Christ So Paul Hic sensus sit in vobis qui fuit in Christo Let the same mind be in you that was also in Christ Iesus which when he was egall with God yet neuerthelesse made himselfe of no reputation humbled himself vnto death euen the death of the Crosse So Dauid notwithstanding he was a King a Prophet and a man chosen euen according to the heart of God yet he humbled himselfe said Non ambulaui in magnis nequè in mirabilibus super me I am not high minded I haue no proud lookes I do not exercise my selfe in great matters which are too high for me So Paul God hath chosen the foolish things of this world that by them he may be able to confound the wise he hath chosen the weake things that thorough them he may subdue the strong Thus God vseth humble lowly things saith S. Paul Ex ore infantium et lactantium perfecists laudem tuam Out of the mouth of verie babes sucklins hast thou made perfit thy praise euen by the mouths of infants sucking babes thou hast ordeined strength and spred abroad the glory of thy name So Paul notwithstanding he was a great learned man and skilfull in the Lawes among the Iewes yet he bragged not nor boasted of his great knowledge he had but he humbled himselfe and said Ego me arbitror nihil scere nisi Christum eum quidem crucifixum I thinke thus of my selfe that I know nothing saue Iesus Christ euen the same that was crucified other knowledge haue I none to auaunt my selfe of said S. Paul And vpon this foundation of humility it pleased almightie God at the first to erect build his holie Church vpon his Apostles I say who were the very paterns of méeknesse it séemed good vnto God to build his holy Church And after them such as were of the congregation of Christ such as professed the name of Christ were not proud men were not men of haut courage nor high minded And therefore as we read in the Acts of the Apostles Erat illis cor vnum anima vna They were all of one heart and one mind together So at the beginning the Disciples of Christ were poore in spirit and therefore were they méet to inherite the kingdome of Heauen they were méeke in heart humble of mind and therefore were they méet to possesse the earth they learned at Christ to be méeke and lowlie they had the same sence in them that was in Christ and therfore they humbled them selues vnto death they were counted the foolish things of the earth therefore were they méet instruments to confouÌ„d the wisdome of the world they were counted the weake things therefore were they méet to ouercome the mightie The Babes were méeke lowlie and therefore were they méet to spred abroad the glorie of God Saint Paul of all his learning thought that he knew nothing so much he humbled himselfe and therefore was he méete to be an Apostle of Christ and Preacher of his Gospell There is a storie or rather a fable writen of S. Anthonie whether you take it as a storie or a fable I much recke not but it serueth well for this purpose it is thus Saint Anthonie on a time lay in a traunce and as he so lay he looked downe from Heauen as he thought saw all the whole earth so thicke couered with snares that possible it was not for any man to tread vpon the earth and not be intangled therewithall and this when he beheld suddeinly he cried out and said O Lord and who can then walke on the earth and not be intrapped with that he heard a voice that answered him and said Sola humilitas Only humilitie it is said that voice that may go and not be intangled only Humilitie and nothing else Who so is Humble he may walke without daunger he may go and not be taken This is written that S. Anthonie should sée and heare in his traunce But Dauid the prophet of God saith in déed Sacrificium Deo spiritus contritus The contrite and humble heart is a sacrifice vnto God the méeke and lowlie heart is a swéet and acceptable Sacrifice vnto God saith the prophet Dauid So againe in another place he saith Deus humilia respicit alia à longè prospicit God hath regard to the humble and lowlie and as for the proud he beholdeth them a far off Esaie also or rather God by his Prophet Esaie saith Super quem râ—quiescet spiritus meus nisi super humilem Vpon whom shall my spirit rest saith God But vpon the humble and meeke for otherwise saith Saint Paul Qui inflatur cadit He that is puffed vp with pride falleth into the hands of the Deuill Thus good Bretheren humilitie preserueth the Church of God humilitie vphouldeth all good Common weales Pride it is that scattereth the Church of God pride ouerthroweth all good Common weales There was yet neuer pride in any Citie without dissention nor dissention that continued without destruction of the whole Common weale Ye shall neuer read in any record eyther of Citie Kingdome or Common weale but that if pride raigned therein there consequentlie followed dissention and of dissention insued the ouerthrow of the same In the Citie of Rome which was called the Ladie of the whole world there were two that tooke vpon them the gouernance of the Empire Iulius Caesar and Pompey Iulius Caesar was a man of so haught courage that he could abide no péere Pompey was of such an high mynd that hée could suffer no man to be his egall And thus for dominion stroue these two together and thus thorough their dissention was not onlie the whole Citie but the kingdome it selfe brought to destruction The state of the Gretians which then chiefly aboue other florished because it was diuided came to vtter confusion But what speake I of these what speak I of Rome and the state of the Gretians Who is there that hath not heard of Ierusalem Ierusalem I say that great City that same Towne that God had chosen to him selfe euen that same Towne wherein God would haue his Temple erected and his holie name honored after that the Rulers thereof began to be diuided after that the Magistrats fell to discord and each man would be a Captaine and no man would be ruled then came the enemies in then was it besieged then was the Mother for verie famine constreined to eat her owne childe then was it vtterly destroyed and no one stone left vpon an other and which was most miserable there were slaine in that Citie xj hundred thousand people and the verie chanels in the stréets ran all with blood Thus miserably was it ouerthrowen and in such wretched estate were the whole people thereof and this only came to passe thorough pride and dissention And this was it that Esaie long time before prophesied of and said Then shall the
and bring forth a sonne whose name shall bee Emanuel that is God amongst vs. And hereunto witnessed all the Patriarches and Prophets euen from the first beginning of the world vnto the time of the comming of our Sauior Iesus Christ And therfore because the whole Scriptures the Patriarches the Prophets spake thus plainely of Christ and declared his comming Christ said Scrutamini Scripturas illae enim testimonium perhibent de me search you the Scriptures for they do beare witnesse of me Likewise againe to the Scribes and Pharisies hee said Si Mosei crederetis crederetis mihi If ye beleeued Moses ye would beleeue mee for Moses also hath written to mee hee hath told you of me said Christ therefore if you beléeued him yée would also beléeue me And thus all the whole bodie of the Scriptures bare record of the comming of Christ the Patriarches knew long before that Christ should be borne the Prophets prophesied of his comming into the world But when Christ should be borne when his glorious comming should appeare that neither the scriptures declared neither the holy Patriarches knew nor the Prophets were able to shew And therfore said Christ Abraham voluit videre diem meum Abraham would faine haue seene my day he saw it therefore he reioiced But how did Abraham sée it with bodily eyes no but in faith because he was in faith able to sée it therefore he reioyced What then if he had with his eyes séene Christ if he had talked with him if he might haue touched and embraced Christ what ioy would hée haue made how would he haue reioyced and béene glad No doubt as the birth of Christ was most acceptable and welcome to al good men in that time so was his comming much longed for of the holy Patriarches and Prophets before time for they well knew that his time should be a time most acceptable that then all things should be in quietnesse vnitie and concord in euery place peace through the whole world And therefore said Esay the Prophet Et vocabitur princeps pacis He shal be called the Prince of peace And to declare this more plainly the same Prophet saith Then shall the Wolfe dwell with the Lambe the Leopard shall lye downe by the Goat Bullocks Lyons and cattell shall keepe company together the Cow and the Beare shall lye together and there shall be no crying no wayling no noyse heard in the streets And therefore this Prophet Esay in another place considering the great ioy the great felicitie that Christ should bring into the world when hée should be borne cryed out and said Disrumpe coelos descende O Lord said he breake the heauens and come downe And so another Prophet in like foreséeing this great felicitie that should ensue the birth of Christ said Quis viuet videbit haec O who shall liue to enioy this merueilous felicitie When Christ was come into this world though then not borne but in his mothers wombe Iohn the Baptist béeing a babe and in his mothers belly also yet at the Maiestie of his Lord and at the presence of Christ he sprang for ioy and leapt in his mothers wombe So likewise at the birth of Christ for ioy that the Angels in heauen conceiued thereat they sang Gloria in excelsis Deo in terra pax hominibus Glorie be to God on high and in earth peace vnto men After that time whē Simeon that holy prophet had in spirit perceiued the true Messias Sauior of the world to be born had receiued Christ into his armes he cried out said Nunc dimittis seruum tuum Domine secundum verbum tuum in pace Now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Now euen now that this sight is prouided before the face of the whole world that so long hath béene looked for now that light is appeared which shall be the light of the Gentiles Now O Lord said be let thy seruant depart in peace I haue lyued long ynough to sée thy saluation Thus good brethren all the Scriptures throughout the Patriarches the Prophets shewed long before vnto vs the ioy and felicity that should come vpon the whole world at such time as Christ should be borne And therefore to confirme all this that they before had prophesied of him Christ here said vnto his disciples Blessed are the eyes which see that ye see Blessed are your eies said Christ for your eyes haue séene Gods promises performed that promise which he made to Adam saying The seed of the woman shall breake the head of the Serpent Your eies haue séene that promise made vnto Abraham The seed wherein all nations shall bee blessed That promise also your eyes haue séene performed which God made vnto Dauid saying Of the fruit of thy bodie wil I set vpon thy seat You haue séene and do now sée that Emanuel of whom Esay prophesied You I say haue séene that thing whereunto all the Patriarches al the Prophets the whole body of the Scriptures do beare witnesse You do see and behold him whom Abraham would gladly haue séene You sée him whom Esay calleth the Prince of peace him in regard of whom the Prophet cried out and said O who shall liue to see this great ioy You sée him at whose presence Saint Iohn the Baptist being in his mothers wombe sprang leapt vp for ioy him at whose birth the verie Angels in heauen sang Gloria in excelsis him whom Simeon pronounced to bee the Sauiour of the world All this said Christ you sée you my disciples your eyes do sée all this and therefore blessed are your eyes happy and blessed are the eyes that sée whiche yée sée In the beginning saith S. Paul God spake diuersly and by sundry meanes vnto his people sometimes by dreames sometimes by reuelation sometimes by prophesies sometimes by Angels and sometimes by his owne voice but now in these dayes hee hath sent amongst vs his owne sonne by him saith he God hath declared his wil vnto vs cléerely and plainly euen by the mouth of his owne son When S. Iohn the Baptist baptized Christ in the riuer of Iordan it pleased God the Father to crye from heauen and say Hic est meus filius dilectus ipsum audit This is my beloued sonne heare him hearken vnto his voice giue eare vnto his doctrine for he it is to whom both the law the Prophets haue their respect And S. Paul saith Mysterium abscōditum a saeculis nunc autem reuelatur per Iesum Christum the mysterie that high mysterie of mans saluation that hath beene so many hundred yeres hid is now reuealed by Christ our Sauiour so long it hath béene hidden saith Saint Paul and now it is opened and shewed vnto the whole world by Christ Therefore blessed are your eyes said Christ yea blessed are the eyes which sée that yée sée for your bodily
me So Christ himselfe also said Auferetur à vobis regnum Dei The kingdom of God shal be taken from you giuen to the heathen which shall bring forth the fruits of it But alas when Gods kingdom is taken away in whose kingdom and dominion do the people then liue when Gods gospel his word is no longer preached what learning what doctrin what discipline is there left to bee taught And this oftentimes commeth to passe by means of our owne sin and wickednes that for the misusing of God and his gospel we neither haue Gods Kingdome nor his Gospell among vs. But then alas in what great miserie in what wretchednesse in what wofull case shall wée stand For if Gods Kingdom be shut from vs whither shal we fly If the light of his gospell be taken from vs what light shall be left vs If God will get him away from vs who shall bee our succour And therefore no man ought to reioice hereat no man ought to be glad of such a change But though Gods kingdom be taken away from vs though Gods Gospell bee no more preached vnto vs though God fly from vs and will hide himselfe away yet is God and his gospell nothing thereby altered God is still one and the same God his gospell is the same gospell that it was before his Kingdome continueth in one stay and estate it is not changed nor altered For saith Christ Caelum terra transibunt verbum autem meum non transibit Heauen and earth shall perish but may word shall not perish And again Portae inferorū nō praeualebūt aduersū illud The gates of hell shal not preuaile against it And therefore S. Paul hauing on his side this word of God which neuer changeth but alwayes continueth one and the same hauing I say this word of his which shal neuer perish and against which the verie gates of hel shal not preuaile he was bould to appeale from the slaunderous iudgement of the people and say I passe not what you thinke of me It is but a small matter for mee to bee iudged of you or of mans day c. Good people you haue here heard declared vnto you and thereby you may well perceiue that S. Paul notwithstanding hée was the seruant of God an elect vessell of the holy Ghost and the chiefest Apostle of Christ yet was euill spoken of and misliked euen of the Chrians and such as professed the name of God notwithstanding he was indéed the true seruant of God the minister of Christ and a faithfull dispenser of the secrets of God yet could not all men speake wel of him al men could not giue him a good report And therefore to cause them to conceiue a better opinion of him and report of him none other than he deserued he here willeth them that they should first weigh well and consider his doings they should examine his doctrine and the gospel that he had preached amongst them they should marke well and see whether he had been a faithfull dispenser of the mysteries of Gods gospell and then so estéeme him as the minister of Christ and Steward of the secrets of God And therefore iudge you nothing saith he before the time that the Lord come which shall bring that to light which is hid in darknesse and open the counsels of the hearts and then shall euerie one haue prayse of God And so in these daies as Paul in his time was misliked of many so I say in these our dayes the ministers of God and preachers of his gospell are euill spoken of amongst all men some say they are vnlearned they know nothing they are crafts men they were neuer set to school this they haue said and do yet report of them Some men say they preach they cannot tell what they speake against prayer against fasting against almes déeds and all other good works they allow nothing that good is they disallow in manner all things This you know hath béene spoken and yet is reported of such as now are ministers in Gods gospell But hereunto haue I none other thing to say than that which S. Paul in this place writeth to the Corinthians It is sufficient for vs to bee found the seruants of God the ministers of Christ faithfull dispensers of Gods secrets In the meane season doe not you good brethren thinke euill of the preachers of Gods word report not amisse of the ministers of Christ account not them your enemies that bring vnto you the glad tidings of the gospel When Paul came to Berea from Thessalonica and began there to preach the Gospell of Christ the people ranne to their bookes searched the Scriptures conferred his doctrine with the word of God and when they found that in all points it agréed therwith then they beléeued Paul then they embraced his doctrine then with willing harts they claue to his discipline And as they did euen so let vs do good brethren let vs not iudge rashly of Gods ministers let vs not ouer hastily giue sentence of them let vs not report euill of Gods seruants but let vs well weigh and consider what thing they teach vs let vs examine trie their doctrine with the touch-stone of Gods word let vs conferre their preaching their teaching their discipline with the Scriptures of the holy Ghost And this when you haue done then bée you our iudges then if you sée that we teach you nothing but the mysteries of God if you perceiue that we onely disclose vnto you the will of God if you sée that wée preach vnto you none other thing than the secrets of Gods gospell estéeme vs to be the seruants of God the ministers of Christ and stewards of the secrets of God The end of the first Sermon THE SECOND Sermon Psalme 67. 3. 4. 3. Let the people prayse thee O God let all the people prayse thee 4. O let the people reioyce and be glad that thou iudgest the folke righteously and gouernest the Nations vpon the earth c. AT what time the Iewes had grieuously offended God their Lord forgotten their obedience towards him and betaken themselues to strange gods euery man wandring after his owne lust and fansie and thereupon God began to plague and punish them with sundry and diuers plagues and with vnseasonable weather so that their grasse their corne their fruits what euer other commodities sprang out of the earth were al in great danger then Dauid the Prophet séeing all these miseries at once fall vpon the people called them home againe shewed them how they should returne from their wickednes come vnto God For God desireth not our destructiō he is loth to work reuengement vpon vs when we anger displease him In what euer houre the sinner shal returne from his sin come vnto me saith the Lord I shall be readie to receiue him As for all his sins that hee did before they shall not be thought vpon but in
his gospel If thou say thou knowest God if thou say thou knowest his gospell if thou liue not as God commaundeth thée if thou liue not as it becommeth a professor of Gods gospell thou blasphemest Gods name and dishonorest his gospel Ore suo appropinquant ad me saith God by his prophet Esay corda autem illorū longe absunt à me this people draweth nigh vnto mee with their mouthes but their hearts are farre from me They honor me with their mouthes but with their hearts they deny mée And in another place God by his Prophet Dauid saith O thou man why doest thou preach my lawes and takest my couenant in thy mouth for with the sinfull thou art sinfull with the théefe thou art a théefe with the adulterer thou art an adulterer Therefore if wee haue the word of God as a song to delight our eares if we turne the truth of Gods gospel into riot and wantonnesse if we confesse God with our lips deny him in our déeds if we say we know Gods law we know his commaundements and yet liue not thereafter we do not prayse God and confesse his name but we shame God and dishonor his holy name we cause the people to thinke euil of Gods word and slaunder his gospell And this is the cause why the common sort of people iudge that not to be the gospel which is this day preached taught vnto them because such as professe the gospell liue not after the gospell because such as say they know Gods way walke not in Gods way And thus through our own folly through our owne euill and corrupt liuing we offend our brethren we offend our selues and so in them offend Iesus Christ and their bloud shall bée required at our hands Let vs remember what God by the Prophet Esay saith Haec est vera via ambulate in ea This is the true way walke in the same Chrysostome saith if yee heare Gods word preached vnto you and yee follow it not yee learne saith he but your owne damnation yee learne nought els but your owne destruction The words that you heare preached vnto you shall accuse and condemne you God sayth Thou shalt not steale thou shalt not commit adulterie thou shalt beare no false witnesse c. these words this law of God written vnto vs shall accuse yea and condemne vs I say if wee to our powers follow not the same if wée walke not and continue in them accordingly Alas the verie age of the world the profession that wee haue taken vpon vs is or should bee ynough to put vs in remembrance of another life of another world to come Let vs not take the name of God in vaine let vs all prayse and extoll God let our mouthes our hands our hearts and all other our members praise and confesse his name for euer Laetentur exultent populs c. O let the people reioyce and bee glad that thou iudgest the folke righteously gouernest the nations vpon the earth Thy way O Lord is knowne said Dauid thy way is knowne vpon the earth therefore let all people all nations yea all the whole world reioyce and be glad thereat Diuers people set their minds on diuers things some in conquest some in great power and force of men some in heapes of money and treasures of this world some others that they are able to make other men feare and they feare nothing themselues But all these things are vaine both conquest power and heapes of great treasure are transitorie and fade away but the man of God that dreadeth God and hath a delight in his Law setteth his ioy and delight in those things which haue no end but continue for euer And therefore Dauid here saith Let all the people reioice and be glad in this thing alone because thou iudgest the folke righteously and gouernest the nations vpon the earth Let vs consider if there were a whole Christian nation brought in captiuitie vnder the Turke in thraldom and subiection vnto him in such sort that they should neuer heare the Scriptures neuer receiue the Sacraments neuer come to the church to pray but alwaies be where God should be despised and his name dishonored cōsider I say with your selues in what miserie in what wretchednesse in what great thraldome should they be With what conscience should they be able to abide this But if it would then please God to deliuer them standing in this state if it would please God to restore vnto them his Scriptrues if it would please God that they might receiue againe his holy Sacraments and might come and pray together if God would thus much doe for them O what ioy what tryumph what mirth would they make Let vs therfore here consider the estate of Gods Church before the time of the Prophet Dauid as it was in his time Before the Raigne of Dauid the Tabernacle of God was broken the Arke lost the Scriptures taken from them the Priests slaine God made them no answere by Prophet Angell nor by dreame euery man ran whither himselfe best liked without any feare of God or dread of his Law so had Saul that wicked King miserably tossed and turmoyled the same But it pleased God by the hands of King Dauid his Prophet to restore againe his Church so ouerthrowne to her former estate and condition it pleased God by him to make vp the Tabernacle againe to find out the Arke that before was lost to set vp all other things in good stay and order and this was as much as if he had called them from death vnto life from bondage to fréedome from Hell to Heauen Therefore when all these things were thus restored againe by the might and power of God this prophet Dauid comforted his heart and said Haec est dies quā fecit Dominus laetemur exultemus in ea This is a ioyfull day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce be glad therin And so likewise in another place Dominus regnauit moueatur terra The Lord beareth the rule the Lord is king be the people neuer so vnpacient Let the whole world conspire saith he let it be moued do what it can against God for God ruleth and raigneth ouer al. Zacharie when he saw the comfortable time that should ensue the birth of Christ he fel downe cried out saying Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel quia visit auit fecit redemptionē plebis suae Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited redeemed his people So Simeon that old and holy father so soone as he beheld Christ had receiued his redéemer into his armes by and by his heart brake out for ioy said Nunc dimittis seruū tuū Domine secundū verbū tuū in pace c. Now lettest thou thy seruant O Lord depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes haue beholden thy saluation mine eyes haue seene thy
all the people praise thee And God euen our owne God giue vs his blessing that the earth may bring forth her increase Thou hast O Lord sent vnto vs thy measure thou hast giuen vs thy squire whereby to measure and rule our liues thou hast sent I say vnto vs thy Gospell thy holie word the light of thy déerely beloued Sonne Iesus Christ whereby we may guid our selues direct our waies vpon the earth And when we shall thus liue when we shall once begin so to direct our doings as Gods Gospell teacheth his holie word commaundeth vs then shall the earth bring forth her increase then shall she yeeld vs her fruit in due season For like as God when we turne from him following our owne lusts and desires plagueth and punisheth vs so when we repent and returne vnto him he is good he is louing he is mercifull vnto vs. Turne vnto me sayth God by his prophet Ieremie and I will turne vnto you When soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes I will forget his iniquities saith the Lord. It is the Lord that gyueth vs fruit it is the Lord that maketh the ground fertile it is not the ground of it selfe that bringeth forth fruit it is not the corne that féedeth vs it is the blessing of God the blessing I say of God alone And therefore saith the prophet Dauid If thou O Lord wilt open thy hand then all things shall be filled with thy blessing It is the Lord that maketh the Sunne to shyne the Moone to giue light the raine to fall on the earth I am the Lord that doth all this sayth God Dauid also in his Psalme saith Sciant quòd manus tua fecit haec Let them know O Lord saith he that thy hand alone hath done these wonders It is God I say that causeth the earth to be fruitfull and bring forth increase it is God that causeth the heauens to heare the earth the earth to crie vnto the Heauens Your harts shall be full of my blessing saith the Lord. If we shall forsake our sinnes if we will leaue our wickednesse and turne vnto God our harts shall be full of his blessing and then shall the earth bring forth her increase the earth this dead thing this vnsensible thing this masse of clay at Gods commaundement at his will and pleasure it shall bring forth corne it shall bring forth grasse and all other kind of fruits to serue them that neuer thinke vpon him that bestowed them O that wée were kinde that wée were not vnmindfull that we would remember God But alas wée are vnkind we are vnmindfull we neyther thinke on God nor his works and therefore God closeth vp his hand therefore he gyueth not vnto vs hys blessing therefore is the earth barren and vnfruitfull And this our owne sinnes causeth this our owne wickednesse and sinfull lyuing causeth Ose the prophet vnto the people of Israel when they had forsaken God their Lord and therefore were gréeuously punished cried out and said Malum tuum ex te ô Israel Thy euill is come of thy selfe O Israel All this scarsitie all this dearth all this plague commeth of thy selfe alone Thou art saith he the cause thou thy selfe art the cause hereof And euen as they were the cause of their plague so are we the only cause of all this our punishment and yet we sée not nor know Gods anger I haue striken thee saith God by his prophet and yet thou feelest not and where shall I strike thee once againe Filios educaui saith God by his prophet I haue bred vp I haue nourished vp children and they despise me they set nought by mée they will not acknowledge mée their father Good Bretheren let vs turne vnto God let vs amend our sinfull lyuing let vs submit our selues wholy to his mercie so shall the earth bring forth her increase so shal she yéeld vs her fruit in due time season Let vs consider the dignitie that God hath giuen vs he made vs in Paradise he fashioned vs to his owne likenesse he breathed life into vs and lastly where we by the fall of our first parent Adam were all adiudged to eternall death he redéemed vs again by the blood of his déere Sonne and Passion of our Sauior Iesus Christ Behold these things and be not vnthankfull Let vs good Bretheren behold our selues let vs behold our owne vocation our owne profession let vs behold Christ our Sauior We are the children of God the bretheren of Christ and heyres of the euerlasting kingdom we are Christian men we professe Gods Gospell let vs therfore remember that we must walke as becommeth the seruants of Christ we must liue like the professors of Gods holie Gospell Let vs remember how many wayes God calleth vs how diuersly he allureth vs vnto him by what sundry meanes he prouoketh vs to come vnto him O thou proud soule sayth God by his prophet thou earth ashes when wilt thou forsake thy sinfull lyuing and come vnto me when wilt thou repent and turne vnto me Alas do we looke that the stones in the stréets the verie stones vnder our féete should rise vp and call vs to repentance The heauens drop downe teares for our sake they wéepe and are sorie for vs and wilt not thou O man burst out in teares and bewaile thy sinfull life God looketh when we will come he wayteth when we will returne vnto him he daily and hourely watcheth when we will submit our selues receiue his mercie So louing so good so gratious a Lord is he Why should you perish saith Christ giue me thy hart O thou man and I am contented Let vs all therefore my Bretheren let vs all returne vnto God let vs altogether come forth confesse Gods holie name let our hands our mouthes our harts praise and laud him for euer let all the people reioyce and be glad that God iudgeth the folke righteously and gouerneth the Nations vpon the earth So shall the earth bring forth her increase so shall shée yéeld vs her fruit in due season so shall we be blessed in our houses blessed in the fields blessed in our commings in and our goings out so shall our corne our cattell our shéepe and oxen be alwayes blessed and so shall Gods blessing be vpon vs and our Children and God euen our owne God shall blesse vs and remaine with vs for euer Amen THE THIRD Sermon Rom. 6. vers 19. 19. Like as ye haue giuen ouer your members to the seruice of vncleannesse from one wickednesse to an other euen so now also giue ouer your members to the seruice of righteousnesse that ye may be holie c. FOr the better vnderstanding of these words written by the Apostle S. Paul we must consider that there be two Princes of contrary dispositions and natures which haue the rule and gouernance of this world that is to wit God and the Deuill and that neuer was there man
vs if wee turne from him And so almightie God most mercifully vsed his promises vnto Abraham Ego sum protector tuus merces tua I am said he thy defender and thy reward Ego benedicam benedicentibus tibi maledicam maledicentibus tibi I wil blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee So ample so large so great a promise made God vnto him And thus almightie God when he wold deliuer his elect people the children of Israell from their great bondage and captiuitie Inducam te in terram fluentem lacte melle I will bring you into a land that shall flow with milke and hony this will I performe this will I bring to passe for you and this will I doe for my names sake And so likewise to these his people he made this merciful promise against their enemies saying Yee shall chase your enemies and they shall fall into the sword before you fiue of you shal chase an hundred and an hundred of you shall chace ten thousand Thus also God by his Prophets promised his people and said Turne vnto mee and I will turne vnto you And euen thus likewise Christ in the Gospel maketh most cleare and manifest promises of euerlasting life and saluation to all such as for his name shall forsake the pleasures and delights of this word and repose their felicitie onely in him Beati pauperes spiritu beati qui lugeant beati qui esuriunt beati qui persequutionem ferunt Blessed are the poore in spirit blessed are they that mourne blessed are they that hunger thirst blessed are they that suffer persecution And why so For what cause are they blessed that are poore in spirit For what cause are they blessed that mourne Why are they happy that hunger What reward shall they haue that suffer persecution because saith Christ theirs is the Kingdom of Heauen they shall be comforted they shall bee filled they shall obtaine a crowne of glorie When two or three are gathered together in my name saith Christ I will bee in the middest of them Whatsoeuer yee shall aske my father in my name it shall be giuen vnto you These manifold and great promises it pleased almightie God to make vnto his chosen elect people these coÌ„fortable promises Christ himself vouchsafed to pronouÌ„ce to al such as shal cleaue vnto him thus mercifully it pleased God by faire promises to allure and win vs vnto him But oftentimes alas we set little or nothing by these swéet comfortable promises we little estéem or regard them and therfore god then vseth his threatning his rigor and Iustice among vs when no swéet words can win vs then hee striketh his terror into vs. For when god in old time perceiued that no gentlenes no kindnesse no mercy of his could win his people vnto him he caused Esay his prophet to cry out said Impius in beneficijs me noÌ„ aguouit in angustijs auteÌ„ clamauit ad me The wicked and sinfull man saith he in my great goodnesse benefits bestowed vpon him would not acknowledge nor confesse me but in his miserie and trouble in his anguish and woe then he ran vnto me and called on my name And so likewise by the Prophet Ieremie God him selfe sayeth Conuerterunt ad me terga non faciâ—s suas in die autem tribulationis inclamant me They haue turned their backes and not their faces vnto me but in the day of their trouble in the time of necessitie they call and cry vpon me And so in like the same Prophet Ieremie or rather God by this Prophet saith Impinguatus incrassatus est populus meus My people are waxen fat and lustie they haue forsaken mee the well of life and digged themselues pits yea vile and broken pits that can hold no water Such a thing is the felicitie and pleasure of this world that it maketh vs soone to forget God and the felicitie of the world to come And therfore God so often warned his people of Israel that when they were once come into the land of Canaan into that plentifull country which flowed with milke and hony wherein should bee no dearth nor scarcenesse that then they shold not forget the Lord their god that then their hearts should not be deceiued that then they should not goe aside and serue other gods and so his wrath and indignation waxe hote vpon them And therfore when faire promises louing kindnesse cannot win vs to God then vseth he another way then doth he appoint another meane then beginneth hee to threaten and feare vs and that of his rigour and iustice And thus did hée to our first father Adam because he would not he should transgresse his commaundement he threatned him and said In quocunque die comederis ex hoc fructu mortem morieris In what-euer day thou shalt tast of this fruit thou shalt dye the death So likewise God to the whole multitude of his people of Israell said Vnlesse ye giue eare to the voice of the Lord your God to doe all his commandements and ordinances cursed shall you be in the towne and cursed in the field cursed shall thy basket be and thy store cursed shal be the fruit of thy body the fruit of thy land cursed shalt thou bee in thy comming in in thy going out You shall call and I will not heare you shall cry vnto me and I will not giue eare Dabo vobis caelum aeneum terram ferreum The heauen shall be as brasse and the earth as Iron the heauens shall giue you no raine the earth shall bring you forth no fruit your trauell and labour shal be lost your land shal not giue her encrease Thus almightie God threatned his elect chosen people and all to kéep them in awe and feare of him And so in another place he saith I will set my face against you and ye shall bee slaine before your enemies and they that hate you shall haue dominion ouer you ye shal fly when no man chaseth you Thus you see that it pleaseth almightie God oftentimes to vse these and such like words of threatning to vse such rigour to beat a terrour into his people when faire promises and swéet words can doe nothing and this doth hee of his great iustice And therfore Dauid in this place God is indeed saith he a rightfull iudge and God is euer threatning If men will not turne he hath whet his sword and hath bent his bowe and made it readie He hath prepared him the weapons of death and ordained his arrowes to destroy So mightie so omnipotent is God that hee can punish and so righteous a iudge is he that hee will punish when it best pleaseth him But some man would here peraduenture say if God be thus able to punish and will indéed punish when hee is offended why then doth he it not by and by why