dayly sacrifice they say Psal 110.4 Heb. 7. 21. that Iesus Christ was once for al offered for a Sacrifice for the obteining of the forgiuenes of our sins yet neuertheles that hée must bé dayly offered vp which is manifest blasphemie because they falsly take vpon them the office which was appointed to our Lorde Iesus Christe whenas hée was ordeined to bée the onely euerlasting Priest yea and God bound it with an othe that his Priesthood shoulde last for euer And therefore when mortal men will thrust in themselues to come before God offer vp Iesus Christe doe they not robbe him of the honor which hée reserued vnto himselfe alone and which may not bée giuen to any other creature Since then it is so wée sée that these miserable blinde soules thinking to make peace with God prouoke his wrath and vengeance denying the death passion of our Lord Iesus Christe And therefore ought wée so much the more magnifie the grace of God for that hée hath drawne vs out of such a bottomelesse depth that when we thought to haue come néere him wée set our selues openly against him For wee rob him of the benefite of his death and passion when wée seeke after any other Sacrifice then that which he offered in his owne person Nowe it is saide That he cryed againe with a loude voice and yeelded vp the Ghoste and this was it Into thy hands I commit my soule or my spirite And héerein wee see that our Lord Iesus so fought against the sorrowes of death as that he became afterwarde a Conquerer and tryumphed because he had ouercome the hardest matter of al. And this is the thing which belongeth to vs to wit we must apply it vnto our owne vse For wee are assured that the sonne of God did not onely fight for vs but also that the victory which hee obteined for vs apperteineth vnto vs and that we shoulde not at this day be afeard of death because wée knowe that the curse of God which was so terrible is abolished and that death in stéede that it might haue deadly wounded vs serueth vs now for a medicine to yéelde vs life Nowe as hée had
before saide after the example of Dauid My God my God why hast thou forsaken mée Euen so likewise taketh hée at this present the prayer which Dauid made in the one and thirtie Psalme Into thy handes I commend my spirite In very déede Dauid saide these wordes when he was in the middest of all his dangers Psal 31.6 as if hée shoulde haue saide O Lorde I beséeche thée receiue mée into thy protection for my soule is as it were in my hands is there euen at randon for I sée how I am thrust out to all hazardes and my life hangeth as by a thréed and therefore thou must protect mée Wée sée héere then that Dauid by this prayer made God his protector and yet gaue hée not ouer but still called on him whenas he was at the point of death alwayes assuring himselfe that God woulde saue his chosen not only in defending thē héere in this worlde but also when hée calleth them vnto himselfe For the chiefest regarde that God hath on vs is this that when hée hath taken vs out of this worlde hee hideth vs vnder his winges that we might inioy his presence 2. Cor. 5.8 according to the saying of Saint Paule to the Corinthes For when our Lorde Iesus made this prayer hée sheweth that he died quietly whenas he ouercame all the combates which hee susteined for vs and triumpheth in our behalfes both for our profite and for our saluation And a none after he declareth by the same meanes that God is his Sauiour kéepeth his soule as a sufficient pledge For this much his request imported when he said My God thou shalt preserue my soule euen when I am dead When our Lorde Iesus speaketh after this sort it is as muche as if hée assured vs all that wee cannot doe amisse in submitting our selues vnto our GOD séeing that hée for the defending of vs vouchsafeth to take the charge of vs and that we shall neuer perish vnder his hand Now we haue eftsoones to consider that when Iesus Christ saide Into thy handes O Lorde I commend my spirite that hee obteined this priuiledge which Saint Stéeuen gaue him in the seuenth of the Acts Acts. 7.59 which is hée was made the preseruer of all our soules For what was it that S. Stéeuen saide when hee went to his death Forsooth these were his wordes Into thy hands O Lorde I commende my spirite And héere wée sée that Saint Stéeuen shewed the benefite of the request which Iesus Christe made to wit that wée may nowe come vnto him and that wee ought to doe so declaring that since God his Father had made him a Shephearde for vs that wee shoulde not doubt but to bée at peace come life come death knowing that all shall bee for our profite and turne to our benefite and as Saint Paule saieth that when hee had Iesus Christe hee had riches enough Phil. 1.21 and cared neither for life nor death for all shoulde be gayne vnto him Wherfore let vs nowe learne that when death shall assaile vs that Iesus Christe hath broken the sting which might haue stoong vs deadly to the heart and that death shall no longer hurte vs and that when our Lorde Iesus yéelded vp his Spirite vnto God his Father it was not onely to haue it conserued in his owne person but that hee myght haue this Priuiledge that ours might bee preserued eftsoones by the power of this request whenas wee shall come vnto him as vnto one vnder whose protection we cannot peryshe as hee himselfe declareth And this is that triumph wherof wee haue spoken which alreadie profiteth vs. For our Lorde Iesus sheweth howe precious his death is when as hee went so fréely vnto his Father as that wee might bee brought vnto him and to shewe vs the way But the principall point is this that wee might vnderstande what benefite wée receiue thereby because he hath cancelled the Obligation that was against vs that hée hath so purchased full satisfaction for our sinnes as that wee may bee bolde to come before God his Father so that death it selfe is no way able to harme nor hurt vs. And although wee see many thinges in vs which might make vs afearde through the féeling of our miseries let vs not for all that cease to glory in him who so abased himselfe for vs to the ende hée myght rayse vs vp with himselfe And although there is nothing in vs but shame and rebuke yet séeing that Iesus Christe hung vpon the Crosse God woulde haue him by the mouth of Pilate to bee called a King And so although the kingdome of our Lorde Iesus Christe is nothing estéemed of héere in this worlde yet let vs account it to bée the foundation of all our glory and let vs also vnderstande that although wée be put to shame vnder his conduct yet that wee haue whereof to reioyce because our estate shall be alwayes blessed forsomuch as that whatsoeuer miseries afflictions and rebukes wée shall abide are more honorable and precious before God then all the Scepters pompes and the most honourable thinges wherein wée take any pleasure and delight Thus wée sée how wee must come vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe and so stick vnto him as that we might vnderstand of what valure the riches are which he bringeth vs but especially when hée guideth vs by his Gospell let vs forsake all the commodities and pleasures of this world and also abhorre them whenas they shal withdrawe vs frō the right way To be short let our Lord Iesus haue the honor which he deserueth let not vs for our parts be like vnto Réedes carried with euery wind but being established in him let vs call vpon God we shall haue victory ouer life death ouer which he hath alreadie triumphed And besides let vs whiles we are yet in this worlde yéeld him this honour to wit euen to acknowledge that he is our defender which he will do whenas we truly come vnto him neither wil he I say doe it after an ordinary maner but euen myraculously For although death shoulde cast vs downe headlong yet is it his office to drawe vs out of it and guide vs vnto the heauenly inheritance which he so dearely hath purchased for vs. Let vs nowe fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God acknowledge our offences beséeching him that hee will make vs féele them otherwise then we haue done And that we might bee so touched with the lothing of them as that we might returne vnto our God with heartie repentance And not for a day onely but to cōtinue it with sighing and groning And although we shall beheld within this prison of bondage yet let vs alwayes lift vp our harts vnto the heauens and come familiarly vnto our God since he is so enclined to mercy and calleth vs of his owne accord without tarrying till wée séeke him And when wée see that our Lorde Iesus doeth not onely come néere vs to
haue to cōsider of in this place But because God worketh after a strange incomprehensible maner it shoulde confirme vs a great deale the more For if the Gospell were preached by men of great estimation so that kings and princes and al honourable estates euery where submitted thēselues vnto it that it might bee thus cōcluded whereunto we must sticke This is the heauenly trueth which we must agrée vnto And euery man is to fauour it and to put to all his force and substance Nowe this were like vnto a far groūd well tylled planted with trées vines sowen with wheat which at the world helpeth spareth for no cost When land then is this tilled hath raine in due season and should continue so euer after and to be short no cost to be spared Why Surely this were the very naturall kindly handeling of ground and therefore a man woulde thinke that God had not put his hande herevnto But when wée sée what disputations and resistances are at this day to oppresse the gospel what a number of hired tongues for the same purpose for not only the popish hypocrites at this day let out their tongues like cōmon harlots to blaspheme God his word but also a many of curres euen amongst vs yet shal we besides likewise see what crueltie they vse against the poore childrē of God laying cōtinually strange platfourmes to the deuising of Edict vpon Edict to bring this doctrine vtterly to naught We shall also sée at this day what vile and scornefull spéeches prophane men wil haue because they would abolish al religion And therefore when we looke vpon al these things we must néedes cōclude that God is aboue them al the doctrin victorious procéedeth frō him Wherfore this ought to confirme vs that although we sée there is nothing in the world to aduaunce the dominion of our Lord Iesus Christ the doctrine of his gospel but that al things rather hinder it yet notwithstanding that it findeth an entrāce kéepeth his course In the meane while we are conuinced of vnthākfulnes if we take any offence thereat séeing God calleth vs vnto himself sheweth vs that it is his hādy worke and therefore we must necessarily conclude that it is miraculous to sée the gospel thus prosper Thus we sée in summe how we must put in practise this doctrin in these daies Yet there is somthing more and that is this that Iesus Christ must be disfigured The Prophet hath already saide That hee should be like vnto a small twigge But that which is more he should bee contemned refused not once vouchsafed to be looked on neither should there be any thing in him that were to be desired And this is to declare that our Lord Iesus Christ should as we haue already said be vily estéemed of the world and suffer al reproch and shame as if men had not onely forsaken him but God also Now to séek our saluation which is a thing so greatly to be desired in him in whom is no kinde of likelihood this should seeme to be a great abuse And therefore if we wil come to Iesus Christ we must ouercome this tēptatiō Now this is a very necessary point first bicause the Iewes looked for an earthly kingdō for this was so couetous proud a natiō as that they thought god could not shew himself merciful vnto thē except he heaped on thē great riches of the worlde that they might liue gloriously in al pleasure thus we sée what a redemer it was that they looked for and yet had God throughly aduertised thē that the redemer should be like vnto a litle twig whō the world shuld refuse And this admonitiō was not only necessary for thē but also as necessary for vs euē at this day for this offēce remained after the resurrectiō of our Lord Iesus Christ for S. Luke saith that the Gentiles made a mocke as it were at Iesus Christ the Iewes were venimously maliciously armed against him stumbled at him as at a stūbling stone And of these exāples we haue ynough euen at this day with vs. Wée are therfore to consider so much the more of this doctrine that is that it must néedes bée that the sonne of God must be thus mishappen and yll fauoured and that there shoulde bée nothing in him woorthy commendation in the sight of the worlde for by the way we must alwaies haue this note which S. Iohn speaketh of that the glory of the sonne of God appeared in him howbeit ther were many blind fooles which neuer vnderstood thus much Now when the Prophet Isaiah saieth that Iesus Christ shalbée like a mishappen forlorne man ful of deformity he signifieth héereby that it was impossible for a naturall man to vnderstande that hée was sent to saue them that hée should haue all power both of life and death and that the fulnes of al righteousnesse wisedome and holinesse shoulde bée in him no man I say was able to conceaue this in his head Thus we sée how this place is to be taken For although our Lorde Iesus Christ had done many notable miracles which testified his heauēly power yet for all that he remayned stil disfigured and the faithlesse perceiued it neuer a whit And therefore this place of the Prophet hath fully béene accomplished Psal 45.3 that there was no gloriousnes in Iesus Christ to draw mē to like of him It is very rightly saide of the Psalmist that he shuld be gloriously and beautifully lifted vp aboue al mankind But this is a spiritual beautifulnesse accordingly as we haue already said That the glorie of the sonne of God appeared in him euen vnto al those that had had their eyes and were able to sée him Loe then how our Lord Iesus Christ hath surpassed all men in beautie because God had geuen him infallible markes tokens wherby hée might be known that he was in very déed the liuely image of God his father Iohn 1.14 We haue then sufficient reason ynough to magnifie our Lorde Iesus Christ Howbeit the worlde knew it not And so we must come backe againe vnto the saying of the Prophet that euery man hath turned his backe and closed vp his eyes as against a most horrible and detestable thing What to seeke for lyfe in death to trust to him that coulde not helpe himself to séeke strength and power in him that was so weake what a thing were this To be short we al know haue had too too much experience in our selues that as our Lord Iesus Christ was abased in his death euē so wil our faith he cast downe headlong if it be not vpholden from elswhere When there is any questiō of the setling our selues vpō our Lord Iesus Christ in running trusting fully wholly to him then this cōsideration cōmeth into our minds what how be this why he was so abased in his death as that a man
such sort lead the whole course of this life as that he is séene to liue vertuously in the feare of God yet is hée neuer able to refraine his tongue but that there wyll appeare some light inconsiderate lying or dissembling spéeche in him To bée short it is saide that there was no deceite to bée founde in our Lorde Iesus Christe to shewe that in all his wordes and deedes hée was a myrrour of all holinesse Nowe it is most certaine that all the miseries which we féele are the very fruites of our sinnes For had we aboade in the same puritie wherein God set our father Adam our punishments should cease and bée abolished in the worlde And therefore the fruit of our sinnes is the cause of our punishments So then wée are to conclude that forsomuch as there was not found the least blot that might bée in our Lorde Iesus Christe he therefore beare the punishment which we were worthie of and deserued And marke besides why the Prophet addeth that God woulde make him subiect to infirmities This worde Infirmitie hath a large scope in the Scriptures for it importeth all the thinges which make men contemptible as wée sée in many places thereof For pouertie sicknesse griefe of minde or contemptiblenesse and a man that hath no good grace either to speake or do well neyther yet good gesture or behauiour nor habiltie of wit and discretion are al called in the Scripture infirmities To bée shorte this is to bryng vs backe to the thing which the Prophet hath already touched to wit that our Lorde Iesus Christe was like a deformed Creature and suche a one as in whom was no shew of reputation and credit amongst men And yet not such a one neither but that there appeared in him sure and certaine markes and tokēs that he was to bée honored as the onely Sonne of God Iohn 1.14 But it was in such sorte darkened by his sufferings and his infirmitie such as that there was no power or vertue séene in him and it séemed that there was no grace nor fauour in hym why hée shoulde bée estéemed and had in honour Wée must also call to minde the thing that hath béene before recited to wit that he was beaten and scourged by the hand of God suffered the horrible anguishes of his iudgement in his body beare the fearefullest torments that might be and ouer and besides all this he was so vily thought of as that he was not estéemed to bée placed amongst the most wicked and slauishe company Thus wée sée howe the Sonne of God was punished Wherefore since the case thus standeth let vs vnderstande that forsomuche as God spared not him that wée for our partes shall not bée spared and yet notwithstanding hée hath giuen vs occasion to humble our selues to the ende wée shoulde not waxe prowde and take in hand to iustifie our selues or els not cast our sinnes behind our backes but dayly thinke vpon them and bée ashamed whenas wée sée howe deare a recompence was made for them For is this such a triflyng matter If a miserable and wretched théefe shall haue committed many theftes and robberies and after that his wicked déedes were knowne the sonne of a King shoulde bée brought to be arrained and condemned for the same and so beare the punishment therof the théefe to be discharged and pardoned should he reioyce and make a scofe at him whenas he sée the sonne of a King to bée put to death and suffer the punishment that he deserued Euen so at this present fareth it with vs. For beholde howe Iesus Christe the onely sonne of God is imprisoned and wée deliuered hée condemned and wée pardoned he put to all shame and we receiued to honour at last hée descended into the bottomeles pit of Hell and the kingdome of heauen is set open for vs to enter into And therfore when we here al these things is it for vs to be drowsie headed liue securely and to delight and flatter our selues in our sinnes and iniquities Wherefore let vs well consider of the meaning of the holy Ghoste and alwayes weigh these wordes That it was the wyll of God to haue him thus afflicted as if hée shoulde haue saide Actes 2.23 4.28 That it is not for vs to thinke that our Lord Iesus was forsaken as that the wicked ones might torment him at their will and pleasure For as Saint Peter saith in the Actes of the Apostles They could doe nothing against him otherwise then had béen determined before by the secret counsell of God And therefore it is not for naught that the Prophete bringeth vs alwaies back to this that we must lift our minds vnto God acknowledge that he being iudge of the world would be satisfied for our sinnes offences euen in the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ his only sonne to the end we might be discharged of thē and that it was not without cause that Iesus Christe was so rudely hādeled that we might looke vp the cherefullier and that we might vnderstād that God would not remēber our faults with made vs to be as it were detestable in his sight Wherefore when wée shall haue knowne all this we shall haue greatly profited not onely for a day but also all the dayes of our life For to say the trueth it is a doctrine wherewith wee must so acquaint our selues as that although we thinke we know it wel enough yet that we must not cease more more to cōforme our selues thereto And for that more liuely expressing héere of sée why the prophet goeth on further and saith That hee will make his soule an offering for sin to wit that Iesus Christ will forget his own life for the redéeming of our liues the price of our sinnes and iniquities Héere the Prophet againe setteth before vs the willing obedience of the Sonne of God For as hee hath saide that as it was the will of the father hee shoulde bee afflicted euen so likewise hée nowe saith that the Sonne yéelded himselfe willingly thereto thrusting himselfe forwarde to become a Sacrifice without force or constraint For the common maner of offering vp of Sacrifices vnto the Lorde God was alwayes done of a francke will and deuotion And therfore it must necessarily fall out that our Lorde Iesus Christe shoulde yéelde and offer vp himselfe to the death which he suffered For without that as yesterday was declared our rebellions had neuer béen repared before God But when he offered vp his soule to wit that he was prest and redy to suffer the condemnation that we deserued in this we may sée that we haue by his death full assurance of saluation And this he himselfe saith in the Gospell after Saint Iohn No mā Iohn 16.18 saith he shal take away my life but I wil fréely offer it vp my selfe In déede his life was taken from him when he was crucified and wée sée also how vngently furiously they dealt
death that there was no more hope of saluation for vs but now the sting therof is broken yea the poyson therof is so cleÌ„sed wiped away that we being humbled by death it serueth vs at this day for a medicine and is no more deadly because Iesus Christe hath swallowed vpp all the curse which was in it Nowe let vs sée what it is that wée haue too kéepe in mynde whiche is that sonne of God in crying out O my Father if it be possible let this drinke be taken from me did not regard onlie the suffringes in his bodie neither the shame of men nor yet the leauing of the worlde for he could easily abide all these things But hée respected his comming before God and before his iudgement seate to make an account for all our sinnes and to behold al the curses of God which were prepared For when as there was but one only sinner what was this to the wrath of GOD And when it is said that God is against vs wil display his power to confound vs Alas what shall become of vs Now it hath so fallen out that Iesus Christ did not onely striue against suche a feare but against all the cruelties that might bee heaped vp together And therefore when wée sée GOD call to a reckoning all those who haue deserued euerlasting condemnation and are guiltie of sinne and that hée himselfe is there to pronounce suche sentence as they haue deserued who will not conceyue all the deathes doubtes and terrors which may bée in euery one And then what a destruction will there bée in this Nowe it hath fallen out that our Lorde Iesus Christe himselfe alone without anie helpe hath borne such a burden Let vs therfore iustly weight the sorow of the Sonne of God therevpon let vs returne to the thing which wee haue already touched which is yâ— on the one side we might knowe how déere our saluation how precious our soules were vnto him when as hée woulde bring himselfe into so great extremitie for our sakes and in acknowledging that that wee haue deserued Let vs sée what our estate had béene if hée had not holpen vs. And in the meane while let vs reioyce when as wée sée death to haue no more power ouer vs that may hurt vs. In verie déede wée shoulde naturally alwayes feare Death and flie it But it is to this ende that wee should thinke vpon that inestimable benefite whiche the Sonne of God hath purchased by his death alwaies consider that it commeth through death it selfe which death importeth the wrath of God which wrath is as it were the gulfe of hell Moreouer that when we are to fight against this feare we might know that our Lord Iesus Christ hath so prouided for al these feares as that wee might euen in the middest of death it selfe come with bolde countenance before our God True it is that wée shoulde before all thinges humble our selues and must as we haue beforesaide bée touched with the iudgement of God and with the terror thereof if wée intend to hate our sinnes and bée displeased with them howbeit in the meane while when God calleth vs vnto him wée must then come with chéerefull countenance And see also what boldnesse is graunted to all the faithfull 2. Tim. 4.8 for Saint Paule saith That our Lorde Iesus Christe hath prepared a crowne for all those which looke for his comming Wherefore if we hope not for life in comming before the heauenly Iudge without doubt hée will refuse vs and not know vs neither will hee allowe of vs although wée professe our selues to bée Christians And surely we cannot waite for our Lorde Iesus Christ without we bée resolued and perswaded that he hath so fought against the feares of death that wée are thereby made free and that hée obteined victory for vs. And although wée are to fight to the ende wée might féele our infirmities and thereby haue recourse vnto God which might continually draw vs to a true confession of our sinnes so that God himselfe might bée declared to him alone to bee iust yet notwithstanding let vs assure our selues that Iesus Christe hath so fought as that he hath got the victorie not onely for himself but for vs also And neuer doubt but that by this meanes we may now ouercome all cares feares and terrors and call vpon God séeing wée are assured that he continually stretcheth foorth his armes to imbrace vs. And héere we sée what we must obserue which is we must know that this is no speculatiue doctrine when it is saide That our Lorde Iesus Christ hath abiden the horrible feares of death because he felt that he was before our iudge as our pledge to the end that in the power of that combate we might get aduantage ouer our infirmities constantly abide in calling vpon the name of God doubting but that hée will heare vs and bée continually ready of his goodnesse to receiue vs vnto himselfe so that by that meanes we shall passe both through life and death fier and water and so might all féele that our Lorde Iesus hath not fought in vâ—ine for the obteining of such a victory for all such as come vnto him in faith Héere then wée see in summe what it is that wée must remember But yet by the way wee sée that wée must fight against our affections and without wée so doe it is impossible for vs to remoue our finger but that wee shall eftsoones prouoke the wrath of GOD. For beholde our Lorde Iesus Christe who was both pure and sounde as wée haue already declared But if any man aske what his will was it was in very déed the weake will of a man but yet no sinfull will as the will of those who were corrupted in Adam for there was not one spot of sinne in him Loe héere a man voide of all sinne But howeuer it was yet must he in the ende striue and indeuour to forsake himselfe and cast all this vnder his féete that hee might yeeld his obedience vnto his father And nowe let vs see what shall become of vs what are our affections and thoughtes Rom. 8.7 Euen so many enimies saith Saint Paule as fight against God Wée see heere that God saith that we are altogether wayward that whatsoeuer the mind of man deuiseth is nothing els but leasing and vanitie yea we shew our selues euen from our childhood to be seasoned with the whole infection of sinne For the very yong children who come into the worlde and whose wickednesse appeareth not are notwithstanding young serpents full of the poyson of malice and disdaine And héere wée sée what our nature is euen from the beginning what then will wee be I beséeche you when wée come to ryper yéres Surely as I haue already saide we are so very wicked as that we cannot thinke one only thought which shal not be very many rebellions against God insomuch that we shall neuer be
perceiue how And thus much for this Nowe séeing it was the will of God that his sonne should be put to death let not vs be ashamed of that which hee suffered nor yet think that the wicked did beare the sway that the sonne of God could not haue found meanes to haue defēded himselfe For all came frō the wil vnchangeable decrée of God which he had determined therin And therfore we sée why our Lord Iesus saith in S. Luke Luke 22.53 This is now your very houre the power of darknes As if he shuld haue said what make no great boast of that you haue done For the diuel is your maister ringleader By which he sheweth that they did nothing but by the leaue of God And although the diuel vrged thē thereto yet neither they nor hee coulde haue brought any thing to passe if God had not licēsed them Thus we sée in sūme that our eyes all our senses must be fastened vpon the wil of God and vpō his euerlasting councel when we heare the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ spoken of For he declared that this was the will of God because it is writtē For if Iesus Christ had not had some testimony of the thing which God his father had ordeined he might as yet haue stood in doubt but he knew what his office was And God would not haue sent him downe here below but that hée gaue him forthwith an expresse charge withal It is very true that inasmuch as our Lord Iesus is God eternal that he néeded not to be taught of the scripture but inasmuch as he is our redéemer is clothed with our nature that he might be of right brotherhood it was méet he shuld be taught the holy scripture we sée also that he at no time refused any such instruction So thē because God shewed him wherunto he had called him we sée wherupō he established himselfe we also sée why he behaued himselfe like a prisoner would not start away because he knew that he must fulfil the charge cōmitted vnto him which was to offer himselfe a sacrifice for the redēptiō of vs al And therefore we are to learne that forsomuch as the will of God is secrete incōprehēsible in himselfe we must haue recourse vnto the holy scripture True it is that God determineth of things in his secrete councel which wee thinke to come by chaunce as wee say which is not shewed vnto vs neither haue wee alwaies a speciall reuelatiō that we are able to say that God hath determined either this thing or that And therfore must we suspēd our iudgemēts for we sée why it is that we pray him to heale vs of our sicknes or why we would haue him to deliuer vs from any other affliction whereinto we are fallen And why doe wée so Because wee knowe not what he wil doe In very déed we must not appoint him a law but that this conditiō must alwaies be adioyned that his wil be done But all our prayers ought to tende to this pointe to craue at his handes whatsoeuer he knoweth to be necessary profitable for vs and to leaue vnto himselfe whatsoeuer is laid vp in his secret councel to the end hee might doe that which to his maiesty shall séeme best But whē wee haue a testimony out of the holy scripture that God willeth any thing we must not as I haue already said stand against it Now we are here a great deale better confirmed as touching the person of our Lorde Iesus Christ that hee was not thus cruelly afflicted so shamefully slanderously handled onely as the vngodly wicked men lusted but because God had so decréed it And how appeareth this by the holy scripture For were not the sacrifices in the law ordeined two thousād yeres before Iesus Christ was borne And had not God enspired taught the auncient Fathers how to sacrifice before the law was eyther giuen or written Or could the blood of bruite beastes obtaine remission for sinnes and make men acceptable vnto God No But it was to shew that God should be reconciled by a Redéemer whom he had established and sithens that time he hath set downe an expresse mention and declaration by the scriptures Isaiah 53. 2. We also sée howe the Prophets haue spoken thereof and namely he alledgeth them For when Isaiah saieth That the Redéemer should be disfigured and disdayned deformed and vnbeautifull like a Leaper scourged and beaten by the hande of God that he should be an horrible thing to beholde to be short that his life should be taken from him in what power was this prophecied of was it because God could not withstande Satan and all the rable of the wicked No But it was because he had pronounced by the mouth of Isaiah the thing which he had before appointed Dan. 9. 24. And in Daniell it is a great deale more expresly set downe Séeing then it is so that God hath declared that his onely Sonne must be sacrificed for our redemption and saluation we are nowe much more confirmed in that which I haue alreadie spoken which is we must alwayes sée that it is the hand of God which gouerneth when as we see the Sonne of God to be so subiected to the slaunders and reproches of mortall men Wee see also why Saint Peter namely saieth in the Actes Act. 4 27. That Iudas all the Iewes yea and all the souldiers and Pylate also had done none other thing but that which the hande and Councell of God had determined as hereafter shall more at large be handled And here we sée wherevnto wée must looke when we would not be troubled in our foolish imaginations which is that God hath sent downe here belowe his onely begotten Sonne that he might accept his obedience through his death and passion for the taking away of all our sinnes and iniquities And this is the second point which I haue handled to wit the fruit benefit which commeth to vs by the suffering of our Lorde Iesus For if we knew not why it was we should lose the tast of that which is here recited vnto vs. But whē it is said that he was bound manacled for our deliuerance and that we sée what the state condition of our nature is to wit that Satan holdeth vs vnder the tyranny of sinne and death that wée are very bondslaues so that in stead that we were created after the image of God there must néeds be found in vs nothing but corruptiō and accursednesse must be led into this cursed captiuitie like miserable wretched beastes Now when we know all this and that we on the other side sée that the Sonne of God refused not to be slaunderously bound to the end that al the spiritual bonds of sin death which kéepe vs boūd vnder the bōdage of Satā might be brokē in sunder thē haue we wherefore to glorify God
him before the Cock crow thou shalt denye mee thrise So he went out and wept bitterly Chapter xxvij 1 When the morning was come all the chiefe Priestes and Elders of the people tooke counsell againste Iesus to put him to death 2 And led hym away bound and deliuered him vnto Pontius Pylate the Gouernour 3 Then when Iudas whiche betrayed hym sawe that hee was condemned he repented himselfe and brought againe the thyrtie peeces of Siluer to the chiefe Priestes and Elders 4 Saying I haue sinned betrayinge the innocent blood But they sayde what is that to vs looke thou to it 5 And when he had cast downe the Siluer peeces in the temple he departed and hanged him selfe 6 And the chiefe priests tooke the Siluer peeces and saide it is not lawfull for vs to put them into the treasurie because it is the price of blood 7 And they tooke counsell and bought with them a potters fielde for the buriall of Straungers 8 Wherefore that fielde is called the field of blood vntill this day 9 Then was fulfilled that whiche was spoken by Ieremiah the Prophet saying and they tooke their siluer peeces the price of him that was valued whom they of the children of Israel valued 10 And they gaue them for the potters fielde as the Lorde appoynted mee 11 And Iesus stood before the Gouernour and the Gouernour asked him sayinge Art thou the Kinge of the Iewes Iesus saide vnto him thou saist it c. 2. Cor. 2.16 AS Saint Paul telleth vs that the preaching of the Gospell is a sauour of life vnto those whom God hath called to be saued and a sauour of death vnto the reprobate which perish euen so haue wee héere also two notable examples set before vs and worthy the remembraunce to shewe that the death and passion of the sonne of God was saluation vnto the one and a condemnation to the other For in the fall of Peter wee sée what the worke was which must draw him from out the bottomlesse death wherinto he fell headlong For as much as in hym lay he banished himselfe the heauenly kingdome estraunged him selfe from all hope of saluation and cut hym selfe cleane of from the Churche as a rotten member And yet the death of our Lorde Iesus Christ was it that must doo hym good although he deserued it not And as for Iudas it is saide that when hee sée our Lorde Iesus Christ to be condēned he desperatly hung himself Now he should as we haue said haue taken a good hart with hym to haue put his trust in God by reason of the condemnation of our Lorde Iesus Christ bicause we are pardoned by the power and vertue thereof Howbeit it was méete that these two specktacles should héere bee set before vs to the ende we might the better know that if we are not called by an especiall grace and fauour to bee pertakers of the fruite of the death and passion of the sonne of God it will avayle vs nothing And therfore it is not enough that our Lord Iesus Christ suffered without the benefit which he obtayned for vs bée bestowed vpon vs we to haue the full possession therof And euen then are we most assured of it whēas we are drawne vnto him by Faith But to the end we might the more perfectly vnderstand the matter let vs follow the text of the Storye as it is set downe It is sayde that our Lorde Iesus Christ was shamefully entreated in the house of Cayphas that they spit in his face buffeted him and slaunderously skorned him by callinge him a Prophet Now all this was to let vs vnderstand that what soeuer he suffered in in his owne person was to deliuer and frée vs before God and his Angels For there néedeth no spitting in our face to cause vs appeare before God spotted and blemished because we are not onely deformed and ougly by reason of our sinnes but also full of abhominable infections Moreouer we héere sée how that the Sonne of God the derye liuely Image of his Father Heb. 1.13 in whom his glorye and maiestie shineth hath suffered all these shames that wee might now appeare before God in his name to obtayne fauour and grace and thereby acknowledge vs as his Children being cleane voyde of all spots blemishes And this is it which we are to consider of in this fyrst place Now let vs come to the fall of Peter It is sayde That when a Mayd saw him she tolde him that he was one of Iesus Disciples but he denied it And that an other Mayde tolde him the like tale and he agayne denied it Afterwarde diuers pressed him with it and vrged it more vpon him and then hée began to sweare and curse him selfe as if he should haue saide I pray God I bee damned and come to naught and the earth open and swallow mée vp If I know him Héere then we sée how horribly and gréeuouslye Peter fell thrise which ought greatly to feare vs in reading of the Story Now we know how zealous hee was Iohn 24. Moreouer our Lorde Iesus Christ commended him and was called Péeter to signifie vnto vs the constancy of his faith he was brought vp in a very good Schoole and he had heard this doctrine taught whosoeuer denieth mée before men Math. 10.33 I wyll also denie him before my father which is in heauen And yet we sée how he fell And héere euery of vs hath good occasion to tremble and be afearde because Peters weaknesse was no greater then ours if we be not holpen from aboue wherfore in the first place we sée how fraile we are so soone as God taketh his hande from vs. For mention is not héere made of a skorner nor of a prophane man neither yet of one who had not tasted of the gospel nor that feared God or yet reuerenced our Lord Iesus Christ But it was all cleane contrarye because there were excellent giftes in Peter Math. 16.17 For the sonne of God fayde vnto him Fleshe and blood hath not reuealed these things vnto thée but my father which is in heauen We sée then that the holy ghost was in Peter And yet what a combat had he about the denyinge of our Lord Iesus yea with a silly Mayd But if a man had so spoken vnto him or if some honorable personage had made him afeard he might haue had some coulor for himselfe but we sée that a poore Mayd was enough to cause him forsake the hope of lyfe and saluation Let vs therefore looke vpon the person of Péeter and we shal sée that God had néede to strengthē vs euery mynute of an howre because we are not els able to abide it and although we haue laboured to come néere vnto his maiestie and that wee haue done many vertuous déedes yet shall we in the turning of an hande be altogether chaunged without God continueth in vs an inuincible constancie therfore let vs learne to put Paules admonition in
any thing to saue themselues for beholde their owne mouthes condemne them For if our Lorde Iesus saued other without doubt hée was able to saue hymselfe but that he preferred others before him selfe What other thing can héere bée seene saue onely a wonderfull goodnes in that he would bée throwne downe as men thought to drawe vs out of the bottomeles depthes that he woulde suffer all that wée deserued to the end he might acquite vs thereof to be short hée forsooke all temporall welfare that is to say hée cared not for his life hée spared not his owne person that wee might bee assured of our euerlasting saluation and haue such a pawne and payment for it So much the more therefore ought our faith to bée strengthened and when wée sée that al whatsoeuer the diuel hath deuised to trouble and hinder vs from going to our Lorde Iesus Christ ought to serue for our furtherance that we might be thereof assured and profite our selues thereby Now this is certaine that the Diuell bendeth all his force to hinder vs in this behalfe For hée knowing wherein our saluation lyeth hath set himselfe altogether against it that hée might spoyle vs thereof For hée knoweth that if hée can bring vs to bée offended at the person of our Lorde Iesus Christe that wée are all vndoone by it and wée haue too too much experience thereof Moreouer all the offences which the Diuell rayseth against vs and setteth before our eyes to withdrawe vs from the sonne of God should be things to confirme vs. For as alredy hath béene declared when it is saide that Iesus Christe saued others and not himselfe it is a speache which in our iudgement shoulde cause vs to conceiue a disdaine against the person of the sonne of God euen to refuse him and not to truste in him But let vs cleane contrary vnderstand that when the sonne of God had no regard to himselfe nor cared for his owne life it was because hée estéemed the saluation of soules to bée so deare and precious as that he would bestow all hée had thereon And therefore since it is so wée shoulde bée so fully minded as to call on him and be throughly certified that he suffered not on vaine for vs. Now for that they said Behold him which destroyeth the temple and buildeth it again it three dayes this was too too villanous a malice to faine that Iesus Christe saide that he woulde destroy the Temple Iohn 2.19 But he said destroy yée this Temple and in the ende of thrée dayes I will builde it againe Now hée had none other meaning but that his enimies should be the destructiō of the temple which he spake of And when they had crucified him might they not thē haue vnderstood that the thing was alreadie begun to be accomplished For they were not ignorant that Iesus Christe shewed himselfe to be the true Temple of God as touching his humane body ◠Tim. 3. 16. for séeing his Godhead was manifested in the fleshe and his diuine being was vnited vnto our nature since I say all the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth in him it is out of all doubt that his Body was more worthie to bée called a Temple then the Temple of Ierusalem yea more worthie then all the heauens Now they destroyed it as much as lay in them and hee built it againe in the ende of thrée dayes Neither had they forgotten it for they knewe Mat. 27.63 that they had soone after tolde as muche to Pylate But héerein we sée that when the Deuill hath taken possession of vs hee maketh vs so blockish as that there is no wit in vs to discerne betwéene good and euil and wée grow so ful of madnesse as that wée will clearely cast God out at the Cartes arse as wée say euen as though fully and of set purpose we meant to distrust him Now when we sée this let vs be admonished to walke so much the rather in the feare of God when we knowe howe hée hath wrought by his wonderfull power to declare that Iesus Christ spake not these wordes out of his owne mouth in vayne Destroy this Temple and in thrée dayes I will build it agayne For to the outwarde shewe and according to our reason we sée nothing els in his death but shame and confusion howbeit Iesus Christ amended all in his resurrection And therefore since it is so our faith ought to be so much the rather confirmed and wée to set our selues against Satan and against all that hée is able to imagine and deuise for the shaking of our faith and making of vs to doubt As concerning that which is saide That they gaue our Lorde Iesus Christ vineger mingeled with Gall and Myrrhe to drinke It is to be presumed that they did it according to the custome that was in those dayes to shorten the life of malefactors Howbéeit our Lorde Iesus when hée had tasted of it woulde not drinke it because hée knew that his houre was not yet come They had then a custome that before the malefactors were vpon the top of the Gallowes to giue them this drinke that it might trouble the blood and so they should yéeld vp the ghost the sooner For this kinde of death was verie cruell and therefore they had néed of these helpes And in déede wée shall hereafter sée that the théeues had their bones crushed and broken to the end they might féele no more payne But howeuer it was our Lord Iesus would not drinke this drinke because hée would shew that hée was readie obediently to receiue the state and condition which God his Father had committed vnto him In déede this was a verie sharpe kinde of death For as we haue before heard ouer and beside the terriblenesse of it there were in it spirituall torments whereof by Gods leaue we will speake to morrow All which were to cause our Lord Iesus to hasten his death as much as was possible but his will was to submit him selfe most obediently to abide what punishment soeuer vntill hée were deliuered without the helpe of man And this is it which here we haue to consider of But as for the parting of his garments and the casting of lots on them these thinges were done Psal 22.19 that the scipture might be fulfilled For Dauid being a figure of our Lorde Iesus Christ maketh the like complaintes True it is that this was spoken but by way of a similitude when it is saide that vineger and gall were mixt together in his drink Psal 69.22 and that there was a deuise made to spoile him and that hée should be more and more greeued in his afflictions euen as cruell and sauage people will adde more affliction vnto miserable soules whē they haue done the worst they can And this similitude Dauid vsed when it is said that hée was made a pray euen for the spoile For he spake it in respect of his wife his house and of all his goods
humblinge them selues and to bee repentaunt are so much the more infected and poysoned prouokinge eftsoones the wrath of God and driuing him into an hoat burning flame to consume them therin and all this we sée And therefore let vs looke vpon these two théeues as the mirrors of all the worlde for from hte hyest to the lowest wee are all gultye before the Lorde Yea and yf we all suffered this together what is hee that might bragge of his innocencye or who is hee that coulde purchase his pardon Wherefore séeinge wee are ouer head and eares in condemnation wee iustly suffer for our sinnes and yet we wyll not all alyke graunt it because there are some as we haue said which waxe rather worse and there rebellion agaynst God is openlye séene For they gnashe their téeth spewe out their rage and crueltie and will neuer agrée to this condemnation or els they take the bit in their mouthes and shewe them selues so stubborne as that they wyll not stick to saye that God shall winne nothing by it nor yet haue the masterie of them Now let vs conclude that when miserable sinners acknowledge their sinnes and be humbled and confesse the debt giuinge glory to God declaring also that he handleth thē iustlye and rightlye and that it is good reason they should be so chastised when I say wretched sinners be drawne to this reason let vs vnderstand that God hath put to his hande and touched them with his holy spirit that we may sée his wonderful infynit goodnes whēas he pulleth those out of destruction and hell whose case before was as it were desperat In sūme we sée in the person of this miserable théefe so excellent an example of faith as neuer was séene And therfore we should be so much the rather rauished with such a miracle as thē God wrought for in what state stoode he Beholde he was nie his death hée suffered horrible tormentes he looked to haue his bones to be crushed and broken and to be dismembered whiche was so sharppe and terrible a torment as that it was euen enough to haue made him haue lost both sence and memorye hee sawe also our Lorde Iesus who most flaunderouslye was to be hanged there as well as him selfe and yet sée what wordes he vsed for he doth not onely acknowledge his sinnes for the humblinge him selfe before God he doth not onely vse the office of a teacher to bring home his companyon and to set him in the right way but maketh suche a confession as is more worth then all the rest if we consider well the circumstances I beseeche thee saieth hée remember mee whenas thou commest into thy kingdome How was it possible that he could conceiue that Iesus Christ had a kingdome for hee was hanged on trée and cursed of God and men For this sayinge of the lawe was spoken by the mouth of God cursed is hee that hangeth on tree Deut. 21.23 Galat. 3.13 Neither dyd this come to passe by chaunce as we commonly say that God put his onely sonne to it And therefore when he sée Iesus Christ to be there accursed both before God and men yea as one throwne downe into a desperat case as farre as mans reason could reach vnto hee had not such a stayed brayne to say that Iesus Christ was a Kinge without hee had spoken it in faith and in spirit For he saw such thinges as might haue made him decline from the son of God to haue made him thus conclude that it was but an abuse mockery to trust in him and yet he called him king whē he sée him ready to dye I beseeche thee sayeth hee saue mee and graunt mée lyfe For it thou wilt remember mée that is all the blessednesse that I desyre Now when wee shall well consider of these circumstances without all doubte the faith of this théefe was so excellent and great as that neuer any man that euer lyued had the lyke And therefore let not vs be a shamed to be his disciples for to say the trueth the death of our Lord Iesus Christ wyll neuer stande vs in any stead except we condemne our selues that we might be saued through him neither will God euer pardon vs without wee confesse our selues to be most wicked filthy Since then it is so that we are guiltie before God and that our owne cōsciences doo iudge and condemne vs let vs not be a shamed to folow this théefe his steps séeing he may be a good Scholemaster vnto vs. And because our Lord Iesus is ascended now into heauen and hath taken possession of the glory which God his father hath giuen him Phil. 2.10 to the end euery knée might bow vnto him let vs not doubt to put our selues wholy into his custody cōclude say loe wherin lieth our felicity to wit the Iesus Christ is mindful of vs gouerneth vs because he was ordayned to be our shepheard he wil be watchful ouer our saluation that we might be safe sure vnder his hand and protection Moreouer let vs learne paciently to beare the miseries of this present life so that it maketh not vs decline from comming vnto our Lord Iesus Christ For we sée here that the théefe was heard and yet was hee faine to abide and harde and terrible death Let vs therefore so estéeme of the spirituall grace which is giuen vs by our Lord Iesus Christ and which is dayly offred vnto vs by the preaching of the Gospell as that it may make vs ouercome all the anguishes griefes domages troubles and temptations which any way may come vnto vs so that all our afflictions might be mitigated because we know that they shal all turne to our benefit and welfare through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ And this is it which we are here to obserue And besides let vs here to ioyne the the answere of our Lord Iesus Christ when he promised that hée should be that day with him in Paradise For although our Lord Iesus was not as yet risen from death nor had not accomplished all that was requisit for our redemption and saluation yet had hée alreadie powred abroad the power fruit of his death and passion True it is that the fulfilling of all rested in the resurrection But since it is conioyned with his death and passion and that we know he suffred in the weaknesse of his flesh euen so is he risen again by the vertue of his spirit and as he suffred for our sinnes that wée might be made frée before God so likewise rose he againe for our iustification Nowe when we knowe all this I say let vs with so much the more bold courage come frankly vnto him not doubt but that whē he pleaseth to remember vs and hide vs vnder the shadow of his winges that we may be able to stande against Satan death and al miseries glory in our weaknesse And although we be in the sight of the world
had forsaken him For it were too too blockish and foolish a thing to say that our Lorde Iesus Christ was not sore tormented and vexed in heart but that hée simplie saide They thinke that I am forsaken Nowe this declareth that they which séeke after suche gloses are not onely ignorant but also verie blockheades and doltes and cease not besides to barke and blaspheme lyke Mastife Curres against the Maiestie of God And as many as thus say without doubt there is no more religion in them then in dogges and bruit beastes for they know not how dearely the sonne of God paide for their saluation And that which is worse they mocke them selues like villaines as they are Therfore we must absolutely conclude that when our Lord Iesus was brought to this extremitie and torment he cryed out with a loude voice yea like vnto those which are in most terrible panges My God my God why hast thou forsaken mée And in déed we haue before said that we had but a cold pull as we say by the storie of his death if we cōsidered not of the obedience which he yéelded vnto God his Father Thus we sée what the principall point is that we should looke vnto when as we would be assured of our saluation which is that if we haue committed many offences rebellions and iniquities against God that all shal be buried because our Lord Iesus hath by his obedience iustified vs made vs acceptable with God his Father Now wherin consisteth this obedience but that Christ Iesus although he suffred a cruel terrible death yet was contented to yéeld himself vnto it For if he had felt no hardnesse nor striuing in it his obedience had béen nothing But inasmuch as our Lorde Iesus abhorred death by nature yea and that it was a fearefull thing to appeare before the iudgement seate of God in the behalf of all wretched sinners for he stood foorth there to beare all our burthens and yet for all that was contented to humble himselfe to be thus condemned for vs Let vs acknowledge his perfect obedience and therein we haue verie good matter to glorie Hebr. 5.7 8. as the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews saith That the feare of our Lorde Iesus Christ was heard But howeuer it was it was méet that hée should suffer and abide so hard weighty a cause yea cleane against all worldly affection and desire And therefore it behooued that God his Father should so acquaint him with it to the ende as hée saith his obedience might be knowne Wée sée then that the Apostle namely specifieth that it must néedes bée that our Lorde Iesus shoulde bée wonderfully afeard for els wée shoulde neuer haue knowne what this sacrifice had béene worth Act. 2.24 by which wée are reconcyled And S. Peter also sheweth that our lord Iesus Christ suffred both in body and soule whē as he saith that he straue a gainst the sorrowes of death In very déed the scripture oftentimes telleth that we are redéemed by the blood of Iesus Christ because he offered vp his bodie for a Sacrifice wée also sée why it is said that his flesh is spiritual meate drinke Iohn 6.55 but it is so spoken by reason of our grosenesse And because wée are canally minded the holy Ghost sendeth vs backe vnto that that is visibly to be perceiued in the death of Iesus Christ that by it wee might haue an assured pawne of our saluation And yet this taketh not away the thing that is shewed vs out of other places neyther doeth it derogate from this poynt that the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ had serued to no purpose for the blotting out of the iniquities of the world without he had obeyed yea euen to the submitting of himselfe vnto so terrible a death neither obeyed hée as I haue before said like one that was without féeling vnderstāding For although he was to abide maruellous terrible feares and extremities yet for al that he preferred our saluation before al other respects whatsoeuer Thus wee sée what it is that wee are to obserue in this place to witte that the Sonne of GOD hath not onely suffered in body so cruel tormentrous a death as already hath byn séene but was also touched to the quicke whenas he was to abide suche horrible assaultes as if God had forsaken him For to say the truth as he tooke vpon him our causes as hath béene saide it must also néedes be that hee must féele the condemnation which was due for wretched sinners For by our sinnes we are as people estranged from God and therfore he must néedes leaue vs that we might vnderstand that he taketh vs for castawayes Here then we sée what the estate condition of sinners is And this is out of all doubte that GOD the Father neuer forsooke Iesus Christe yet notwithstanding it must néedes bée that hée shoulde suffer those paynes and that hée shoulde valiauntly resist them to the ende the benefite of the victory might at this day redounde to vs. Wée haue therefore to vnderstande that when our Lorde Iesus was driuen to this extremitie as if GOD his Father hadde cutte all hope of lyfe cleane from him it was as wée haue sayde because hée suffered the curse of our sinnes in his owne bodie whiche were the cause that separated vs from the Maiesty of God For wherein haue wée any felicity except we bée quickened by the grace of GOD and enlightened with his brightnesse For hée is the verie fountaine of all life and blessednesse our sinnes make a great separation betwéene him and vs. And therefore it was méete that Christ Iesus should féele this Nowe let vs come to that that may be saide Is it possible that Iesus Christ should be so fearefully troubled séeing hée was perfection it selfe For this séemeth to derogate from the Faith which he ought to haue had and whatsoeuer we ought to beléeue of him which is that he was without spot of sin Now this matter is soone answered For when Satan tempted him it must néedes fall out that hée should be so taken as to be set vpon the toppe of a pynacle and according to mans nature Mat. 4.5 be subiect to such an illusion and yet this no whit empaired his diuine power But we haue rather occasion to magnifie his mercy and goodnesse to vs warde forsomuch as he so abased himselfe to saue vs. It is eftsoones said that he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsakē me In the first place it is most certaine that Iesus Christ inasmuch as he was God could haue no such conceit No But vntill such time as it fell out that his Godhead must giue place to the death which hee must suffer And thus we sée that the power of our Lord Iesus Christ lay as it were hid for a time vntill hée had made an end of whatsoeuer was requisite for our redemption But nowe in
the end he might declare this his loue vnto vs but woulde be so abased for a time as that he might lift vs aloft so that we through faith shoulde not doubt to attaine thereto tarrying and wayting vntill we be al come thither together That hée will not onely graunt vs this grace but also all nations c. The eight Sermon of the Passion Matthew .xxvii. 55 AND there were many women beholding him a far of which folowed Iesus from Galilee ministring vnto him 56 Among which was Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of Iames and Ioses and the mother of Zebedes children 57 When euening was come there came a riche man from the Citie of Arimathea named Ioseph who also had been Iesus Disciple 58 He went to Pilate and begged the body of Iesus then Pilate commaunded the body to be deliuered 59 And when Ioseph had taken the body he wrapped it in a cleane linnen cloth 60 And laide it in his newe Tombe which hee had heawen out of the rocke and when hee had rolled a greate stone to the dore of the Sepulchre hee departed WE haue héeretofore séene and hearde howe our Lorde Iesus hath shewed and set foorth the fruite and power of his death in this poore theefe who séemed to be as a lost and damned soule Now if all they that before had béen instructed by the Gospell had fallen away from it whenas they sée the sonne of GOD put to death a man woulde thinke that the preaching thereof had béen both vaine vnprofitable And besides we know that the Apostles were chosen to this state of life to be as the chiefe rulers in the Church wherefore it is not like that this election of theirs to this office and estate was a vaine and friuolous thing And therefore it is héere set downe vnto vs that although the Apostles left this estat wherin they shewed a beastly cowardlynes for Saint Peter himselfe denied our Lord Iesus whereby he was as one cut of from all hope of our saluation and worthy to bee taken as a rotten member yet would not God suffer that the Gospel which they had before receiued should be quenched and vtterly abolished In very déede S. Mat. lyketh rather of the faithful constancy of the Women then of the men and it is to this ende that we might learne to magnify the goodnesse of God so much the more who by his power strengthneth our weaknes To this entent purpose are also the wordes of Saint Paule saying that God hath chosē the weak ones of this world to confound the mighty strong to the ende they should not glorifye themselues 1. Cor. 1.27 Since then it was héere this spoken of men and of their great courage and whiche followed our Lorde Iesus Christ vnto his death this might be taken to be as a naturall cause But whenas women being guided by the spirite of God were founde to bee more valyant then those men who were chosen for the publishing of the Gospel throughout the world let vs by this vnderstand that it was the work of God and therfore the prayse to be giuen to him Now it is namly saide that these women followed our Lorde Iesus to serue or minister vnto him Which thing a great deale more declareth their affection in profyting by the Gospell For this was no trifling power that was in them whenas they would leaue their owne houses to wander vp and downe hether and thither both to their great pain and shame also And we know in what state and condition our Lorde Iesus stood whiles he liued héere in this worlde For thus he saith the Foxes had holes and the Birdes of the ayre nestes but that he Mat. 8. 20. had no place wherin to hide his head Contrarywise we sée that these women had wherwith to liue quietly and pleasantly They then which wandred after this sort and could hardly get any lodging féeling hunger thirst were also mightely skorned and laughed at besides their being chased and troubled euery where and yet ouercame all this geare and bare it pacientlye wee must néedes iudge that God strengthned them Now they also declared euen at his death the hope which they had had in our Lord Iesus christ For although their harts were dead as it were as héerafter shal be declared more at full and that they thought him to be cleane dispatcht yet they might perceiue not long after that they were deceiued For he had told them that he should restore the kingdome of God he had also spoken vnto them of perfect blessednes of the saluation which he must make an ende of And what of all these things forsooth héereby we sée that although these séely womens harts were sore troubled bicause they knew not what wold become of our Lord Iesus yet dyd he strengthen thē by his mightie power in ende brought it to so passe as that they might both vnderstand and iudge that hee had made them no vaine promise For they looked for the promise of his resurrection which in the iudgment of the world was not to be hoped of Notwithstāding we sée how he exercised their faith to the ende we should not trouble our selues beyond measure although to the outwarde shew it might appeare that God had forsaken vs all the promisses of the Gospell to be as thinges abolished but that wee should neuerthelesse Stand fast sure in thē For if we do not these women will bewitnesses against vs to our great condemnatiō if we faile in these conflicts Woulde wee haue a grosser tryall then that whiche they abode And yet by Faith they obtayned victorye And therefore let vs arme our selues when we are tolde of the attemps wherwith Satan goeth about to assaile vs and let vs I say be well appoynted before the blow come and shew our selues to be so setled in the power of our Lord Iesus Christ that although wee cannot at the first perceiue how the thing which is tolde vs may come to passe yet let vs rest in him doo him this honor to beléeue that hee will at last shew him selfe faithfull And it is very néedefull that we shoulde be thus tryed euen to the vttermost For otherwise we would bée to to fine and nice and laye our faith to morgage or els faine vs héere an earthly paradice so our sences woulde neuer be able to raise vs as hie as heauen that we might forsake this world Which thing we may very perfectlye sée in the mother of Iohn Iames. For we vnderstand that she was before that so ambitiously carried as that she would haue had our Lord Iesus sit in his Kingly throane with all the pompe and brauery that might be her sonnes to sit by him as his two Lieftennaunts For thus she said vnto him Math. 20.21 I beseech thée Sir cōmaund that one of my sons may sit on thy right hand and the other on thy left Héere we sée a
partakers therof And to say the truth if it were not so what shoulde the story of the resurrection availe vs but when it is said that the Son of God was so manifested would haue the benefit therof to be cōmunicated vnto al the world we may now the better tast of it So then let vs vnderstand that our Lord Iesus his meaning was that we should be certified of his resurrectiō bicause that whē we know in truth that our Lord Iesus is risen againe that therin consisteth all the hope of our saluation rightuousnesse Not that he hath not cleansed al our filthines by his death passiō but because it should not remaine continue stil weak And therfore it behoued that hée should poure abrod the vertu of his holy spirit that he might by his resurrection Rom. 1.4 be declared to bee the sonne of God as S. Paul in the Epistle to the Romaines and in diuers other places sufficiently declareth Thus now we sée that we must assure our selues that our Lord Iesus is rysen againe leaueth the way open vnto vs that wee might come vnto him looketh not that we should séeke him but hath prouided that we might be called by the preching of the gospel that his message should sound in the mouthes of those his heralts whom he had chosen Since then it is so let vs vnderstand that the rightuousnes whiche wee at that this daye haue for the attaining vnto the heauenly Kingdome wee enioy by the righteousnesse of our Lord Iesus Christ because he will not seperat him selfe from vs. And héere we sée why he calleth the Disciples his brethren Indéede this is an honorable name and was reserued for all those whom he accompted as his houshold Seruants and this kinde of speche no doubt he vsed Iohn 20.17 to shew the brotherhood that hee would should betwéene him and them And so also is it common to vs as Saint Iohn more plainly declareth Now to say truly Psal 22.23 we must haue recourse vnto that saying of the Psalm out of which this place is taken I will declare thy name vnto my Brethrē which place the Apostle in the exposition of the person of our Lord Iesus Christ did not only comprehend the 12. hebr 2.11 Apostles by the name of the Brethren of Iesus Christ but geueth also the same title generally to as many as follow the sonne of god and would haue vs to enioy the selfe same honor We sée also why our Lorde Iesus saide I goe vnto my God and to your God vnto my father and vnto your father now this was not ment by a few but it was spoken to the multitude of all the faithfull And although our Lord Iesus Christ bee our eternall God yet is hee contented notwithstanding euen in the person of a mediator to abase himself and come néere vs and to haue all thinges common with vs in respect of his humaine nature For although hee bee the naturall Sonne of God and we by adoption and grace yet this community remayneth that the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ is by his meane ours also in diuers respectes For it is not méete that wée should be exalted as hie as our head and soueraine and surely this could not but be a wonderfull confusion if the head of a mans bodye should not be aboue all the rest of the members for otherwise it would séeme a very monster and a confused lump and therefore it is also very good reason that our Lord Iesus Christ should kéepe his chiefe degrée because he is by nature the only sonne of God and yet this letteth not but that we may be ioyned with him in Brotherhood that we might fréely and with good assueraunce call vpon God and bee hearde because we haue familiar accesse vnto him We sée then what the meaning of this saying is when our Lorde Iesus calleth his Disciples Brethren to wit he dyd it to this end that we at this day should haue the like priuiledge with them by the meane of faith And yet this is nothing derogatorye from the power and maiestie of the Sonne of God when he thus conioyneth himself with such wretched creatures as we are and be as it were one of our company Wherfore we ought to bee so much the more in an admiration with the matter whenas we sée him vse such his goodnes towards vs as that by his resurrection hée hath purchased for vs the heauenly glory for the purchasing wherof he abased himself became of no reputation Since it is so that our Lord Iesus vouchsaueth to allow vs for his Brethrē to the end we might come vnto God let vs boldly séeke him and come vnto him whiles hée thus gently inuileth vs neither doth he maruellous cōsiderately vse his word only to draw vs but addeth withal a visible sacramēt also the we might be brought thereto according to our smal ability And to say the truth let it be that we be neuer so weak blockishe yet shall we not be able to excuse our slacknes if we come not vnto our lord Iesus Christ behold the table wherunto he hath called vs to what end forsooth it is not to the end to fil our bellies although that therin God declareth himself to haue a fatherly care ouer vs and our Lorde Iesus also sheweth that he himselfe is indéede the life of the world Wherefore when wée daily eate and drinke it witnesseth thus much vnto vs that our Lord Iesus declareth his goodnes vnto vs But in this table there is a special cōsideration to be had for it sheweth vs that we are the brethrē of our Lord Iesus Christ to wit Iohn 17.21 that because as S. Iohn saith he hath vnited vs vnto himself he hath also vnited vs vnto God his father so by little little telleth vs that he is our meat our drinke we are takē to be of his own substaunce that wee might haue al our spirituall life in him And this is more then if hée called vs his brethren an hundered times Let vs therfore vnderstand and know the vnitie that wee haue with our Lord Iesus Christ to wit that he will haue his life to be common with vs and his lyfe to be our life yea that he wil effectually dwell in vs and not by imagination and after an earthly maner but after a spiritual how euer it is he so worketh in vs by his holy spirit as that we are knit faster suerer vnto him then the mēbers to the body And as the roote of a trée thrusteth out his substaunce and strength into all the braunches euen so receiue we our substaunce life from our Lord Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 5.7 And this also is the cause why Saint Paul saieth that our paschall Lamb was crucified and offered vp and that we should now kéepe holyday and bée partakers of the sacrifice And as in the old law when any
is not onely spoken of the person of our Lord Iesus Christ but also of the whole course of his Gospell and of the whole order which he taketh for the maintenance gouernment of the faithfull And therefore if we would be assured of our saluation in Iesus Christ we must in the first place not be ashamed that he was so disfigured after the maner of men being sent into the world was taken to be as one most accursed and soone after his Gospel was in such sort slaundered as we sée it to be euen at this day For if we be ashamed to receiue our Lorde Iesus Christ crucified without doubt we are excluded from all hope of saluatioÌ„ For how are we saued by him How belongeth the heauenly enheritance to vs without he had béen made accursed for vs not only accursed before meÌ„ but also by the mouth of God his father Thus we sée that Iesus Christ the fountaine of all blessing hath neuertheles borne our sinnes and was made like vnto the old sacrifices which were called sin offrings 1. Cor. 5. â—â— because the wrath of God was shewed in theÌ„ men were freed pardoned by them And howe could Iesus Christ be called our life if he had not swallowed vp death by his death Either how could we be exalted by him but because hée went down into the bottom of hell to wit he susteined the horrors that were vpon vs and wherwith by reason of our sinne we were held vnder For it must néedes be that God must be our Iudge for euer this is the most fearfull thing that may be to haue God our enemy And it behoued that Iesus Christ should enter into it as our pledge as one that should make satisfaction for vs and sustayne our coÌ„demnation that we therby might be pardoned And therefore let vs thinke it no strange thing to sée him thus disfigured if this in our reason be foolishnesse let vs vnderstand as S. Paul saith that the foolishnesse of God surpasseth all the wisdom of the world Hée calleth that the foolishnesse of God in that our Lorde Iesus Christ was so abased surely if we wold here set down our iudgement we would say without doubt that it were an absurde thing For to what purpose could it be any way possible that hée who was to be worshipped both in heauen and in earth shoulde be so shamefully dealt withall Thus we sée howe that we in our arrogancie presumption will as rashly and boldly as may be continually condemne whatsoeuer God doth for our redemptioÌ„ howbeit God in his secret counsell sheweth that he hath more wit theÌ„ we any way are able to coÌ„ceiue of And therfore let vs in the first place hold this for a sure ground that séeing our Lord Iesus Christ was not only coÌ„temptible abased but also made of no reputatioÌ„ for our sakes not to forget as S. Paul saith to giue him the honour beloÌ„ging vnto him for his glory was no whit empaired therby althogh al men knew it not yet did his gratious goodnes shine so much the more clearly And besides we ought to treÌ„ble wheÌ„as we sée that the soÌ„ne of God refused not to be as it wer disfigured being the very image of God his father Hebr. 1.3 For all this he did because hée would repaire this image in vs. And this is certaine we are so spotted as that when we shal appeare before the maiestie of God it cannot be chosen but that he must reiect vs vntill such time as our Lorde Iesus Christ hath set his brand vpon vs whereby we might become acceptable vnto God and finde fauour at his hands So when we heare that hée was vgly yll fauoured let vs looke well to our selues vnderstand that hée must take vnto himself all our spots blots to the end we might be clensed of them bringing now with vs before the iudgement seate of God nothing but righteousnes holines which we could neuer haue had except God had communicated the same vnto vs in Iesus Christ And herevpon he saith That the mouthes of Kings shal be stopped when as he shal haue beene thus exalted and that they shoulde sée suche a chaunge as neuer was thought of Here then we are told that we must not rashly iudge when as we sée our lord Iesus Christ to be thus abased naught set by but we must consider to what end the Lord hath so brought him which is that such an excellent name was giuen him aboue all other creatures as that euery knée should bow before him as it is said in the second to the Philippians Phili. 2.9 For wheÌ„ S. Paul hath exhorted vs to modestie shewed that we should not estéeme of our selues he setteth before vs our Lord Iesus Christ as a glasse pattern Who saith hée being the true God thought it no robbery to be equal with God made him selfe of no reputation taking vpon him the forme of a seruant yea became obedient euen vnto that most slaunderous and cursed death the death of the crosse and that before God and men and all this hée did to the ende hée woulde take vpon him whatsoeuer was dewe to vs. Wherefore saieth hée God the Father hath exalted him and giuen him such a name as that euerie knée should bowe of things in earth and thinges vnder the earth that euerie tongue shoulde confesse that the Lord is Iesus Christ to the glory of God the Father and that if we would sée what the maiestie of God is glorifie him as hée is worthie we must néedes come vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ And this is in effect the meaning of the Prophet That we must not for the basenes of Iesus Christ for a time but beléeue in him and set our whole heart on him and also consider to what end he was thus handled and that whensoeuer we speake of his death we must foorthwith remember his resurrection ioyne them both together For these are two inseperable thinges That Iesus Christ would suffer in the weaknes of our flesh and ryse againe in the power of his spirit and that in this last point 1. Tim. 3.16 2. Cor. 13. 4. Rom. 1.4 as S. Paul saith he shewed himself to be the true sonne of God And we sée also besides the pretence of the Prophet in this place We haue before saide that this was not onely séene in the person of Iesus Christ but also in his Gospel For how was Iesus Christ known and what obedience did the world yéeld him wheÌ„ the Gospell was preached We sée that they vnto whoÌ„ the greatest authoritie was giuen did not only scorne condemne men but also beat them and scourged them and in the ende put them to most shamefull death And therfore since it is so Let vs ouercome all such offences and being armed as the Prophet héere speaketh of Let vs consider to what ende it was that our Lord
and being borne in a Stable lead all the dayes of his life like a miserable poore handicraftes man and at last wée sée that all men set themselues against him and so raged as that they detested and hated him and to make fewe wordes and well crucified him Now this was a death which God cursed and hée was not only disfigured with buffetting spitting on crowned with thorne but also was accursed being hanged betwéene two théeues as if hée had béene the most horrible villaine that euer was knowne or hearde of And this was a terrible kinde of death because it was accursed by the law We sée how fouly hee was disfigured which was the very meane why he became a stumbling blocke vnto the worlde And therefore the Prophet namely saith that they would not beléeue the Gospell because the world could not conceiue it to bée a reasonable thing neither yet â—llow that the only Sonne of God the very glory of the Lorde shoulde bée put to such shame and rebuke This eternall counsell of God which was from the beginning coulde neuer sinke into their braine And thus wée sée the meaning of the Prophet Now it is hereupoÌ„ said notwithstanding That he shal be exalted Although at the first there is no shewe of it yet God will increase him and they shall sée saith he euen before their faces that although he was miserable and bare a poore twigge yet that this was no let vnto his aduancement nor to his glorious floorishing because that God woulde put his haÌ„d bring it to passe And besides he bringeth vs backe to our sinnes that hee might take away our conceiued offence by reason of the ouerthwartnes of our vnderstanding Wherfore to the end we should not refuse to come vnto our Lord Iesus Christ by séeing him thus disfigured the Prophet sheweth vs the cause why For to say truely if we come once to the acknowledging of our sinnes and foorthwith conceiue of the wrath of god for the same then shall we come to our Lord Iesus Christ desire him to helpe vs be so much the more earnest to receiue his death and passion for wée must vnderstand that it is the most necessary remedy that may be for the euil that is in vs Thus in sume we sée here the procéeding of the Prophet Now when he maketh comparison betwéen our Lord Iesus Christ and a smal twigge or braunch a roote in a dry and barren ground it is to shew that the beginnings should be base of no valure so that all the worlde should scoffe laugh at them In the eleuenth Chapter he compareth him vnto a sory twigge or braunch saying that he should come of the stocke of Isai Dauid his father And therefore because the kingly house was then base and of no honour hee said it shoulde be as sometimes it had béen that Isai was a countrie man his children Neat heardes Shepheardes This house in those dayes was nothing and of no reputation and besides was like vnto the body of a trée lying on the grouÌ„d which men troode vpon and of no estimation Iesus Christe then was like vnto a silly twigge or branche But it is saide soone after that hée should so wonderfully growe as that hée shoulde ouershadowe the whole worlde Héere the Prophet also sheweth that it muste néedes bée that our Lorde Iesus shoulde bee thus contemptible at the first For if this had not béen namely declared they might very well haue béen offended whenas they see our Lord Iesus Christ to be thus contemptible as touching the worlde For it was saide that one should coÌ„tinually sit vpon the seat of Dauid that this kingdome should florish although he held the Sun Moone And now behold that this princely house was as it were razed vtterly defaced who would thinke that the promise should be accoÌ„plished in the persoÌ„ of our Lord Iesus For there was no likelihood that he should haue béen restored to the princely estate but wheÌ„ it is said that this house should as it were come to naught he of no more estimation nor haue no more rule preheminence that it should be ashame as a man would say to sée such a destruction and confusion when the Prophetes I say haue told this much then haue wee a very good entrée to wit Iesus Christ Neither must wee bee abashed as at a strange vnknowne thing although our Lord Iesus Christ shewed himself in so base a state and condition For to say the trueth it is not in this place alone that the holy Ghoste hath thus saide Wée sée also what the Prophet Amos saith That God will raise this seate Amos. 9.11 Acts. 15.16 which before was ouerthrowne And this place is also set downe in the Acts of the Apostles to declare that our Lorde Iesus Christe shall beginne to raigne when it shal please God to repare the things that were confounded And namely it was said that this kingdome with the kingly crowne shoulde be trode vnder foote as it were and haue no head vntill such time as the Redéemer were come into the worlde And therefore all these thinges should confirme and strengthen vs to the end these base beginnings of our Lorde Iesus Christe might not séeme straÌ„ge vnto vs. Moreouer by this saying of a desert or barreÌ„ land the Prophet meaneth that it should séeme that our Lorde Iesus should no more increase or grow vp then a trée in the desert where is neither moystnesse nor any goodnesse Behold then he is like vnto a disfigured or yll fauoured trée which wanteth nourishmente and the substance and moysture of the earth Nowe it is saide that Iesus Christe shal be so from the beginning expressing thereby that there shoulde be no meanes héere on earth to make him florish but that he should be increased froÌ„ heauen that by the secrete power of God his Father and not be ayded by the worlde because it is altogether barren fruitlesse And this was not only said of his byrth but is also to be referred to the whole course of the Gospell In déede this was a signe that Iesus Christ was but a poore twig whenas he could not get a place to be lodged amongst men but was like one that was banished excluded froÌ„ all coÌ„pany so poorely brought vp as euer was man And this was to prepare the hearts of the faithful to vnderstaÌ„d that Iesus Christ should be reiected conteÌ„ned as touching the world but the principal matter for theÌ„ to vnderstaÌ„d was wheÌ„ he should come to preach the Gospel and execute the charge coÌ„mitted vnto him by God his father For then they began to say Is not this the CarpeÌ„ters sonne doe not we know his bringing vp And in what schoole he hath learned to be so great a Doctor Mat. 15.55 And his kindred séeing him to be so extréemely hated would haue made him beléeue that hee had béen mad
because wée were stubborne that none of vs thought once to humble our selues before God but were altogether blinded in our offēces Howbeit we sée that this is the naturall meaning of the Prophet that for the obtaining of peace at the handes of God it must néedes be that we were to be reconciled by an other meane I haue alredie said that God being the iudge of the world could not choose but of verie right hate and detest vs for as shall be soone after declared what haue we brought out from the wombe of the sea and what treasure haue wée gathered together all our life long Surely wée doe nothing els but prouoke the wrath of God as if wée had made a league with Satan continually to encrease more and more his fury Sée nowe in what sorte wée haue deserued to bée hated and reiected at the handes of God Beholde how his wrath is kindled against vs and it is impossible but that hée must néedes be our enemy because wée fight against him and with might and mayne make suche warres as that we vyolate and breake all order of iustice And therefore I say must God in this respect ryse vp in iudgement agaynst vs because wée knowe it to bée his verie office to maintaine and defende equitie and right Wherfore since it is so that he seeth vs to be ful of iniquitie and corruption and altogether rebellious it is meete hée shoulde stretch foorth his arme and shewe that because we are his enemyes hée will render vs the lyke And therefore wée had néede to haue peace and our consciences will alwayes witnesse agaynst vs and although wée goe about carelesly to sleape in our flatteryes yet will GOD so pricke and spurre vs and make vs féele in despight of our téeth that wee are altogether malicious and vnthankfull Wherefore it is impossible that GOD shoulde bée mercifull vnto vs and wée to bée assured to finde fauoure with him vntill such tyme as wée féele his correction Not that GOD is desirous of reuenge as men are For a man when he is in an heate woulde haue the fault that is committed to bee amended and some redresse and punishment to be made and had that hee might be reuenged Howbeit there are no suche passions in God But how euer the case standeth God will haue his iustice and iudgement to be knowne and feared to the ende wée might the rather bée afearde of our sinnes and learne to abhorre and detest them For if GOD woulde haue forgiuen vs except Iesus Christ had made intercession and pawned him selfe for vs wée woulde haue made no account of the matter and euerie of vs woulde haue smoothed him selfe and woulde haue taken also a greater occasion of lycense to sinne But when we sée that God hath not spared so rigorously and extreamely to handle his onely Sonne as that hée did not onely cause him to suffer the most gréeuous torments in body that might bée but also so extremely afflicted his soule as that hée made him to crye out and say My God My God why haste thou forsaken mée Mat. 27.46 When wée sée all these thinges I say it is impossible except our heartes bée harder then flynt stones but that wée must bée gréeued and conceiue suche a feare as that it must vtterly confounde vs and neyther will nor choose but detest our sinnes and iniquities since they so prouoke the heauy wrath of God against vs. Thus wée sée why it was requisite that our whole correction of peace shoulde bée layde vpon Iesus Christ to the ende wée might finde fauour before God his Father that is to say that we might be at such a league with him as that we might at this day be bold and frée to call vpon God as our Father although of very right hée is our enemy and hateth vs as wée are in our owne nature Wée sée then at this present what the Prophet his meanyng is when hée sayeth that our Lorde Iesus Christ was afflicted by the hande of God disfigured and forsaken of all men and that no man once vouchsafed to looke vpon him by reason of his merueylous deformitie Howbeit hée sayeth that it was because God had kindled his wrath against vs and was armed and bent to cōfounde and throwe vs downe headlong into the pit of hell vntill such time as that attonement was made And which way came it to passe Forsooth God of his méere mercy and goodnesse fréely forgiueth vs our sinnes howbeit the price of our redemption was in the person of his onely Sonne Now we haue héere to note that by reason of the condemnation of our Lord Iesus Christ we are pardoned and al our sinnes buried shal neuer again rise vp against vs before the maiesty of God whē we speak of the forgiuenes of our sins it is not spokē as though God had so discharged vs as if we had throughly cōtented payde him but we are acquited by his méere liberality And although we are guilty before him yet forgetteth he al receiueth vs to mercie Mat. 7.19 because as the prophet saith he casteth our sins into the bottome of the sea but by the way we haue also here to note that this was no frée forgiuenes vnto the persō of our lord Iesus Christ for it cost him the setting on as we say Now if we cōsider what a grieuous cruel slanderous death this was which he abode besides what anguishes his soule endured whē he was called before the iudgemēt seat of God his father to abide our condēnation if we cōsider wel of all this geare I say we shal find that our Lord Iesus Christ hath made a woonderful paymēt for the discharging of our sins Loe here howe we at this day are fréed of thē And héerof we are throughly to cōsider for the diuel hath cōtinually gone about to darkē this doctrine because it is the chiefest article of our faith In the beginning of the world God would haue sacrifices offred vnto him for the forgiuenesse of sinnes And why was that Forsooth it was to this ende and purpose that men should not trust vnto him but by the meane of a sacrifice and the shedding of blood And therefore they all protested in their sacrifices that they were not able to come néere vnto god except they had béen redéemed by the purging of their sinnes iniquities which was to be done by our Lord Iesus Christ And yet by the way neither Iew nor Gentile but trusted to their own merits thought themselues able to make satisfaction vnto God by thē Here then we sée that the diuel euē at the time wtdrew miserable sinners frō our lord Iesus Christ frō the payment which he had made by his death passiō And yet now sée in what case the papists are For they wil cōfesse that wee haue full remission of our sinnes by the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ yea but that is as they
been iustified neither yet shoulde any attonement haue béen made betwéene God vs to wit if Iesus had not repared our transgressions through his obedience And therfore if the death of the sonne of God had been constrained and that he had not submitted himselfe willingly it had not béen a Sacrifice to haue blotted out our sinnes Rom. 4.9 for S. Paul also bringeth vs backe to this consideration whenas hee saith that our transgressions were taken away by the obedience of one man What was the cause that made God become our enimie and yet is but for that wée neuer leaue offending of him Hée created vs that he might peaceably and quietlye enioy vs but when wée refuse to beare his yoke he is of very right to detest vs and not to allow vs for his creatures We sée then why it is said that our Lord Iesus was not only chastised for our sins transgressiōs but also that he did not once open his mouth nor yet gaue any foule language but bicause he knew that he was appointed for that purpose that it was the eternall decrée of god his father he shewed himselfe obedient euen vnto the death And therfore when we would haue a more féeling of the power of the death passiō of the sonne of god let euery man consider with him selfe how many sundry wayes he hath withstood the will iustice of God Surely if we doo so we shall finde that wee doo nothing els but make war against him and as if we would willingly wittingly dispite him Wherfore we néede neuer be abashed to haue the want of such a remedy to wit that for the burying of the remēbraunce of all our iniquities the sonne of GOD must obey in our behalfe It is true indéede that our Lord Iesus spake before Pylate his Iudge but he dyd it not to escape death Luk. 23.3 but rather offered himself vnto it neither would he accept of any occasion to be pardoned because it was very méete that he should be condemned in our name Wherfor it is not for naught that the Prophet saith that hee was like a dumbe man and compareth him vnto a sheepe or vnto A Lambe hauing regarde vnto the figure of the auncient sacrifices for when we héere the death and passion of our Lord Iesus spoken of we must take it to be a sacrifice wherwith God the father was appealed because that sinnes as we haue héertofore declared could not be taken away to please God but by that meane And to say the truth whenas in the time of the law men would craue pardon for their sinnes there must of necessitie be sacrifices done For they were neuer able to make any recompence and therefore God tolde them that it was sufficient that they builded vpon the promise made vnto them in the redéemer Wherefore to the end the Iewes might vnderstād that Iesus Christ should fulfil whatsoeuer was then figured in the law this name of a lambe was namly giuē vnto him and vnder one kinde the Prophet hath comprehended all as if he should haue saide that Iesus Christ in his death and passion should first take away all our iniquities because he should submit himselfe vnto the will of God his father and besides that in the second place he should be sacrificed as a Lamb to the end that by the shedding of his blood all our spots shoulde be washed and made cleane Wherefore when we shall be rebuked for a great number of falts which we commit and can neither will nor chuse but féele the wrath of God let vs haue recourse vnto that which is héere set before vs. to wit that it was not for nought that our Lorde Iesus woulde not answer againe although his afflictions were very extreame and although God powred vpon him his whole rigour yet dyd hée quietly suffer all to the ende wee by that his obedience might bée reconciled And by the way wee are also exhorted to fashion our selues after his example not that we are able throughly perfectly to humble our selues before GOD but yet wee must striue to doo it This then I say that when it shall please his maiesty to make vs féele his most heauy hand so that wée thinke that we are verye hardly dealt withall yet let vs holde our peace and confesse that God is iust full of equitie and not be hearde once to grudge but rather gloryfie God by holding our peace like miserable sinners that are conuinced of their transgressions and haue not a worde to say to the contrary Pet. 1.3.18 Loe then how Saint Peter applieth this place That is that when wée are afflicted by the hand of God yea and persecuted by men let vs paciently beare the iniuries done vnto vs because we know that it is the mind of God to proue try vs or rather to punish vs for our sins let vs beware we make no vaine excuses as many men doo who alledge their infirmitie and ouer great weaknesse so that they cannot be quiet so long as GOD presseth them greuosly Howbeit wee must frame our selues like vnto the sonne of God for he is our glasse and patterne not that as I haue saide there is in vs the like power but yet although wee cannot come néere him let vs notwithstāding striue to come as néere him as we may Psal 38.14 39.10 Moreouer we sée that Dauid being a frayle man as we are did yet put in practise this doctrine as he saith in one place O Lord because I knew that it was thy heauy hand that was vpō me therefore I helde my peace And in another place he saieth since thou O Lorde hast slaked the raynes of mine enimies I haue pacientlye suffered the wronges and outrages that they haue done vnto mée héere then we sée what wee haue to learne out of these wordes to wit that as the Sonne of God was mute because hee would glorifie God and would not replye in all his afflictions euen so lykewise let vs suffer God to chastice vs when he thinketh good or els to trie our obedience in letting lose the raines to the vngodlye to persecut vs. Now it is impossible for vs to reache to it vntill such time as we be fully resolued of this doctrine that our Lorde by holding his peace both before God his father and also before men hath repaired all our sinnes and iniquities Moreouer when we are tolde that by the holding of his peace he purchased vs righteousnesse we sée that this silence bred vs eftsoones this benefit that hee did it to defende our cause and is now become our mediator vnto God hauing his mouth alwayes wide open to witte being euer ready to make intercession for the helping of all the offences whiche wee haue committed For in as much as he abode extreme persecution neuer gaue any words he attained to this office that if we be convinced in conscience before God and are to be condemned for
power was in him to blot out all our iniquities at once let vs bouldly runne vnto his death and passion and not doubt but that it wil alwayes haue this strength in it as to reconcile vs vnto God Now the life wherinto our Lorde Iesus Christ entred is heauenly for it was such a perfect condition as could not be amended And when S. Paul saieth that he liueth vnto God it is as muche as that he is now cleane exempt from all our miseries and from the condition that hée had before taken which was to become a mortall man Wherefore Iesus Christ hath discharged al this geare and is now rid of all humaine frailenesse to the end that we which are his members might hope for the like in our selues And so let vs in the first place note that the Prophet hath héere declared that our Lorde Iesus Christ rose not agayne to bée any more subiect to death but hath purchased euerlasting life In the 2 place we haue to learne that this was not done onely for himselfe but also for all his whole Church For when it said by the Psalmist that God was exalted and tooke the spoyle of his enemies this is to shewe that when our Lord Iesus christ was lifted vp after his death that it all turned to the common benefit welfare of his Churche Psal 68.19 The ouercomming then of Satan and of sinne was to this end that we might be deliuered of them and enioy the fruit of such a conquest and therein triumph This then is the very effect of that whiche we haue to learne out of this place Now the whole substance of the matter is this that wée might vnderstand how to apply it rightly vnto our owne vse And therfore when it is saide that the son of God was lifted vp from out of anguish condemnation let vs learn that when we are moued to become desperat to set Iesus Christe before our eies since we know that he hath passed the course that God his father stretched out his hand vnto him that he might not be oppressed all which was done for our sakes Wherfore we haue a very good way to come out of our angushes and paines so long as we haue Iesus Christ for our Captaine and follow his steps because that whatsoeuer was accomplished in him as being our heade belongeth to vs and the effect thereof will appeare in euery faithfull man And when his age is spoken off it is to this end that we might vnderstande that hee will bee of power able to defende his Church euen vnto the ende for he will not be deuided from his body In very déede our estate and condition differeth greatly from his vntill such time as wée be taken out of this world but in that he is the first borne of the dead he is also the first fruits of all those which shall rise againe Let vs then vnderstande 1. Cor. 15.20 Coll. 1.18 that because the Sonne of God is not onely in his owne essence or being and in his deuine maiestie immortall but also in his flesh and humaine nature that it is to this end that his church might be alwaies preserued in this world neuer â—ecay True it is we shal sée great troubles and indéede a man would think many times that the church of God should vtterly perish for if there arise neuer so small a tempest the surges will by and by be so mightie horrible as that a maÌ„ would say all were lost cleane dasht And this is so common a thing as may be For what outwarde shew of maintenaunce can there be to the church of God wheÌ„as it is assailed thus on al hands must it not néedes be thought that it cannot be but vtterlye ouerthrowne whenas it is thus wonderfully assaulted howbeit this is the truth of it we must be faine to resort to our head Wherfore since the age of our Lord Iesus is without end and that all the changes in the world cannot stay him from hauing a very good eye vnto his church although the temptations were farre greater and more violent then they are yet let not vs shrink at the matter And this is not to be applied only to the whole company of the faithful but also to euery one of vs. And therefore let vs vnderstand and be throughly perswaded that although our Lyfe be but a blast we ready euery minute to vanish away yet notwithstanding that we haue a lyfe which lasteth for euer because we are the members of our Lorde Iesus Christ Moreouer let vs eftsoones learne to walk through this world since this is not our life which we héere presently enioy but a pilgrimage which we must passe on quickly vntil such time as we haue come vnto our quiet enheritance Thus we sée that in hoping for euerlasting life wee must forsake all this which is but a shadow not suffer our sences to be eÌ„folded in that which we openly sée and may occasion vs to tarry stil héere in this world for surely as many as haue their mindes set héere on this lyfe without doubt doo thereby seperate themselues from the sonne of God and are vnworthy to haue any part or portion with him in his euerlasting kingdome And therfore let vs forsake this world if we wil ioyne our selues vnto the son of god Furthermore because this doctrine might take the better holde of vs the prophet cryeth out he saieth not that the age of our Lord Iesus Christ shall be onelye euerlasting but casteth it out as a man meruelously abashed saying Who shall be able to number his yeares Wherfore we are admonished to striue against all temptations although we be some times hindred this way and that be as it were cast downe wtout mouing yet let vs resist with much to doo enforce vs vntill such time as wée haue attained vnto this which is héere shewed vs to wit the mans reason is not able to vnderstande nor yet any mouth able to expresse the age of our Lord Iesus And for the bringing of this matter about we must be also very wel aduertised to surmouÌ„t all our thoughts wheÌ„as we fal in reasoning of putting our trust in our lord Iesus Christ folow him for the partaking of the heaueÌ„ly enheritaunce which he hath purchased for vs. Neither must we stick to our own opinion and fantasy whenas this doctrine shal be well treated of as if it were to bée debated by words But let vs know this that although our faith hangeth vpon hearing yet shall it neuer haue through assurance except it receiue such a testimony from God and from his holy spirite as surpasseth whatsoeuer the tong of man is able to expresse For this cause must wée not dwell in our owne vnderstandinges and iudge as we thinke best but let vs know that it is a wonderfull and an in comprehensible secret the the sonne of God became a mortall man and subiect to death that
it meant was thus conuerted vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ let vs take good héede howe we play the sluggards but rather follow the Counsell of the Psalmist who saith To day if yée heare his voyce harden not your heartes Psal 95.8 And therefore let vs take such a tast of the doctrine which is here preached vnto vs as that wee may bee brought vnto our Lord Iesus Christ and so accept of him as that we may cleaue vnto him with a sure and constant faith that we may profite thereby and be strengthened euen to the end so that after we are truely humbled we may come and offer our selues vnto our God and beséeche him of pardon and forgiuenes and although we are vnwoorthy yet let vs not leaue lifting vp of our heades vnto heauen and fully assure our selues that God will accept of vs in the name of this great and mighty Redemer And although he was for a little while cast downe yet let vs come backe to this poynt that he was notwithstanding exalted aboue the heauens that as S. Iohn saith he might draw vs vnto himself Iohn 22.32 for thus it is said when I shal be exalted out of this world I will draw al things vnto my selfe Let vs now fal downe before the maiesty of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him to make vs otherwise féele them then héeretofore we haue done and that it would please him to open our eies and 〈◊〉 touche our hartes as that wee may submit our selues wholy vnto him and holde the meane whiche is set downe vnto vs in his worde that is to hate our selues and detest al our sinnes so that wée may be able to receiue the grace which he hath once shewed vs in our Lorde Iesus Christ and which hée would haue vs now inioy by the meane of the Gospell And so let vs all most humbly say O almighty GOD and heauenlye Father thou hast promised to héere all our requestes c. ¶ The fift Sermon of the Prophesie of Iesus Christ Isaiah L. iij 9 And he made his graue with the wicked and with the riche in his death though he had done no wickednesse neither was any deceit in his mouth 10 Yet would the Lord breake him and make him subiect to infirmities when he shall make his Soule an offering for sinne he shall see his Seede and prolong his dayes and the wyll of the LORDE shall prosper in his handes THe Prophet continueth héere the doctrine before specified to witte that there was such inimity betwéene God and vs as that the wrath of God could by no meanes be appeased but by Iesus Christ his answering of the same euen to the vttermost For by how much the more the suffering of the son of god was by somuch the more mai we gather how greeuous our sinnes are and how wonderfully God abhorreth them considering as wee haue héeretofore saide and as héereafter shall be more at large spoken that there is no superfluous nor vnprofitable thing in the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ And therefore for somuch as he was terribly tormented hee hath on the one side witnessed vnto vs his infinite goodnesse and loue and we on the other side are to looke what it is that our iniquities haue deserued before the maiestie of our good God Now it is heere sayde that ouer and besides that which hath beene alreadie recited that our Lord Iesus Christ was put to be skorned and shamed of the vngodly that they might euen glory and triumph ouer him for there is no doubt but that the Prophet by this word Graue ment to expresse that Iesus Christ was subiect to all rebuke and shame and that God woulde forsake him as it were for a season to the end the worlde might make no reckoning of him accordingly as it is set downe vnto vs in the Gospell For they did not onely crucifie Iesus Christ but they also put out their tongues at him rayling and scoffing and as much as in them lay went about to make him desperate Which thing was very well foretolde by the Psalmist to witte that the most wicked and vngodly should put out their tongues at him For this was the speech they had he hath saued others say they and therefore let him now saue him selfe if he can Why calleth not hee vpon his God Psal 22.8 Mat. 27.42 we shall see whether hee so greatly loueth him or no. We see then how the wicked wounded our Lord Iesus Christ and how furiously men outraged against him and it was to this end and purpose that we might finde so much fauour at the handes of God as to haue our sinnes couered and although Satan hath wherefore to accuse vs yet shall all the shame whervnto he is any way able to put vs be clearely buried Wherefore since our Lorde Iesus Christ would néeds beare all our blame and shame it was to this ende that all our filthinesse might be couered before the Lord our God so that they should neuer be able to come in minde any more And when the prophet speaketh héere of the Riche it is as much as if he had saide the most outragious kind of people For we know that when men are riche and in authoritie they goe about to make them selues to bée feared alwayes abusing their power and credit And this also we sée that very few or none of these men kepe any temperatnesse and measure either yet become gentle and mild when they may hurt But as for the poore soules although indéede they are fearce and cruel enough yet are they kept backe from dooing any harme euen by maine force thereby the mischief which they would gladly doe is not seene Howbeit as for the rich and mightie ones they are without all order and thinke whatsoeuer they doe is lawfull To be short the Prophet his meaning is that our Lord Iesus Christ was thrust into the hands of men to the end he might be so vilainously handled as that he was not woorthie to be accounted amongest the contemptible petie companions but to be taken as a worme of the earth and to haue all the mocks and skornes that might be to be laid vpon him Thus we sée the summ and effect of this first part Now he by and by after sayth That he had for all this done no wickednes whereby he ment to shew that that the son of God as touching himselfe being innocent would take vpon him all our burdens wherewith we were ouercharged for there was no mortall creature that was able to beare and suffer that which our Lord Iesus Christ dyd And so by that meane the prophet againe declareth vnto vs that it was not for his owne deserts neither yet was he guiltie of any thing whenas they thus cruelly and tirrannously vsed him but abod all this geare for our sakes And to say the truth if we looke well into the life of our Lord Iesus Iohn
with him that crucified him Howbeit they coulde neuer haue doone any thing against him do the best they had could without it had béen so before ordeined by the sacred decrée appointment of God the father as hath béen alredy alledged out of the Actes Acts. 2. 23. 4.28 where it is saide That they did nothing but that which the hand and counsell of God had ordeined But ouer and besides all this our Lorde Iesus Christe was contēted well pleased with the sentence iudgement that was giuen vpon him for our sakes Now the prophet setteth it namely down that it was for sin For all sacrifices were called sin offerings because that he who had cōmitted an offence whē he came to ask pardon brought his sacrifice with him thereupon was discharged as if hée should haue said Alas my good God behold I stande héere before thée as a guiltie condemned person and it is impossible for mee to beare the punishment that I haue deserued for it but should rather bée a burden vtterly to cast mée downe into the pit of hell Howebeit for remedie héereof I craue pardon at thy maiesties hand by meane of the sacrifice which héere is offered vp vnto thée Héere we see why they were called sinne offeringes to wit because the curse which we deserued vnder the which we were altogether cast downe was as it were discharged and laid vpon a bullocke or shéepe or vpon some such like thing that was offered Now all this was done in the lawe vnder a figure So then our Lorde Iesus was called sinne because he bare our curse that God his Father might blesse vs. Neither let vs thinke that this is any whit derogatory from his Maiestie but that wée ought rather so much the more to magnifie him For as S. Paule saith in his Epistle to the Corinthes That hée who knew not what sin meant 2. Cor. 5.21 was made sinne for vs that we might be the righteousnes of God in him There is no doubt but that Saint Paul meant to set foorth vnto vs the fruite and benefite of the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ euen as the Prophet héere setteth it downe vnto vs. Wée sée then that Iesus Christ was innocent without spot or wrinkle And therefore since it is so hée was méetest to beare the charge of others Nowe hée in such sort beare it as that hée was made sinne to wit hée susteined our curse And how so Forsooth to the ende that wée now might haue righteousnesse to aunswere the Maiestie of God For the obedience of our Lord Iesus Christ is as a cloke to couer al our iniquities and besides his blood is as a thing to cleanse vs when wée are washed therein and as Saint Peter saith Bedeawed and begot therewith by his holy Spirite Héere then wée sée the meaning of this place 1. Pet. 1.2 Marke also héere againe that to the ende wée might detest and abhorre both our sins our selues we must cōsider of the wonderful sufferings of the sonne of God because it is so strange a thing as that it ought to put vs in a maruellous admiration that he who is the fountaine of all righteousnes was made sinne that hée who is blessed sanctifieth all things yea euen the very Angels of heauen became accursed Nowe when wée heare all these thinges spoken of and sée them to bée very strange yet haue wée not the wit and vnderstanding to apply them to our edifying For since the Sonne of God was brought to this point is it possible for vs to finde any remedy els where No surely for wée may soone iudge that neither men Angels nor nothing els whatsoeuer was able to doe vs any good but that we must néedes haue our help at the hāds of the sonne of God And therfore this Diuel Seruetus which was héere executed is so much the more accursed and damnable because he hath falsified stayned the holy Bible in saying that all this was prophesied of Cyrus an Heathē Idolater and robbed our Lord Iesus Christe of the thing which so properly belonged vnto him as that when Isaiah had fastened this as it were vnto a liuely Table that euen thē Iesus Christ was crucified the things could not be made more manifest and plaine And yet this Diuell brought with him such an horrible wickednesse as that hée hath spoyled our Lorde Iesus Christ both of his dignitie and office and saith That it was an Heathen man that suffered for the people whenas in déede what by reason of his ambition and couetousnesse hée would néedes shed the blood of a man and therefore receiued his iust rewarde for the same Howbeit this is a fearefull falsifiyng of this godly Prophesie and to say truely neuer man aliue euer once thought of any such meanyng as this cursed fellowe hath deuised For although a great number of shamelesse Heretikes haue peruerted the doctrine of the holy Scripture yet neuer did any of them come thus farre And therefore it cannot bée chosen but that al the signes and tokens of a reprobate appeared in this cursed man Wherfore wée are héere so much the rather to note that whē the Prophet bringeth vs backe to the consideration of our Lorde Iesus Christe that in the first place it is to this ende that wee might bée ashamed of our selues and besides that we might magnifie the inestimable goodnesse of our God because hée would haue his onely Sonne to become sinne for vs and that our Lord Iesus Christe himselfe refused it not but as one forgetting himselfe had such care of our saluation as that hée descended into the bottomeles depthes of horror to the ende hee would beare our curse And therefore wée are héere also to consider of this point that there is none other meane for vs to be discharged before God but to set before vs the satisfaction of the Sacrifice which was offered vp for vs once for all Indéede this is very true that the worlde alwaies hath a meaning to deuise some one thing or an other I know not what wherewith to pay God as hath heeretofore béene saide and for example wée sée what store of pretie fonde triflyng bables many Papistes vse wherwith to appease the wrath of god For in déed they tell vs that it is impossible for vs to bée forgiuen without we make satisfaction for say they although God of his frée mercy goodnesse forgiueth vs the fault yet hée reserueth alwayes the punishment vntill such time as euery of vs hath discharged himself before him And héereupon wée sée from whence commeth the foundation of Purgatorie For because wée cannot whiles wée lyue héere make satisfaction but that there must remaine alwaies some remnant and arrerages wée must therefore say they beare the punishment out of this worlde that is it that must pay god Loe héere howe the miserable worlde hath béen deceiued and blinly lead with the leasinges and doting dreames of
Satan And therfore wée are so much the rather to make an obseruation of this doctrine That as God hath not set downe in the Law and saide You shall not serue mée this way and that as pleaseth you But placed and ordeined the sacrifices Ceremonies conteined in the Law thereon stay them selues without deuising any newe and strange kind of Seruice meane to obteine fauour grace Euen so likewise must we at this day be contented with the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christe because we know that that is the only meane by which God will be mercifull fauourable vnto vs by which also he wil receiue adopt vs vnto himselfe Thus we namely sée what it is that the Prophet meaneth to offer héere vnto vs. Now it is moreouer said That he will prolong his dayes that he shall see his seed to be permanent that the wil or plesure of the Lorde shall prosper in his handes Héere he bringeth vs yet once againe back vnto the consideration of the glory excellencie of our Lord Iesus Christ to the end wee might be so muche the more assured that we may come vnto him for if hée had remoued in death as a vanquished person it had béen impossible for vs to haue béen euer iustified quickened by his grace For how could death a lone haue brought righteousnes life with it as of it selfe but because of the sacrifice of his death he rose again therin resteth our ful whole cōfidēce Thus we sée that we haue obteined victory ouer sin to the end we might be takē to be righteous death is abolished in vs that wée might haue life In déede this in the first place hath relation vnto the person of the Sonne of God For as wée haue alredy said hée dyed according to the infirmitie of his fleshe 2. Cor. 13. 4. howbeit the heauenly power of his holy Spirite was shewed in his resurrection and heereof hée gaue this testimony for these were his wordes destroy yée this Temple and within thrée dayes I will rayse it vp againe Iohn 2.19 Loe héere howe the Sonne of God as touching his person did sée a great age For hee rose not againe to shew himselfe vnto the worlde for a whyle and then dye againe But after hée had shewed himselfe vnto his Disciples and made them witnesses of his resurrection hée ascended into heauen and so exempted himself from all humane frailtie This then it is whereon wee must builde our faith in him when as wee sée him to haue in such sort ouercome death and the Diuell and triumphed ouer him as that after that hée was offered vp for a Sacrifice hée was receiued and exalted vnto this power and dignitie whereof mention hath alredy béen made But wée must also note by the way that all this belongeth to the whole body of the Church for it is not the purpose of Iesus Christe to separate himselfe from it Heb. 2.11 And in déede it is further said that hee shall see his seed True it is wée are called the brethren of Iesus Christe For wée coulde not bée called the children of god but by the same name And therfore hée who is the onely beloued must receiue and ioyne vs so vnto himselfe as that we might haue that by adoption which is onely his by nature howbeit this is no let vnto vs from being as children ingendred of his séede For what is the true séede of the Churche Verily euen the worde of the Gospell as Saint Peter telleth vs. 1. Pet. 1. 23. 25. And in déede it is the very selfe same which we haue already séene veryfied vnto vs out of the Prophet Isaiah That the worde of the Lorde endureth for euer because by it wee are made incorruptible Isaiah 40.8 whenas wee receiue profite thereby according to that measure that it is giuen vnto vs by the holy ghost this then is the séede by which wee are regenerate into euerlasting life Howbeit wee must fyrst come vnto our Lorde Iesus Christe And how commeth it to passe that the Gospell hath this office and Property to beget vs to bée the children of GOD Forsooth the reason is this because the blood of our Lorde Iesus Christe was a true séede to quicken vs. And therefore it is not for naught sayde héere That hee shall see a seede of long continuance or an euerlasting seede So then wee are againe to conclude that the benefit which our Lorde obteined by his resurrection was not particuler for him selfe alone But that wée might haue parte thereof and be called vnto his company because we are members of his bodie Nowe wée are héere by the way admonished not to séeke for one droppe of life in our selues but to take it wholly from our lord Iesus Christ Why howe will God then acknowledge vs to be his children Howe shall wée haue any place in his Church Howe shall wée be taken to be of his flocke Forsooth wée must come to this point Because wée are partakers with our lord Iesus Christ Thus wée sée howe God accepteth of vs this is our begetting and first birth And nowe let our fréewill men goe and brag of their frée will by which they suppose them selues to be readie to receiue the grace of God For what abilitie is hée able to haue to doe eyther good or yll that is not yet begotten in the wombe of his mother Wherefore let vs vnderstande thus much that since our chiefe and first creation is this that we are begotten in Iesus Christ that wée are able to doe nothing neither yet that any thing procéedeth from our power and strength but that all whatsoeuer wée haue commeth from that frée goodnesse of his whereof we are made partakers And this is the summe and effect of all that which wée haue to consider of But by the way to the ende wée might also haue a great deale the better taste of his death passion it is saide Because hee gaue his soule an offring for sinne to wit for satisfaction or for sacrifice that hee should see his seede For wée right well shewe that wée would blot out all hope of saluation if wée glorified not the goodnesse of God in the death and passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ And to say truely they that proudly disdaine to cleaue vnto our Lorde Iesus Christ because hée was crucified rightly declare that they haue not knowne the ende thereof For without it what should become of vs Surely wée shoulde haue no Church in the worlde there should be no saluation and to be short there should bée no hope of any goodnesse For without doubt wée should bée all remedilesse confounded lost and condemned without Iesus Christ had offred vp his soule bought vs againe by that onely meane 1. Cor. 6. 30. And for this cause the Scripture also oftentimes sheweth vs that wee were redéemed with no small price And thus much we
should be founde in them But if they be narrowly sifted and the bottome of their heartes searched we shall finde nothing lesse in them then that they promised and would be the first that would forsake God And why so Forsooth because they haue not this consideration with them selues to thinke what they are For whensoeuer euerie man shall looke well vnto him selfe hée shall finde a sea of sinnes whereof hée can no way be ryd without by sighing and groning we runne vnto God and call vpon him in our necessitie Moreouer we are to vnderstand that the Sermon which S. Peter made in the Citie of Ierusalem is at this present made vnto vs to the end we might profite our selues thereby and let vs also note that hée brought not in the place of the Prophet Ioell for naught And therefore let vs be sure to trust vnto this promise That whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of God shall be saued And according to this holie doctrine Let vs fall downe before the Maiestie of our good God and acknowledge our offences beséeching him so to blesse vs with his grace as that we may so confidently call vpon him as that our prayers may be acceptable in his sight so that wée being deliuered from all superstition and idolatrie might truely worship him to the ende wee might take him for our Father and Sauiour and he likewise at last acknowledge vs for his children And so let vs all say O Almightie God and heauenly Father c. The fourth sermon of the descending of the holy Ghoste Actes second 22 YEe men of Israel heare these wordes Iesus of Nazareth a man approued of God amongst you with myracles wonders and signes which God did by him in the midst of you as yee your selues also know 23 Him after you had taken by wicked handes beeing deliuered by the determinate counsell foreknowledge of God haue yee crucified and slaine 24 Whom God hath raysed vp hauing loosed the sorrowes of death because it was impossible that he should be holden of it AFter that Saint Peter had in his Sermon declared that the promise conteined in the Prophesie of the Prophete Ioel was accomplished by the descending of the holie Ghost vpon him and vpon his companiōs the Apostles for a testimony and as a pledge which the Lord God meant to communicate vnto his Church and vnto euery faithfull member therof and yet that there must néedes fall out great troubles and that the fayth of the Christians might be proued and tried After all these thinges I say hée bringeth the Iewes to Iesus Christ For fith the holy Ghost was giuen they could not choose but acknowledge the comming of Iesus Christ Because it was saide That the Prophesie of Ioel should not be accomplished vntill the latter dayes And therefore when as we sée the holie Ghost thus poured out it is a sure token that God hath sent Iesus Christ to the ende hée might make an ende of our saluation Now this is an excellent maner and a verie conueent order of teaching which we are here to note to wit That looke how many graces of his holy spirit God giueth vs are euen so many meanes to bring and guide vs to Iesus Christ whereby wée might learne all wisedome of him For he is the verie fountayne out of whom we must all drawe the same And to say truely First of all forsomuch as he was the worde of God from the beginning hée is also the life and light of men And because hee hath receyued most perfectly Iohn 1. 4. Iohn 1. 16. all the graces of the holie Ghost forsomuch as hée was made man we are to receiue from out of his fulnesse grace for grace Wherefore by him it is that wee must haue fauoure before God For if we would drawe neare vnto his Maiestie without this meane we were neuer able to haue accesse vnto him And therefore must we goe the direct way vnto Iesus Christ For since we know that he hath most perfectly receiued the graces of the holy Ghost wée must be all partakers of them by him and through him And so Saint Peter vseth here a verie good reason to admonish the Iewes that the Redéemer was come to wit that in as much as the holie Ghost was poured out that it was in the latter dayes And besides hée saieth Ye men of Israel heare these words Iesus of Nazareth a man approued of God amongst you with wonders myracles signes which God did by him in the midst of you as you your selues also know him I say being deliuered by the determined counsell and prouidence of God you haue by wicked handes crucified and slaine This is euen hée by whom God hath wholely giuen him selfe vnto you and yet haue yée put him to death And yet notwithstanding yée must néedes confesse that it is the verie selfe same man which was promised you in the lawe Hée came to be your Sauiour and Redéemer and this you can neither will nor choose but acknowledge because he remained not in death For God gaue him victorie ouer death and hée ouercame it Thus we sée in the first place what it is that Saint Peter telleth vnto the Iewes that he might bring them to the knowledge of Iesus Christ And it is to be noted that hée speaketh of nothing here but of the death and resurrection of Iesus Christ For first of all it can not be otherwise but that the Iewes must néedes vnderstand that Iesus Christ was the Sonne of God And this is it whereby Saint Peter meaneth to proue it in that which hée héere propoundeth Nowe there are two thinges which we are to vnderstand of Iesus Christ The first is That we must néedes beléeue that he is the Messias to wit the annointed of the Lord promised in the lawe and the verie same of whom the Prophets haue written and that it is he who suffred death for our redemption and yet was not ouercome of it but gloriously rose againe tryumphing ouer all his enemies And thus much for the first point Nowe for the seconde when as wée know that Iesus Christ dyed for vs we must néedes acknowledge what hée is and the benefit which we are to receiue by him Here are then two thinges throughly to be considered of vs For if wée haue to deale with a Iewe wée must begin to instruct him in the principles of Christianitie and tell him that Iesus Christ was borne of the Virgine Mary and that it was hée whom God had promised them and whom in verie déede his predecessours had put to death and that he appointed them the verie time when hée should come into the world And besides that he had giuen him a testimony that he was his Sonne by approuing it with the signes and myracles which he did in the middest of them and likewyse that after he was ascended into heauen he sent the holy Ghost according to the saying which long ere that was foretolde Thus must we
deale with a Iewe to bring him to the knowledge of Iesus Christ Moreouer we must let him vnderstand that when the kingdome of the Messiah is spoken of in the scripture that it is a spirituall kingdome to the ende hée should not be deceiued to thinke him to be an earthly King as all the Iewes imagined And this is it which caused them to refuse Iesus Christ forsomuch as he reigned not ouer the people as they thought hée shoulde haue done Nowe for the first point wée haue nothing wherefore to stande against the Papistes but for the second For they graunt vnto vs that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God and the same that was promised in the law and that hée was put to death and rose agayne And héerein we easily agrée But they are to be taught to what end hee came For they doe not acknowledge him to be the same man in déede that hée is Wée knowe that we must beléeue that our saluation commeth by Iesus Christ alone by his death and passion And the Papistes cleane contrary attribute it vnto their workes and merittes and other their inuentions and thinke by that meane to be sanctified Wherefore they séeke in their workes the thing which can no way be founde but in Iesus Christ Thus we see that it is not néedefull for vs to teach the Papistes any thing as concerning the person of Iesus Christ but onely to shewe them what his power and vertue is wherefore hée came and what benefite we may reape thereby Nowe Saint Peter hath héere taken vpon him to set foorth these two pointes For the Iewes knewe not that Iesus Christ was the Messiah sent from God and therefore much lesse knew they his power and why he came And therefore hée telleth them that he shewed himselfe to be the Sonne of God amongst them in as much as he rose againe so that by his resurrection they might know him to be the verie same because hée was deliuered from death and ouercame it and therefore that life and saluation must be had in him and by him And this is it which Saint Peter meaneth to declare in this first place he will also shewe vs what fruit we haue by his resurrection which wée meane to declare hereafter as it commeth in order to be handled Nowe séeing we at this present vnderstand the purpose of Saint Peter and the order of his Sermon let vs follow it and learne to acknowledge that so soone as God bestoweth any benefite vpon vs that it is because we are the members of Iesus Christ and not for our workes nor yet for any other thing that we are any way able to offer vnto him And therefore let vs haue no more these royling imaginations in our heades as to be persuaded this way and that but let vs come to the acknowledging of our sinnes and be sory for them as we sée Saint Peter goeth about to bring the Iewes theretoo héere in this place when as hée speaketh of the death of Iesus Christ For in the first place hée accuseth them saying Yee haue slaine him Nowe we may verie well sée that hée meaneth not by this spéech to flatter them And indéede S. Peter did cast this in their dish as we say to the end he might pricke their hearts and wound them to the quicke as hereafter we shal sée that it so stuck grieued thē at the hearts as that they were therewith conuerted Thus and by this meane must men be wonne to come to be humbled and brought to the acknowledging of their offences For if we continually preach vnto them pleasant and delightfull things they will doe nothing els but toy and tryfle and be Gods fellowes and play with him euen as they would doe with a mortall man We sée how it fared with the woman of Samaria when she spake vnto Iesus Christ and that he told her of the water of lyfe whereof he said if she drunke Iohn 4. 11. that she shoulde neuer thirst she mocked him like a naughtie packe as she was But after he had once brought her to the acknowledging of her sinne and tolde her that she went to seeke her husbande and remembred her of her wicked life past she was more milde in her speech then she was at the first For when he simplye and plainely layde before her the graces of God she laughed him to skorne and sayd why where shall we haue a Bucket wherewith to draw the water séeing the well is so very deepe but when hée had saide vnto her Thou art an harlot thou hast had fiue husbandes and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband she then acknowledged her sinne and sayde that Iesus Christ was an holy Prophet And therefore vntill such time as we tremble at the horror of our sinnes we will neuer giue place vnto the woord of God And that was the cause that made Saint Peter accuse the Iewes of the slaying of Christ not that he tooke any pleasure in thus reproouing of them but to the ende they might vnderstande that their condemnation was at hande for their sinnes and on the other side that they had forgiuenes of them by Iesus Christ if they woulde acknowledge him and come vnto him Nowe héere in this place haue the ministers of God a rule set downe vnto them to witte that they must touch men to the quick and tell them of their sinnes that they might vnderstand that God is their Iudge and will not leaue their obstinate sinning vnpunished and by that meane be brought backe vnto him by repentance which they wil neuer doe except they be reprooued and roughly handled And therefore let vs suffer GOD too rule and condemne vs to the end he might pardon vs. We shal finde a greate number of men that would be very glad the Gospel should bee preached so that it might be for their gaine serue their carnall desires and be as it were a cloake for their villanies Now this must not bee the end of our preaching For our Lord Iesus Christ saide That when the holy Ghost should come that he should rebuke the world of sinne that hée shoulde sit as a Iudge in the place of iustice and iudge the world Iohn 16. 8. And therfore wée shal neuer bée able to deale faithfully with the Gospel without the worlde bée brought to this condemnation and that euery man may know what it is for euerie of vs to rebuke himselfe Wherfore let all such as flatter themselues groane and bée hartily sory and let al such as take their pleasures be afeard and tremble and let all those who perswade themselues to bée righteous looke more narrowly vnto themselues to the ende wée might all bee brought to this acknowledging of our sinnes by which wée shall grow to be penitent so cōsequently come into the fauour of God Thus wée sée why it is that S. Peter vseth such a bitter reprehension vnto the Iewes whenas hée saith That they
had crucified and slayne Iesus Christ And afterwarde saith being deliuered by the determined Counsell and foreknowledge of God As if hée should haue said Although hée was deliuered by wicked handes and that you haue put him to death yet was it not done without the wil of God Now it is not for naught that S. Peter added this saying by the determined Counsel foreknowledge of God For the Iewes might haue replied and sayd If it be so that the same Christ Iesus of whom thou so much speakest of be the Messias why hath hée suffred himselfe to be thus tormented and put to death And this is a thing that will hardly perswade them For wée sée euen at this day how they mocke scorne at it saying If Iesus Christ had béen the Sonne of GOD how is it possible that hée would abide the shamefull death of the crosse And thus doe the wicked vomite out this blasphemie by reason of the obiect of the crosse because they think to be a thing derogatorie from the Maiestie of the sonne of God And therefore S Peter preuēteth these fātasies which might be a let vnto the Iewes to beléeue his doctrine And telleth them that none of all this geare came by fortune as might haue béene iudged but euen by the will of God Now if wée rightly considered of the power of God wée shoulde be cleane voyde of al these fond imaginations For wee know that God is not without wit and reason and that whatsoeuer hée did hée did it méerely for the saluation of mankinde His resurrection also is diligently to bee obserued of vs for as the death of Iesus Christ might giue vs occasion of offence if wée considered of it onelie by it selfe euen so in his resurrection we sée the woonderful power glory of God which might make vs not to bée offended whatsoeuer troubles and fantasies arise And therfore S. Peter said not without cause that that which Iesus Christ suffred was doone by the foreknowledge of God For it must néedes come to passe that Iesus Christ must bée the offred vp sacrifice vnto God his Father to blot out the sinnes of the worlde Wherefore when wee sée the Counsell of God tend to such an end let vs vnderstand that whatsoeuer is done is done for our benefit neuer enquire why Iesus Christ suffred because we sée therin the infinite goodnes of God we sée as S. Paul saith the loue which appeareth vnto vs Tit. 3.4 in that he spared not his onely begottē sonne but deliuered him to death for our sakes On the other side we sée how obediēt Iesus Christ was to god his father let vs not therfore be so presumptuous as to enter into these foolish thoughts and say why doth God this or that For wée know that whatsoeuer hée hath ordeyned is grounded vpō the fatherly loue which he beareth vs. And so whē wée looke at this we thē sée why it is that Christ Iesus suffred This therfore is the reasō wherfore S. Peter saith the God had decréed this in his vnchāgeable counsel Moreouer he was cōtēted that this should be done by the hād of the wicked vngodly Wherin we sée that it is in the wicked to hurt the godly but that they cā doe nothing wtout the sufferance of God neither can we haue a more excellent spectacle héerin thē the very person of Iesus Christ For we cānot choose but know that whatsoeuer he suffred was long agoe foretold by the Prophets It is said that he was nayled on the Crosse because it was so foretold Thus we sée how these théeuish Romanists crucify him to wit the souldiers vnto whō the executiō was cōmitted because it was so prophesied They gaue him very sharpe bitter drinke to drinke Iohn 19.24.28 they parted his garmēts al this they did because it was so writtē To be short there was nothing done in this but that which God had before ordeined Thus we sée that the wicked can doe nothing without God giue them leaue For we sée that these vngodly ones could goe no farther then God had licensed them And therefore whatsoeuer is said of Iesus Christ is to be applied to our vse for he himselfe hath sayd that the little sparrowes shall not fall on the ground without his ordenance If so be then that the prouidence of God extendeth it selfe vnto these small foules Mat. 10.29 it must needes folowe that nothing commeth to passe without his appointment he sayeth after that that the hayres of our head are numbred wherein he sheweth the fatherly care which he hath ouer vs and besides because we are the members of Iesus Christ and touch him very neere he would haue vs vnderstand that he taketh vs for his children For although the world be as it were the house of God and he the Goodman of the houshold yet doeth hee singulerly reuerence and like his Church and hath a speciall care thereof And therefore wee see what wee are to thinke of the prouidence of god to wit that S. Peter would haue no fantastical things set down nor yet haue vs serch after subtilties with edifie not His meaning then is not to procéede after any such sort but sheweth that God hath so well prouided for our saluation as that we neede not séeke for any other meane but that onely which he hath appointed And besids he would haue vs vnderstād that we are so sure vnder the hand of God his protection as that nothing can be done against vs but that which he hath determined For if it were not so what should become of vs if we were guided by fortune as mad men think we are surely our estate were more accursed then the estate of brute beasts But whēas we vnderstād that god is the gouernour of al things this ought greatly to comfort vs we might theron very well stay our selues Wherfore we sée it to be a necessary vertue to know the prouidēce of god And therfore we are to cōsider that as Iesus Christ suffred nothing but by Gods permission euen so whatsoeuer shal betide vs cōmeth frō God this then is it with we are to obserue here in this place Yea we are throughly to cōsider of this word counsel Indéed there are some men which wil speake of the prouidence of God but it shal be but a foolish imaginatiō therof for they thinke that he himselfe taketh his ease in heauē aboue giueth fortune or nature leaue to rule here below Now we are contrariwise here told the God ordeyneth al things disposeth euery thing at his will pleasure True it is that the same is vnknown to vs neither can we comprehende it but we must be onely contented to vnderstād that hee is the Gouernour thereof neither must wee as I haue already said doe as some foolishe felowes doe who say And if God knoweth what shal come to passe it is not for vs to set downe any order and